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/ 

From the Registrar: September 17, 2025

Hello Gardeners,   

Gardening in 2026: Every year, all gardeners must reapply for their garden plots if they want to return the following season.  

• -2026 applications will be available beginning December 15th 2025. Returning and new gardeners may turn in applications beginning that day. For new gardeners, applications are processed in the order received.  

• -For 2025 gardeners, the deadline to apply for renewal will be February 15th 2026. Returning gardeners in good standing have priority to return to the same plot (or to switch if they want). 

• -Renewal applications received on or after 2/16 are not guaranteed. I will try to help if I can, but gardeners have lost their plots due to late renewal applications in the past. After Feb 15th any plots that have not been renewed will be reassigned to new gardeners, and we usually have a long list of new applicants. 

• -If you already know that you do not plan to renew your plot, please let me know. 

Only assigned gardeners from 2025 are eligible to renew a plot for 2026. If there is someone gardening in your plot with you this year and they’d like to keep the plot next year, you must make sure they are listed as the secondary gardener BEFORE December 15th 2025. Renewal applications in the name of someone not previously listed on the plot can’t be processed.  

Please let me know if you have any questions about applying for next season. 

Winter squash: Winter squash is ready when it turns the right color for the variety, the vines die back, and the stem is hard. Some gardeners harvest earlier to prevent pests from eating the squash, or theft, which can both be problems in our gardens. If you can wait a bit longer it will help the squash store well. Here is some information on harvesting and storing winter squash:

https://savvygardening.com/harvesting-winter-squash/ 

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/winter-squash/winter-squash-eating-guide.html 

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/