From the Registrar: July 26, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Parasitized bean beetle larvae: Now that the parasitic wasps have been released in the Gardens, we will begin to see them attacking the bean beetles. Rather than the live, yellow larvae of the Mexican bean beetles, the larvae parasitized by the wasps are brown. Please don’t crush the parasitized larvae if you find them on your beans! These are exactly what we want to see, and more wasps will hatch from them.

Workdays: Every plot is responsible for one workday or one no-workday fee payment. I will be sending out two group emails to let everyone know what their status is. I will send one email to the principal gardeners of plots that have already fulfilled the requirement, and another email to those that have not yet fulfilled the requirement. I know that some people have tried to sign up and have missed the opportunity or the workday has been cancelled due to bad weather. The garden workers will be scheduling more workdays and I can also help you find an independent workday if none of the times work for you. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Workday opportunities: There will be a few workday opportunities this weekend. Please reply if you’re interested and I’ll assign spots in the order I receive replies.

• On Saturday 7/29 there will be three workdays at Eagle Heights Gardens:
• 8-11 AM, Weeding and chipping fruit plantings, Four volunteers needed
• 12-3 pm, Plot clearing, Four volunteers needed
• 4-7 pm, Weeding the buffer zone North of the 500s row, Four volunteers needed

• On Sunday 7/30 there will be two workdays and University Houses Gardens:
• 12-3 pm, Weeding and chipping fruit plantings, Four volunteers needed
• 4-7 pm, Weed whacking and tool painting, Three volunteers needed

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily


Maintenance request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/

From the Registrar: July 20, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Fence etiquette: There are many fences in the Gardens, and this is not a problem if they are well-maintained. Fences need to be kept weeded. They can become overgrown quickly with invasive plants like bindweed, and they need to be weeded frequently. If you have climbing plants, please make sure they stay in your plot and don’t climb over a fence or into your neighbor’s plot.

Mexican Bean Beetles: There have been some sightings of bean beetles at Eagle Heights Gardens. The Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) is in the same family as ladybugs, and the adults resemble an orange ladybug. The larvae are yellow and spiny: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/mexican_bean_beetle.htm

As we have in previous years, we have ordered parasitic wasps (Pediobius faveolatus) to try to keep them under control. I will distribute the wasps in the Gardens tomorrow. Please let me know if you have noticed bean beetles on your bean plants, and if you're willing to host some of the wasps in your plot. These wasps are very small and don’t sting people.

Hoses: All hoses must be kept out of the paths so they can be mowed. Please do not leave them lying in the grass. This creates a lot of extra work for the garden workers and risks the hose being cut by a mower. Please also disconnect your hose from the spigot at Eagle Heights when you are done using it. Many people share spigots and leaving your hose attached means someone else must remove it for you to have access. If your hose is stuck and you can’t detach it, you can report it using the maintenance request form.

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/

From the Registrar: June 28, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Planting for fall crops: If you’d like to start another round of planting for Fall crops, this is a good time to start thinking about it. Many things, like greens, beets, radishes, and more, can be planted a second time in July or August. Johnny’s Selected Seeds has a useful chart available here with planting dates. Scroll down and see: “Fall Harvest Planting Calculator”: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/online-tools-calculators.html?glmmftrdlst The average date of first frost that’s already in the sheet (10/1) will work for Madison.

Maintenance reporting form details: It’s important to use this form for reporting maintenance issues to ensure that the information goes to the right people as quickly as possible:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Use this maintenance reporting form for things like:

• Water issues: Leaks, dripping faucets, non-functioning water, etc.
• Reporting trees that need removal
• Trees fallen on plots

Do not use this maintenance reporting form for:

• Plot border questions
• Gardening questions
• Reporting weeds, either in your own or another plot
• University Apartments maintenance requests (Here is their form: https://www.housing.wisc.edu/apartments/maintenance/ )

Workday opportunity: There will be a weed whacking and clean-up workday at Eagle Heights Gardens this Sunday 7/2 from 4-7 pm. We will need three volunteers. Please let me know if you're interested and I'll assign spots in the order I receive replies.

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily


Maintenance request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/

From the Registrar: June 21, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Hoses in path: Please do not leave hoses in the path. The garden workers need be able to get through to mow, and stopping to disconnect and move hoses at Eagle Heights and return them to the reels at University Houses takes a lot of extra time. Hoses can also be difficult to see in the grass and might end up cut by the mower. Hoses also need to be stored in your plot at Eagle Heights, and not in the path.

Tools in plots: Please remember to return all communal tools to the sheds when you are done using them for the day.

Look out for trees in your plot: Check your plot for tree seedlings and pull them up while they are still small. We have a lot of unwanted trees in the gardens, and once they get large enough, they’re much more difficult to remove.

Ticks: Every year we get reports of ticks found by gardeners. Wisconsin is home to a variety of ticks. Ticks can transmit a variety of diseases to humans also. The primary concern here is generally with deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Please check for ticks and be careful. The UW Department of Entomology has extensive resources about ticks: https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu/

Although we often associate deer ticks with deer, Ticks often make their way to humans via smaller animals, like mice and voles. This is a great reason to limit rodent habitats in your garden. They like lots of cover to hide from predators, so tall weeds and brush will attract them. Not only can they bring ticks into your plot, but they will also quickly eat your crops. So, there is more than one good reason to discourage rodents from entering your garden!

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily


Maintenance request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/