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Garden Site Summer Potlucks
Last year we began holding monthly potlucks at different garden sites to help build a greater sense of community across all of Project Grow. These were well attended and people enjoyed seeing other sites and meeting their gardeners.
We held our first potluck at Platt on June 28. Because we had to meet on the rain date only about a dozen people came but we had a great time and the food was excellent.
Each potluck will be preceded by a brief talk on a different gardening subject. The topic and instructors are listed with the potluck sites and dates below.
Lakewood
Saturday, July 18 at 4 p.m., rain date Sunday, July 19 at 4 p.m.
Dave Corsa will talk about composting in the garden.
Chapel Hill
Saturday, August 1 at 4 p.m., rain date Sunday, August 2 at 4 p.m.
Joet Reoma will talk about water-wise gardening.
County Farm
Medford Entrance
Sunday, September 13 at 4 p.m.
We will be holding a tomato tasting!
Please RSVP here. This matters because if we get rained out, we will only update the people who have RSVP'd.
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Last year's potluck at Greenview
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Upcoming Project Grow Classes
Eat Your Weeds
Date and Time: July 11, 10 a.m.-noon
Place: Leslie House, Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor
Vegetable gardeners bemoan the pesky presence of weeds that threaten to take over their garden. Much work goes into weeding them out. And yet in doing so, valuable foodstuff might be thrown away that are just as tasty and healthful, which grow without the need of coddling and care, and offer themselves free for you to harvest, if you only knew what they are! Instructor, Inge Ferguson, will redefine what a weed is and show you the abundance of naturally growing new foodstuffs that grow in your garden. Registration is required for this class though walk-ins are welcome for a $5 fee.
Kimchi!
Date and Time: July 18, 1 p.m.- 3 p.m.
Place: Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, 3941 Research Park Dr, Ann Arbor
Learn how to make kimchi, a traditional fermented Korean side dish. Students will taste samples from a freshly made batch of kimchi as they watch how it is made, step-by-step. The kitchen has generous space for students to observe the techniques involved in making this dish, to get up close and personal with the ingredients, and to ask lots of questions. Students will take home some kimchi. Note: This is a demonstration class. The fee for this class is $10 which includes all materials. Registration is required for this class though walk-ins are welcome for the $10 fee.
The class is being offered by Linda Wan, passionate about kimchi and other fermented foods.
For all classes, please check our website to read about any changes to the course (eg: time, location).
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Summer Garden Upkeep
Many gardeners begin harvesting greens from their gardens in June. But, most people have to wait until July, August, and September for all the summer vegetables like beans, tomatoes, summer squash, corn and everything else to start coming in. To make the most of your harvest here are some things to keep in mind:
- Keep animals out
- Keep weeds under control
- Pick your produce. This seems obvious but when everything starts coming in at once in August, plenty of produce is left unpicked and goes to waste. Even if you can't use it, you can donate extra to Food Gatherers and other food pantries such as Back Door Pantry.
- Water when necessary. There has been little or no need to water this year so far but rain is usually less frequent in July and August.
- Mulch. Mulching prevents and slows the growth of weeds in your garden and reduces the amount you need to water in dry periods. If you regret not mulching early in the season, you can still do it, just lay down straw or hay where you recently weeded. The weeds themselves can be used to mulch!
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Become a Master Composter This Fall!
Project Grow will again be offering a series of classes through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed this fall for students to become Master Composters.
Registration for the Master Composter program will soon be available on the Rec and Ed webpage.
The program is seven two and half hour classes:
- Wednesday September 30 - Overview. Composting basics, types of bins (Nancy Stone, Master Composter and Lisa Perschke, Master Composter and Advanced Master Gardener)
- Wednesday October 7 - Yard Waste Reduction. Held at Project Grow's Compost Education Center at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor (Chris Simmons, Master Composter, City of Ypsilanti, Joet Reoma, Master Composter, Master Gardener, Master Rain Gardener)
- Wednesday October 14 - Tour of municipal composting operations. Meet at 4150 Platt Road, Ann Arbor. Distribute/discuss open book exam. (Chris Simmons, Nancy Stone, Joet Reoma)
- Wednesday October 21 - Vermiculture. Worm bins, special composting, compost teas (Jesse Raudenbush of Starr Valley Farms)
- Wednesday October 28 - Soils. (Erica Kempter of Nature and Nurture)
- Wednesday November 4 - Worm bin workshop. Interested students may purchase a worm bin take-home kit for $30 with 1000 red worms, 12-gallon container and worm bedding. (Jesse Raudenbush)
- Wednesday November 11 - Guest presenters with community composting opportunities, Take-Home Exam corrected in-class; share ideas for volunteer projects, set date and topic/speaker for fall graduation pizza dinner (Lisa Perschke and guest presenters)
All classes are 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. All classes are held at Pioneer High School except Yard Waste Reduction is at Leslie Science and Nature Center on October 7th, and the tour of the municipal compost operation on October 14th.
You can only sign up for the entire series, but the cost of all six classes is only $49!
The Master Composter program does not require any previous knowledge of composting or gardening. After finishing 10 hours of hands on volunteer work and the classes, you become a certified Washtenaw County Master Composter.
How Do I Register?
You can register through the Rec and Ed website but not until late August. Just go to the Rec and Ed website and search on "Master Composter" After Labor Day, you can also register by phone or in person. Call Rec and Ed at (734)994-2300 for more details. |
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Project Grow Gardens Around Town
There are great Project Grow gardens all over town. Here are a few pictures taken about two weeks ago.
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Borage, beans and squash at Winea
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| Downy Mildew on Cukes is Here in Michigan 
Downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumbers in Michigan. This disease can cause catastrophic losses in a brief period of time. When the conditions are favorable - like our current weather pattern, unprotected foliage can become completely blighted within 14 days of the initial infection. Note that all member of the cucurbit family - cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash and watermelon - are susceptible. The early appearance of downy mildew in Michigan, along with the wet and humid weather, can make cucumber growing especially challenging this year so be aware of the symptoms and management strategies. Read more in the latest MSU Extension News article Downy Mildew Management Practices for Home Gardeners to learn more about downy mildew. Also check the Dr. Mary Hausbeck Lab website for frequent updates on the progression of downy mildew in Michigan and management strategies. Provided by Joet Reoma, from Michigan Master Gardener News by Diane Brady |
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Late Blight Spotted on Michigan Tomatoes
Late blight is a disease that most commonly affects potatoes, but can affect tomatoes in some years. When the weather is favorable as has been observed this year, late blight spells trouble to community gardeners. This disease is being reported in Michigan this year from homeowners and organic growers, but not by growers practicing IPM (Integrated Pest Management). Check the Tomato News of Dr. Mary Hausbeck. Provided by Joet Reoma, from the Michigan Master Gardener news by Diane Brady. |
| Hosting U-M Volunteers in Your Garden University of Michigan's Center for Engaged Academic Learning (CEAL) is looking for some Project Grow gardeners who want the opportunity to work with U-M international volunteers. These are international students who are attending a summer program for 6 1/2 weeks (July and August 2015) before entering the University of Michigan and a few other universities as full time students this fall. They are studying English for academic purposes, but CEAL wanta to get them out into the community as well. CEAL invites gardeners to "host" a student volunteer. They will help you in the garden one day a week (evenings or on weekends for 2-3 hours). You, in turn, help them by telling them what needs to be done in your garden, interacting, answering questions and helping them to learn more about you, the garden and Ann Arbor. Project Grow Site Coordinators might also use the volunteers as possible 'gardening angels' for gardeners that need assistance. Some of these students will be working at the Compost Education Center at Leslie Science and Nature Center, and the County Farm and Airport gardens. The students, about 30 of them, are all enrolled in a U-M class called "Engaged Learning Through Community Gardening" with Instructor Mindy Matice of U-M English Language Institute (ELI). This entire program will begin right after the 4th of July and continue until August 14th.
We hope this exchange will build lasting relationships of good will and inspire some to go into community gardening in their home countries. This short program is a joint project between Project Grow and CEAL of the University of Michigan. To sign-up, call or email Joet Reoma at(joet@projectgrowgardens.org, joet@umich.edu, or 734-972-8875. Joet is the Volunteer Coordinator and co-director of the CEC.
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