Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
22 April 2015
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
Happy Earth Day Gardeners
Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. The organizers ask everyone to contribute towards "a billion acts of green." I believe our community garden does just that. A gardener replenishes the soil, composts plant residue, provides habitat for flora and fauna and generally helps the whole system continue to work, so take time to pat yourself on the back.
Theodore Roosevelt said: "Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance."
Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday 25 April, 2015 Work Day 8:30 - 11:30
Get those volunteer hours in before the summer arrives. This workday will be led by Cheryl Hazeltine and Mary Gifford. For more information email Cheryl at or Mary.
Tomato Trial Garden
Jeff Taylor writes that:
Tens of millions of households will have a vegetable garden this summer. And probably every vegetable garden will have at least one tomato plant. Gardeners are always searching for the ideal, i.e. trouble free, great taste, and great yield, tomato varieties to grow. There are thousands of varieties to grow with many options of tomato size, shape, color, and texture. The Tomato Trial Garden is helping to answer the tomato yield question. A good tomato variety for Iowa or Vermont probably isn't ideal for Central Texas.
The Tomato Trial Garden is located at the entrance to Sunshine Community Gardens. This is the fifth spring we have tested tomato varieties in the trial garden. Already, 31 tomato varieties have been tested. Eight varieties are grown each year. One variety, i.e. Azoychka, has been tested twice. Tested varieties have been a mixture of heirlooms and hybrids and tomato sizes, colors, and shapes. Sometimes, we've grown a variety because of its uniqueness, i.e. Cream Sausage or Indigo Apple or because of the attractiveness of the name, i.e. Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye. Harvested tomatoes are donated to two food pantries.
This year the varieties being grown include: Heinz 1350, Italian Gold, Jersey Boy, Jubilee, Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye, Santa Clara Canner, Spot Yellow, and Stupice.
Heinz 1350 and Santa Clara Canner are both red globe tomatoes developed for the canning or food processing industry. Italian Gold is a yellow or orange paste tomato. Jersey Boy, a red globe tomato, is hybrid of Rutgers and Brandywine.
Jubilee and Stupice are both heirlooms. Jubilee is a golden globe tomato developed by W. Atlee Burpee and Company over 70 years ago. Jubilee is a cross between Rutgers and Tangerine tomatoes. Stupice is a red globe tomato from Czechoslovakia.
Spot Yellow, a yellow-speckled globe tomato, and Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye, a port wine globe with green stripes tomato, are new varieties developed by Wild Boar Farms in California.
The plants in the trail garden were planted on March 14, 2015. After one month some varieties are already setting fruit. Gardeners are welcomed to walk through the Tomato Trial Garden to observe and learn about the characteristics and features of the tomato varieties being tested.
Comment on Last Week's Weeder
Loved the note from the President!!! Yes, Yes, Yes to things she wrote about. Thank you. As a Sunshine gardener, I notice the unkempt garden spaces. They speak of absentee gardeners or gardeners who do not appreciate what we have at Sunshine.
Compost Tea
Compost tea will be available again this weekend. Note that the location has changed and it is in the north greenhouse, at the back on the right hand side.
What to plant in the garden in April:
Amaranth, Beans, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Muskmelon, Okra, Peanuts, Peppers, Pumpkin, Southern Pea, Squash, Sweet Potato, Tomatillo, Tomato transplants, Watermelon.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Garden
Officers
- President - Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Vice-President - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Secretary - Ginny Heilman gheilman1@gmail.com
- Treasurer - Jack Reynolds scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- Director - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Director - vacant
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 jingli80@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
