April 2024

Farm Day 2024

Come on out for fun on the farm AND to learn all about WCG!

Click here for the schedule of events!

Tender Crop Plant Sale

When: April 27th

Where: Williamsburg Community Garden

We are located in the Warhill Sports Complex on Stadium Road

Time: 9:00-11:00

Our annual tender crop plant sale is scheduled for April 27th at the Williamsburg Community Garden! We will have a huge variety of tomatoes (beefsteak/slicing, cherry, etc.), peppers, eggplant, and many more! All plants are $3.00 each! These are not your usual big box varieties! Plants are known to sell quickly. Be sure to get there on time to snag your favorites! Plant descriptions are found here.

See you on the 27th!

Check-in with Chip

Hey Folks

A huge thanks to everyone who participated in the recent WCG workday. With the W&M volunteers we had almost 50 folks working away. Some of the things we accomplished were:

Herb bed reno with Robert B from the herb society.
Flower bed reno with Partner's Path and Barbara.
Community garden general clean up and path maintenance.
Carport chipped and prepped for a CSA processing & pickup station.
Three truckloads of junk were hauled to the DUMP.
Cardboard holding spot moved to under the original carport, closer to the gardeners (still need some good ideas on how to procure and store larger pieces of cardboard under the carport).
Tons of leaves debagged by our W&M volunteers.
*NEW* compost staging area was established (in front of cinder blocks just to the left of the 'chip pile') and most of the old compost pile was moved to the windrows. The new single compost staging area is for ALL organic materials. This site will be emptied/moved every week or two).
Super rich soil moved up to the berry patch to get that area ready for new blueberry plants.

The tender crop plant sale is scheduled for Saturday April 27th from 9:00 to 11:00. We have a huge variety of tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, eggplants, marigolds, and basil. Specific varieties will be sent out soon. The garden is looking great!

Thanks all,

Chip

Tender crops looking great. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who have helped "raise" and label the plants!

Garden Waste

Friendly reminder: Be sure all garden waste is dumped in the new designated location! Waste site is to the right of the green house!

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

Now is the time that you will be thinking about starting seeds indoors or planting out seeds of crops in your garden plot. Many Gardeners have leftover seed packets from years past and are wondering if they can’t use them or if they have to buy new seed every year. And when you plant your seeds, how deep in the soil should they be? Read on for some answers from the Virginia Tech Extension.

Can I Plant Last Year's Seeds?

Properly stored seed remains viable for different lengths of time depending on the type of seed. Be aware that seed companies may store seeds up to the number of years of their viability prior to selling them. Most seed packets will have the date of the year the seeds were packaged. To ensure maximum viability of purchased seed after its package has been opened, remaining seed should be sealed in airtight containers and stored in a cool, dark location. Glass jars with rubber seals, such as baby food jars or canning jars, or tightly sealed plastic bags stored inside jars are good choices. Seeds will remain viable for some time if properly stored. To test for germination, sprout seeds between moist paper towels (if 1 of 10 seeds germinate, you know you have a 10% germination rate); if germination is low, either discard the seed or plant enough extra to give the desired number of plants.

Seed Viability Chart

How Deep Should You Plant Seeds?

The depth to cover seeds when you plant them depends on a number of factors, such as the size of the seed, the type of soil you have, and the season of the year.

As a general rule, vegetable and flower seeds should be covered about four to five times their lateral diameter or width (not their length). Most seeds should be planted from 1 /4 to 1 /2 inch deep. There are exceptions, however, so read the packet directions. Small seeds, such as celery, should be planted only 1 /8 inch deep. Vine crops, sweet corn, and beans can be planted 1 inch or deeper. Some seeds, such as lettuce, require light for germination and should not be covered at all. These instructions apply to seeds planted both inside and out.

So, if you have been poking a deep hole in your soil, putting a seed in and covering it up, you may now understand why it is having trouble germinating.

“Seed for the Garden”

Planting Trap Crops to Help in the Control of Garden Pests

**Originally published in our January 2023**

By Sally Hewitt

Many of us have had problems with pests injuring our crops to the extent it directly affects our produce in its quantity, as well as quality. Below I have a list of main crop pests and some of the ways we can mitigate their effect on our crops. Planting another crop nearby is called companion planting. Some of these plants are crop traps (say that fast 5 times!) some of which attract the pest, some which repel the pest. Using a trap crop enables you to allow the trap crop to be eaten by the target insect, which you can then remove, allowing your main crop to grow mostly unharmed. Some trap crops are more attractive to the pest, and some are the same as the main crop but planted earlier. Some trap crops also attract beneficial insects that are predators of the pests you are trying to remove, and some plants can actually repel some pests. And finally, the extra bonus for the gardener is getting fruit, leaves or flowers from the extra plants in the garden.

Plan to plant your trap crop 1-2 weeks before your real crop, planting them in a circle around where you wish to plant your main crop. This can be hard in a small plot but fit in as many as you can. Planting early allows the pest to attack the trap crop where you can easily dispose of them. Hand picking pests and placing them in a cup of water with a drop of dish soap is an easy way to remove them. Some people use a small battery powered vac to collect the insects. Eggs and small pests can be easily removed by placing a strip of duct tape over the egg mass and pulling the tape off along with the eggs.

What to Plant Now

According to the Virginia Tech Extension, we in Zone 7b have passed the last spring frost date for our area. Keep in mind that this is a historical average, not a guarantee and keep an eye on the weather report. We could have a frost into mid-May. Watch low temperatures when planting out tender plants such as basil, which will turn brown and die at temperatures below 50 degrees. Be ready with a row cover or a bed sheet if you see a cold night coming, especially in the windy conditions that our garden offers.

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html

Plant this now:

Transplants: Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Eggplant, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes

Seeds: Beans (pole, bush, lima), Beets, Carrots, Cucumbers, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Melon, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Watermelon

Seeds and Transplants: Chard, Squash, Collards

Why Organic?

You all know that our Community Garden and Farm are all organic. Below is a link to an article that explains why this is preferred over inorganic pesticides and fertilizers. Enjoy!

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/ENTO/ENTO-384/ENTO-384.html

What's Growin' On!

The spring gardens are waking up and stunning! Looking forward to seeing the continued growth! Thank you to all of the WCGrs who came out and supported the workday! Check out Farm Manager Joseph teaching a W&M Office Community Engagement student how to use a broad fork to break up compacted soil. A great shot of "Tomato-Man Ken". He says he has reigned in his tomato planting for this year. He is ONLY planting 170 versus the 210 from last year! Charlie's crimson clover looks great! Crimson is a cover crop for introducing useable nitrogen into the soil. Also-- our new double-wide tractor and CSA prep area!

Monthly Smiles

Kids Corner

Making Seed Paper

Check out NASA's Climate Kids article on "Making Seed Paper". A fun and easy project for kids to learn about recycling, getting their hands dirty and create greeting cards for someone special! Bonus points, the paper can be planted in a pot OR the ground!

See you in May!!

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