What’s happening in the Somerset West Village Garden this SEPTEMBER
We had a huge storm that brought torrential rain, hail and snow. Snow is always good because as it melts it fills rivers and reservoirs which will help to sustain these water sources through the dry summer months. It is only 6°C as write this. It has been a cold, wet winter but signs of Spring are popping up in my garden. The flowering quince has burst into bloom and my bluebells are quite big already. They are just waiting for warmer weather to bud.
Winter snow, 2013
At Somerset West Village Garden, we have already started to plant green beans and carrots. We have prepared the beds for early gem squash and baby marrows which we have planted in seedling trays to give them a bit of shelter from the cold. We should be able to plant them out in the next two weeks. We will be planting radishes alongside them to keep the pesky pumpkin fly at bay. This is the first time we have tried this, so fingers crossed it helps.
There is still time to sow tomatoes, aubergines, sweetcorn and cucumbers. However, if you would like to get a head start, buying seedlings is the way to go.
We sowed tomatoes, chillies, green peppers and aubergines a week ago, there are no sign of germination yet, but hopefully the longer light hours and warmer temperatures will make them pop their heads out soon.
Our carrots germinated in a week, which was surprising. We thought they were weeds! Fortunately, on closer inspection, we realised before they were whipped out. Once the rain has stopped, we will water sparingly, as they are prone to damping off.
When our green beans have germinated, we will be giving them a good side dressing of compost which will stand them in good stead for the summer cropping period.
We will continue to sow beans, beetroot, celery, cucumber, lettuce, melons, parsnip, peppers, pumpkin, radish and tomato.
Our spinach seedlings which were sown in July are ready to be transplanted into the garden soon.
Tips when planting out seedlings.
To harden them off, take them out of the shade house and put them into the sun a few days before planting
Water well before transplanting.
Push a pen or a pencil underneath the seedling to loosen the roots.
Lift the seedling holding the leaves gently.
Place in a pre-dug hole and firm the soil around the stem of the seedling.
Water well.
As the days warm up, lettuce and bok choi start to bolt. This means they start to grow rapidly and put out flowers and seeds. This gives the leaves a bitter taste, so it is best to harvest as much as possible before this happens.
Spring is a good time to clean up the garden. We are getting rid of those pesky weeds before they grow big and take over.
We are harvesting spinach, rhubarb, carrots, turnips, lettuce, spring onions, cabbage and Romanesco cauliflower now. We also have spinach, baby cabbage, lettuce, parsley and sage seedlings available for sale now.
Experience the communal effort and sustainable practices at the Somerset West Village Garden, where we are not only cultivating a garden but also fostering a vibrant community.
Every Tuesday, we hold our market from 09:00-11:00, here we sell our freshly picked, organic produce.
You are welcome to visit the garden to see what we are doing. We are open Monday – Friday from 09:00-12:00 when there will be somebody to show you around.
