Tim Prater

These warm sunny days have started to bring the plants on at full speed and we are juggling with greenhouse/window ledge space.  All the plants that can cope with the cooler spring weather have been sown or planted, and we are now looking to starting to sow the warm loving plants such as courgettes, squashes, cucumbers and sweet corn.  There have also been new sowings of leeks and sunflowers, and planting of sweet peas, parsley, wild rocket, peas for pea shoots, and potatoes.  The first radishes planted March 1^st were picked this week as well as a few pea shoots – the taste of spring!

Rain promised in the weather reports failed to materialise, and so we had to start the laborious but now necessary job of hand watering with watering cans.  The trick is to water thoroughly but not that frequently, rather than a sprinkle every day…..  Water what needs it because of fast growth at a particular time, or is trying to get established, instead of watering everything at the same rate.  No rain in sight this week either, when there was so much of it not that long ago.

If you fancy growing some tomatoes this year and have not been able to get some seeds or have managed to murder your own already – we will have plenty of spare plants suitable for outside growing in pots or in the garden available in a couple of weeks.  We have cherry, beef, and yellow plum varieties, and a picture below shows just how strong and healthy they are looking.  More information next week on how and when you can get yours. 

Bee news

There are some pictures below of the bees inside the hive taken by Ray on his first inspection of the year.  It seems all is as it is to be expected at this point of the year which is reassuring, and the queen is in residence; she is the bee with the yellow spot painted on her.  Ray has observed, eggs, larvae and pollen stores within the hive, and in order to give the brood a good chance to grow into the season, has reconfigured the colony into a nucleus box which is sitting next to the hive.  He then set to work on some new super frames in anticipation of an expansion……

What’s next?

• Keep an eye on the weather as we have removed some of the fleece covers and they may have to go back on again if it gets too cool.

• Watering and weeding

• Sow carrots and parsnips direct

• Grrrrrrrr!  Still need to wire the posts for the plants to climb up, ran out of time this week again!

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So far so good at the Community Garden, managing our time and work amongst ourselves, using technology to communicate and get things done.  It can take longer, and more energy, but we have an enthusiastic and hardworking team, keen to make it work.

We are making sure we are following the guidelines given by the Government and the Council during this challenging time, and continue to refer to the Councils website about Allotments and their use:

‘We recognise that Allotments provide both mental and physical benefits to its gardeners and wherever possible that should continue.’

This week, the pond got more plants around the perimeter, and the wall is fully planted up with permanent trees and vines, to include this week, four Kiwi vines and a Tayberry.  We shall see how the Kiwis cope with our seaside climate!  All these vines, shrubs and trees will take up to six years or so to come to maturity, and so for a while we can interplant with a few seasonal  vegetables and herbs so as not to waste the space.

The broad beans are in full flower so it will not be long until the first pods appear.  Turnips, beetroot and coriander got planted, more sowings of celeriac, plus first sowings of welsh onions, lemon grass, basil, marigolds, nasturtiums, cosmos, chives, sorrel, and even woad!

Just a few more days to wait until the first sowings of cucumber, squashes and courgettes can be made.  It is tempting to sow them early, but a little patience often gives better results, and anyway, the greenhouse is full up!

Bee news

Ray seems confident that the bees are settling in to their new seaside address.  He has deliberately avoided opening the Langstroth hive so as to avoid the brood getting chilled, however this warmer weather will allow Ray to make his first of the year inspection, and to see just what is going on inside.  He will be looking to see if the old queen is still there, or if she has been usurped, and assessing the health and vitality of the colony.

What’s next

• Rain due Monday, but might have to water if not enough rain arrives.

• More seedlings to go out

• Sow leeks and some leaf beet

• Make more of an effort to get the posts wired!!

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When it was announced by the government that there were to be no gatherings of more than two people it seemed that the virus was going to stop the Community Garden from making any more progress for a while…. However we have a great communication system, and with the use of photos, videos and WhatsApp, we take it in turn to go to the garden as part of our exercise regime.  Calabrese, cabbages, and kale for salad leaves got planted; carrots and parsnips got their first sowing of the year.  Dill, parsley and coriander seedlings got potted on, ready to be planted out in a few more weeks.  Time seems to be racing on already, and it seems hard to believe it will be April next week, and the clocks have just gone forward.  With April will come the first sowings of the warmer loving plants like the courgettes, beans, cucumbers and basil, so much to do.

It seems that being confined to home, everyone is having a bit of a sort out either in the garden or the home, and we were left some plants, seeds, and a wheelbarrow.  Thank you Maggie, thank you Peter!

Just as the restrictions came into force, Ray, our chief bee keeper made the swift move to get one of his hives on site, and so we are pleased and proud to say that the bees are here at last.  Apparently the bees are still in their winter mode for now as Ray has some alterations to make to the hive sometime soon, and he will be giving us updates as to what the bees are up to.  It must have been a great shock for them to be in one place, and to suddenly find themselves somewhere completely different.  Below is a picture to show the foraging area that they will be exploring as they can fly a distance of three miles or more each time they go out.  So, if you have a garden with bee attracting plants in the locality it is heart-warming to think that any honey bees you see could be from the garden, just perfect.

What’s next?

• More plants to go around the pond area

• Lift up the fleece from the covered areas and check on the seedlings

• Might be able to get the posts wired for the climbing plants

• Sowing nasturtiums and marigolds

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