garden babysitting

Our friend Sarah will be watching our garden while we're traveling in the next days. Thanks!

Everyone's gardens are looking good!

Joanna and Matt

two volunteer tasks to keep up with

Hello ... Here are a couple of things I've been doing lately and would love some backup on if someone else could pitch in from time to time (and if you already have been, then thank you!):

1) If the large black trash can is full, take it out the front gate and around the building to the driveway on the building's north side (where the bus parks). Put the full one against the wall where you see a space for it. Then get an empty one and bring it around to the garden. I have no idea when they're picked up, but those are the basics of the system and will keep the can from getting too overfilled and stinky (rotting weeds in the heat -- wow!).

2) When I have a minute and when things seem especially heat-stressed, I've been watering along the south wall/windows, in front of the gate. The banner advertising the summer camp now blocks access to the front yard (and its hose), so I've been pulling a hose under the gate. But it only reaches as far as the strawberries, and then you have to finish with a watering can. It's tedious and I can't always do a great job with it, which is why I'd love it if someone else could keep an eye out, too, and water when the plants are drooping. The black-eyed Susans are my indicator and are what I prioritize if I only have a minute -- because they look so sad when they're thirsty.

Thanks!

Tonight's Garden Haul

The pattypan squash are going crazy, as are the peppers. One of our red pepper plants got crushed, but we tried to revive it tonight, and hopefully it will produce soon, too.

important news about raspberries

Important if, like me, you want as many raspberries as possible! Francisco shared with me a couple of tips about raspberries. First, when picking, it's important that you also take off the spongy white center that the berry slides out of and that wants to stay on the branch. If you leave it on the plant, it thinks it still has a berry there and doesn't need to make more. If you take that part off, then it will be more likely to replace that berry. Also, especially with the wet weather, the raspberries are making lots of new foliage. For best results, this new growth (it has smaller, brighter leaves and is at the top of the plant) should be removed. This is easy to do, even with bare hands. Those of us who have been picking berries, maybe we can all remember to do these two things.

Duck update

Hello ... Today, Francisco told me that he thinks mama duck laid a couple of eggs and at least one hatched. He has heard baby duck-type sounds coming from the weedy area along the north wall of the building. He made a little puddle in case she needs a small pool for her duckling(s). For now, we should probably steer clear of that area. If you have to work there, ask Francisco for some ways to mask your scent so we don't scare mama duck.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

We took advantage of the abundant grape vine and made delicious stuffed grape leaves last night. Found the recipe at http://greekfood.about.com/od/appetizerssalads/r/leavesmeatrice.htm. We picked 40 grape leaves and made half the recipe, using ground lamb from the 61st St. Farmers Mkt, brown rice (mostly precooked), and a 1/2 tsp of allspice. Be sure to pick leaves no larger than a hand's breadth and from the ends of the vines so they're tender. To prepare the leaves, trim the stems, wash them and layer them in a large pot, sprinkling with 2 tsp sea salt. Pour boiling water over them, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Then they're ready to fill. Delicious!

Garden Gate Lubricated

Matt lubricated the garden gate latch and it closes very easily now. Hopefully, that will help.

common tomato

Just to let everyone know, one of the tomatoes I put in the common plot was faring very badly (at best leaf spot maybe?) so I pulled it out preemptively. The others are looking much better and this one was in *extremely bad shape (wasn't up for trying to rescue it, questionable if it could have been). Sorry if it was unnecessary -- I'm possibly being a little paranoid with the talk of blight this year. Anyway, no thief at work!

Compost News?

Any news on the compost? Is any usable/available?

raspberries are ready

I was out there this morning and picked a few raspberries in the plot that's to the south of mine. There are a lot more still ripening and probably ready over the next few days. Let's share them! If you're not sure if they're ready, see if they come off with a gentle tug. If it takes more than that, they probably need another day or so (just in case anyone didn't know that). Enjoy -- let's get them before the rabbits do.

Cross Post

Hey, garden neighbors!! I posted a little something about a recent revelation I had in the garden on my personal blog, and wanted to share it here, too. Feel free to click this link if you are interested---it isn't strictly garden-related, but I thought you might enjoy. And if anyone DOES have some good weeding advice (you'll know what I mean if you read the post), well, feel free to pass it along!

another volunteer day?

Hello ...

It's been suggested that we do another volunteer effort. Here are some things needing attention:

1) Weeding in the common areas, such as the perimeter, and areas of brick that aren't under anyone's particular care

2) Sorting the sheds and, in the shed for smaller tools, determining if anything should be tossed. For the large tool shed, it's more about untangling the tools so they're not falling out. Also, getting a sense of what's wearing out (like some of the gloves).

3) Should we address the "free for all" pile by the back door? Can it be better organized? Do some things need to go away?

4) Identifying any other hoses that need to be repaired, or any other "issues."

5) Anything else you'd like to suggest?

Which is generally better for this -- Saturday or Sunday? I'm out of town this coming weekend -- who's available the 26th or 27th?

Thanks!

Hi, hope everyone's gardening is going well.

I noticed in the shared herb area a few of us have put left-over seedlings (there were 4 tomatoes, to which I added some, a cucumber or two and a squash, etc) so it's probably full up for now. I've done a bit of weeding and will try to get some mulch in there as the soil is pretty heavy.

Also, in the area just to the south of my spot, I put some lettuce seeds in, and noted the area with string. Please consider as communal once it comes up i.e. help yourself.

I've been trying to pull out weeds etc. in the sidewalk areas--does anyone have a good strategy for doing this as I"m having a hard time getting the roots out and the weeds are coming in fast and furious (I'm letting the arugula grow and picking it for salad; hope no one minds)?

Finally, the kids' area looks like it is getting a lot of use. Wondering if maybe a sign (made by some of the kids?) could be put up just so we all know the area... let me know if you want to take this on.

happy green thumbs to all,

Laura

Compost Status?

I'm just wondering about the status of the compost. Should we get a larger provisional container for new scraps or should I stop bringing them? Is our first batch almost ready?! Thanks.

Grapes

It seems that the grapes need to be trellised. I can do the work, if someone is willing to obtain the trellis. If there is consensus on it, I'm happy to ask Jennifer if this is something we could fund out of the fees. Thoughts?

Exposed Cable in Children's Plot

We've discovered a partially exposed cable at the south end of the children's plot. This is a cause for concern, since we don't want any kids puncturing it, etc.! Because it's in between the strawberry plants, it's a little out of the prime digging space, but please alert your children to avoid it!

What's the best way to proceed? Perhaps Com-Ed, if they are responsible for the cable, could put a protective conduit over it and bury it deeper. I would be happy to talk with Jennifer at the HPNC about the issue.

Baby bunnies and Compost on hold til June 4th

Well, yesterday at the garden I saw the first baby bunny. I guess we have a family. It took refuge in the southwest corner of the garden, but came back out again after a few minutes. I invested in some more chicken wire for our plot, but beware of the bunnies!

The compost is going well, and almost done for the first cycle. PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY FRESH MATERIALS IN THE COMPOSTER THIS WEEK. If you have things to be composted, please put them in the wheelbarrow with the red plastic cover on it next to the composter. Thank you! And thank you to everyone who has been adding their rich kitchen scraps. We are going to have some wonderful compost.

Duck might be nesting

Hello ... When I was out there today, a female mallard duck came charging out at me from the weedy area under the classroom windows, along the north wall, just to the east of where the after-school kids have their plot. She then stood and watched me closely the whole time I was there. I wonder if she has a nest in the weeds, or at least is scoping the place out. Has anyone else seen her? I marked the location with a note. Maybe if we don't scare her too badly, we'll get to see some ducklings!

Compost clarification?

Lisa -- Thank you for managing the compost. I was wondering if you could give us a sense of how small we need to chop the fruit and vegetable waste? Thanks!

SQUASH BUGS!

*Already* there are squash bugs on my zucchini -- I guess they wintered in the wood surrounding the plot?

Help! Anyone know of effective, organic solutions? I think many of the remedies I found last year were far from organic.

Jennifer

strawberries

I picked a few strawberries outside the gate today after watering them, and it looked like many others will be ready in the next few days. Let's share them and enjoy! If you've been resisting because you didn't know who these were for, my understanding is that they are now for all of us.

watering the perimeter

Hello ... I'd been mostly ignoring Tim's former areas, because the plants seemed to be faring OK. With the heat, though, it's apparent that we need to water those areas. I did some, pretty haphazardly. Maybe if several of us water when we can, we'll end up doing a decent job of it. Same with weeding. I don't want this to add unduly to anyone's burden, but if you see something you know is a weed in those areas, please go ahead and pull it. The areas I'm talking about, in case anyone doesn't know, are: on the south side of the building, before the gate; inside the gate, along the south fence, up to the southernmost plot; and on the west wall of the building, until it hits the weedy patch. Watering along the south wall outside the gate is complicated by the fact that the very long hose at the front of the building is seriously kinked, to the point where I couldn't get it to work. So I dragged a hose under the gate, but it was too short -- so there was a portion I had to water with a watering can. So:

1) Please water and weed in those areas if/when you can.
2) Could someone who knows hoses and how to repair them please take a look at the one at the front of the building, and/or see if there's if there's some other solution? Possibly we could link hoses to water the spot I couldn't reach -- I was addled by the rest of my gardening work and wasn't thinking too swiftly.

Also, I have an exceedingly stupid question: Is the white barrel near the east wall the composter? I thought so, but it seemed to have bags and trash in it? Whatever it is, I pulled it north a bit because it was shading two rosebushes. Anything big and long-term like that, could we please check that it's not blocking anything?

Thanks!

Chives?

Did someone leave some chives at our plot? I put them in the ground -- if this was the intention, thank you so much! If not, I'm happy to return them! Please let me know!
Jennifer

Seedlings assigned, and MANY left over.

All the requested seedlings have been assigned, and there are quite a few left over! If you requested something but haven't heard from me, please let me know asap, and I apologize in advance.

By later this afternoon, the seedlings will be sitting on my plot (next to the door to the NHC) marked either "reserved" or "up for grabs." I'll give the group until Sunday to take what's left over, and then plant the rest wherever I can find to do so.

For those who requested and forgot what they get, I will leave a list of who gets what in a ziplock bag next to the reserved seedlings.

If you've already requested and received some, please feel free to take more but keep in mind what share you've already gotten and try not to deplete the remaining variety.

Enjoy!

I need someone to water this weekend

Hi, everyone ... I planted some seeds recently, and then realized I'll be out of town this weekend. Could someone please water for me? The seeds are mainly in the square at the north end of my plot (appears to have nothing in it -- because the seedlings haven't sprouted yet) and in a north-south line all the way down the center of my plot. Everything else could probably fend for itself unless it seems unusually dry -- my main concern is giving the seeds a little water each day. I'm going to try to get out there tomorrow, and then I'm gone from Thursday through Sunday. Thanks to any helper(s)!

natural pest control

I came across this:

Mint: plant with tomatoes and cabbage; deters ants, fleas, aphids, cabbage moths, rodents, attracts earthworms

Alfalfa: plant with lettuce, beans, and other legumes; adds nitrogen, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium

Scented marigold: plant with everything; in dense clusters this flower emits a substance that drives away nematodes; near tomatoes it can deter whiteflies

Lavender: plant with roses, alliums, fruit trees; discourages fleas and moths while drawing beneficial insects like bees, lady bugs, praying mantises

Nasturtium: plant with cabbage, cucumbers, radishes and fruit trees; repels squash bugs, whiteflies, and cucumber beetles; blooms prevent aphids from nibbling fruit trees

Garlic: plant with roses, raspberries, cucumbers, peas, lettuce, celery; keeps aphids off roses, repels Japanese beetles and spider mites

Sweet Alyssum: plant with potatoes, broccoli, beans, corn and eggplant; attracts predatory wasps and hoverflies, which devour aphids

Borage: plant with strawberries, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes; wards off tomato worms, adds trace minerals, helping boost disease resistance in nearby plants

butterflies!

All of a sudden, we have a ton of butterflies in the garden. Here is a nice pictorial overview of some of the species in our area: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/Usa/Butterflies/Illinois/index.html. Of these, here are the ones I think I've seen in recent days: monarch, red admiral, painted lady, and satyr anglewing. I think it was a red admiral that landed on my leg today and stayed there a while -- they seem to like the color blue. Every year, I hope a monarch will come and lay its eggs on my milkweed plant (which, as you may know, is the only food its caterpillars can eat -- they eat the leaves and are then protected against predators for life, because milkweed gives other animals stomachaches). Maybe this is the year -- I have about a half dozen milkweed plants marching across in a diagonal line. I don't think I planted even one, ever -- they just found me. I do have a lot of flowers that I planted specifically because they attract butterflies. Later in the season, we should see swallowtails, too. Their caterpillars like dill, parsley, and carrots (the greens, that is). Dill and parsley grow like crazy out there. I always pull most of mine, because otherwise, they'll take over -- but I always leave a little bit just in case a swallowtail is looking for a good place to lay eggs. I would love to see a chrysalis in my plot this year!

Extras

I have some extra tomatoes, peppers, and one eggplant. Would it be ok for me to put them in the common plot for everyone to use? Are there any objections? Or any reasons I'm not thinking of why it wouldn't be a good idea? (other than the shade!)

Greencorps Seedlings!

I have our Greencorps give-away seedlings, and there is plenty of good stuff. Now to figure out who wants what and who gets what!

Here's what we got (each garden gets the same; there was no choosing):

3 each of butternut squash, eggplant, muskmelon, jalapenos, cayenne chilis, roma tomatoes, sage, acorn squash, romaine, serrano peppers, beefsteak tomatoes, big boy tomatoes, watermelon, yellow bell peppers, banana peppers, super fantastic tomatoes, celery, and okra.

6 each of kale, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes.

10 collard greens.

1 each of thyme, basil, and oregano.

2 italian parsley.

I would love to have a meeting and people can just pick what they want, but it seems unlikely that we can organize a meeting that everyone can attend soon enough. Either way, it's important to put a time limit on the distribution and I want to make sure the couple of gardeners who don't get online find out about what's available. Maybe we can do requests via email and then lottery if there isn't enough of something? I am happy to deliver the seedlings to everyone's plots in the garden. Suggestions are welcome. I wish we had been able to plan this ahead of time, but this process is new to us and I didn't know how much we would get!

I will keep the seedlings healthy and watered in the meantime :)

I will also be at the garden tomorrow (Sunday, May 16th) from 11-1.

Greencorps Vegetable Give-Away is this Saturday, May 15th

I am looking for someone with a truck or other appropriate vehicle that can help me transport plants from the Greencorps vegetable pickup day this weekend (my sedan is not an option). It's on Saturday at 9100 S. Stoney Island (St. Ailbe's Church). I haven't found out the times yet, but assume morning is best.

Then, of course, we will need to decide what to get and how to distribute them. I am thinking we'll need to arrange a time for those interested to meet at the garden and devise a system to distribute the plants fairly to those who attend. Thoughts?

Peter Rabbit

My little pea sprouts have also been munched. My friend Lianne tells me that one can buy dried blood at garden stores, and that sprinkling this around your plants repels rabbits. An old trick of her father's. It may be worth trying? Has anyone heard of this method?

Compost

I think we should begin working on our compost. I am inserting some excerpts from the instruction manual below. Anyone who wants to read the manual in its entirety (:-)) can find it online at: http://www.planetnatural.com/planetnatural/images/superior-compost.pdf

I began loading the CompostTumbler today and gave it 5 long turns. We can choose to do fast (14-day) or slow composting. Right now, we don't have a sufficiently large load of mixed materials to do fast composting. Please place materials for composting in the wheelbarrow by the composter. For the time being, the compost committee will manage loading and turning the composter to monitor its progress. When we get a good system going, we'll post instructions, so everyone can take part:-)

Good materials for the composter (materials from home are welcome!):

NITROGEN

fresh grass clippings

(cut within 24 hours)

green yard & garden waste*

coffee grounds & tea bags

egg shells (rinsed & crushed)

uncooked fruit & vegetable

waste*

farm manure

hair trimmings

CARBON

dead leaves*

sawdust & wood shavings

straw or hay*

wood ash

black & white newsprint

(shredded, premeasured &

soaked in water)

dead garden waste*

* Remember to chop or shred these materials before loading if you

are using the 14-day hot composting method.

Do not use branches, twigs, pine needles, redwood, cedar, walnut or

treated wood. Do not use any cooked foods, dairy products, meat or

bones. Do not use pet waste or untreated human waste. Do not use

anything you know or suspect to be poisonous or diseased.

At least four times each week go out to your ComposTumbler,

check the moisture and smell the materials. Make any needed

adjustments (see Adjustments for these two categories under

14-Day Hot Composting) and then rotate the drum five full

revolutions. Rotating the drum every day will speed up your

process even more.

Plantings in Kids' Plot

We planted some abandoned strawberry plants, some flower seeds, and a mint transplant (albeit a sad one!) along the south edge of the kids' plot. Hopefully, these will add some interest and entertainment for the kids. If you'd like to help your kids watch out for the growing seedlings, that'd be great! Hopefully, some of them will survive to maturity....

Garden Fair is coming

Don't forget the annual Hyde Park Garden Fair, which will be May 14 and 15, 9-6 on Friday and 9-4 on Saturday, in the plaza outside the post office, toy store, Treasure Island, etc. They have all kinds of plants: flowers (perennial -- including lots of native plants -- and annual), fruits, vegetables, herbs, and houseplants. The people working the sale are very knowledgeable. This is where I get most of my stuff this year.

If you want to go at the very beginning of the sale, for best selection, be aware that people start lining up at least half an hour in advance and are very, very intent on getting their stuff. It's a little crazy! Maybe not the best if you have your children with you? If you want to wait until it's more low-key, you really can still find most things on Saturday.

I'm an adrenaline junkie, so this year, I'm going on Friday morning. Will you be in line with me when the whistle blows? :)

Op Shop is open another month

Hello ...

I just found out that the Op Shop, in the old Hollywood Video just off Lake Park on 53rd, will be open until early June. They have a really lovely little garden section. Not the hugest variety, but everything they have seems like it's been carefully selected. I've gotten some really pretty and unusual things there, as I mentioned earlier. They also have compost by the bag, gardening books, supplies, etc. And they take trades, so it could be an option if you have extra plants, seeds, etc.

What should we do about rabbits?

Hello ... I was at the garden this afternoon and ran into Jackie Gant. She said she's having a lot of trouble with the rabbits this year. She was using red pepper to try to keep them at bay, but she also wondered if we could clear out the one remaining patch of weeds that is along the west wall of the building, to the south of where a few people have their plots/just north of where Tim had some of his stuff. (Can you visualize where I mean?) She has seen a rabbit darting in and out of there and suspects it has a burrow under the weeds. The weeds are quite large, and she said she would need someone else to do this task because she's not up to it.

At first, I thought this was a simple volunteer request, but then I thought that given the time of year, it's entirely possible that we're dealing with a mother rabbit and a nest of babies. Would the babies die if we did this? Like, would the mom freak out, and then the babies would die of exposure/starvation/predators? What if they're really tiny and she can't move them to a better spot? Does anyone know rabbit behavior? :) What is the best way to manage this problem?

Thanks!

Thank you to Jennifer Spruill

Jennifer did us all a big favor by taking the initiative to fix one of the (really bad) hose leaks. That should help us conserve a lot of water -- and I'm also looking forward to not getting soaked while watering anymore.

Thanks, Jennifer!

subsequent planting question

I'm trying to plan the rest of my planting and due to shading concerns there is a certain unavoidable logic to planting zucchini, cucumbers and probably tomatoes in the same place as last year (or very close). But I know this is supposed to be a bad idea. So my question is, in reality, is this really disastrous, or might it be ok?
Thanks for any help!

Organizing volunteer efforts

Hello ... I'm in charge of coordinating our volunteer efforts -- that is, anything we do for the benefit of the entire garden, and not for our own individual plots.

It has been suggested that each of us should aim for a total of 4 to 5 hours of volunteer service over the course of the season. What I'm thinking is that there should be a couple of different ways you can participate. If you can come to a clean-up such as the one we had recently, great! If it suits you better to put in an hour here and there doing some of the more everyday maintenance, also great! That way, most or all of us should be able to meet the goal or come close to it, and contribute in a very real way.

I wonder if we could brainstorm some volunteer tasks? Off the top of my head, here are some of the everyday tasks:

1) Weeding in common/unclaimed areas, such as Tim's old strawberry patch and other plantings just before the front gate, the raised box with the tree in it (adjacent to Laura L.'s plot), and what other areas? Do I recall that Art and Julie will work in Tim's old perimeter plantings?

2) Trash pickup: Whether from the adjacent park or wherever, we get a fair amount of drifting litter. "Trash" could also include getting the big trash cans from the north side of the building, and putting them where they need to go (back to that same spot?) when full.

3) Retrieving any scattered tools, and straightening up the sheds.

4) Sweeping or other general cleanup in the brick areas.

5) Any others?

Bigger projects might include leading a workshop for all of us on a topic such as composting, vermiculture, organic gardening, etc. Perhaps also kids' workshops, so this doesn't all fall to Ilse to organize? Other ideas for "big bite" projects? And how often should we do a big clean-up like the last one?

A lot of the smaller things are stuff many of us do anyway. The difference is that you'd report it (in what, maybe half-hour increments?) -- not so we could be super strict about it, but just so we'd have some record. I'm not sure the exact mechanism, but I think you'd report your efforts to me -- and I would also be the one to put out the call when a larger group project is needed.

I think we should start the tracking once we have all of this settled. Would there be back credit for those who were at the clean-up, or should we start fresh, figuring 4-5 hours in the course of a few months isn't all that much?

Your thoughts on any of this, please?

Thanks!

Save a raspberry's life!

Hi, all ... I have many, many raspberry plants in my plot. I don't want them -- do you? If so, you are welcome to dig them up and transplant them. Just try not to step on anything else, please. Any that are not out by May 15 (when I'll start the bulk of my planting), I'm sad to say will likely be discarded. They're fine plants -- they're just in my way.

I am in the northwest bed, just to the east of Milena's, and to the north of where Tim had that whole plot of raspberries. They've drifted over and are invading the south end of my plot. You should be able to see what I mean.

Kids' Play Area -- Please respond!

For those of you who weren't at the last Sunday garden get-together, like me, the area folks picked for the kids' play area is the northernmost patch (but south of the sidewalk) on the west side of the garden -- the one just north of the large utility box, with a tree in the center of it. It's not in the hidden stretch where the composting bins are, which is great for those of us with kids little enough to need a constant watchful eye.

My guess is that the area is about 8x8. Joanna and her husband Matt have graciously offered to build a frame around the area, and Joanna estimated that the cost would be about $40 (to be shared by those of us whose kids use it). Other ideas that have been discussed are (1) to get separate containers for pebbles, sand, water, and/or dirt, (2) have gardeners with kids coordinate times to garden so their kids can play together, and (3) to have certain times when kids are not allowed in the garden, so that adults can enjoy a little bit more serene environment on occasion. I also wonder whether it's safe to have kids playing next to that utility box -- can someone tell me what's in it, whether there is a risk, and if so how to avoid it?

I invite all who have specific ideas, comments, or concerns to please either comment here on the blog or, if you want to make comments privately, send me an email at hydeparkfamily@gmail.com. Please only email your ideas to me, not to the list. My hope with the email option is that people will feel more free to share candid thoughts/concerns. I will review all the comments, put together a list of priorities, and Joanna and I will move forward on getting the play area set up as soon as possible! I also will keep all ideas anonymous when sharing them with other gardeners, so please feel free to be honest!

Extra pea seeds

We have extra pea seeds that we won't be using, and although it's late for planting peas, if you'd like any seeds, let us know how many and we'll be happy to drop them off at your plot. They're (shelling) green peas (dwarf plants, 4" pods). Seed spacing, 2"; row spacing 18" and you don't thin them but you do need to soak them 24 hrs before planting. They're Botanical Interests (untreated, no GMOs).

Joanna and Matt (joannacarlson@gmail.com)

tools, misc

Hi. Just to let everyone know, I put red tape on the tools today as a friendly reminder (*not* intended to be hostile in any way! Indeed, many of my tools are the same as the garden's and I've often had to stop and remember which I was using before leaving). I thought this might be helpful.

The kids' area is utterly spectacular. Thank you everyone for clearing it. It was so easy for me to get things done while the kids (even the little ones) played in the dirt. This makes a huge difference.

Lastly, 61st Street seems to still be going (I hadn't realized this). A friend of mine just took a plot there. It is apparently moving to somewhere on 62nd. Thought it might be of general HP gardening interest.

I think we'll be in the garden tomorrow afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

Oh, also, rainwater collection sounds great. It would also allow us to ease our financial impact on the Club.

Cross-Post from Personal Blog

I just posted a reflection (with a few pictures) on my personal blog about our community garden this year. Take a look if you are interested by clicking here. My enthusiasm for our garden is hard to contain, but a juicy blog post always helps to capture some of that energy. Take care!

Organic Gardening and Pesticides

We've been talking about organic gardening over the past few weeks, both in email and face to face.

It sounds like most folks are in favor of restricting the garden to organic methods of pest control.

Here's a short list of organic pesticides and a little information on each.

insecticidal soap
Insecticial soap is soap, with basically all the safety concerns (i.e. very few) of soap. Insecticidal soap does not have any lasting insecticidal activity, especially if washed off as recommended by the linked site.

neem oil
Neem oil is an extract from a tree (the seed) indigenous to southern India. Neem oil has been used as an insecticide and ingested for hundreds of years. (I do not advocate eating your bottle of neem-based pesticide, no matter how enticing the packaging.) Neem oil also has anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and can be found in many cosmetics.

Neem oil's insecticidal properties are fairly broad spectrum and also targets mites. Unlike many chemical pesticides, neem oil does not usually kill on contact. Instead, neem oil discourages feeding in the affected insects.

Neem oil does not seem to affect beneficial insects, including bees and ants, nor does it appear to affect earthworms detrimentally.

horticultural oil
Horticultural oil is a petroleum-based oil that coats insect pests, preventing them from feeding and breathing, similar to mineral oil.

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or potassium bicarbonate mixed with oil
Potassium bicarbonate mixed with oil and sprayed on leaves can serve as a fungicide.

capsaicin spray
Capsaicin is the heat-inducing component in chili peppers. As such, it's quite safe. Capsaicin sprays may repel small mammals, such as squirrels or rabbits. A friend of mine coats his pumpkins with the stuff to ward the squirrels off every year.

Bt dust (sometimes liquid)
Bt is a bacterium that disrupts insects' ability to digest food. Different varieties of Bt affect different insects, and Bt appears to have no toxicity in humans.

pyrethrins
Pyrethin based pesticides are derived from chrysanthemum flowers and have low toxicity in mammals. As such, they are extremely safe. However, they can kill beneficial insects quite effectively.

rotenone
Rotenone is a pesticide commonly used in organic gardening because it breaks down quickly when exposed to sunlight. Many formulations are of fairly low toxicity to mammals, but some are not. Rotenone is extremely toxic to fish and also kills beneficial insects indiscriminately.

sevin dust
Another pesticide that breaks down rapidly, sevin dust also can target beneficial insects.

This list is missing some (milky spore, diatomaceous earth, etc.) but this is a good start.

I would question using rotenone, sevin dust, or pyrethrin powder as they can kill beneficial insects.

Banner Update

Hey, gang! Just changed the banner for our blog---hope you like it!

Rainwater Receptacle?

Building on Art's exciting announcement that the water in our garden area has been fixed, I'd like to share a link about another (potential) watering source.

At the garden this weekend, a few of us discussed how great it would be if we were to collect rainwater to help water our plants. Someone mentioned (Milena?) that the 61st Street community garden had something like this, where they would collect the water, then float watering cans on the top for people to scoop out water as needed. If anyone is in contact with some of the gardeners there (or former gardeners---I don't know if that space is still available for use), and could get more info, that would be terrific.

I found this site which shows how to create a watering receptacle from rainwater. It might not be a perfect fit, but if a few of us feel handy, I think that we have several of the supplies already, based on the inventory discovered during the garden clean-up.

Thoughts? Check out the link, and let's get a discussion started.

Water in the Garden Works!!!

Hi all,

On Monday 4/19, I successfully completed the fix on the water pipes. Altogether, there were three major leaks due to the fact the water was not turned off correctly last Fall...You can now use the water from the copper water facuets inside the garden. Julie and I will be back in NYS for a couple of weeks. See you all in early May. Take care. Art Holmberg

Great Gardening Day Yesterday

It was so nice to see folks yesterday at the garden clean up event. Things are looking much cleaner and tidier, and I think through this we all "reclaimed" the garden for ourselves, our families and our community. Great to see the kids running around, having fun, and digging a bit in the dirt (and helping to pull weeds!).

Op Shop has plants, compost, etc.

I went to the Op Shop today, in the old Hollywood Video store at 53rd and Lake Park. They have compost, leaf mulch, seeds, seedlings (both seeds and seedlings looked to be all vegetables and herbs), and some really unusual and beautiful flowers for gardening. Also some gardening books. Prices were decent, and they also allow trades, like if you have extra seeds, plants, pots, etc. I don't know vegetables at all, but it looked like they had many types of heirloom tomato seeds. I did buy several flowering plants that I'm looking forward to putting in tomorrow. If you've been wanting to try a flower but don't know what you're doing, the people in the garden section there are very knowledgeable.

I told a woman there about our garden, and she said to think of them if we have extra plants, seeds, etc., and want to trade for anything they have.

I believe it's open 10-6 Wednesdays through Sundays. There's a lot of other stuff there, too, like used books and clothes, and various art exhibits and activities. They don't know how long they'll be open, but they'll likely close a couple of weeks from now, or maybe as long as a month.

open invitation to pick my flowers

Hello, gardeners! There's nothing growing yet, but I wanted to let you know from the very beginning that everyone is always welcome to pick a few flowers for bouquets. As long as you a) pick just a few here and there rather than stripping something bare, and b) are careful not to step on anything, I really don't mind. It's actually good for many flowers to be "harvested" in this way -- it makes them bloom more. From time to time, I might post something saying to please not pick a particular flower (like sunflowers -- please, please don't cut off my sunflower heads to eat the seeds ... I want those for birds and also to reseed ... thanks!), but other than that, you're more than welcome. My plot is the one that's usually all flowers -- in the northwest section, just to the east of Milena's.

chive flowers are tasty!

Hello, gardeners! Since many of us have chives, I thought I'd share this tip. A friend of mine once made a lovely bean salad that she garnished with whole chive flowers. They were in with everything else and had the dressing on them, so I figured I was supposed to eat them. They're fantastic! They taste like chives, but milder, and they are crispy/crunchy. Ever since then, I always pick a few for salads and stuff.

Here are some other edible flowers that are better known: violets, pansies, and nasturtiums. I have not eaten pansies, but violets and nasturtiums taste to me like arugula or other salad greens. Not thrilling, tastewise -- but they are pretty. I know you can sugar violets or even make a syrup out of them. I think the taste is then more sweet/sour. Just be careful where you pick -- you don't want ones that have been chemically treated.

Do you know of other unusual edibles we might find in our garden?

Welcome!

Hello, gardeners! Welcome to our community garden blog. Here you can post updates, pictures, requests, stories---it is our space to fill, just like the garden.

I hope to see you all here soon.