GV?Gardeners: Community garden a labor of love

Tomatoes, rows of sweet corn, onions, eggplant, cabbage, potatoes, sweet peppers, bush beans, pole beans, melons, zucchini, spinach, beets … do we have your attention yet?

All of these vegetables are in place and in the development process at the community garden.

Currently, the Allen Ogden Community Garden is a busy place. For the first time in a while, all plots have been “adopted” and are being covered with a variety of plants.

On land graciously loaned by Neil Johnson and sponsored by the Green Valley Gardeners organization, “the farm” as several gardeners call it, sits on a dusty lane at the edge of the pecan groves.

The vegetable aficionados originated from such areas as New York, Missouri, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Vermont and Washington. There are a number of gentlemen “farmers,” at least three husband-and-wife teams, and one very determined lady who ably handles her plot alone. A plot is 10 feet by 40 feet.

Some folks share a plot; others have one or multiple plots. With available water, each gardener pays only for the amount he uses.

The entire garden is enclosed in farm fencing, with small mesh chicken wire below to keep out smaller critters. A picturesque wooden gazebo is the perfect place for a shade break and for comparing notes on gardening techniques. Both of these improvements were purchased by the Green Valley Gardeners and constructed by the gardeners. A much appreciated new addition is a “portable potty.” These conveniences allow for longer periods working in the plots!

When first entering the garden, the eye is caught by the number of onions growing in nearly every plot. Most of these are Texas Super Sweets, and they get as big as you’d expect with a name like that. Longtime gardener Angelo LaScala has over 500 of these in his plots. Proudly pushing out of the ground, these onions are already 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Sown 1 foot apart, the repetitive rows of green tops and protruding white globes look like a museum work of art.

LaScala shares with fellow gardeners the tomato seedlings he starts at home in late December. The first week of March, he planted his small plants in the ground. With a frame around, they were immediately covered with frost cloth for one month. This not only protects from the cold, but helps keep in moisture.

This gardener prefers keeping the vining tomatoes up from the ground, so ties them to the overhead framework. The fruit get more even sun distribution when allowed to spread upward, instead of in the typical confinement of cages. LaScala feels he gets higher yield and more uniform ripening when the plants are tied from above. As temperatures consistently reach 95 degrees, he covers with a 50 percent shade cloth, which keeps the plants cooler and makes for a longer harvest.

Tomatoes are spaced with 5 feet between rows, which allows room to walk between. LaScala plants only indeterminate tomatoes, which means they grow and produce over a longer period. The area favorite has for years been the Celebrity; however, he does not grow this variety because it is determinate and makes only one crop, then stops producing. Among this gardener’s favorites are Tiffany, a cluster-type; 1st Prize; Legend; and Classical. .

The garden soil, which was originally river bottom, is a combination of clay and loam containing no rocks. Before the plots are first worked, a pre-emergence herbicide is used throughout. This helps keep weeds down, and thereafter further chemicals are not necessary.

Before planting, some gardeners add and till in, composted and weed-free steer manure. Because of the small numbers of harmful insects in the garden, little if any later spraying is needed.

Crops are rotated yearly to help prevent soil-born microbes. Some gardeners use black plastic on the ground as mulch. A hole is punched through for each plant. This works well with tomato crops. Other plots have straw mulch on them.

So what happens to all of this produce from “the farm?” Benefiting are family, friends, neighbors, fellow gardeners, and the Community Food Bank. Angelo LaScala alone has repeatedly donated over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce to the food bank annually. Others do the same. These gardeners enjoy the challenge of growing, the pride of harvest, the friendship of other gardeners, and the sharing of fresh produce with those who may most need it. Sure sounds like a labor of love!

Mary Kidnocker is a Master Gardener. Her columns appear Sundays. She is president of the Green Valley Gardeners.