GreenThumb Events for September

September 6, 2020
by garden
10 min read

COMPLETE THE 2020 CENSUS NOW 

Dear all — please see below for the latest greenthumb announcements. In particular, I encourage everyone to sign up for the Rat Academy! It is more fun than you think to learn about preventing rats in our garden. 🙂 — Bethany  

The 2020 Census is critical to the future of New York City. If we don’t complete the census, New York City will lose billions of dollars distributed by the federal government every year for schools, hospitals, health clinics, affordable housing, public transit, and much more. We will also lose up to two seats in Congress and representation in Albany. 

The census is easy, safe, and confidential. It can be completed online or by phone, and is just 10 simple questions that can be answered in under 10 minutes. By law, your responses are completely confidential and cannot be shared with anyone — not immigration, not the police, not tax authorities; not even your landlord. There are no questions about immigration, citizenship, criminal history, or income. 

All you need is your address – no special code required. Visit my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 to complete your census form today.

Invasive Pest Sightings – Spotted Lantern Fly

The Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) is an invasive pest that was first found in the northeast in 2014 and was confirmed as found in NYC in Manhattan in the latter half of 2019. Since that initial sighting they have been found in many places in Manhattan and other boroughs, unfortunately. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the state Department of Agriculture & Markets are conducting surveys currently via inspections. It is important that people report sightings of the SLF as well as their egg masses to  spottedlanternfly@agriculture.ny.gov or here https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63  

The fact sheet attached to this email can help you identify the Spotted Lantern Fly and its egg cases. All sightings should be reported, and the insects themselves should be placed in a baggie or jar to be suffocated so that a DEC or NYSDAM representative can collect it after you report it through the above survey or email address. For egg masses, a small sample should be scraped into a zip-lock bag and sealed. The remainder of the egg mass should be put in a baggie and doused with alcohol or hand sanitizer and then discarded.

GreenThumb Programming Updates

Special Webinar with International Partners

Food for Resilience: Transatlantic Lessons from Community Gardens and Farms
Friday, September 18, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  

This webinar will share lessons from across the pond on how community food growing is building resilience in cities, how they have responded to Covid-19 and reflect on what we can learn for the future beyond Covid-19, for challenges that lie ahead.

Organized by Capital Growth in London, NYC Parks GreenThumb in New York City and Toronto Urban Growers, it will provide a context for how the cities are supporting and organising their networks, and share valuable insights from the gardens.  

Harvest Fair Goes Virtual

Saturday, September 26th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

GreenThumb’s annual Harvest Fair celebrates the ongoing efforts of GreenThumb community gardeners who have continued growing and producing during these uncertain times. Join us for a day filled with workshops, a virtual tabling with our greening partners, and the announcement of this year’s winning harvest from community gardeners. Stay tuned for the schedule for the day! 

If you are a GreenThumb gardener and think you’ve grown an award-winning vegetable or flower, please enter the 2020 Harvest Fair competition! Submit up to 10 photos in total of your best vegetables and flowers. Winners will be announced on Saturday, September 26th during our virtual recording. Winners will receive a virtual certificate or a ribbon for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Entries will be judged on condition, quality, uniformity of size, and color.

For more information visit www.greenthumbnyc.org and to enter the competition, please fill out the Harvest Fair Submission Form by Friday, September 16th.

What’s Wrong With My Vegetable Plant? Office Hours with Cornell Cooperative Extension

Thursday, September 17, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

What are these spots on my tomatoes? What is this bug, and is it eating or helping my crops? GreenThumb is thrilled to continue our partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) this fall to help GreenThumb community gardeners have a successful growing season. Please submit your photos and questions in advance (photos from past seasons are welcome if you anticipate recurring issues this season). During the virtual office hours, CCE Urban Agriculture Specialists Yolanda Gonzalez and Sam Anderson, together with GreenThumb staff, will do our best to provide answers, tips, and suggestions! Register to attend the virtual office hours at cce_officehours_sept.eventbrite.com. These sessions are reserved for members of GreenThumb community gardens in good standing. Please submit your photos and questions in advance, by Monday, September 14 at noon. 

GreenThumb Growing Food Toolkit

GreenThumb supports community gardeners in growing food through educational workshops and materials. In the GreenThumb Growing Food Toolkit, you will find most of our workshop handouts and webinar recordings, as well as many resources from partnering organizations, on topics related to food production. We will continue to add to this page and update our educational resources as time and capacity allows.

GreenThumb Webinars

Join us for an ongoing series of online workshops to dig in, grow food, and keep your community garden going while following health and safety protocols.

Did you miss some of our past webinars and are interested in learning more about that topic?  Did you miss our great keynote speakers on Earth Day?  They are now available to watch online here: bit.ly/GreenThumbWebinars 

Upcoming webinars include:

Please click the link to RSVP and receive information on how to join the webinar.

Conflict Transformation Circles: Orientation
Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions.  This one hour orientation is important to attend for all future sessions.

Conflict Transformation Circles for Community Gardeners
Wednesday, September 23, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions.

Demystifying Mental Health Care with ThriveNYC and the Department for the Aging
Thursday, September 24, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Tune in for a discussion on ThriveNYC and NYC Dept. for the Aging’s services and resources, and how they can support community gardens across the city. Come with your questions!

Organizing for Garden Success: Group Structure
Wednesday, October 7, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

This two-part workshop series is designed to help your garden group build a strong foundation for your group’s leadership and decision-making structures. 

Updates and Resources from Partners

Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Rat Academies

Rat Academies have gone Virtual!  Attend a session to learn more about safe and effective rat prevention techniques. Upcoming sessions require RSVP here:

Partnerships for Parks Webinars

Partnership for Parks provides support to neighborhood volunteers to advocate and care for parks and green spaces. They are offering a variety of webinars that may be of interest to community gardeners.  Details about upcoming webinars are available here. 

Distance Learning from our Partners

GrowNYC’s Education programs are providing weekly reads and activities using upcycled, easy-to-access materials for children and adults at home. Learn how to build your own tiny greenhouse in your apartment, a tasty recipe for mugwort, and more by visiting: https://www.grownycdistancelearning.org/

New York Restoration Project is also posting webinars on their YouTube page on different topics including climate change, green infrastructure and soil health.

Soul Fire Farm is hosting Black womxn farmers every Friday on Facebook Live to discuss gardening, livestock, agroforestry, plant medicine, and food preservation. Anyone is welcome to join, but please create space for centered folks to speak and ask questions. Learn more.

Food Resource Guides: 

In this difficult time, we understand that food insecurity is a growing concern. Please see these food access resource guides from partner organizations. 

Coronavirus NYC Neighborhood Food Resource Guides: To help connect community members in need with food resources during this challenging time, the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center is constantly updating Coronavirus NYC Food Resource Guides for each NYC neighborhood. Each resource guide includes information related to food access within the community, such as meals for students and seniors during this time, delivery services for people with disabilities, and resources for immigrants. Resource guides will be published and updated as rapidly as possible, in order of the NYC neighborhoods most impacted by poverty and food insecurity. For more information, visit: https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-reports/. 

GrowNYC COVID-19 Schedule Changes & Resources: Most Greenmarkets and some Farmstand locations are open and operating on schedule, changes to the schedule are listed here. In addition, many Greenmarket producers are offering a variety of ways to purchase their products, from allowing customers to pre-order and pick up at a market, to direct home delivery and shipping products from their online stores. All of that information is available in one place at GrowNYC Greenmarket Alternative Sales Directory 2020. For more information, visit: https://www.grownyc.org/blog/schedule-changes. 

Cooperative Extension Survey about Urban Agriculture

The survey available at this link will help Extension educators and researchers at your local land grant university better serve urban farmers and gardeners. NYC Parks GreenThumb is not affiliated with this research. We are sharing it in case gardeners want to get involved.

Food and Agriculture Anti-Racism Resources

FoodTech Connect compiled this list of resources to help with better understanding systemic racism in the food system. They also included Black-owned farms, businesses and organizations to support. Learn more.

LES Ecology Center has Compost Available

The LES Ecology Center has free compost available for community gardens! Delivery options are available to sites in the Lower East Side. All other gardens would need to coordinate a pick-up from the Ecology Center’s compost site in East River Park in the Lower East Side. Fill out their Compost Request Form to request compost and learn more.

Make Music NY is Today! Plus How to Stay Cool

June 21, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Hi Garden People,

Make Music NY is today, the longest and, yes, the hottest, day of the year. So far we have had two cancelations due to the weather, so we are down to just 1-3, 5-6 and 7-8 pm performances with the possibility of some of our garden/neighbor kids performing around 6:30.

And yes it is going to be hot. For those of you who are reluctant to help out today because of the heat, a thought would be to drop off chilled, bottled water or sports drinks and salty snacks for the musicians and garden volunteers. You would only be out for a little while and it would be very much appreciated.

Also, if you are out in the garden today, please give some extra water to our community beds or anyone’s whose bed looks particularly thirsty. Be sure to check on elderly neighbors in your building and keep yourself hydrated, too.

Here is an article about how to protect plants during heat spells. http://www.wikihow.com/Protect-Your-Garden-During-a-Harsh-Summer

Thanks and stay cool today!

Noreen

Tips for Weeding

May 23, 2012
by garden
1 min read

I spent an afternoon recently pulling up hundreds of elm tree seedlings that were germinating in my plot, making me feel sort of like the Onceler in Dr. Suess’ Lorax story. I could console myself in that the trees would not survive there anyway and I am doing a good deed for the plans I do want to prosper.

Speaking of weeds, Dinorah Matias recommends an article on controlling weeds. This article also explains how to compost weeds, when to remove seed heads and controlling weeds through plant spacing:

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/controlling-weeds-garden-how-to.aspx?utm_source=email&utm_medium=eletter&utm_content=20120521-weeding&utm_campaign=fine-gardening-eletter

Happy weeding!

Noreen

Watering Tips

April 9, 2012
by garden
2 min read

Thanks to Walli for sharing these watering tips.

———————————————-

Hi All,

Since we may well be headed for a very dry summer, we thought we’d share some watering techniques that help build health root systems and enable plants to survive drought better.

Watering every day is not a good idea, no matter the weather!!  If you water every day, roots stay near the surface and this does not make for very strong plants with a healthy root system. If you stick your finger in the soil and go about an inch down and there is water there — no reason to water!

In warm weather, water in the morning to give plants a chance to drink up before the hot sun or strong winds evaporate the moisture. This protects plants from wilting in the afternoon heat, too. In a prolonged drought, cover more sensitive plants with a shade cloth to limit midday transpiration, suggests Cado Daily of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. If you can’t water in the morning, try for late afternoon,  but not too late; the foliage should have time to dry before the sun goes down so it doesn’t develop fungal diseases.

Seeds and seedlings demand moisture close to the soil’s surface, but more established plants need deep watering to develop roots that will find water in the subsoil when drought strikes. Just be careful not to overwater! You want soil that’s damp but not soggy down to 5 to 6 inches below the surface. In waterlogged soil, roots are deprived of oxygen and may lose the ability to take up water. If your plants’ foliage begins to brown at the edges and fall from the plant, you may be overwatering.

More here
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/water-well

Thorough but infrequent watering encourages plants to develop deeper root systems, giving them inbuilt drought protection. This works for lawns as well as for garden plants. Watch the weather. Rainfall is a free and easy way to water your garden.

http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/waterwise/gardening/pdf/garden_water_tips.pdf 

Thanks you.

Sincerely,
W104th Street Garden Steering Committee

Green Thumb Program Guide is Out!

February 10, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Green Thumb

The Spring edition of the GreenThumb Program Guide is out! That means the growing season is getting closer and it’s just about time to start planning your crops and starting seeds indoors! Look inside for more information on workshops, giveaways and events for the coming quarter including:

Making Brooklyn Bloom, Saturday, March 12
The GreenThumb GrowTogether, Saturday, April 2
Chicken Health & Husbandry (bilingual English and Spanish), Thursday, May 26

Does your garden need:

  • Seeds
  • Raised Bed Lumber
  • Fruit Trees .
  • Soil /Compost/Cleanfill Request
  • Hydrant Wrenches, Hydrant Adapters, and Hoses
  • Plant Starts
  • City Chicken Guide / GuĂ­a de la Ciudad de Pollo
  • Native Plants

Download the Program Guide here or at the bottom of the page for details!

Please note that garden members must attend workshops to receive supplies. All workshops are free and open to the public, with no pre-registration (unless otherwise noted). Workshops are rain or shine, canceled only in the event of lightning or other dangerous conditions. All supplies are for registered gardens only and are available first come, first served, while supplies last.

More Information

4Brooklyn College Soil Study

October 26, 2009
by garden
3 min read

The 104th Street Community Garden participated in a soil study performed by The Brooklyn College Environmental Sciences Analytic Center. The following is a preliminary release regarding soil samples throughout the city. The overall results do not necessarily reflect the health of our own garden, but do indicate alarming levels of heavy metals, including lead, in New York City soils. We eagerly await the results of the follow up study and will report any results specific to our garden, when the report becomes available.

Brooklyn College results:

“The Brooklyn College Soil Analysis lab received many soil samples from residents throughout New York City. The lab analyzed heavy metal content in the soil with some surprising results. Lead content in some soils were sometimes as high as 2000ppm. As a follow-up pilot study we would like to measure the air quality in and around some of these gardens. Looking at the air quality may show us whether particulates from the soil are getting into the air, and we would like to see if this is happening and to what degree people are breathing in heavy metals as they work/play around the soil. By performing this pilot study we would like to determine if we need to expand our research not into just soil analysis but into air quality surrounding community and private gardens throughout NYC.”

For more information about lead in NYC gardens, read the New York Times article:

For Urban Gardeners, Lead Is a Concern, May 13, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html

Lead Remediation tips recommended in this article include:

  • The best approach to avoiding lead contamination in gardens is what we do at the West 104th Street Garden: Build raised or contained beds lined with landscape fabric and filled with uncontaminated soil. Plants that are grown in containers with soils from a garden center are unlikely to contain high amounts of lead.
  • Replace the contaminated soil or alkalinize it by adding lime or organic matter such as compost. Higher alkalinity (pH level above 7) allows soil particles to bind with lead, making it less likely to be absorbed by plants and the human body if the dirt is inadvertently inhaled or ingested.
  • Plant kitchen gardens with fruiting crops like tomatoes, squash, eggplant, corn and beans, which do not readily accumulate lead.
  • Avoid lead-leaching crops, such as herbs, leafy greens and root vegetables such as potatoes, radishes and carrots.
  • Planting greens, specifically Indian mustard and spinach, for a couple of seasons before growing crops intended for food. This phytoremediation, or plant-based mitigation, allows lead to be removed from the soil. These plants must not be eaten or composted, but disposed of as toxic waste.
  • To avoid contamination from lead dust blowing in the wind or rain splashing off lead-painted structures, situate gardens away from buildings.
  • Wash edible produce thoroughly with water containing 1 percent vinegar or 0.5 percent soap.

    • $

  • Cover soil with sod in areas where you are not planning a garden.

Wed June 24 Garden Talk

June 22, 2009
by garden
1 min read

Hi Gardeners,

Matt Brown, head of the Central Park Conservancy’s soil and water ecology will be talking about soil, plants, Central Park, our garden — and answering our questions in a walk through the garden.

Please come this Wednesday, June 24, at 6:15 — in our garden. (Matt and his crew has kindly delivered compost and wood chips to the garden this year and in years past.)

As a preview, here’s a video of Matt on Central Park’s ponds: http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/PageNavigator/DidYouKnow_WaterBodies

If you have questions, please contact Suzanne Charle’ at suzcharle@gmail.com.