Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 23rd June: The potatoes not eaten by the badgers, and the figs are swelling.

Well, it looks like we might have finally turned some sort of weather corner, and can finally look forward to a spell of decent sunshine and warmer temperatures.  Of course that always means that we have to get out the watering cans so it is a mixed blessing.

On Monday there was quite a gathering at the garden when we had a large visitation from the Napier barracks to celebrate volunteer week.  Luckily the ‘Friends of Napier’ brought with them oodles of lovely cake, so by the time the lads had managed to empty our two newly delivered ton bags of compost and barrow it all up the hill into the garden, the cake was out and waiting for them to finish.  It must have only taken them about an hour if that!  Thank goodness too as it would have taken us ages to have done, and it means we can start to empty some of the plots and put down new compost before the next crop goes in.

Apparently the badgers in the park are very active at the moment.  One of our gardeners living close by has had a badger getting into her compost bin, probably after anything edible plus the worms.  Badgers have also been visiting us and decided to have a go at the potato crop.  They crashed about in the foliage digging up several spuds, chewed up lots and left a proper mess.  So it was we decided it might be wise to take up the entire potato crop because no barrier will be enough to keep out a badger if their mind is set to get in there and make a meal of something.  Many of the crop were quite small and could have done with some more time to grow but it was either harvest now or possibly lose the lot.

We were delighted to notice that the fig tree is showing a good amount of fruit which is starting to swell.  We shall look forward to trying to beat the birds to them later on in the season.

We got some more beetroot planted and the first of the kale is in and netted from the cabbage white butterflies, not that there have been any to notice.  In fact many folk are saying that there is a distinct lack of insects, even worse than last year.

Thinking of the state of nature, it was reassuring to see so many folk from Folkestone boarding the train on Saturday morning to go up to central London to take part in a huge demonstration called ‘restore nature now’.  With an election just around the corner, it will be interesting to see if come 5^th July when it is all over, if any of the protests have been heard.

What’s next?

• Clear the broad bean beds and refresh with compost

• Plant out more kale varieties

• Plant out the slipper gourds

• Weed the tomato bed – be careful of the basil in there!

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 16th June: Just as you are beginning to think that the weather in June could not possibly get any worse, it does.

Just as you are beginning to think that the weather in June could not possibly get any worse, it really does!  There have been some interludes when the wind is calm and the sun is out, but then it starts to rain again and blow a hoolie. 

We got some work done during our usual Wednesday morning session.  The spring onions got put out and so did some more dwarf beans.  Basil got planted out with the tomatoes and some got repotted into larger pots, more dwarf beans got sown as did yet more spring onions.  We have stopped picking the asparagus and the rhubarb to allow the roots and the plants to grow strong and enable them to survive the winter.  If we were to continue to harvest them it can seriously weaken them.

We spent some time potting up some donated house plants very kindly sent our way by Rita and Eddie.  We do not usually take house plants, but our yearly plant sale will be at the Sea Festival on Sunday 25^th August (make sure it is in the diary!), so we are preparing well in advance.  We took several cuttings from our sage within the garden too, and hope to have a good variety of plants available on the day.  Please do get in touch if you have any items to donate which we can sell at our stall.  Fingers crossed that the weather is good for the August bank holiday and we can get some money back into the bank for buying seeds and potting compost next year. 

A couple of weeks ago our newsletter mentioned a visit to a fellow compost nerd by the name of Rupert at Shelvin Farm.  On Saturday, whilst the garden session was cancelled due to high winds and rain, we received a delivery of some of Rupert’s compost.  Having seen how Rupert makes his compost, we know this will be good stuff, and that he tests to ensure it has the right biology that we will need to grow more great fruit and vegetables. A couple of us had spent two days this week collecting something like 12 tons of compost from Hope Farm, we delivered a little to the community garden, but most was destined for Pent Farm in the ongoing battle to get to grips with the clay soil there.  So far, we think that particular plot has had something like 30 tons of compost, and we are just starting to get somewhere, making it easier for the plants to get their roots into the soil.

Last year whilst visiting the Nepalese Community Garden, we were given a couple of slipper gourds which are a bit like a cross between a cucumber and a green bell pepper.  There were 10 seeds inside them which were collected and sown a couple of weeks ago.  Happily they have all started to grow and we are looking forward to planting a few of them at Enbrook park soon – maybe just as soon as it stops raining and warms up!

What’s next?

• Still need to clear around the tayberry

• Still need to sow more seeds

• Check the tomatoes for side shoots

• Get some plots ready for planting out more beetroot and the first of the kale.

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 9th June: Waitrose had to find homes for some of their tomato plants.

It has been dry for most of the week; however it certainly does not feel like June, with lots of cloud cover and a cool breeze most days. 

We got the tomato plants out last week, and whilst those at Enbrook Park are not looking too bad, those at Pent Farm, being more out in the open, are looking very cold and fed up and it could be touch and go if they survive.  Luckily there are plenty under cover in the greenhouse. 

It seems that Waitrose had to find homes for some of their tomato plants, and contacted us to ask if we could find a use for them.  We took a few, then the rest we passed on to Touchbase care, and the Nepalese community garden where they will find good homes for sure. 

The cucumbers and calabrese got planted this week and so did the sweetcorn in amongst the squashes.  We decided to be brave and give the sweetcorn another go – a favourite of the badgers, of which there are plenty within the park.  We did manage to grow some beetroot to a decent size which they have obviously not found yet otherwise they would surely have been taken – this has given us some hope.

After this last push of getting in most of the tender summer plants from beans to squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes, it is now time to consider the planting for the autumn and winter already.  We sowed four varieties of autumn/winter cabbages, Romanesco and cauliflowers, of course the kale is already getting to a decent size and next week we will be sowing the purple sprouting which will take us into next spring.

Whilst snail searching, we noticed that one of the Kiwi plants has flowers and we must hold our breath to find out if they may actually produce some fruits.  We can but hope!

What’s next?

• Still need to clear around the tayberry

• Sow some purple sprouting

• Plant some beetroot and spring onions

• String up the cucumber plants

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.