August heat

Hello fellow gardeners,

The heat has arrived at the Granville & 7th garden and it is in full force.  August is shaping up to be a hot one and with the dog days of summer upon us there are some important and crucial things that need to be done to keep your plants happy and healthy over this hot period.

Here is a quick run down of the garden update:

  • Water, Water, Water

  • Watering Favours

  • Beetle watch 

  • Vegetable and plant theft

  • Planning for fall & winter

  • Gardening in Covid 19

  • Help us grow

 

WATER, WATER, WATER

The days are now consistently hot and we’ve noticed how dry the beds are becoming.  It is crucial that you visit the garden every day or two so you can soak your bed thoroughly.  The best time to do this is in the morning hours, which allows the plants to dry out through the day, reducing the prospects of powdery mildew and other funguses from spreading and taking hold of your plants.  The second best is a deep watering in the evening hours.  Watering constantly throughout this heat will increase your yields and keep you plants happy.  

 

WATERING FAVOURS

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

1. Ask a friend or family member.

2. Post a request (with your bed numbers) on the notice board.

3. Make a ‘Please Water Me’ sign. All you need is a sharpie and cardboard!

 

JAPANESE BEETLE 

If you haven’t heard, the city of Vancouver currently has an invasive species spreading throughout the city and it travels on soil and plant material.  The garden currently sits inside of the beetle zone and it’s important to recognize and report any signs of the beetle.

An integral part of the eradication program is public cooperation. By July, the adult beetles will be emerging as we begin to see consistent temperatures over 21oC. Movement restrictions for soil and plant material are in effect in a large part of Vancouver and although moving vegetables and fresh fruits is not restricted, there are some best practices for gardeners to avoid accidental spread. For instance, adult beetles are excellent hitchhikers, and they can lodge themselves in the crevices of flowers such as roses or even corn husks. If you see suspect adult Japanese beetles, capture them if possible, take high-resolution photographs and email them to CFIA along with your location and contact info at cfia.wstjb-sj.acia@canada.ca or using CFIA's online reporting form. You may also report suspect Japanese Beetles using the Report-Invasives App, available for iPhone and Android. To stay up-to-date with the latest Japanese beetle information, please sign up for our Japanese Beetle E-Newsletter.”

Please take a moment and become accustomed to what the beetle looks like by viewing these informative pdf’s and also reading the info notice on the notice board:

 

VEGETABLE & PLANT THEFT

The reports of vegetable and plant thefts continue and with this we recommend a crucial and simple thing to do at this time in the season

  • Harvest your vegetables when they’re ready, don’t leave them for another day. It’s important to not be relaxed on the harvesting of your vegetables as it seems like the veggie thieves are keen for ripe veggies.  

Along with this, If you see any vandalism in the garden, please be sure to report it!

 

PLANNING FOR FALL & WINTER

It might seem strange but now is the right time to start planning and planting your fall and winter crops so you can make the most of this year and next year's growing season.


West Coast seeds have a great resource which explains and provides helpful tips for what to plant for the fall and winter season. You can find the document here

 

GARDENING IN COVID-19

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

 

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!