From the Garden Registrar: More thefts, jumping worms and Mexican bean beetles, weed pile etiquette, and what to plant in July

Hello Gardeners,

THEFTS – Sorry to say, there have been more reports, both from Eagle Heights and from University Houses, of thefts of hoses and vegetables, mainly peas. There isn’t much we can do about this – thefts are mainly from outsiders, not from fellow-gardeners. But please keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, such as people you don’t know taking tools or harvesting produce from neighboring plots.

CONFIRMED JUMPING WORM SIGHTING – A gardener at University Houses sent a picture of a worm she found in her plot to the DNR, which confirmed it was a jumping worm. The DNR is testing options for future control, but for now, removing them is the best option for slowing their spread. The best way to do this is to put them in a plastic bag, in the sun, and then throw the bag in the dumpster.

ANNOYING INSECT OF THE WEEK -  There are now Mexican bean beetles on the loose in the gardens – particularly the fat, yellow larvae, which are very destructive to bean leaves. As with the potato beetles, the best way to eradicate them is picking them off by hand. Here’s some information about them: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/pest-control/mexican-bean-beetle-organic-control-zw0z1304zkin.aspx

WEED PILE ETIQUETTE - Last Saturday, the work crew did a lot of work around the weed pile, clearing the grates and pulling weeds from the rock wall. People worked hard, and it looked great. Now, already, weeds are spilling over the grates.  Please -  Only dump weeds from the road side of the pile, not the grated side. Also, do not put sticks in the weed pile – there are barrels to put sticks in, and people who are building structures in their plots want them.

WHAT TO PLANT NOW – So your lettuce is bitter and your spinach has bolted? It’s time to pull them out, but what to replace them with? There are lots of possibilities: you could plant seeds for bush beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, scallions, summer squash, cilantro, dill, and turnips, among others. You can also get plants for cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Remember that the days are gradually getting shorter now, so plants grow more slowly than they do in spring. Since these plants mostly prefer cooler temperatures, it’s important to give them the best start you can in the heat. It can be helpful to shade and moisten the soil before you plant. 

WORKDAYS – This week's workday will be Saturday, July 9, 8am - 11am, in the Eagle Heights Garden. The task will be cleaning the paths. Again, please bring gloves. Here's the link to sign up: http://doodle.com/poll/p6v8mkcxt2i4mi7w   Do not respond to this if you are not volunteering. 

Happy gardening, everyone,

Kathryn

From the Garden Registrar: Garden Management and Weeds

Hello Gardeners,

Question: So, who runs these gardens, anyway? Answer: You do! All of us with garden plots at Eagle Heights and University Houses make decisions for operating the gardens. (Although the University does have ultimate authority.) Policies are decided on by the Garden Committee, and all gardeners are encouraged to participate in meetings and decision-making. The Committee is led by two volunteer Co-Chairs, who are also gardeners.

Garden Committee meetings are held once a month, usually on the second Wednesday of the month, but our next two meetings will be held on Thursdays. We meet most of the year in the Community Center, but if the weather is good, our summer meetings are in the Eagle Heights garden, in the Arbor. Our next meeting will be Thursday, July 14, starting at 7pm, with a pot-luck starting at 6:30.

If you would like to be on the garden committee email discussion list, let me know, and I will add you.

WEEDS – The weeds are growing fast now (in case you hadn’t noticed.) If you’re tired of fighting with purslane, you might want to consider eating it. Purslane is one of the most nutritious plants on the planet, and is grown and eaten all over the world. Here’s a link to an article with good pictures and information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea  (Note: before eating any wild plant, please be sure you have identified it correctly. There’s lots of this plant growing in the gardens, and any experienced gardener can point it out to you.)

WORKDAYS – This week's workday will be Saturday, July 2, 8am - 11am, in the Eagle Heights Garden. The projects will be renovating the sandbox in the 1100s and pulling thistles out of the raspberries near the weed pile. BRING GLOVES!  Here's the link to sign up: http://doodle.com/poll/hpqzbqdx4z9y92t2

Happy gardening, everyone,

Kathryn

From the Registrar: Happy Summer Solstice

Hello Gardeners,

Your registrar has been inspecting garden plots at Eagle Heights and University Houses the last few weeks, and seeing a lot of beautiful gardens. (It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.) Our gardens have an amazing variety of gardening styles – formal and informal, simple and complicated. There are plots that are all potatoes or garlic, and plots with dozens of different kinds of plants. Some gardens are orderly and meticulous, while others have a looser, more spontaneous quality. Some gardens are all vegetables, while others have lush displays of flowers. There are structures of all sorts, and sculptures. There are many many ways to plant and tend a garden – and we seem to have examples of all of them. When you need a break from weeding your own plot, take a walk and enjoy our incredible diversity.

A long-time gardener at University Houses told me that this year the U Houses Gardens look the best she’s ever seen them!

There are a few plots here and there that need work, but overall, both gardens seem to be in excellent shape.

HOSES (again) – We’ve been lucky, so far, with rain coming at regular intervals, so we haven’t had to do much watering. Nevertheless, in my travels through the gardens, I am constantly finding hoses in the paths, mostly stretched out sunning themselves. Please, folks, find a place inside your plot to keep your hose, except when it’s actually in use.

WHAT IS ORGANIC GARDENING? (Experienced gardeners can skip this.) Obviously, organic gardening means not using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. But gardening organically is not as much about what you don’t do, as it is about a different relationship with the soil, plants, and animals. There are organic pesticides – we just sprayed for potato beetles, for instance – but gardening organically means working with natural forces more than fighting them. Building healthy soil, rotating and interspersing crops, learning to live with good-tasting  produce that may not look perfect – these are some aspects of the organic approach.

WORKDAYS – This week's workday will be Saturday, June 25, 8am - 11am. The project will be weeding the fruit tree rows at University Houses. Here's the link to sign up: .http://doodle.com/poll/uhdprw8yvqirq92q

(Please respond only if you intend to volunteer.)

Happy gardening, everyone,

Kathryn