Wagner Farm Community Garden: John Swenson to speak at Wagner Farm -- all invited

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

John Swenson to speak at Wagner Farm -- all invited

Quarterly Volunteer Meet-Up with John Swenson and Jen Roberts on April 9, 7 p.m. Come to the Wagner Farm Heritage Center to explore the world of vegetables with renowned advocate for heirloom plants, John Swenson. John is a Glenview native, an expert on alliums, a former advisor for Seed Savers Exchange, and the “father” of the Speckled Roman tomato. John will be joined by Jen Roberts, Wagner Farm’s Community Garden Coordinator, for a discussion on John’s travels and work on behalf of preserving biodiversity. Volunteers will get to take home their own Speckled Roman seedling for their home gardens. Advance registration is required as seating will be limited. The first 25 people to RSVP will receive Speckled Roman tomato seedlings and the next 25 people to RSVP will receive Speckled Roman seeds. (Freebies dependent on mother nature’s cooperation). Contact Christine Shiel at 847-657-1506 or christine.shiel@glenviewparks.org.

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL COMMUNITY GARDENERS. RSVP to Christine (info above). John is a terrific speaker and has a wealth of information on heirlooms.

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What's This?

FieldWatch is a nonprofit organization that is intended to help pesticide applicators and specialty crop growers communicate more effectively. The site registers certified organic gardens and their beehives. This information is provided to crop dusting (pesticide) applicators to let them know the location of organic gardens. They use this information to plan their routes accordingly. Our sign alerts them to keep pesticides away! The Wagner Farm Community Garden and our Wagner beehives are registered as organic sites through FieldWatch.

Q&A

Q: Are cocoa shells allowed as mulch in the community garden?

A: YES! Cocoa shell mulch (also called cocoa bean mulch) is great for gardens. These shells have a sweet smell and look very neat in your garden bed. When cocoa beans are roasted, their shells separate. Roasting the beans sterilizes the shells. Therefore, the shells are weed free and organic. If you are interested in using them in your plot, ask for them at your favorite garden center.

Negatives-When cocoa mulch gets too wet and does not have time to dry between waterings or rainfalls, it can attract pests. Also, in hot, humid weather, the cocoa shells can develop a harmless mold. You can use a mixture of 25% water and 75% vinegar as a spray to get rid of the mold.

*CAUTION- Do not use cocoa bean mulch at home if you have dogs. This sweet mulch can be toxic to dogs if eaten.

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

1. Planting too soon-The weather forecast shows nighttime temperatures below 50º through next weekend. You are taking a risk if you plant your warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, zucchini, etc.

2. Not hardening off your plants-Plants that have been grown in your house or in a greenhouse need to be “hardened off”. This means they need to gradually get use to the outdoor temperature, sun, and wind before being planted outside. Ask if your plants have been hardened off at your favorite garden store. Check online to see how to harden off your plants.

3. Improper Spacing-Your seedlings look so small and cute right now, but they will be huge! Read plant tags and seed packages for recommendations on plant spacing. Proper spacing will ensure better air circulation which leads to healthier plants and better production. Planting things too close together will make your plants more susceptible to disease. It will also make it difficult to harvest your veggies.

4. Not staking plants-It is important to stake your plants. This will promote proper air circulation and will help prevent disease. Staking is especially important because we have overhead sprinklers.

5. Not weeding-Weeds compete with your veggies for valuable nutrients and space. Some weeds even send out growth inhibitors that stunt the growth of your plants. You will get a weed warning in the Community Garden if you decide not to weed.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

John Swenson to speak at Wagner Farm -- all invited

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