From the Gardens Registrar: WATER SHUT-OFF!; Community Clean-Up; Actively Aerated Compost Tea; UW Grounds Roadwork; Planting Flower Seeds and Garlic

Hello Gardeners,

WATER SHUT-OFF – Our water is now shut off for the season! If you are still planting, you will have to haul in your own water now. I know this is a nuisance, but though we’re still having warmer-than-usual weather, it’s late October and the cold is really coming soon. 

FALL GARDEN CLEAN-UP INVITATION:   

Dear fellow gardeners,

Please join us this Saturday, Oct. 22nd from 1-3pm in the Eagle Heights Garden to prep the gardens for winter. Our garden workers will be using motorized mowers to cut the weeds low in order to suppress them next year. To make this process safer and more efficient we need to clean the paths of all debris, including rocks, posts, sticks, etc. We will also be picking up rubbish that has accumulated in common areas.

Feel free to bring snacks to share. Come with questions on what to do in your own garden to prepare for winter and to get a jump on spring.  Hope to see lots of folks on Saturday,

Adam Farrell-Wortman , Garden Committee Co-Chair

P.S. This is a community event and not eligible for workday credit.

ACTIVELY AERATED COMPOST TEA – Also this Saturday, from 9am – Noon, Gary Kuzynski will be giving out AACT (Actively Aerated Compost Tea) by the EH Shed.. 16 oz will be enough to cover a large plot. Best to mix with 1 to 2 gal of rain/lake water or anything that does not have chlorine in it and sprinkle on the ground. It will increase the microbes in the soil. When using the mixture, best to use it within 24 hours. Please bring a small container.

UW GROUNDS ADDING GRAVEL TO THE SOUTH ROAD – UW Grounds has started adding new gravel to the road along the south edge of Eagle Heights Gardens to improve the drainage and fill in the ponds that have developed. The work may continue into next week. So, expect trucks and minor disruption. It already looks hugely better. 

PLANTING ANNUAL FLOWER SEEDS IN THE FALL – Here’s a fall planting project for starting a bed of flowers that reseed themselves, such as annual poppies, cornflowers, and calendula. Wait until after we have a killing frost, mix your seeds with some dry sand in a jar, cultivate the bed shallowly just to loosen it, sprinkle the sand/seed mixture over the bed, rake lightly, and water. (And yes, sorry, you’ll have to carry in the water. But it won’t take much.) http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/seeds-you-should-be-planting-autumn

GARLIC PLANTING – Fall is the best time to plant garlic, and many people think it’s best to wait to plant until after a hard frost. Here’s some basic planting information: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-garlic-zmaz09onzraw

WORKDAY – Nothing is scheduled at this time, but please stop in on Saturday to meet fellow-gardeners and help out for an hour or two. And bring cookies.

Happy gardening, everyone, 

Kathryn