Wreath making/ updates/ Plot checks and Compost dates for winter 2020

Winter wreath making - December 14 we'll have our last special event of the year. RSVP here and join us at the Presidio Native Plant Nursery!

Garden updates:

• Weeds: I've already started seeing Oxalis pes-caprae in the gardens and it hasn't even rained yet! This pesky and persistent weed is one to start pulling now. As we enter the winter and the (hopefully) rainy season, make plans to visit your plot every few weeks to stay on top of the weeds in the plots AND in the pathways. We worked hard this year to weed and mulch the garden paths- please do your required part to keep them weeded. Other weeds to look for: Common Chickweed, Cheeseweed, popweed, and Miner's lettuce. Some of these you can eat, but please don't let them become established in your garden- they aren't on the approved plant list.  
• Greenhouse clean-out: for the first time since we built it, the greenhouse is empty and undergoing a thorough cleaning to get ready for new seedlings and 2020 planting! 
• In the plots: lettuce, chard, kale, peas, broccoli, carrots, radish, cauliflower and cabbages are all doing beautifully. I have seen a lot of aphids though, so still keep an eye out for them. The colder weather discourages a lot of pests- early winter is a great time for leaf-miner free chard, and Brassicas not being devoured by cabbage white butterfly larvae. 
• Rain, or no rain? Don't forget to keep watering your gardens until the rains start. 

September in the Ft Scott Garden

Calendar updates:

• Saturday Garden Resource Days start on January 11, 11am-2pm and continue through the spring on second Saturdays with compost, seedlings when available (probably not until February), and the opportunity to borrow shovels and other large tools.You can take compost home in one of my buckets, but you need to return them that week- they are a hot commodity in the gardens!

• The next round of plot checks will happen in mid-January
• 1/13 - Ft Scott 
• 1/14 - MacArthur, Portola 
• 1/17 - Baker Beach, South Baker Beach 
• 1/21 - Lendrum Ct, West Washington 

• Spring Planting Cut-off (Use it or Lose it) all garden plots must be weeded and planted for spring by April 14, 2020. Don't wait until the deadline or you will miss the BEST planting season in San Francisco. Seriously- early winter/late spring is your garden's best friend. Take advantage of it. And don't just take my word for it: Get your garden going in January through March; Why winter is a great time to plant edibles

• There will be evening garden visits again this year beginning after March 8 (daylight savings time). I'll announce those once I know more about my spring schedule.

Enjoy the holiday season with friends and family! 

October: pizza/ compost bucket returns/ fall pests

Hi all,

I'm getting excited for our Fall Pizza Potluck this Saturday! RSVP here if you plan to attend
On the menu: homemade pizza dough, tomato sauce from the garden, caramelized garden onions, pickled garden vegetables, and garden zucchini cake. Looks like the gardens will produce a nice green salad, a cucumber-tomato-and green bean salad, crispy broccoli, and for the pizzas: arugula, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, and leeks. The volunteer department has contributed 2 logs of mozzarella, but more cheese would be a good thing to bring. I hope to see you there!

Bucket Returns
Also, a reminder that if you borrowed buckets from me to transport compost to your garden plot, please return them! Our next compost giveaway is on Thursday, Oct. 10 and I'm short a lot of buckets. I don't have any others, so please return them by Tuesday the 8th. Thank you!

Plot Checks
Finally, fall plot checks are coming up at the end of the month. Make sure you've removed any plants that are making seeds or flowers and cleaned up dead/ end of season plants. This will help reduce pests as well.

Fall garden pests
Has your garden been decimated by critters this fall? You're not alone, unfortunately. I lost a whole crop of beets to an unknown raider- rat? raccoon? They worked around the radishes and turnips and didn't eat the beet tops, either. Many crops are also being affected by root maggots- different species of fly attack different crops, but almost all crops are susceptible: radish, carrot, Brassicas, turnip, onions... Or maybe your new plantings were all nibbled by meadow voles. All of these can feel so defeating. For me, it makes me so thankful and appreciative of the organic farmers out there who manage to grow all the beautiful vegetables that show up in the weekly farmers market on Clement Street.

What can you do?

• Try planting things pests don't love. Arugula, chard, leeks, and bitter greens are a good start.
• Use floating row cover to keep out the flies that lay eggs that become root maggots.
• Rotate crops in your plot.
• Spray beneficial nematodes that prey on the root maggots.
• Fashion some exclusion cages out of 1/4" hardware cloth to cover smaller plants.

Root maggots

Fall Plot Checks/ Reminders: compost giveaway and pizza RSVP

Fall is just around the corner. I'll be doing the seasonal plot checks during the last two weeks of October. Please make sure your plots are tended, bolting plants are pulled or cut back, and it generally looks like you are using the garden bed. If I sent you a reminder in July this is a good time to make sure you've taken care of the issue. 

10/21- Ft Scott
10/22- MacArthur and Portola
10/24- Lendrum
1029- South Baker Beach and West Washington
1031- Baker Beach

Garden supplies:
A reminder that I'll have buckets of compost available this Wednesday- you can find me and the compost at the Ft Scott Community Garden. You can borrow the 5 gallon buckets, as long as you bring the buckets back after adding the compost to your garden bed. Non seed-free straw is also available for winter mulching needs (just be prepared to pull any grass-like seedlings that might grow from it)

Wednesday, September 18, 4-7pm
Thursday, October 10, 2-7pm
Monday, October 28, 2-6pm


Need to order seeds? One of the places we order from is having a sale until 9/22:
Peaceful Valley Farm

Community Building:
The Fall Harvest Pizza Potluck will be on Saturday October 5, from 11am-3pm. The oven will be ready to start making pizzas around noon. Please bring a potluck dish to share, pizza toppings, beverages, and your own plates, forks etc. I'll have homemade dough, sauce, and any veggies available in the gardens. Please RSVP by October 1

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