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| MLK Day of Service volunteers clearing ivy |
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| winter sun on Bergenia flowers |
Calendar
It's time to put some weekday and evening compost give-away dates on the calendar. The Google calendar at the bottom of the page has been updated. Please make note of the dates and times compost will be available- I'm sorry I can't fulfill any requests for compost outside of these times. Planned times are subject to change due to weather and schedule conflicts.
2/3, 2-5pm- compost at Ft Scott Garden (for all members)
2/8, 11am-2pm- Garden Resource Day at Ft Scott Garden: compost + seedlings for all members
2/20, 2-5pm- compost at Ft Scott Garden (for all members)
3/5, 2-5pm- compost at Ft Scott Garden (for all members)
3/10, 5-7pm- compost at South Baker Beach Gardens
3/14, 11am-2pm- Garden Resource Day at Ft Scott Garden: compost + seedlings for all members
3/16, 2-5pm- compost at Ft Scott Garden (for all members)
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| winter greens at Ft Scott garden |
3/17, 5-7pm- compost at West Washington Garden
3/19, 5-7pm- compost at Baker Beach Garden #1
3/23, 5-7pm- compost at Baker Beach Garden #2
3/24, 5-7pm- compost at Portola Garden
3/31, 5-7pm- compost at MacArthur Garden
4/7, 5-7pm- compost at Lendrum Ct Garden
4/9, 5-6pm- compost at Baker Beach Garden #3
4/9, 6-7pm- compost at Baker Beach Garden #4
4/11 11am-2pm Garden Resource Day at Ft Scott Garden- compost + seedlings for all members
4/14- Spring Planting Cut-off: garden plots will all be checked to see that they are weeded, no plants are flowering/seeding that shouldn't be, and there are spring crops growing. If plots are not actively used and maintained on this date, you will LOSE it. If you have questions prior to the cut-off date, please contact me: jkoch@presidiotrust.gov
Looking for hands-on garden learning? See what Garden for the Environment has on offer!
Click to find a document former intern Kasey put together with a lot of helpful information about gardening in SF:
Gardening in
the Fog: Tips, Tricks, and Plans to Make your Bay Area Garden Flourish
Compiled by Kasey Wooten, Presidio
Trust Sustainability Intern, August 2014
Edited, Jean Koch, January 2020
Gardening 101: The Basics
What to plant?
- Sun needs: In general,
leafy greens need 4 hours of full sun while fruit vegetables (squash and
tomatoes) need 6 hours.
·
Presidio favorites: Choose
plants from this list to have as successful of a garden as possible!
-Artichoke
(Perennial) -Leeks
-Beets -Lettuce
-Broccoli -Potatoes
-Cabbage -Radishes
-Collards -Spinach
-Garlic -Squash
-Kale -Swiss chard
-Onions -Zucchini
-Herbs (P: thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, A: parsley, cilantro, dill)
-Herbs (P: thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, A: parsley, cilantro, dill)
Responsibility and
privilege of gardening in a national park
·
Having the opportunity
to grow ANYTHING in a national park is a privilege, so please remember to
appreciate this unique opportunity (and the free compost and seedlings!)
·
**Make sure you only
plant from the Presidio Plant List (See
attached plant list)
·
If you see flowers developing, your plant is going to seed so pull it out or cut the stem below the flowers.
·
Weeds that pop up in
your garden could go to seed and spread to other gardens and the park, so take
the time to remove weeds from your bed, its surroundings, and the pathways.
Plant Definitions:
·
Annual plants (A) have a life cycle of one
year—they germinate, produce seed and fruit, and die within one year, while perennial
plants (P) live for two years, often more.
If you plant perennials, expect them to die back in the fall and winter
and reemerge in the spring.
·
Plant nutrients:
o Nitrogen helps plants to develop new, green, leafy growth; phosphorus
helps transfer energy throughout the plant, and is especially important in
root and fruit development; potassium helps plants deal with stress and
root development. They are the big three nutrients found in fertilizers.
Plant Nutrition
- Compost is the ideal amendment; however, some
people choose to use organic fertilizers. Please DO NOT use inorganic fertilizers
like Miracle-Gro.
o Fertilizers are labeled in terms of percentage of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium, respectively. So, a label that said 10-5-5 would be
10% nitrogen, and 5% each of phosphorus and potassium. Try to keep the
phosphorus low due to environmental impacts
·
Add compost in early
spring and late summer if you use your bed all year. Apply a layer 1-3
inches thick and gently work into the soil. Some people recommend
topdressing, where you just lay the compost on top of the soil near the plants
that need it. This prevents the organic material in the soil from being
disturbed.
o Make sure to leave some space around the stalk of the plant
because the nitrogen in the compost can burn the plant.
o Do not add too much fertilizer because it can burn or kill
the plants. Too much is worse than too little!
- Apply compost or fertilizer on a cooler day.
Watering
·
The lower the water pressure, the better to avoid damaging the
plants or disrupt the soil as much
·
Some leaves like getting wet, like members of the brassica family
(Cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc.), while plants like tomatoes, peas, squash, and
melons, might wilt, mold, or rot if wet. Try to water the soil around
these plants.
·
It is best to water in the late afternoon. Plants do much of
their growing at night and having water reserved in the soil makes this easier.
If watering too late in the day, the leaves might remain wet, allowing
for mildew or rust to develop. If watering earlier in the day, much of it
will be lost to evaporation. If you work 9-5, watering when you come home
from work is probably best.
- Water
heavily, infrequently. If you water a little bit each day, the roots
of the plants will not have to go deeper in search of water, making them
shallow and less able to support the plant. The exception of this is
when transplanting or starting seeds since they need water more often as
they develop.
- To see how
you are watering, go to the garden the morning after you water and inspect
the first 2 inches of soil. If it is soggy, reduce the amount of
water you give, and if it is dry for part or all of the upper 2 inches,
increase your watering time.
- Save water!
We waste a lot of water with overhead watering since much of it evaporates
or is diverted to leaves, rather than roots. You can take a jug,
drill a few holes in the bottom, and insert it in your garden when you
plant seeds or seedlings. Fill the jug periodically with hose water
and the water will filter out as the soil around it dries up. This directs
all of the water underground to where the plant needs it.
- Avoid
working in your garden after a rain as water encourages pests and
pathogens
Propagation
(Reproducing plants)
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Direct sow plants
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Plants better suited for
transplanting
|
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-In general,
root plants and fast growing greens
-Carrots
-Beans
-Corn
-Leeks
-Arugula
-Cilantro
-Radishes
-Spinach
|
-Large
brassicas, like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
-Chives
-Cucumbers
-Perennial
herbs (sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary)
-Strawberries
-Tomatoes
-Winter
squash and pumpkins
|
·
Seeds should be planted as deep as they are long
·
Cover with humus (compost), which helps stimulate the
germination process
·
Plant tall crops on the north side of your bed to
avoid shading plants
Transplanting tips:
·
Harden off plants
first, which is a process where the transplants get used to being
outside. It’s advised that you put out transplants for a few hours for
several days before planting them in your garden to help them adapt to sunlight
and new temperatures.
·
Most vegetables should be planted up to their first
set of true leaves. This helps them from becoming too top-heavy and bending. Brassicas and tomatoes especially should be
planted deeper than they were in their original pot
·
Do not transplant in the hot, midday sun.
Instead, opt for a cool morning or evening
·
Once transplanted, gently water plants and wet leaves.
Insert trellises and stakes now before roots develop.
·
Mulch around the plants, leaving some space near
stems, to help control weeds and retain moisture
·
When buying transplants, select short, stocky plants
with dark green foliage. Avoid tall, spindly plants or those with flowers or
fruit.
- Thin plants once
they get established. Once plants
have a set of true leaves, pull the smallest plants in the rows until the
plants reach their ideal spacing.
Where to buy seeds or transplants?
·
Grocery stores like Rainbow Grocery--1745 Folsom St. (corner of 14th) or farmer’s
markets
·
Nurseries and garden stores like Sloat Garden Centers--3rd Avenue and
2700 Sloat Avenue, Clement Nursery--1921
Clement St., The Seed Bank--
Petaluma (also on-line), or Green Jeans in
Mill Valley.
·
Seedsnow.com—This CA
company sells 100% non-GMO, open-pollinated, heirloom seeds. They have a
99 cent page with seed packets the perfect size for your garden bed!
·
Seedsavers.org--A
nonprofit resource for gardeners to save and share organic, heirloom, and
often, rare seeds. Great if you want unique plants, like maroon Dragon
carrots, purple watermelons, and sweet chocolate peppers.
·
Bontanicalinterests.com--Also
selling non-GMO, organic seeds, this site has some interesting articles to
improve your gardening too!
·
Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply Groworganic.com--More
non-GMO organic seeds, plus garden tools, fertilizers, etc in Grass Valley, CA
·
Johnny’s Selected Seeds- Employee owned, non-GMO
safe seed, heirloom, open-pollinated options
Territorial Seed Company- family owned, certified organic in Oregon
Checklist for Planning your Garden:
€ Sunlight—Make sure your tall crops are on the north
side, think about what crops need more sun and which ones benefit under some
shade
€ Timing—When should you plant certain crops? Also,
if you are going to start transplants, how soon should you plant them?
€ How many to
start? Based on spacing, how many plants fit
in a square foot or within a given area?
€ What
resources do you need? Make sure
you add trellises, cages, etc. before your plant’s roots develop! Don’t forget
to add compost, especially to heavy feeders
€ Water-Some plants need to take a break from
watering before you harvest them, like onions, garlic, and potatoes. Try putting these plants on the edge of your
bed or near one another where they won’t get much water.
€ Feasibility-Radishes and beets might be great crops for
the Presidio, but if you’re not going to eat them as enthusiastically as they
grow, you’re wasting your time and garden space. Focus on foods that you love AND that will do
well here. If you eat daily salads,
focus your energy on fun greens, snap peas, chives, and broccoli. If your family LOVES kale chips, plant a few
kale plants.
Companion planting-Some plants do even better when nestled next to a
friend, like spinach and radishes, as the radishes attract leaf miners away
from the spinach without damaging the radish’s growth. Other favorites are brassicas and dill,
tomatoes and cabbage, and lettuce and beets.
Watch for “enemy” combinations, too, and avoid putting crops together
that don’t get along. Examples include: lettuce and brassicas, onions and peas,
and potatoes and squash or tomatoes.
Utilize tips from Square Foot
Gardening
Organic Solutions: Managing Pests
- In general, the healthier the plant and soil, the less likely you are to get a
pest or pathogen attack.
- Keep weeds managed and clean
up your garden debris to limit pests’ hiding spaces (snails love to hide
in weeds on the side of garden beds)
- In general, there are two categories
of pests:
o Sucking Pests--aphids, squash bugs, flies, leaf miners
§ Spray with a
water and soap mixture. You can also add oil to help it stick. This
asphyxiates the bugs. Add 1-2 teaspoons of soap to a pint of water or
purchase insecticidal soap. Soap sprays may damage plants, so test it on
a small area first. Tomatoes and
sweet peas are more sensitive to soap.
o Chewing or biting
pests-grasshoppers, flea beetles, caterpillars, cutworms, slugs
§ You can make a garlic or pepper spray recipe: Take 2 cloves
of garlic or a few chili peppers chopped up, bring them to a boil in enough
water to cover them. Let this stand overnight. Strain out the garlic. Add this
liquid to a quart of water and spray on the plants. Add a tablespoon of dish soap to each quart
of water for more potency. This liquid will rot so make small batches or freeze
it.
·
Tips that work for most pests:
o Check plants every time you visit your garden because
pest populations can explode and become hard to manage (especially
aphids).
o Protect your seedlings or smaller plants with a barrier or
cloche, like the DIY ones at the right. Put a little mesh, net, or
cover over the lid too, enough for your plant to breath but keep pests out. This
can also help plants absorb more heat, like a mini greenhouse.
o
Floating row covers (i.e. Agribon) can help prevent flying pests from laying their eggs on plants. These also can help protect
against frost and extend the season.
Make sure to lift the row covers up for plants that need pollination
(peas, strawberries, beans, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins).
o
Too much nitrogen
encourages tender green growth, which pests like slugs and aphids find
especially attractive. Make sure you are
not over fertilizing.
o
Try planting trap
crops, like radishes, to attract flea beetles and aphids, or chervil and sorrel
to attract slugs.
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| homemade cloches |
