Concord Village EarthLab

As I mentioned, I put together some ideas to propose how some of us might be able to use the garden in the coming weeks. Please see material in ital. How do these main points look?  What is missing?

Please add comments or send feedback to cvearthlab@gmail.com .  Also, let us know if you are interested in being considered for the short list of gardeners who may have access to the raised beds this spring.  It would require doing at least 20 minutes, 2-3 times a week, of essential garden duties such as watering.

Thanks for your input!  -Denise

Many authoritative groups, such as New York Restoration Project and Purdue University have shared professional guidance on operating a community garden while pandemic restrictions are in place. We hope to use some of these guidelines to operate CVEarthlab Garden on a small scale this spring.

We propose allowing 12 garden members limited access, with these strict rules.

1. Only healthy people ,without symptoms, without known virus exposure, can use the garden.
2. No more than 3 people are permitted to be in the garden space at one time.
3. Staggered access to general area: No more than 8 masked people are allowed in the immediate garden area (including play area, walkway near parking lot) at one time. This will make demonstrations and supervised activities possible.
4. When there are people from more than one household working in the garden, all gardeners will wear face masks.
5. Frequently used surfaces and shared tools (pad lock, hose, shed handle) will be cleaned and sanitized before and after individual use. (Gardeners will bring their own sanitizer; garden com will keep backup supply on site)
6. No children under 4-years-old are permitted in the garden. With 1-to-1 supervision, in certain situations, children 4+ can water and weed using tools/watering cans that they bring back and forth from home. (They cannot use the hose or any shared tools). Parents or other garden members will move flats of flowers and herbs outside the garden area for brief watering sessions with young children.
7. At no time will there be more than 9 people present for activity (even when respecting social distancing and wearing a face mask)

Thanks for the inquiries about this!

First, please know that the garden committee core members are working on a proposal for management and the BOD to try get more CVEarthlab members limited access to the garden for essential daily tasks such as watering and monitoring for animal activity or other problems.  We need to make sure we have thoughful plans and safe systems in place for sanitizing shared tools, the hose, padlocks, etc, before we ask for this privilege. (The play area, where the garden is located, remains closed.)

Hardening Off Seedlings Before Transplant in May and June

While seedlings started at the indoor workshop won’t be ready for transplant before May, you can start thinking about stepping up your baby plants to bigger containers (if needed) and a hardening off plan, which involves gradually exposing the seedlings to outdoor conditions over a 7-10 day period.  (Please see these previous posts regarding hardening off.  https://cvearthlab.com/2016/05/18/preparing-tomatoes-plants-for-transplanting/ ; https://cvearthlab.com/2019/05/21/garden-qa-session-wed-6-7pm/ ) While it is tempting to take shortcuts, the tedious hardening off process is a very important one.  Essentially, you will “toughen up” plants so that by the time you transplant them, they will be strong enough to survive outdoor life.

Incoming Flowers and Herb Starts

It is not official, but we are hoping to be able to pick up our order from the GrowNYC plant sale for community gardens on May 1.  If this happens, we will also need to coordinate a supervised system to care for and transplant the 100+ herbs and flowers that arrive on that date.

Making Community Gardening Work With Social Distancing, Other Restrictions 

Traditionally, we hold outdoor sessions on Wednesdays evenings in May to help new gardeners learn to care for and transplant plants; thanks for your patience while we sort out an alternative. (See last year’s schedule here)  I suspect we may be able to do something like this but in staggered, very small groups, after we establish and implement all of the new safety precautions that will be required.

If you’d like to work on the proposal for modified community gardening at CV, with special precautions for safety and social distancing during the pandemic, here are some resources:

• NY Restoration Project
• Purdue U Guide to Community Gardening During Pandemic 
• Greenthumb Access to Community Garden While Parks Are Closed Due to COVID-19

Many thanks!  -Denise

This weekend I prepped the cold frame raised bed, which was filled with winter cover crops of vetch, legumes, and clover.  After I tilled the soil, I planted a couple rows each of arugula, buttercrisp, and crispy greens.  Thanks to Sandy for supplying the seeds! -Denise

Name the CV property plant that is sprouting out of the earth now. I don’t have all the answers for these 7 pics… Put your best guess in comments, please.  Thx.  -Denise

Plant #1 (Hint: Growing in bed by dog run).

#2 (Hint: This annual flower re-seeds itself).

#3 (Hint: This perennial is an early spring bloomer that spreads easily.)

4. (Hint: This is emerging with other non-edible plants and flowers near dog run).

#5 (Hint: Several of these classic perennials are coming up in play area.)

6. (Hint: This plant seems to have spread into the phlox.)

7. Hint: This plant is a non-edible, native perennial, located in bed near dog run.

A garden member has contacted Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition, Inc (Cat Cafe folks) and they will attempt to help the cat today.   Thanks!

Early April blooms in and around the garden.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the seed-starting workshop on Friday.    We made about 18 planters and planted seeds for tomatoes, peppers, borage, calendula, and zinnia. Stay tuned for more events, including a work day to prep outside beds, and an afternoon to direct sow sugar snap peas, in the coming weeks.  For more information on home care for sub-irrigated/ self-watering planters, click here.