Wagner Farm Community Garden

Friday, June 23, 2017

Dear Gardeners,

Please welcome our NEW Community Gardeners, Anna Grzymkowski (plot #47) and Derek Dwyer (plot #85). They recently took over plots that were relinquished. Come by and say "hi" to them when you are at the garden.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at John Brossard's Talk. Join us at 9:30 in the Heritage Center Classroom. RSVP to me if you have not already done so. For more information on this talk, see the section below.

This Saturday is the first day of the Farmer's Market. Come by between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. for some amazing produce! Parking will be challenging during these hours. Please park at the greek church.

Please see the following reminders below:

*WAGONS- We no longer have wagons at the Community Garden. We just borrowed them for the first few weeks.

*GARDEN TALK BY JOHN BROSSARD- Please join me this Saturday, June 24, from 9:30 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. for an informative garden talk by our own community gardener, John Brossard. John is a long-time member of the Wagner Farm Community Garden and the original Heirloom Garden. The theme of John's talk is WEED, WATER, and AIR. Some of the topics John will be discussing include: maximizing your garden for a second crop, tips for sowing beets, onions and beans, the secret to growing eggplants, how to support and prune your tomato plants, tips for using neem oil and powder on your cucumbers, and soil additives for summer.

The talk will be held in the classrooms in the Heritage Center at Wagner Farm. This class is open to Community Gardeners, Wagner Farm Staff, and Wagner Farm volunteers. Please RSVP to Alyssa if you are planning to attend.

*WEEDS- Please be a good community garden member and don't forget to come by and weed your plot! Weed warnings will be given on a weekly basis.

*T-SHIRTS- Don't forget- the Community Garden t-shirts are here! You can pick up your t-shirt at the front desk of the Heritage Center (where the gift shop is).

*SEED EXCHANGE-There is a basket of seeds at the front desk in the Heritage Center. Feel free to come and take some seeds and leave seeds you will not be using!

If you have any questions about your garden, please feel free to contact me.

Happy Gardening!

Alyssa Tadelman

Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

No comments:

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.

Friday, June 23, 2017

No comments:

Post a Comment