*This newsletter will be updated throughout the summer as changes occur to our schedule and news worthy information becomes available. Please revisit our newsletter monthly for updates. Thank you!
"There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. Mahatma Gandhi
The Giving Garden is now providing fresh fruits and vegetables weekly to Ukrainian refugee families who have relocated to Wake Forest. To show their appreciation for our donations, our new friends have offered to volunteer in the garden. Come and work alongside our Ukrainian guests as we plant sweet potatoes together in The Giving Garden on June 10.
Summer Calendar
June
3 Harvest New Potatoes
10 Plant Sweet Potatoes
Weekly harvests on Tuesdays and Saturdays:
Cabbage, onions, lettuce, summer squash, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, & blackberries.
17 The Giving Garden will have a both at the Wake Forest Farmer's Market
July
Plant cantaloupe, watermelon, winter squash, and pumpkins.
Weekly harvests on Tuesdays & Saturdays:
Onions, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, blackberries, and pole beans
August
Weekly Harvests on Tuesdays & Saturdays:
Tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, summer squash, pole beans, & corn.
You're Invited!
Join us in The Giving Garden on June 10th at 8:00AM to help plant sweet potatoes for our fall crop, and each Tuesday and Saturday morning at 8:00AM to help harvest. Volunteers are welcome to help weed and complete needed chores any day. Please register to volunteer by selecting the Volunteer button, which will direct you to the Sign Up Genius page. For further information, please contact. Pam Schulze at wfpcgivinggarden@gmail.com.
Inside the Garden Gate
A few weeks ago, while working in the Giving Garden, I spent some time watching a pair of Bluebirds checking out one of the Bluebird houses on the nearby fence. Soon, there were eight, then ten Bluebirds consulting, all checking out potential lodging options at 12606 Capital Blvd, W.F. Because Bluebirds are helpful in keeping insects under control (an adult eats up to 2,000 individual insects every day), and they have lovely songs, the Garden Team hope they choose to make their home with us.
On a daily basis, The Giving Garden is an amazing place. The life cycle of our plant world can be observed from seed to compost. It’s a stop for migrating birds and Monarch Butterflies. Crops are harvested and new crops take their place. Connections with the earth and soil are built and fostered. Friends are made, and The WFPC Giving Garden extends hospitality and welcome to all who come our way.
The Garden Team invites you to check out the Garden – help harvest some of our bounty, learn about gardening, help deliver to the food pantries and meals programs in our community, spend some time weeding, or watch the Bluebirds, and of course, enjoy their beautiful songs. Come and check us out!
Larry Roper
"Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized." Allan Armitage
Our Summer Crops
Beets
Blackberries, Blueberries, & Strawberries
Cantaloupe & Watermelons
Carrots
Corn
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Peppers
Pole Beans
Potatoes (red & Yukon Gold)
Pumpkins
Sweet Potatoes
Yellow Squash & Zucchini
Tomatoes
"Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization. Daniel Webster
News You Can Use - Summertime in Wake Forest
Fertilization
Fertilize or side dress vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. For improved plant health, in the Giving Garden, every two to three weeks, tomatoes and peppers are “watered” with about two cups of 1 Tablespoon Epsom Salt (dissolved) per gallon of water. This supplies several minor elements such as magnesium not provided by the fertilizer. Also, to help prevent Blossom End Rot, a common plant disorder in tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon, a similar schedule of application of 4 Tablespoon of Calcium Chloride per gallon of water is recommended.
Now is the time to take soil samples from your yard for fall fertilization treatment. Soil boxes and instructions are available from the County Extension Office or Extension Master Gardeners who are at the Wake Forest Farmers Market each week. If you happen to be at The Giving Garden, we have a small supply, and are happy to share and talk to you about volunteer opportunities.
Planting Recommendations
In early June, plant sweet potatoes.
Also, now is the time for second or third planting of beans (green/snap or butter), peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash.
Mid June until late July, start transplants of Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and collards for fall gardens.
During the first week of July, plant pumpkin, winter squash, and melons.
Pruning
Prune narrow leaf evergreens such as Junipers and Arborvitae and trim hedges as needed.
Remove water sprouts (vigorous, usually upright shoots developing from dormant buds on the trunk or large branches of a tree) on fruit trees.
Continue to pinch back Chrysanthemum to encourage branching through mid-July.
Remove any tree limbs that are hanging low over sidewalks and walking paths.
Insect and Disease Watch/Control
Japanese Beetles hatch the first week of June so watch for these annual visitors. Be ready with your preferred insect control including chemical or organic product for Roses and Grapes. Adults will also feed on the foliage and fruits of many species of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops so be on the lookout for damage - skeletonized leaves and large, irregular holes in leaves.
Spray squash and cucumbers for bores, cucumber beetles and stink bugs. For organic control of these pests, use Neem oil.
Many tomato, cucumber, and pepper varieties are very susceptible to Early Blight, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, and Late Blight. Neem oil is a good treatment to help control these issues as well as fungal and bacterial diseases such as Anthracnose, Black Spot, and Powdery Mildew. Always read the label for recommended rates of application. In The Giving Garden, we have purposefully selected varieties which are naturally resistant to many of these diseases. If you visit The Giving Garden, the different varieties are labeled so you can see what we selected and planted.
Lawncare
Grubs are so common in our area, it’s almost certain your lawn has them. Use recommended insecticide or “milky spore” treatment to control these larvae.
Continue fertilizing warm season grasses at the recommended rate as recommended by your soil test.
Remember our annual dry season is July and August and Fescue lawns will go dormant during this time, so don’t panic, your lawn has not died. However, Japanese Beetles and June Bugs will continue to lay eggs, so watch for grubs.
Chores and Tasks
Cut and trim dried foliage of spring flowering bulbs including daffodils and hyacinth.
Recipes
"Every leaf that grows will tell you: what you sow will bear fruit, so if you have any sense, my friend, don't plant anything but Love." Rumi
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