Wagner Farm Community Garden: September 2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

Dear Gardeners,

Happy Friday! I just wanted to clarify a few things. NEW THIS YEAR- we are asking that gardeners REMOVE ALL PLANT MATERIAL from their plot before the closing date (to be announced). Please put ALL of your plant material in the compost bins. Closer to closing day, we will put a hayrack in the garden. Plant material can be placed on the hayrack as well to prevent the compost bins from becoming too full. All plant material will be taken out in the pasture for composting. It will NOT be brought back to the community garden. We are trying to prevent diseases by not letting diseased plants be tilled into the garden. We are also hoping that by removing the plant material, insects such as cucumber and squash beetles will not overwinter in plant material in the plots. Thank you for helping to improve the community garden!

Here are some more announcements:

•Fall Sales at Wagner Farm- Come and buy your mums, pumpkins and gourds at Wagner Farm. Farm toys and gifts will be available as well!

•Build Your Own Scarecrow- Join me THIS SATURDAY at Wagner Farm to build a scarecrow. Bring some old clothes and the farm will provide you with the straw, a pumpkin head, and instructions on how to do it! 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. The cost is $5 per scarecrow.

•Fall Harvest Festival- Experience how harvest time was celebrated on an early 20th century farm. Join us for wagon rides, farm activities, and fall arts and crafts. Harvest foods are available for purchase.

When: Saturday, October 15, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

$5 per person, children under 2 are free

•GARDEN CLOSING- I will try to keep the garden open until around the 3rd week in October. If we happen to have an early frost or very cold spell, we may have to close earlier. Please be a good community garden member and continue to harvest and weed your plot.

•EARLY CLOSING- If you would like to close up your plot early, please remove all non-organic materials such as tomato ties, plant tags, stakes, string, cages, etc. Take them home or put them in the trash. Remove all plant material and put it in a compost bin. When you are completely out of your plot, please send me an e-mail. I will check your plot to see that it has been properly closed down. We will mow any remaining weeds/grass to keep our garden looking neat. E-mail me with any questions.

•DONATIONS- I will be at the farm on Saturday from 10:00-11:30 to collect donations for the Northfield Food Pantry. Your fresh food donations are greatly appreciated.

Happy Gardening!

Alyssa Tadelman

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Dear Gardeners,

Harvest time is a very exciting time in the garden! There are so many beautiful vegetables ready to be harvested in the garden right now!!! Don't forget to come and harvest your crops. We have about 4 more weeks in the garden. We are hoping to keep the garden open until about the third week in October (weather permitting). This is just enough time to grow some fresh greens like butter lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, arugula, and Asian greens. This is also a great time to grow a cover crop in your garden. A cover crop adds nitrogen to your soil, suppress weeds, attract bees and beneficial insects, and much, much, more! I highly recommend planting a cover crop in your plot.

If you are finished with your garden plot, please remove all plants and put them in the compost bins (peas and beans can be left to be turned into the soil to add nitrogen). Remove all non-organic material as well. Throw stakes and structures in the trash or take them home with you. Throw out all plant tags and tomato ties. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH YOUR PLOT.

Thank you!
Alyssa

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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.