Unfortunately the worm census is cancelled once again due to poor weather conditions.
We will reschedule once the weather improves.
Drop-in Worm Census on Sunday May 29th
Weather permitting we will be having an earthworm census @ the field behind Pioneer Village this Sunday, May 29th from 11:00am- 1:00pm, it is a drop in event. Also anyone interested in volunteering to help with the site is welcome to come out. (If it is cancelled it will be posted on this site)
This Friday Masonville & Saturday Covent Garden
Market Tomatoes: Chadwick cherry,Ceylon,Black Beauty,Polish Linguisa, Purple Russian,Hawaiian Pineapple,Moonglow, Sicilian Saucer,Red Pear Blondkopfschen, Yellow Pin-Pong,Isis Candy, Peace Vine, Rose, Giant Belgian, Silvery Fir, Banana Legs, Nebraska Wedding, Garden Peach, Bloody Butcher, Jaune Flamme, Limmony, Orange Russian, Black Krim, Boxcar Willie, Paul Robeson, Cherokee Purple. We will also have other herbs and Malabar Spinach for sale.
Seedlings for Sale on Saturday and a Worm Census on Sunday
The London City Farm Network will be bringing some herbs and vegetable seedlings for sale this Saturday, May 14th at the outdoor farmers market at the Covent Garden Market from 8am - 1pm.
Heritage tomato seedlings available for sale this week include:
Yellow Ping-pong
Yellow Pear
Chadwick
Ceylon
Isis Candy
Pink Ping-pong
Jaune Flamme
Green Zebra
Japanese Trifele
Hawaiian Pineapple
Rose
Sicilian Sauce
Orange Russian
Robeson
Cherokee Purple
Polish Linguisa
Maltese
Nebraska Wedding
Banana Legs
Black Sea Man
Other varieties will become available in the following weeks once they have a chance to grow a little more!
Heritage tomato seedlings available for sale this week include:
Yellow Ping-pong
Yellow Pear
Chadwick
Ceylon
Isis Candy
Pink Ping-pong
Jaune Flamme
Green Zebra
Japanese Trifele
Hawaiian Pineapple
Rose
Sicilian Sauce
Orange Russian
Robeson
Cherokee Purple
Polish Linguisa
Maltese
Nebraska Wedding
Banana Legs
Black Sea Man
Other varieties will become available in the following weeks once they have a chance to grow a little more!
If you are interested in helping us with a worm census please drop by on Sunday, May 15th from 11am-1pm behind the Pioneer Village at the Fanshawe Conservation Area. You may park your vehicle in the Pioneer Village parking lot and when walking towards the village take the path heading for the red barn and turn right.
Note: this event will only take place if it is not raining.
Why it's important to do a Worm Census
When getting the garden started for another season it's important to make sure that you have good soil to work with. The best way to check your soil's health is to do a worm census.
WHY DO IT?
Worm castings make your soil healthier and are a good indicator of soil health. Their castings create soil capillaries and allow air and moisture to flow more freely. If there are lots of worms, it is because the soil has lots of organic matter, is well aerated and drained and has a pH of about 6.0-7.0. Good soil looks like chocolate cake and is crumbly in your hands.
WHAT YOU NEED
* A spade, garden gloves, a board or flat clean surface.
HOW
* Do your worm census in the spring or fall when temperatures are comfortably warm but not too hot.
* With a spade remove a block of soil about a foot square (30cms) and 7 inches (17.5 deep).
* Spread the soil on a board, break up the clumps of soil and gently take out the worms and count them. Little worms count the same as big ones.
RESULTS
* More then 10 worms is good news! It means that your soil is healthy and that the worms find your garden to be a nice place to live. You can’t have too many worms so the more the merrier.
* If you find fewer then ten worms, your soil is in need of conditioning and help. It is deficient in organic matter and will need compost or other amendments to become healthy. *
Source: The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, Edward C. Smith, Story Publishing, 2009. p. 136-13
Check out this great article about gardens and the importance of worms: http://www.amystewart.com/images/pdfs/Worms_for_OG.pdf
WHY DO IT?
Worm castings make your soil healthier and are a good indicator of soil health. Their castings create soil capillaries and allow air and moisture to flow more freely. If there are lots of worms, it is because the soil has lots of organic matter, is well aerated and drained and has a pH of about 6.0-7.0. Good soil looks like chocolate cake and is crumbly in your hands.
WHAT YOU NEED
* A spade, garden gloves, a board or flat clean surface.
HOW
* Do your worm census in the spring or fall when temperatures are comfortably warm but not too hot.
* With a spade remove a block of soil about a foot square (30cms) and 7 inches (17.5 deep).
* Spread the soil on a board, break up the clumps of soil and gently take out the worms and count them. Little worms count the same as big ones.
RESULTS
* More then 10 worms is good news! It means that your soil is healthy and that the worms find your garden to be a nice place to live. You can’t have too many worms so the more the merrier.
* If you find fewer then ten worms, your soil is in need of conditioning and help. It is deficient in organic matter and will need compost or other amendments to become healthy. *
Source: The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, Edward C. Smith, Story Publishing, 2009. p. 136-13
Check out this great article about gardens and the importance of worms: http://www.amystewart.com/images/pdfs/Worms_for_OG.pdf
Come Celebrate Earth Day with Us - Transplanting
On Saturday, April 23rd we'll be transplanting some of the seedlings to prepare them for sale and for planting. Come join us at Rath's Greenhouses in Thorndale (5101 Dundas St. East, Thorndale) from 11 -2 and learn how to transfer your own seedlings at home.
The seedlings that were planted on March 26th are coming up nicely and are ready to be transplanted into their larger pots.
So how do you know when your seedlings are ready to be transplanted? Although you may want to transplant as soon as a leaf or two has come through, it's better to wait. You need to wait until the 'true leaves' appear.
"The first set of leaves that appear when a seed germinates are called, strangely enough, 'seed leaves'. These serve to nourish the new sprout until it can photosynthesize its own food. A plant's seed leaves usually don't look much like the leaves that emerge later and are considered "true leaves." There is no need to remove the seed leaves. Once they've done their job, they'll shrivel up on their own". (www.arcamax.com/gardening/)
The picture below (polish linguisa tomato seedling) is a good example of what to look for when checking for 'true leaves'. The two smaller leaves in the middle are what you would be looking for.
If you're interested in helping us out with this task please Sarah Brooks at sarahabroo@aol.com .
Note: The London City Farm Network has a Facebook page too! Please 'like' us here to learn about upcoming events and announcements.
What to Plant and When..
New gardeners always seem to have the same questions. How do I know which seeds to start indoors? When do I start them? Which ones can I plant directly outdoors? And when?
It's important to make sure that you know when to plant what - some seeds are started indoors and then planted outside after the frost-free date (usually May 24 in Ontario), others are planted in early spring when the soil has defrosted and can be worked with, and lastly, others are planted directly from the seed once the frost-free date has passed; around the same time as the seedlings. Wouldn't it be nice to have a list to consult that would let you know which vegetables fall in which category? Ask, and ye shall receive!
Seeds to start indoors and to plant as seedlings:
Source: Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs--A bountiful, healthful garden for lean times by Jim Wilson, 2010
It's important to make sure that you know when to plant what - some seeds are started indoors and then planted outside after the frost-free date (usually May 24 in Ontario), others are planted in early spring when the soil has defrosted and can be worked with, and lastly, others are planted directly from the seed once the frost-free date has passed; around the same time as the seedlings. Wouldn't it be nice to have a list to consult that would let you know which vegetables fall in which category? Ask, and ye shall receive!
Seeds to start indoors and to plant as seedlings:
- eggplant
- peppers
- tomatoes
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- onions
- potatoes
- beets
- chard
- cilantro
- kohlrabi
- lettuce
- mustard greens
- green peas
- radishes
- spinach
- snap peas
- asian vegetables (i.e, bok choy, napa cabbage, etc..)
- carrots
- beans
- cantaloupes
- cucumber
- honeydew
- melons
- okra
- squash
- corn
- watermelons
- pumpkins
Source: Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs--A bountiful, healthful garden for lean times by Jim Wilson, 2010
Sowing Seeds in a Homemade Mini-Greenhouse
Today was the 'Come Sow with Us' event for the London City Farm Network. A few of us met up in Thorndale at Rath's Greenhouses for a 'sowing' party of sorts. Several trays of different varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, flowers, etc.. were seeded.
Once these seeds have grown into seedlings (late April-ish) we will be hosting another get-together and learning how to plant these seedlings into pots. The date and time of the event will be determined based on the size and readiness of the seedlings and will be announced accordingly.
Once the seedlings have been potted they will be made available for sale at the Covent Garden Outdoor Farmer's Market in May -- a thorough list of the seedlings on hand will be listed here on the blog.
One of the things that we learned today was how to use a clear plastic salad box to create a mini-greenhouse at home. Here are the instructions that were provided:
- Clean your salad box with dish soap
- Add soil to the bottom of the box to a depth of 1.5"
- Gradually add water to the soil and mix with your hands until you have the consistency of a piece of moist chocolate cake.
- Let sit 3 minutes and pour out any remaining water
- Cut 5 vent holes in the lid using a sharp pointed paring knife and making small X-shaped cuts
- Write on the lid or place a plant marker lying in the box to identify your seeds
- Write on the seed pack the date of your sowing
- Check your seed pack instructions
- If your seeds require light to germinate then you just sprinkle them on the surface of the soil and put the lid on to close
- If a depth is given at which your are supposed to plant your seeds, then sprinkle your seeds and cover them with 1/4-1/2" of dry soil.
- Put the lid on the box
- Place the box outside, either on a porch or balcony against the wall of the house, or inside a basement window-well. Choose either the East/West/South/North facing side of your home (in that order of preference)
- Your seeds will sprout naturally when the soil in the box is the right temperature, which will likely be be before your garden soil has reached that temperature.
- Once your seedlings start sprouting, take off the lid for the day whenever it is over 15C outside and put the lid back on at night, until they are too tall for the lid
- If the soil seems to be drying out just spray the soil with a little warm water from a spray bottle (don't soak nor leave a wet seedling in full sun)
- Once your seedlings are about 2" tall, check your seed pack to see if it is the right time/temperature to plant your seedlings directly into your garden. If it is too early, you will have to pot them up in small pots with potting soil and wait.
A special thank you goes out to the people who came out and helped us sow some seeds! If you're interested in joining us for future events or want more information about the organization please contact Sarah Brooks at sarahabroo@aol.com.
Come Sow with Us!
Come sow with us on Saturday, March 26th!!
Are you interested in gardening? Would you like to learn how to start your own plants from seed? Do you want to have your questions answered and get some handy tips - like how to use a clear plastic salad box to create a mini-greenhouse? Yes? Then come help us sow some of our tomatoes, parsley, beets and ground cherries at Rath's Greenhouses from 11am - 2pm.
Please contact Sarah Brooks at sarahabroo@aol.com for more information or to let us know if you plan to attend.
Are you interested in gardening? Would you like to learn how to start your own plants from seed? Do you want to have your questions answered and get some handy tips - like how to use a clear plastic salad box to create a mini-greenhouse? Yes? Then come help us sow some of our tomatoes, parsley, beets and ground cherries at Rath's Greenhouses from 11am - 2pm.
Please contact Sarah Brooks at sarahabroo@aol.com for more information or to let us know if you plan to attend.
Rath's Greenhouses
5101 Dundas St. East
Thorndale, Ontario
N0M 2P0
Come and meet us!
The London City Farm Network will have an inforamation table at the London Master Gardener's Seedy Saturday on March 19th, 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM @ Carling Heights Optimist Centre.
Would you like to volunteer?
We always need volunteers for various tasks from starting seeds in the greenhouses, to planting, pruning, picking and selling. You can work on the aspect that interests you most.
Please feel free to e-mail me at sarahabroo@aol.com for more information.
Please feel free to e-mail me at sarahabroo@aol.com for more information.
What We Do
*We start our own plants from seeds at Ruth's greenhouses with the help of our volunteers.
*We grow our vegetables and flowers using companion planting and other organically friendly growing methods.
*We hire local youth to help them learn about environmentally friendly cultivation of vegetables and flowers.
* We sell our produce outdoors at the Masonville Parking Lot Market on Fridays and at the Convent Garden Market during the growing season as well as some local restaurants.
* Proceeds from our sales are used to support youth employment and provide educational programs.
*We grow our vegetables and flowers using companion planting and other organically friendly growing methods.
*We hire local youth to help them learn about environmentally friendly cultivation of vegetables and flowers.
* We sell our produce outdoors at the Masonville Parking Lot Market on Fridays and at the Convent Garden Market during the growing season as well as some local restaurants.
* Proceeds from our sales are used to support youth employment and provide educational programs.
Who We Are
The LondonCityFarmNetwork is a non-profit group that seeks to encourage Londoners to eat and grow a wide variety of vegetables grown locally here in London, Ontario.
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