Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
3 November 2016
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
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Volunteer Needed
This week's job is vital to all who use the trailer. Be the one who routinely monitors and then goes to buy toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, dish soap and hand soap. This task is ongoing. You will turn in your receipts and be repaid.
If you are interested, contact Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com I will show you what to do and how to do it.
Gardeners Night Out is Back!
When: Saturday, Nov 5th, 4:00
Where: Draught House Pub and Brewery
Our last get-together was a lot of fun and well-attended, and many who attended are asking for a repeat, so let's do it again!
Join us for a fun night out. This is a great opportunity to get out and meet your plot neighbors in a laid back setting. The whole family is welcome to come along, there'll be free bratwursts and plenty of amazing brews to choose from. We'll have balloons set up at one of the outdoor picnic tables to make it easier for everyone to find each other. We hope to see you there!
Please feel free to contact either Kellyn Smith kellzatron@gmail.com or Steve Uecker steven_uecker@hotmail.com with any questions.
Fall Gardening Tips - By Charlotte Jernigan
Welcome to Fall, some would say, the best garden season in central Texas. For those who have braved the extra heat to stay on schedule with your fall plantings, hang in there! Frequent watering and "shading devices" should help everything survive. As a member of SCG, you are asked to use the majority of your garden for current season crops so remove spent plants from last season and plant new crops ASAP.
For those not yet planted -- the clock is ticking especially for most types of seeds and many transplants. Refer to the Travis County Agricultural Extension Planting Guide.
Soil
- Do not use any treated wood in your garden for bed building. This is against Site Rules.
- Spend most of your budget on soil and amendments; this is by far the biggest expense of money and effort in your garden.
- If you missed the recent group purchase of compost, SCG still has FREE compost that you can "sift" and then further amend from there.
- SCG also has FREE Compost Tea on the weekends. Use it diluted as a foliar spray or drench. It is hard to "over do" compost tea - it's generally very safe and will not burn plants.
- Most gardeners add some sort of organic animal manure. Look for manure and compost products that are "Herbicide Free" (colloquial "Grazon Free") or stick with poultry manures or bat guano. Reason: Some grazing animals, like cattle and horses, ingest grass or hay sprayed with herbicides and it persists in their urine and manure. Read about this on the internet. Affected manure and straw bedding, even if composted, can act as a broad-leafed herbicide in your garden...meaning your veggies will not grow.
- Other great amendments are multi-minerals, rock phosphate, green sand, sulfur pellets or mycorrhizae. Ask around to hear what you neighbor's are using or use organic vegetable fertilizer blends.
Seeds & Transplants
- Beware! Many retailers do not pull seeds or transplants from shelves when it is actually too late for that variety so they may be selling things that will not flourish. Follow the county Planting Guide link above.
- Traditionally, seeds are germinated during a waxing moon as it grows to become a full moon. If you can catch the growing moon, go for it!
- You can still plant SOME cool weather veggies from seed right now except spinach. Spinach seeds need cooler soil to germinate (<50 degrees) so wait a little longer.
- It's too late for beans, except fava beans. Normally, it's too late for green peas though this year is so warm that you might have some luck. Otherwise from seed: golden beets, red beets, carrots, chard, collards, mustard, Asian greens, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes and turnips.
- For any seeds larger than the size of a sesame seed...it is best to soak the seeds overnight in water or compost tea before you plant them.
- Smaller seeds like lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, etc. can be soaked but they then become more tricky to work with because they clump together when wet. However, many gardeners do soak all seeds.
- Wet your planting ground well BEFORE you sow seeds. After seeding, sprinkle gently with water or diluted compost tea every other day until they are big enough to thin.
- Transplants are simpler, just follow the Planting Guide and choose healthy stock from reputable organic growers.
- You can sprinkle or spray seed beds or transplants with liquid seaweed and/or other protective or "germinator" nutrients to help young sprouts and plants establish.
Every Garden is a Cathedral
Where "weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush"
And whole tribes of emergent greens become multitudes
Congregations of colors, grades of goodness, saints and sweet grass
Even the cacti bloom for midnight moons. Even the rocks weep with blood.
To grow with your garden into martyrdom of savage seasons
When all that is young is sacrificed in ice and fire
Have you not watched over and nurtured the delicate young
Only to see the roaming deer exact tithes?
Brief butterfly spirits visit. Bees pollinate, Birds nest, and rest.
Yet every sanctuary is temporary. Pilgrims root and roost en route to miracles.
Seeds feed bees when planted in hope and earth trust. Scorched summer dust.
Until Clouds of Hope burst raindrops. Slake thirsts. Allow growth.
Cycles and Season are gardens, too. Your garden is you.
Featured Gardener Articles
If you are interested in being a featured gardener in the Weekly Weeder please fill out the survey.
Weeder Content
Should you have any content to add to the Weeder email your articles or suggestions to pporter_scg@austin.rr.com.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Gardens
Officers
- President - Jeff Monks garden@jeffmonks.com
- Vice President - Jim Willmann jhwillmann@gmail.com
- Secretary - Shannon Posern shannonposern@gmail.com
- Treasurer - Caroline Limaye scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Bill Cason wccason@gmail.com
- Director - Lori Dobbin loridobbin@gmail.com
- Director - Randy Thompson jartdaht@gmail.com
Email the board.
Zone Coordinators
- Zone 1, Martin Morales marmoral512@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, Maria and Philip Wiley m.stroeva@gmail.com, philip9wiley@gmail.com
- Zone 8, Irina Kadukova irina@austinshrooms.com
- Zone 9, Kerry Howell casonhowell@gmail.com
- Zone 10, Christopher Schroder
christopher.s.schroder@gmail.com &
Karl Arcuri karl.w.arcuri@gmail.com
Other Personnel
- Weekly Weeder Newsletter - Polly Porter pporter_scg@austin.rr.com
- Plant Sale - Vacant
- TSBVI Liaison & Volunteer Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- Plot Assignment - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Compost Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Education Committee - Shannon Posern shannonposern@gmail.com
- Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
- Water Leak Repairs - Steve Schulz sschulz784@aol.com
- Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter beaster1@austin.rr.com
- Kitchen Supplies - Anita Keese
anodekraft1@msn.com
(If supplies are needed for events, contact by email or at 512-773-2178) - Compost Tea - Jennifer Woertz jen@enjeneer.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
