Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 13th April: Plenty of spinach, the asparagus is delicious, and the radish good and crunchy.
The fact there has been no rain for so many weeks is really starting to cause problems. The broad beans look great but are so short – they certainly should be much taller by now. We have put off sowing the carrots and parsnips because they need to be sown directly into the ground, however the ground is now so dry that at Enbrook Park any water just runs off the surface and does not soak in. The newly planted seedlings are struggling although we have been watering them outside of our usual gardening hours. Again, we get the promise of rain in the future from the weather apps, but sadly it comes to nothing as the days go by and the temperatures rise. Our fingers are crossed that a chance of rain next week does arrive. (As if by magic, in-between writing this newsletter and sending it out – we had some rain!)
This week we sowed the tomatoes, nine different varieties, from cherry through to yellow plum, black, beefsteak and a tomato with few seeds just right for pasta sauce. We sowed yet more English and French marigolds as well as lots of cosmos and more lettuces. The lemon verbena had shown signs of life and got a good pruning along with the butterfly bush behind the tool box. Many tasks have been pushed forward into next week as it takes so long to water and we run out of time and sometimes energy!
Last week it was noticed that the black fly had made an appearance in great numbers on the fast growing elder hedging. This week it was noticed that the ladybirds had arrived in the area and had also seen the feast awaiting. With any luck more of their friends will arrive and demolish the lot before they consider taking to the broad beans. As regards that other well-known pest in the garden, the slug, the lack of rain has actually helped to keep them at bay for now.
We are still picking plenty of spinach, the asparagus is delicious, the radish good and crunchy and the spring onions coming to an end from the autumn plantings.
What’s next?
- Sow all the courgettes and squashes
- Plant out the peas
- Plant out the sweet peas and make a wigwam
- Take time to weed
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.