Hello Gardeners,
Warm weather plant sale this Sunday: The warm weather plant sale will be held by Blue Moon Community Farm this Sunday 5/19 from 10 am to 1 pm at Eagle Heights Gardens. The seedling list is attached, and details are the same as they were for the cool weather plant sale:
Plants are $4.00 per item (either a 3.5" pot or a 4-pack depending on what vegetable it is--see the seedling list)
Mix + Match discount: 6 for $22, or a full flat of 18 for $60
Mix + Match discount: 6 for $22, or a full flat of 18 for $60
Payment options: cash, check, credit card, Venmo
Ticks: Every year ticks are reported by gardeners. Wisconsin is home to a variety of ticks and ticks can transmit a variety of diseases to humans. The primary concern here is generally with deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Please check for ticks and be careful. Tick season began early this year. The UW Department of Entomology has extensive resources about ticks: https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu/
Although we 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. Which brings us to our next topic:
Voles: Please read this information about voles put together by Garden Committee members:
Voles are one of the worst pests at both Eagle Heights and University Houses gardens. See this UW resource for basic information about voles:
Below are some recommended vole prevention methods, some prohibited methods, and some ineffective methods:
- Recommended methods for preventing voles:
1) Change the habitat!
- Remove all the places that voles can hide - including ground cover, plants (raspberries give good cover), weeds, and mulch. Voles can nest in the ground, in plant roots, and in overturned pots. They will also hide under cardboard if it is used on paths.
- Fill in vole tunnels: tightly pack woodchips into vole paths where appropriate. Pay close attention to border fences.
- Plant your fall crops in a place that voles cannot hide: Voles are very active in fall and will ruin storage vegetables (parsnips, rutabaga, winter squash, etc). Plan your garden so that late season vegetables stand alone, and voles don't have anything to hide in while they eat.
- Plan for Winter: Voles don't hibernate, so hawks and weasels will hunt them in the winter, especially if they can't hide. Eliminate all the places voles can hide and underground crops like Jerusalem artichokes.
2) Exclusion!
- Use fencing: Fine wire mesh (1/4" hole size or less) buried deep (6" below and 12" above ground)
- Use raised beds or tall pots: Plant crops you don't want attacked (beets, celeriac, celery, etc.) in large, raised beds or wine-barrel sized planters. Cover the bottom with wire mesh or they'll find a way in.
- Protect fruits on plants from voles by covering them with wire mesh or plastic clamshells.
- Prohibited methods for preventing voles:
1) Poisons or traps (The Gardens are in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve and no harming or disturbing animals is permitted).
2) Sound/Ultrasonic repellers (Animals rapidly get used to this).
- Ineffective methods for preventing voles:
1) Hot pepper powder or fox-urine (washes away in rain, expensive for many applications)
Sticks: Several gardeners had questions about what is considered a “stick” when it comes to putting things in the weed pile. I asked our UW contact that has helped us clear the pile in the past. Here is my understanding of it:
- Anything that came from a tree is considered a stick and should not go in the weed pile.
- Anything that was purchased as a stake (like a bamboo pole) is considered a stick and should not go in the weed pile.
- Something like a very thick raspberry or blackberry cane could be considered a stick. Smaller canes can go in the weed pile, and large canes can go in the stick pile.
- For the most part, things like brussels sprout stalks, even if they are large, would not be considered a stick, and can go in the weed pile.
Thanks, and happy gardening,
Lily
Maintenance request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform
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