Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 3rd November: Plenty of flowers but possibly not enough bees to fertilise them.
The rainfall for October was a substantial 82.3mm, but this week has continued to be mainly dry with mostly cloudy and dull days with the odd bit of sunshine. However the temperatures are good enough for plants to continue to grow meaning that the grass needs cutting even though it is soggy underfoot.
We had meant to cut the hedge back again this week but it will be relisted as a job for next week as were preoccupied with bringing wood chips up to the garden and laying them down to replenish the old paths. A large tray of broad beans got sown for planting out some time in November, and more will need to be started off this coming week. The weeds along the hedge line were cleared as were wheelbarrow loads of nasturtiums which had started to take over the asparagus plots as well as amongst the radishes and spinach.
Both the winter and the French radishes were ready for picking, as well as plenty of spinach, some kale and the last of the summer sown spring onions. We had a sit down session to tackle the spring onion seed heads which were grown at Pent farm in the hope of being able to sow them this coming spring. It seems we had plenty of flowers but possibly not enough bees to fertilise them. It was a struggle to retrieve what seeds there were and nobody is convinced that growing our own was a brilliant idea! We will give it a chance in February when it is time to start the sowing season again.
As well as laying the wood chip paths, our other main consideration is to get any empty plots covered with a layer of new compost. We have so far emptied our compost bays where it was stored, and having turned the main compost heap into a neighbouring bay, we were able to use a few barrow loads at the bottom of the heap which was usable. The activity of revealing and turning the compost brought our garden robin right up close to swoop in and pick up anything that looked tasty enough. We left the covers turned back so that he could continue to scavenge.
It will be a while before we have any more of our own compost and so we resorted to calling on the ‘Friendly Farmers’ in Densole to bring us a couple of ton bags full of great compost they make on the farm. Now the issue is to get that compost up to the garden but with any luck, perhaps the lads at Napier barracks will be free sometime next week to give us a helping hand.
What’s next?
- Get the compost moved
- Finish laying the wood chips
- Cut the hedge again
- Trim the bay trees and raise up in the pots
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.