Here's a place to "plot" your plots, ask questions, and share ideas for successful community gardens. Enjoy!
Welcome to the new Community Gardening forum!
Thank you Terry.
Inanda
This message was edited Oct 19, 2006 11:59 AM
I just rented a 20' by 20' plot in our brand new community garden. Any suggestions as to how to plan a space this size? Websites and places to see pictures would be great! We can start planting the end of May, hopefully.
His is the best website, stay right here. You might visit the vegetable forum.
Here is a picture of the community garden just behind Victoria (BC) Legislature.
Ginny
This is the cob and strawbale toolshed in the garden. The living roof is a new addition from last year.
Ginny
This is year one of our guerrilla community garden on a vacant lot on our street. I'll have to dig around to see if I can find some later pix.
We found vandalism (tomato wars I think) and others harvesting so we lined the main centre path with tomatoes and also planted 2 big strawberry beds, a rhubarb bed, and a squash bed & beans for all to pick. We also wrote the kids names on the pumpkins and not a single punmpkin was stolen last year. We live right in the inner city.
We also had a perennial bed in the shade for people to pick for flowers. Worked well. No vandalism at all, when we started sharing with passers by.
Ginny
Ginny
Glad I found this thread. I just rented a plot from my city's CG. The total size is 10' x 30'. The previous renter gave it up because he couldn't maintain it. Needless to say, it is dry and weedy.
Some questions I have right now are:
- Should I cover the whole plot with black plastic or cardboard for a few weeks to kill off the weed THEN till everything under and add compost? Or, should I till everything under now then cover the area and add compost later?
- Should I water the plot before tilling it to soften up the soil or will that just create mud?
- Can I start my vegetable seeds now and plant them out in a month or so?
- What kind of watering system would work best for an area this size? Spigots are near by and we are allowed to leave the water on with a timer device.
- Any warning/advice/precaution that I should know about?
Thank you!
I'm not an expert, but this is what I suggest: Don't till weeds into the garden. I'd cut all the weeds down as far as you can or pull them out. Then till the surface, and cover with black plastic or cardboard for the few weeks you suggest. Remove the plastic, rake out any more of the dead weeds. Then you can till, plant and mulch. Newspaper (black print pages) makes excellent mulch once it is wet.
I don't know planting rules for your area, so perhaps someone else will answer that part.