2nd floor planters growing great!

I stopped by the 2nd floor to look at the planters and they are all doing great! The mint and tomatoes by the gate are growing well and looks like there has already been a harvest. How were they? The basil is amazing in the garden across the way. And that eggplant! Amazing. Especially since the one on the first level by Public Art has fruit, but is struggling. The beans look healthy and productive in all the planters. Amazing work everyone ...

Come of the pests in the garden .. Leafminers

Leafminers—Liriomyza spp.

Leafminer adults are small black and yellow flies. Larvae are yellowish maggots that feed beneath the leaf surface.

Identification of species | Life cycle

Damage

The most obvious evidence of leafminers is the twisting trails (or mines) the larvae leave as they feed beneath the leaf surface. Damage will not be serious on most plants older than seedlings, although it may make spinach or chard unsightly.

Solutions

Leafminers rarely require treatment in gardens. Small seedlings can be protected by protective cloth. On plants such as cole crops, lettuce, and spinach, clip off and remove older infested leaves. Leafminers are often kept under good control by natural parasites. Insecticides are not very effective for leafminer control.

Welcome to the newest gardening members!

We have new members of the garden society. Say hello to:

Damon

Philip

Mervin

Danny

Anna

Dirt for the planters!

Craig says: Damon dropped off the dirt and compost today. We filled the two empty planters and moved the one from the shade by the Art dept door to the sun across the way. We also put the left over compost into the one wash tub in the back. Please let folks know that they can help themselves to the soil in the tub to supplement their planters. We would like to use all the soil in the tub as we still need to move it to it's position.

Garlic & Pepper Pest Spray

Here's a recipe for garlic and pepper spray from the Capital District Community Gardens website. http:/www.cdcg.org/pests.html

Protect your garden plants from cabbageworms, caterpillars, hornworms, aphids, flea beetles and other chewing/sucking insects by routinely using a natural spray that you can make at home. The spray must be applied regularly, especially after a rainfall. Brew up a batch as follows:

6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp dried hot pepper
1 minced onion
1 tsp pure soap (not detergent)
1 gallon hot water

Blend and let sit for 1 to 2 days. Strain and use as spray. Ground cayenne or red hot pepper can also be sprinkled on the leaves of plants (apply when leaves are slightly damp) to repel chewing insects or added to the planting hole with bone meal or fertilizers to keep squirrels, chipmunks, dogs and other mammals away from your gardens. Be sure to reapply after rain.

Craig wins an award!

Craig Sweeting won an award at the last Board meeting! Here is what the web article says about him:

Craig has been instrumental in several energy-conserving projects at the Port. Craig works with the Port's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Administration building. His innovative energy saving techniques and diligence have resulted in a 23 percent reduction in energy at the Administration building. In addition, Craig spearheaded the Port's gardening program. Craig and other employees tend to the garden on their own time. He also started a program to compost food waste from Café Ole.

Worm Composting

Here are some great links on how to start your own worm composting bin at home if you'd like an easy way to recycle your kitchen scraps.

http://www.diylife.com/2008/05/07/start-your-own-worm-composting-bin/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2087855_.html

Don't forget to put an upside-down lid underneath your bin to catch the "worm tea", which can be used as plant food. If you don't do that, you'll have a big mess to clean up!

This links give you some great tools to get started, and if you like it then you can graduate to a more complex system involving three stacked bins, which you can also learn about online or in one of the following 2 books:

"Worms Eat My Garbage" by Mary Appelhof

"The Worm Book" by Loren Nancarrow

Craig, Tina and Kelly make the paper!

There is an article about our gardening club in the latest issue of the Marketing newsletter, which you can read on the Intranet! Go green team ...