Tasks for the Garden this week:

1)      Pick up fallen pears and apples from the orchard and deposit them in the compost piles

2)      Have a healthy snack of cherry tomatoes and blackberries

3)      Cut off any dead flower buds on rose bushes and any other flowering plants

4)      Pull weeds in the vegetable beds 

5)      Pick up and dispose of any trash

6)      Water the smaller apple trees in the orchard

7)      Make sure the bird baths at the entrance have water

8)      Water anything that looks dry (the areas that are not yet irrigated include: the butterfly garden near the shed; and the orchard)

9)      Water the compost pile (it should be as moist as a wrung out sponge)

10)   Clean and return tools to the shed

11)   Return wheelbarrows to compost area or behind shed

12)   Cut off any remaining flowers on the tomatoes plants (they won't have time to produce more fruit so this will focus the plant energy  on finishing the existing fruit)

13)   Remove any tomato plants that have no remaining fruit

 

 

REMINDER: At the end of the school day, please lock up the garden if it is unlocked.  The garden is usually unlocked during the school day and I am not always around at pick up time so please take a moment to make sure it gets locked up.  Also, hang up your gloves and put away your tools.  Barbara Bleckman and Luz Castro cleaned and organized the garden shed.  The gloves are now cleaned, organized and hanging above the worm bin.  Please make sure they are returned to their place when you are done using them.

 

Looking ahead to the Thursday Farmer's Market at Edna (2:45 - 3:15 pm):

The squash is nearing the end of its summer run; there are a few blossoms that may yet yield some squash but it is almost done.  Tomatoes will continue to ripen and be available for harvest.  Apples and pears are ripe on many of the trees in the orchard. There are a few blackberries still coming in.  Herbs are available with mint around, and basil, oregano and thyme in the first bed.  Corn is ready (look for thick ears).  Anyone who wants to take tomatoes home to make marinara sauce or apples/pears for sauce or crisps to sell at the market would be appreciated.

 

 

 

Teachers and garden parents can think about doing this in the next week or so:

Planting garlic: this week pick up a few bulbs of organic garlic and when you need a garden project, break the bulbs up and give each student a large clove to peel and plant pointy side up.  They don't need too much space between cloves (4-6 inches) and can be buried 2 inches down.

 

To plan for future plantings, bring in some potatoes and leave them near the windows to get some natural light.  They will start to sprout eyes and can eventually be cut into seed pieces to plant for a later potato harvest.

 

Please contact me with any questions.

 

 

Posted by Saor Stetler on September 28