written by Sarah Daniels, garden crew member 2009-2013

So there's some things that have been successful during my tenure, and others that haven't. I've been asked to discuss both here.

Some things that have been successful in the garden include:

• using strawberries as ground cover in the frontyards- I think continuing to use the strawberries in the flowerbeds in the frontyard sidewalk projects works great. They need minimal water once established and they take off fast and look great
• planting lettuce in the beds- if you ever don't know what to plant in the beds during the winter which can be unpredictable, just plant some winter greens and lettuce. It works without much maintenance
• pruning the fruit trees- our fruit trees NEED and LOVE to be pruned- heavily in the winter when dormant (Jan-Feb), lightly in early summer (June-July). We should be getting fruit very soon off the young trees (after years of waiting). Please see the pruning section of the Garden wiki for more info
• growing herbs in the herb boxes- I strongly recommend extending the herb boxes near the kitchen. The cooks find these very convenient as long as they are well advertised and labeled by the gardeners. These boxes need constant maintenance and watering, but I think it's well worth the effort
• propagation of plants around the house- we've been extremely success propagating the following plants. Propagation is cheap/free and an easy way to fill up empty space in necessary areas
  • lavender
  • agave
  • other succulents
  • 'spider' plants (green and white plants near NoHo and SoHo in the backyard)
  • strawberries

• tomatoes- The house loves tomatoes in the garden every summer, but recently they've been hit with blight every single time and there's strange lack of drainage in the beds that prevents them from growing. Also they need alotta nitrogen added to the soil probably every-other week in order to really take off, which I haven't done in past. I wouldn't recommend making more than one bed tomatoes each year, and marking which bed has tomatoes so that you can rotate each year (a bed should only contain tomatoes once every 4 years cuz they deplete the soil)
• planting near carriage house- it's way way to shady, wouldn't recommend it.
• planting starts in the winter (Oct- Feb). Never has worked. They die or don't grow until March at the earliest.
• irrigation to the roof- we tapped water up to the roof, but the timed irrigation system for the coldframes never really worked so we removed it. We still have the timer-instrument and supplies to try the irrigation again if someone wants to take on that task

• Soil check- I think we need to have our soil quality checked in those beds, that might be a reason we have some probs with some crops. There's a place in MA, I think that'll do it for cheap or ask Berkeley Hort for local suggestions
• Wooden frames of beds- these frames are falling apart and need to be replaced, asap.
• Red flagstone path- this path will need maintenance in the upcoming year as the joint-sand isn't really staying put because the spaces between the flagstones are too wide. A joint sand with a higher percentage of polymer is needed and should be swept between the grooves of the stones and watered as directed on the packaging. If that doesn't work, perhaps we should try grout or a sturdier
• Finishing sidewalk island landscape proj on Parker St- this project should be finished when time/$$ allows
• Continuation of flagstone projs in the backyard- the remaining flagstones, sand and gravel should be used in the backyard to extend pathways and fill in the gaps between existing pathways and beds.
• Terracing the Hillegass Ave side of SoHo

After that most recent attack on the asparagus, it's time to get serious about our slug population! As most of you know, my research has been on integrated pest management (IPM) in child care centers so I figured I'd go to my IPM roots to solve this issue. Here is an article by the UC IPM (a group that I've worked with and trust) on dealing with slugs: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html

It looks like we still have some non chemical options to try (such as setting out traps under melon rinds and then handpicking slugs at night, or watering the afternoon before we go out with flashlights) but it also looks like Sluggo (which Maya got from berkeley hort) will be safe too. Read their excerpt:

Iron phosphate baits—available under many trade names including Sluggo and Escar-Go—have the advantage of being safe for use around children, domestic animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife, making them a good choice for an integrated pest management program in your garden. Ingesting even small amounts of the bait will cause snails and slugs to stop feeding, although it can take several days for the snails to die. You can scatter the bait on lawns or on the soil around any vegetable, ornamental, or fruit tree that needs protection. Iron phosphate baits can be more effective against snails than slugs overall and more effective than metaldehyde during periods of higher humidity. Snails and slugs tend to hide before they die, so you won’t see scattered empty shells or dead snails and slugs as you would if treating them with metaldehyde.

Sprinkle baits in areas that snails and slugs regularly frequent such as around sprinkler heads. Placing baits repeatedly in the same areas maximizes control, because mollusks tend to return to food source sites. Never pile bait in mounds or clumps, especially those products that are more hazardous, because piling makes bait attractive to pets and children and is not as effective as sprinkling. Thick, liquid baits might persist better when it is rainy or in areas that receive sprinkler irrigation.

The timing of any baiting is critical; baiting is less effective during very hot, very dry, or cold times of the year, because snails and slugs are less active during these periods. Irrigate before applying a bait to promote snail activity, and apply the bait in the late afternoon or evening. Sprinkle bait around sprinklers, close to walls and fences, or in other moist and protected locations, or scatter it along areas that snails and slugs cross to get from sheltered areas to the garden.

Pond info carried over from Spring 2012

HiP is home to quite a large family of worms and other critters that turn our leftover food/plant matter into tasty, nutritious soil. Both compost bins are located in the northern path of North House, go say hello to them sometime!

Written by Margaret, Fall 2012 resident To fuel and fertilize HiP’s beautiful garden, we recycle weeds, dead leaves, table scraps, and lots of other nutrient-laden goodies. After a few weeks in our high-tech composting facility (described below), these raw materials are transmuted into delicious plant food! Read on to find out how. Materials Compost ingredients can be divided into two groups: carbon providers and nitrogen providers. For plants, carbon provides a backbone while nitrogen facilitates necessary growth mechanisms. Here are some examples of each:

Carbon providers (“Brown matter”):

• * Dead leaves
• - Dead plants
• - Straw
• - Shredded Paper
• - Newspaper (no glossy magazine pages!)
• - Small or shredded twigs
• - Pine needles
• - Dryer lint
• - Banana peels
• - Eggshells

Nitrogen providers (“Green matter”):

• * Grassy weeds
• - borage and other non-invasive weeds
• - Green plants (with non-woody stems)
• - Uprooted veggie plant remaining at end of season (DO NOT INCLUDE DISEASED PLANTS)
• - Kitchen scraps (see exceptions list)
• - Coffee grounds
• - Tea leaves

Do NOT put the following in our compost: meat, dairy, citrus, bread, woody plants, diseased/infested plants, English ivy or other creeper-like plants, weeds that have gone to seed (the seeds will end up in our garden beds!), ashes from coal, anything non-organic (e.g. ashes from treated wood)

In general, you want about a 1:4 ratio of brown matter to green matter. This will help oxygen reach the compost, which will make it decompose more quickly. Too much green matter and your compost will be slimy and slow to decompose; too much brown matter and your compost will not be rich in nutrients.

In our compost pile, the decomposition process is accelerated by favorable conditions (bacteria and fungi love dark, damp, warm places, along with a healthy dose of oxygen now and then). At HiP, we have (count ’em) FIVE separate compost bins, each with a different purpose. For these instructions, let’s number the compost bins clockwise, starting with the bin nestled next to North House. We’ll call them Input (bin #2), Intermediate (bin #1), Final, and Working (bins #3 and #4, which alternate roles with every cycle of compost). Bin #5 is the Worm Compost, which follows a totally separate composting process.

Our composting is continuous, which means that ALL of these steps should be done about every two weeks. Below you will find Detailed Instructions, which describe how the process would work if you took one bin of compost from start to finish. In practice, you will follow the Quickie Instructions since we run 4 bins at once. Read the Detailed Instructions first, and then refer to the Quickie Instructions if you need them.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

• * Keep the lids on the compost bins always. It will keep them from drying out (in summer) or drowning (in winter).
• - The two-week timeline is just a guide. Turn the compost when it looks and feels right! It’s best to get an idea of the “look” of each composting stage from someone who has done it before.

How to take a compost pile from start to finish

1. * Composting always starts in bin #2, the Input bin. It’s best to start when the bin is empty, but it’s okay if it has a few layers of relatively fresh stuff in it. Put down a layer of green matter, then a layer of brown matter (following the 1:4 ratio of brown:green as described above). Water it so that it is moist, but not soggy. Keep layering until you run out of material (you can make the bin taller by adding more square side-wall sections).
2. - After about two weeks, the decomposers have had a chance to start working but they need a little more oxygen to do their job. Using a spading fork, turn the compost layer by layer into bin #1, the Intermediate bin. The layers should hold together, so that it’s easy to simply move the pile bit by bit. Try to keep the layers together. Water after each layer, same as in step 1.
3. - After about two more weeks, bin #1 is ready to be turned over again into the “Final” bin, either bin #3 or bin #4. Check to see if bin #1’s contents look “almost” composted; they should be entirely brown (no green left) and in small-ish chunks, but not quite ready to lay down into the garden yet. Turn it into the Final bin the same way you did in step 2; the layers will not be as cohesive, but don’t worry.
4. - After another couple of weeks, your compost will be (mostly) ready! Between bins #3 and #4, we’re now going to rename our current bin the Working bin, and the other bin will become the Final bin. However, worms and other critters tend to eat from the bottom up, which means that there will be a bunch of good compost at the bottom of the bin but probably not at the top of the bin. Start moving the top of your pile into the Final bin, so the worms eat it first next time. Pay attention to the color and texture as you go down; once you reach the cakey, dark-brown stuff, you know you’ve hit gold. There also won’t be as many worms and bugs here, since they’ve already eaten this part (you are looking at worm poop, essentially).
5. - Grab a wheelbarrow and put the big square mesh sifter on top of it. Using either your (gloved) hands or a spading fork, toss a good bit of compost on the sifter. Rummage around in it with your hands, stirring it in the sifter. The compost will fall through, and any non-decomposed bits will stay into the sifter. Once all the good stuff has fallen off into the wheelbarrow, empty the chunks into the Final bin. Repeat until you A) have enough compost for your task or B) reach the bottom of the Working bin. The Working bin should be empty by the next composting cycle, so that it can become the Final bin. Quickie Instructions (for reference only—read the detailed ones first): 1. Turn top of Working bin into Final bin until you hit good compost. Sift rest of Working bin into wheelbarrow for compost; toss chunks into Final bin. 2. Turn contents of Intermediate bin into Final bin, on top of the stuff from the Working bin. If dry, water between each layer. 3. Turn contents of Input bin into Intermediate bin, watering between each layer. 4. In Input bin, put down alternating layers of green and brown matter, following a 1:2 ratio of green:brown. Water between each layer.

The worm hotel has lots of worms, but tends to attract other organisms as well. It is a highly nutritious environment, so you can expect that other bugs will take advantage of it! This is generally fine, so long as populations don't explode and the ecosystem remains in balance.

Springtails: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwOL-MHcQ1w

1. Drain delicious nutritious worm juice from the worm bin into the worm juice container (a round, plastic container usually on the opposite side of the path from the worm bin).

Use this as fertilizer for organic food. We've found it especially beneficial for fruit trees and herbs in the planter boxes. Worm juice is EXTREMELY high in nitrogen and could burn the plants if not used appropriately. You must dilute the juice AT LEAST 1:10 with water before applying to the plants. If the plants are young seedlings or fragile, consider a 1:20 dilution.

1. Take off the lid of the wormsies. Notice if the soil level has dropped below the lip of the container.

2. Take the fresh grounds of coffee and tea leaves (bags/filters too) from the small green grinds bins and spread this over the top layer of newspaper/old coffee grinds

3. Add food scraps (tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetables and fruits. Be sure not to add any citrus, onion, meat, dairy, or heavy grains). Apply the food scraps over a thin layer on top of the worms. The smaller the pieces the food is broken into the more quickly the worms will be able to eat it. There is a small white bucket in the kitchen for people to put scraps into.

4. Once you've added grinds/food scraps to the brim, spread some thin strips of newspaper on top (not the waxy kind)

5. Coo the wormsies to sleep with this beautiful song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZfWmQJM4HI. You can usually get away with this by using an acoustic guitar and string bass. But occasionally the worms demand electric instruments and vocals by Trey Anastasio.

The worms love their soil damp, dark, and dirty. Unfortunately, so do a number of other creatures and organisms. This occurrence is usually due to overfeeding of the worms, as there is more food than worms can eat. This may also indicate that the pH is too low for the worms' liking. If you find mold, reduce the amount you're feeding the worms and try adding in more egg shells or other organic matter with higher pH to neutralize the acidity (due to coffee grinds).

If you find mold in the compost, take it out. All you need to do is get some gloves, and scoop out the chunks of mold. Try not to break it up - if you're careful, chunks of the mold will usually stay together. It's OK if you leave behind a little bit here and there (it can be too small to completely remove). What's important in this case is that you keep an eye on the worms and make sure it doesn't multiply.

Also worth noting that mold has occasionally been found in the coffee grinds bin that people fill in the kitchen. Check this before filling the worm hotel with it, so that you don't accidentally introduce mold yourself.

Sources:

PA State department: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/compost/Home3.htm

Eartheasy: Solutions for sustainable living http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html#a

Here are some topics that I thought would generally be useful for future HIP gardeners who want to use the automatic irrigation system.

* Sprinkler timer - Rain Bird ISM 6 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Kjt2C79-bdixhKe98sqj4d_D05DlnQO/view?usp=drive_web) - This system is programmable and can be adjusted to when / how long the sprinklers are on.

* Valves - Lawn Genie Model 54000 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Kjt2C79-bdixhKe98sqj4d_D05DlnQO/view?usp=drive_web) - These connect with the timer and physically turns on the water for each station.

* Drip Emiiter - We have several types of these around the garden. They can be categorized in roughly two categories: inline and non-inline (not sure if this is the right term). Inline emitters are connected in series with 1/4“ tubing. The ends should either be capped or have a non-inline emitter.

The brains of the system is the sprinkler timer. The entire system is divided into four independent stations. The timer controls when each station is run and for how long it is run. When the timer decides that a station should be run, it sends a signal to valve to turn on the station. Once a valve is on, water starts flowing and should drip through the emitters onto the beautiful plants!

The timer is located in the garden shed, mounted onto the wall. While the timer can be a bit complicated, but as long as it has power (either through the grid or through battery), it will keep its program and shouldn't need to be adjusted. The manual (link above in the equipment section) is pretty simple to read and highly recommended if you are going to work on the irrigation system.

The irrigation system is divided into four zones which can be independently controlled. A rough idea of the zones are listed below:

• This controls the grassy area next to the carriage house.
  1. I have no idea what is controlled by this…. Please update if you ever figure it out.
  2. This controls most of the vegetable garden beds in the northeast side of the garden.
  3. This controls the a miscellaneous set of area, including: the beds closest to North House, the are next to the patio (where the mint is) and the area in the northeast corner where snow peas were planted.

The valves are located in two places: one set (1 and 2) are next to carriage house next to the eve and the other set (3 and 4) are on the east wall, north of the patio area. The valves control when each station gets water. When a valve receives the signal, you should hear a click and hear a similar click when the signal turns off. Each valve has a screw and a knob. The knob that can be opened with pliers controls the flow of water through the valve. When this knob is closed, no water will flow through the valve even if the signal is on. The other screw, which can be opened with a screwdriver, allows water to flow even if the signal is off. To override the signal, turn the screw until water starts flowing out of it.

The emitters are placed throughout the garden beds, connected by tubing, and are the last stage for the water. We have two types of emitters in the garden, inline and non-inline. Inline emitters are connected in series and have a little hole in the side where water can escape. They also have two barbs, one on each side, which allows tubing to be connected. The non-inline emitters don't have a hole in the side, and generally have only one barb. They are meant to be placed at the end, with no other emitters coming after it.

• http://hillegassparkergarden.blogspot.com/
• http://hipgarden.blogspot.com/
• http://hip.wikispot.org/Garden_Wiki