Wagner Farm Community Garden

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Upcoming Heirloom Sale at Peterson Garden Project

From the Peterson Garden Project newsletter:

SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Plant Sale/Bake Sale is coming up!

Fri, May 9th: 10:00am- 4:00pm

Sat, May 10th: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Sun, May 11th: 12:00pm - 4:00pm

We’ll be selling heirloom seedlings, specially selected from Seed Savers Exchange and grown especially for this sale. Plus, we’ll also have delicious baked goodies from local bakeries, home bakers, and pastry chefs AND we’ll be pouring wine on Mother’s Day! Do yourself a favor and mark this date in your calendar. Make sure to stay tuned in our upcoming newsletters for highlights on what to expect at the sale! Click here for details and directions.

(The Peterson Garden Project is a terrific nonprofit in the city making creating victory gardens and encouraging people to grow their own food.)

Monday, April 14, 2014

Garden Design Class On Thursday, April 17

I've been getting some questions about what veg to plant, how many plants to get, what to put where -- and luckily, I've got a class coming up that will answer a lot of those questions!

There's still time to sign up for the HDTV Garden class, here at Wagner Farm on Thursday, April 17 at 6:30. We'll be talking about what to think about when planning your veg garden, learning some software, and putting your basic veg garden knowledge to good use. Open to the public, but for simplicity, I'll be using a template of the community garden plots in our designs.

This was the most popular class last year -- join us!

Plot Assignments

I'll be doing plot assignments tomorrow, April 15 -- a little bit of happy on Tax Day. Check your email in the evening for a filled-out garden map, and then do a sun dance, please.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Which beet are you today?

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Seed-Starting Class on Thursday, April 3 here at Wagner Farm

Today is your last chance to sign up for my seed-starting class on Thursday, April 3 at 6:30. Call Park Center at 847-724-6500 or go online at glenviewparks.org. I will cover the why's and wherefore's of seed-starting at home before letting participants loose in the vermiculite and free seeds.

The elegant set-up in my basement

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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.