From the Gardens Registrar: Mexican Bean Beetles; Renewing Your Garden for 2020; The Proper Use of Weed Piles; Weed of the Week – Canada Fleabane; Workday TBA

Hello Gardeners,

MEXICAN BEAN BEETLES – I haven’t seen any bean beetles this year in my plot – I think the Japanese Beetles must be chasing them off my plants – but gardeners have been reporting that they have them. One gardener sent me a picture of some strange yellow, spiny creatures under his bean leaves. They are bean beetle larvae, and they’re born hungry. As always, with these beetle pests, the safest and most effective way to get rid of them is to pick them off your plants, and drop them into a container of soapy water. Here’s a link to information on bean beetles, with pictures of their different life phases, suitable for framing: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/mexican_bean_beetle.htm

NEXT YEAR – It seems early, but I’m already getting inquiries about applying for garden plots for next year. So here’s the scoop. The 2020 garden applications will be available on-line and at the Eagle Heights Community Center starting on December 15. For people who have gardened in 2019 and want to renew their plot, the deadline to get your application in is February 15. After that date, any garden plots that haven’t been renewed will be assigned to new applicants. If you have gardened this year, and you want to garden again next year, but you want to move to a different plot, you can indicate that on your application, and I’ll try to find you something else.

THE WEED PILES – Folks, this message applies to gardeners at both EH and UH. Please do not dump weeds near the weed piles. Please do not dump weeds next to the weed piles. At Eagle Heights, there is a concrete slab for weeds. At University Houses, there is an area with concrete walls. Please put your weeds on the slab at EH, and inside the concrete area at UH. At EH, please approach the weed pile from the south side (the side towards the woods.) Thank you.

CANADA FLEABANE – Erigeron canadensis is a very tall weed that grows throughout our gardens on abandoned or poorly managed plots. It’s also called horseweed. This plant is a major agricultural problem, because it’s developing resistance to herbicides. But in our gardens, it’s easily controlled – just pull it up, and don’t let it get big and tall. It’s not very interesting to look at, anyway, and doesn’t seem to be edible or have medicinal uses. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/canada_fleabane.htm

WORKDAY – We might have a workday this weekend – if we do, I’ll send out the notice separately.

Happy gardening,

Kathryn