Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
16 September 2015
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU! to the many Sunshine gardeners who participated in the TSBVI Workday on Saturday. The good turn out (many worked more than one hour) permitted getting the new cedar board border around the TSBVI Garden completed and decomposed granite spread. Looks great. Special thanks to Randy, Jimmie, and Jay for the prep work on Thursday.
Safety Tips for Working in the Garden in Hot Weather
Even though cooler weather is (hopefully) just around the corner, it's still pretty hot in the garden. Here are some tips for working safely in the heat:
- Drink at least two cups of water every hour, even if you don't feel thirsty. It's better to drink cool, but not ice-cold water. Very cold water isn't absorbed as quickly by your body.
- Avoid drinks with caffeine or lots of sugar, as these can actually dehydrate you faster.
- Take frequent breaks in the shade or the "cool room" in the trailer.
- Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to help protect you from the sun.
- Drink plenty of water before starting work. If you pre-hydrate, you'll be less likely to get dehydrated and overheated later.
If your body temperature gets too high, you can experience heat stroke. Symptoms of heat stroke include:
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Hallucinations
- Chills
- Throbbing headache
- High body temperature
- Confusion/dizziness
- Slurred speech
If you experience any of these symptoms, take steps immediately to cool down. Get into the shade, or the cool room, or spray yourself with water to cool off quickly. Drink cool, but not icy water slowly and steadily to rehydrate your body (gulping a lot of water quickly in this state can make you feel nauseous).
All Gardeners' Meeting
Thank you to everyone that came out the the all gardeners meeting on September 12. We had a fantastic turnout and discussion. Here are the meeting highlights for those that were not able to attend.
- The Fall Plant Sale - Plant sale will be October 1st, 2nd and 3rd. We currently need cashiers. Please contact Jennifer Monks if you would like to volunteer.
- Secretary position - Shannon Posern has been appointed secretary to fill out the rest of the term. This leaves an open director position on the board that may or not be filled. The board will discuss at their next meeting if they wish that position to remain open until the election in May 2016.
- Hoses - Please turn off your hose when you are finished using it. Even if you have a nozzle designed to stop the flow of water, the hose must still be turned off at the faucet to help prevent leaks and water waste.
- Mason bees - A girl scout will be placing mason bee houses and signs to educate gardeners about their benefits throughout the garden. This is part of the girl scout's gold award project.
- Compost - Please do not put woody plants or khaki weed in the compost. To ensure the best quality compost for all gardeners, those materials belong in the trash. Also, if you see trash, woody stems/plants, and weeds that do not belong in the compost, please do not just toss it to the side. Put it in the dumpster. There are also buckets next to the compost that can be used to collect trash.
- Austin Children's Shelter Visits - Starting in October , the Austin Children's Shelter will be having monthly visits.
- Association of Community Gardeners Conference - Kay and Shannon attended the annual conference in Denver this past August. To view the conference program please click here. For pictures and other documents, please click here.
- Education Committee Meeting on September 29 at 6:00 pm in the trailer. Join us as we work schedule important educational programs for the garden. Beginning this month, meetings will be scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month. Contact Shannon Posern at shannonposern@gmail.com if you would like more information about joining the Education Committee.
- Sunshine Community Garden Cookbook Project - Let's face it, who doesn't like cooking vegetables straight from our gardens? Each month, we will be showcasing one of our talented gardeners and one of their culinary masterpieces. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, please complete and submit this form.
A New Source for Bulk Compost
Southwest Natural Soils is selling compost of a similar type to the Natural Gardener used to sell in bulk, and they do deliver . Kevin and Jimmy can be reached at 512-736-5785 and/or 512-903-0765. Their website is not yet online.
Fig beetles out in high numbers
Have you seen me?
These beetles are velvety green, about one inch long and 1/2 an inch wide. The top is a dull green with yellow-brown markings on the wings and the underside is bright, metallic green with yellow-orange markings. Larvae are creamy white, c-shaped larvae with well developed head capsules and legs. Larvae (also called grubs) can grow over an inch in length.
Adults are large and conspicuous. They like to eat thin-skinned fruits (such as grapes, peaches, figs and others) or fermented fruits and some flowers. Adults may also be found on trees that are oozing sap, but the beetles are not causing the sap to ooze from the tree. Larvae feed in the soil and eat plants such as turfgrass, vegetables and ornamental plants. Grubs often will e merge from the soil at night and crawl on their backs instead of using their short legs. Grubs may cause small mounds of soil on the turf that may be mistaken for fire ant mounds or earthworm castings.
What to Plant in September
Mid - Late Month: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, Collards, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Peas.
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Garden
Officers
- President - Jeff Monks garden@jeffmonks.com
- Vice President - Jim Willmann jwillmann@texasnurses.org
- Secretary - Shannon Posern scgsecretary@gmail.com
- Treasurer - Caroline Limaye scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- Director - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Director - Vacant
Zone Coordinators
- Zone 1, Jody Trendler jody.trendler@gmail.com
- Zone 2, Katy Davis katydavis@austin.rr.com
- Zone 3, Ludmila Voskov lvoskov@austin.rr.com
- Zone 4, Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Zone 5, Mary Gifford mgifford@austin.rr.com
- Zone 6, Charlotte Jernigan charlotte@cybermesa.com
- Zone 7, Jing Li jingli80@yahoo.com
- Zone 8, Irina Kadukova irina@austinshrooms.com
- Zone 9, Cheryl Hazeltine cph@austin.rr.com
- Zone 10, Christopher Schroder christopher.s.schroder@gmail.com
Other Coordinators
- Weekly Weeder Newsletter - Margaret Powis purslane2013@gmail.com
- Plant Sale - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- TSBVI Liason & Volunteer Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- Plot Rental - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Compost Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Compost Tea - Jennifer Woertz jennifer.woertz@urs.com
- Education Committee - Shannon Posern shannonposern@gmail.com
- Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
- Water Leak Repairs - Stewart Nichols sgwater@math.austin.tx.us
- Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter beaster1@austin.rr.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
Record Service Hours Online - the Virtual Green Binder
