March 2025

 

A beautiful sunny day in the community garden on Wednesday 19 March. All set for the coming growing season.

 

The garden awakens

We were lucky to enjoy some amazing sunny days in March. Daffodils, tulips, primroses, primulas, aconites, forget-me-nots and forsythia are blooming. We’re looking forward to a great gardening year.

In the garden

Saturday 15 March Thanks to those who helped spread the ton of compost from Clare Compost on the polytunnel and communal beds. There was even enough to top dress some plots.

Traditionally in Ireland potatoes are planted on St Patrick’s Day. The sunny Saturday on St Patrick’s Day weekend saw early Duke of York potatoes planted.

Biochar

Sunday 24 March Using biochar can improve soil structure, aeration, water-holding capacity and nutrient retention, and benefit soil microbiology.

To make biochar they burned wood for two hours in an enclosed inner metal bucket to produce a specific type of charcoal. This was cooled and broken up before manure, liquid seaweed feed and Maxine’s wormery liquid were added.

The biochar is in a plastic bucket, covered with another smaller plastic bucket, where it sits for 10 days. It can then be used to feed plants, diluted 1/10.

In the polytunnel

With the beds in the polytunnel now enriched with compost the broad beans are flowering. On sunny days, opening the windows for a while increases ventilation, encourages pollinating insects and discourages moulds and disease.

19 March Cherry Belle, sown in the polytunnel, is a fast growing radish as is White Icicle, a daikon radish with a mild peppery flavour and crisp, crunchy texture. Both should be ready to harvest in around 4-6 weeks, well before tomatoes, peppers, chillies, cucumber and aubergine are ready to replace them.

24 March The Irish Green Pea is a tall organic variety from Seed Savers that is very resistant to mildew and grows well in damp conditions. As it grows up to 1.5 m tall and needs plenty of support it’s been planted along the fence.

24 March Rocket, kohl rabi sown in the polytunnel. Compost turned from bin 2 to bin3, bin 1 to bin 2, bin 0 to bin 1.

Spring equinox

With the arrival of longer days and, hopefully, warmer weather, at last we can start sowing directly into the soil: peas, broad beans, carrots, parsnips, onion, spring onions, lettuce, spinach, radish, turnip, coriander, dill, coriander and parsley. Covering with fleece may speed germination and protect emerging seedlings.

Sowing a little seed every two or three weeks, rather than the whole packet at once, can minimise the risks of adverse weather or pest damage, as well as prolong harvests.

Seeing how birds pluck out onion sets and how slugs and snails destroy developing seedlings, sowing in modules under cover for planting out in a few weeks may be safer. Sowing into modules works for nearly everything except carrots and parsnips.

It's worth checking out the seedlings that Maurice is propagating. Keep your eye on them and prick out and pot on those you plan to use or transplant those ready to go in your plots.

First Saturday of the month session

Saturday 6 April is the next regular get-together session for those who can make it. The monthly sessions are times when jobs can be tackled that require many hands. If you’re a handy fixer-upper you may be able to help repair the compost bins and raspberry supports.