Sunshine Weekly Weeder

06.24.10
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org

A chance to rant and rave!

While it's still fresh in our minds, please pass on which of your tomatoes and/or peppers did well this season (and why you thought so) and which ones were a disappointment.

The goal is to tweak the ordering list for seeds for starting plants for the Sunshine Gardens Spring Plant Sale, and create a favorites list to recommend to new gardeners and to people at the plant sale.
Thanks, and send your lists and comments to Randy @ jartdaht@gmail.com.

GARDEN TASKS FOR SERVICE HOURS

There's just one week left for working and logging Spring season hours.

Please pull torilis arvensis now as it will save you from removing the tiny burrs from your socks later.
Check it out at http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/api/torilis_arvensis.htm.

There are patches of a very tall perennial grass Johnson grass with very fleshy roots. Dig it up (if you feel strong) or cut it. There is quite a bit growing along the fence. For Johnson grass information and images, see http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/johnsongrass.html.

Mow the grass where it needs mowing.

The shade garden needs weeding. Contact
ila.falvey@gmail.com if you are interested.

GARDENER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

A new coffee shop, Houndstooth Coffee, has opened at 4200 North Lamar. The garden can have their coffee grounds for our compost pile if we find a volunteer to do a weekly pickup. (Yes, this would count towards service hours.)

The duty would entail picking up coffee grounds at least once a week and adding them to our compost pile.

According to the owner:
"We create about 12 lbs of grounds per day. If you'd like to arrange a weekly pickup, we can keep them in a container behind the 4200 N Lamar building. Let me know what y'all want to do."

If your are interested, contact Ila: Ila.falvey@gmail.com.

Sunshine Gardens Water Usage Report - MAY

2010
gallons: 308,400
cost: $1,299

2009
gallons: 785,900
cost: $3,619

2008
gallons: 470,50
0 cost: $1,793

WHY SHOULD YOU MULCH?

Mulch prevents soil compaction and erosion.
Mulch discourages the growth of weeds.
Mulch reduces some types of disease problems.
Mulch insulates the soil keeping it warmer in cold weather and cooler during the heat of summer.
Mulch decreases the amount of watering needed by keeping the soil from drying out as quickly.
And mulch will help keep our water bill from getting so high during the summer heat.

Organic mulch materials:
compost*
partially decomposed compost*
corregated cardboard
lawn clippings, untreated and dried
leaves*
leaf mold - ground, partially decomposed leaves
pine needles
saw dust
straw (not hay, which can contain weed seeds)
wood chips*

*Available in garden's compost area

WHAT TO PLANT DURING THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE

Take a break.
Mulch your plants.
Pick some tomatoes before they are finished.
Pull up some Johnson grass.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Contact Information

Janet Adams, President - president@sunshinecommunitygarden.org
Mary Gifford, Vice President - vice-pres@sunshinecommunitygarden.org
Carol Limaye, Treasurer - caroline.limaye@sbcglobal.net
Sue Brownlee, Secretary - scgsecretary@gmail.com
Linda Booker, Director - lindaruthbooker@gmail.com
Ila Falvey, Director - ila.falvey@gmail.com
Nancy Seibert, Director - nancyrseibert@yahoo.com

Coordinators & Chairs

Zone 1, Patsy Painter - patsy_painter@yahoo.com
Zone 2, Katy Davis - katydavis@austin.rr.com
Zone 3, Daniel Moise - daniel.b.moise@gmail.com
Zone 4, Alan Marburger - alanmarburger@gmail.com
Zone 5, Mary Gifford - mgifford@austin.rr.com

Zone 6, Sharon Flournoy - saflournoy@att.net
Zone 7, Diana Dworaczyk - dianadworaczyk@aol.com
Zone 8, Nancy Seibert - nancyrseibert@yahoo.com
Zone 9, Cheryl Hazeltine - cph@austin.rr.com
Zone 10, Sue Mennicke - sue_scg@fastmail.fm

Plant Sale - Nancy Seibert - nancyrseibert@yahoo.com
Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry - r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
Compost - Steve Uecker - steven_uecker@hotmail.com
Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter - beaster1@austin.rr.com
Maintenance Coordinator - Ila Falvey - ila.falvey@gmail.com
Website Coordinators - Kathleen Neville and Larry Olsen - lolsen@suddenlink.net

Record Service Hours Online - the Virtual Green Binder

To unsubcribe send a message to:scgsecretary@gmail.com

Sunshine Community Gardens
http://www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org