Green Thumb: The community garden

In the Green Valley area, we have a unique situation where one acre of land, under the auspices of the Green Valley Gardeners, is made available at no cost to the recipients other than a minimal water charge.

This land is fenced and divided into 10x40-foot plots with a water bib available at each plot.

A well-equipped tool shed is also located on the premises, stocked with power tillers and hand tools kindly furnished by the Green Valley Gardeners.

Last year, a few of the gardeners built a shade ramada so that they can rest out of the sun. A porta-potty is also available.

When all the plots are full, there is a “wait list” that interested gardeners can sign.

The soil is a mixture of clay, sand and alluvial deposits, void of rocks but requires some amendment.

It drains quite well, hardens and requires tilling, which initially is quite difficult unless the soil is watered.

Onions in December

Gardening can be continued 12 months of the year with plants planted in the proper season.

We will start with our December planting of onions, which is one of our major crops.

The onion sets are received in late November and each set consists of approximately 65 plants.

Our variety of choice is Texas Super Sweet, which surpasses Walla Walla and Vidalia, both in flavor and keeping quality.

Since onions are an above-ground bulb, the rows can be spaced a foot apart and the plants planted closely since plant contact does not pose a problem.

The crop is harvested in April and May and keeps well until used.

Cold weather plants can be grown throughout the winter, such as root crops, greens, peas, and broccoli to name a few.

Planting tomatoes

Our next major crop is tomatoes and since our last frost is March 15 plus or minus, it’s best to plant this crop in early April.

For those of us who aren’t satisfied with this date, we have an alternate planting method, making use of frost cloth.

We mound our soil in 10 foot rows with spacing of 5 feet between rows and cover these rows with 6 mil plastic sheets, install our watering system, plant our plants and cover this enclosure with frost cloth.

We continually try various varieties of tomatoes and I prefer the indeterminate type, which has a longer yield time.

In April we also plant peppers, egg plants and squash and can continue with some of our cool weather drops.

The extreme hot weather puts an end to tomatoes, beans, bell peppers and heats up the radish.

A horse and a plow?

This kind of gardening is very labor intensive similar to farming before the age of mechanization.

We have yet to ask the Green Valley Gardeners for a horse and plow but that may come to pass.

Why do we garden?

Produce is not our major satisfaction since most of the produce goes to the food bank.

Our major satisfaction is in accomplishment and we also enjoy some competitiveness.

Our major effort is to succeed.

The seminar on Thursday, Oct. 30 at the East Center, will depict a step-by-step procedure used in the Community Garden and will try to impart the knowledge that we have learned to create a successful garden in this hostile environment.

Coffee and refreshments will be served at 9 a.m.; the seminar will begin at 9:30 a.m. Master Gardeners will be present to answer your questions.

The Green Thumb articles are prepared by members of Green Valley Gardeners with the help of seminar speakers.