Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
9 December 2015
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
Thanks To All
Thanks to all who showed up at the workday last weekend
The garden on the street has been tidied up and looks great. Some work was done on the gardens around the trailer but more needs to be done.
Volunteer Opportunities
Sunday, 13th December 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The special project will be completing the clearing done on the communal flower gardens around the trailer. Significant progress was made this past Sunday but more clearing work is needed. The hours spent on this special project on Sunday will qualify as TSBVI hours because a number of the tasks qualifying for TSBVI hours are no longer needed. Gardeners must participate on Sunday for the hours to qualify as TSBVI hours. Workday leaders will be Luda Voskv (Zone 3 Coordinator) and Ila Falvey (Zone 4 ).
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Service Hours
Tasks currently available are:
- For TSBVI Hours
- Mowing and edging as needed along Sunshine and 48th streets - inside and outside of fence
- Maintaining garden at front gate [Will be special project on 12/6 workday]
- Cleaning up in compost area
- Weeding TSBVI Garden paths [Try to dig out nut grass at roots. Stirrup hoe works well for other weeds. Smooth out and pack any "divots" created.]
- Adding woodchips on west side of TSBVI Garden by sidewalk
- For Regular Hours
- Mowing as needed areas other than fence lines along 48th and Sunshine streets
- Removing hackberries from fence lines other than along Sunshine and 48th streets
- Maintaining flower beds and gardens around trailer
- Cleaning trailer
- Maintaining common areas - particularly common paths
- Removing weeds inside greenhouses
- Clearing vacant plots [Need to identify plots]
- Cutting large woody stems (okra, sunflower, etc) in compost pile into 2-3 ft lengths)
- Removing Kakhi weeds
- Weeding/cleaning edges of granite path from parking lot to trailer
Service hours for the fall season must be completed and recorded in virtual Green Binder by 12/31 on the website above.
Remember if is it isn't recorded it didn't happen.
Not Receiving the Weekly Weeder?
I am still working on checking my email list for the Weekly Weeder. Some of you may receive more emails. It is me and I am not a hacker (not by a long shot). The emails will be sent from the purslane2013 address.
For New Gardeners
If you are new to gardening you might want to check out the following website: communitygarden.org/programs/environmental-education-community-garden.
The lessons go from soils to beneficial insects, crop rotation and fertilizing with organic fertilizers. Each lesson has thorough explanations and illustrations.
Watering in the Winter
With the amount of rain we've had this season and the mild temperatures, your garden does not need ongoing watering. One exception is newly planted seeds, they should be lightly watered each day until they are established. Another possible exception is the high temperatures we are expecting at the end of this week, in the 80's according to the weather forecast. The soil will dry out faster under these temps.
To do in December
All month plant:
Escarole, kale, Lettuce, Radish, Radicchio, Spinach.
Cover bare earth with mulch. This reduces weeds and feeds the soil.
Freezing Temperatures
Get ready for frost. Most winter plants do not need covering for a frost above approximantely 25f; below that temperature a light non-plastic cover will usually save the plants beneath. Frost covers are available at most nurseries and an old sheet will do the job just as well. Make sure your plants are well watered before the frost. This does two things: it ensures that the plant isn't being stressed by lack of water and it also stirs up the soil micro organisms which contributes a little more heat to the soil. If you have a particularly delicate plant a gallon container of water next to the plant under the frost cover will also help.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Garden
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 - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- Director - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Director - Vacant
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, Jing Li jingli80@yahoo.com
- Zone 8, Irina Kadukova irina@austinshrooms.com
- Zone 9, Kerry Howell casonhowell@gmail.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
- Compost Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Compost Tea - Jennifer Woertz jennifer.woertz@urs.com
- Education Committee - Shannon Posern shannonposern@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
- Compost Tea - Jennifer Woertz jennifer.woertz@urs.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
Record Service Hours Online - the Virtual Green Binder
