Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
22 January 2014
www.sunshinecommunitygarden.org
Help Wanted
Micah 6 is looking for 2 volunteers to join our gardening team.
Each gardener would have the responsibility of planting and maintaining one 3'x12' plot for the 2014 season. Micah 6 will provide seeds, drip hose and lots of support!
We are also looking for 1 volunteer to harvest once a month on Saturday morning, and deliver the harvest to the Food Pantry.
This typically takes about 2 hours.
Last year, our volunteers grew 2,200 lbs of food that were donated to the Micah 6 Food Pantry. We would love to have you join us!
Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Linda Francescone
lfrances16@hotmail.com
or
Susan Hoberman
susie124@sbcglobal.net
Sunshine Annual Plant Sale
Sunshine is gearing up for the annual plant sale which will be held on March 1st this year. This event allows the Gardens to cover associated costs, mainly our water bill and supplies gardeners with starts of many, many varieties. Gardeners will find a much wider selection to choose from than most nurseries carry. The call for volunteers is beginning and will continue. Help will be needed in several areas, so there are lots of opportunities to fulfill work hours. There are sign-up sheets for volunteer positions at the plant sale in the Trailer.
'Pass-Alongs'
In addition to vegetable starts many gardeners donate or 'pass-along' ornamental plants from their home gardens to the sale. If you have any extras consider 'passing-along' additonal plants to Sunshine Community Gardens for the Spring Sale and Fundraiser. Bring your 'pass-alongs' to the hoop house (the one that's white with green trim). There is potting soil available in the hoop house but we could use your extra gallon size pots.
Needed:
Boxes for the plant sale. Can everyone start collecting boxes for buyers to carry their purchases out of the garden?
Efforts for the 2014 plant sale are well under way. Herbs have been started in our greenhouse. Gabriel Valley has received all of our tomatoes, pepper, eggplant and tomatillo seeds and everything is looking great. The call for volunteers is beginning and will continue. We look forward to a successful sale.
Links to varieties to be included in the sale
Plot Rentals
Bills have been sent out via email.
You can now pay by PayPal thanks to Sharon Rempert.
Any discrepancy with service hours billed, contact Kay at
scg.plots@gmail.com.
Any questions regarding plot rental fee payment, contact Jack at
scgtreasurer1@gmail.com.
Payments are due by January 31, 2014.
Attention
Water at the garden will be shut off on Thursday afternoon and it won't be turned back on until late Friday or Saturday due the forecasted hard freeze. Please water before then if you plan to and DISCONNECT YOUR HOSES. Freezing temperatures are predicted to last 12 hours, starting Thursday evening. Predicated lowest temperatures are 26 which is the limit for several plants. If in doubt cover.
Thanks to Caz for putting tennis balls on the rebar after slitting them, to improve safety in the garden.
Which Vegetables Tolerate Frost and Which Don't?
Cold tolerance depends somewhat on preconditioning. For instance, if broccoli has been growing in warm conditions and temperatures drop below 22 degrees F., it will probably be killed. If these same broccoli plants had already experienced cool weather, they would probably survive the sudden cold.
A frost (31-33 degrees F.) will kill beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, okra, peas, pepper, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
Colder temperatures (26-31 degrees F.) may burn foliage but will not kill: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, and turnip.
The real cold weather champs are beets, Brussel Sprouts, carrots, collards, kale, parsley, and spinach.
Event
Composting for the Home Garden
Thursday, February 6, 2014, 10:00 - 12:00
Travis County AgriLife Extension Office
The first class in a series 'Dealing with Drought Conditions', will deal with the value of compost in building and maintaining healthy soils. Cathy Wood, Master Gardener and compost specialist, will teach attendees how to build an effective compost pile, and how to use its contents as an aid to increase water retention in soils of all types.
This presentation is part of the Texas AgriLife Extension Water Conservation Series. You can register online or by phone 979-845-2604. $10 fee, $15 at site. Class is limited to 40 people.
Vegetables to Plant in January
All month: Lettuce, Radish, and spinach. Artichoke crowns and Asparagus crowns.
Middle to end of month: Onion sets (transplants), Beets, Broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower (transplants), collards (transplants), leeks, peas, turnips.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Garden
Officers
- President - Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Vice-President - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Secretary - Berk Bettis dolrsdad@aol.com
- Treasurer - Jack Reynolds scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- Director - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Director - Emily Tisinger etisinger@gmail.com
Zone Coordinators
- Zone 1, Jody Trendler jody.trendler@gmail.com
- Zone 2, Katy Davis katydavis@austin.rr.com
- Zone 3, Ludmila Voskov lvoskov@austin.rr.com
- Zone 4, Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Zone 5, Mary Gifford mgifford@austin.rr.com
- Zone 6, Charlotte Jernigan charlotte@cybermesa.com
- Zone 7, Jing Li jingli.80@yahoo.com
- Zone 8, Irina Kaducova irina@austinshrooms.com
- Zone 9, Cheryl Hazeltine cph@austin.rr.com
- Zone 10, Christopher Schroder christopher.s.schroder@gmail.com
Other Coordinators
- Weekly Weeder Newsletter - Margaret Powis purslane2013@gmail.com
- Plant Sale - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- TSBVI Liason & Volunteer Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- Plot Rental - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
- Water Leak Repairs - Stewart Nichols sgwater@math.austin.tx.us
- Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter beaster1@austin.rr.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
Record Service Hours Online - the Virtual Green Binder
