Weather Warning

Thank goodness we got a good rain today. That will help prepare the plants for the cold snap that is coming up.

According to The Weather Channel towards the end of the week we are going to have a little cold snap. You might want to check the weather every day to keep an eye on the temperatures. By the way, they don't post frost warnings on The Weather Channel until around 4:00 pm!

The predicted lows are:
Weds am -  35
Thurs am -  33
Fri am      -  30

  When in doubt...cover up. And when cold is predicted ALWAYS water well!

                 Vicki

The Harvest is Coming in...

It has been fun watching the harvest come in and quite amazing to see how much food is being produced in each 4' by 8' bed.  When we have visitors at the garden everyone is very impressed with what we are growing.  More and more people are stopping by to see what we are doing. Just this past weekend I talked to 4 separate sets of visitors and I'm sure there were more when I wasn't there.

 

I wish I had taken a picture of Leah with her broccoli that she harvested this weekend. She was so excited about her first broccoli head that was ready to eat.  However, I do have a picture of Dalita and her broccoli harvest.

 

 

 Saturday Mike and Sue harvested their first carrot of the season.

 

 

Caully's Festive Attire

I'm not sure if Caully is really his name but he certainly is dressed appropriately for the season!

 

Why look...he is dining on a freshly pulled carrot. Maybe this is where all the vegetables in Mike's bed have gone recently. Pretty soon Mike will be finding caully-doo to help fertilize the remaining vegetables.

snicker snicker

Do you Want to Learn More about Growing Vegetables

Hey Everyone,
   If you are interested in learning more about vegetable gardening I know of a FREE online class you can take.  Anyone who has a Cobb County Library Card can sign up for it. Just log onto Cobbcat.org and then click on E-Library on the left side of the page.  Or you can use this link to find the ed2go link.  ed2go at Cobb County Library

  Each session of the vegetable gardening class (they call it Start Your Own Edible Garden) is 6 weeks long and you go at your own pace.  They have sessions starting up Dec 12, Jan 16, Feb 20 & Mar 20. 

  I've found it very informative and interesting.  Definitely well worth the time I've put into it. The price can't be beat either!

               Vicki

Impromptu Christmas Cookie Garden Party

Come out and socialize with your fellow gardeners and see

what they look like cleaned up! It should be a

beautiful warm day if the weather holds

 

When:    This Saturday December 8th

 

Where:   At the garden

 

Time:     3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

 

What to Bring:

              Chair(s), a plate of cookies to share and your own beverage - tea, coffee, water, etc

 

Activities:

             Talking, eating, touring the garden, visiting with garden friends we haven't seen in awhile

Sweet & Spicy Pecans

I seem to have an influx of nuts to use (still laughing), so I thought this looks like a wonderful recipe to try as well as to share.  It is from Sarah Foster's Southern Kitchen Cookbook.

Ingredients:

4 cups pecan halves

1/3 cup natural cane sugar

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For more savory pecans, you can substitute the vanilla with Worcestershire sauce.

Preheat oven to 400°

Melt butter

Place pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to toast lightly, 5 to 7 minutes.

While the pecans are toasting, combine the cane sugar, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl and stir to mix well.  Place the butter and vanilla or Worcestershire sauce in a separate bowl. 

Remove the pecans from the oven and add them to the butter and vanilla mixture, tossing to coat.  Add the spice mixture and toss again to coat evenly.

Return the pecans to the baking sheet, spread evenly, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.  Let cool completely.  Pecans will get crispy after they cool down. 

Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.  Pecans will stay fresh for up to 1 week.

This recipe makes a great gift placed in cellophane bags or organza tied with a decorative ribbon. Lends itself well to party favors, party trays, baked gifts, and compliments most cocktails, just saying……..

Hope you enjoy,

Denise
Beds 25 & 29 

Team Squirrel!!

 Look at all these great holes...perfectly spaced, perfectly shaped.

 And look at all those toothpicks showing where future holes are

 going in. A perfect bed to plant pecans in!

  

 

Hmmmmm.....look at this. These squirrels are just like Denise.

Notice how precisely the nuts have been planted - carefully

 centered in the middle of each beautiful hole.

 

 

Ah well...those pecans were very tasty but I'd better plant this one.

 

 

Decisions, decisions - which hole, which hole..

 

 

Ahhh....I'm trapped! Where did that netting come from!

 It wasn't there a minute ago.

 

 

The Great Reveal!

Denise and Rick finally arrive to see the Squirrel Escapade!

 

BUT WAIT!!! There is MORE!!

 

 

What was in that last batch of pecans?  The squirrel is in a very

festive mood and has decided to concede the battle.

HO! HO! HO!

 

Lost & Found

Yesterday a gardening tool was found in the path between beds 11 & 12.

It is a hoe/rake combo thing with a black handle with purple accents.

It was placed at the top of the ramp into the garden shed.

     Vicki

What do Nutritional Deficiencies in Plants Look Like

The next 10 days will be a great time to fertilize your plants if they are showing signs of nutritional deficiencies.  If you are using organic fertilizer, remember you have to fertilize more frequently because the fertilizer has lower numbers (3-4-3 or 4-5-4).  If you used 10-10-10, think back to when you put it down and how long is it supposed to last.

Remember to look at the instructions on the package the fertilizer came in to figure out

the proper amount to use and how frequently to use it!

How can you tell if plants are having problems?
Look at the plants in this picture and try to answer the following questions.

Kale and Cabbage

 

Are the plants stunted?

Think about when you put them in and check the tags to see how big they should be. If they have barely grown and they weren't miniatures, they are probably stunted.  Fertilize!

 

Do they just look puny (as in they grew but aren't as big as other plants near by)?

Maybe the plants have grown but they seem to have stalled out and just aren't as healthy and vigorous as plants in other beds. Check when they were last fertilized. If necessary fertilize!

 

Are the leaves chlortic ie yellowish?

This means are the leaves yellowish or a lighter green in places. Look at the kale above. The leaves are turning yellow. Fertilize!  (The leaves on all the peas have turned yellow but that was because of cold/frost damage. They were a beautiful green before the freeze last week.)

 

Are the leaves purple or pink?

If you aren't growing purple cabbage, Swiss chard, or another "on purpose" purple leaved plant, your plant is suffering mightily. The deeper the color the more they are suffering. Fertilize immediately!

 

 

How frequently are you watering?

If you are only watering once a week that isn't nearly enough. The plant has reverted to survival mode and is intent on just maintaining what it has. And sometimes that includes letting leaves die on purpose so it has less vegetation to keep alive - example the kale in the first picture.

Are you watering before heavy frosts/freezes?

Plants withstand the stress of cold weather MUCH better if they have been watered deeply before a frost/freeze occurs. Everyone needs to water deeply (even those using row covers) the day before the frost hits. Your plants will thank you.

 

Some beds will have more cold damage than others because of their placement in the garden. Even though Mark (Beds 45 & 46) waters frequently, his broccoli leaves have yellowed AND purple areas on them which is cold damage because his bed is the first to get frosted.

                                    Vicki

 

Warm Weather next 10 days

Hey Everyone,
   We are going to be having exceptionally warm weather for the next 10 days and it is going to be exceptionally dry as well. True, 2 days call for showers (30% and 40%) but you know that doesn't really mean it WILL rain and if it does rain it might not be very much. Therefore, supplemental watering will be necessary.

  If you water deeply and thoroughly every couple of days when you water you don't have to go quite as frequently. It is also better for the plants to really water good.   I'm going to be going down to the garden to water every 2 days so the plants aren't as stressed and susceptible to bug attack.

  Speaking of bugs, watch your veggies, especially the undersides of leaves because this warm weather will also cause lots of bugs to hatch out and go for the yummy greens. There are some weird looking critters on the plants right now but they are good critters. Lady bug beetles have funny looking larva but don't kill them because if you do you have destroyed a very beneficial aphid predator.

Here is a link to lady bugs if you want more information about them:  Lady Bugs - adults and larva pictures

 

Jane has a nice lady bug larva on her brussel sprouts

  Also, anyone with carrots or parsley needs to be on the watch for swallowtail caterpillars. That cold weather we had did NOT kill them off.  Susan (Bed 18) and I (Bed 41) have been removing caterpillars this past week. Instead of smashing them, just put them in the bluebird feeder by the birdbath to feed the bluebirds.

 

This one has grown quite a bit. When they are small they are mostly black, without

 the yellow and white spouts you see on this one.

 

  Enjoy the beautiful weather!

          Vicki

Black Aphid Infestations

Hey Everyone,

I was at the garden today to remove my frost cover for the wave of warmer weather that is upon us and noticed small black bugs all over it, barely noticeable to the eye.  I didn’t think much of it until I removed my blanket and saw a tremendous amount of damage to my peas in just two days.  The plants were amazingly beautiful and vigorous when I viewed and watered them on Wednesday.

Vicki was kind enough to help me check my plants and many others.  While we didn’t see much with the naked eye, I happened to get out my trusty magnifying glass (I know, funny) and wow these little black bugs are everywhere.  We spot-checked several beds throughout the garden and all are heavily infested.  Vicki was kind enough to phone Amy at the extension office and with her help assisting us in what to look for and tracking different stages of development; it looks like a heavy infestation of black aphids.  Per Amy’s instructions, a simple insecticidal soap will rectify the problem.   

I thought it might be nice to give everyone a heads up.  Enjoy the wonderful weather this weekend.

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

War on Squirrels is Declared

Yes, you are reading this correctly.  War has now been declared on the squirrels in my bed!   I actually think the squirrels are getting back at me for taking more than my fair share of their nuts.  Kind of the eye for an eye theory.  Dalita thank you so much for letting me know I had issues.  Most days when I come to the garden, I see a little digging but nothing too unreasonable.  Well let's just say, today wasn't that day. What a mess.....

Since shooting the little critters is probably out of the question (I really wouldn't do that), I thought I would search for a kinder and gentler resolution.  After all I am gardening in their environment and do realize they were here first.  Nevertheless, really squirrels, if you want a carrot that bad, I will bring you one from the fridge.  Leave these alone, they are Mokum's and White Satin's.   I did come across some information and thought it may be helpful if any others are having the same issues.

The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control (speaking of which is an excellent resource for those who are environmentally conscious) suggests poultry netting, repellent sprays for deer and rabbits, blood meal barrier, and drenching the bed with a castor oil repellent, commonly used to repel moles and chipmunks.  The book suggests using the netting in combination with another tactic as the best line of defense.  In addition, an eHow website (listed below) has a variety of other means to try such as used cat litter, blood meal barrier mentioned again, and a homemade hot pepper spray.  I am surprised to see cat litter as an option as to me this is a horrible choice to add to the soil.  I would love to hear if anyone has any knowledge of this tactic.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5411541_keep-squirrels-out-garden.html - link to the eHow website on How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden

Normally, I use a little blood meal in the garden on a regular basis as an excellent source of nitrogen. Since I have it on hand and no additional cost would be incurred, I think it will be my first line of defense at getting the problem resolved.  I am thinking about putting a barrier around the base of the bed on the outside so I do not overdose my garden on nitrogen at this time of year.  Too much of a good thing scenario.  I figure that way it will only need replaced after a rain and will just settle into the ground naturally.  If this does not work, I would probably be inclined to try some pepper and garlic spray.  Does anyone have some thoughts on using a blood meal barrier?  Good idea, bad idea?

Consider this your notice little squirrels; you will be baffled by the mystery of the netting, repelled by the smell of blood, using a non-cow source, of course, and victory will be mine!

Called to Duty,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29

 

Garden Mysteries

The Garden was full of mysteries today!

 

Mystery # 1

 

 

Our new Garden Member

 

We (Dalita, Denise, Katrina and I) met the new Community Garden Member today. We don't know his/her name yet but we are sure we'll enjoy seeing him in passing. I'm not sure I want to be seen talking to him/her as I might get more odd looks than I already do.

 

 

Mystery # 2

 

 

The dark brown spots on the lettuce leaves is the frost damage

Today I could see the frost damage on Jane's Black Seeded Simpson lettuce. Boo hiss. But it was amazing how much of the lettuce didn't appear to have any frost damage on it. The temperature was the same for the entire bed but there must be little micro-climates all over that bed that protected so much of the lettuce. I don't know if it was the leaves of the artichoke hanging over the lettuce, the angle of the morning sun or what. The mysteries of gardening.

Mystery # 3

 

 

 

Here is the last garden Mystery of the day - How many of you know what is going on in this picture?

Good luck figuring it out!

 

Vicki

Frost/Cold Report from the Garden 11-25

Last night was a good test of our cold weather defense mechanisms. Mike says the hoses were frozen when he got there first thing this morning! He also said there was a very thick layer of frost on everything. I know at 11:30 there was still a big chunk of frozen ice in the birdbath by the fence.

Seven frost structures of varying complexity were seen at 11:30 am

Denise's Super Structure with the truly cold defeating blanket kept her peas mostly untouched. Dalita's pea pods and flowers didn't make it through the cold even though they were wrapped in a light weight frost blanket. Over the next few days we'll see if the plants survived.

Since I didn't have the super good frost blanket I put jugs of hot water in my bed to give off a bit of warmth and provide a little more protection. I had five 1 gallon jugs spaced inside my structure which created lots of interesting micro climates. This morning the lettuce next to the jugs looked good however the lettuce next to the frost cloth looked rather wilted.  We'll see how it all works out over the next week.

 

Notice the new lettuce leaves to the right of the jug - they look very perky

 

 

 

I was in the process of opening both ends of my structure to let the air go through for ventilation.

 Definitely I made sure I left the bird netting in place to keep the squirrels out!

 

 

                                                                 Vicki

Denise's Frost Cover Structure

Denise and Rick (Bed 29 & 25) have a great frost cover system. Their system is tall enough that large plants such as cabbage, broccoli and other cold weather crops can be covered easily. The sides of the structure go straight up as well.  Rick created a PVC bar to put over the tops of the poles that are hold up the trellis for the peas. (This is important because you don't want anything rough or pointy sharp that can rub a hole in your frost cover!!)

The frost blanket Denise is using came from Gardener's Supply -  The Garden Quilt  It is an excellent size for using on large plants as it is 20 ft x 20 ft and is good down to 24 degrees. This size blanket easily goes over the trellis for her snow peas with room to spare. Territorial Supply also has really heavy duty Frost Blankets/Row Covers - Territorial Seed Frost Blanket  Whichever you buy, just be aware that a 6 foot wide blanket will NOT be wide enough to cover your ribs length wise (end to end.) You will have to piece it together if you use 6 foot wide cloth which is very tedious and not as secure.

Denise's Most Excellent Row Cover Structure with Blanket for Bed 29

 

This picture shows the ribs of the structure for Bed 29

Materials Needed to make the ribs
The ribs in Bed 29 are taller and used these materials to make one rib.
    (The height from the ground to the top of the hoop ranges from 36" to 42" tall)
10 ft section of 3/4" SharkBite PEX tubing (plumbing supply section  $4.98 @ Lowe's & Home Depot)
1/2" inch standard rebar (2 ft section - $1.97 @ Lowe's, $1.60 at Home Depot)
   (the plumbing tube needs to fit easily over the rebar you choose)
Rick cut off 1 to 1 1/2 feet of tubing to form ribs of the desired height to fit the frost blanket Denise wanted to use. However, you can use all of the tubing if you want.

The ribs in Bed 25 are shorter and a different size tubing was needed to get it to bend properly for a short rib.
   (The height from the ground to the top of the hoop is 27" in this bed but you could make your ribs taller)
10 ft section of 1/2" SharkBite PEX tubing (plumbing supply section  $1.60 @ Lowe's, $2.85@ Home Depot)
3/8" all- threaded rod (2 ft sections $1.97 @ Home Depot)
  (the plumbing tube needs to fit easily over the threaded rod/rebar you are using)
Rick cut off a 2 foot section of tubing to form these ribs. You can use all of it if you want.

 

Rebar with tubing sliding down onto it

 

Pound the rebar into the ground so that approximately 6 inches is above ground. Do this to both sides of the bed. Stick the end of your tubing rib over the rebar and push the tubing all the way into the ground  (approximately 11" to 12" depending on the hardness of the ground/depth of soil in your bed.) Then put the other end of the tubing on the 2nd piece of rebar. One rib is now constructed.

 

PVC  structure

This is the "structure" that Rick created out of PVC pipe and fittings to hook over the stakes holding the trellis in place. Notice the ROUNDED corners that prevents wear and tear on the frost blanket!!

The last piece(s) you need are clamps/clips to hold the frost blanket attached to the ribs of tubing. You can order the  Territorial Garden Clip System  from Territorial Supply but they are rather pricey.

 

If you enlarge the picture you can really see the white clip that Denise is using that she got from Territorial Supply. As well, notice the clamps with red handles that were used to secure the excess fabric to keep it from flopping in the wind. The rocks she used are wrapped over and over in the bottom of the fabric.

Or you can make your own. Per Rick's instructions buy a 1 foot long piece of 3/4" white hose. Cut the white hose into 1" pieces. Cut one side of the hose piece. Make a 2nd cut and remove a small slice of the hose to form a C shape (but more closed than a capital C).  This forms your clip that you will use to clamp your frost blanket to the ribs. You want a small piece to be removed so you can easily clip it on the tubing rib but not so much that it doesn't tightly hold. Create one and test it out before you make all of the clips.

You need to make sure ALL pieces of your blanket are clipped down, clamped down, etc. Use rocks to anchor the bottom to keep the cold air out and to keep the wind from ballooning your structure. You may need heavy clamps to hold some of the extra fabric together on the sides.

(This post was updated Nov 26, 2012 with Denise's comments/corrections and a picture of the clamps & clips.)

Different Kinds of Frost Covers

The garden is looking kind of interesting these days! I took this picture Saturday morning to show all the kinds of frost covers that are popping up. Sunday morning I'll take another picture that will hopefully show more frost covers as two more popped up just before dark.

 

Dalita, Katrina and Denise used different methods of covering.

 

Friday I did a post about how to create a frost cover using the method that Dalita and Katrina used. The next post will have the method that Denise (Bed 29)  used which is tall enough to cover large plants. The final post will be on the method Vicki (Bed 41) uses which is good for lower growing plants.

Simplest Frost Blanket/Row Cover to use

Wednesday, Pikes on Barrett Parkway still had some Frost Cover/Frost Blanket/Row Cover available. It is stocked where they keep the bird netting and landscape fabric. The frost blanket they carry only provides 2-4 degrees of protection. For a hard freeze like Sunday morning you would have to put 2 or 3 layers across to achieve the amount of protection needed. A roll costs $9.95 and is 6 feet wide and 50 feet long.

The simplest way to use a frost blanket/row cover is to just wrap it around a plant like I'm doing here. It does help if you have someone to help when it is windy!



Dalita's peas being covered while a breeze is blowing

In the case of Dalita's peas, the vines are tender and the weight of the clothes pins drags the cloth down and somewhat compresses the vines. They recover quickly once you take the wrap off but if you need to leave it on for multiple days it could be a problem.

Rocks were used to anchor the cloth to the ground

Clothes pins anchor the loose end to the rest of the blanket

 The other easy way to use a row cover (no construction necessary) is to spread it over a bed like I've don on Bed 37 (Master Gardener Bed.) However there are drawbacks to just laying it on top. 

In the case of the MG bed, the Frost Blanket isn't really wide enough to cover all the mature broccoli and collard plants in the entire bed. The blanket is only 6 feet wide and there are tall plants throughout the entire bed. This means the frost blanket will have to be cut in two and anchored down, folded over, pinned together, etc to make a seam. It can be done but it is harder.

You can use a sheet but sheets are heavier and compress the plants more. Also, if there is wind it will flap and beat the plants up more than a special light weight row cover/frost blanket will.

Use rocks, landscape pins, etc to anchor the row cover down on all sides and ends.

Notice how the back side is not really covered! This is a staged picture.

Cold Weather Warning

Hello Everyone!
   I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are ready for the weather to shift into a more Christmas like pattern. The shift begins Friday night!

Sat - low of 31
Sun - low of 26
Mon - low of 31

Then the temps go back up and the next "low low" will be on Thursday (32).

The important thing you have to remember is that frost can and will form at 34 or 35 degrees, especially in a garden that is so exposed like the Community Garden. The trees are far enough away they don't prevent the air from settling and frost developing.

The key to preventing cold damage to your vegetables (if you aren't going to use a row cover) is to keep everything well watered. Plants can tolerate more cold when they have been watered well.

If you have a chance, be sure and water thoroughly (not a sprinkle and run) on Friday but if you can't on Friday you definitely need to water extra well on Saturday!

If you want to look at the link Denise posted a few weeks back about the frost tolerance of vegetables, you can find it in this post on the blog.

                     Frost-tolerance-of-vegetables

Good luck everyone!

Vicki

Broccoli - ready for eating, ready to bolt

The broccoli in the garden is in all stages of development. From just starting to form heads, perfect heads ready to eat, heads well on the way to bolting and plants making side shoots after the big center head has been removed.

 

A perfect head, ready to eat!

 

  

 

 Notice how the head of broccoli is opening up and  the yellow flowers that are starting to show. That means the head is starting to bolt. If you like broccoli flowers, you'll enjoy it. But if you want the usual kind of broccoli, it needs to be cut sooner than later. ( The yellow flowers are especially noticeable if you enlarge the picture.)

 

 

 

 

The main head has already been cut off on a slant to prevent rain from collecting and

rotting the main stem.Small side shoots are growing and will soon be ready to eat.

Cut them off on a slant as well. Frequent cutting will keep the broccoli plant producing.

Cabbage Worms

I went to the garden today to take some pictures and what do you know...I found cabbage worms in two different beds (Jim's and the MG bed).  I did take them off the cabbages after I took pictures. If you have cabbage, you'd probably better check for them. I was reading that they hatch 5-7 days after the eggs are laid. This week it is going to be warm enough  for lots of eggs to hatch I would think.

This caterpillar was at least an inch long - he looked fairly mature.