Sandgate Community Garden: Update 14th July 2024

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 14th July: Everyone you talk to in the growing world is saying the same thing.

We are still stuck in this weather pattern, and it seems that the cloudier, showery weather is to stay for a while longer. Everyone you talk to in the growing world is saying the same thing about their heat loving crops – that they are struggling and really slow in getting going, so at least we are all in the same boat!

We cleared some weeds from around the pond which were climbing up above the other plants, as well as the Quaker grass which needed to be stopped from dropping all of its seeds. The beetroot bed was cleared and more compost added, as was the pea bed. We had a good crop from the small amount of peas we planted this year. Initially planted for pea shoots, and then developed mange tout pods followed finally with big fat pea pods with as many as nine or even ten peas in each one. They were really sweet and delicious, totally worth the task of having to shell them.

The radicchio seeds got sown, and we are just about to embark on starting to sow the seeds for more autumn crops such as winter radish and Chinese cabbages. It seems unbelievable that this is where we are in the season when it feels like we are still waiting for summer to make an appearance.

A couple of us were on a course this week looking at the role of microbes in the regeneration of your gut biome and the regeneration of soil. They are so very tightly linked together that the conversations spilled over from one to the other. There is so very much to learn about all of this, and it makes you realise just how little we really know or understand about this whole area.

We are into the holiday season and many of our gardeners are either away or about to do so. There will not be a newsletter next week on 21^st July, but we will be back the week after for more updates.

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