3rd Annual Potluck

Last weekend we had our 3rd annual potluck/picnic/bbq at the gardens. 

About 20 gardeners, as well as Ward 9 Councillor Keith Egli, came out for good food, fun and friendship. A good time was had by all, atleast until 3pm when the rain arrived, prematurely ending our party. Lets hope for better weather next year!

We are growing!

This past weekend almost 20 gardeners, and gardeners to be helped, did bring our current expansion project to fruition. Eight raised beds were started, to be completed later this fall. A big thanks to Lee Coates who organized the team.

Plant a Row Grow a Row update

Nepean Allotment Gardens Association’s Donations to the Food Bank at Debra Dynes Family House – Summer 2012

July 3, 2012

• 2 lbs garlic scapes
• 0.5 lb lettuce
• 2.5 lb zucchini
• 2.75 lbs swiss chard
• 1.25 lbs kale

Total: 9 lbs produce


July 4, 2012

• 5.25 lbs onions
• 1.25 lbs garlic scapes
• 1 lb lettuce

Total: 7.75 lbs produce


July 17, 2012

• 3/4 lb carrots
• 7 lbs chard
• 5 lbs kale

Total:  12 .75 lbs produce



July 31, 2012

• 6 lbs beets

Total: 6 lbs produce



Aug 7, 2012

• Chard/kale 13.4 lbs
• Corn 2.75
• Green and purple beans 1.25
• Tomatoes 4.25
• Summer squash 1
• Green beans 3.40 lbs
• Green pepper .6 lb
• Onion .5 lb
• Lettuce 1.9 lb

Total: 29.05 lbs produce

Cucumber Wilt

Do your cucumber plants look like this?


If they do, you've got cucumber wilt.

When it comes time to dispose of your plants, please put them in a garbage bag and throw them out. Lets keep them out of the compost to limit the spread of the disease.

For more information on cucumber wilt, see http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/pp747w.htm

Links from our gardeners

Here are some interesting links from one of our members:

Summer Vegetable Gardening: http://www.your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com/summer-vegetable-gardening.html

Edible Bus Stop turns London transit routes into a network of community gardens

http://grist.org/list/edible-bus-stop-turns-london-transit-routes-into-a-network-of-community-gardens/

Volunteers with us this summer

We have volunteers helping us in our gardens this year!

A big thanks to the students from the Explore program who will be with us every Wednesday in July.

A big thanks to the folks at the Mathew House who will be helping us with some maintenance and in individual plots.

Cow pots

One of our gardeners wanted to share this blog post with you. You can purchase seed starting pots made from cow poo. Want to find out more?

http://ecoproductsthatwork.com/cowpots-gardening-with-cow-poo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cowpots-gardening-with-cow-poo

Got Potato Beetles? Read this!

Here is some advice on how to combat Colorado Potato Beetles from one of our gardeners

We seem to have a plague of Colorado Potato Beetles this year. If we let them get going, they are going to be very difficult to get under control They are voracious and if you don't keep a good handle on them, they can eat a potato patch right down to the ground in a few days. (I saw them do this to Lee Coates' garden one year). They are also very fond of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc.

Over the years, I have come across a few hints for dealing with them. There are several stages at which they can be controlled with a bit of luck and work. The adults are those large yellow and black beetles. The larvae start out as small black things and as they grow older and larger, they become orange and more shaped like the beetle (but soft). The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves in small clusters, and are bright gold and pointed, shaped a bit like miniature rice grains. The entire cluster is usually about 2 cm or so across. 

1. Wear a rubber gloves if you are in the least bit squeamish and carry a can half full of soapy water. Pick or knock the insects into the can. I haven't tried it, but you can likely spray the small black stage with soapy water. There are often too many of these to pick. You can also just squish them between two fingers. 
2. Examine the underside of the leaves for the egg clusters. These can be crushed between your fingers. 
3. I've found Diatomaceous Earth to be fairly effective to control what you miss by hand picking. It consists of finely ground fossilized sea shells. It isn't harmful to animals or humans (but like any powder, you don't want to breath in a whole bunch of it). I buy it in bulk at Arbor Environmental on Bank Street. I put mine in a squirt bottle and sort of puff it onto the plant. Don't forget to do the underside of the leaves. It needs to be reapplied after a rain storm. It doesn't hurt the plant, but it will also kill pollinating insects. Diatomaceous Earth is sometimes called 'Fossil Flower' and can be an ingredient in other insecticides. It is a mechanical control. The sharp edges of the ground shells pierce the insect and cause it to lose its body fluids and die. Sort of 'death by a thousand cuts'. Diatomaceous Earth is also fairly effective for the striped cucumber beetle. Dust the undersides of the leaves and the stem where it comes out of the soil to prevent the beetles from following the stem down and laying their eggs on the roots of your squash, melon, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini etc. 

Hope that this information helps hold them at bay until we can get to the workshops. 

Jayne Huntley

First plant a row delivery!

A huge thank you to contributors from Debra Dynes Family House and the Ottawa Food Bank.

Today's delivery included:

• 2 lbs garlic scapes.
• 5 lb lettuce
• 2.5 lb zucchini
• 2.75 lbs swiss chard
• 1.25 lbs kale

Later today there were more donations that will be dropped off tomorrow. They are being kept cool until then. This donation includes

• 5.5 lbs onions
• 1.25 lbs garlic scapes
• 1 lb lettuce 

The Nepean Allotment Gardeners donated a total of 16.75 lbs food this week. What an impressive beginning!

If you have any procduce to donate, please contact Louise at donohue.miller@sympatico.ca

Plant a Row, Grow a Row kick off

On Monday June 4 NAGA officially kicked off our participation in the Plant a Row, Grow a Row program with our community partner the Debra Dynes Family House. A great time was had by all. Do you want to participate in Plant a Row, Grow a Row with us? More details coming soon!

From left to right NAGA Chairman Mike Chebbo, Ottawa Food Bank's Community Harvest program coordinator Jason Gray, Debra Dynes Family House coordinator Barbara Carroll, Ward 9 Councillor Keith Egli.

Bales of straw available

Bales of straw will be available on Saturday June 9, at 10am at the gardens. The cost will be $6/bale.

If you are planning on getting some, please email Mike Chebbo at nagagardens@gmail.com

Thanks!

NAGA Grows a row for the Debra Dynes Family House

Nepean Allotment Gardens are participating in Plant a Row, Grow a Row benefiting the Debra Dynes Family House!

We are having a kick off celebration Monday June 4 at 7pm. Festivities will include:

• Light refreshments
• Free seeds to participating gardeners, donated by McKenzie Seeds
• A look at Plant a Row's growing guide
• A visit from special guests Keith Egli, our ward 9 councillor and Barbara Carroll, the coordinator of Debra Dynes Family House and Jason Gray, coordinator for the Ottawa Food Bank's Community Harvest program.

If you are not a member of the garden, but still want to contribute, please contact Amanda at a.lncstr@gmail.com.

We hope to see you there!

The Gardens are ready!

All this past week several gardeners have been busy staking out the plots so that everyone can get in the dirt. The staking was completed Thursday night. 

Get growing guys.

Spring Clean Up 2012

Wow! What a great turnout we had this year. Around 20 gardeners came to the garden on Sunday April 22 to clean up the gardens. Thanks to everyone who came out to help! We all appreciate your efforts. I forgot to bring my camera, but here are some pictures I took the next day!

We empttied the small composts...

...into the large compost pile. Whoa! That pile is higher than the shed!

We picked up rocks.

We picked up garbage.

We weeded the front flower beds.

We tidied the shed and painted tools.

See you next time!

Amanda

2012 AGM

Thanks to all the gardeners who joined us at the 2012 Annual General Meeting. The meeting was held at the Tanglewood Community Centre (30 Woodmount Dr.) at 7pm on April 11.

Many items were discussed, including our upcomming expansion.


The Board of Directors would like to welcome two new members, Linda and Criag.

More details coming soon. The minutes of the 2012 AGM will be posted in the downloads section of the website as soon as they are availale.

Seedy Saturday

Seedy Saturday is coming to Ottawa

Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 105 Greenview Av

Saturday March 3, 2012 from 10-3. Come celebrate local food, farming, and gardening at the annual Seedy Saturday in Ottawa. It's free and all are welcome!

Join in the annual seed exchange and sale, featuring an organic mini-market, garden talks, and workshops, a swap table, and organic snacks. Workshop seating is limited, and here's the line-up:

10:30 - Gardening on Small Plots: tips, tricks, and recommended vegetables - this workshop will be hosted by USC Canada's Genevieve Grossenbacher, who also helps run the nearby Our Little Farm with her husband.

11:30 - Garlic Pests: A look at how to control nematodes, hosted by Paul Pospisil

12:30 - Grow your Own Dry Beans: This workshop will be hosted by USC Canada Board Member and organic farmer Daniel Brisebois from Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm.

13:30 - How to Plant for Seed: A beginners workshop on how to plant for successful backyard seed saving in the coming season. This one will be hosted by Kate Green of USC Canada and shared with a local seed saver extraordinaire from theJust Food Community.

Come early to make sure youget space! And the schedule is subject to change, so be sure to check it when you arrive. Contact: greta@seeds-organic.com Tel: 613-521-8648