Plant giveaway at Whole Foods

We raised $86 for Lettuce Link over the course of a couple hours at Whole Foods Saturday. Thanks so much to Nancy for helping with this. I was hoping we’d make more, but we did pretty well – and learned a lot (like the fact that a lot of people don’t carry any cash with them). If we do this again, a farmers’ market or some other location where people are more likely to carry cash might prove more successful.

 

The chard looked better than the kale.

Earth Day Update

 

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Here’s the latest information:

Weekend events:

• Thanks to Nancy, who will be giving away veggie starts (and hopefully raising some money for Lettuce Link) with me at the Interbay Whole Foods this Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. Please feel free to stop by and say Hi. Lettuce Link distributes our starts to P-Patches; it also provides us with important supplies, including seeds. So, by supporting Lettuce Link, we're supporting our project as well. (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/interbay/)
• There will be a community food forum hosted by the Pacific Science Center from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday at Rainier Community Center. Lettuce Link representatives will be on the panel. (http://columbiacitizens.net/forum/t-234419/forum-on-food-and-community-saturday-april-24#post-754673)
• City People’s Garden Store will have its Spring Open House at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Here are the details: Learn how to grow your own heirloom vegetables from Bill Thorness, author of Edible Heirlooms. Learn about organic produce from Full Circle Farm. Take a cooking lesson from the chefs of Café Flora. Get advice on starting your own vegetable garden from City People’s Landscape. Enjoy Old Time Music in our outdoor nursery by members of the Tallboys and Klezmer Music by Harvey Niebulski & Sarah Funke & Friends. Enter the raffle to win a gift basket. 10% of the day’s proceeds will go to Lettuce Link. (http://www.citypeoples.com/gardenstore/workshop.html)

What's new and exciting at the greenhouse:

• Thanks to your efforts, all the tomatoes were transplanted.

• It's time to finish transplanting and begin planting basil, dill and cucumbers! Here are guidelines from Sue:

• PLANTING BASIL:
  Basil can be started in seed starting mix (just like we did the tomatoes, etc.).  When they are transplanted to 4" pots, be sure there is only 1 plant per pot and don't forget to fertilize.  Basil doesn't like to be crowded and will grow for a long time if kept pinched back.  If the growers keep a basil plant pinched back and don't allow it to flower, they can get a pretty continuous harvest until fall.  Basil will be the last crop that needs to transplanted into 4" pots.
  PLANTING DILL:
  Dill tends to "bolt" (flower) pretty quickly and resents being transplanted, so plant it just like we did the cilantro: in a 4" pot in POTTING SOIL.  You can plant 3 seeds per pot and  you DON'T NEED TO THIN!  The growers can thin out the dill as it grows and harvest it.  Fertilize when they put out the true leaves.
  Dill is also nice to let it flower in the garden because it attacts beneficial insects (butterfly food!) who will come to feed and help pollinate and protect other plants against attacks from other pests.  Aphids love it too, so keep an eye on it.
  PLANTING CUCUMBERS:
  Cukes also resent transplanting.  Plant them in 4" pots or even the pots that are a little bigger in POTTING SOIL.  Put 2-3 seeds per pot (no more!).   Fertilize after they germinate and put out true leaves.
  And as always:  OBSERVE, ENJOY AND WATER - WATER - WATER!

• There is now a page under the miscellaneous tab for tracking hours. Please write down weekly hours and also please note your weekly average since the season started.

• Greenhouse work should be wrapped up in early to mid-June, then we definitely need to plan a party. In fact, we probably should have a little party before then. If anyone would like to organize and host a potluck for all the volunteers, please let me know.

Peppers and tomatoes

 

Thanks volunteers!

Thanks to Teri and all the other volunteers for taking such great care of the plants! This is a picture from this evening.

And they’re off!!

Sadie has been tracking the type and number of starts that she’s picking up from the greenhouse and delivering to area gardens. It’s really impressive!

Here’s the list of where the starts having been going:

YouthCare Transitional Housing (transitional housing for homeless youth, has a new garden this year)

Spring St P-Patch, grows for C.A.M.P. Food Bank

Immaculate P-Patch, grows for the Food Bank at St. Mary’s

Climbing Water P-Patch, grows for the Food Bank at St. Mary’s

Delridge P-Patch, grows for White Center Food Bank and West Seattle Food Bank

Roosevelt P-Patch, grows for University Food Bank

Good Shepherd P-Patch, grow for Family Works Food Bank

Magnuson P-Patch, grows for North Helpline Food Bank

U-District P-Patch, grows for University Food Bank

Sunday update – Week #2

Hi everyone,

Thanks to all of your efforts, the greenhouse is looking amazing. I stopped by yesterday and was really impressed by the productivity. There are so many thriving plants!

Some things to keep in mind this week:

• We are going to need lots (hundreds) of four-inch pots. A little smaller or bigger is okay too. It looks like we might be a week away from transplanting time. Bring any extras you have at home, and ask your friends for donations. Also, if anyone is going to Swanson's, Skye or any other nurseries, please ask if they have any four-inch pots we can have.  
• It is getting pretty warm in the greenhouse, so keep an eye out for aphids. They will first look like little white dots and the leaves might feel sticky and look a little shiny. That is the "honeydew" they excrete. Smash them if you see them. If it is really bad, you can try gently washing them off. They may not appear until the plants get some true leaves, but keep your eyes open!  Hopefully, they won't appear at all.
• Great job on starting the peas and cilantro in potting soil in 4" pots. Three to four seeds per pot should do it and it is great if the peas get a pre-soak before planting. They will be able to go live outside on the shelves once they germinate (or even before, if we run out of room). We will be doing the same thing with the cucumbers, when the time comes - but only planting 2 seeds per pot.
• When watering be sure to go up on the ladder and see if the top shelf plants are thirsty.
• We're close to the point when the shelving on either side of the glass table will have to be cleared for plants.

Please be in touch with any questions.

-Abby (and Cyrus & Sue)

Watering and thinning tips

Watering: The mister should be used only when the SMALL seeds have been just planted and until the seedlings are about 3/4" tall. The mister has a very low water flow rate and when you need more water use the small green water can with the "rose" (the end cap at the end of the spout). Eventually, as the plants get bigger, the rose can be taken off so you can water more efficiently.

Thinning: For thinning you can cut the dense seedlings with the scissors so that the seedlings have a bit of space around them. Once these seedlings are ready for transplanting into potting soil (after the true leaves, the second set of leaves, have fully sprouted), loosen the soil around them with a popsicle stick or butter knife and lift up by pulling gently on the cotyledon leaves (the lowest leaves on the stem). Then place into 4" pots and gently tamp down the potting soil, water and fertilize (note date of fertilizing on the tag).

Most of what we will be sending out will be 4” pots with seedlings but Marra Farm also will be taking some soil trays with plants that have been thinned and are well established .