Update from Alan Hickman

The soil at the nursery was getting a bit dry so I was hoping for some rain, but three days in a row was not quite what I had in mind. Until rain stopped play, progress had been quite spectacular. The turnout on Saturday and Sunday was really impressive with 15 people showing up. Llewellyn came both days and Cheryl returned on Monday. Having a small army to deploy resulted in almost the whole of block D being cleared of weeds and being made up into beds almost ready for planting. As well, a couple of fallow beds in block A were cleared, made up and Shirley got one seeded to Swiss Chard. Other seeding included two more of the raised box beds and Moeen seeded the first two rows of corn in block E. As the grass in the driveways got its first mowing last week by the tractor, at least for a while the nursery was looking quite cared for.

The looming straw shortage was averted on Monday evening. Dianne and her husband, and John and Sandra, arrived with pickup trucks and moved nine loads from the back of the arena to the edge of block C. I think everyone slept well that night! For the record, Monday’s effort made John the second of this year’s intake to pass the 16 hour quid-pro-quo.

Monday also marked the appearance of the first Colorado beetles on the emerging potatoes plants. I picked 22 adults on Monday, only 2 on Tuesday, the first clutch of eggs on Wednesday and it was too wet to look on Thursday. As soon as the sun comes back out, the numbers will start rising into the hundreds per day as the season progresses.

On Wednesday a bulldozer finally started clearing an area in the field beside the nursery to install a septic system extension. Last I heard, the work was going to be done without causing us any problems accessing the garden. I guess we’ll soon find out.

This weekend: Saturday I will be available both a.m. and p.m. but on Sunday just in the afternoon as usual.

As always, please phone me around 8 a.m. on the day, to confirm that you are coming.



Day +17 sun and cloud showers 3.0mm Wind NW20km/h P.O.P.8%
Night +4 partly cloudy Wind NNW19km/h P.O.P.26%