Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
18 September 2013
www.sunshinecommunitygarden.org
Free Stuff
The cages and other gardening stuff left in front of the tool shed is up for grabs. So if you can use it, please help yourself. Reuse is the best recycling. Please don't throw plastic trays and pots (that are in good shape) in the trash. Put them in front of the Greenhouse.
Frequently gardeners leave plants to share on the porch of the office. Please help yourself.
Mentoring opportunity
We often have new gardeners who are new to gardening. We're looking for seasoned gardeners who wish to share their expertise and gardening wisdom with the newbies or with people on the wait list. Mentoring can take as little or as much time as you want. Mentoring might involve showing them your plot and talking about how you do things to having them help you maintain your plot. If you're interested in being a mentor, please contact Kay McMurry at scg.plots@gmail.com.
Winter Transplant Sale at TSBVI
All Transplant Sale at TSBVI
A Heads up - Start thinking cool and get your plots ready. The TSBVI Horticultural Program under the direction of Michael Mobley is going to have a fall transplant sale the first weekend in Oct. They will have a wonderful assortment of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, etc. for sale. More information later.
Weeds, Weeds, Weeds, and how to reduce them.
First identify the weeds. If you're not sure which name fits which weed check out google images.
Some of the most common in Sunshine are; in summer: purslane, spiderwort and bindweed; in winter: henbit; all year: Bermuda grass.
- Purslane is shallow rooted and easily controlled by hoeing when small or pulling when the plant gets large enough.
- Spiderwort is best controlled when young. It is deep rooted and if
allowed to mature will require digging to remove. If any root is left
it will resprout.
It spreads from seeds so if you see the pretty blue flowers remove them. The small sprouts sometimes require digging to get the whole root out. - Bindweed is the most difficult to remove. The roots are very brittle and spread rapidly underground. Digging them up is almost impossible. Continual hoeing works best for me.
- Henbit is a shallow rooted plant that grows rapidly in the cooler weather. Continual hoeing or pulling by hand is the best control.
- Bermuda grass is a major problem in Sunshine Gardens. It spreads through underground roots which are white and stringlike. The nodes which occur about every inch are all potential new plants. These roots have to be dug out completely and put in the weed pile, not the compost pile. When removing Bermuda try to get all the root out and make sure no fragments are left behind to form new plants.
There are two main methods for weed control; physical barriers and manual removal.
- Physical barriers - can be mulch or a non-decaying covering. Mulch can be leaves or other vegetative matter, layers of newspapers, or cardboard. The advantage of these barriers in that they eventually decay and enrich the soil. They are less effective for Bermuda Grass which just continues to grow under the barrier. Plastic can be used but does not decay and enrich the soil.
- Manual removal - digging out, hand pulling or hoeing. For information on hoes see http://bse.wisc.edu/HFHP/tipsheets_html/diamondhoe.htm
Austin Garden Coalition Meeting
The Austin Garden Coalition, Sept meeting, was attended by Ila Falvey and Charlotte Jernigan. Meredith Gray who works in the Austin Parks Department spoke about establishing new gardens. She was followed by Justin Golbabai who works for the City of Austin Public Works Department who interfaces with neighborhood associations. For more information and a complete report can be found here -- Minutes
Virtual Green Binder
Good news for gardeners entering their work hours or checking their work hours.
You can now check your hours without entering hours in. Go to the tab "Virtual Green Binder" on the website and a dropdown list will show on hover:
- > Hours Worked
- > Enter Hours Worked
Each gardener is expected to contribute an hour a month to Sunshine, if you're unsure what to do check with your zone coordinator and watch this space. In addition one hour per six months per plot is required to be completed for projects for Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Thought for the week
To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, and watch their renewal of life, - this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do.
Charles Dudley Warner, 1876
Things to do in September
Early month: plant Beans and Summer Squash
Mid to late month: plant Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Garlic, Kohlrabi and Peas
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