Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
12 February 2014
www.sunshinecommunitygarden.org
Calling all Sunshine Gardeners
Just a little over two weeks to our Plant Sale and we need to get the word OUT. Funds from our plant sale enable our organization to continue to provide a garden oasis in Central Austin.
Tell your Facebook friends about it. Later this week you will be sent an electronic postcard to send to your gardening friends.
Please sign up and volunteer for a job before or during and/or after the plant sale.
Job descriptions and sign up sheets are in the office.
Needed:
Boxes for the plant sale. Can everyone start collecting boxes for buyers to carry their purchases out of the garden?
Lists to varieties to be included in the sale
Have you paid your plot rental Fee?
By now, you should have received your bill for this year or season at your email on record at the garden. If you have not paid your plot fee, please do so by February 16 or your membership might be terminated. Please contact Jack if you have any questions or concerns.
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.
Announcing Sunshine Community Gardens Forums
http://forums.sunshinecommunitygarden.org/index.php
This site is a place where community garden members and friends of community gardens can meet and share gardening information with each other. It is free to sign up and free to use! You are welcome to exchange ideas, discuss challenges, ask questions, share resources, and make announcements. You can read the forums as a guest, but you have to log in to post.
There is a sideboard section on the right side of the main website showing recent posts. If you have problems, contact Sharon.
Events
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 Register or by phone 979-845-2604. $10 fee, $15 at site. Class is limited to 40 people.
VFIC Conference
When: February 25 - February 26
Where: Texas A&M AgriLife Center,
556 John Kimbrough Blvd,
College Station, TX 77843
Contact Person Connie Sebesta, Vegetable & Fruit Improvement Center, Ph 979-862-4592, email
The 2014 Conference of the Vegetable & Fruit Improvement Center will address future challenges of increasing the consumption of healthy vegetables and fruits. This conference will provide useful information from leaders in research, industry and government entities pertaining to research efforts to increase health promoting compounds in fruits and vegetables. The audience will gain information in a format that reaches a wide range of interests. The conference will consist of presentations, open dialogue and round table discussions.
To register and find more information go to the website
Vegetables to plant in February
Early to mid-month: Asparagus crowns, Broccoli plants, Cabbage plants, Caufiflower plants, Carrots, Chard, onion bulbs, Peas, Potato, Spinach.
All month: Lettuce, Radish, Beets, Collards, Kohlrabi, Turnips
Middle to end of month: Mustard
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
