From the Registrar: July 29, 2024

 Hello Gardeners, 

Velvet leaf: There is quite a lot of velvet leaf growing in the gardens, and many plants are beginning to flower. This is an invasive weed and competes with desirable plants for nutrients. Seeds can remain viable in the ground for many years, and they tend to come up in disturbed soil. Often gardeners mistake it for squash, beans, or sunflowers and allow it to grow in plots. Please remove any you see before it produces flowers and seeds. Pictures can be found here: 

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/velvetleaf-abutilon-theophrasti/ 

Workday opportunities: There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Garden this Saturday 8/3, from 9am-12pm. The workday will involve digging comfrey and taking it to the weed pile. Eight volunteers are needed. Volunteers should bring gloves. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am.  

 

There will be another workday on Saturday 8/3 from 8:30-11:30 assisting in the Arbor/Rain Garden area. One volunteer is needed and will be working with the caretaker of the area. Gloves are recommended. 

 

Email me if you’re interested, and I will assign spots in the order of 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: July 25, 2024

 Hello Gardeners, 

Workday requirement: Every plot is responsible for one workday or one no-workday fee payment per season. If you’re not sure if you’ve done a workday yet this season, please let me know and I’ll look it up for you. 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 tell me if you have any questions about this.   

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Garden this Saturday 7/27, from 9am-12pm. The workday will involve digging comfrey and taking it to the weed pile. Eight volunteers are needed. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. Email me if you’re interested, and I will assign spots in the order of replies. 

 

Turkeys: The GOC (Garden Oversight Committee), which includes all stakeholders in the garden area (UW, Housing, Nature Preserve, Community Garden, and Student farm area) recently met and discussed the ever-growing turkey population. A variety of things have been tried in the past to reduce the number of turkeys, but they have been difficult to implement and/or ineffective. Any method considered must prioritize the safety of the people in the area. 

The GOC would like to ask gardeners for any suggestions for viable ways to reduce the number of turkeys in the area. I’m asked to remind everyone that it is forbidden for people to harm or disturb animals in the Preserve, and only the University may carry out any plan to reduce the turkey population. This request is for suggestions only. Please let me know if you have any ideas for safe ways that the University could consider removing turkeys, and I will pass them on to the GOC! 

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 19, 2024

 Hello Gardeners, 

Rain: The enormous amount of rain we are getting this summer has made the ground very wet. Some plants, like tomatoes, will suffer from excess water in the ground. If you notice plants wilting after a rain and the soil is holding a lot of water, you can try digging trenches in the paths between the plant rows to allow the water to drain.   

Bindweed: Bindweed is a fast-growing and invasive vine in the morning glory family. It has small white to light pink flowers. This grows all over the gardens and is very difficult to eliminate. The main tap roots grow very deep. The best way to control it is to routinely pull it up from the surface and not allow it to flower or produce seed. Please try to remove this from your garden, and from fences. There are some photos here: https://authenticwisconsin.com/field_bindweed.html 

Do not remove any plants from another plot: Please remember not to remove plants from any plot other than your own. If plot borders are unclear, let me know.  

Watch out for theft: Some gardeners have recently had garlic stolen from their plots. Our gardens are a popular walking place, and this does leave them more open to theft. It’s helpful to get to know your neighbors and keep an eye on one another’s plots.   

Lost keys in garden: Someone has reported a lost set of keys in the garden. If you come across these, please let me know.  

 

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/