Cover crops for 2014

Soil Improvement with Cover Crops or

Green Manure

·       Return nitrogen and nutrients to the soil

·       Suppress weeds

·       Loosen and aerate packed soil

·       Reduce soil erosion

·       Add organic matter

Packages of winter field peas/ fall rye for sale for $4, cash.

 

 

1.   Clear plot, turn soil and scatter the seeds in early September.

2.   Water a bit so they germinate and have a chance to root well.

3.   Leave standing over winter and in spring till under one month before planting.

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fresh from the heart challenge--thank you for donating!

"Fresh From the Heart Grow Challenge"

Gardeners Share with the Calgary Food Bank

Here is a win-win-win friendly challenge for all community gardens!

•    Fresh produce for Calgarians short of food

•    Feeling good that your surplus fresh produce is finding a good home

•    Getting to know your neighbouring gardens

•    Bragging rights for community gardeners

•    Encouraging the growth of more community gardens

Here's how it works:

•    Calculate the square footage of your garden under cultivation.

•    Send an email to cgrn@calhort.orgto request a simple registration form that will be used to help the Calgary Food Bank calculate the poundage being donated per garden.

•    Harvest your fresh, disease-free produce (taking pictures as you do). No need to wash or trim the produce.

•    Either take the produce to the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank or call & ask them up to come & collect it.  

•    Attend the Harvest Fair on October 1 at Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Centre & experience the friendly produce competition, farmers' market, awards ceremony and more!

The Mid-Sun Community Garden has been donating food to

the Calgary Food Bank since 2011.

Is your Community Garden up to the Challenge this season?

 

UPDATED Mason bees....since the workshop, have you found some in your garden?

We were curious...
"did you attend our mason bee workshop,

and if so, did your mason bees hatch?"

 

From our own garden:  "Our 2  Houses hanging on the shed at the garden have several holes

similar to the electrical outlet. Very encouraging !!"

 

From another gardener:

"Yes I attended the mason bee workshop and received a gift of hibernating mason bees. As you can see in the attachment, they didn't hatch.

However, the mason bee house that I was given and hung in my backyard became home to several mason bees some of which have hatched. I don't know whose bees made their home in my backyard, but thanks!

 

  

 

 

 

Check this out:--DESPERATE MASON BEES!

 

 

 

Bee-utiful poster! Check out this link!

Check out this amazing poster!

Cover crops...in summer!?! from MOTHER EARTH NEWS

From MOTHER EARTH NEWS

The ecological benefits of cover cropping go beyond soil improvement: Cover crops scavenge nutrient surges in soil that result from tilling in fresh plant matter or manure. They also prevent runoff pollution and “bank” excess nutrients for later crops. These beneficial covers boost biological diversity in and around gardens, a key to naturally preventing plant diseases and insect damage. Plus, many cover crops perform double-duty as forage for poultry and livestock, making a homestead less dependent on purchased inputs.
Too often, gardeners practice cover cropping only in the off-season — for instance, to protect soil in winter — and assume it’s not a summer option. But it is, and planting summer cover crops provides big payoffs.


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/summer-cover-crops-zm0z14aszsto.aspx#ixzz38XvUrUWz

July Workbee, can you come?

Saturday, tomorrow, is a scheduled workbee at the garden, 

July 26, 930-12

You are encouraged to come, meet some other gardeners and have fun. 

Participating in a workbee(s) is part of your community garden,

 it's where we literally put the community in the garden!

 We will be staining and installing the arbour,

painting the benches and general maintenance..weeding etc.

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We promise you can choose the task and level of effort you put in. 

AND I promise, you will be smiling during and after the workbee,

each time I go I have loads of fun..!  really!

What you could do, if you are shy like I can be, is "check" your plot...say around 1015/20ish..and see what happens..and I promise someone will say hello....

See you on Saturday?

Kids, snacks, water bottles, and smiles welcome

And mark your calendar for Sept 6 BERM BABY BERM!

Strawberry Social Success!

Thank you to all gardeners and friends of the garden

who came to our strawberry social. 

 

We enjoyed a delicious sunny afternoon of conversation, strawberries/cake/cream, fruity/minty drinks, and community. 

HUGE shoutout to Jeff Wilson MLA who sponsored the tasty treats, thank you for continually championing our garden!

 

We hope we meet more gardeners at our next event!