What is required to sign up?
What is Required to Sign up?
- If you are possibly interested in getting a plot in the West Milford Community Garden, download the West Milford Community Garden guidelines document to understand what the garden is, what is expected of you, and what you can expect .
- Contact the director of the garden (gary@SustainableWestMilford.org) to see if space is available. If it is not, you can be added to a waiting list.
- If space is available, you will need to sign and return two (or three if your children will be gardening with you) documents. These are the Adult Waiver, the Child Waiver (if needed), and the Compact for Collaboration document (click on the documents to download and print them out).
- A payment of $35 (for a single plot) or $60 (for a double plot) needs to be submitted with the signed documents. The check is made out to "Sustainable West Milford"
- Once the papework and check is received, we will send you an email confirming your membership in the garden, and assigning you a plot number. Please note that plots are assigned on a first come, first served basis - based upon when the paperwork and check is received. If you have been told that a plot is available, is not "held" for you - if someone elses paperwork and check is received before yours, the plot would go to them. If no plot is available when your paperwork and check comes in, we will hold on to your paperwork, put you on the wating list and return the check to you.
The signed forms and payment can be mailed to
Gary Oppenheimer
24 Clover Rd.
Newfoundland, NJ 07435
or hand delivered at the next garden meeting.
Absolutely no gardening can take place in your plot until all paperwork is completed and returned with the payment due.
Lastly.... everyone is required to join and participate in at least one of the below committees. After you have been accepted, you will be asked which committee[s] you want to be on (all committees must have at least 3 members so the work will be shared).
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Water & Fence maintenance
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Check the barrels to make sure they are filled and in good working order (bugs/debris out). Check and maintain the ram-pump as needed to keep water flowing from the stream. Insure watering cans are in good shape and on-site. Periodically inspect fence & gate for evidence of rot or other damage, and repair as needed. Work with the garden director to address any problems that garden members bring up regarding water issue/suggestion
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Tools & Pest control
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Insure the tools we have on loan are in good shape and stay at the barn. Identify new tools that may be needed for specific projects. Work with garden director to locate and obtain new tools when needed. Insure that organic/safe pest control products are available and instructions are clear for garden members to use where and when. Work with garden coordinator to address pest problems that garden members identify.
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Wood chips, Poop & Hay
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Identify sources and get wood chips, poop and hay donated to the garden when needed for specific projects. Work with the garden director and communication team for timing.
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Education & Communication
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Work with the garden director to schedule speakers/teachers agenda for monthly educational events. Update SWM calendar, send meeting dates and content to local papers and timely reminders to garden members. Take detailed notes at monthly meeting/educational sessions and distribute them to garden members via email and post on SWM website
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Ample Harvest Coordination
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(Local food panty distribution) - Work with garden director to create and implement the program. Includes collection, storage and distribution of overflow crops from all plot owners and coordination with food pantries.
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Garden Events
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Schedule and coordinate all aspects of key garden events (existing and new ones!). This includes spring cleanup, garden opening, SWM meeting in the garden, 'garden tour' coordination, pot luck garden barbeque, and fall cleanups. Work with garden director to finalize events, calendar dates and any budget needs. Work with communication committee to get the message out with lead time and RSVP mechanisms when needed
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What should I plant?
What should I plant?
Simple answer ... anything you want.
However, simple answers are sometimes not so simple.
- You are going to be limited to your 8X8 or 8X16 foot plot. Some sprawling plants, like pumpkin or melon want nothing more than to grow into your neighbors plots. Some invasive plants like mint or horse raddish also spread like wildfire and can quickly encroach where they do not belong.
- Some plants want a very moist or even boggy soil, so unless you are prepared to water the plot every day, they wont thrive
- Some plants want full sun, and some want partial shade
- Other plants need to be planted in particular arrangements. Corn for example, needs to be planted in rows that roughly form a square (i.e. not in long lines) or it wont fertilize properly.
- Some plants can not be planted near each other, while other plants are mutually beneficial to each other (see the Companion Planting FAQ).
Nearly every garden has tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers.... they all grow very well in our garden too.
Want to try something different?
Try experimenting with kiwi, artichoke, choy sum, collards, egg plant, figs, kale, chard, mustard greens, even okra (borderline hardiness, but what a beautiful plant with gorgeous flowers).
Rutgers has an excellent fact sheet called Planning a Vegetable Garden... you are strongly encouraged to take a look at it. Cornell University also has an excellent vegetable growing guide document,
Look in the organic seed catalogs.... or check out the seeds and seedlings that will be available for purchase on the WMCG opening day from two local suppliers: Midsummer Farm and from Two Pond Farms
Note... to assure that Midsummer and Two Pond have the exact items you'd like on opening day (May 2), please send an email to gary@SustainableWestMilfdord.org with your name, phone number, and the items from each of these two vendors that you'd like them to bring that day.
You may also want to check out these sites:
Note... this listing is for your convenience and does not imply an endorsement of any kind from Sustainable West Milford. Please exercise all due caution when dealing with an online vendor.
Plan to grow what you are going to want to eat and enjoy.
Remember that you can sometimes grow multiple crops at the same time at the same place ( "three sisters" for example) or you can grow seasonal crops to take advantage of the changes in the weather.
Whatever you decide to grow, all plants and all soil amendments must be organic.
Lastly, just in case you were curious, we are in USDA zone 6A. Since you are growing plants that do not need to survive our winter, this should not be of much concern to you. However, if you want, visit the USDA site or gardening.org to learn more about these zones.
Any other suggestions on what I should grow?
Any other suggestions on what I should grow?
Here are some thoughts to consider.....
- Focus on plants that tend to grow up and not out. Where possible, use a trellis to grow your peas, beans and cucumbers
- Interplant fast maturing salad crops (letuce, radishes, spinach, beets, etc) together in 2' square blocks. Succession planting every two weeks results in the garden that keeps on giving.
- Don't overplant any particular crop... especially the summer squashes... they can complely take over your plot. Two zucchini/squash type plants for example may be all you need.
- Grow medium and small fruited cultivars... you tend to get more fruit per plant.
- Check out the non-standard plants.... kohlrabi, bok choi, Oriental eggplant... or dwarf cultivars of regular vegetables.
- Always grow some herbs such as chives, parsley. etc. - you'll be able to enjoy these before the other plants start producing.
When can I start planting my garden?
When can I start planting my garden?
That depends on two things - the plants and the weather.
Some plants should be started while the weather is cool, and will actually tolerate some cold weather. Other plants need warmer weather... and some of them will be killed by even the slightest frost. Check out the Rutgers Planning a Vegetable Garden for suggested months for planting.
Most planting recommendations are timed around what is called a frost date. A frost date is actually the date after which there is a 90% chance that the temperatures will no longer drop to 32 degrees F. While ours is May 15, it is not a hard and fast date. On June 23 1918, the temperatures dropped to freezing... endangering farm crops in Caldwell, NJ (click here to read about it).
We are opening the garden this year on May 2 and statistically, there is a 20% chance of a frost after that date. If you wait to plant your more tender plants until after May 15, the risk drops to about 10%. And as you now know, even if you wait until June 23, the risk of a freeze is not 0%.
If you are concerned about a frost, you can use a floating cloche (essentially, a minerature tent over your plants) or you can create mini-greenhouses out plastic of soda bottles* (cap on for cold days, cap off on warmer ones) to help moderate the temperature.
Lastly, the WMCG is in a frost pocket... a low lying area between two higher pieces of land - meaning that even if the temperature on Union Valley Rd is above freezing, it is possible that the temperature in the garden could drop to a frost.
So... the answer to this question is.... "whenever you want to take the risk".
*Note... if you use the soda bottles, they should be clear plastic and not green. Also, your name must be written with a waterproof marker on each one. You are responsible for them and they need to be removed by you from the garden as soon as you no longer need them. Any bottles in the garden without a name on it will be immediately removed from the plot and put into recycling.... exposing your seedlings to the elements.
What is the soil in the garden like?
What is the soil in the garden like?
We had the soil analyzed by Rutgers Cooperative Extension labs in late 2008.
You can view the results for yourself here. (If you want to get into the nitty gritty of how to understand the report, click here . If this made your eyes glaze over, don't worry about it. All you really ought to focus on is the soil pH ... and a lot of gardeners don't even do that... and they do just fine anyway.)
As you can see, it is a very rich, acidic soil. For most plots, adding limestone to the soil will adjust the pH to what your plants will want.
To get a good sense of what exactly different pH values are, lemon juice (strongly acidic) has a pH of 2.0, orange juice is 4.0, and ammonia (strongly alkaline) is 11.5.
The average soil in our garden has a pH of 5.5 which is moderately acidic.
You will want to grow those plants that all want a similar type of soil. If you plant an acidic loving plant next to one that wants a significantly different soil, one of them will not be happy.
If this confuses you, don't worry.... we'll help you figure it out.
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Listing of the pH preferred by many garden plants.
Based on this table, if you wanted to plan basil (wants a pH of 5.5 to 6.5) , you would do nothing... the soil is perfect. However, if you wanted to plant artichoke (wants a pH of 6.5 to 7.5), you would need to add some limestone (not much is needed - only about 5 lbs) to your plot to adjust the pH.
| Vegetables & Herbs |
Preferred pH Range |
| Artichoke |
6.5 - 7.5 |
| Asparagus |
6.0 - 8.0 |
| Basil |
5.5 - 6.5 |
| Bean |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Beetroot |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Broccoli |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Brussels |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Cabbage |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Calabrese |
6.5 - 7.5 |
| Carrot |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Cauliflower |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Celery |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Chicory |
5.0 - 6.5 |
| Chinese Cabbage |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Chives |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Corn, Sweet |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Cress |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Courgettes |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Cucumber |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Fennel |
5.0 - 6.0 |
| Garlic |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Ginger |
6.0 - 8.0 |
| Horseradish |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Kale |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Kohlrabi |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Leek |
6.0 - 8.0 |
| Lentil |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Lettuce |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Marjoram |
6.0 - 8.0 |
| Marrow |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Millet |
6.0 - 6.5 |
| Mint |
7.0 - 8.0 |
| Mushroom |
6.5 - 7.5 |
| Mustard |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Olive |
5.5 - 6.5 |
| Onion |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Paprika |
7.0 - 8.5 |
| Parsley |
5.0 - 7.0 |
| Parsnip |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Pea |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Peanut |
5.0 - 6.5 |
| Pepper |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Peppermint |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Pistacio |
5.0 - 6.0 |
| Potato, Sweet |
4.5 - 6.0 |
| Potato |
5.5 - 6.0 |
| Pumpkin |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Radish |
6.0 - 7.0 |
| Rice |
5.0 - 6.5 |
| Rosemary |
5.0 - 6.0 |
| Sage |
5.5 - 6.5 |
| Shallot |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Sorghum |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Soybean |
5.5 - 6.5 |
| Spearmint |
5.5 - 7.5 |
| Spinach |
6.0 - 7.5 |
| Swede |
5.5 - 7.0 |
| Thyme |
5.5 - 7.0 |
What is Companion Planting
What is Companion Planting
Companion planting is based around the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted near one another.
It exists to benefit certain plants by giving them pest control, naturally without useing chemicals, and in some cases they can give a higher crop yield .
Other ways that companion planting can be beneficial is to plant a crop like any Legumes (peas, etc), on an area where it will feed nitrogen into the soil (the reason "Three Sisters" works).
Marigolds are especially good at helping to repel pests (and they are pretty)... and should be liberally planted in your plots. Indeed, the commercial pesticide Neem is made from marigolds. You can make your own organic pesticide using marigold leaves and flowers, water and a tiny bit of castille soap if you experience a signifigant pest problem.
Lastly, companion planting also exists in a physical way. For example, tall-growing, sun-loving plants may share space with lower-growing, shade-tolerant species, resulting in higher total yields from the land. This is called spatial interaction, and can also yield pest control benefits, for example, the presence of the prickly vines is said to discourage raccoons from ravaging sweet corn.
There are a number of lists of companion plants on the Internet. One of he best is on Wikipedia. while another good one is at My Vegie Garden.com.
The below information is from a prior years WMCG newsletter.
Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker this month was Barbara Laino, owner of Midsummer Farm in Warwick. Barbara has been farming professionally for four years, though she was raised with an organic garden and has always grown vegetables. Barbara spoke to our group about companion planting and basic Biodynamics. Midsummer Farm has a weekly farm stand and holds a variety of workshops and events all growing season long. You can check out their website at www.midsummerfarm.com.
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Companion Planting – Companion planting has always been a little controversial. For a long time the idea of companion planting was seen as nothing more than a bunch of “old wives tales”. However there is mounting scientific evidence that companion planting is in fact valid. Bottom line, like a lot of things in life, it comes down to whether or not you see it work.
Many plants deter harmful insects from eating your vegetables, such as herbs, onions and garlic. Though these plants many not smell strong to humans their odors are overpowering to insects. Planting herbs, onions and garlic in and around your vegetables will help keep bugs away. When you allow your herbs flower their aroma is offensive to the harmful bugs, but appeals to the beneficial bugs. Tansy flowers bloom in late spring/early summer and attract ladybugs, which eat many destructive insects.
You can also “hide” plants. Barbara shares an experiment she tried with bush beans last year. She planted Cosmos between each bush bean in one area of her garden. Cosmos are very tall flowers and they covered the bean plants. In another area she planted bush beans without Cosmos around them. The bugs flocked to the Cosmos and the “naked” bush beans, but left the “hidden” bush beans alone!
There is also a theory of “trap” plants. Barbara shared a story of when she was young her family did not like eggplant very much. They planted eggplant in their garden because it attracted potato bugs. The bugs feasted on eggplant and left their potatoes alone.
You can also bug traps you can purchase, however Barbara does not suggest using them. The bug traps release pheromones into the air that attract insects into the traps. Once inside insects can’t find their way back out. The problem with these traps is that they attract insects that wouldn’t normally be attracted to your garden…all of a sudden every bug in the neighborhood is in your backyard.
Japanese beetles are a common garden problem. These insects are attracted to the flowers called Four O’clock; however, these flowers are poisonous to Japanese Beetles.
A few not so compatible plants Barbara has discovered over the years are sunflowers and fennel. Barbara noticed how she never had to weed around her sunflowers. One could deduce that the sunflowers emit something into the soil that inhibits other plants from growing around them therefore it is not suggested to plant flowers, vegetables or herbs under or around sunflowers. Fennel, when germinating, puts out a chemical that prevents other plants from germinating.
Intercropping can be a style of companion planting. Intercropping is when you plant multiple vegetables or plants in the same space…getting the most out of the square footage of garden area. If you decide to intercrop you should consider root shape. For example, if you have tomatoes in your garden their roots are wide and shallow. Vegetables to intercrop around tomatoes should have deeper roots – tap roots – such as carrots or lettuce.
Intensive planting is a way of intercropping. For example: Traditional gardeners plant carrots in a single row with lots of bare soil between each row. To plant intensively, you could sow carrots with onion by scattering carrot seeds around the onion sets. Then thin the carrots over time, but not so thin that soil shows once the crops have become established.
Over the years Barbara has tested many of the theories of companion planting on her farm. This is her list of favorite companion plants:
Ø Borage, Calendula & Marigolds are beneficial to have around and throughout the entire garden.
Ø Tomatoes, Peppers & Eggplants with Basil, Borage, Marigolds, Aster, Cosmos, Parsley, Sweet Annie, Dill, Bee Balm
Ø Potatoes, Beans & Peas with Sweet Annie, Savory, Petunias, Calendulas, Cosmos, Daisies, Dill, Lettuce, Rosemary, Horseradish, Carrots. Keep alliums away (the onion family).
Ø Radishes are a good companion around the whole garden. Keep Hyssop away.
Ø Brassica Family – Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprout, Collards, Kale & Turnips with Dill, Cosmos, Clover, Thyme, Asters, Calendula, Chamomile, Marigolds, Rosemary, Lavender, Nasturtiums, Mint, Catnip, Hyssop
Ø Summer & Winter Squash as well as Cucumbers & Melons with Borage, Nasturtium, Marigolds, Calendula, Dill, Sunflowers, Beans, Radishes, Onions, Morning Glories. Keep Tomatoes away. The Three Sisters: A Native American tradition of companion planting of squash, corn and beans.
Ø Corn with Cornflowers, Chicory, Lambs Quarters, Morning Glories
Ø Alliums Family – Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Garlic, Chives, Scallions, etc. with Lettuce, Celery, Chamomile. Alliums are good to plant throughout the garden to keep away pests. Keep away from beans.
Ø Chard, Beets, Greens & Lettuce with Chives, Onions, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Leeks and Sage
Ø Companion Perennials to have around the garden – along the edges or in a row you don’t till over: Asparagus, Horseradish, Chives, Bee Balm, Chamomile, Lovage, Thyme, Tansy, Valerian, Yarrow, Dandelion, Rosemary (can also be placed in pots around the garden), Tarragon, Wormwood, Southern Wormwood, Sage and Comfrey
Ø Raspberries with Rue, Garlic and Tansy
Ø Strawberries with Onions, Lettuce, Beans, Savory, Spinach and Borage
Here is a list of Barbara’s favorite plants that have specific functions:
Ø Lambs Quarters, Clover – strengthens flowers
Ø Purslane, Stinging Nettle – improve soil and stimulates health
Ø Calendula – protects
Ø Dandelion – brings nutrients from deep below soil surface
Ø Yarrow – stimulates essential oil content
Ø Lemon Balm, Oregano/Marjoram, Valerian – have dynamic root interactions
Ø Foxgloves – stimulates growth
Ø Sunflowers– keeps weeds away
Ø Marigolds – thiophene produced in roots kill nemotodes and upper parts also mask scent of other plants.
Ø Morning Glories – germinate seeds together with melons, they stimulate each other for better germination
Ø Catnip and Mints – protective and good for the soil, also the flowers attract parasitic wasps
In general, keep fennel, gladiolas, and columbines away from the vegetables.
There are many herbs that deter specific harmful insects around the garden. Here is a list of which herbs prevent which pests:
Basil flies, mosquitoes, tomato worms
Borage tomato worms
Castor Bean moles and plant lice
Catnip flea beetles, aphids
Cilantro aphids
Datura Japanese beetles
Dead Nettle potato buds
Flax potato bugs
Four O’clock Attract and kill Japanese beetles
Garlic Japanese beetles, aphids, weevils, fruit tree borers, spider mites
Henbit general insect repellent
Horseradish potato bugs – plant at corners of plat
Hyssop cabbage moths
Lavender clothes moths – dry and place in garments
Marigold Mexican bean beetles, nematodes and many other insects. The thiophene produced in their roots kill nemotodes
Mint white cabbage moths, dried, works against clothes moths, mice
Mole Plant moles and mice
Nasturtium aphids, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, woolly aphids
Pennyroyal ants and plant lice
Peppermint white cabbage butterflies, ants
Petunia beetles. Great around beans.
Pot Marigold asparagus beetles, tomato worms and many other insects
Rose Geranium oil or crushed leaves as insect repellents
Rosemary cabbage moths, bean beetles, carrot flies and malaria mosquitoes, slugs
Rue Japanese beetles. Keep away from basil
Sage cabbage moths, carrot flies, ticks
Santolina moths
Sassafras plant lice
Southernwood cabbage moths, malaria mosquitoes, ants, protects fruit trees
Spearmint ants, aphids, flea beetles
Stinging Nettle aphids, blackflies
Summer Savory bean beetles
Tansy flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, ants, cutworms
Thyme cabbage worms
White Geranium Japanese beetles
Wormwood animal intruders, cabbage worms, butterflies, black flea beetles, malaria mosquitoes, slugs, protects fruit trees
*Shade flea beetles like the sun
I signed up.. where is my plot?
I signed up... where is my plot?
Click here to see the garden map as of April 1, 2009.
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