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Meeting Recaps + Information>
West Milford Community Garden - Monthly Meeting
April 1, 2009
Community Garden Meeting Highlights-April 1, 2009
All the plots in the community garden have been renumbered. There are 4 new 6’x8’ plots in the garden and half of our members are new to the garden this year.
The edge of the mill house(red building closest to the garden) is our boundary limit. Please do not trespass beyond this point.
The plastic on the garden now is for solarizing and works better as it gets warmer.
Important dates: April 18th-Our first work day at the garden. Wear long pants, (possible poison ivy around and also for ticks) bring water, gloves and any tools you need.
May 2-opening day- Mid summer farm and Two pond farm will be there to sell plants.
May 15- Frost date
Guidelines for planting are on SWM website.
All plants and seeds must be organic and members must demonstrate that.
May 13- Next informational meeting. Most meetings will be the 2nd Wed. of the month. Topic for this meeting will be announced soon.
Organic Vegetable gardening meeting given by Elaine Barbour, who is the county agricultural assistant.
Note... the presentation can be viewed in a .pdf format by going to www.sustainablewestmilford.citymax.com/f/EFB_veg_gardening.pdf)
Discussed the “Victory Garden”. Growing your own food so you don’t put a strain on the stores supply, during war times. The idea of the Victory garden is coming back due to the economy.
Why grow vegetables? Flavor, pesticide free, health
Why organic? Soil,-Half the plant is underground, build soil health. Increase biological diversity above and below ground.
Sustainable garden-sustains itself. To have a successful garden you need good deep soil, adequate nutrients, water, sunlight and freedom from weed competition.
Most plants like full sun.(6-8 hours a day) Plant tall plants on the north side and shorter plants on southern side.
Digging and aerating tools-mattock, shovel, pick
Good soil- P-H 6.0-6.8 is a perfect range. You want friable, deep, crumbly, fluffy soil. This allows for max root growth, with air spaces. 7.0-neutral, lower than 7.0-acidic(good for blueberries)
6.5 is good for most plants.
Organic Matter-
Manure-not fresh- It needs at least 6 months to decompose.
Compost, shredded leaves, grass clippings, organic mulches, plant roots, cover crops.
Till manure in fall. Wash all produce thoroughly after harvest. Never use pet manures in vegetable garden.
Cover crops-(Planted at the end of the season to put nitrogen in the ground and adds organic matter to the soil. Some cover crops are buck wheat, winter wheat or clover.
Organic fertilizers-
Bone meal-4-21-0
Fish emulsion-6-2-2
Seaweed extract-1-.5-.2
The first number represents nitrogen, the second phosphorous the third potassium. More info on this is on the Rutgers site, fact sheet 675.
Tips on fertilizing
Nitrogen is most often in short supply. Follow label directions
Starting a Garden- Kill sod, and control weeds. Cover area with black plastic or leaves and dig up with a tiller. Negatives to tilling are that they can compact the soil, which should be fluffy, not compacted.
Raised beds-warms soil up quickly and drains well. Read labels of seed packets where and when to start, how to thin. Buy new packets of seed each year for corn, onion and parsnips. Other seeds may last for longer. You can do a germination test by placing seeds on a wet paper towel and see if they germinate; if they do your other seeds will grow also.
For healthy transplants, not too much water or you will get a fungus that will kill your seedling. Give more sunlight to make sturdy plants and keep warm (heating pad)
Succession plantings-Planting one after another. Ex. Tomatoes and then kale in the fall when tomatoes are done
Tomatoes should have 1” of water a week. Cucumbers and beans can grow up on a tee-pee or chicken wire, but should be open enough to get your hand in to harvest.
Season Extenders-“wall of water”-as it freezes, it gives off heat and these last a few years. Plastic mulches(black, white or red, black heats soil faster),row covers, organic mulches, tunnel houses.
Organic mulches-
Grass only 1” deep, compost, wood chips, newspaper, shredded leaves.
Plant covers-(temp. is 30 degrees hotter inside) use for a short time. Ventilation is key. They are costly and flowers can be damaged.
Fence out critters. Container gardening.
Veg. I.P.M.(Insect Pest Monitor)
Managing pests at acceptable level.
Put right plant in right place.
Study, spy, and squish insects.
Cultural and Environmental Problems-
Blossom end rot-nutritional disorder, a calcium and water problem that blackens the bottom of tomatoes. Just cut off black and fruit is still good to eat.
Biological Control-
Buying and releasing predators and parasites. Not generally recommended because the bugs disperse and don’t just stay in your garden.
Hand pick bugs. Remove diseased leaves.(Do not put into compost) Locate and destroy egg masses.
Floating row cover can help with bugs, but will prevent pollination also so be careful.
Cultural Control-
Grow resistant varieties and clean up compost.
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