How Does My Garden Grow?

WONDERFULLY!

Just 4 weeks later and see how the veggies grow. I am enjoying this experience VERY much… not to mention the treat of eating and sharing the bounty…

What to plant and not plant together.

Good companion planting information.

Heidi Fowler had a hard time keeping track of the twenty-four different plants she wanted to include in her garden. To keep it all straight, she created this companion planting chart. Learn more and download a larger version of her chart at: http://bit.ly/15CcLoV

Planting a Fall Garden

I have never planted a fall garden, yet searching the internet I find that here on the Oregon coast there is the wonderful opportunity to do so. We rarely experience hard freezes until late December or early January which lends itself well to crops planted in August or September. Under TIME TO SEED FOR FALL (below) see a  list of possible veggies you may want to plant for your fall garden. 

Extending the joy of a summer garden by putting in a fall garden is great. Or perhaps start your first community garden experience, as I have, with a fall garden; I am finding it a real treat.

For a lot of helpful information visit:  FALL AND WINTER GARDENING IN THE PACIFIC NORTH WEST,

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/pnw/pnw548.pdf

Needed: Someone to compost

The Community Garden on Second Street is in need of a dedicated composter.  Please pitch in if you have the strength!

Also, there is a box available.  You can call me, Joann, at 997-2997 to sign up.

Thanks

Time To Seed for Fall

The season is moving along quickly and it is sometimes hard to know where we are in the planting cycle.  We've had a very different spring/summer this year.

There are things that can be planted now as seed.  I obtained this list from Down to Earth.  I assume it is for the valley, but I believe we can do just as well here:

Arugula, Asian greens, basil, green onions, lettuce, swiss chard, beets. broccoli, cabbage, carrots cauliflower, cilantro, collards, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, parsley, parsnips, peas!, radish, rutabage, spinach, turnips.

I am a sort of seat of the pants gardener.  I put my finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing and plant.  So far I've had good luck with most of these.

Starts can be put in now for artichokes, chives, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, leeks, parsley, pumpkins, squash,  and tomatoes.

This the best time to plant starts for basil, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, corn, kale and peppers.

I think I would take exception to eggplant, tomatoes, corn and pepper starts.  Our nights have been so cool.  Unless you have a bed covered with perforated plastic or a greenhouse, you might want to pass.

Good luck.

New Community Garden Site

There is a new community garden brewing on 15th Street at the old Senior Center site.  This is a City collaboration with gardeners.  The City will be tearing up asphalt in the front part of the site where sun is available.  Water will be available off the meter. We have Rotary backing and some funds for deer fencing and boxes, starting with twenty or thirty, and ultimately as many as 80.

We are hoping to solicit funds from businesses for the development of boxes for those who are low income. And we will be needing help with the building of fences and boxes, pulling weeds etc..  If you are interested in participating in any way, please call me at 997-2997.  Thanks.  Joann Henderson

SB 633 Failed, HB 2427 passed

SB 633 died in Committee before the end of the session.  We are all celebrating.  Thanks to all who wrote or called our legislators to tell them what a bad bill this was.  Apparently they had more feed-back on this bill than any other-bar none.  Good work everyone!

But it is feared this bill will come back in a new form in February, so stay tuned.We may have to start over again.

(SB 633: Makes legislative finding and declaration that regulation of agricultural seed,  flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable seed and products of  agricultural seed, flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable seed be reserved to  state.  Prohibits  enactment or enforcement of local measures to regulate agricultural seed, flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable seed or products of  agricultural seed, flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable  seed.)


HB2427, the ban canola in the Willamette Vally bill was passed with an amendment.  OSU will be able to plant canola (we think non-GMO) on 500 acres within the Protected Zone, for the purpose of study for the next three years.  They will be funded by lottery money.  The over all prohibition on planting in the protected zone will continue until 2019.