The Autumn Plot March

Transcription

1 The Autumn Plot March Official Publication of the Ringwood Community Garden Incorporated (Inc. No. A Y ABN ) I assume you have exhausted all options for using your zucchinis, should anyone need more supplies I am sure somebody has plenty to spare. Personally, this season has been very productive for us on our plots, we have had excellent beans, tomatoes, squash, zucchinis, capsicums and the eggplants are looking good. I hope you all have had the same success on your plots. Now is the time to clean off the autumn crops and start preparing for the winter vegetables. If you are not going to grow winter crops why not think of planting a green manure crop of oats, barley, lupin or peas to prevent the weeds taking over? This will not only improve your soil, but also make it far easier for you to cultivate for the spring planting. If you don t wish to do this then cover with black plastic to prevent weed build up. We should all be pleased with the appearance of the Garden, the majority of plots are being maintained well. A representative from the Open Garden Scheme visited the Garden to take photographs for publicising next year s open days and she was very impressed, so thank you and keep up the good work. We now have our group of members who will be co-ordinating arrangements leading up to those days. We have received a number of visitors over the past three months:- at the first Monthly Chat of the year in January Mark Been of GAEA: The Composting Co, spoke about his setting up a company to recycle waste, in particular coffee grounds, from cafes and restaurants. He spoke to us about using the spent coffee grounds in our compost and on the gardens. Resulting from that talk it was decided we would set up a trial taking the grounds from him and allowing individual members to use them on their plots in whatever way they wished. He is having difficulty persuading local cafés to allow him to pick up their grounds but on Saturday 18 th February he dropped off the first bag. I have taken some and, as a test, have surrounded a group of broccoli seedlings with the grounds to deter snails and slugs. I will report later on its effectiveness. I am also making up a spray which, again, can be used to deter snails. Start your planning NOW for the February 2013 Open Garden March - April - May 2012 Going Away Got a Problem? Going away for more than a few weeks? You need to notify the Committee if you are. Tell a Committee member who is to be responsible for your plot/s during your absence. Going overseas or travelling interstate for an extended period? You must arrange for someone to keep your plot/s in reasonable order. Tell Committee who that is. Health or personal issues? Let Committee know so we can put support strategies in place. In this issue:- Open Garden p. 2 AGM retirements - p. 3 Watering - Doing the right thing - p. 3 Fungus Eating Ladybird - p. 3 The quarantined plot - p. 4 Brassica rotation- p. 5 A rat problem - p. 5 Oxalis - p. 5 Working Bee-utiful - p. 6 If other members who are using it could also report on their findings I can pass that on to Mark to assist him in his endeavours At the February Monthly Chat we had a group of visitors from Berwick who are establishing a Community Garden and at our recent Working Bee two ladies from the Springvale Community Garden also paid us a visit. All seemed suitably impressed with our efforts and enjoyed chatting to the members at the garden. On the same day a mother and teenage daughter came along to take photographs for entry into the Maroondah Photo competition so keep your eyes on the local paper for some familiar photos maybe even the winner! The Working Bee and sausage sizzle just held in February was a great success The turn up of members was excellent and the majority of work we had planned was completed in the morning culminating with a very enjoyable and relaxing BBQ. (see page 6) You will note that we have a new fence at the South West corner, replacing the dilapidated and ivy covered one of old. The old Working Bee roster has been abandoned in favour of four general Working Bees a year and a mowing roster which has been established with 14 members volunteering their services We have our Annual General Meeting coming up on August 2 nd, so make a note in your diary to keep that evening free. All positions on the committee will be declared vacant and we will vote in a new committee. So think about helping on the committee, it is not an arduous job and you will be helping with the continued success of the Ringwood Community Garden. see page 3) Happy Autumn gardening and keep up the good work maintaining a Garden to be proud off. David The news and views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor nor of the Ringwood Community Garden Inc. Committee

2 Open Garden Preparations The Australia Open Garden Scheme s Barbara visited the Ringwood Community Garden taking photos and discussing plantings in preparation for our open days February 23rd and 24th next year. Committee for February 2013 Open Garden John Bannister; Susan Chambers; Adrian Cox; Dianne Griffith; Russ Haines; Tony Milton; Judith Taylor; Have a look at what is flourishing on the plots now as that is what will be looking its best for the Open Garden on February 23rd and 24th, 2013

3 Annual General Meeting Thursday 2nd August Ringwood Room - Ringwood Library These committee members will NOT be standing again:- David Watkins - Ralph Powell - Barry Naujok The following committee members have indicated they are NOT able to be office bearers next year:- Frank Thornton - Trevor Walker New people will need to put their hands up for the following:- Chair - Secretary - Treasurer - Memberships The FUNGUS EATING LADYBIRD Illeis galbula has very bold black and yellow colouration. Both adults and larvae feed on mildew fungus, which has been prevalent on pumpkin, zucchini and cucumbers this summer. Doing the Right thing Watering Plot holders must hand water at all times. Having an operational trigger nozzle fitted to the hose with a working on/off control is mandatory. Flooding soil using a hose with no fitting is also not permitted. We ve have recently had correspondence from South East Water relating to a breach by members who have failed to observe Stage 1 restrictions. By coincidence, the water was turned off recently so some of us had a taste of the inconvenience caused by not being able to water. If there are further reports to South East Water we risk disconnection. To avoid this risk, plot holders who flout Water Restrictions risk loss of membership.

4 The quarantined plot I n the 2011 Spring edition the problem of Club Root was highlighted. At a recent Saturday morning under the Oak Tree some members questioned why the quarantined plot was not being cultivated and it was even suggested that things other than those affected by the Plasmodiophora brassicae pathogen could be planted. As the Ringwood Community operates on organic principles there is no easy solution to the problem of Club root. Harsh chemicals are not an option so lying fallow, improving drainage and solarising are the main treatments open to us. Liming to reduce the acidity of the soil and dipping transplants in a fungicide may also help. Unfortunately the situation is by no means simple and stringent controls are required to prevent its spread.... spores can survive in the soil for up to fifteen years... Club root is virulent and its spores can survive in the soil for up to fifteen years. This means that even rotating crops on the usual four year cycle will not avoid the problem. The spores can be moved to other areas in soil, on tools and the soles of shoes, so care and hygiene are important if the disease is present. There is no complete treatment for infected plants which should be completely removed and, ideally, be burnt. Never compost infected plants. Increasing the ph levels above 7.0 assists but many vegetables fail to thrive with this level of alkalinity. It is planned that the plot be brought back into cultivation next season when it is hoped that the immediate threat of infection has been minimized. Crop rotation and the avoidance of any vegetable in the brassica family - broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy - will all go part way to limiting the impact of this otherwise devastating infestation.

5 Oxalis In Victoria Oxalis is classified as a Restricted Weed. These are weeds that have the potential to become a serious threat to the environment or community health. Oxalis is becoming prevalent on some plots and can be exceptionally difficult to eradicate. It is essential that any plot holder with Oxalis in their soil immediately dig - not pull - it up and remove it from the Garden so as to dispose of it at home. Do not pull the leaves as the roots and bulbils remain in the soil. Take a clump of soil around the plant to avoid leaving anything behind. Oxalis poses an unacceptable risk and must be removed to avoid it proliferating and spreading to neighbouring plots. Anecdotally, some people claim to have successfully eliminated small pockets of Oxalis by spraying its foliage with a well known brand of insect repellent. Can t vouch for it, but it may be worth a try. Rotation of your brassica crop Brassicas include cabbages, kale, Asian greens, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Perhaps less well-known is that canola, rutabaga, kohlrabi, mustards, turnips and swedes are also part of this family. When planting your next winter crop it is important to ensure that no brassicas of any description are planted into an area where other varieties of brassica have been grown in the previous season. Rats are making a meal of ripe produce. Please ensure you avoid having compost bins or material stacked in a way that allows rodents to move in. Turn over your compost to disturb their habitat.

6 Working Bee-utiful The m o o Visitors fr m Sprin a ying a sn jo n e le a gv wing s trip on th e back fence g David a nd Bo b on th e job Heave! Ho! The Bar-be-cue Many gardeners and their families enjoyed a well earned bite after a great effort...