Aug 12th, What's Up?

Dear Garden Lovers,

What's up on August 12th?


(to enlarge slidshow, click on photos and choose FULLSCREEN)

Today the Little Diggers toured around digging up things to eat.
Blueberries, Leeks, Zucchini,Swiss Chard, and some few first Tomatoes (very soon to be ripe enough) all good to eat now.

Garlic for DIGS members is in social shed in drying trays.
Take 3-5 heads of garlic each member.

New DIGS members also get to have garlic!
Fight vampires, make pesto! Join our community garden!! :>)
($10 per year or $15 whole family.)

Also: Tremendously inspiring Ted Talk on the Incredible Edible township gardening project. Check it out.

Also; Garlic Rust news from today's meeting:
Experts answer our questions:

- yes you can replant seeding garlic that has had rust. The spores are on the foliage but not on the bulbs.
- yes, rotate garlic beds (3 yr.) as usual.
- rust is caused by wind-bourne spores plus damp weather. It only overwinters if black spores are dropped onto soil.
- experts suggest that you plant widely spaced for better wind-drying in beds.
- rust affects all onion family members; basically stunts growth.
- when rust gets to the black spore stage foliage must be buried or burnt.

More on Garlic Rust (called Leek Rust in Europe).

Diluted Bleach for Secateur Sterilization at DIGS:

- there's now a glass jar of diluted 10:1 water/bleach solution in the social shed on fertilizer shelf upper left. It's for secateur dipping.
- It's suggested that we dip secateurs BEFORE we use them (in case last user forgot) and then AFTER cutting infected plants.
Plant infections we have currently: Septoria Leaf Spot on tomatoes; see pictures and more here. Garlic Rust on foliage of alliums.

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What to plant now?
West Coast Seeds Newsletter says: mid August seeds to plant:

Plant spinach now for fall and spring harvest.

See all winter vegetables for overwintering.