Wagner Farm Community Garden

Friday, August 25, 2017

Dear Gardeners,

This week, gardeners and volunteers joined me for a wonderful and informative BEE TALK by Robin Forde. We learned all about the life cycle of bees, how to maintain a hive, harvesting honey, the importance of planting flowers that attract bees, and much more! We also loved tasting several varieties of delicious honey such as cactus honey, blueberry honey, and orange honey.

Also, in the garden, plot #43 was recently relinquished. I replanted the garden with a wonderful group of volunteers. We used the raised bed gardening technique to protect the plants from possible future flooding. We planted bush beans, radishes, and arugula. These are all great late summer/early fall crops. Stop by plot #43 to check it out!

*FIELD TRIP TO THE TALKING FARM- IF you are planning on attending the field trip to The Talking Farm, please RSVP to:

Alyssa.Tadelman@glenviewparks.org

This field trip will be at The Talking Farm in Skokie at 10:00 a.m. At the farm, you will hear all about the farm's mission, their organic gardening practices, and how they use hoop houses for an almost year-round garden. A $5 donation per person is recommended.

*MILK FUNGICIDE- This solution is already mixed for you! It consists of unpasteurized milk and water. It will be available on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. until it is used up. Spray this mixture on your plants to prevent powdery mildew. Please bring your own spray bottle.

*DONATIONS- If you have any donations to give to the food pantry, please drop them in the donation plot this Saturday from 10-12:00 pm. I will pick them up for delivery.

Happy Gardening!
Alyssa Tadelman
Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

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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.

Friday, August 25, 2017

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