By Eve Minson, Community Garden Coordinator
Posted November 4
As we wind down the season, we want to remind you of the end-of-the-season chores and to get you excited about Spring garden planning which will start in exactly five months! There’s still time for garlic to get in the ground and ample time to get soil amendments in before the hard frost comes. Just FYI, sounds like we will be getting a light frost in the next week or so. This time of year some online seed companies hold sales to get rid of this year’s seed before the germination rate goes down. Some good deals are to be had if you are willing to spend some time online.
It’s also not too early to start thinking about where you will start your seedlings in the house for the coming growing season and to ask your favorite family members and friends for garden-related gifts this coming holiday season!
We still have two more volunteer work days coming up: November 5 and the 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please join us to get your final volunteer hours in. If you cannot work with us on a Saturday please let us know and we can use your help in the garden during the week, assisting Pete Quick with plot clean-ups. Just email asap us at dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com and we’ll set something up.
We also plan to have someone tilling plots in November. If you want to sign up to have your plot tilled please contact garden member, Stan Layton, who is keeping a list of who wants to get tilled. He’ll share info about costs, timing, etc. Please contact Stan at stanley.layton@verizon.net
Posted October 28
As we wind down the season, we want to remind you of the end-of-the-season chores and to get you excited about Spring garden planning which will start in exactly 5 months! There’s still time for garlic to get in the ground and ample time to get soil amendments in before the hard frost comes. Just FYI, sounds like we will be getting a light frost in the next week or so.
Speaking of frost -- please keep the hoses drained and disconnected from the spigots going forward. This is the time of year that some online seed companies hold sales to get rid of this year’s seed before the germination rate goes down. Some good deals are to be had if you are willing to spend some time online. It’s also not too early to start thinking about where you will start your seedlings in the house for the coming growing season and to ask your favorite family members and friends for garden-related gifts this coming holiday season!
We still have two more volunteer work days coming up on Saturday, November 5 and Saturday, November 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please join us to get your final volunteer hours in. If you cannot work with us on a Saturday, please let us know and we can use your help in the garden during the week, assisting Pete Quick with plot clean-ups. Just email asap us at dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com and we’ll set something up.
We also plan to have someone tilling plots in November. If you want to sign up to have your plot tilled please contact garden member, Stan Layton, who is keeping a list of who wants to get tilled. He’ll share info about costs, timing, etc. You may contact Stan at stanley.layton@verizon.net
Posted October 21
Brrrr….a chill is in the air and frost is around the corner. It’s a great time to clean up summer’s plantings, prepare beds for the spring, plant garlic, and start dreaming about the next growing season!
There is still some manure at the community garden for you to use to prepare your plots for next year. Feel free to use it up. We will have new piles come springtime for your use. Please be aware the place to dump your compost is in the long, tall, windrow compost pile. Some folks have been piling things up by the telephone pole, but that’s where we are putting our new expansion beds. Please look for the COMPOST sign and dump there. Thanks!
We still have volunteer workdays planned, starting with this weekend: October 22, November 5 and the 19. If you are renewing your plot and have not fulfilled your four-hour obligation, please come to one of these volunteer days to get your hours in so we can confirm your renewal. If you have already put in hours but we don’t have your information, please contact Rosalie Kelly at rkelly@ddcf.org and let her know as soon as possible.
Finally, please remember that closing day is November 13 which is coming up fast. Please have all your plantings, weeds and various personal items removed. If you are not coming back for another season, please email us now to let us know.
The Community Garden lottery for 2012 is now underway. We will have 200 new plots and are now including Bridgewater and Branchburg, along with Hillsborough, Manville, Somerville and Raritan in our area of eligiblity (you must live or work in one of these towns to be eligible for the lottery). Returning gardeners do not need to apply, but if you have friends or co-workers who might be interested, please tell them to log onto the Website for more information. The lottery will run through January 1, 2012.
After November 13, the garden will be officially closed until March 31, 2012. Keep in mind that the days are getting shorter and that the clocks will go back to standard time at 2 a.m. on November 6, leaving much less time to work in the garden in the evening. So, please allow ample time to get all your work and cleanup done.
Thank you!
Posted October 14
At long last, it’s garlic planting time! If you are a garlic lover and are renewing your garden plot it’s that time of year. Purchase a few bulbs of garlic and tear apart the cloves and plant 6 inches apart and at about 2-3 inches of depth. Cover with straw or chopped leaves and you are done. Each clove will make an entire new garlic blub.
Remember to include soil amendments before you plant: compost and aged manure and a little fertilizer like chicken manure or alfalfa meal are great to dig into your soil before you plant. Choose the biggest and best cloves to plant and leave the little ones for use in tonight’s dinner. Bigger cloves grow bigger bulbs, it’s that simple. Plant with the narrow, pointy tip up and what looks like the flat end with roots down. There are lots of varieties to choose from so don’t limit yourself to just what’s in your garden center. Just spend a little time on the Web and you’ll see for yourself.
Time to Think Ahead: It’s time to start thinking about frost which could show up sooner than you think. Before that happens, save some seed from your Brandywine tomatoes and other heirlooms so that you don’t have to buy new seed for the new year. It’s also not a bad time to start saving small recycled containers like yogurt cups for this coming winter’s seedlings, and thinking about the needs of the next growing season which is less than six months away!
Garden Party: I hope that we’ll be seeing each other at Sunday’s Garden Party. Remember that there is a door prize and we should have lovely weather to finally spend time catching up with one another. Eve Minson and Paul Smith will be in the garden to chat about the new season and some of the changes taking place to improve drainage in 2012. Please join us!
Posted October 7
SUNSHINE at long last! Based on the long-term forecast it looks like Indian Summer is on its way, so thank your lucky stars and enjoy the glorious sun in the garden. Maybe we’ll all get caught up on our outdoor chores this weekend.
Great News! Door prizes will be offered at the GARDEN PARTY, taking place next Sunday, October 16, at the Community Garden. We are looking forward to seeing you there, and also at our volunteer work days coming up on October 8, 15, 22, November 5 and 19.
Please note that the deadline for garden renewals has been extended to October 15. If you are not planning to renew your plots, please let us know as soon as possible. Thank you!
Posted September 30
HAPPY AUTUMN. As we finally enter fall, it seems like we should be preparing to build an ark to carry us forward into the cold, dark season! We’ve all had so many issues dealing with the incomprehensible amount of rain that’s now affecting our homes and inundating our garden plots.
You will be pleased to know that we are undertaking a new drainage project in the community garden to help plots drain better. If you see us digging around please come over to visit and we’ll share the details about what we are doing. We are hoping this will make a difference in next year’s gardening no matter what the weather is doing. Raised beds will still need to be made for proper drainage but the additional trenches will help a lot. We’ll keep you posted.
Reminder About Plot Clean-up for 2011. The Duke Farms Community Garden will remain open until November 13. Unless you are renewing for the 2012 gardening season, you will be expected to have your plots stripped to bare ground with all items removed, including stone paths and fencing, and all plants and weeds removed and disposed of in the compost pile. If you are keeping your plot for 2012, we ask that you remove hoses and garden tools, remove and compost annual plants and weeds and cut back perennials. Fencing can stay for the winter, however, Duke Farms will not be responsible for any items left in the garden.
If you are NOT renewing and prefer to wrap-up your gardening season before that time, feel free to do so, but please email the Community Garden Coordinator at dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com as soon as you are ending to let us know you are leaving.
End-of-Season Garden Party. Join us as we celebrate this year's harvest, swap stories about our garden successes and share important information for 2012 on Sunday, October 16, 1 to 3 p.m. in the gazebo. You are welcome to bring food and Duke Farms will provide beverages. If you have ANY questions about how to properly put your plot to bed for the season, no matter how basic, please email Eve Minson at dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com to avoid any confusion. We always like to hear from you!
See you at the next volunteer work day!
Posted September 23
How can possibly absorb even more rain? Seems like we have a few days of hard raining coming our way so it might be a good time to harvest any nice tomatoes and squash you have left in the garden so they don’t bloat or rot. Please remember we have many activities coming up in the garden over the next two months, including volunteer work days, the Garden Party on Sunday, October 16, and the end of the garden season coming our way (see the column on the right for more information).
As soon as the rain stops (will that day ever come?) it will be a good idea to start cleaning up your plots for the end of year so you don’t have to get it all done on a cold weekend. Please remember all weeds must be removed and plots returned to us as they were offered to you in Spring. We are still accepting renewals, and if you are giving up your plot for the season, email us with your information.
For those of you renewing plots, there is still time to plant transplants of lettuce, Bok Choy, Asian mustards and Arugula. Fall-planted Spinach can overwinter beautifully and be ready to eat in early Spring, so you can still seed directly.
See you in the garden!
Posted September 16
Bee Boxes. You may have noticed several wooden boxes containing bundles of bamboo and wood blocks with holes along the deer fence. These odd looking boxes are habitat for some of our most important pollinators in the area, native solitary bees! These docile solitary bees are indigenous to North America and have been found to pollinate up to 40 percent of vegetable crops in a given area, expected to increase as the non-native honeybee declines due to disease and other issues. Native solitary bees normally lay their eggs the tunnels left over by wood beetles or inside of grass stems, laying eggs at the bottom of tubes and covering them with plugs of mud and leaves. The young develop in these strong, predator and pest resistant tubes and emerge in spring to repeat the pollination/egg-laying cycle. You can build your own native bee habitat by simply bundling together bunches of bamboo or drilling clusters of holes in untreated wood and leaving them out in areas that will get enough sun to keep them dry year round. Decorative bee box designs are available online as well as pre-made boxes. Keeping these boxes in a garden or yard will benefit you, your neighbors and the surrounding environment.
Volunteer Days Scheduled. All Community Garden plot holders are reminded that they are required to volunteer four hours of their time during the 2011 gardening season. Gardeners may log their hours by participating in one of the five upcoming Saturday volunteer days: September 24, October 8, October 22, November 5 and November 19. The hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and gardeners will be asked to help with a variety of tasks related to the expansion of the Community Garden, mainly helping to create and mulch pathways. No pre-registration is necessary but please sign-in upon your arrival so that you are credited with your volunteer hours.
Renewing Plots and Planning Ahead for 2012. Community Gardeners should notify Garden Coordinator Eve Minson with their intention to either keep their plot for next year, to request a larger or smaller plot, or to give up their plot in 2012, no later than October 1. All gardeners in good standing may keep their plot in 2012 and will have the opportunity to continue to renew their plot holding annually for the next five years. The annual fee for plots will remain the same: 10x10 for $10; 15x15 for $20; 15x30 for $30; and a new larger 30x60 plot for $100.
In 2012, the Duke Farms Community Garden will expand to 400 plots that will be made available by lottery to people who live or work in Hillsborough, Manville, Somerville, Raritan, Bridgewater, or Branchburg. Current gardeners who choose to renew their plots or who wish to request a new plot will not be required to go through the lottery process; their plot for 2012 is guaranteed once they notify the Garden Coordinator of their intentions.
Plot Clean-up for 2011.
The Duke Farms Community Garden will remain open until November 13. Unless you are renewing for the 2012 gardening season, you will be expected to have your plots stripped to bare ground with all items removed, including stone paths and fencing, and all plants and weeds removed and disposed of in the compost pile. If you are keeping your plot for 2012, we ask that you remove hoses and garden tools, remove and compost annual plants and weeds and cut back perennials. Fencing can stay for the winter, however, Duke Farms will not be responsible for any items left in the garden.
If you are NOT renewing and prefer to wrap-up your gardening season before that time, feel free to do so, but please email the Community Garden Coordinator at dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com by October 1 to let us know that you are leaving.
End-of-Season Garden Party.
With the garden season almost over, all gardeners and their families are invited to a Garden Party in the Community Garden on Sunday, October 16, 1 to 3 p.m. at the gazebo. Join us as we celebrate this year's harvest, swap stories about our garden successes and share important information for 2012. You are welcome to bring food and Duke Farms will provide the beverages.
Posted September 9
I think that we're all a bit waterlogged, so this week's Journal is a reminder for everyone to check out the tasty recipes shared by our garden members featuring tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and more.
Posted September 2
Now that we are past the worst of the storm, we can all get back to thinking about our fall gardens! There’s still time to get some fast-growing cool season crops like greens and root crops.
Classes: Come and take the "Four-seaons Gardening" class on Saturday, September 24, 10 a.m. to noon, and learn how to keep your fall garden warm and cozy as nighttime temperatures start to drop. Save the date! Announcing the Duke Farms Community Garden Fall Harvest Potluck on Sunday, October 16, 1 to 3 p.m. More details to follow.
Make Note: Please be aware that Community Garden hours are changing as the days get shorter. In September, the garden will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please plan your garden work time accordingly.
Volunteering: As we begin working on our Community Garden expansion, we will be asking for your help so please look for information about upcoming volunteer work days.
Posted August 25
Rain, rain go away! This summer has been an exercise in patience with the weather! And from the sound of it, we’ll be getting a lot more rain this coming weekend. Please prepare for the possibility of hurricane force winds coming to New Jersey this weekend. We recommend that if you have anything that can blow away in the garden that you take it home or find a way to tie it to the ground so it doesn’t wind up in the next county! Also think about harvesting veggies and flowers that might get beaten down significantly by wind and heavy rains, especially tall sunflowers and heavy tomatoes.
We keep trying to host volunteer workdays on Thursdays but the rain keeps getting in the way. Please check the garden gate and message center for announcements about workdays, and remember if it’s raining we will cancel so we avoid working in major mud.
It’s a really great time to think about your fall crop and get it going. Many different greens and common root crops are the majority of veggies you can still plants but it’s not impossible to still get some beans going or another final crop of zukes! Please check into our FOUR SEASON GARDENING class on September 24 to help you think things through. It’s going to be a great class.
SAVE THE DATE! The events committee has come up with a fun event for all garden members and their families on Sunday, October 16, 1 to 3 p.m. Please put the date in your fall calendar and we’ll send you all the details soon! Don’t miss it.
Posted August 19
Once again we’ve had a little more precipitation than we’ve wanted, leaving some plots wetter than we’d all like. A few notes about that: I’ve noticed a distinctive flagging or wilting of some plants like tomatoes, peppers and basil in plots that don’t have raised beds. This is not from plants being dry, but the opposite – much too wet. Don’t despair! They should come back and look fine if we get a few more days of sun, wind and warmth, so hang in there. We have also had some bird damage in the gardens, as well as raccoon damage. If you are experiencing holes in your tomatoes buy some simple bird-netting and hang it over your plants. That should completely solve the bird damage, and cut back on the raccoon damage as well. We have trapped two young raccoons this week and they were easily relocated to one of our other farms where they can live happily ever after.
We were supposed to have a work evening yesterday, but the last few days’ rain made a mess of things. Weather permitting we will shoot for next Thursday, August 25, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Grab a rake and join us so you can start putting in your required volunteer hours. Many hands make light work and you’ll get to know your fellow gardeners! We’ll meet by the garden shed.
Please remember we also will begin hosting monthly Thursday night evenings in the garden with me, Eve Minson, your Duke Farms Community Garden coordinator. I will walk in the garden with you and answer questions about your plants and discuss gardening tips. This month’s garden walk is August 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Have you seen our new Garden Recipes page? See what your fellow gardeners are cooking up with their recent harvests. And, last but not least, please remember to visit the DUKE FARMS COMMUNITY GARDEN HANDBOOK to answer common questions (there is a link on the right-hand column of this page).
Happy gardening!
Posted August 12
What beautiful mid-summer weather we’ve been experiencing!! Cool enough to work in the garden without discomfort, warm enough to grow gorgeous high summer crops. Lucky us! Just a few notes to keep you updated about events: Next Thursday, August 18, is a volunteer work day in the garden, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Grab a rake and join us so you can start putting in your required volunteer hours. Many hands make light work and you’ll get to know your fellow gardeners! We’ll meet by the garden shed.
Next Thursday is also the date of the HOME WILDLIFE HABITAT GARDEN class, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Learn how to create a welcoming natural habitat at home that birds, bees and other beneficial critters will love! This will take place at the Coach Barn (enter the property via the gate off Route 206 at Dukes Parkway East). The cost is $16 for Community gardeners ($20 for the general public) and advance registration is required -- please call (908) 722-3700 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
We will begin hosting monthly Thursday night evenings in the garden with Eve Minson, the Duke Farms Community Garden coordinator. Eve will walk in the garden with you and answer questions about your plants and discuss gardening tips. This month’s garden walk is August 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
And, please remember to visit the DUKE FARMS COMMUNITY GARDEN HANDBOOK online at www.dukefarms.org to answer common questions. See you in the garden!
Posted August 5
As the dog days of summer settle in, it’s time to look for insects and diseases that love this time of year because it’s rich in the food they all love. Common pests in the garden right now that can cause real trouble are cucumber beetles which have been around for a while but are now doing serious damage to cucurbits (plants in the squash and cucumber family) and cause diseases like bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic virus, etc. Also squash bugs, which love all squash family plants. Flea beetles are still around though they start to disappear as fall temperatures head down.
Powdery mildew also becomes a problem this time of year on squash plants. Look for the fuzzy whitish marks on leaves – you can’t miss it. There are various baking soda remedies floating around online but be careful to follow the advice of a reputable resource. Try the Cornell University Website that appears below which has tried and true remedies for disease prevention and protection. You will also probably notice the bottom leaves on your tomatoes turning yellow and brown. This is a symptom of early blight of tomatoes and will not kill your tomatoes but does put a stress on them. Pull off leaves and put them into a trash bag and put into the garbage rather than compost. Give your plants an extra dose of fish emulsion and keep an eye on them. A little extra nutrition can go along way when tomatoes are producing heavily.
FOR DISEASE INFORMATION: Enter the type of plant you have and you’ll see pages of information about diseases that affect these plants: http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/
It’s a great time of year to start thinking about your fall crop and getting another sowing of various vegetables in the ground. There is still time to plant another round of cucumbers, zucchini, beans, beets, carrots, turnips. When the temperature drops a little it will be a great time to re-sow lettuce, fall spinach, arugula, and all the Asian greens such as Bok Choy, Napa cabbage, Tatsoi, giant mustards, etc. So while you may think the season will be winding down soon, it’s just the beginning of the fall season which can offer a lot!!
We continue to look forward to your signing up for various volunteer projects, and welcome your help in the community garden and in other gardens at Duke Farms. Please remember that all gardeners are now required to contribute only four hours of volunteer work before the end of the gardening season. Contact Rosalie Kelly for signup information at rkelly@dukefarms.org. The Events Committee is planning a few events for gardeners this summer and fall, so please look for updates on when and where to join in the fun! The entrance message kiosk will have information about these events.
It’s high weeding season right now and sometimes difficult to fit in all the summer fun and commitments you have in your lives, but please be a good gardening neighbor and make sure to get the foxtail and other weeds out before it seeds into your and your neighbors' plots (the tall grass with the big seedhead). Remember that you also need to weed the edges of your plot and the area in the path near your plot as per the Participation Agreement you signed - it’s a lot of work for sure but it’s all part of being a gardener. Please work out with your neighbors who is weeding the edges of the garden plots. There are a lot of areas where it looks like people have forgotten the in-between spaces. Thank you!
Posted July 22
The heat is upon us (as well as insects and weeds). During these hot weeks of midsummer the minimum amount of water plants should receive each week is about 1 inch, more if the plants are seedlings, especially when temperatures are above 85F. So this week and next are times to be watchful for signs of stress and wilting in your plants.
Volunteering: We look forward to your signing up for various volunteer projects, and welcome your help in the Community Garden and in other gardens at Duke Farms. Please remember that all gardeners are required to contribute four hours (reduction from original requirement of eight hours) of volunteer work before the end of the gardening season. Contact Rosalie Kelly to register.
Improving the soil: We are aware that many of you have been struggling to green-up your plants after the cold and wet spring. It looks like some gardeners are doing a great job with their plots and plants are perking up all over the Community Garden. To assist you, we have provided access to soil amendments such as ground-up leaves, manure, hay, woodchips and additional top soil. It is not typical for local community gardens to provide these materials -- under normal circumstances you would need to purchase these materials yourself -- but we wanted to assist you in your efforts to improve the soil and growing conditions in your plot. Prior to the garden opening, we also put in two different legume crops and tilled them under to begin the soil-building process. It takes many years to build good soil. Unfortunately, the wet spring didn't help matters. Our soils are a clay loam, not the best draining soils; however, they are actually good agricultural soils. They just need a little loving tender care and with some additional drainage work and organic inputs they’ll be very productive.
Remember that organic matter is slow to act and results are slow to unfold so the benefits of your inputs would be not be realized until next year. That’s why we have recommended using soluble fertilizers to bring up the N-P-K content and boost plant growth. Raised beds have also made the difference for those with wet plots. And, you can learn more about organic gardening best practices in our classes and workshops.
Please know that we are working very hard to make this a successful venture for everyone involved and, with ongoing feedback from all of you, we hope to continue to improve conditions for plant growth. Please keep us posted on your tribulations as well as your progress. We want to know what’s working and what we need to improve for next year’s success!
Wildlife in the garden: Please note that we have set out humane traps to deal with the occasional raccoon or groundhog that gets within the fence and begins nibbling at your produce. If you see an animal in a trap, please understand that the Community Garden is not staffed 'round the clock, so we may not see him before you do. If you do see an animal in a trap, please call Duke Farms Security at (908) 722-3700, ext. 0. Do not attempt to or release the animal on your own. The Duke Farms Safety and Security Staff will arrive in time with the necessary equipment, and see to the animal's release in a proper location. Also, please keep us posted if you see feeding damage on your plants.
See you in the garden!
Posted July 8
Weeding, weeding, weeding…seems that’s all we are doing in the midsummer garden! Weeding is important because it gets rid of invasive plants that can compete with your veggies for nutrients, light and water. The other important part of weeding at this time of year is removing weeds before they start to spread seed all over the garden, making it problematic for next year and for neighboring plots where seeds can germinate quickly.
Please be a good neighbor and community garden member and keep weeds managed.
The insect making the latest appearance in the garden is tomato hornworm…if you see your tomato leaves eaten to a nub it is probably tomato hornworm at work. While they may be hard to find because they are the color of tomato foliage, they are surprisingly large…about the size of your finger by the time you find them. You can pick them off easily (don’t worry, they won’t bite!), and put them into a jar of soapy water, or simply put them in the grass somewhere and another predator will find them. If you see tiny while dots on their backs just let them be because it means they have been parasitized by a tiny wasp and will die soon…that’s biological control at work!
Fertilizing is still important if your plants are yellow…don’t overdo it but don’t forget about it either. Please remember that it is time to sign up for volunteer work. Please contact Rosalie Kelly for more information. There are many different projects to sign up for. Food pantry donations will be accepted on Sundays and delivered on Mondays starting immediately. Please be advised that we can only accept veggies that have a shelf-life and not something that will immediately wilt. So feel free to donate tomatoes, peppers, zukes and cukes, but but not lettuce or kale or chard. Thank you.
Over the course of the summer please pay attention to how much you are watering since our soil has high clay content and good water-holding capacity as you all know only too well. The positive side to clay soils is that they hold water longer than soils which are more organic. The negative side is that they can bake in the hot sun of summer. Unless you have tiny seedlings in the ground, it is not necessary to water the whole plot every day, even when it’s hot. The average amount of water needed is about 1-inch per week and a little less in a heavy clay soil. Being water-wise makes sense for the environment and for your plants.
Keep in mind we have some new organic gardening classes coming up in July which will help you with your gardening…organic and disease management classes coming up July 23. See you in the garden!
Posted June 27
Good news! Electricity is now available at the well to run the pump -- this means that water will be available at the spigots during Community Garden hours from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Posted June 20
Fortunately, we’ve had a lovely break from the early hot weather and the recent rain has been welcome on our already parched soils. This season is turning out to be one of feast or famine. We are getting a little too much of everything this year. With the onset of warmth I’m sure many of you are seeing evidence of insect damage on your plants – holes, chewed leaves, shotholes, etc. The insects to become acquainted with and to start scouting for are - Flea Beetles (which we discussed in the last garden journal), Colorado Potato Beetle on eggplants and potatoes (larvae and adults), Cabbage White caterpillars (on many of the cold crops but especially on cabbages), Striped and Spotted Cucumber Beetle adults (on all of the cucurbits and sometimes on other nearby crops as well). All of these insects are large enough to see but you do need to train your eye to look for some of them including finding their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Some insects can be simply picked off plants and killed or knocked into a jar of soapy water – potato beetles and caterpillars for example.
Cucumber beetles are fast and very damaging to plants and also transmit cucumber mosaic virus, a disease which can be deadly to plants. When you see them on plants, try to simply crush them with your fingers. That is the most effective way to kill them without spraying an organic pesticide. Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled around plants to deter insect feeding. DE is a non toxic abrasive product composed of diatoms from the ocean and is an irritant to many insects which can help reduce insect feeding. To see it DE, and yellow sticky cards which can catch problem insects, please visit my plots at the far end of the Community Garden.
The following websites will offer more suggestions including companion planting, using row covers, and using low impact insecticides such as spinosad and neem.
It’s a good time to catch up on your weeding because with the latest rain you’ll see weeds take off like mad. We hope to hear from you soon about your volunteer work choices. And, last but not least, thanks for your patience with ongoing generator issues.
Posted June 14
Generator Breakdown We are sorry to report that the generator that has been powering the water pump for the Community Garden has had a mechanical breakdown. We are working to repair the generator as quickly as possible, however, we anticipate that the generator will not be in working order until Thursday at the earliest. Water will not be available from the spigots until the generator is running once again.
In the interim, water will continue to be available from the 1,000-gallon tanker truck parked at the garden. Gardeners may use wheelbarrows or handcarts to transport containers of water to their plots. If you use one of the containers provided near the tanker, please return it when you are done. Once the generator is up and running, an email will be sent to plot holders and an announcement will be posted on this page. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we address the issue of water availability.
Posted June 3
Update on Water Availability As many of you are aware, we currently do not have electrical connectivity from the PSE&G grid to the Community Garden, requiring the use of a fossil-fueled electrical generator to operate the pump that supplies water to the garden spigots.
Due to our environmental mission and in an effort to conserve energy, operation of the generator will be limited to six hours each day, from 6:30 to 9 a.m., and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Please note that we are further restricted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection from operating the generator during periods of high levels of pollens or ozone. For those times when the generator is not in operation, we have provided a 1,000-gallon water tanker with a hose connection for your convenience. Using buckets or watering cans, you will be able to transport water to your plots in the wheel barrows or hand carts provided. I
f you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the garden coordinator. We thank you for your patience as we address this issue and work to get the electric connectivity completed.
Posted June 2, 2011
New summer hours! With the longer days of summer on the way, the Community Garden will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. through August 31. Feels like summer finally showed up. I hope you are all enjoying your plots though I know that some of you are still dealing with excess water issues which should be drying up soon.
Flea beetles are starting to showing up on arugula, eggplant, and some cole crops. Flea beetles are tiny shiny black beetles that create shot-holes on plants. While they are a little hard to see, the damage they cause isn’t hard to notice. The Websites below discuss flea beetles in detail along with cultural and organic chemical control measures. Row covers help on veggies that don’t need pollination like arugula and mustards. Yellow sticky cards will catch some of them. Various organic insecticides like spinosads, pyrethrums and neem will help with control. Follow directions carefully when spraying and don’t spray on a windy day.
Please do not trench your plots without clearing it with the Garden Coordinator. Tomatoes are looking a bit yellow in certain plots due to the early cold, wet and wear and tear on the plant. It’s time to fertilize with a soluble fertilizer like fish emulsion and kelp. Use this once a week for a couple of weeks to green things up. Please do not leave wheelbarrows or garden carts full of materials at your plots. Kindly dump materials and return to the entrance gate area. Also please do not stock pile the hay we make available. Sharing resources is what the community garden is all about. A gentle reminder that you are not allowed to use materials like pressure-treated wood or PVC in your plots. We discussed these issues in the orientation meetings and also it’s written out clearly in the Participation Agreement you signed. If need be please replace any materials that are toxic to avoid transferring leached chemicals to your veggies.
It’s weeding time! Please stay on top of your weeding so that you don’t get overwhelmed. With the combination of the last rain and heat, the weeds will be thriving! If you have thistle coming up in your plot, digging down as deeply as you can and staying after it is the best way to manage it without it getting out of control fast. If you have not started your plot yet, please contact us immediately. Please do not use colored newsprint or colored magazines as mulch or sheet mulch in your gardens. Kindly limit it to cardboard and regular newsprint.
A list of volunteer categories will be going out next week. Please look for it and sign up soon so you can get what you want.
A reminder that when the generator is not turned on, you may still access water from the tanker hose.
Thanks, and see you in the garden!
Posted May 18, 2011
Despite the recent wave of rainy days, most of the garden plots are growing like mad! Plots are looking as different as we all do and we think you are doing a terrific job.
WATER: Please note that the generator which runs the well will run during busy times of the gardening day. If you do not have water pressure in your spigot please use the hose from the water tanker to fill your watering cans. Water will always be available from the tanker.
PLANTING: Looks like we don’t need to be worried about late-season frosts taking place anymore (we hope), so feel confident about planting your warm season crops now.
PLANT GIVE-AWAYS: If you still have room in your plot for more Brandywine tomatoes, Lipstick red sweet peppers, or Genovese Basil, please take another six-pack.
CLASSES: Gardening classes are still taking place each week - check them out now.
SUGGESTIONS: We’d love to hear from you, so if you would like to make a suggestion please write to dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com and tell us what’s on your mind! Share thoughts, ideas, recipes, events, etc.
Posted May 11, 2011
Water Availability in the Garden Hello Community Gardeners: We hope that you are enjoying your gardening and all of this nice weather at long last. Gardeners may have noticed that the first line of spigots in the Garden that were not functioning are now operational. However, we are experiencing issues related to the electrical power for the well that supplies all of our spigots. Unfortunately, it will take some time to resolve these issues, so we ask for your patience.
We are currently running our well with a generator during peak hours when our Community Garden Coordinator is there to oversee its operation. We will make every effort to keep the generator running as often as possible. When the generator is not running, you may obtain water from a large tanker of water located near the gazebo – this water will be available to you during all hours when the Community Garden is open. We have placed a hose that runs from the tanker into the middle of the Garden for your convenience.
In the meantime, if any problems should occur or you have questions about the Garden operation, you may contact the Garden Coordinator; if it is an emergency, please call Duke Farms Security at (908) 722-3700 (hit ‘0’ for the operator). Again, thank you for your patience and your understanding as we work to resolve the electrical issue.
Paul M. Smith Director of Designed Landscapes, Duke Farms Foundation
Posted May 6, 2011
WELCOME EVERYONE!! We are finally ready for you to come join in the gardening fun! Many of you have been in the garden since Opening Day and the plots are already looking great. Some plots are still a bit waterlogged but a little warmth, wind and sun will help dry things out. Raised beds will help a lot, too!
WATER: We are still experiencing some difficulties with our water so please be patient. We apologize for any inconveniences you may have already endured. The first line of spigots has problem with a valve that we will be able to replace next week, so that water line is temporarily not working. The generator is turned on during the busiest parts of the day to keep water pressure up. Also, there is now a tanker of water by the gazebo with a hose running into the gardens. Feel free to use that if the water pressure isn’t sufficient for your needs. We will be resolving these issues as soon as we can. Thanks for understanding.
SOIL AMENDMENTS: Lots of great compost is available for your use. Please feel free to use the horse manure, composted leave mulch, top soil, wood chips and mulch hay. We will keep replenishing stocks.
INSECTS: It is not too early for insects to start making trouble for your plants, so keep an eye out for them. This time of year, flea beetles like to start munching on your arugula and there can be thousands of them. They won’t kill your plants, but will riddle them with tiny holes. Most of us develop a tolerance of holes in our food. Also keep an eye out for early aphids which will be on the tops and undersides of leaves and on the growing tips where the plant tissue is most succulent. Safer’s Soap can be used on aphids but don’t spray when it is windy or too sunny and hot or you can burn your foliage. Read all labels carefully and follow instructions.
Finally, start looking for cabbage butterflies which are easy to spot because they are the only white butterflies around right now. They will lay eggs on your cole crops: broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower. If you see eaten edges of plants and see loopers (aka caterpillars), you can use B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis). B.T. is a bacterial insecticide which kills only the caterpillars that are eating your plants. Once again, please read labels carefully and follow directions! For more information on organic pest control, check out "The Organic Gardener''s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control," a Rodale Organic Gardening Book, edited by Fern Marshall Bradley, Barbara Ellis, and Deborah Martin.
PLANT GIVE-AWAYS: In another week we’ll be dividing up the rest of our give-away plants. So if you still have room in your plot for more Brandywine tomatoes, Lipstick red sweet peppers, or Genovese Basil, please let us know next week and we’ll be happy to share.
PLANT SALES: This is the time of year for local plant sales, so keep your eyes and ears open for local events. Check out the local newspaper and talk to friends and other community gardeners to find out who has the best plants to add to your garden plot
MORE INFORMATION: Please remember to use your local public library for great books about gardening, organic pest and disease management, food issues, etc. The Raritan Borough Public Library will be featuring the latest organic gardening titles all Spring! Check them out.
THE DUKE FARMS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN: We will be designing and dressing up our demo garden plot in the coming weeks, so come on by and take a look at what we are doing and what we are putting in the ground. Sharing is what this community gardening is all about. We’ll all be learning from each other all season.
CLASSES: Don’t forget to sign up for the Duke Farms gardening classes. They have started and are chockfull of useful information to help you off to a good gardening season
WEATHER FORECASTS: It is still cold in the evenings so watch the weather for possible frosts and protect your plants from a cold snap with row covers or sheets, or if they aren’t in the ground yet bring, them in at night so they are cozy and warm until the weather shifts into consistent warmth
SUGGESTIONS: We’d love to hear from you, so if you would like to make a suggestion about anything, please write to dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com and tell us what’s on your mind! Share thoughts, ideas, recipes, events, etc.
Posted April 12, 2011
After yesterday’s 85 degrees I think we can safely say Spring is really here even though we have some cold nights predicted this coming week and plenty of rain about to fall. Guess we won’t have to worry about watering our gardens this Spring . . . . .
SUPPLIES: Opening Day is getting closer so you’ll want to get the rest of your seed, plants and supplies together. At a minimum you’ll want a steel rake, a round-pointed shovel (or whatever shovel you like to work with), a trowel, a couple of buckets, a 25-50 ft. hose with watering wand, a stirrup hoe (or other type of hoe you are comfortable with) and other odds and ends. It’s also nice to have two sticks and a long string so you can lay out straight beds or seed rows. Just a reminder for those of you who can fit a wheelbarrow in your car, it makes sense to have one. We have carts and wheelbarrows in the garden but you might want to have the extra help moving your plants and supplies back and forth from the parking lot to your garden plots. Your back will thank you!
CLASSES: Don’t forget to sign up for organic gardening classes. They have started and are chockfull of useful information to help you off to a good gardening season!
RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION: When time allows, swing by the Extension office located at the Ted Blum 4-H Center of Somerset County, 310 Milltown Road in Bridgewater (between Route 202 and Route 22) and take a look at all of their gardening FACT SHEETS. They have lots of information available for free. If Agent Nick Polanin is in, stop by and say hello.
WEATHER FORECASTS: If you have a chance to look at the Farmer’s Almanac, take a look at long-term forecasts for the gardening season. In addition to the forecast (which is predicting quite a bit of rain for the growing season), the Almanac is full of interesting gardening information and factoids.
See you at the opening on April 30!
Posted March 29, 2011
SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Though you wouldn’t know it by the weather . . . . Brrrrr! The trees are budding slowly and the daffodils are blooming despite the freezing nightly temperatures. Sooner or later we will get a break and the seasonal frenzy will begin.
TRANSPLANTING: Since we are officially opening April 30, your seedlings may need to get transplanted into larger pots. Before you buy small plastic 3-inch pots, ask friends if they have any or cut down milk or other plastic containers, including yogurt containers. They will all do the job well, you’ll keep plastic out of the landfill and you can resuse them year after year. Gather all your materials (3-inch pots, potting soil, seedlings and water), fill the little pot halfway with soil, tease out the seedling and place in the center of the pot and firmly but gently pat down the soil around it. Water well but don’t overwater. Next time you water, you’ll want to fertilize with a good fish emulsion/kelp combo, easy to find at your local garden center. You can fertilize with fish once a week until the plants are in the ground.
SEEDS: Hopefully by now you’ll have all your seeds purchased and you’ve figured out what you are planting where. You can now start sowing flowers and other later plants like marigolds, morning glories, lettuce, dill, fennel, cilantro. You can even start spinach and peas in seed trays so you can set them out as ready-to-go plants on April 30! Garden centers and Agway now have potatoes and onion sets for sale. If you think you are going to grow these plants grab them now -- they won’t be around too much longer.
TOOLS: Additional materials to think about having in your gardening basket are things like string and wooden dowels to lay out straight lines, labels and Sharpie pens to label your rows of veggies, trellis materials and stakes for climbers and supports, scissors for harvesting, cutting and occasional light pruning, a knife, twine for tying up plants to stakes. Remember that even strong plants like peppers need stakes once they are heavy with fruit! Have you asked your friends yet about wheelbarrows, 5-gallon plastic buckets, old useful tools? Recycling and reusing materials from friends and family is a great way to keep materials from entering the waste stream and saving yourself plenty of money.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: If you haven’t had a chance to look yet, Mother Earth News is a fantastic magazine for gardening and DIY projects! Their website is chockful of years of homesteading and gardening information and you can search for topics you are interested. This month there is a great article on The Best Homemade Tomato Cages.
CLASSES: Don’t forget to sign up for gardening classes. They are starting at Duke Farms this coming weekend on April 2. Any questions, drop me a line! dfcommunitygarden@gmail.com Happy Spring!
Posted March 15, 2011
Breathe deep – it’s almost Spring!! Next weekend is the Spring (or Vernal) Equinox and now we have an extra hour of daylight in the evening! The earth is fragrant again, spring bulbs are pushing up and blooming, birds are returning to town and the earth is waking up after one tough winter. There’s lots to do to get ready for Spring planting season and here are a few ideas to keep moving toward Opening Day.
Check online seed catalogs for great planting information available for free! Time to start tomatoes, eggplants, peppers if you haven’t already. Also time for all cole family crops: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli.
Check out the March/April issue of Urban Farming magazine at your newsstands . . .terrific information: See the articles "From the Ground Up," and follow a community garden’s growth; and "Portable Sunshine," and learn how to start your plants off right by building your own seed-starting grow light (cheap and easy way to start seedlings).
Get your gardening tools together.
Start looking for upcoming community-based Spring plant sales in the area . . . support Master Gardeners and other groups. Potatoes, onions, and shallots are in at the local garden centers and Agway. Time to grab some and start sprouting potatoes in a relatively warm semi-dark space. Potatoes can go into the ground opening day of the garden. Still time to order sweet potato slips and get them going.
Check out the online Duke Farms Community Garden Handbook for good ideas Take a look at the fun new book, "Sugar Snaps and Strawberries - Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-space Edible Garden, by Andrea Bellamy, for insights and inspiration for your gardening season!
Posted February 28, 2011
Hi All, some things to think about this week to prep for the garden… Finish your seed buying or you won’t get what you most want because it might be sold out. Start your lettuce, spinach, Asian greens, brussel sprouts, celery, onion/scallion/leek (alliums) seeds now. Use trays to start all the alliums, not individual cells. Buy your tomato, pepper, eggplant seed this. You’ll be starting seedlings in a week or two. Buy your seed starting kits or soil and starter trays. Check out a seed-starting video online: http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/ss/SeedStarting.htm
RECYCLE TIP: You can cut up plastic milk jugs to use as labels for seedlings…use pencil or Sharpies to mark dates and varieties.
RECYCLE TIP: Use yogurt containers and other small plastic containers for transplanting your seedlings. You won’t have to buy pots and you can reuse them from year to year. Start asking friends, family and neighbors if they want to get rid of the gardening tools they don’t use. You can sort through what they give you, clean things up and get them ready for a new life in the community garden! Check out a gardening blog – lots of information and fun!! Sign up to get one on your computer if you really like it. You can even get it on your phone! http://www.digindirt.com/ Get some inspiration online: http://awaytogarden.com/ http://www.yougrowgirl.com/ Any questions, drop me a line! drcommunitygarden@gmail.
Happy Almost Spring!