It's Summer time!

Hello fellow gardeners,

Happy Solstice! Summer has arrived at the Broadway & Victoria garden and the days are getting hotter.  Even though June turned out to be quite wet and cloudy, July is shaping up to be another hot one which means more watering and more veggies to eat!

Here is a quick run down of the garden update:

  • Watering

  • Gardening in COVID-19

  • Vegetable and plant theft

  • Help us grow

WATERING

Now that the days are consistently getting hotter, it's a good idea to plan on visiting the garden every day or two to soak your soil.  This is crucial for your plants to continue to thrive.  Early morning watering is the best time and the second best option is during the cooler evening hours. Watering during the hottest midday hours can scald your leaves and fail to penetrate those deeper layers in the soil where you want your roots to dig.

Watering Favours:

If you're going to be out of town for more than a couple days, here are the two best ways to keep your plants happy and well-watered:

1. Ask a friend or family member.

2. Make use of one of the Please Water signs. These should be returned to the garden shed when they're no longer needed. Let's try and help out our garden neighbours who've placed the cedar signs on their beds.

Hose Leaks:

If you see a leak in the watering system, please let us know right away so we can get it fixed so you can continue to water your plants.  

GARDENING IN COVID-19

Please make yourself familiar with our new gardener rules guideline and best practices, if you haven’t already, as they are currently implemented within the garden. Read here: Community Garden Guidelines 

VEGETABLE AND PLANT THEFT

Plant theft is something that happens every season and throughout all community gardens across the city.  I have received a number of emails regarding veggie and plant theft and some minor acts of vandalism.  This is an unfortunate thing about community gardens and it tends to happen more so at this time of year when plants are beginning to mature and become ready for harvest.  

A few tips and advice for reducing theft:

  1. Plant less desirable "shinny" crops:  e.g. Leafy greens and root vegetables are the most recommended for strong harvest.  Things like strawberries, tomatoes, peppers or fruiting veggies tend to be first targets.

  2. Harvest Fast:  Once your veggies are ready to be eaten, pick them!! The longer you wait the more likely someone will nab your yield

  3. Grow more than you need: Consider growing more than you'll expect to eat, so if/when a thief swoops in you will still have a yield to harvest

  4. Talk with other gardeners: Get to know your neighbours.  If we all keep an eye on each other's beds and know who's meant to be gardening where, the more likely we'll be able to call out a thief in the act or at least give them the eyes of disapproval.

HELP US GROW

Help us grow and create new garden spaces by reviewing us online! A quick Google rating will let us know how we're doing and will increase our online presence. Link here to review us on Google, it's only a few clicks!

Happy Growing!