Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 12th November: A full pond and shredded banana tree.
The rainy season continues, and nothing got done on the Wednesday morning session due to persistent rain, again! We were due to go on a compost run that day too, which means co-ordinating the hire of a drop side truck, volunteers to help unload, as well as help from the composting farm to load us up with compost. In spite of the weather it was decided to forge ahead, however, having taken the hired truck out of the yard it was soon clear there was something seriously wrong with it, making it impossible to drive safely, and it had to be returned. Undoubtedly it was a case that compost collection was not meant to be happening that day. We have rescheduled for the following Monday in the hope that the weather will be kind to us, although currently it is not looking too brilliant and it could turn into a massive mud bath.
Thank goodness Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, and we were able to get on with many tasks. The broad beans were well and truly ready to go into the ground and so became the main priority for the morning, especially as the coming week is also promising yet more rain. Other tasks included the collecting of fallen leaves and storm debris, harvesting the last of the winter radishes, the Jerusalem artichokes, and quite a few more broccoli side shoots.
Disappointing harvests are the Celeriac, leeks and Chinese cabbages. We have been hoping for the celeriac and the leeks to be more than just spectacular leaves, and for the Chinese cabbages to have fewer holes and to have ‘hearted up’ by now, but alas, it seems the garden may possibly be too dry for them and they may not be suited to the site. It is always a gamble when it comes to growing vegetables, but we have never succeeded with celeriac on this site so far! Luckily, the leaves and stems can be harvested and eaten and so it seems we shall have to make the best of those instead.
The banana tree had to have a good trim as it was battered by the recent winds, and the poor leaves were shredded to ribbons. Happily it is continuing to thrive, and has many new stems growing at the base, which if they survive the winter, will be taken out and grown elsewhere, or brought on for our next plant sale.
Many thanks go out to two of our gardeners’ partners – to Stan for fixing new handles on our sad and sorry looking trugs, and to Peter for making some delicious marmalade and cherry jam and bringing some spare jars up to the garden to share.
On a positive note, the fact we have had so much rain, has totally refilled our dwindling pond, there is no need to water, and at Pent Farm the water is being harvested from all the building roof tops to be stored in large tanks in readiness to be used over the next spring and summer – Happy days!
What’s next?
- Repot the cuttings of sage and rosemary
- Get some compost up to the garden
- Raise the fleece up over the broad beans with hoops
- Cut back unruly shrubs
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.