CVG Log Monday May 12, 2008

73 degrees at noon with 3" in the rain gauge.

Harvest to date:

May 1 8 lbs Romaine lettuce Collierville Food Pantry
May 8 12 lbs Romaine lettuce Collierville Food Pantry (we got thank you card)
May 12 45 lbs Romaine lettuce Memphis Food Bank (truck came to the garden)
Total 65 lbs

NOTE: BIG THANKS to Tom Mashour for raising the Romaine lettuce from seed for us. WOW! Last week was a busy week with wonderful results. We continue our battle with the rain and cool air and soil temps and and cutworms and rabbits. Sharon Lusk has graciously created a CVG BLOG for us and posted pictures. Jimmy, Jeff, Joan, Janet, Julie, Cindy, Martha, and Carl worked and Larry helped harvest today. Did I forget someone? If so, let me know.

The May 10 Garden Tour was a big success with 20-25 visitors, about half and half Master Gardeners. Several people indicated an interest in participating and gave emails to Martha. One lady would like her Girl's Club to participate. I was proud of the garden for results and for its beauty. Someone needs to notify the CA, the Independent, and the Herald about our regular monthly meeting at the garden May 25th 4pm. We will do a demonstration of low cost, low maintenance, sustainable gardening practices. Much work has been done on the front entrance and the flower beds. CHECK IT OUT!

Lots of mulching has been done. Several plants cut by cutworms have been replaced and most plants have a stick beside them and a covering of tin foil. In spite of that we lost a sticked, tinfoiled tomato plant last night. I dug in the soil around the plant but could not find the dastardly creature so I could end its reign of terror. All plants have been sprayed with Neem oil, which is a natural organic insect deterrent. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits were given healthy drinks of homemade SoilSoup. The flowers throughout the garden are gorgeous as well as being companion plants.

Plot by plot status: 1 2
3 4
5 6

Plot 1. All the Romaine lettuce has been harvested. Again, big thanks to Tom Mashour. We now need to add more leaves and till it and plant purple hull peas, leaving the 3 squash plants.

Plot 2. Rabbits have destroyed the broccoli. Cabbages are looking good and forming heads. Killdeers have a nest and 4 eggs in the southwest corner of this plot. Potatoes are all hilled up and mulched with newspaper overlain with straw. A joy to behold!

Plot 3. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucurbits now have sticks and tinfoil and are lovingly mulched with newspaper overlain with the last of the donated mulch. Put to bed, or "laid by" so to speak.

Plot 4. The bush cucumbers are doing well. The purple hull peas have all come up and the one empty spot planted. They now need thinning to 1 foot apart.

Plot 5. Contains tomatoes and squash and peppers. Will be newspaper mulched and overlain with leaves after we get more newspaper Thursday morning.

Plot 6. Other than a few healthy plants, the effects of the cool wet spring have done this plot in. We'll give it another week or so to revive, else we will plant more purple hull peas there. Next work day is this coming Friday morning (8-10 for me).

Objectives: Weed and fertilize and water as needed. Neem oil and Daconil as needed (fungicide to prevent early blight). Replace any lost plants. This existing purple hull peas to 1 foot apart. Till plant mulch plot 1 purple hull peas. Newspaper and leaves mulch plots 4 and 5. Continue working on flower beds. Cage and stake the tomatoes. Hopefully the bamboo will be there.

Thanks to every one!

Carl