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.