Today was a day of many butternuts. At Horsenden Farm, butternut squash pizzas were the most popular on the menu and it was butternut squash planting day at Feeding Ealing's site in North Greenford. It had been 2 months since GoodGym Ealing's last visit and there had been a huge change at the site. Inside and outside the polytunnel, there were lots of plants that had appeared. Onions, beetroots, carrots and courgette could all be seen reaching up to the leaden sky. Compare that to when we first arrived 12 months ago to a site that was full of weeds and rubble.

There were plenty of volunteers around today, all working on different tasks. Joseph came to explain how the GoodGymers could help and it involved planting 🌱. Woo! As is often the case, there was a catch. Before planting, some deep, wide holes would need to be dug.

"This soil hasn't been dug for a generation."
"It's virgin soil." - Joseph
"We'll be breaking new ground then." - Sevan

After a "generation" the soil was super compacted, so Joseph handed the trio a mattock, a fork and a tree planting spade, with instructions to use them in that order. There was an example hole already there that Sevan modelled for everyone to show the width and depth needed. Luckily no one filled the hole in with soil to leave him planted in the ground.

In just over an hour, 7 holes were started and 4 completed. Kash started with the mattock to turn over the top layer, followed by Sevan with the fork to loosen the soil and finally Steph with the spade to make the hole deep and wide enough to take the butternut squash plants. Ground breaking stuff!

The time left was used to do the promised planting. When the first hole was complete, Kash fetched one of the plants only to find that it was tiny. Why on earth were the holes so large?! Well, the holes were first given 2 spades of manure, then topped up with soil before the seedlings went in. Given how tough the old earth was, the large, nutritious column created by the GoodGymers would give the roots space to spread out and good ground to feed off.

Steph, Kash and Sevan were each able to plant their own seedling, with another large hole becoming home to a pear tree. Before leaving, Joseph suggested having a dinner later in the summer made with the produce from the allotment, including the - now baby - butternuts. That sounded tasty 😋.

If you want to join us next month to help Feeding Ealing with planting, weeding or general maintenance, sign up for our session here.