Buy your holiday greens at Wagner Farm

Holiday Greenery Sales at Wagner Farm

Bring your family to the farm beginning Friday, November 28 to select your holiday greenery!

Hours are: Mon-Fri 10a.m.-6p.m.; Sat & Sun 10a.m.-5p.m.

Phone: 847-657-1506.

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.

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! 

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

*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

1. 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.
2. Pull up all plants and pile them along the center of your plot -- ONLY AFTER you have finished step #1. 
3. DO NOT PUT PLANTS IN COMPOST BINS, which are already full. 
4. Follow the trash rules below. 
5. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!

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!

Lots going on October 4 at the Farm

Build a Scarecrow

Nothing says fall like a scarecrow standing guard over a field of corn or garden vegetables.  Build a scarecrow to decorate the front yard or entryway as fall starts making its presence known. Bring some old clothes and Wagner Farm will supply the straw and helpful tips on building a decorative scarecrow. The fee is $5 for a Pumpkinhead and straw. 

Eagle Scout project

One of our own gardeners, Maxwell McWilliams will be bringing volunteers, rocks, sand, and perennials to the WFCG between 9am-3pm as he completes his Eagle Scout project by improving drainage at the water spigots.

Clearing out your plot

Found in two 'cleared out' plots today

As we wind down the season and you begin to clear out your plots, please pay particular attention to small trash -- especially plant labels and ties. Plant ties get caught in the tiller, and plant labels break easily, adding unwanted plastic to our soil.

Thanks!

Weather Extremes

Minimum temperature ranks for January-July 2014 within the historical record (1895-2014), from record coldest (darkest blue) to record warmest (darkest red). Courtesy of www.climate.gov.

What a weird summer this was -- not just for us in Chicago, but all over the country. Our state climatologist recently posted the above map to illustrate how unusual the weather has been, with extremes in both directions. According to the climatologist, our country usually experiences one or the other -- higher than normal temps in some areas with average in the others, or cooler than normal temps in some areas with average in the others -- but not extreme heat in one area and unusual cold just a few states down.

Sundays are now open in the garden - mowing schedule change

As we move into fall, the farm schedule shifts in preparation for winter. Sundays will now be open for gardeners, and mowing will be moved to a weekday. I'll send out an email when I have the new mowing time.

Irrigation System closed down for the season

The irrigation system is being closed down for winter as I type. We try to shut down the system before we get frost -- and this year, that could happen a lot sooner than mid October, which is more typical.

No trash left behind

With the cooler (brrrr) weather, gardeners are starting to close down their plots after a wet and weird gardening season. This is fine -- in an email last week, I detailed how to handle this process. I left out, however, one detail:

NO TRASH IN WAGNER FARM BINS

Gardeners 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:

1. Nothing bigger than a breadbox may be put in any Wagner Farm trash bins. Nothing. No tomato cages, no large pieces of wood, nothing. Please take those items home with you and dispose of them there.
2. 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.
3. If you have ALREADY put large items in the bin in the garden, please remove them ASAP and dispose of it at home. The bin in the garden has several tomato cages and other large items in it. These need to be removed and disposed of at home.

Thank you!

Help an Eagle Scout with his garden project

I'd like to introduce everyone to Maxwell McWilliams, whose family gardens plot NE12. Maxwell is a local 8th grader and Boy Scout who has chosen the Wagner Farm Community Garden as the beneficiary for his Eagle Scout project.

Maxwell's project has two components:

1. First, Maxwell is going to improve drainage at the six spigots by creating drainage wells with rocks and sand. By improving the drainage under the spigots, Maxwell will be helping to return water to the aquaphor and reducing muddy conditions.
2. Second, Maxwell is going to plant native perennials along the fence next to the spigots. These plants will help with the drainage issue while attracing pollinators to the garden.

Maxwell is currently raising the money needed for this worthwile project. If you'd like to know more or donate, click here to see his gofundme page. Donating is optional, of course, but it's all to help the Wagner Farm Community Garden!

Thanks, Maxwell!

MOWING CHANGE and other news

Everyone,

MOWING: The time for Sunday mowing is changing to 10:15-11:30. Please stay out of the garden during that time. 

WEATHER: Wow, that was some storm last night. Hope you are all enjoying electricity! The garden is pretty wet today, but you may want to check on tomatoes or other vertically-growing veg to ensure their safety.

GREEK FEST: Greek Fest is this weekend each day from 1pm-10pm. Check out more info here: http://ssppglenview.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014-Greekfest-flyer.png.

MUM SALES: Celebrate autumn at the farm!  Fall mum sales begin Saturday, September 5. Hours of operation for fall sales are Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Plan to shop early for the best selection! Choose from a lovely array of colors to add some outdoor beauty to your home. Pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, Indian corn and straw bales will be available starting September 20th. All proceeds benefit Wagner Farm programs and operations.

END OF SEASON: Folks, I have no way of explaining this weird growing season! From our late start to 8" of rain in June to barely a summer, it's been... unpredictable. Our state climatologist is even predicting our first frost may happen in the next two weeks! I try to keep you all in the garden past the first frost, which is usually mid to late October. I will be keeping you updated about our closing date!

CLOSING UP YOUR PLOT: Folks, if you'd like to close out your plot before the actual closing day, you need to do the following:

1. Let me know.

2. 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.

3. Pull up all plants and pile them along the center of your plot -- ONLY AFTER you have finished step #2. 

4. DO NOT PUT PLANTS IN COMPOST BINS, which are already full. 

5. Let me know when you are finished, so I can check over your plot.

Note: I may be putting the remaining plants from closed plots in a different compost area, leaving those plots looking bare. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CLOSE YOUR PLOT. Again, don't put plants in compost bins, leave neatly on your plot.

Thanks!

Harvest while the sun shines

This has been a weird gardening season, no two ways about it.

On the one hand, it's been a lovely summer for people -- mild days, rain at night.

On the other hand, our vegetables mostly like it hotter, a little drier, and much more consistent. We had a late spring, very little summer, and who knows how the fall will go.

My advice is to harvest what you can when you can. If you can get your tomato plants up off the ground after this last storm, you will keep them healthier and producing more. Remove any plants that are too diseased.

COMPOST -- Yes, the bins are full, but we now have three plots where you can put weeds and dead plants. NC2, CW10 and SC10 are all available as places to put this stuff. HOWEVER -- be considerate of the plots next to these new compost areas, please.

Weed Warnings No More

Weed warnings are over for the season for several reasons:

1. The amount of rain we've gotten in this last week is outrageous -- more than 4". It's been hot outside, but not enough to dry the soil. When the soil is this wet, there's no point in compacting it by walking on it.

2. Also, it's not good to work with vegetable plants that are this wet -- you can spread disease from plant to plant, especially with tomatoes and beans. Better to leave them alone, or prune them carefully (while wiping down the pruner to remove contagion). If your tomatoes have fallen over, and you still want to harvest, then try to stake them up, but do it carefully.

3. Finally, it's late enough in the season that weeds aren't serious competition for your vegetable plants anymore. Early in the season, weeds can take over a garden, but that's not so easy now. Sure, the garden looks a little ragged, but a vegetable garden almost always looks ragged during the fall.

Goldfincher

Garden volunteer Ella took these lovely photos of a finch visiting one of our sunflowers.

Kohlrabigemüse ("Kohlrabi vegetables")

4 small, tender Kohlrabi (leaves removed, peeled, and finely grated)
1/2 a bunch parsley
3 tbs cream
1 cup milk
2 tbs butter
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp white pepper

Put grated kohlrabi and 1/2 tsp salt in a saucepan or pot. Fill with water and boil over medium-high heat. Cook until kohlrabi is tender, yet still firm (about 5-7 minutes). Drain, saving 1 cup of the water. Put cooked kohlrabi in a bowl and cover. Put butter into the same saucepan/pot and melt over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour until the mixture is paste-like.  Continue cooking until mixture becomes golden-brown. Next, gradually whisk the milk and reserved water from the kohlrabi into the flour mixture.Stir until thickened and smooth. Stir in the cream, remaining salt, nutmeg, white pepper, and parsley. Whisk until thickened, then cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the kohlrabi to coat. Serve hot and garnish with nutmeg and parsley, if desired.

*additional salt, nutmeg, white pepper, and parsley can be added to suit to taste.

Kohlrabigemüse served with penne pasta

Stephanie Stiglmeier

Community Garden Intern

Good bye and thank you, Stephanie!

Yesterday was Stephanie's last day with us in the community garden. I hope many of you got to meet Stephanie, as she is a smart, warm, and knowledgeable person. Her work in the garden -- and in the NSSED garden -- was helpful and well-done. I wish her all the best as she heads to Mississippi State for her junior year as a horticulture major.

Gurkensalat (Cucumber Salad)

A summer staple for my Grandmother when she was a young girl in Bavaria. They grew all the ingredients for this salad in their garden, and had this with every meal. A cool, refreshing salad for a hot, summer day.

1 large Cucumber
Dill
1/2 a bunch Green Onions or Chives
Apple Cider Vinegar
Canola Oil
Salt
Pepper
Tomatoes (optional)
Sour Cream (optional) [I personally prefer it without sour cream]

Slice cucumbers on a mandolin. Thinly slice tomatoes and green onions. Add dill, vinegar, canola oil, salt, and pepper to taste. If adding sour cream, add a dollop. Stir to combine. Can be served cold or room temperature.

Gurkensalat without Sour Cream

Gurkensalat with Sour Cream

Parking tight on August 9

Rotary Days Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Glenview and Wagner Farm, Saturday, August 9, 10 a.m.-Noon.  Stop by Historic Wagner Farm, 1510 Wagner Road, and enjoy an ice cream social, face painting and hay rides.  Tickets are a $5 donation. Open to the public.

~~~

Parking may be tight during this time because the event overlaps with the Farmer's Market.

Pictures from the garden

Scott Lewis, one of our gardeners, shared these pictures with me. They're all from our garden space.

If you have pictures you'd like to share, I'd love to put them up on the blog. Send them to jennifer.roberts@glenviewparks.org.

Rüben-Salat (Beet Salad)

Rüben-Salat served with Arugala

4 Fresh Beets
1 medium Yellow Onion
Apple Cider Vinegar
Canola Oil
Salt
Pepper

Thinly slice the beets using a mandolin. Mince the onion. Combine both into a mixing bowl. Add vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix to combine. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold.

August Showers Bring.... Cabbage?

It's raining.....cabbage

Rain is starting to fall here at the Farm! According to weather.com, we're supposed to have thunderstorms all night until noon tomorrow, so the garden should get a good soak. Because of the rain, I'm done for today in the garden, but when life gives you cabbages, you make sauerkraut!

Omi's Hühnersuppe (Grandma's Chicken Soup)

Another recipe from my mother's side, this soup includes just about everything in the garden. A rich, flavorful soup that is considered a necessity at my house during the cold, winter months or for a bout of the flu.

1 large roasting/baking hen (the bigger and older the chicken, the better the flavor)
1 celery root
1 bunch celery
1 bunch carrots
2 purple-top Turnips
1 Leek
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch green onions
3 Parsnips
1 large yellow onion
4 Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Noodles (Ditalini style or wide egg noodles)
Chives, chopped (optional)
*For a vegetarian version, exclude the chicken and add more carrots, celery, or other vegetables of choice.

Clean the hen, removing the neck, gizzards, and anything else on the inside. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Put chicken, rear-end facing up, in a large stock pot. Clean the celery, carrots, turnips, onion, leek, and parsnips. Cut the vegetables into very large chunks and put into the stock pot, stuffing some of the veggies into the chicken. Scrub the celery root clean of dirt, or peel off the skin with a knife. Cut into quarters and add it to the pot. Rinse the parsley and green onions, adding them to the pot as well, along with the bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste, and then fill the pot to the top with water. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for two to three hours (do not cover with a lid whatsoever). Cook noodles while soup is cooking. After the soup is finished, separate the vegetables and chicken from the broth, throwing away inedible vegetables (celery root, turnips, yellow onion, leek, parsley, green onions, and bay leaves) and keeping the edible ones (celery, carrots, and parsnips). Separate the meat from the chicken and throw away bones, cartilage, and skin. Add vegetables, meat, and noodles into individual soup bowls, fill with hot broth, and garnish with chives

Stephanie Stiglmeier
Community Garden Intern

Raw Milk available as a Fungicide to Community Gardeners

Diluted raw milk will be available on Sundays starting at 11am for the next few weeks. The milk will be in a cooler with a spigot by the south gate. Bring a spray bottle and take what you need, being considerate of other gardeners who might need it also.

How to use it:

1. Spray any affected leaf on both the top and the bottom sides until dripping.
2. Spray every 7-14 days.
3. The milk will be diluted between 7:3 and 9:1 water to milk. A concentration of milk heavier than 30% does not seem to increase the fungicidal effects.
4. Wash out the spray bottle thoroughly after use -- old milk stinks!

Other things to consider:

1. Powdery mildew can spread from leaf to leaf -- consider pruning off badly affected leaves. Clip off dead or yellowing leaves, making the cuts close to the stem. BE SELECTIVE -- pruning squash makes it easier for pests and disease to enter the plant. 
2. If you're looking for a commercial fungicide, it has to be ORGANIC. Follow all of the use instructions carefully -- application of commercial organic fungicide can be harmful to the applicator. Here's a link with more information on commercial ORGANIC fungicides.

THIS DILUTED RAW MILK IS AVAILABLE TO THE WAGNER FARM COMMUNITY GARDENERS ONLY, AND ONLY FOR USE IN THE WAGNER FARM COMMUNITY GARDEN.

Bayerischer Kartoffelsalat (Bavarian Potato Salad)

This recipe comes from my grandmother on my mother's side, and is a must for any of my family's events - birthday's, holidays, Sunday dinners. I can guarantee this will become a favorite potato salad recipe and beats any American potato salad. 

5 lbs of potatoes (Yukon Gold, or any other type of white potato)
1 lb of bacon (for a vegetarian/vegan version, substitute with one large, thinly sliced cucumber
1 bunch of green onions, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Canola Oil
White vinegar

Clean the potatoes with water, and then boil them (with the skins on) until cooked. While  the potatoes are boiling, cut up the bacon into small pieces and cook in a frying pan. Set aside the bacon and bacon grease. After the potatoes have finished cooking, peel them while they are still hot (use paper towels to hold the potatoes while peeling). Cut the potatoes into large chunks and put into a large mixing bowl. Add the green onions and the bacon with the grease into the mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, canola oil, and white vinegar to taste. Mix to combine. Try not to mix too much or else the potatoes will turn into a mush. Serve warm for best taste.

Stephanie Stiglmeier
Community Garden Intern

Family recipes

Over the next few weeks, Stephanie will be posting German recipes from her family's kitchen.  It's a nice homage to the Wagners, who came here from Germany in 1855.

If you'd like to share some of your recipes, please email them to me or drop them off at the farm. It's a great opportunity to learn new recipes to use our beautiful produce.

Powdery Mildew Strikes!

Powdery Mildew on a member of the Cucurbitaceae family 

Powdery mildew has been spotted in the garden this week, and it is taking over with a vengeance. Almost every plant in the Cucurbitaceae family has been affected (this includes melons, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkin). It seemed to take off after the very humid day we had last Monday. 

Jen is going to have milk available starting this Sunday, and continuing Sundays after that. She will leave out a cooler of diluted milk with a spigot all day Sunday, and it will be cleaned out at the end of the day. Free of charge to everyone, but you will have to supply a spray bottle.

You can also treat the mildew with store-bought, organic products. Watering only in the mornings, as well as providing good air circulation, can help relieve the mildew, but it is recommended to treat with the milk.

If you have questions, please let me or Jen know.

Stephanie Stiglmeier
Community Garden Intern

Planting now for a Fall Crop

August 1 is days away, and that means it's time to start planting for a fall crop.

Considerations:

Frost date: When you plant in the spring, you're concerned with the last frost date when figuring out timing. When planting for a fall harvest, you're thinking about the first date -- for us, it's October 13. This means that there's a 50% chance of a frost by this date. Some plants wilt at the first frost, like tomatoes, peppers and squash. Some plants taste better after the first frost, like kale and Brussels sprouts. And other plants are fine with some frost and can overwinter, like carrots -- although we don't have that opportunity at WFCG.

Days to Maturity: Once you have the first frost date, check your seed packets for days to maturity and add 3 weeks. Then count backwards from the first frost date to figure out when to plant. The extra three weeks is to compensate for the days getting shorter as we head into fall.

Pest control: Pests are in full swing by the time you're ready to plant for a fall harvest, so be prepared to protect your new seedlings with light row covers.

Shade: When transplanting seedlings during August, the sun can be pretty difficult. Try to provide shade by using row covers or plant the seedlings where there's some afternoon shade due to tall plants.

Start some seeds indoors: Some seeds won't germinate in hot soil, that's the bad news. The good news is that your west or south windowsill may now have enough light to germinate seeds indoors. Cabbage and broccoli are two that need to be started indoors.

The following planting list is from Urban Farmer (ufseeds.com).

August

August is an ideal time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is the time to plant these vegetables and herbs.

Beans:
Start planting both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up. Try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different varieties. This will give you continual bean crops and not one large harvest with wasted crop. Early August is the last practical sowing date.

Suggested variety: Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Topcrop

 

Cover Crops:

A great way to add nutrients to your soil for the following year is by growing winter cover crops this fall. Start in August so they get some good growth before winter comes. [THIS IS A GREAT IDEA FOR EMPTY PATCHES -- WILL ADD NITROGEN TO SOIL FOR FOLLOWING YEAR AND SUPPRESSES WEEDS]

Suggest variety: Winter Cover Crops

Cucumbers
Fast growing vine or bush cucumber plants can produce an abundance of cucumber fruits. Be careful to pick a variety for the space you have in your garden. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties.
Suggest variety: Spacemaster 80, Muncher, Marketmore 76

Kale 
Planting kale mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter. 
Suggested variety: Dwarf Blue

Lettuce 
Sow lettuce in August for a fall crop. Try growing early harvest varieties that will produce a harvest before cold weather rolls in.
Suggested Varieties: Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl

Peas 
Green peas and sugar peas are good to plant in August, and will produce a moderate fall harvest.
Suggested variety: Sugar Ann

Radish
A quick and easy vegetable to grow. Plant now and you can have them ready in 30 days.
Suggested variety: Cherry Belle

Spinach 
Spinach is more of a cool weather vegetable and is great to grow in August.
Suggested variety: Bloomsdale, Samish

The following chart is from Mother Earth News:

VEGETABLES	Sow Indoors	Sow Outdoors	Transplant
Arugula		XXX
Beet		XXX
Broccoli			XXX
Brussels sprouts			XXX
Cabbage			XXX
Carrot		XXX
Cauliflower			XXX
Chard		XXX
Chinese cabbage		XXX	XXX
Collards		XXX
Endive		XXX
Kale		XXX	XXX
Kohlrabi		XXX	XXX
Lettuce	XXX	XXX	XXX
Mustard		XXX
Peas		XXX
Radish		XXX
Scallion (green onion)			XXX
Sorrel		XXX
Spinach		XXX
Turnip		XXX

Cover Crops	Sow Indoors	Sow Outdoors	Transplant
Alfalfa		XXX
Buckwheat		XXX
Cowpeas		XXX
Mustard		XXX
Oats		XXX
Radish		XXX
Sunflower		XXX

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/what-to-plant-now-august-central-midwest-great-plains-gardening-region.aspx#ixzz38yS0U1a5

Colder than usual August?

The past month has been a wacky one -- luckily, when my AC died, it was only 65 degrees that day, which is crazy for July in Chicago!

But really -- according to our state climatologist, this July is the second coldest on record. We saw how our veg reacted -- some like it (lettuce), some thought meh (tomatoes), and some gave up the ghost after one too many temp shifts (broccoli and cauliflower).

Does it mean anything for August's forecast?

According to Jim Angel, our climatologist, a colder-than-average July leads to a colder-than-average August, sometimes by several degrees. Our beginning of August forecasts also look like cooler than average temps.

For our gardens, this may mean continued slow growth -- what can look like no growth at times -- for tomatoes, eggplant, squash and other heat-loving veg. It could be nice for greens like lettuce, which usually don't handle August heat well.

Kale: A How To from The Peterson Garden Project

Kale is growing beautifully in our garden right now. It's a an easy to grow, healthy cruciferous green, with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cholesterol-lowering properties.

For a better understanding of when to harvest, how to cook, and best ways to preserve, check out the PGP's page on this powerhouse green. I was in the process of writing my own post on this topic when I found PGP's, and well, why recreate the wheel when PGP did it so well?

~~~

The Peterson Garden Project is a a Chicago-based non-profit which builds community gardens in the style of 20th century victory gardens. Lead by inspiring LaManda Joy, the PGP has built 8 community gardens with 1,039 plots, 800 volunteers, and over 3,000 gardeners. It's an outstanding organization with tremendous resources.

One of those resources is WeCanGrowIt.org, a web page with posts about gardening, cooking with fresh produce, and their community garden program.

Epsom Salt as a Natural Fertilizer

For those of you growing peppers or tomatoes who have noticed yellowing in the leaves of your veggies, or simply are looking for a way to produce bigger fruit, look no further. The answer to your problems? Epsom salt.

Epsom salt, also known as Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), is commonly used as bath salts or for foot soaks, but it is also ideal for gardening. Magnesium is the central atom of chlorophyll, and therefore essential for its production in plants.

Molecular structure of chlorophyll

If there is a lack of magnesium, the plant will begin to break down chlorophyll in the older leaves first, and transport the magnesium to the younger leaves, which have a greater demand for chlorophyll. When a plant is deficient in magnesium, yellowing will occur between the veins of older leaves first. A lack of magnesium will also cause fruits to be small, and woody.

Magnesium deficiency in a raspberry plant 

To use on your vegetables and fruits, Epsom salt can either be directly applied in the hole when planting veggies, or sprinkled around the plant at the base and re-applied every two weeks. Epsom salt can also be made into a solution and be sprayed directly onto the leaves of the plant (if you've noticed me spraying my peppers over in plot CE2, I've been applying an Epsom solution in hopes of bigger, better peppers!). While Epsom salt is great for peppers and tomatoes, it works great on pretty much any plant (including roses) and especially those in well-drained soils lacking in organic material (the magnesium in the soil quickly leaches out) or acidic soils.

If you need help identifying whether or not you have a magnesium deficiency in your plants, here's a link to a blog post on nutrient deficiencies I posted a few weeks ago.

Epsom Salt Recommendations for Gardening

Stephanie Stiglmeier
Community Garden Intern

The Japanese Beetle

Besides  backseat drivers and people who litter, there is nothing that annoys me more than the Japanese Beetle.

Japanese Beetles are composed of 25% hatred, 25% annoyance, and 50% pure evil

These pests are a huge problem both in the garden and in landscaping. They were first found in the United States in 1916 in New Jersey. They were thought to have been transported here in a shipment of Iris bulbs from Japan prior to 1912. The beetle has quickly spread to every state east of the Mississippi River.

The larva of these beetles, commonly known as a grub worm, feed on the roots of turf grass and can cause serious damage if left untreated. There are grub-killing products available, which commonly come in a powdered form.

The root of evil

The adults, however, are the focus for us here in the garden as they are starting their annual feasting. 

Creatures of mass destruction

Japanese beetles feast one over 200 species of plants, including beans, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, hops, roses, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, corn, peas, and blueberries. Once an adult beetle finds a tasty food source, it releases a pheromone that attracts other beetles. 

Japanese Beetles are having a party.... all over your bean plants

The population on the food source rapidly increases, and the adults will begin mating, all while they skeletonize the leaves of the plant. The beetles are also known to feed on the fruit of the plant when it is available. The damage caused by the beetles can be extensive, and can quickly kill or seriously damage a plant. 

So how do we stop these menaces? Easy. Soapy water. Simply take a small pail, fill it with water, add a couple drops of soap. Then bury these nasty pests in a watery grave.

Die! Return from whence you came!

You could also make a soapy solution (using organic, liquid dish soap as discussed in Handling the Cucumber Beetle Organically) and spray it directly on the beetles if you don't want to touch them. The spray also gives you the added benefit of watching them wither around as they slowly suffocate (bwahahahaha).

Suds of death

Please, PLEASE, only use organic soap when making a spray solution, and if you're going to drown them in a bucket (and use non-organic soap), please dump it out at home, away from the garden. 

Also, please do not use a Japanese Beetle Trap. These traps are not very effective, and contain pheromones which attract more beetles than they actually trap as the beetles are very clumsy flyers and have a hard time landing in the trap.

Noneffective Japanese Beetle trap

Wiki Article on Japanese Beetles, including a complete list of host plants (plants that the beetles will feed on)

Stephanie Stiglmeier

Community Garden Intern

* NOTE FROM JEN: One plant that seems to get decimated by the beetle -- but actually survives an onslaught pretty well -- is the mighty eggplant. I've had plants with lace leaves still produce a ton of eggplants. This isn't reason to let the beetles live -- no, I'm with Stephanie in my desire to squash them all to smithereens -- but just a note that you might not have to pull out an eggplant that looks like it was attacked. If it's putting up new leaves and flowering, it'll fruit, even with lacy leaves.

Putting Food Scraps to Work

 

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and it's finally here -- food scrap composting in the Wagner Farm Community Garden!

I know, it may not be so exciting for everyone else. I'm a nut for composting, though. I've got cold bins, turned bins, and a worm bin at home. I read Biocycle magazine. I've closely followed the changes in Illinois law that now allow us to bring in a limited amount of off-site food scraps. And with the help of camp kids, I've installed my worm bin with 500 red wiggler worms on the demo plot. Let the food scrap composting being!

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So how to compost your scraps here at WFCG:

The food composting bins are located on the south fence and have clear signs on them. (see above)

Please carefully read the lists below of what you can compost and what you can't -- bringing in items on the CAN'T list will attract critters, cause noxious smells, and ruin the batch. If in doubt -- text me.

Items you can compost here:

• Used coffee grounds and coffee filters
• Banana peels, apple cores, ends of celery & carrots & greens, moldy grapes
• Egg shells
• Stale bread, bagels and crackers

Items you CANNOT compost here:

• Anything dairy or with dairy on it (like cheese, butter, yogurt, buttered toast)
• Anything oily or with oil on it (like salad with dressing)
• Fruit pits
• CITRUS*
• ONIONS*
• Meat or bones
• WEEDS

Please note: NO CITRUS OR ONIONS. People differ on whether or not they put citrus and onions in their bins, but I'm opting for not. I compost a little of both at home, but too much in a bin can overbalance it, and since this is the first time we're trying food scrap composting here, I'm erring on the side of caution.

Also keep in mind -- these bins ARE NOT FOR WEEDS. I've noticed people leaving weeds in them (signs notwithstanding), and I've even found trash in them (again, please read the signs on the top).

Trash removed from the food scrap bins one month ago

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Feel free to take a peek in the can-o-worms bin on the demo plot. Only Stephanie and I will be adding food to this bin -- worms are easily overwhelmed!

How the can-o-worms works

I'll post more about food scrap composting and the worm bin later.

Let the composting begin!

Classes at Wagner Farm -- REMINDER

Some cool classes coming up here at Wagner Farm -- register online here or sign up at Park Center.

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409309 - DIY Food Preservation & Photography - July 22, 6-7:30 ($30 for resident, $37 for non-res)

Participants will work with Jill Houk, cookbook author, and a Glenview-based chef in this fun cooking class! Chef Houk will teach easy food preservation techniques for all your seasonal vegetables. Next, take your culinary skills to a whole new level with Chicago-based photographer, Angie Garbot. Angie will teach you all about food photography and how to make beautiful food labels-a great way to impress your friends and make special gifts! Ages 16-Senior




409409 - Jars, Jams & Jellies - August 5, 6-8pm ($30 for residents, $37 for non-residents)

How would you like to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables all year long? Chef Toni Salazar Camphouse will teach participants how to make jellies, jams, and other canning delights. Price includes all food and canning supplies. Ages Adult-Senior

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I've signed up for the Food Preservation class for July. I bought Jill's book because I wanted to learn more ways to preserve the food I grow in the garden. It's a really cool book, and I look forward to learning more from Jill in the class.

I've taken the canning class with Chef Toni before -- she's terrific, and I had a blast in this hands-on class. I've done a little canning at home but hope to do more this fall.

MOWING IS ONLY SUNDAYS NOW

We've moved from twice a week mowing to once a week -- Sundays from 9:30-11am. The garden is now open Wednesday mornings during the previous mowing time.

We may have to add a second mowing occasionally -- I'll let you know on the blog.

Thanks!

Warm and Wet June -- and a note about weeds

I can't remember a July 4th that was as mild as yesterday. Isn't Taste of Chicago coming to town soon? Doesn't that mean our temps should be 100+?

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Looking back at June, our state climatologist, Jim Angel, tells us that it was the 8th wettest June on record, and that 4 of the 5 previous Junes have been wetter than average. The exception -- 2012, our drought year.

We've gotten close to 8" of rain in our area in June -- 4" above our average. No wonder the weeds are growing gangbusters.

I've gone easy on weeds -- sending out just unofficial weed warnings -- because of the mud. As we -- hopefully -- get drier, and our plants start to produce, I'm going to get tougher about weeds. I'm not concerned with tiny ones, or ones here and there -- I'm concerned when it doesn't look like someone is tending to their plot.

So don't worry about having a spotless plot -- unless that's how you like to garden. Handle the biggest weeds first, especially along the edges. If you're overwhelmed by the number of weeds, look at your weed handout and pick one easily-identified weed and just pick that. Once you've started clearing some space, it will be easier to see what other weeds are around -- and leave your intended veg alone.

When in doubt -- ask me and Stephanie to take a look!

What to plant now?

It's just about July, and people are beginning to ask -- can I still plant... beets, cucumbers, squash?

The quick answer -- yes. If you view gardening as an experiment, and you acknowledge that the only consistency about our weather this season has been its inconsistency, then this answer is the right one.

However, there are guidelines for what to plant when -- and a terrific app.

First, what to plant now. I'm going to hit the basics. Here's what the When to Plant app (from Mother Earth News) told me:

Arugula, lima beans, pole beans, beets, bok choy, borage, cabbage, carrots, celery, chili peppers, Chinese cabbage, chives, cilantro, collards, dill, endive, fennel, kohlrabi, lettuce, mache, okra, parsley, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radicchio, radish, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tatsoi, tomatillos and zucchini.

Here's what my experience tells me about this list:

1. Arugula, lettuce, peas, and spinach need partial afternoon shade, to full afternoon shade. Otherwise, these guys will bolt (go to flower and get bitter). I find peas don't handle August temperatures well, so I almost never would grow them now. Lettuce would be a good thing to tuck on the east side of big, bushy tomato plants, or under a squash/cucumber trellis.
2. Swiss chard, collards, tatsoi, and mache are great greens for handling the heat of August. 
3. Spring radishes are slightly sweeter than mid-summer-planted radishes, but I always have radishes growing in my garden because they come up so quickly and act as row markers. 
4. We haven't (knock on wood) had a terrible year with cucumber beetles, so I'm still going to put summer squash, winter squash (not on the list above) and cucumbers (also not on the list) in the soil. Worth a shot, and I already have the seeds. I might even try transplants of these usually not transplantable veg because they're on the sale. Which brings me to #5.
5. Nurseries are putting their veg and herb seedlings on sale. This is a great time to pick up more pepper, eggplant, tomato and herb plants to fill out your garden. Whole Foods usually stops selling seedlings on July 4th, so if that's your choice of vendor, head there quickly. 
6. Not to repeat #5, but really, THIS IS MY FAVORITE WEEK TO BUY PLANTS. I've spent several years growing mostly donated seedlings -- all put in the ground on Independence Day -- and they've always done well. I'm heading out today to see what I can pick up to round out the demo plot -- heading to Lurveys, Pesches, Whole Foods and Chalet.

So this is a screenshot from my phone using the When to Plant app. I purchased this app a year ago, and it's been invaluable. The app figures out my location and gives me options about what info I want to see. I clicked on "Plant Now" and got this list.

In the list, you can see an arrow on the right. When you click on that arrow, you get more info on the individual plant. For example -- 

The following is a screenshot from the in-site guide on motherearthnews.com.

KEEP IN MIND: different guidelines may not agree as to when something should be planted. This is ok -- this is life. Take each recommendation with a grain of salt, and as you continue to garden, you'll develop experience and confidence in working with differing recommendations.

Check out the iphone app here -- it's $1.99 and for Apple products. However, Mother Earth News' interactive guideline (picture just above) is free and available here.

** Quick note: I am not paid to promote Mother Earth News, Apple products, or, gee, anything. I get excited about stuff that makes gardening easier, and I like to share it with you.