Tuesday, December 23, 2008

End of the year garden deadline approaching


With just over a week left before the end of the year, I wanted to remind everyone that gardeners who aren't planning on actively gardening during the winter need to prepare their plots for the season by December 31.

Over the past month or so, a number of people have sheet mulched their plots or planted a cover crop, which will help improve the quality of the soil while keeping weeds in check (Note: Scroll down to the previous blog entry for cover crop instructions). Others have cleared their plots and planted winter crops. Most of the garden is looking ready for the winter -- there are just a few plots that are covered in weeds at the moment.

One of the other reasons we've gotten more strict about enforcing this rule is that the waiting list for getting a plot at the garden has grown tremendously in recent years. We currently have 32 people who are waiting to get a plot at our garden. This is the longest our waiting list has ever been.

It's hard to believe that 2009 is almost here. Please make arrangements to prepare your plot for the winter by December 31 if you aren't planning on actively gardening in the coming months. If you are actively gardening this winter, please be sure to keep your plot weeded and well maintained. Gardeners who don't make arrangements by the end of the year to take care of their plots will have to give up their plots to someone on the waiting list.