June - August Official Publication of the Ringwood Community Garden Incorporated (Inc. No. A Y ABN )

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1 June - August 2011 Official Publication of the Ringwood Community Garden Incorporated (Inc. No. A Y ABN ) The news and views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor or the Ringwood Community Garden Inc. Commit- First of all I have some very sad news to pass on. Carlo Zanon lost his fight with cancer and passed away on 20 th May. Carlo was a long-time member of the garden originally joining when the gardens were on Canterbury Road, always having an impeccable garden he set the standard for many of us. He will be missed as a great source of gardening advice by many members. Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife Diana and all the family. Doesn t time fly, here we are in Winter and it only seems a few weeks ago when we were welcoming Autumn. The rain continues to give us above average falls which is evident in the lower areas of the garden where plots have been surrounded by a moat for some weeks now. The official rainfall figures for Heathmont confirm this; the rainfall for May to date last year was 53.2mm & this year 103.2mm and year to date 293mm compared with 530mm! We have already taken some action to cope with this excessive rainfall by installing a drain in the Western pathway and have recently started to install one in the next pathway, hopefully this work will help to alleviate the flooding problems and allow those members who have suffered, to grow some crops in the coming months. Eight of our members have recently purchased a total of 6 tonnes of Humate from Debco, Humate is claimed to improve soil condition and release nutrients in the soil to give superior crop yields. It will be interesting to see if these claims prove to be accurate. Early this year we were approached by a local gardener asking if any members were interested in participating in variety trials of a number of vegetables. To my knowledge at least one member took up the offer, so hopefully we may hear some results in the future which may help us in choosing the best varieties to grow. Late April we received a visit from Sustainable Gardening Victoria who brought groups from the townships of Jindivick and Yinnar, both of which suffered badly in the bushfires. They were interested in looking at our garden and getting information on establishing and running a community garden as they wish to maintain the strong sense of community which exists after the devastation of the fires. Our sustainable garden is progressing well, thanks to Ralph and an enthusiastic bunch of helpers. We have established a communal herb bed along the front fence from the gate to the rear of the shed, a wide assortment of herbs have been planted, which when well established, members can pick as required. Members can of course help themselves to as many of the weeds as they would like. We are considering extending our orchard at the top of the garden, if members have suggestions on which fruits they would like to see there they can be passed to any committee member for consideration. Although Winter is called the dormant season in the garden this only applies to the plants, for gardeners it is the busy time for cleaning up the garden and preparing the ground for the spring growing season which is only just around the corner, so get out there and keep fit by working in the garden you will see and reap the benefits in the Spring. Happy gardening David

2 FIGHTING FIT A healthy lifestyle is as vital for protecting your brain as it is for keeping your body in shape. According to experts at Alzheimer's Australia, regular exercise is one way to reduce your risk of developing dementia. Even moderate exercise, such as walking or gardening, could be enough to benefit your brain by aiding blood flow and supporting nerve cells. Visit Key Dates Saturday 11th June - Plot fees payment day at the plot at 10.00am Peanut Arachis hypogaea Peanuts are warm season annuals that need at least 120 days of frost-free temperatures to mature and thrive best in loose, well drained soil. They require a blended fertilizer low in nitrogen. Peanuts are easy to grow, have a fascinating growth habit, setting their seed (the peanuts) in an unusual way, and since they are a legume they fix nitrogen atmospheric into nitrate fertiliser, so when the peanuts are harvested the plants can be dug in. Plants spread over an area of approximately 45cm x 45cm, produce small, yellow flowers over summer which then die off, produce stems called pegs which lengthen downwards into the soil to become peanuts. Over the following three months peanuts develop below the surface and can be harvested when the foliage turns yellow in late summer. Carefully dig the mature plants, shake off any soil, hang in a warm, dry place for a fortnight and then pull the pods from the plant. Air dry for another two weeks. Share Your Story Thursday 30th June Last day for payment of Annual Fees Send articles, items and/or suggestions to 2011 AGM 7.30 Wednesday 17th August, Victorian Jazz Archive Koomba Park opposite the Melbourne School of Theology Mountain Hwy Wantirna membersec@ringwoodcommunitygarden.org.au

3 Does your plot stand out for the right reasons? ost pitiless and stark the winter grew Meanwhile beneath a sky of cloudless blue, And sun that warmed not, till they nigh forgot The green lush spring, the summer rich and hot, The autumn fragrant with slow-ripening fruit; William Morris Remember It is your responsibility to: maintain both plots AND adjoining pathways!

4 Green Manures corn, pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. Prepare beds in late Autumn and early in winter turn over the soil and spread a mix of green manure seeds. Then with a rake cover them a bit, water and walk away. Around 2-3 months later you should have a lush knee high mat covering the bed. Then all you have to do is dig it into the soil where it breaks down over 1-2 months. The plot is once again ready for the next crop and the soil is much improved. For cold climate winter green manure go for: Barley, Clovers, Dun Peas, Fenugreek, Lucerne, Lupins, Mustard*, Oats, Rye Corn, Sorghum, Soy beans, Tic Beans, Vetch, Wheat Fumigant Green Manures During slow growing seasons you can boost the organic nature of your soil by growing green manure. A key ingredient in green manure is legumes which fix nitrogen into the soil. You normally sow green manure into a bed which has had its nutrients sapped by a hungry earlier crop, like sweet Consider planting a green manure specifically for soil diseases in beds that have had problems over the summer. Plants such as rapeseed (canola), marigolds or Indian mustard* contain high levels of bio-fumigant compounds. When these plants are dug into the soil, they release chemicals, which control nematodes and fungal pathogens. Some local seed suppliers who market Green Manures online are: Green Harvest New Gippsland Seeds Diggers Eden Seeds Goodman Seeds Green Patch Mr Fothergill s *Mustard is a wonderful fumigant for nematodes. Grow as a Green Manure to approximately 25cm in height, slash and dig in to help inhibit persistent infection of plants.

5 Concept for Rooftop Farming Liuzhou, Guangxi, People s Republic of China Community plots - Montazah Gardens, Alexandria, Egypt Royal Parks Allotment - St.James Park London, England Our website Generates Traffic Worldwide The website is the 127,159 th most popular Australian site and 19,313,292 th out of 97, 800,000 active worldwide sites. Not bad for a little community garden in Melbourne s east.

6 From the bookworm The answer to an age old riddle A fully revised 304 page edition which contains a wealth of practical information for gardeners to assist the reader to improve their soil, choose the best fertiliser and minimise water use. Covers the basics of soil, composting and fertilisers, and provides simple tests and colour guides to nutrient deficiencies. Gardening Down-Under comprehensively treats much practical information not found in other such texts. Landlinks Press, 2001 ISBN: and that, my friends, is why the chicken crossed the road Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail.