This Week
Reminder
The Courage to Love event in the garden is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21st at 6 Pm. Please see the website and social media platforms to sign up.
Friday crew: (9am to 12 pm)
Harvest any available vegetables, turn compost piles, spread mulch from gate to curbside as to mimic a driveway please.
Next Week
Monday priorities: 4 pm to 6 pm
- Harvest
- Cultivation
Friday priorities: 9 am to 12 pm
- Harvest available vegetables.
- Seed cover crop in tomato and tomatillo beds, tamp & water in. (I will leave bin)
Marie Weimer
Please help me in welcoming Marie Weimer, a university intern who will be supporting our garden community as well as pursuing macro social work goals. Marie will bring a fresh perspective to our garden, as she is impassioned through both social and environmental justice. Thanks Marie!
Please stay safe and healthy!
Vegetable of the Week
Planning for Fall & Winter
- For fall harvest: schedule your plantings so that tender crops mature by your first frost date
- Other cool-season vegetables can last into winter but should generally be harvested and stored inside or in a root cellar before temperatures reach freeze-out point
- For winter harvest: in areas with milder winters, crops can be grown to maturity before growth is effectively halted by decreasing day length and cold temperatures
- For spring/overwintering harvest: time your crops so that they are established but not mature at the onset of winter; successfully overwintered crops will produce early in spring
- Crops that overwinter well include leafy greens, some root vegetables, peas, onions, garlic, and sprouting crops like broccoli
Site Selection & Soil Preparation
- Overwintering crops should be spaced wider than spring or fall planted crops; this increases air flow, discourages pests, and allows the soil to dry out
Timing
- The challenge to successfully growing winter crops is getting them established in the right time frame, often in summer when the weather is hot and dry —starting seedlings indoors, as well as using shade cloth and overhead watering will help keep seedlings cool during establishment
- Delaying planting a few days in the summer can translate to delayed fall or winter harvest by weeks
- For the most part, days to maturity (DTM) listed for each variety are for spring planting; to adjust DTM for fall/winter harvest, take stated DTM and add 2-3 weeks to account for slower growth due to shortening days.
Fertility
- Because nutrient uptake slows during the winter, avoid fertilizing too heavily in the fall
- Foliar feeds are a good way to feed plants in the fall
Winter to Spring Harvest
- Only plant winter-hardy or overwintering varieties for winter or spring harvest
- Overwintered greens such as kale and collards will produce delicious flower stalks in the spring
- Most root vegetables can overwinter in the ground; plan on harvesting them all by spring, as they will bolt when the weather warms up and the days get longer
Season Extension Methods
- When used properly in combination, season extension can add up to a month on either end of the growing season
- Raised beds elevate plants above the ground, warming the soil and improving access to light
- Reemay and frost blankets cover plants, trapping in solar warmth, and protecting against frost damage
- Low tunnels are waist-high frames fashioned from PVC or electrical conduit, and covered with Reemay or greenhouse plastic that cover a row or two
- Cloches are small bell-shaped vessels that create a mini-greenhouse around individual plants
Workday Task List
Weeding
- Perimeter of fence (inside and outside)
- Shed and Compost areas
- Perimeter of communal raised beds
- Pollinator beds outside fenced area
Cleaning and Organizing
- Communal materials
- Shed
- Tools
General Maintenance
- Pulling dead plants and crops
- Repairing Hoses and Irrigation lines
- Repair and maintain rain barrel
- Repairing fence
Seasonal or As needed
- Soil installation
- Woodchip/mulch installation
- Harvesting crops
- Irrigating pollinator beds
- Cold frames are small boxes that create a greenhouse around small plots, usually using glass or clear plastic panes