AGROPOLIS NOW Zone 6 Community Garden

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78386114077452242552011-11-27T16:12:44.570-08:00AGROPOLIS NOW Zone 6 Community GardenVegetable gardening in a small community garden plot in New Brunswick NJ, in zone 6.Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-91207765208004581392009-07-20T16:14:00.000-07:002009-07-20T16:18:42.550-07:00Today's Garden City

So technically this blog has been terminated- but one last note:I've got to post an article I wrote for the newsletter of my employer, Regional Plan Association, which is a non-profit urban planning research & advocacy group for the New York region.Today's Garden City connects the current local food movement with similar efforts over a hundred years ago in England thatgave rise to the "Garden

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-45850340283361617042009-01-10T19:30:00.000-08:002009-01-10T19:43:29.140-08:00Saying goodbye to the Garden State

I had to say goodbye to my garden in August to move away for a new job! So sad! Luckily, my next door neighbors said they would care for the plot until the end of the season (all that produce I couldn't harvest myself), and even if I couldn't be there, I know the crops were well loved in my absence. Since I won't have my own garden for the foreseeable future, I've decided to restart my old blog

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-29453619765112447552008-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:002008-07-06T18:30:43.367-07:00Pest of the Day: Squash Bug

My zucchini have just started to be harvestable but I'm still waiting for the day when I have more zucchini than I can eat. Won't that be wonderful.While hovering over the still-unproductive zucchini, I noticed what seemed to be 3 pests:1) green shield bug (maybe a stink bug, I thought)2) orange eggs on underside of leaves3) clustered spiders (I thought)Turns out these are all the squash bug, in

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-73138015986161110492008-06-29T15:40:00.000-07:002008-06-29T15:42:30.647-07:00More Internet Resources

The link list to the right has been updated with some more garden blogs that I've found informative over the last few weeks, as well a couple of entertaining podcasts.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-48109321152704730642008-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:002008-06-22T20:32:08.019-07:00Harvest Season Begins!

To my fellow community gardeners- my plot is overflowing with lettuce! Please help yourself to some lettuce. My plot is 2 rows in from the far right grassland, 3 plots in from the main road (in front of the plot with the big white rain barrel). I have a sign in my plot that says "Garden More, Work Less." I have 2 varieties- Black seeded simpson (a light crinkly type) and Winter Density, which

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-77616728667547868942008-06-11T06:09:00.000-07:002008-06-11T06:42:33.626-07:00

Thinking of next year's garden (wherever it may be):I would plant my onions and garlic with closer spacing.I would interplant lettuce with a taller vegetable, to shade it from the summer sun and prevent bolting.I would plant less early-spring lettuce and more early-spring spinach.I would find out where I can get more seeds of this swiss chard and plant more of it.I would start my tomato and

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-62706876552795522502008-06-04T16:28:00.000-07:002008-06-04T16:58:02.620-07:00Strawberry Time

The last few weeks have been quiet for the garden but busy for me, with all the crops planted and nothing ready to eat yet.Now it is strawberry season and I actually ate 3 perfect, luscious strawberries from my VERY SMALL strawberry patch the other day. This week I'll be going down to West Windsor to pick-your-own strawberries and have more than three.Other developments:Garlic is making scapes

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-51995250712620092042008-05-09T14:54:00.000-07:002008-05-09T15:13:09.227-07:00Rainy Friday

Nothing to do but watch time lapse videos.They're ALIVE!Tomato PhototropismPepper Time LapsePea Plant DevelopmentLettuce- Start to FinishBush Bean SeedlingsI actually have plenty else to do.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-73615226415518263362008-05-04T08:17:00.000-07:002008-05-04T08:58:19.864-07:00Gardening is Hard!

Why, oh why, must April showers coincide with the busiest 2 weeks of the semester? A quick visit to the plot last week showed me that a "crazy explosion" of weeds was occurring at my plot- and the hours I spent there this weekend have barely contained them.Worse, it is now absolutely time to do the planting for warm-season vegetables, and we are not ready!Around the Garden, 5/2/08Cabbage and

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-39473425241075938122008-04-19T19:44:00.000-07:002008-04-19T19:49:43.294-07:00

Supposed to be part of the last post.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-74048881214424955222008-04-19T19:09:00.001-07:002008-04-19T19:41:31.765-07:00Tomatoes!

Although several people have told me that tomatoes shouldn't get set out until Mother's Day, my garden books say it's safe once the last frost has passed. My seedlings still have a bit of growing to do before transplanting but I wanted to get the tomato bed set up. Therefore, I took a trip to Home Depot today and along with tomato supplies, wound up with 4 tomato plants to transplant.Since I'm

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-65229676605427629422008-04-12T14:08:00.001-07:002008-04-12T14:17:26.357-07:00Around the Garden- April 12, 2008

Garlic well on its way (planted 10/07)New onion sets taking rootSomeone's been eating the simposi (an Asian green) even though it's been covered with row covers.Overwintered lettuce and spinach seedlings are becoming full plants. I already thinned them out a bit."White Russian Kale"- a spring transplantStrawberry transplants perking upUp next- more preparation against weeds, which are poking

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-12933326777369027392008-04-12T13:46:00.000-07:002008-04-12T14:07:24.473-07:00Which are my plantings, which are weeds?

As a new gardener the hardest part about growing from seeds is distinguishing your plants from all the other weed sprouts in the dirt.Spinach looks like blades of grass at first, then gets wider, thicker leaves.Kale has a jaggedy third leaf.Lettuce starts out with soft pale green leaves from the start.I wish I could tell you what carrots and peas look like!

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-39550477638312360852008-04-08T19:35:00.000-07:002008-04-08T19:41:26.738-07:00Ag Weather Forecast

Full Weekly UpdateThis one includes some general comments about the winter that just passed, and implications for the upcoming growing season, including"WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES DURING THE WINTER THE OVER WINTERINGOF MANY PESTS IS LIKELY TO BE HIGH AND THEREFORE THE PRESSURE FROMTHEIR ASSOCIATED DISEASES IS EXPECTED TO BE HIGH."Soil Moisture: a little too high, should dry somewhat over next

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-56191539614791339252008-04-05T17:15:00.000-07:002008-04-05T17:40:53.248-07:00Using Plastic Bottles in the Garden

I've mentioned the usefulness of plastic bottle-cloches before. Another neat & cheap trick for a used plastic bottle is as a sprinkling watering can. I looked at Home Depot for a watering can that I could use on delicate plants such as my new seedlings. No luck. So after finishing off a quart of Gatorade I realized that I was holding my new, free watering can. Here's how to do it (it's easy).1)

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-3924305915410176492008-04-03T12:36:00.000-07:002008-04-03T12:41:08.431-07:00

Just a short video of the new seedling box on the fire escape. It's a crisper drawer from an old refrigerator. After the squirrel's visit this morning it has been covered to protect the baby seedlings.New Jersey squirrels are afraid of nothing.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-76617889284311128902008-04-02T19:47:00.000-07:002008-04-02T19:52:24.771-07:00Weather Wrap-Up, Week ending 3/31

From the Rutgers Weather Center Agricultural Forecast:Temps have averaged 5 degrees below normal for the past week in New Brunswick. Soil moisture capacity is at 97% for Central NJ (good).Soil temperatures still only 42 degrees.It will be below freezing tonight but there has been a definite shift towards spring the last few days. I don't see any more frosts in the next 10 day forecast.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-10333151518625969792008-04-01T17:33:00.001-07:002008-04-01T17:49:23.727-07:00My garden loves cool misty weather

I had to stop at the garden this morning to see how my transplants were doing. They are very happy, getting constant watering from the off and on rain the last few days. To the right are collard greens next to some overwintered cabbage. I put in some new cabbage, too, at the back.Even the strawberries are happy in their new grass mulch.Check out this cucumber, seeded exactly 1 week ago. It

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-48449636730260952752008-03-30T16:39:00.000-07:002008-04-01T08:53:32.166-07:00Green Manure

Today I had the pleasure of planting strawberries in a patch that I had planted with winter rye last fall. Unlike the hard, dry bare soil in the rest of the garden, the soil where the rye had been was moist and soft. I left as much of the broken-up rye roots in the soil as possible (that's where the nitrogen has been fixed).CORRECTION- Rye doesn't fix nitrogen. But the hairy vetch I planted with

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-64402679764435057662008-03-29T15:56:00.000-07:002008-04-01T17:33:07.462-07:00Fertilizer

I've had a nagging feeling that my plants wouldn't do well this season unless I put down some kind of fertilizer. So yesterday at Home Depot I bought some (organic) TerraCycle worm poop but wasn't sure what to do with it. Before my trip to the garden today, I happened to glance at the cover of this month's Mother Earth News, and see that the issue has an article calledBuild Better Soil with Free

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-44111029007552996712008-03-28T19:31:00.000-07:002008-04-03T12:40:41.269-07:00My poor little seedlings

I've got some seedlings growing on the fire escape in containers, some good some bad. The lettuce got set out this week so the littler ones are left behind here.Here you see the chard which will be transplanted next, as well as one laggard broccoli.I like using the little netted peat pots for tomatoes (which have been germinating irregularly and are still warm inside) because the germinated

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-42334912354728268662008-03-28T14:09:00.000-07:002008-04-01T17:31:06.506-07:00Frost!

The low temperature forecast for tomorrow night keeps getting lower and lower- I am officially concerned about the health of my freshly transplanted greens. Though most of them are in plastic soda bottle cloches and covered with transparent cloth, it's not going to be enough.So tomorrow I will be rigging up some temporary cover. I'm not yet sure what that will be.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-91280921120299014752008-03-27T15:56:00.001-07:002008-03-29T16:23:18.248-07:00November 28, 2007 harvest

These broccoli, lettuce, and radishes were the last crops I got out of my garden last fall. It's looking pretty good to me right now.

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-20838056692580263762008-03-27T15:49:00.000-07:002008-03-29T16:23:18.248-07:00Check out post from my other blog from last October- about the garden

October PostBroccoli and cabbage was so lush and green!

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-70087941913161224892008-03-27T15:37:00.001-07:002008-03-29T16:23:18.249-07:00Garden Status- March 27, 2008

Overwintered (might grow some more?):tiny kale seedlings1 broccoli3 cabbage in very loose headssome fine looking lettuce (probably the Winter Density cultivar)some fine looking spinacha few shabby collard greens (this got killed by bugs in the fall, the cold killed the bugs, now I'm hoping the collards can make it)garlic (planted last October for a 2008 harvest.Seeds new in the ground (nothing

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7838611407745224255.post-65479204283965157102008-03-27T15:32:00.000-07:002008-03-27T16:30:19.017-07:00First Post!

Hello, Zone 6 gardeners. This blog will feature my small community garden plot in New Brunswick, NJ, where I'm a first time vegetable gardener. From what I've read, my location is a warm zone 6. I've been hearing some chat from garden bloggers elsewhere about the need for more local information for gardeners, so this blog will contribute to the network of bloggers already out there. I

Sillihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05806433366389639322noreply@blogger.com0