September 2023
September 2023
Embedded Files
Barbara's Garden Notes
Barbara's Garden Notes
We have a full waitlist for next season, as usual. To help us plan, please let Barbara know if you will not be continuing at the Garden next season. This is also a good time to reevaluate whether you are utilizing your plot to its fullest potential or if you would like to turn back extra space that you are not using.
Looking forward to seeing your fall gardens grow.
Amir with his container-grown trees and grapes
Meet Amir
Meet Amir
Amir Mousavi came to this country from Iran in 1969 when he was 22 years old. In 1976 he graduated from Old Dominion University majoring in mathematics and computer science. His work in computer software engineering with the US government has taken him all over the world.
Now retired here in Williamsburg he loves tending to his wide variety of fruit trees and garden vegetables. The container-grown trees in his plots include figs from Turkey, Russian and Babylonian pomegranates, black cherry trees, and Persian limes.
You can find Amir in the garden just about every morning tending to his plants and visiting with anyone who says hello.
What he likes most about WCG?-- the freedom to pursue his passion and the sense of community!
National Center for Home Food Preservation:
Safe Canning Recipes Blog: https://safecanningrecipez.blogspot.com/
On Facebook: The “Original” Safe Canning Recipes Group
Ball Website:
www.ballmasonjars.com
Additional Safe Resources:
Melissa K. Norris
Ann Accetta-Scott
Jill Wingers
County extension offices:
Preserving Your Harvest
Preserving Your Harvest
By Amanda Beringer
By Amanda Beringer
Building and managing a garden is hard work, and you want to be able to reap what you sow. During our recent workshop, we talked about some of the ways that you can preserve the food that you grow. Why? So, you, and your family can enjoy it all year long.
Our topics included: Freezing, Dehydration, Canning, and Fermentation. The are many tips and tricks involved with preserving your well-deserved harvests! With patience and practice you'll be a professional in no time!
Click here for a summary of everything we discussed!
"A picture of Joe's Antennae"
How: You need several, heads up fancy word, "atmospheric antennae" to get started. To make antennae, you only need two simple items: a wooden stake and copper wire.
Wooden stake: This could be some old scrap wood or even a tree branch. If you're working with small potted plants, bamboo skewers work well.
Copper wire: Several metals can work, but copper will always give the best results because of its high conductivity. According to Bob Villa.com, (theoretically) the taller the antenna, the more your plants will grow. Based on my google research,
Wrap the wire around the stake and at the top, create a Fibonacci spiral (or several) that will face magnetic north and drive the stake 6 to 8 inches into the soil. If you don’t have a wooden stake or dowel, you can also use a copper rod. Consider experimenting, winding it one way or the other to see if there are any performance improvements. Keep things simple!
You can purchase antennae (i.e., copper rod), but it is much more cost effective to make your own. WCG has plenty of wood and bamboo stakes available, free of charge! You'll just need to find copper wire...who knows...we might have some of that too!
Nature is Electric
Nature is Electric
By Stephanie Murphy
By Stephanie Murphy
"With support from, her friendly garden neighbor, Joe G."
"With support from, her friendly garden neighbor, Joe G."
If you've recently walked by Joe's plot, you would probably agree...his plot is pretty neat! From the carefully planned and executed layout, to the obvious care and love that goes into every plant. One morning, a simple hello turned into almost an hour-long inspiring conversation about Electroculture, its benefits, compelling historical applications, and potential positive impacts on food production and the environment. As a professional chemist with some soil chemistry work experience, I needed to know more. Not just "social media interest" but down to the very elemental relationships driving this phenomenon. So, I went home and began researching. I found peer reviewed reports, news articles and ended up watching/trolling way too many YouTube videos. Although not inclusive, this is what I gathered:
When: Initial experiments began in Britain which date back to the 1700s. Not just any old scientist..."aristocratic scientists". I had to google what that meant. The French were also interested and designed their own controlled experiments. Flash forward to today and the method has been "reborn" and is rapidly gaining momentum, interest and producing some incredible results.
Why: According to the Washington Post , Research in Europe and Asia has shown encouraging results and electro culture advocates — and some scientists — say that harnessing electricity could revolutionize food production and potentially reduce the need for added fertilizers.
WCG'r Results: According to Joe, "My efforts this spring/summer were actually begun after all the planting was done. That does give me confidence in results because I did not build in any prejudices like soil quality, etc. I just added antenna somewhat randomly. The positive results may have had an element of coincidence. But coincidence aside, the results were significant."
Summary: Electroculture channels magnetic and electric energy from the atmosphere into the soil. This relationship may help plants grow bigger and has shown to reduce the need for fertilizer. Although there is insufficient proof that Electroculture works, it might still positively impact your garden. Based on my research and conversation with my garden neighbor, the method is interesting and something I, personally, plan to test out next year with some of my summer vegetable and flowers.
References:
CultivatElevate.com (provides great step by step videos)
The Cooldown.com, Debunking the new gardening fad (Yes, I researched the naysayers) 🙂
WCG Example
WCG Example
A picture of Joe's handmade antenna. As you can see, the stake is below the soil surface. The copper wire is approximately 4-5 inches from the soil surface. Pretty gnarly!
Raised Bed Example
Raised Bed Example
Winter Cover Crops
Winter Cover Crops
As we look ahead to the coming winter, if you will not be actively growing crops in your plot, what should you do to prevent the growth of weeds that you will have to remove in the spring? One option is to cover your plot with a tarp and just let it rest. But there might be a better option: Planting a fall cover crop that would not only keep the weeds out, but would improve your soil.
Where to buy seeds for cover crops?
See this tech pub from VT for a description of types of cover crops - https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/CSES/CSES-121/CSES-121.html
And this listing of sources for cover crop seed -
https://southerncovercrops.org/cover-crop-resource-guide/seed-sources/
In the local area, Southern States in Gloucester advises that they have the following seed in stock:
Rye
Buckwheat*
Wheat**
Oats
Fall wildlife mix (I guess to feed the deer?)
Clover, multiple varieties
* I recommend cutting down buckwheat when it flowers and laying the plants on top of the soil to protect the soil and to decompose. Don’t let it go to seed.
**I found that winter wheat created massive roots that were difficult to manage in the spring.
Territorial Seed Company https://territorialseed.com/products/mix-tscs-spring has a Spring Mix of 60% Austrian field peas, 25% Oats, and 15% hairy vetch that sounds like a good combination “to maximize the benefits of cover crops for your garden.” Territorial also has many individual varieties as well.
Johnny’s Select Seeds https://www.johnnyseeds.com/ offers a Fall Green Manure mix that they describe as:
A ready-made mix comprised of winter rye, field peas, ryegrass, crimson clover, and hairy vetch. Vigorous late-summer growth provides winter erosion control. The peas, clover, and ryegrass will winter kill to provide organic matter and soil cover. The hairy vetch and winter rye will regrow in the spring to provide nutrients for crops to utilize.
They also have many varieties of individual seeds for cover.
Consider going in with your friends or garden neighbors on buying seed. One quarter pound covers 500 sq. ft. Purchasing in bulk reduces the cost significantly!
So, when you have pulled out all your summer plants, think about sowing all or part of your plot in a nice, green cover crop that will provide a ton of benefits to your soil.
What are cover crops?
The general purpose of a cover crop is to improve the soil, the broader environment, or other crops in rotation, not for direct harvest. Cover crops, depending on which are selected, are capable of providing many diverse assets.
Benefits of cover crops
Soil Quality -Soil quality is defined as "the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation" (Karlen et al., 1997). By providing additional residue (carbon) and plant biodiversity, cover crops can slowly improve the overall quality of the soil and surrounding ecosystem.
Soil Erosion - A cover crop stabilizes soil in the root zone, reducing the chance for erosion. Leaves and stems of the cover crop decrease soil erosion by reducing the impact from rain droplets, which can dislodge soil particles. The presence of the leaves and stems also slows water movement over the soil surface, reducing sediment loss from the field.
Soil compaction - Cover crop root systems can be used to combat both shallow and deep compaction. Cover crops with taproot systems reach deep in the soil and can break up deep compacted layers that have formed in the soil. Likewise, extensive root systems in grass cover crops reduce surface compaction. The ability of cover crops to break up soil compaction makes it easier for cash crop roots to get to essential water and nutrients that may have previously been unavailable and below the compacted soil layer.
Soil organic matter - Cover crop residues increase soil organic matter, providing numerous benefits to the soil and successive crops. Increasing organic matter, subsequently, improves soil structure, soil water holding capacity and infiltration, and increases cation exchange capacity. It provides a habitat for beneficial insects and microorganisms, and increases soil aggregate stability. Decaying plant materials contribute nutrients back to the soil; however, different cover crop species contribute to nutrient cycling at different rates based on the rate of decomposition.
Water filtration and runoff - Cover crops slow the movement of water across the soil surface, providing more opportunity for water to infiltrate instead of running off the surface. Cover crop residues increase soil organic matter which in turn increases development of stable soil aggregates. These larger soil aggregates encourage greater soil water infiltration and water holding.
Nutrient cycling - By scavenging nutrients left over from cash crop production, cover crops help minimize undesirable losses. Legume cover crops fix Nitrogen from the atmosphere that can then be available for cash crop utilization, reducing the need for additional Nitrogen supply.
Weed suppression - Cover crops can act as a smother crop to outcompete weeds for essential resources of water, nutrients, and sunlight. In addition, some cover crops, like cereal rye, produce allelochemicals when residues are left on the soil surface. These plant chemicals produce an effect known as allelopathy which is an inhibition of the growth of other plants. Additionally, the killed cover crop can act as a surface mulch, reducing weed pressure.
Insect control - Cover crops provide habitat and food for beneficial (predator and parasitoid) insects such as assassin bugs and lady beetles. If cover crop residue remains on the surface when row crops are planted, beneficial insects will remain in their habitat and feed on or kill other insects that can be detrimental to row crops. Although cover crops can provide an environment for beneficial insects, success with insect control is dependent on proper management and matching the cover crop, subsequent row crop, and possible pest threats.
From: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/CSES/CSES-120/SPES-241.pdf
What to Plant Now?
What to Plant Now?
Is it too late to get crops in the ground for a fall/winter garden? Not at all! Here are the crops recommended for September by the Virginia Cooperative Extension:
Beets
Chard
Collards
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard
Radish
Spinach
Turnips
The complete guide for what to plant when in our zone can be found from the Virginia Extension at Virginia Tech here.
A few caveats:
Seeds planted in the ground need to be kept moist until they germinate and grow their first true leaves. It is great that we still have the heat needed to germinate but be attentive to the level of water on your seedlings.
Watch the weather for frosts. Seems like the last thing to think about in our sweltering heat, but we are seeing sudden turns in the weather, and you want to cover delicate plants if cold weather is coming.
Root crops are best started from seeds planted in the ground. They have tap roots, or actually, they ARE tap roots and do not transplant well.
Upcoming Work Parties
Upcoming Work Parties
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming Work Parties on September 16 and October 7. We appreciate your attendance and help even if you have already satisfied your 6 hour volunteer commitment.
What's Growin' On?
What's Growin' On?
Enjoy the beautiful pictures from the garden and both the "Preserving" and "Herb" Workshops.
Have any neat pictures? Send to Barbara or Charlie to be featured in the blog!
Monthly Smiles
Monthly Smiles
See you in October!
See you in October!
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