Planting Guides from the Univ. of Florida

Also, on the same page as the Solarizing article is a PDF Planting Guide with additional Temperature Zone maps added.  Please note that our garden area - Central Zone is very, very close to the Northern Zone.  Therefore, when you look at the monthly planting guides, you should also check the Northern Zone because of our close proximity, some years the temps probably overlap.
Click here for IFAS Planting Guide and Zone Map.

How to Solarize Your Garden

How to Solarize/Cover your Garden

This is the .pdf that was mailed to everyone on this year's garden list.  I decided to post it as a link just in case you did not receive it.  The file is on my website server, so please do not be confused about the link, as you cannot upload a PDF to Facebook or this Blog, only LINK files.
How to Solarize Your Garden

Weed Report 8/31/13

Port Orange Community Gardens Weed Report 8/31/13

This is the third clean up report for the Port Orange Community Gardens. The following grading system was used to determine the condition of your plot. The plots are listed below with their grades.
If you received a 3 or 4, you have until Sunday, Sept. 7, 2013 to weed your plot, or forfeit your plot. A team of two members graded the plots.
1 = Good
2 = Border Line
3 = Needs weeding desperately - make some effort by 9/7/13 or your will forfeit
4 = Your garden is in pre-foreclosure - you will forfeit if not cleaned up by 9/7/13

Plot #		Grade
1		1
2		3
3		2
4		2
5		2
6		3
7		3
8		4
9		4
10		3
Plot #		Grade
11**		1**
12		3
13		1
14		1-
15		2
16		4
17		2
18		4
19		3
20		2
Plot #		Grade
21		4
22		1
23		2
24		4
25		1
26		4
27		2
28		3
29		2
30		3
Plot #		Grade
31		4
32		4
33		3
34		4
35		3+
36		4
37		2
38		1
39		2
40		2

**Awarded garden of the summer

Port Orange Community Gardens Weed Report 8/31/13

 

Feb. 16th

Okay, last post.  There will be more work in the gardens on Saturday morning.  Pat Gill spent 8 hours cutting new bamboo, and he has a new system that will need to be installed to support the bamboo trellis.  Previously, he has had a problem when weed-wacking the aisles (since gardeners are NOT weeding them).  The line lead has become entangled in the bamboo. 
Maybe this year gardeners will weed the aisles as they are supposed to. 

Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware has some long handled garden tools...actually telescoping handles.  I bought another small headed hoe, named a Culti-hoe because it has three-prongs on the opposite side of the hoe head for cultivating..  The handle is easily 18", then telescopes to about 31", comfy grip, tool made by Bond tools.  If you are signed up for an Ace Rewards card, you might have received the email with a 20% discount coupon for 2/15 on the "bag sale"....whatever fits in the brown paper bag.  I bought more of their heirloom/organic seeds from SOW TRUE, a North Carolina company that hand-packs the seeds.  I had great luck with those I planted in the Fall....also snagged a machete..watch out bamboo...feeling abit like a Fidel in the cane field...all from my 20% off bag:)))

Dr. Canty's Broccoli, Dr. Afghani's Seminar, and Garden Volunteers

This absolutely perfect head of broccoli from Dr. Anne Canty's garden plot is the positive result of her winter garden efforts and those helping maintain quite a few of the College's plots through the College's Garden Club headed up by John DeM. and Shane I.  A large number of gardeners experienced a good yield from their winter gardens this year.  For 2013, we are looking towards 100% of the plots being planted and maintained throughout the Fall and Winter season after Spring and Summer crops are harvested.

John DeM., Palmer Chiropractic student gets an
extra workout digging out old boards.

This past Saturday, the PO Community Gardens had a busy morning with several students from Palmer Chiropractic College taking their Saturday morning to come and help Pat Gill replace and rebuild the remainder of the garden plots.  I know I speak for everyone involved in the Garden Project, but from the bottom of hearts (and bones that need tweeking), we would like to thank Shane I, Shane II, John DeM., all from Palmer College, for swinging the hammers and digging up rotted boards.  The new boards look fabulous, and hopefully everyone that is fortunate enough to get a garden plot will appreciate the hard labor that goes into making this project possible.




Palmer Chiropractic College students listening to Dr. Phil Afghani's lecture.

In addition to the maintenance, Dr. Phil Afghani, Adjunct Professor, and owner of Atlantic Chiropractic and Wellness Clinic on 3510 S. Nova Rd, Ste. 108, Port Orange (in Tuscan/ World of Beers plaza)[AtlanticChiroFL.com]. gave a very interesting lecture to a group of Palmer students including information regarding the importance of and approaches to adding fresh vegetables into patient's diets, along with the myriad of medical benefits from a variety of fresh produce.  Dr. Afghani has wellness programs twice a week at his clinic.  Please check his website.  Certainly most anyone could benefit from his programs, as he has a wealth of information.  (Did you know that broccoli has one of the highest amounts of protein in the vegetable class?)

Several more plots were taken, so we are getting down to less than 10 available.   If you still want your plot from 2012 and have not contacted Pat or myself, please do.

Seeds

As promised, here is a listing of the seeds Pat Gill ordered, or fairly close, I may have missed one or so! Beets Detroit Red

Bush Beans Slenderette

Bush Beans Top Crop

Cabbage Golder Acre

Cabbage Red Acre

Carrot Canvers 126

Carrots Imperator

Celery Utah

Collards Morris

Cucumbers Market More

Cucumer Spacemaker

Garlic Chives

Lettuce Crisphead

Lettuce Leaf Salad Bowl Green

Onion Red Burgandy

Onion Sweet Spanish

Pepper Sweet Keystone Resistant Giant

Pepper Sweet Sweet Banana

Pole Beans

Romaine Parris Island

Spinach Bloomsdale Long

Spinach Tyee –HYBRID

Sumer Squash Early Prolific

Summer Squash

Sweet Pepper Automn Bell

Sweet Pepper Yolo Wonder

Tomato Arkansas Traveler

Tomato Bonny Best

Tomato Goliath Hybrid

Tomato Large Red Cherry

Tomato VR Moscow

Zucchini Italian Striped

Seed Information

Pat Gill has a box full of seeds he is planting to get everyone started at the Spring Planting for 2013.  He orders the seeds from Mountain Valley Wholeshale Seeds in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can check their web, http://www.mvseeds.com/ .  Almost all the seeds he orders ARE NOT hybrids, as many do not like the hybrids.
This week I will post a list of those he ordered.

Invites to the Blog

If you are receiving another invite to the Blog, I apologize for the repeat, but I am having trouble keeping up with Google's changes, for Google+, +1 or whatever effects the admin of Blogs.
 
This Blog IS the primary communication method for the Port Orange Community Gardens.  If you DO NOT JOIN this Blog and receive communications, you will not be updated on dates, plantings, or other important news/events related to the Gardens are being posted here., i.e., water shut offs, repairs, plants available, plots available.

The Port Orange Community Gardens does not keep an email BLAST list, this Blog is it.  If you know anyone that wants to receive an invite, please give Pat or Lonny their email address.

Thanks for your patience, too!

WE NEED HELPERS! PLEASE!

On Saturday mornings, from 8:30 am - about noon, Pat Gill will be readying the gardens.  He needs some helpers to put in boards, do light digging and a few other light garden chores.  We will also be taking EARLY Reservations for the Gardens from those that already have THEIR NAME on our list. 

If you can spare an hour or so, please come and help.  Mr. Gill cannot do this all by himself.

Winter crops

If you planted a winter garden, your crops are probably ready to be picked.  Several Gardens have broccoli plants that are going to flower...if you do not pick your broccoli this week, you will probably not have any to pick that is worth eating.  The warm weather that we have been having has forced the plants to bloom earlier than normal.

Mr. Gill will be replacing rotted boards around some of the gardens in the next few weeks. He has also started some seedlings and he will have pole beans this year.

•  I will be making a chart of the available gardens that I know of for Mr. Gill so he can decide how many gardens are available for the spring planting.  There are several plots that are overrun with weeds, and this year, there will probably be an additional fee for gardeners that did not maintain their gardens over the 12 month period.  Having a community garden and caring for it is a responsibility that lasts all year.
• there are some new gardeners in the group that have taken over plots from people that have moved. Please make them feel welcome if you see them.

We realize that everyone is busy with their life but please remember, if you have a community garden you are responsible for keeping  it weeded all year.