Spring in the Garden

It has been a little while since we have had a chance to update the garden's blog, so I thought I would write a post to catch everyone up on events that have taken place in the garden this spring.

In March, I started working with the Parkridge Community Garden as the Knoxville Permaculture Guild AmeriCorps VISTA to help organize some workshops and be a resource for gardeners in the neighborhood. I have really enjoyed getting to know Parkridge neighbors and gardeners and I look forward to meeting more people!

So far this year we have had a few events in the garden and are looking forward to even more!  In March, we had a workday and free seed and plant distribution thanks to our Parkridge neighbor and  CAC Green Thumb coordinator Adam Caraco. Thank you Adam and CAC! It was a rainy Saturday, but we had a great turnout.

On April 11th, we had the community garden opening day. Hope Central came out to celebrate with us as we signed neighbors up for garden plots, did some garden crafts, played some games, had some barbeque, and got some much needed maintenance work done. Thank you to Hope Central and Hope Central volunteers for bringing the delicious barbeque and helping hands!

Last Saturday, we had a workday and created swales in the community plot area. Thank you to community gardener and neighbor Tracie Hellwinckel for teaching us how to do this and thanks to Knoxville Permaculture Guild members and community gardeners for coming out to do the work. With the new swales, we will be able to prevent erosion in the garden and help more rainwater to soak into the ground to water our plants. It was an extremely hot day, but we got a lot accomplished and when it rains we will plant some sunflowers for the labor day sunflower project and a cover crop. 

Starting next week, I will be in the garden every Sunday morning from 9am-11am. You can bring your tools and do some work, or even just bring a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the garden. I will try to bring books to look at as resources and maybe some hand-outs as well.

If you are interested in learning a certain skill or leading a workshop, just send me an e-mail at e_echyatt@pstcc.edu anytime. I will try to set something up or meet you in the garden. 

Here is a list of upcoming workshops and workdays in the garden. I hope to see you all there!

Wednesday June 3 from 6p to7p - Jessica Dean from Clay Halo Farm and Kitchen and Knoxville Permaculture Guild will come to the Parkridge Community Garden to teach about creating organic fertilizers for your garden. We will make compost tea and enjoy Jessica's lavender lemonade.

Saturday June 13 from 2p-3p- Amy Haun will come to the Parkridge Community Garden to teach us about how to identify and attract beneficial insects in the garden. Afterwards, we will be planting some bee balm.

Saturday July 18 from 4p-5:30p- Rachel Milford, Knoxville-based herbalist and wellness educator and owner of Reclaiming Your Roots will be teaching us how to ID and use medicinal and culinary herbs. Afterward the instruction, we will have a potluck so be sure to bring something to share. We will also have some of Rachel's wonderful herbal teas and salves on hand to try and purchase.

August- time and date TBD- We will have a canning class.

Happy gardening!

Caley

Where Do I Begin?

Hello fellow gardeners! Even though it's frigid outside, we can still think about the coming growing season!

Now is a great time to start thinking about what you want to grow and how you'll start it. Will you start everything from seed? Will you buy plants? How much space will you need?

Mother Earth News' website has a handy Fruit and Vegetable Planning calendar to help you get started:

What to Plant Now

Happy Gardening!

Weed Killing: The old fashioned way

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a garden with no weeds. Here are a few of my personal tips.

If your garden looks like this, forget pulling by hand- you need a shovel! I like to use a shovel to dig up as much grass as possible by getting just under the shallow roots. Then I leave the grass with its roots exposed to the sun to dry. This does not help anything and probably just gives the grass a chance to leave seeds behind. You may want to toss the grass and weeds into the compost or pile of yard waste, but I like to send nearby grass a warning: "Stay out of my bed!" 

Once the grass is a little more under control, it is time to shift tactics. Rather than use a shovel, I like to pull the roots with my hands. This is especially nice after a light rain because the soil is  loose. It is important to view this time not as a gardening chore but as a game. To get the highest score you need to pull a weed with the longest root. This prevents the plant from simply growing back. If you don't get any roots, don't worry; just come back in a few days, and the plant will have grown back. Just try again.

Finally the best weed killing is weed prevention. Once you have removed as many roots as possible, put down a nice thick layer of mulch. This helps prevent seeds from finding moist soil in which to germinate (begin growing).

Solarizing Soil - aka Killing Weeds with the Sun!

Weeds, insects, pathogens, and nemotodes (roundworms) can be killed without the use of chemicals and with a good plastic sheet. Radiant energy from the sun can heat soil up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Using a plastic sheet less than 1 mil thick (up to 1.5 mil is okay for windy areas), place the plastic over well-irrigated, damp soil that is exposed to direct sunlight.  For best results, do this during the hottest weeks of the year.  The plastic should be left in place for at least 4-6 weeks.  

For detailed information, visit the University of California's page Soil Solarization for Gardens and Landscapes. 

 

Zones - What are they?

The United States is divided into eleven hardiness zones that are based on average winter temperatures.  Each zone represents a ten degree range.  These zones are important for planting; each plant has a hardiness rating which tells you what kind of climate/temperature the plant prefers and temperature in which it will survive.  For more information, visit the National Gardening Association's page for the USDA Hardiness Zone Finder.