From the Registrar: October 20, 2025

Hello Gardeners,    

Water off for the season this Wednesday: The water systems at both gardens will be shut down this Wednesday. If you would like to fill up some containers to put in your plot for watering cool-weather crops, please do this before Wednesday morning.   

  

Frost warning: The weather forecast is showing frost starting this week. Here is some information on the frost-tolerance of some of the more commonly grown crops in the gardens:   

• Plants that cannot survive a frost include: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash (winter or summer), beans, and cucumbers.   

• Plants that can survive a frost include: Cabbage, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peas, lettuce, beets, carrots, chard, onions, spinach, and radishes. *While these are frost-tolerant, they will not survive prolonged freezing temperatures. *   

  

A frost is possible with a temperature under 36° F. A freeze can happen under 32° F, and a hard freeze under 28° F. If you hope to prolong the growing season of any of your plants, row cover can provide some protection from colder temperatures.  

  

Leaf mulch: The leaves are falling late this year, so we are not expecting deliveries of leaf mulch for another couple of weeks.   

  

If you are done with your plot: If you are finished with your garden plot for the season and you don’t plan to renew, please let me know. There are a number of gardeners that are still looking for workday opportunities, and preparing vacant plots for the fall is something volunteers can work on.   

  

Portable Toilets: The portable toilets will be picked up from both gardens next week, and they will be brought back in March of next year.      

  

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: October 10, 2025

Hello Gardeners,   

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens on Monday, October 13th from 9 am-12 pm. Two volunteers are needed. The workday will be for painting tools and plot markers. Volunteers should wear clothes that they don’t mind getting paint on. Please let me know if you’re interested in this workday. I will assign spots in the order I receive replies.  

Putting your garden to bed: It’s time to begin putting the gardens to bed for the season. You can start by pulling out plants and weeds and taking them to the weed pile. Spreading mulch over your plot will help protect it from erosion and add organic matter to the soil. We hope to begin receiving loads of leaf mulch from Shorewood soon. Try to avoid stepping on the beds when you remove plants, so you do not compact the soil. Remove as much dirt as possible from the roots of plants before taking them to the weed pile.  

Garlic planting: Mid to late October is the best time to plant garlic in Wisconsin. It’s possible to plant it in the spring, but it won’t do as well. If you plant it in the fall, it can begin to grow right away in the spring and take advantage of a longer growing season. You can get garlic cloves for planting at a garden store or a Farmers' Market. It’s better not to plant garlic from the grocery store unless you can be certain it hasn’t been treated in any way. There is some helpful information on planting garlic in the garden manual on our website:   

http://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf (page 80)     

No digging or planting outside of plot borders: Please remember that digging and planting is only permitted within plot borders. The water system is old and fragile, and the lines are shallow. The water lines can easily be cut by a shovel or have connections broken when the ground is disturbed. It may seem like the pipes will all go in a straight line from one spigot to the next, but they curve underground and it’s hard to predict where they will be.  

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: September 23, 2025

Hello Gardeners,   

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at Eagle Heights this Sunday, September 28th from 8-11 am. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 8 am. The workday will be for digging out and removing an old water line. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested and I will 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/