April Updates from Steve: GrowNYC Plant Order Placed

Our pick up date will be Saturday May 12 10:00a.m. in the Bronx, reachable by public transportation if you can volunteer to help us. With good organization we can have the plants back to the garden by 11:30 that morning and have a plant sale.

April Monthly Meeting  this  Saturday April 14, 2012    12 Noon

If you cannot attend send comments, issues, reports by email by Friday

2012 Dues need to be paid this month. see Ivy , or Michelle, or Steve

Bokashi II Workshop this Sunday with Shig Matsukawa and Carey King
 

Inspiration from Eren: Pass it on and get planting!

Just some inspiration! See you guys Saturday!

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.-

Robert Louis Stevenson

last year’s Arugula, cherry tomato (from garden) with fresh raw corn salad (with balsamic and white wine vinegar or white grape juice vinegar, EVOO, Sea Salt and fresh black cracked pepper with some fresh dill )

young sunflowers last year

Herbs control insects, recommendations from Steve

http://gardening.about.com/od/naturalorganiccontrol/a/Companion_2.htm

Hello: This article needs to be read by every gardener and parent who will send  children to the garden this year. We must use every safe, organic means for insect control; after an exceptional mild winter. this applies not only to mosquitoes; but also other plant pests.

We need to insure that people begin to understand how our growing of herbs can contribute; not just to the taste: but also, to the abundance and health of our crops at Carrie McCracken Truce Garden.

the recent decision to retain the collective Herb box; managed by Jen needs
To be acknowledged. And we need as well to ask each box holder to plant
Appropriate herbs and flowers among their veggies or in pots near their plot.

I have Snow peas, onions, sugar beets seeds, ready for planting. My Garlic
Is doing well and will be ready for transplant distribution soon. I will then give
My box to a new gardener.

Steve

Fall Gardening Tips

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/fall-garden-zm0z11zmat.aspx

Thanks Steve for sharing this link, reminding us there’s still time for lettuce, collards, peas and more!

August Growth Report

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

It’s like a jungle sometimes

it makes me wonder

if the tomatoes will take over

ha-ha! ha! ha!

cool weather crops return

Roy's new cabbage crop

 

Garden Portraits

Roy is one of the most committed stewards of our garden. Every week he spends many volunteer hours keeping the garden open, planting and watering crops, identifying problems and helping less experienced members get started. He is a great resource, chat with him when you see him! One of Roy’s pet peeves is crops rotting on the ground or vine. He has lots of experience and is always willing to help. If you plan to be away you can let him know your harvest schedule and how you want your plot tended to.

Roy with cucumber and very large tomato

It’s not always the amount of produce but the quality time spent outdoors without going far from home that makes community gardens a great experience. Justin is a third-year grower with the garden, having planted sunflowers the past two years. This year his mom and dad started seeds indoors, joined the garden and have their own planting space. They are now harvesting the fruits of their labor and family unity.

Justin enjoys the garden with his family

Star gardeners Sage and Tiana with a tomato picked from our garden today. Thanks to Lydia for sharing these lovely photos. Lydia also invites artists interested in performing or presenting in the garden to reach out to us!

Tiana and Sage with gorgeous August tomato

 

July 4 Garden Picnic Photos

This gallery contains 23 photos.

June photos

broken bricks make nice paths between plots

 

getting tools and getting to work

 

good meeting attendance even in the rain

 

grapes forming

 

roses bloom

 

mulberries are a hit

 

lush cabbage

 

They grow fast and can look cute: but watch what you’re doing with potatoes in the garden, from steve

Know what potato beetles look like and the damage they can do? Don’t come complaining that someone has damaged your crop; after failing to heed the advice not to plant potatoes in your box.

But some people don’t listen and now there are potato beetles in the garden. Thanks.

If you have potatoes planted with incompatible plants: please remove them immediately. And if you

are not familiar with organic pest control tactics: leave the potatoes for next year.

(Integrated Pest Management ) and Let’s begin to be more educated about what we are doing within our precious green space.

Here’s a starter article for you:

Companion Plants for Potatoes – Potato Companion Plants

VegEdge: Vegetable IPM Resource for the Midwest

Plants That Help Potatoes Grow Better:

Beans, cabbage, corn, and horseradish all help potatoes grow better and improve the flavor of your potatoes when grown together.

Tansy, nasturtium, coriander, and catnip planted nearby repel Colorado potato beetle.

Interplant potatoes with lettuce, scallions, radishes, and spinach. All of these crops mature fast and will be harvested long before the potatoes are ready to harvest.

What Not To Plant with Potatoes:

Avoid planting potatoes with tomatoes, sunflowers, raspberries, pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers. These plants seem to increase potatoes susceptibility to blight.

Don’t plant potatoes in an area that has been planted with any other Solanaceous crops in the last two years. This includes tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.