Tomato plants available! If you are short on tomatoes or have extra space,
there are a bunch waiting for you in front of the garden shed!
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Thanks, everyone, for your patience while many folks worked together to get
the water up and running.
Watering your garden is essential to the health of your plants and is
directly related to the quality and quantity of vegetables you harvest. As
we pass the solstice and head into warmer, and often drier, days of summer
we are reminded that our garden is in a very public place and people watch
what we do. Water and sewer bills in town are high- Jeff and my monthly
Village water bill runs about $85. Using water wisely will foster good
relationships with our neighbors.
Here are some things to keep in mind as we share the garden water:
· Dan is aiming to have a Y splitter at each spigot- the point is to have
one long hose and a very short hose to fill up a watering can. If you and
your plot neighbors would prefer a different arrangement, please let him
know. Dan would like to create a set up that works for you and minimizes
disconnecting and reconnecting hoses.
· When you are done watering, shut off the nozzle and the spigot. Check in
with other gardeners and if you are the last one using water, please also
turn off the white shut off handle at the shed.
· If you take a hose nozzle off, please put it back on. Hanging the nozzle
from the string on the spigot post will keep it from getting filled with
dirt and/or broken.
· If you find a hose with a hole in it, please disconnect it and bring it
to the shed.
· If you need a longer hose, you are welcome to purchase one to keep in
your garden. This is preferable to tugging on the hydrant/spigot.
Here are some watering factoids:
· Adding compost and other organic matter to your garden enhances your
soil's ability to retain moisture.
· Covering your soil with mulch also reduces water loss. Black plastic and
row covers can also help.
· If water is running off of your garden soil, use the scuffle hoe to break
up any crust and help the soil absorb the water better.
· Plant roots need water, not the leaves. Wet leaves, especially in the
evening, can cause leaf diseases. Using a wand or watering can helps keep
leaves dry. Or you can do what WDEV's Peter Burke recommends every Saturday
on "In the Garden:" fill a bucket and pour 1-2 cups of water at the base of
each plant. Of course the exception to this is if you're feeding the
foliage with fish emulsion, etc.
· It's generally accepted that vegetable gardens needs 1" of water a week.
We're thinking about getting a rain gauge so we can keep track but for
reference, the Morrisville Airport reported 0.43" in the storm that came
through early Saturday morning.
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Do you have information to share? Maybe about a garden pest, fertilizing,
when and how to use row covers, planting for fall crops, or something else?
We'd love to have gardeners share their knowledge. Let us know if you'd
like to write something, share a link, or have an informal conversation
with other gardeners.
