Gardening Tips for All

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Ten Steps to Starting a Community Garden

The following steps are adapted from the American Community Garden Association's guidelines for launching a successful community garden in your neighborhood.

1. ORGANIZE A MEETING OF INTERESTED PEOPLE
Determine whether a garden is really needed and wanted, what kind it should be (vegetable, flower, both, organic?), whom it will involve and who benefits. Invite neighbors, tenants, communit}^ organizations, gardening and horticultural societies, building superintendents (if it is at an apartment building)—in other words, anyone who is likely to be interested.

2. FORM A PLANNING COMMITTEE
This group can be comprised of people who feel committed to the creation of the garden and have the time to devote to it, at least at this initial stage. Choose well-organized persons as garden coordinators. Form committees to tackle specific tasks: funding and parmerships, youth activities, construction and communication.

3. IDENTIFY ALL YOUR RESOURCES
Do a community asset assessment. What skills and resources already exist in the community that can aid in the garden's creation? Contact local municipal planners about possible sites, as well as horticultural societies and other local sources of information and assistance. Look within your community for people with experience in landscaping and gardening. 

4. APPROACH A SPONSOR
Some gardens "self-support" through membership dues, but for many, a sponsor is essential for donations of tools, seeds or money. Churches, schools, private businesses or parks and recreation departments are all possible supporters. One garden raised money by selling "square inches" at $5 each to hundreds of sponsors.

5. CHOOSE A SITE
Consider the amount of daily sunshine (vegetables need at least six hours a day), availability of water, and soil testing for possible pollutants. Find out who owns the land. Can the gardeners get a lease agreement for at least  three years? Will public liability insurance be necessary?

6.PREPARE AND DEVELOP THE SITE
In most cases, the land will need considerable preparation for planting. Organize volunteer work crews to clean it, gather materials and decide on the design and plot arrangement.

7. ORGANIZE THE GARDEN
Members must decide how many plots are available and how they will be assigned. Allow space for storing tools, making compost and don't forget the pathways between plots! Plant flowers or shrubs around the garden's edges to promote good will with non-gardening neighbors, passersby and municipal authorities.

8. PLAN FOR CHILDREN
Consider creating a special garden just for kids—including them is essential. Children are not as interested in the size of the harvest, but rather in the process of gardening. A separate area set aside for them allows them to explore the garden at their own speed.

9. DETERMINE RULES AND PUT THEM IN WRITING
The gardeners themselves devise the best ground rules. We are more willing to comply with rules that we have had a hand in creating. Ground rules help gardeners to know what is expected of them. Think of it as a code of behavior. Some examples of issues that are best dealt with by agreed upon rules are: Dues, how will the money be used?  How are plots assigned? Will gardeners share tools, meet regularly, handle basic maintenance?

10. HELP MEMBERS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER
Good communication ensures a strong community garden with active participation by all. Some ways to do this are: form a telephone tree, create an email list; install a rainproof bulletin board in the garden; have regular celebrations. Community gardens are all about creating and strengthening communities.

American Community Gardening Association
Ten Tools Every Community Gardener & Garden Needs Courtesy of Toronto FoodShare
Gardeners may not agree on the best mulch or the perfect fertilize, but there's one thing that every gardener agrees on: when it comes time to purchase tools, buy the best. Quality garden tools are an investment that yields dividends over time. Here are the top ten gardening tools every community garden should have:

1. Trowel A well-made trowel is your most important tool. From container gardening to large beds, a trowel will help you get your plants into the soil. Essential for everyone.

2. Hand Fork or Claw or CultivatorA hand fork helps cultivate soil, chop up clumps, and work

amendments into the soil.  A hand fork is necessary for closely planted beds.

3. Handled Hoe A long-handled hoe is a gardener's best friend. Keeping weeds at bay is the purpose of this useful tool. Hoe heads come in all different shapes and sizes and every gardener swears by a different one. 

4. Secateurs (aka Hand pruners) Invest in a pair of quality pruners, such as Felco, which is clearly a cut above. There are different types and sizes depending upon the type and size of the job. Secateurs are for cutting small diameters, up to the thickness of your little finger ;-). Anything larger and you need loppers.

5. Watering can A watering can create a fine, even stream of water that delivers with a gentleness that won't wassh seedlings or sprouting seeds out of their soil.

6. Fork You can't dig and divide perennials without a heavy-duty fork (and some dividing methods even suggest you own two!).

7. Shovels & Spades There are several different types and shapes of shovels and spades, each with their own purpose. There are also different types of hand holds for either—a " D" shape or "T" shape, or none at all. They are a requisite tool for planting large shrubs, trees, large perennials, moving soils and leaves, breaking round--just about anything.  The sharper the blade, the better.

8. Wheelbarrow Wheelbarrows come in all different sizes (and prices). They are indispensable for hauling soil, compost, plants, mulch, hoses, tools...everything you'll need to garden.

9. Gloves Unless you want to wear your favorite hobby under vour nails, use gloves. Leather gloves hold up best. If you have roses, get a pair that resist thorn pricks. 

10. Hoses This is the fastest way to transport lots of water. Consider using drip irrigation hoses or tape, 

Abundant Garden Help

Gracious thanks to Bart Mealer at Food Share for sharing this information.

FOOD for Lane County Gardens Program Resources 

Books:

Four Season Harvest- Eliot Coleman, an excellent resource for growing food year round

The Book of Garden Secrets- Patent and Bilderback, great information about growing nearly ever vegetable crop

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades - Steve Solomon, the resource for gardening in our area, comprehensive and well-tested guidelines.

How to Grow More Vegetables- John Jeavons Using the bio-intensive method, John Jeavons shows how to grow enough veggies to feed a family o f four on 800 square feet.

The Organic Gardeners Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control - Barbara Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley, helpful resource covering insect and disease problems

Seed To Seed - Suzanne Ashworth, a primer on saving seed with lots of interesting history on the development of different vegetable crops. And great photos!

Winter Gardening - Binda Colebook, the first book written about winter gardening 

Worms Eat My Garbage - Mary Appelhof, great info and inspiration for raising
worms and creating compost.

Websites:

American Community Gardening Association, www.communitygarden.org 

Rebel Tomato, www.communitygarden.org/rebeltomato/

OSU/ Lane County Extension Service, www.extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/ 

Seed Ambassadors Seeding Guide www.seedambassadors.org/
Mainpages/Guardian/SeedingGuide/springseeding.htm

Seeds/ Plants:

Special Note: The Oregon Trail Card/ SNAP program can be used to buy seeds and plant starts anywhere food is sold.

Territorial Seed Company - www.territorialseed.com

Osborne International Seed Company- www.osborneseed.com

Harris Seeds - www.hamsseeds

Johnny's Selected Seeds - vvww.johnnyseeds.com

High Mowing Organic Seeds - www.highmowingseeds.com

Wild Garden Seeds - www.wildgardenseed.com

Norcal Nursery, Sakuma Brothers Farms - (360) 757-6611 (Strawberries, Cane Crops) 
Irwin and Sons Ag. Supply (541)345-1887 (Potatoes, Cover Crop)

Down to Earth Nursery— www.honie2garden.com

Local (Eugene)schools may have greenhouses and bedding plants available for free.

America the Beautiful Fund distributes free seeds www.freeseeds.us/OperationGPform.html 
202-638-1649

Other seed companies may distribute free seeds

Eugene Permaculture Guild sponsors periodic seed swaps,www.eugenepennacultureguild.org

Amendments/ Fertilizers:

Rexius Forest By- Products - www.rexius.com

Down to Earth Distributors - www.downtoearthdistributors.com

Diess Feed and Seed - (541) 343-5007

Konyn Dairy- (541) 683-7241

City of Eugene leaf recycling program- www.eugene-or.gov/leaf 682-5383 Wood chips, 

Contact area tree pruners, including Sperry Tree Care, www.sperrytreecare.com 461-1737

Greenhouse/ Gardening Supplies/ Tools:

Jerry's Home Improvement Center - www.jerryshome.com

BRING Recycling - www.bringrecycling.org

McConkey Company - 1-866- 552-1113

Nursery Cormection - www.nurservconnection.net

OBC Northwest - www.obcnw.com

Oregon Valley Greenhouses — www.ovg.com

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply - uww.groworganic.com 

Down to Earth Retail Stores - www.home2garden.com

Gardening Know How and Help:

Oregon State University Extension Service, Lane County: 682-4247, phone line and workshops, extension.oregonstate.edu/lane

Victory Gardens: creating gardens for anyone in the area who requests one, www.victorvgardensforall.org

FOOD for Lane County Gardens, 343-2822; www•foodforlanecountv.org/programsigardens
-----workshops, info and garden tours 

Eugene Permaculture Guild, www.eugenepermacultureguild.org offers a resource sharing list-serve, seed swaps and workshops

Soil Testing:

A&L Western Agriculture Laboratories; www.al-labs-west.com
$30 per soil sample 

Oppose growing canola in the Willamette Valley

My name is John Haapala, and I am an organic and small scale seed grower in Junction City Oregon.  I have grown seeds for local seed companies, such as Nichols Garden Nursery, Territorial Seeds, Seeds of Change, and a number of other seed companies over the years.  In addition, I worked for Oregon Tilth as a policy advocate, and helped formulate regulations requiring the use of organic seeds in the National Organic Program.  In addition, I worked to put into place the Conservation Stewardship Program through the USDA/NRCS, which offers the potential for payments based upon sustainable practices.   Seeds grown on my farm have included every variety of asian mustard, as well as kale, collards, broccoli, turnip, rutabaga, and other members of the Brassica family.  

As a market farmer I was reliant upon the diversity of heirloom introductions and public plant breeders through the Land Grant System.  There was a constant treadmill of innovation, where a new variety would sustain smaller growers with novelty only until a larger California/Sinoloa based operation would offer it in Cello bags, and drive the price down.  Through innovation, we have the tools for increased yield, novelty, and crop protection all within the genome of the crop.  As a research director with Oregon Tilth, I worked with Cornell and the USDA seed banks (the NPGS) to tap that innovation, and release it to local growers.

In sum, for twenty years I worked to create opportunities for local and smaller growers in high value crops and federal crop payment programs.  Those seeds are now bearing fruit, and offer the double benefit of higher returns per acre and federal credit for sustainable practices.

Rules and regulations for the introduction of novel species containing genetically engineered organism must be stringent enough to protect our well established seed growing sector in the Willamette Valley.  One farmer's practices cannot jeopardize another farmer's enterprise, especially when it ignores the high value crops with smaller planting sizes.

Within the USDA seed banks there are over 450,000 varieties available for exploration through traditional breeding.  However, once cross-contamination with GE crops occur, those crops can no longer qualify as a resource for organic production.  The introduction of pollen drift from GE crops threatens to undermine the growth in the organic industry, at a time when our canneries are closing and seed growing remains one of the most viable high value enterprises for growers on high value soils in the Willamette Valley.  

Canola is a low value commodity crop that does best in Saskatchewan and Montana.  While it offers viable rotations for grass seed, there is no reason that GE canola will fit that bill better than traditional canola.  GE crops carry licensing restrictions that severely restrict the market opportunities of a grower.  

Please protect our successful diverse seed growing industry.  The Brassica family to which canola belongs, thrive in the Willamette Valley, and the pollen travels for miles.  By opening the door to a single enterprise, you will shut the door on so many more.  

Sincerely,

/s/ John Haapala

John E. Haapala

Heron' Nest Farm

30848 Maple Dr.

Junction City Ore 97448

541-521-7433

Growing and Seed Saving on the Coast

I recently attended a GROW meeting that was a kind of last minute thing for me, so the word didn't get out to you.  I took notes, though, and I think you may be interested in some of the discussion.

Jeri Christensen, a biologist living in the Florence area, was our speaker.  She was instrumental in alerting the world to the dangers of Terminator seeds and GMO's in general, and has been an adviser to Prince Charles and the King of Saudi Arabia. Now her focus is on raised bed gardening and seed saving in the Pacific North West….with an emphasis on seed saving to offset the food shortages and reliance on genetically modified food that threatens to dominate our food system.  The slides of her raised beds and the size of her vegetables was impressive.

For the most part she was preaching to the choir, because some of us have been at this for awhile, as well.  But her enthusiasm and commitment to growing and seed saving was a real boost for all of us.

Some of the plants that she recommended for our area are:

Siberian kale…20 plants will give you two quarts of seed.

Superschmetlz kohlrabi…a great substitute for cabbage, and I think fewer pests. Great for slaw and salads.

Lake Flat Dutch Cabbage  

Japanese and Millionaire eggplants

Indigo potatoes

Red lettuce  

Blueberries

Any dark blue foods are loaded with anthocyanins which are cancer fighters and just good for your health generally.     

Longkeeper tomatoes.open pollinated

Bush Early Girl Tomatoes are the best

French green house tomatoes (you can get them from Johnny's Seeds)  

Big Beef

Siletz Heirloom especially for seed saving

And of course, carrots, beans, mesclun.  My notes say Continuity lettuce, and I don't remember if that is a kind of lettuce or my note for their growth span.  At any rate, you can seed lettuce in September or put in starts in October to mature in March. Most lettuces, I think, can be grown in succession all year long here.

Beets..I grow them very successfully here.  I have not yet tried to save their seeds, but that may be important now that GMO sugar beets are being grown in the valley.

Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest is a recommended resource for growing in our area.

And Jeri Christensen's website is  arkinstitute.com.  You will find a lll kinds of help on her site.

Silver Mulch

We had a bad year for pests this last season, and one of her recommendations was to buy silver mulch.  It is a row cover that you put right on the soil, and cut little exes in it for your starts, or I presume for your seed if it is big enough.  She had good success with keeping pests and slugs out of her beds, using this mulch.  It is expensive but can be used, if taken care of, for several years.

Greenhouse Film

Another suggestion was to use greenhouse film or agro-plastic with ventilation holes for your covers .  They create more heat and airflow, which is what you want for keeping out mildew, and gives protection against flying pests. Territorial Seeds and Peaceful Valley sell perforated plastic crop covers. You can get it in 50' by 6' lengths.

Grow Bags

These plastic grow bags come in small to bushel sized and are great for growing things above ground to keep out the voles and moles, if that is one of your problems. Apparently you can find them at Aqua Serene on W. 11th in Eugene.  My notes are not that clear, so please call first to make sure. I think they are also available through Territorial Seeds, and maybe Down To Earth in Eugene.

Seed Saving

Keep a few of your plants in the ground until they go to mature  seed. Hang them upside down in a dark place, or in a paper bag, until they are dry enough to pull off the plant. Buy flower drying desiccant from Michael's Craft store.  Use one to two inches of gel in the bottom of the jar with a tissue over it, or use desiccant packets that are the same weight as the seed.  Put your seeds in the jar in packets (DO NOT VACUUM PACK) and close with a new clean lid. Let them sit on your counter for about a week…could be five or six days. You want to take out a certain percentage of moisture so that the seeds will not expand in the freezer, explode and become non-viable. Then put your jars in the freezer.  They will last up to 45 years. 20 kale plants will make two quarts of seed.

If you can't buy or find desiccant, you can use instant dry milk powder…one third of a jar…in its place.  A good resource for seed saving is Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth.

I hope this has been helpful.  You can visit her website for more information.

Good gardening!  Joann

Garden Deadlines Coming Soon

Gardeners,

Please scroll down to Archives and open the very first post on this blog.  This will give you the garden guidelines and the re-assignment schedules...for old a new box holders.  These schedules are different.  But re-assignments are finalized very soon, and those who don't meet the deadline will lose their box unless they contact me at 541 997-2997.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you back this spring.

Also, we have new blood in the gardening community.  Her name is Katya Reyna.  She is working with the City in Urban Planning, through a program called RARE. Now we have someone who is eager to help set up more gardens.  Possibly the next one will finally be at the old Senior Center location.  That has been on the back burner this past fall and winter, and hopefully she will be able to get that one up and running with the City's help.

Anyone interested in having a box or two north of town should contact me.  We are forming a waiting list which will help us get this project off the ground.

Thanks,

Joann Henderson

Rain Garden Workshop

In case you're interested.........

Rain Garden workshop

Monday, October 29, 2012, 1:00pm until 5:00pm.

Sandpines Golf Course, Tavolo Dining Room

Hands on Rain Garden workshop featuring Maria Cahill, Sustainable Site Specialist with Green Girl Land Development Solutions. Hosted by the Siuslaw Chapter of Surfrider Foundation, Siuslaw Watershed Council and Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District.

Participants will learn:

 • What a rain garden is, and how to design and appropriately site one effectively

 • About soils and the importance of amendments

 • Calculating impervious surfaces so the garden can handle the volume of water

 • How to construct a rain garden in difficult locations

 • About native plants of our area and which ones will work best in your garden

RSVP to: Gus Gates, ggates@surfrider.org *Space is limited to the first 40 people who sign up.