Tim Prater

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 4th June: The hand of little bananas and Disco Soup.

Just as we got to the weekend, the first in June, it started to warm up, and the winds have dropped for some parts of the day.  The ground is now very dry as although there has not been much in the way of sunshine, the strong winds have had a drying effect.  The banana tree was just about to produce a flower pod, but the winds snapped the main stem simply because the weight of the large flower made it top heavy.  We looked inside the broken flower to discover the ‘hand’ of little bananas – such a shame they never got to develop.  There was only 15.3mm of rain in May, which must have happened at the beginning of May as there has been none for weeks. 

We have been busy planting the celery and celeriac, as well as some leeks and a few winter squashes. More winter squashes got planted on as well as the asparagus seedlings, but the cucumber seedlings are still a little too small to be potted on.  Two types of winter kale got pricked out and moved into modules to be left to grow on for a few more weeks. 

We have started to pick some of the broad beans, however it is clear they have suffered, probably due to the windy, cold weather and a lack of pollinators, as many of the pods only contain about two or three beans.

Some of our time has been spent checking the gooseberry plants for the dreaded sawfly which can strip a bush of its leaves in a matter of days if they are not removed.  They do not harm the development of the fruit, and often recover, but all the same having no leaves must stress the plants.

The tomatoes are starting to respond to being out of their restricting pots and in the ground.  They have put on quite a bit of new growth, mostly in the way of side shoots, which means we now start the constant chore of pinching the shoots out so that they cannot develop and the tomato plants continue to grow up instead of out.

Our big news for the week is that we are starting work on completely rebuilding and reconsidering our composting methods and system, since studying the teachings on how to make compost that is full of life and the healthiest it can be for our plants.  It will take some time to get up and running, but it is exciting to know that it will make a difference to the gardens.  We will keep you posted on how we get on, and the changes we have made.  We are most grateful to AW Rail, based in Folkestone, for giving us plenty of wood from their yard, as they are keen to make sure that any materials which they cannot use are offered to community groups and charities rather than sent to be scrapped or possibly sent to landfill.

On 24^th June, some of us will be taking part in the second Disco Soup event in Folkestone.  See the poster below if you are interested in joining in with this community day transforming surplus food into a feast! 

What’s next?

• Sow Bellis Daisy seeds

• Sow spring onions and purple sprouting

• Collect more materials for the composting systems

• Keep checking the tomatoes for side shoots

• Check for any potatoes showing through the soil

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 28th May: Seeds are not always what they seem to be, or say they are.

Looking back at this time last year it seems we are about two to three weeks behind with our planting and the physical growth of the plants.  It was also a surprise to be reminded that this time last year we were busy with Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen.  Such a lot has happened both locally and in the world since then. 

We are already hoping for some rain but it seems there is none in the weather forecast for some time and so we have had to get out the water pump, hose and watering cans.  Although to be fair we have managed so far, nearly into June, without having to water much at all.  We can see that the pond is starting to evaporate, which will make life harder for the visiting badgers/foxes that have established a well-worn path from the pond, right through the middle of the broad bean patch, and the potatoes.  It seems they have little regard for formal pathways, and simply aim for where they are going regardless.

We have started to see a few more bumblebees and honey bees in the Sandgate Community Garden, and were treated to the sight of a damselfly and common blue butterfly, plus a few more ladybirds. 

The dwarf beans were planted, and we decided to take a chance and plant a few runner beans.  This is always a big gamble for us as in the past the strong winds have finished them off, ripping them to shreds and burning them with salty sea spray.  However they are tucked up against the hedge and sheltered with any luck by a group of trees – only time will tell if they are to be successful or not in this microclimate.

Below is a picture showing three runner bean roots from last year which have been recently removed from another site in Sandgate to make room for fresh plants.  When runner beans are finished, they are usually cut back down to the ground or simply left to be removed at a later date.  However, if the winter is not too harsh, the roots can survive and re-sprout the following year, so that new seeds need not be sown.  Some growers even dig up the roots and over-winter them in a frost free place until they can be planted out again.

We had a reminder this week that seeds are not always what they seem to be, or say they are.  We had sown a packet of snapdragons which were pricked out and carefully potted up into modules, only to discover that they were not snapdragons at all but poppies, with one or two of what we wanted amongst them.  This was very frustrating as it takes time to nurture some seedlings, and although we like poppies we have plenty happily sowing themselves around the garden, and would never grow them in the way we would snapdragons, which is probably why they look so sick in the picture.  It just goes to show that you are at the mercy of the seed provider unless you save your own seeds.

On Saturday a couple of us went to a fascinating compost course in Hawkhurst on the borders of Kent and East Sussex.  This course was being run by Michael, the founder of the Compost Club in Lewes/Brighton.  We are busy honing our composting skills as we appreciate that the life in your soil is as important as the life in your own gut.  If the balance of bacteria and microorganisms is vital for your health, then in the same way the right bacteria and microorganisms in the soil are vital to the health and well-being of the plants.  We still have much to learn, but feel positive that we are on the right lines, and are moving towards creating the best conditions for our garden soils.

What’s next?

• Inoculate the plots next week if the conditions are right.

• Sow some replacement mange tout

• Repot the cucumbers and squashes if ready as well as seed sown asparagus

• Plant the leeks and maybe celery/celeriac

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 21st May: An oasis right in the middle of a concrete jungle.

It was a particularly busy gardening session on Wednesday.  The nursery school from Saga came to have a look at the plot as well as new visitors there for the first time and some familiar faces from last summer/autumn.  We sowed plenty of outdoor cucumber seeds, and then planted the courgettes and dwarf beans.  It has all become a juggling act to squeeze in as much as possible, allowing the purple sprouting to finish before we can create even more space for yet more plants. 

On Saturday the companion plants of French marigolds were put in place as well as some morning glory vines and cosmos.  The basil seedlings got potted up to grow on some more, as did some asters grown from seed.

Brockhill School got in contact to ask us to have a look at the latest improvements to their walled kitchen garden.  It is such an exciting project, and such a shame that the first growing experiences have been in a difficult year.  The weather has been an issue as well as the fact they have the added difficulty of dealing with rabbits eating everything newly planted.  However a new rabbit proof fence has been put in place now and the first of the fabulous wooden greenhouses has been restored.  What a wonderful resource. 

Talking of new gardens, we were interested in a new initiative in Birmingham, where a community garden is being created right in the centre of the city on top of a multi-storey car park.  It will be an oasis right in the middle of a concrete jungle with raised beds, greenhouses, and even a café.  It goes to show that when space is at a premium, it is all about being creative.

What’s next?

• Has the purple sprouting now finished?

• Plant more flowers

• Are there enough courgettes?

• Sow a few lettuces

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.

Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 13th May: Longer, warmer daylight hours are contributing to a faster rate of growth.

There is not much to be said about the weather this week.  We lurch from one warm sunny day to rain and wind the next; however it seems that our little corner of the world has missed out on torrential downpours just a little further inland. 

The longer, warmer daylight hours are certainly contributing to a fast rate of growth, with many more of the trees out in full leaf and lots of blossom still in evidence.

The planters in Sandgate High Street and along the seafront got a generous topping of compost and a few new plants this week.  Long overdue, but the weather and temperatures were never quite right before now to subject new vulnerable plants to the seafront. 

A few more squash seeds were sown this week as unfortunately pigeons decided to make short work of some of the previously sown squashes when the mistake was made of putting them outside on a balcony to get some direct sunshine.  The frustrating thing is they are not eaten, just pulled up by the roots, however yet another lesson has been learnt.  The purple sprouting broccoli is growing smaller with every new flush of growth which means it will soon be coming to an end and we shall have room to accommodate the squashes and courgettes. 

The zinnia seedlings all got separated out into new modules to grow on and the many tomato plants got sorted.  It does not feel ideal to be putting the tomatoes outside in their beds right now, but they are starting to climb out of the pots and so we took a chance. 

The broad beans are looking particularly good at the moment with plenty of lush growth and flowers and having now removed their growing tips they can concentrate on attracting the pollinators and growing some beans.  Another new line of string was run around the outside of the beans and their posts to help them stand tall and not get blown or flop over.  The hops have all had new strings attached to the growing posts, and only a few shoots are allowed to grow whilst the rest are removed.

What’s next?

• Sow a few more courgettes

• Sort out the spare tomato plants for passing on

• Weed around the bowser end of the plot at Enbrook

• Repot the basil seedlings

This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.