Message from the Chairperson

To say that gardening has been a challenge this season with all the rain would be a gross understatement. Grow Regina received over 8 inches of rain before August. We are pleased to see how many of the gardens have recovered, especially in the lower areas that were  devastated by the continuous accumulation of rain on already saturated clay soil. Many gardeners replanted, but others chose to work at improving their soil in hopes for a better season in 2011.

Please click on the image to view or download a printable PDF version of the Grow Regina 2010 Fall Newsletter.

Adobe Reader is required to open, read and/or print the Garden Guidelines. You can download Adobe Reader, free of charge, by clicking this link: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Starting at $15.00 per 10′x10′ plot

$20 per 10′x20′ plot
$30 per 20′x20′ plot
$40 per 20′x30′ plot

Please make your cheque payable to:  Plowing for People

Mailing address is:

Plowing for People | 73 Crystal Drive | Coppersands | SK | S4L 1B3

Contact Shirley at 781-2888 or email sneuls@accesscomm.ca to schedule your rototilling request.

Did you know?

Pathway Plowing for People Corp. donated a garden shed to Grow Regina. For more information, click here.

Yara and artist Victor Cicansky join forces to support Grow Regina, a program of the Regina Food Bank

Community gardening is alive and well in Regina.  Today, through the generous sponsorship of YARA and the artistic vision of Regina artist Victor Cicansky, signature designed sculptures were unveiled at the Grow Regina Community Garden, 3500 Queen Street.

The sculptures reflect the artistic vision of Cicansky who is well-known for his garden inspired work.  He says when was asked to create a work for the Queen Street entrance to the garden, he jumped at the opportunity.  “It was in my youth I fell in love with gardens,” said Cicansky.  “The gardener in me identified immediately with the idea to create a community garden where the passion of gardening and nature is fostered.”   Cicansky created two metal sculptures, a man digging and a woman planting.  “They are loving the earth with their hands and in turn receiving her timeless grace.  This is an exciting community project and I am happy to be a part of it,” added Cicansky

“These sculptures represent the vision of Grow Regina through the enhancement of community, and the social and economic well being of Regina residents through community gardening,” said Wayne Hellquist CEO of the Regina Food Bank and spokesperson for Grow Regina.  “These sculptures reflect the art of community spirit and we are proud to be part of this significant community achievement.”

Photos by Carol McLeod

REGINA — It’s the gift that keeps on growing.

For the LP article visit www.leaderpost.com

The Scherzando Quartet performers entertained guests while they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres by La Bodega and refreshments courtesy of Willow Park Wine & Spirits.

Although the weather restricted tours of the community garden, the excitement surrounding the Cicansky sculptures could not be dampened.

Thank you to Javier and Martha Guillen for your contribution in developing the architectural drawings.

Photos by Karen Watkins

FYI, if you would like to invite the Scherzando Quartet to entertain at your next party, please contact Kathy Dreher at (545-4805) or email kathy.dreher@siast.sk.ca

1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 pound of florets)
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed (or fresh peas if you can get them)

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey

• Bring a large pot of water, salted with a teaspoon of salt, to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Cook 1-2 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the broccoli. 1 minute will turn the broccoli bright green, and leave it still pretty crunchy. 2 minutes will cook the broccoli through, but still firm. Set your timer and do not cook for more than 2 minutes, or the broccoli will get mushy. Drain the broccoli and immediately put into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Let cool and drain.
• Combine broccoli florets, almonds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cider vinegar and honey. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Posting Courtesy of SimplyRecipes.com

One of the requirements for this competition is to Plant a Row ● Grow a Grow (PAR●GAR) for the Food Bank. Judging will be completed in two phases: the preliminary judging will take place in early August; final judging will be completed in based on the following categories below.

Most Innovative Gardener – Members are encouraged to demonstrate various gardening techniques that help gardeners to maximize the use of their garden plot space and its productivity. Some innovative gardening techniques include: square foot gardening, intensive gardening, lasagna gardening, and raised bed gardening.

Best Decorated Gardener – Members are encouraged to express their creativity in garden design, or decorating using color, texture, arrangements, garden art and flowers.

Best Adopt-a-Food Bank – Gardens will be judged based on their expertise in demonstrating moisture and weed control, crop production and pest control.

Best Gardening Neighbour – Members are asked to nominate a fellow gardener based on behavior that recognizes them for being a good neighbour in the garden. For example, did they help you water your garden while you were away, help you plant your vegetables, or share secret gardening tips. Just send us an email to contact@growregina.ca or drop a note in the mail to Grow Regina, PO Box 24056, Regina, SK S4P 4J8.

Competition Judges

Louise Arndt, is a certified Master Gardener who has been gardening for over 50 years. She has been a member of Grow Regina since its early years and continues to be an active Board Member representing the Lakeview Community Association.

Sandra Shiels, a horticulturist who has taught classes in Horticulture and Pest Management at SIAST for more than 25 years. She has also been a regular guest on CBC Radio’s Plant Line in Regina and has enjoyed the challenge of answering gardening questions from phone-in listeners.

Steve Compton, Grow Regina Board Representative for The Regina Food Bank, has been involved with Grow Regina for many years and provided support for coordinating the Plant a Row ● Grow a Grow (PAR●GAR) donations.

Photo Left to Right: Louise Arndt, Sandra Sheils, Steve Compton

Fri, Aug 20 - 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat, Aug 21 - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

RHS members will be on hand to answer questions and provide advice at this Educational Event.  We look forward to sharing gardening experiences and “tips” of the trade.  Our new Cookbook “Garden Cookery” will also be available for sale.

As a welcome addition, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority will feature a water conservation display-something every gardener will be glad to know!

Held at the Golden Mile Centre

Come have a peek - you won’t be disappointed!  Hope to see you there!

Posting courtesy of the Regina Horticultural Society: www.reginahortsociety.com

It is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow to 1–8 m (rarely to 10 m) in height. Its growth form spans from suckering and forming colonies to clumped. The leaves are oval to nearly circular, 2–5 cm long and 1–4.5 cm broad, with margins dentate mostly above the middle and a 0.5–2 cm petiole. The flowers are white, about 2–3 cm across; they appear on racemes of 3–20 together in early spring while the new leaves are still expanding. The fruit is a small purple pome 5–15 mm diameter, ripening in early summer.  Seedlings are planted with 13–20 ft (4–6 m) between rows and 1.5–3 ft (0.5–1 m) between plants. An individual bush may bear fruit 30 or more years.

Saskatoons are adaptable to most soil types with exception of poorly drained or heavy clay soils lacking organic matter. Shallow soils should be avoided, especially if there is a high or erratic water table. Winter hardiness is exceptional but frost can damage blooms as late as May. Large amounts of sunshine are needed for fruit ripening.

With a sweet nutty taste, the fruits have long been eaten by Canada’s Aboriginal people as pemmican, a preparation of dried meat to which saskatoon berries are added as flavour and preservative. They are also often used in pies, jam, wines, cider, beers and sugar-infused berries similar to dried cranberries used for cereals, trail mix and snack foods.

Saskatoon berries contain significant Daily Value amounts of total dietary fibre, vitamins B₂ (riboflavin) and biotin, and the essential minerals, iron and manganese, a nutrient profile similar to the content of blueberries.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatoons

http://www.saskfruit.com/modules.php?name=Sections&sop=viewarticle&artid=384

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/info_saskatoon_production.htm

http://www.prairieberries.com/berry.php

This blight is officially called Phytophthora infestans. It’s also called late blight, tomato blight, and potato rot. It affects tomatoes and potatoes, but is not transmissible via tomato seeds, only established plants. This fungus is known as an obligate parasite, which means it survives only in a living host. This is important to know.

It flourishes in high humidity, heavy dew, and/or wet weather coupled with moderate to cool temperatures: 50ºF – 80ºF ( around 20ºC or less). This, too, is important to know.

The blight starts as small, irregularly shaped light green to gray lesions on leaf tips. It spreads rapidly to form large black rot spots on the leaves, leaf stems, and the stems themselves. It will kill the plant if left untreated. If you see the early blight, the disease is already 2 – 3 weeks old and may affect neighboring plants, in an area as wide as 100 feet. For home-growers, if immediate action isn’t taken, you can lose your entire crop to the blight. It is carried and spread through tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and hairy nightshade. You’ll need to check all of these.

The fruits of the potato and tomato are also affected. The potato tubers will develop sunken areas that are a darker brown or purple color. If the potatoes are harvested and stored, the affected tubers will have dry, sunken, light brown spots that are not otherwise distinguishable from unaffected potatoes. This is how blighted seed potatoes can still be sold – it’s very hard to tell when the blight only lightly affects the tubers. Badly blighted potatoes will develop purplish flesh and be the consistency of cork and those are easy to spot.

There are ways to reduce and even prevent blight from affecting your home crops. The best way is to ensure your plants are dry or will be dry before sunset. The fungus loves moisture. Plant your potatoes where they will get wind to dry them, use drip irrigation methods or water them only in the mornings on sunny days and not at all on highly humid days. Hill the potatoes high and make sure the soil drains well. If you are growing your potatoes in bags (as I do), make sure you punch drainage holes along the bottom so water doesn’t accumulate to rot the tubers. Set your bags in a sunny, windy location so prevailing winds will dry them during the day. If you need, to use fans to help move air around them to dry the leaves by sunset.

Tomatoes planted in high tunnels with drip irrigation are less affected by blight. Ventilation in greenhouses is important. Good air movement and a reduction of wetness are important – and far easier for home-growers than for large commercial crops. Staking and pruning tomatoes will also reduce susceptibility to blight.

Keeping foliage off the ground helps a lot, so planting in very high hills, domes, and ridges helps a lot.

Keep susceptible plants away from host plants that can carry the blight without being affected (eggplant, peppers, hairy nightshade, volunteer tomatoes and potatoes), in shaded areas under trees or near buildings that cast a shadow over them, or near the cull piles of tomato and potato plants, especially of the culled plants are blighted.

Do not oversupply the tomatoes and potatoes with nitrogen via fertilizers or nitrogen fixing interplantings. Both potatoes and tomatoes need nitrogen, but they don’t need an excess of it.

If a blight starts anyway, action depends on the point during the harvest cycle. Early in the growing season and very early in the blight (when only 1 or 2 plants may show early signs of blight), you can spray with a fungicide or a copper sulfate solution. Pick and destroy affected leaves after the dew has completely dried. You’ll need to spray the copper sulfate solution frequently so new foliage is protected. My potato plants can grow several inches a day, so I’d recommend daily spraying when potatoes are at their fastest growing and no less than weekly once the potato plants appear until 2 weeks before harvest.

If it’s mid-season, and the infestation is just starting, you can try the picking infected leaves after they are completely dry and spraying with fungicide. Copper sulfate won’t work as well at this point.

Late in the season, if it’s near harvest anyway, go ahead and kill back the potato foliage to allow the tubers to ripen. You can do this in several ways: flail the plants, spray out with approved herbicides, or burn the living foliage. Burning is effective for large crops when there is no interplanting, not so good for patio potatoes. Flailing works best for small-croppers and home-growers.

Store diseased potato tubers separately from healthy ones. Potatoes should be stored dry and as cool as possible without freezing to discourage spore growth. Waste potatoes from culls can be fed to animals, buried 2 or more feet deep, composted after freezing, or, if they aren’t badly blighted, peeled, the blighted parts cut off, and eaten by people. Just don’t use blighted potatoes as seed potatoes.

For tomatoes, never cull or harvest when the plants are wet. The fungus sporulates during periods of dampness and can spread on people, tools, clothing, gloves, and other equipment. When you cull blighted fruits or leaves, carry them far from the plants to destroy. Do not eat blighted tomato fruits or store them with healthy tomatoes – the blight can spread during storage. Unblighted tomatoes from a blighted foliage plant can still be eaten, but I’d eat them fresh and not process them for storage.

If you have a serious infestation, sprays of metalaxyl and carbamate compounds or Cymoxanil and Mancozeb combinations or fungicides containing chlorothalonil work well – not organic, but effective if you have a sudden serious infestation and you are relying on those potatoes and tomatoes to feed you.

Here are some pictures of blight to help you identify it:

http://tinyurl.com/ksftlx – photo of blight

http://www.extension.org/article/18361

Peppers, eggplants, squashes, pumpkins, and melons are also affected by this blight. For peppers, it can attack any part of the pepper plant at any time. The first sign is usually a wilting of the plant just as it reaches fruiting stage. Stem lesions occur at the soil line. Stems discolor, collapse and become woody. Infected fruits develop dark watery patches with white mold on it. Pepper seeds will carry the blight.

For the squash family – the fruit will develop tan or brown banding lesions or circular spots. They may develop white moldy spots, and are susceptible to rotting from other causes faster than the blight.

Treatment is the same as for tomatoes and potatoes.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_blight
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/lateblighthg.htm
http://www.beginner-gardening.com/tomato-blight.html

Submitted by Leslie Quennell

Developed by former agriculture researcher and avid gardener Lee Reich, it involves a few simple steps that work with nature to keep the soil healthy and minimize weeds.  Here are a few that he outlined in an article for Mother Earth News:

• Care for the soil from the top down. To do this, simply spread soil amendments such as fertilizer and compost over the top of the soil and let them break down and work their way down into the soil. Doing this reduces the need to disrupt the soil through deep digging and rototilling, which in turn keeps weed seeds from reaching the surface and growing. However, when working with soil that is rocky, is too acidic or basic, is too compact, or has poor drainage, deep digging and tillage may be necessary until the problem is corrected.
• Keep the soil from getting too compact. To do this, simply avoid walking or using tools such as wheelbarrows and carts in areas where you’ve planted. For larger gardens, it can be helpful to create pathways.
• Cover the surface of the soil. Grass and compost coverings not only prevent weeds from growing, they also nourish the soil.

This is just a basic summary of this effective and nature-friendly technique. For more information, be sure to check out the full article at http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/weedless-gardening.aspx.

For those who would like an even more in-depth look at weedless gardening, Lee Reich also wrote an entire book on the technique. A copy of the book can be requested on the Regina Public Library’s website, and it can also be purchased online from Amazon and Chapters.

With a few simple techniques, we can enjoy a (relatively!) weed-free season!

Posting courtesy of http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/weedless-gardening.aspx

Posting courtesy of www.reginahortsociety.com

Firstly, Grow Regina would like to thank those who are giving the extra attention to keep their gardens and pathways clean of weeds. You are setting a wonderful example for the rest of us!

For others, please re-visit your YARA-GRCG Garden Guidelines which clearly states:

Pathway Maintenance: Gardeners are responsible to maintain the pathway adjacent to their garden plot by removing all weeds from pathways and maintain the integrity of the crusher dust base by keeping soil from your garden off the path and wooden boundary boards.

Now that the sun has come back you will notice the paths have become like concrete making it difficult to pull the weeds.  The Garden Operations Committee recommends two methods for controlling your weeds.

1. chop the tops of the weeds off regularly with a hoe OR
2. wet the path making it soft enough to actually pull the weed root and all (works especially well the day after a good rain).

Weed & Pest Control: All weeds from your garden plot assignment and pathways must be bagged and removed from the YARA-GRCG site.

If you unable to take all the weeds out the garden in one trip, please keep them in a bag in your plot to prevent the seeds from spreading.  It is not acceptable to leave the weeds in the pathway.

Please note that our inspections to date have primarily been focused on the state of the weeds in the gardens, but the upcoming inspections on August 7th will include gardens and pathways.  If you intend to be considered a Grow Regina member in good standing then it is your responsibility to meet the requirements of the YARA-GRCG Garden/Orchard Guidelines. Please understand that Grow Regina has already had to confiscate a garden plot assignment this season and your attention to this request will make our job a lot simpler.

Grow Regina’s active volunteers are currently working towards completion of the Queen Street Entrance pathway for the installation of the sculptures and signage.   Now that it has stopped raining,  energy will also be focused on completing the Evergreen Community Greening and Accessible Garden Projects over the next three weeks.

For those who signed up to volunteer, now is the time to ‘nominate yourself’ to adopt a common pathway or space to keep it free of weeds. If you would like more specific information on where help is needed, please contact us. The last time Grow Regina coordinated a weeding party only four people were able to come out -  so we are asking everyone to pick a time that is convenient for you.

Thank you for your support!

Garden Operations Committee

1 lb of zucchini (about 2 medium sized), coarsely grated
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1 large egg
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grape seed oil or olive oil
Sour cream or plain yoghurt

• Salt the zucchini with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Try to remove the excess moisture from the zucchini by either squeezing the liquid out with a potato ricer, or by squeezing with paper towels. (The original recipe calls for putting the zucchini in a colander set in the sink to let it drain for 10 minutes after salting it. I think it works much better to use a potato ricer.)
• Whisk egg in a large bowl; add the zucchini, flour, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine well.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fritters in two batches. Drop six mounds of batter (2 Tbsp each) into the skillet. Flatten slightly. Cook, turning once, until browned, 4-6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Serve immediately, with sour cream or plain yoghurt on the side.

Posting courtesy of SimplyRecipes.com

As the material stock piled in the northern section of H11 is shredded this season, compost bins will be re-introduced to their previous locations and filled with shredded organic debris.  The bins will be covered and secured to discourage non-shredded materials from being added to allow time for the material to decompose. Each year the cycle will begin again.

Amendment to the 2010 YARA-GRCG Garden Guidelines

• New organic material collected from your gardens during the growing season must now be taken to the designated area in the northwest corner in Section H11 for shredding.
• Materials not acceptable (ie. weeds and grassy weeds, diseased plants, and garbage) for composting must be removed from YARA-GRCG. Until further notice, please do not bring leaves and grass clippings from home to add to the pile. However, gardeners are encouraged to bring grass clippings to add to their gardens.
• Plants with larger roots including corn, sunflower, and cabbage must have the roots removed prior to drop off at the designated composting areas. It will be determined this season whether these plants with large stocks and roots can be shredded.

As Grow Regina continues to gain knowledge and experience regarding management of our large compost pile, the composting guidelines will continue to be revised.

Thank you for your cooperation with these composting guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or email.

Now that the gardens are in and we finally have some pleasant summer days, please consider helping out at a weeding party at the garden tomorrow afternoon. Some of the common areas are in desperate need of some weeding and it’s always easier with many hands. This is a great way to help out our community garden and it’s always nice to meet fellow gardeners. We hope to see you at the shed at 2pm tomorrow, Sunday July 11. Thanks in advance for helping make our garden something to be proud of!

Things to bring, if you have them:

• Pair of gloves
• Something to drink
• Mosquito spray and/or sun tan lotion
• Gardening tool (a sharp kitchen knife will do)
• Garbage bag(s)
• Hat

Thank you!

Aldona Torgunrud
Volunteer Coordinator

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