Hello Gardeners,
JUMPING WORMS – One of the U Houses gardeners sent me a picture of
a worm found in their front leaf pile. Unfortunately, it’s been confirmed that
it is indeed a jumping worm. I have already emailed the UH gardeners and told
them to stop using the leaves. A number of UH gardeners have replied to say
that they have the worms in their plots, and in some cases, have had them for
several years. So, apparently, finding them in the leaf pile is not such big
news. Still, it’s unfortunate.
At EH, some gardens and garden
areas have them, but they’re not widespread. Last week, an EH gardener brought
a cooking thermometer to the gardens, and took the temperature of the EH leaf
pile. It was found to be over 100 degrees in a number of spots. So at least at
EH, we can feel confident that our leaf mulch isn’t spreading these worms.
THISTLES – There are many species of wild thistles in
Wisconsin. A few are native, but most are not. The very worst one is the Canada
Thistle – it’s a perennial plant that is flowering now and preparing to go to
seed. The seeds spread easily, but it’s really the root system that makes the
Canada Thistle such a widespread invasive. If you have Canada Thistles in your
garden, you need to get them dug out now. If you can’t dig them out, at
least cut them down so they don’t go to seed. If you don’t do any other weeding
in your plot, at least do this much. It’s very important to our gardens, and to
the Lakeshore Preserve.
PERUVIAN DAISIES – If you finish weeding your garden, turn your back
for a minute, and then find that your garden is suddenly full of little
flowering weeds, you’ve got Peruvian Daisies (Galinsoga quadriradiata). Also
called Shaggy Soldiers and Quickweed. It’s native to Mexico or Central America,
but it’s now spread throughout most of the world, because it makes so many
seeds, and makes them so quickly. It’s shallow-rooted and easy for us gardeners
to pull out, but it’s a big nuisance for farmers because it spreads so quickly.
Here’s some information on a close relative:
WHERE IS OUR “NO WEEDS IN
THE DUMPSTER” SIGN FROM EH? – Has
anybody seen this sign in the last week? If you have seen it recently or have
any idea of its whereabouts, please let me know. Note: just because someone’s
messed with the sign doesn’t mean the rule has changed – we still don’t allow
weeds or other vegetation in the dumpster. And while I’m on the subject, at
both gardens, please dump your weeds on the concrete slab or within the
concrete-lined barrier – NOT NEXT TO THE PILE. Thank you.
DO YOU WANT MORE SPACE? We have a number of garden plots that have been given
up or abandoned by gardeners, and we don’t have a waiting list for plots. If
you would like an additional plot, or have a friend who’s interested in
gardening at Eagle Heights or University Houses, please let me know. Remember,
each gardener can only have one full plot, but if you have a half plot, you can
add another half plot. For current gardeners who take on an additional plot
now, there is no charge, and if the plot is a mess, you can also get workday
credit for clearing it. For new people, plots are half-price, but the same
workday credit applies.
WORKDAY
THIS SUNDAY AT UNIVERSITY HOUSES GARDENS – We will hold a workday this Sunday, July 14, from
8am – 11am, at U Houses Gardens. The task will be clearing the fruit tree area
along the northern border. As usual, gloves, a hat, and a water bottle are a
good idea. We want a limited number of volunteers, so we’ll take the link down
when we have enough. Here’s the link to sign up: https://doodle.com/poll/ithhq5chdyyf6392 (If you’re not familiar with the U Houses
Gardens, they’re at the end of Haight Road, behind Bernie’s Place Child Care
Center, 39 University Houses.)
Happy gardening,
Kathryn
No comments:
Post a Comment