Wagner Farm Community Garden: October 2014

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Thank you for a great gardening season!

Thank you for another wonderful gardening season! Remember to sign up for the lottery in February 2015 through the Spring Park District brochure.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Harvest Festival on Saturday

Join us for the biggest event of the season!
The Fall Harvest Festival is this weekend on Saturday, October 18th, 10am-4pm. There will be wagon rides, farm activities, harvest treats and Fall arts & crafts!

---

This is indeed our biggest event of the season, so parking may be difficult for those of you visiting your plots.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Closing down your plot -- MUST READ

A quick how-to for closing out your plot for the season:

These rules must be followed to preserve
eligibility for the lottery in 2015

Remove ALL NON-ORGANIC MATERIALS, including plant ties, plant labels, plastic, styrofoam, metal, string (even if organic), garden staples, popsicle sticks, and anything else you brought into your plot that isn't soil, plants, mulch, newspaper/landscape paper, or compost.
Pull up all plants and pile them along the center of your plot -- ONLY AFTER you have finished step #1.
DO NOT PUT PLANTS IN COMPOST BINS, which are already full.
Follow the trash rules below.
Let me know when you are finished, so I can check over your plot.

TRASH RULES: You guys bring a lot of synthetic items to the WFCG, and all of them need to be removed. However, we don't have the capacity to handle everyone's tomato cages (which can be used over many seasons, actually). So here are the rules:

Nothing bigger than a breadbox may be put in any Wagner Farm trash bins. Nothing. No tomato cages, no large pieces of wood, no stakes, nothing. Please take those items home with you and dispose of them there.
If you put something small in a Wagner Farm trash bin, make sure the bin will close. I know we all at home leave our bins out with the tops partially open, but I've been told that the garbage collector may not empty bins at Wagner Farm if they are over-stuffed.
If you have ALREADY put large items in the bin in the garden, please remove them ASAP and dispose of them at home.

Stuff I've found already --

Please leave the garden how you found it -- not covered in trash! Thank you!

Monday, October 6, 2014

The first snowflakes

Saturday saw the first snowflakes! Even though we only hit the high 30's at night, yes, those were snowflakes Saturday morning.

What does this mean for us? It means we're getting closer to the end of the gardening season. Take your non-garden stuff home -- signs, tomato cages, stakes, watering cans. Harvest your last peppers and tomatoes before a light frost kills the plants.

I'm thinking the last day will be October 26. I'll send out an email when the date is solid. But keep in mind -- our days are dwindling!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

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.