Appletree Community Garden
Table of Contents
This activities list was last updated on Tuesday 09 June.
Plant Care
IN-PROGRESS Weed/tidy up herb bed SAT
- Remove all grasses, creeping buttercup, thistles
IN-PROGRESS Weed stepping log bed
- remove all grasses
IN-PROGRESS Weed pots of all propagated fruit bush pots by the shed
IN-PROGRESS Weed and prepare the two long, narrow ground beds
TODO Place netting over raised bed with kale/chard
TODO Stake daisies along poly tunnel
TODO Weed paths around herb bed and compost bays, and place fresh wood chip
TODO Weed around base of all fruit bushes
TODO Trim hedge behind shed, compost bays, and polytunnel
TODO Weed borders between left-side fence and path
TODO Trim trees along rear fence to Greentracks
- Blackthorn and Hazel trees to be tidied up so they don’t encroach into the garden
TODO Weed bed around plum trees and fruit bushes (left of kitchen)
TODO Trim hedges in carpark and by compost toilet
WAITING Make bamboo cane structure for soybeans KINGSTRUST
Sowing & Planting
IN-PROGRESS Plant and stake cucumbers in the polytunnel
- Fill 3 boxes (the old green recycling boxes) with sieved compost, leaving 10cm at the top
- line them up lengthways down centre of the polytunnel
- create bamboo structure for them to climb
- plant 2 cucumbers per box
IN-PROGRESS Thin out the rocket growing in raised bed closest to the lock-up
There are lots of small rocket plants growing in this bed (see photo example to help identify them). These need thinning out so they have space to grow.
- Firstly weed carefully around the rocket plants with a hand fork
- Then use the fork to lift some of the plants that are closest together (leaving a clump of soil on the roots), and pot them up into 10cm pots
TODO Plant out foxgloves
TODO Pot up basil seedlings
TODO Re-pot chamomile growing in propagated fruit bush pots
These can then be planted into the log-step area, once a spot has been weeded and prepared.
TODO Sow basil varieties
TODO Sow carrots
TODO Sow home-saved amaranth
TODO Sow parsnips
Maintenance & Tidying
IN-PROGRESS Sweep out hub
TODO Mow the grass KINGSTRUST
- Around grafted fruit trees
- Around apple trees
- Around fruit bushes
- In front and around kitchen/firepit
TODO Remove the children’s picnic bench from family area
The bench has broken beyond repair, and can be disassembled and taken to the wood-store area in the carpark.
TODO Move the large filing-cabinet in the summerhouse into the summerhouse storage area
- Organise and tidy the storage area to make room for the filing cabinet
- Move shelving to place filing-cabinet at the front for easy access when opening the storage area
TODO Replace the hinges on the compost toilet seat
The hinges have come away and need replacing.
- Remove the toilet seat and remove the hinges, check for any damage or wear to the seat
- Replace the hinges with new (we have lengths of spare ’piano hinges’ in the lock-up, which can be cut down to fit with a hacksaw)
- Refit the seat
TODO Litter-pick along the driveway and main entrance
TODO Remove the wooden post from the children’s area
The wooden post for the ’slack line’ is no longer stable and needs to be removed from the ground. When removed, the post can be placed in the wood-store in the carpark, and the hole filled.
TODO Tidy up, clean and fix outdoor sink
WAITING Remove weeds growing in/around compost bays 4-6 in the car park KINGSTRUST
WAITING Finish constructing the dead hedge in the carpark by the bridge KINGSTRUST
Composting
Please use Compost Bay 1 for all composting 🥀
When composting, make sure everything is spread flat (rather than heaped) in the bay. This helps speed up the composting process!
What can be composted?
- Green waste: annual weeds, veg peelings, leafy debris, grass clippings, coffee grounds
- Brown waste: woody prunings (cut down small), brown cardboard, straw
What can’t be composted?
IN-PROGRESS Remove all comfrey (along with the roots) from compost bay 3 PRIORITY
Comfrey spreads very easily, so to limit the spread we’re keeping the roots separate from our compost.
- The leaves can be chopped up and added to the compost (check current bay)
- The comfrey roots must be left in a bucket (we want to make sure these are dead before composting)
- To be sure, place all material that can’t be sieved into a bag, rather than composting
IN-PROGRESS Add fresh compost to completely weeded ground beds PRIORITY
- The weeded and empty ground bed (the one on the left side, behind the bed with beetroot and onions) needs a fresh layer of compost before anything can be planted.
IN-PROGRESS Sieve (with large sieve) compost from bay 7
There’s perhaps enough finished compost for another 1/1.5 wheelbarrows. This can be placed on the groundbed next to the metal black frame.
Garden Projects
TODO Create a memorial garden [0/4]
[ ]Construct brick wall and herb spiral[ ]Spread wood chip over the cardboard[ ]Plant a willow arch around the fence posts[ ]Construct a gate for garden
TODO Repaint the shed [0/4] KINGSTRUST
[ ]Clear space all around the shed[ ]Brush down to remove dirt/grime[ ]Add new coat of paint (Cornflower blue) [Check weather forecast that no rain is due.][ ]Add second coat once 1st coat is completely dry (~1 day)