Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 17th November: An executive decision was taken to lift the dahlias.
Happily there was a bit more sunshine this week and a couple of lovely warm spells, although it was not to last and we are to experience close to frost temperatures this coming week. Not really surprising for mid-November.
Warm weather has an effect on the clearing of the plots before the winter sets in. For example the asparagus ferns have only just started to turn yellow which means they can now be cut right down to the ground and compost added to help feed the fat juicy shoots we are expecting next spring. If we had some hard frosts, then many of the plants would have been affected and subsequently cleared away by us already. There are still many leaves on the trees which means we have work to do to collect them when they fall.
An executive decision was taken to lift the dahlias. At Pent Farm they were in danger of rotting before the top growth was frosted, and at Enbrook we have never had to lift them as they have always survived the winters however the space they took up will now be given to growing food.
The good news of the week is that some of the broad beans seem to have survived the hungry mice and are just starting to appear through the soil. Still not sure if we will have enough but another tray of around 120 cells was sown in the week which is hoped will mean there will be plenty to plant in the coming weeks.
Something else was finding their dinner in the garden, as we noticed there was a huge amount of what looked like pigeon feathers. We can only imagine that the owner is no more and perhaps a local fox got lucky.
What’s Next?
- Clear leaves if any more have fallen
- Clear the growth to the back of the purple sprouting bed
- Raise the netting over the purple sprouting
- Continue to put down more compost and wood chips
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.