Garden Tips:

Prepping for Fall

Hi gardeners....it's that time of year for prepping your soil for fall planting. Use Amend, steer manure, mushroom compost (Home Depot), and garden compost, add azomite minerals and Happy Frog fertilizer as needed when planting. Turn your soil deeply and water after each amendment!

Very IMPORTANT to check your irrigation lines and timer for any leaks. It is YOUR responsibility to check your bed regularly. If there is a leak, you will be contacted to repair, and your water will be turned off. Remember to turn your water back on and check for leaks after repairs.

Please top water at BASE of your plants. Your irrigation lines will NOT keep up if your bed gets very dry. If your bed does get dry, dig deep holes everywhere, fill with water. Your bed will be wet in 30 minutes. The garden managers will let you know when water timers need to be adjusted.

Also, very important to make sure your weeds are cleaned up around and inside your garden bed. As a Volunteer Community garden it is ALL our responsibility to help with the maintenance of the garden. Thank you in advance for your support with these tasks. MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK...it's our logo!!! 😊

Plants for fall planting:
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, Lettuce varieties, Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Cabbage, Green Beans, Kale varieties, Spinach, Tomatoes, Rutabaga, Peas, Green onions, Leeks, Kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Arugula, Garlic, Mustard greens, Okra, Onion bulbs, Celery & Turnips.

FOR BEST RESULTS! DO NOT CROWD YOUR BED!

Remember when starting seeds you must TOP water until germination (1-2 weeks) and it will be quicker in this warm weather. Cover with shade cloth, as needed. When shade cloths are no longer needed, please roll up and put in front of your bed. They will be picked up and stored for our next summer season.

Thank you everyone, please let your garden managers know if you need any assistance. Now let's get our hands in the dirt and have a great fall gardening season. HAPPY GARDENING.....Rita & Joy

Use of Garden Hoses

Please – DO NOT touch, borrow or use a hose that is attached to a garden bed. If you need to use a hose, there are garden hoses in every row of the garden located at the stone Gambians. When finished using a hose, please turn off the faucet and roll the hose back to the Gambian.

Proper Watering

There are two common mistakes made when watering the garden. Proper watering can make all the difference between success and failure.

Watering too often - believe it or not, more damage is done to plants by having too much water, rather than too little. Plants that receive too much water fail to develop deep roots. Unfortunately, a shallow root system creates a weak plant. Too much water can also saturate the root area, leaving plants unable to soak up nutrients. This often shows up with the yellowing of leaves. When it comes to watering the garden, ultimately plants with deep roots will produce better.
Watering in the heat of the day - Never water during the middle or "heat" of the day! Plants are at their maximum stress level in the middle of the afternoon. Never top water your plants. Water at the base of your plants, to prevent mildew or fungus issues. Early morning or early evening are the best times of day for your timer settings at the garden.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR TIMER EACH TIME YOU ARE IN THE GARDEN. BATTERIES DO NOT LAST AS LONG IN THE INTENSE HEAT. If you need help with setting your timer, please ask your garden managers for assistance. Thank you so much as water conservation is our #1 priority.

Battery Life

Garden Bed Members please keep an eye on the battery life in your irrigation timer. The battery icon is located in the window of the timer. If the battery is clear, you need to replace the battery. If it is black, the battery still has enough power to run your automated watering system. The timer requires one 9Volt battery. The battery seems to deplete its juice with the hot Arizona temperatures. Tis the season!

Mint is Invasive!

MINT can be terribly invasive, especially in rich, moist soil. Simply grow MINT in pots. There are a couple of garden beds currently in such a situation. Thanks to everyone for helping with this situation! Happy gardening.