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September 2016
Established in 1980
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In this issue you will find:
- Upcoming Events
- Featured Articles
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Curious? Has this plagued your garden?
Read more in the Arid Garden update.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker |
- In your plot by Lorna Mitchell
- Feel like a picnic?
- Project Updates
- Arid Garden
- Historic Canoa Ranch
- Ogden Community Garden
- Desert Meadows Park
- Committee Updates
- Seminars
- Membership Activities
- Membership
- Message from the President
- Photos
Want to submit an article or a photo in the October newsletter? Please submit it by September 31st.
Click to submit
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Volunteers taking a mid-morning break at Desert Meadows Park
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Upcoming Events
- September 15 ~ Members Tour
- Tumacacori National Historical Park
- A Members Activity event
- See Membership Activities report
- September 22nd ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Mark Heitlinger, Manager, Santa Rita Experimental Range Station
- Review of on-going research
- September 29th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- October 6th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Kristi West, Tucson Iris Society
- Growing iris in the Sonoran Desert
- October 13th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Ursula Shuch, U of A
- Palm trees appropriate for the Sonoran region
- October 20th ~ Members Tour
- Secret Gardens at U of A Cooperative Extension
For a complete calendar of events go to the website Click for website
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"In Your Plot"
by Lorna Mitchell
Autumn arrives in some parts of the country in this month; but not in southern Arizona! Keep treating your plants like its summer by maintaining irrigation and timers, weeding that pesky grass, and controlling insect pests. This is also a good time to apply a little extra nitrogen to our actively growing plants. Soluble nutrients get washed out with rains and constant irrigation. A simple way to do this is to dissolve a teaspoon (or a little less) of Miracle Grow in a gallon of water and pour a little at the base of all your plants in addition to regular watering.
Nights will get chilly eventually and we need to be ready to put in our winter crops. Seeds of cool season vegetables can be put in anytime this month and next; carrots, beets, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, collards, parsnips, peas, Swiss chard, cilantro, spinach, etc. Transplants of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Swiss chard, spinach, etc. can go in near the end of September or early October.
Those who are willing to take a risk can still plant green beans; choose the "55 days to harvest" variety and if the frost is late you may have fresh beans for Thanksgiving.
Prepare soil now for success by digging in composted steer manure, peat moss, granulated fertilizers and other composted vegetation. As you dig, remove and destroy grubs that lurk among your roots nibbling away. Nourish our friends the earthworms by adding veggie scrap smoothies that you make in your blender at home and bring to the garden.
Clean out rotting veggies and tired vines of tomatoes, beans, peppers, and eggplants. These crops should continue to produce a harvest if the plants are healthy.
Those are my plot thoughts for now, Happy Gardening, Lorna Mitchell
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The new "Sunset Picnic Pavilion" is ready for use
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Picnic Time!
Weather is improving! "Native American Summer" is nearly here ~ I heard that term on "Prairie Home Companion" this weekend. Is that the
politically correct term for "Indian Summer"? Or were they being funny?
Desert Meadows Park now has three, excellent, vary diverse, picnic areas for your enjoyment.
At present, there are more breakfast picnics taking place than at lunch time. But, it will soon be pleasant for a picnic anytime of the day.
If you wish to plan a group picnic, you can call or email Chuck Parsons to reserve an area.
Reserve via email or call 520-904-9020
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Enjoy watching hummingbirds and butterflies while picnicking in the Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden
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Always popular, especially when the sun is intense, is the Barrio Garden
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Evidence of Eriophyid mite in aloe.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker
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Arid Garden
by Mary Kidnocker
Early in the month we noticed a strange, indescribable growth in a dense patch of aloe vera. Eriophyid mite, sometimes called 'aloe mite' or 'aloe cancer' causes grotesque modifications to the plant tissue. The worm-like
microscopic mites are easily dispersed by wind and water. Once the plant is infected, damage is irreversible and the only solution is removal of all diseased plant parts, also necessary to prevent further spread of the mite.
The following week Jim Campbell and Linda Gregory spent several hours carefully pulling apart, digging out, and disposing of the many infected plants. Tools had to be disinfected after each use, diseased plants placed in plastic bags & tied off for trash pickup. Subsequently, Linda has followed up with systemic sprays on healthy plants and surrounding soil.
These aloe had grown in partial shade at the garden, lush and multiplying for several years. It is never wise to become too complacent about the condition of your plants!
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Many more plants at the Arid Garden are thriving, especially with our Monsoon rain.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker
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Historic Canoa Ranch
(HCR)
by Jack Davis and Raydine Taber
With the monsoon rains, we have had to work at keeping weeds out of the Historic Canoa Ranch (HCR) gardens and the courtyards. Earlier this year, we removed most of the plants from the east cactus garden. However, many of the roots had extended lower than 18 to 24 inches and the rains have encouraged new growth; resulting in many agave pups popping up throughout the planters. Tedious care is required to remove these small pups without getting any of those small cactus spines in our fingers, hands and arms. All of our gardens are responding well to the monsoon rains. Several of the storms have caused damage to the trees, windows and adobe structures. The HCR, Pima County staff have their hands full with boarding up windows, removing tree damage, covering damaged stucco walls and desperately trying to control the weed growth. As you can see our lantana and chiltipin are enjoying the rainy season.
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Lantana at the Grijalva House
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With fall and winter approaching... I know, it is still very hot out, but they are approaching quickly and we look forward to our winter residents returning. We will be looking forward to a work day (tentatively the first week of October) to remove summer crops, plant fall/winter crops and possibly begin planting the courtyard at Junior house. Another small project that might develop is taking a small wagon that Mugs brought to the ranch and set it up as a fall display with pumpkins, gourds and fall flowers. Look for information, late September or early October for more information on our work days.
Here is an early "heads up" on HCR's annual Anza Day celebration. The Pima County schedule shows Saturday, October 22nd as the day of celebration. If you have never attended, set aside this date and enjoy stepping back into history with a few hours spent on the grounds of the ranch. Make sure you get there in time for the re-enactment of the De Anza arrival at the ranch. Look for more information in the next Sand'n'Seeds.
Thanks to all our volunteers. Want to volunteer? Contact Raydine Taber Click to email Raydine
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Chiltipin at the Senior House
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Allen J. Ogden Garden by George Stone
Rain and Weeds:
August 2nd we experienced a record rain. Rain water was 8-inches in places with some flooding. A minimal amount of pecan shells washed away. Weeds were once again problematic and kept the gardeners on their knees.
Summer Crops:
Most plot holders report a record tomato crop. We gave our neighbors not only tomatoes but eggplant, peppers, cantaloupe along with other veggies. As the summer crops come to an end we begin the process of plant removal and preparing our plots for the winter crops. Boy! Cauliflower, carrots and lettuce sound good.
Most of our garden waste is now picked up every Monday by a local goat, chicken and pig farmer reducing the waste probably by 90%. We all wish to compost in some form or another but that is not always possible and as a result this method serves us best.
Zika Virus:
With the Zika Virus going worldwide all of us must do our part in preventing not only contracting the virus but the prevention as well. Best way to do that is quite simple - keep unwanted water collection to a minimum. Avoid mosquito bites. Stats show those infected were bit during the DAY. Wear long sleeve garments.
Feeder Stations and Open House:
Most of the summer was spent building our feeder stations. 100 volunteer hours went into the project and I thank those that helped. We now have the capabilities of feeding over 100 birds per day. The little birds' Southern migration will start - probably this week and no doubt more birds will find the feeders. On Wednesday, September 7th the Ogden will entertain club and board members who wish to see the stations. Iced coffee, bottled water and donuts will be offered.
Some interesting stats for August:
- We used 6 gallons of sugar water.
- Averaged feeding 25 birds per hour.
- Identified 3 species.
- Three organizations have made inquiry regarding viewing and photographing the birds:
- Copper Creek Elementary School
- Green Valley Photography Club
- Quail Creek Photography Club
Two pair of binoculars and three hummingbird identification pamphlets are available for your use. Please return the items to their proper storage. And, I might mention it does take a few dollars to maintain our stations so a donation mailbox has been mounted on the patio post if you would care to help. All funds collected are used for the feeder stations. You may buy feeders and donate them, however, we do need a certain type and brand. I order them on-line. We use a HummZinger Ultra from Aspects. If you have friends that would like to visit the garden and its stations they can call me at 343-9690 to make arrangements.
Onion Project:
The top 12-inches of soil in plots 20 and 21 will be removed and the soil in front of those two plots will be installed. Just waiting awhile for the temperatures to drop some before tackling that job. We will again plant 2,000 onions for the 2017 onion sales. In addition, we are going to Rio Rico and plant 5,000 onions. The Rio Rico High School FFA program will be involved so if you are an old FFA student let me know and we can get you involved somewhere. Onions go in the ground November 14th or there about. Harvest will be the first of May.
A Recipe:
I guarantee you will like this one! I have made this recipe for years, fine tuning it some to where it is a smooth and flavorful soup.
Potato and Sausage Soup
3 Cups
Hash brown potatoes
1 Can Cream of celery soup
1 14-oz can Chicken broth
1 Pkg. Link sausage
1 Small Onion, cut in half and dice
1 Cup Water
Cook desired amount of sausage on stove top (I use 3 links). Cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a 4-quart Dutch oven, add the above ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10-minutes. Stir often. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients just before serving add the following:
1 Tbsp. White sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. Mint
1 Tbsp. Cardamom
1 Tbsp. Lowry seasoning salt
1 to 2 Cups Milk
Stir and let sit for 5-minutes before serving.
Click to email George Stone
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Ramada renovation in done!
Now called the Sunset Picnic Pavilion.
Photo by Chuck Parsons
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Desert Meadows Park
by Chuck Parsons
Many of us are happy to report that the ramada renovation is complete! Volunteers will be adding some plants to the landscaping but the heavy work is done.
Speaking of heavy work. A lot of volunteer hours were expended in August to lay the brick pavers!
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Just in case you forgot what we started with. This is a photo of the ramada at the time the club took over the park in early 2014.
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Doug Lissoto spent a lot of time on his knees. Fortunately we have a few members that have NOT had knee replacements!
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Volunteers spent some hard hours laying the brick pavers that had been donated for this project. Dave Kean hauled in the sand, Ryan Todd added moisture and Mike Jensen manhandled the compacting machine.
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The park experienced just over 3-inches of rain. This was most welcomed by the garden plot holders and the many plants. However, those plants included the WEEDS. Leslie Campbell and the volunteers that work with her in the native areas of the park had their fill of weeding in August!
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Linda Gricius pulling weeds from the native grasses - another volunteer with original knees!
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I too, along with the other committee and project chairs, hardily thank our many volunteers! At Desert Meadows Park they make this a special place for the residents of our community. During August ~ raking mesquite and acacia beans, weeding, tending and harvesting garden plots for the food banks, laying brick pavers, and many other tasks ~ volunteers contributed 440 hours. Now that's impressive!
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Seminar Committee
The Fall 2016 seminars have been booked. The first seminar will be on September 22nd. The full calendar is posted on the website.
Click here to reach the website
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Membership Activities
By Marita Ramsey and Cathy Merritt
Our August Pot Luck at La Posada was enjoyed by 70 members who had a wonderful meal while socializing with other members. Thanks to Linda Gregory, who put together an informative slide show highlighting our park, gardens and other club projects. Thanks also to Leslie Campbell, Mary Kidnocker, Jackie Jensen, Sally Sherbina, Pat Pearson, Jo Ann Wilson, Linda Gricius and Joanne Atkinson
for their work in putting on this successful event.
On Thursday, Se
ptember 15
th we will be visiting the Tumacacori National Historic Park to see the heritage orchard and gardens. We will carpool from Desert Meadows Park at 9 am. Admission is $5, but members with a National Parks card can bring an additional 3 people at no charge, so bring your card. More info will be sent in an e-blast.
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Membership
by Judy Christensen
Welcome to 6 new members who joined Green Valley Gardeners in August.
CHEERS to:
- Karen Corrao
- Lynette Patterson
- Patricia Simpson
- Dr. Don Smith
- Fred & Carolle St. Jean
We appreciate each of you for supporting the Green Valley Gardeners and our mission of horticultural education and community service. Looking forward to seeing you at a Thursday Seminar soon.
Our current Membership Total is 373!
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Message from the President -- Bill Berdine
I extend an invitation to attend the first Board meeting of the Fall season, September 6th. All members are invited to attend and participate. The meeting will be held at Friends In Deed (corner of La Canada and Camino Casa Verde), starting at 1 PM. Agenda items that may be of interest include:
- Incorporating provisions for members to add the GVG to their Amazon Friends program and receive IRS donation letters from the Club;
- The development of a GVG sponsored novice gardening in the Sonoran Desert workshop in the Spring of 2017;
- A review and update of the GVG 2016 Board elections;
- The expansion of the Clubs onion fund raising project from 2,000 plants to 6,000 working in conjunction with the Rio Rico High School's FFA program.
The monthly Board meetings set the Club's agenda for the upcoming Fall, Winter and Spring seasons and active involvement by the membership at large would be appreciated and welcomed by the Executive Board.
We continue to be in need for volunteer involvement by members with interest or expertise in finance and web-based data management. Anyone with an interest in these areas should contact me.
Click to email Bill Berdine
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Photos Contributed by Members
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Ryan Todd after successfully reviewing his project with the district council for his Eagle scout award. Ryan was one of three scouts from Sahuarita troop 301 that have successfully completed their community service projects at Desert Meadows Park. Ryan's project was building the garden shed at the community garden at Desert Meadows Park.
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Gene Van Dyken and Jim Campbell welcome George Friend and his Kawasaki Mule! It has saved them making several wheelbarrow trips to build and landscape some of the new berms at the South end of the park.
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Have you noticed the beautiful, tall grass growing at the corner of Megan Todd's plot in the community garden at Desert Meadows Park? It's sugar cane!
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Volunteers took a mid-morning break during a Wednesday morning work session to enjoy a fresh melon from the garden. Elissa Dearing and Megan Todd were harvesting and came across a wonderful smelling melon that they decided to share. It was delicious ~ unidentified, but seeds where collected to have more next year!
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Byron Gricius does his share of weed removal too. Not on his knees!
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