Not so wet after all.

We got lucky today, as the forecast rain held off until mid-afternoon. It meant we could do all kinds of fun stuff that wouldn't have worked if it had been pouring.  It also meant that several visitors turned up without getting wet - always a bonus. Martin and Brian came to have a look round, and Komala returned to bring the Nepali saag seeds she promised us. And the Nottingham Post managed to fit in taking photos of us for their Cash for Community scheme just before the heavens opened! If you take the paper, please clip the coupons for us when they start to appear - we would be vastly grateful.

Komala with her seeds. Joyce already thinking
about what to cook them with...

New volunteer Brian

Hassan and Martin got to work to weed through the hugelkultur bed, and the area by the strawberry arc, then Hassan planted them up with squash and pumpkin. Joyce, Dean and Mark planted a living mulch of lettuce on the high pumpkin bed. Tracey brought plants for the pond and at the end of the session, managed to get them in without getting wet from the pond, though the heavens opened, so she got wet from the rain instead!

Joyce and Komala prepare the seed bed for the saag

Lunch in the polytunnel.

Hassan tried an experiment with mycelium powder. This is normally sold as "root grow". We've used it before in the fruit cage, when we planted our bushes, but now we're trying it with annual plants. The powder contains fungal spores to help plants develop a fungal root system that links with their own one, and gives them a much greater area to gather moisture and food.

Remove plant from pot and moisten roots.

Dip plant in root-grow medium

Some of the granules will stick to the plant,
and will inoculate the roots with fungal spores.

Hassan taking a break after planting squash