During a normal early summer gardening season in our 17C school gardens we would be gearing up for the summer food program, sowing and harvesting for the salad bar and processing the excess produce in value added products. Here is an image showing average weekly harvest from 2019.
This summer of COVID19 is different in more ways than one. This summer the school garden education/farm to school crew and maintenance dept are working on infrastructure. When students return in the Fall they will see two new greenhouses erected in the gardens. We are putting our raised garden beds to ‘bed’ for the summer by covering with cardboard and wood chips which will help conserve water as we complete the work on rebooting both gardens this summer.
Even with limited growing activity in the school gardens there are always chores to do. In this final week of June it’s time to start thinking about our Fall gardens. Below is a list of ‘To do's for you to consider working on. Happy Gardening!
SEED SOWING
* Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli (Sow seeds in pots, flats, garden for late season harvest)
* Bean, Squash, Sweet Corn - Resow if first sowing failed
* Bush green bean - make ongoing showings in your gardens for continuous harvests
* Summer Squash, bean, carrot, fall cabbage, leaf lettuce and turnip - Sow seed in areas vacated by early crops
* Cilantro - make another sowing
MAINTENANCE
* Mulch around most plants EXCEPT Herbs
* Leek - hill soil around stems
* Weed regularly
* check for pests, white fly, potato beetles, squash vine borer, corn borer
HARVEST
* Zucchini, summer squash - harvest when fruits are 3-4” long
* English Peas - Harvest when pods are plump and firm
* Green Beans- harvest before pods bulge
* Pickling Cucumber - harvest when 2-6” long
*Cabbage - Harvest central head, but leave plant to form smaller side heads
HAND POLLINATE
*Hand pollinate all squash for better yield
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