November 2013

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THE OGDEN BEET An e-newsletter produced by and for the Allen J. Ogden Community Gardeners

REPORT TO THE OGDENERS

Some of you may remember when George used to email the Weekly Beet to the gardeners. Well, it’s back with some changes. Ron and Vicki Sullivan have offered to resume The Beet. The Club will continue to publish Sand ‘n’ Seeds and we’ll continue to receive that with its news of the club activities. So with no further ado, please welcome the reintroduced The Ogden Beet, an e-newsletter produced by and for the Allen J. Ogden community gardeners. Why are we doing this? We’ll provide updates to you about current

happenings in the Ogden Garden (Report to the Ogdeners)

Lorna will give background information about gardening (In Your Plot)

Updates on equipment are important (Inside the Shed)

We’ll keep track of who works each plot (Who’s in the Garden?)

Are there plots available? (Plots Available) Our new gardeners often need guidance on what

to plant and when (Tis the Season to Plant) Ron will continue his popular interviews with

gardeners (Hands in the Dirt) As gardeners we’re always on the hunt for

resources (Resources) The club’s history provides an informative look at

where we’ve come from (Root Stock)

Future regular sections could include Tips and tricks Let’s eat: Recipes Let’s celebrate: Birthdays & Anniversaries Let’s just have fun: Puzzles and cartoons related to

gardening

As you can see, it will truly be “by and for the Allen J. Ogden Community Gardeners”. If you have email, you’ll receive it. We would love it if you submit your story ideas, recipes, tips, questions, photographs, whatever you think might be of interest to your fellow Ogden gardeners. Send your contributions to George at 123gstone@gmail.com, Joanne at pat.joanne@live.com, or to Ron & Vicki at ron.vicki.sullivan@gmail.com. Enjoy the first issue of The Ogden Beet.

See you in the garden, George Stone and Joanne Atkisson

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

REPORT TO THE OGDENERS ........................................................................ 1

OLLI-UA TOUR GARDENS ......................................................................... 2

INSIDE THE SHED ..................................................................................... 2

IN YOUR PLOT ........................................................................................ 2

TIS THE SEASON TO PLANT ......................................................................... 3

WHO’S IN THE GARDEN? .......................................................................... 3

PLOTS AVAILABLE .................................................................................... 3

LET’S EAT .............................................................................................. 4

RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 4

HANDS IN THE SOIL: HARRY MARCH ............................................................ 5

HANDS IN THE SOIL: LORNA MITCHELL ......................................................... 6

GVG FALL ACTIVITIES ............................................................................... 7

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OLLI-UA TOUR GARDENS

On Friday October 18, Ron and Vicki Sullivan hosted an OLLI-UA Green Valley class that they called “Garden Hopping”. Nine class members visited the Arid Garden. Mary Kidnocker provided a tour and answered questions. Then the garden hoppers drove to the Ogden Garden where they were provided with the customary Ogden Garden hospitality provided by George and Joanne and table decorations by Kathy Stone.

INSIDE THE SHED

When using the equipment in the garden, there are going to be equipment failures. No reflection on you. It just happens. What should you do? Call George Stone on his cell phone at (520) 343-9690. He will arrange for maintenance.

IN YOUR PLOT By Lorna Mitchell

Q: Should I amend my soil? If so, how and when?

A: Our desert soil has a significant amount of clay

but it does drain well. That means we have rather alkaline pH, plenty of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, but almost no organic matter or nitrogen. Adding organic matter in the form of composted steer manure improves water retention, supplies plant nutrients, and feeds soil organisms. Peat and forest mulch improve aeration but don’t offer nutrients. Composted vegetation is ideal. All these need to be spaded into the root zone of the plants. The best time to do this is every time you shovel!

Q: Should I put wood ashes on my plot?

A: Wood ashes supply the plant nutrient, potash,

and are strongly alkaline which will “sweeten” an acid soil (like back East). We have desert soils, which naturally have enough potash and are already too alkaline. So, NO, don’t put ashes on your plot.

Try something new with sweet potatoes

Before those vines freeze, take cuttings. Better yet, use the vines that have rooted and make them an indoor plant. The vines will grow all over the room cheering up the winter.

Next April take slips to root. By May you will have plants ready to put outside. Plan ahead and get an early start.

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TIS THE SEASON TO PLANT

Average first frost: November 5 Average last frost: April 19 (From Tucson Organic Gardeners, www.tucsonorganicgardeners.org)

Fall (September 1 – November 15) Arugula; Beet; Bok Choy; Broccoli; Brussels Sprouts; Cabbage; Carrot; Cauliflower; Celery; Chia; Chicory; Chinese Cabbage; Cilantro; Collards; Corn Salad; Escarole; Favas; Garbanzo; Garlic; Kale; Kohlrabi; Leek; Lentils: Head Lettuce; Mustard; Parsley; Parsnip; Peas; Radish; Rhubarb; Rutabaga; Spinach; Swiss Chard; Turnip; Spring Wheat October 15 – November 15 Set out transplants of Broccoli; Cabbage; Chinese Cabbage; Cauliflower, Celery, Parsley Onions: Daylight Sensitive onions (September 1 – October 15); Green Bunch Onions (August 15 – February 1); Onion Bulbs, Onion in dry seed (October 15 – January 1); Onion in dry sets (November 1 – February 15) October 15 – November 15 Beets; Carrots; Leaf Lettuce; Mustard Greens; Peas; Radish; Turnip; Irish Seed Potatoes planted now and harvested before the heat in May

WHO’S IN THE GARDEN?

Our newest Ogdeners include Chuck and Dana Parsons, who took plot 11B. Plot # Ogdener North 10’x40’ plots

1 vacant 2 Phil Anderson 3 Jack Retzer 4 Tom Curley 5 Russ Smith 6 Steve Teichner 7 Gene & Alice Keene 8 Gene & Alice Keene 9 George Mathes 10 Mark, Pam, Trinity & Riley Sulger 11 Chuck & Dana Parsons 12 Fred & Lorna Mitchell 13 Elise & Vienna Schloeder 14 Ann Waisman and Kathy Broussard 15 Mike, Parissa, Amelia & James Icely 16 Jeff Karnes 17 Ron & Vicki Sullivan 18 Kim Skomars 19 George & Kathy Stone and Bill & Susan

Voorhees 20 Peter & Betty Lee and Larry Warnick 21 vacant Hummingbird Café raised beds A Hal Tokuyama B Dennis & Carol Allen C Patric & Joanne Atkisson

PLOTS AVAILABLE

Do you know somebody who wants to learn more about getting a plot? Do you know somebody who wants to just be a helper? Contact your garden managers. George at 123gstone@gmail.com Joanne at pat.joanne@live.com

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LET’S EAT

On November 10th our gardeners plan on holding their annual get-together. This is a great time for those that are new to the community garden to come out and meet the rest of the family. We have had some serious cook-outs before, like our 2012 pig roast (pictured above) where 58 people came. This year’s event will not be that elaborate. However, we still plan on having a great time with old fashioned hamburger and dogs. Won't you join us? Put November 10th at 2:00 pm on your calendar. Remember, you CAN tape that game if you want to.

RESOURCES

Many Ogdeners make regular trips to local food banks to deliver surplus fresh vegetables.

Amado Community Food Bank, 28720 South Nogales Hwy / Amado, AZ 85645, (520) 398-2942

Green Valley-Sahuarita Community Food Bank, 250 E. Continental / Green Valley, AZ 85614, (520) 625-5252. Donations accepted Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Nogales Community Food Bank, 2636 N. Donna Ave. / Nogales, AZ 85621, (520) 281-2790

Sahuarita Food Bank – Good Shepherd Church, 17750 La Canada, Sahuarita, AZ 85629. Client Hours: Thursday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to noon, Donations are accepted: Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays 9 to 10 a.m. and Sunday mornings

ROOT STOCK

Root Stock is taken from a compilation

of the club’s history written by George Gries and updated by Ken Bichl.

1985: Ned Netherton served effectively as President. John Locke served as Editor. Because of decreasing attendance at the monthly meetings of the Club, a decision was made to combine the membership meetings with one of the seminars each month. Unfortunately attendance did not show great improvement. Highlights of the year included a Flower Judging course offered in Green Valley by Dr. Ray Allen of the Tucson Club, the taking of the Master Gardener’s Course by approximately 20 members of the Club, an increased level of activity at the Los Ninos del Valle preschool, the landscaping of the Rectory/Office Building at Our lady of the Valley Catholic Church which made its facilities available for the weekly seminars and the signing of an agreement with Fairfield for use of an area adjacent to Desert Hills I for the development of an Arid Land Plant Garden. Awards and Recognitions: Larry Jaskoviak was elected third Vice President of MGCA. Allen Ogden was appointed to the National Strategic Planning Committee. Locally, Olie Ohman and Harry and Anne Frye received the Bronze Award and Alan Young the Arizona Award. Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to Liz Betz, Howard Klopf and Walter Hinz. Neil Johnson, Ade and Joy Abbott and the Greenbelt Nursery received Certificates of Honor. Neil Johnson was named an Honorary Life Member of the club.

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HANDS IN THE SOIL: HARRY MARCH

Gardener, Rancher, Artist, Sailor,

& GVG Supporter By Ron and Vicki Sullivan

Who is Harry March? Is he a businessman, artist, Green Valley Gardener, or sailor who cruises up and down the Mexican coastline? Actually, he is all of these. He and Ellen March are also members of the Green Valley Gardeners, who recently donated $500 of gift certificates to the Club to be used as a fund raiser. His love of indigenous people’s crafts was inspiration for his own sculptural pieces. His use of traditional techniques and materials coupled with a love of southwestern American imagery makes for a unique and delightful perspective. While living aboard his 36 foot Islander sail boat, he journeyed into the Mexican state of Nayarit where he purchased arts and crafts from Tarahumara, Mayo, Seri, and Huichol peoples. He learned the delicate Huichol art form of bead work using bee’s wax, pine pitch, beads, and yarn. During dry land treks to the villages, his inland modes of transportation were by bus and an old Chevrolet Suburban.

As a rancher in southeastern Pima County during the 1980s, he and Ellen owned a spread near Arivaca Road. “During our ranching years, we raised wild flowers for seed production, raised cattle, and grew chilis and mini pumpkins for fall festivals. We had a

greenhouse and sold poinsettia trees to a Tucson client who did fund raisers during the Christmas season. “

His passion for gardening never diminished. “When I owned the Tubac Market, we had a greenhouse and grew orchids and succulents. We also grew tulips, daffodils, and sweet peas. We used fencing for the sweet peas. We designed and built a mud adobe house in Tubac. Ellen, two friends, and I did all of the construction. We lived in a mobile home out on the ranch when we were building the adobe home.”

“After 20 years in Tubac, we moved to Green Valley. For the past few years we have owned and operated two businesses.” Both businesses reflected his love for indigenous arts and crafts and gardening. The former, Native Hands in the Green Valley Village, carried a wide variety of North American arts and crafts, including Huichol bead work and Mata Ortiz pottery.

After leaving the Green Valley Village shop, he relocated around the corner on La Canada opening Native Gardens of Green Valley. Native Gardens is a plant nursery specializing in locally grown, drought-tolerant perennials that will do well in the area. They also carry winter and summer annuals, cactus, natural gifts, clay and talavera pottery, wild bird and handmade items from around the world.

Alex Shipley, a partner with Civano Nursery, described Harry as a “Man for all seasons. He is a real Renaissance kind of guy who enjoys having fun in life and making a difference for others who enjoy his passions.”

All the Native Gardens gift certificates were sold and the proceeds will be directed to the new Desert Meadows Park project.

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HANDS IN THE SOIL: LORNA MITCHELL

It’s All About the Harvest

By Ron and Vicki Sullivan

Lorna Mitchell and George Stone

Lorna Mitchell’s gardening philosophy is straightforward. “I like to grow as much as I can. I want to be as efficient as I can and get as much out of the water that I put in the ground. I’m always growing more than what we can eat, preserving it for later when it’s not available.” She spent her early years with her parents on a peach ranch in Grand Junction, Colorado, learning that philosophy. Her gardening experiences came a few years later. “When I was ten years old, I spent a summer with my grandmother. She gardened, canned, and raised chickens. I came home that summer and tried to plant a garden. I was living in Gunnison and realized that it would freeze just about every night all summer long. Nothing came up. Even back then I was trying. I wanted to grow a garden. It was something in my early childhood that has always been a part of me.” After moving to Tucson and completing high school Lorna enrolled in UA. “When I got to college, I

knew I wanted to go into the sciences. I started studying horticulture and said, ‘Eureka - I found it’. I think I probably took every course they offered. I also studied greenhouse management, nursery, fruit and vegetable production. I tried it all.” During the practicums she learned by doing on UA’s farm on Campbell Road. “We drove the machinery and plowed the fields. Out on the Marana farm I drove combines and harvesters and grew sorghum. I loved it.” Canning was a family skill Lorna learned very early. “My father’s mother was a canner. She taught my mother how to can when we were living on the peach ranch. When I had my own garden, we produced a lot more tomatoes than we could eat. I would can the tomatoes we didn’t consume. Instead of canning straight tomatoes, I would make sauces. I made spaghetti sauce, salsa, and chile tomatoes. I canned all of the sauces. They would be ready to eat by just dumping them out of the jar. Back in those days I had a pressure canner. I just recently got rid of it when we moved to Green Valley. I didn’t think I was going to be gardening. I canned almost everything we grew. Life is always filled with pleasant surprises!” Lorna and her husband Fred became members of the Ogden Community Garden in late 2012. They have applied all their gardening skills to their 10 by 40 foot garden plot. Fred commented, “Since taking responsibility for the garden plot, we are producing much more per square foot than ever before.” For the fall planting Lorna ordered seeds and planted them at home. “I did it at the house so I could monitor their progress and baby them along. I started the germinating process 6 to 8 weeks ahead of when I wanted to plant them in the garden. They’re doing pretty well. It’s what I love to do!”

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GVG FALL ACTIVITIES

November 7 Seminar

Robert Vaughn Pima County Natural Resources, Parks &

Recreation

Restoration of the Historic Canoa Ranch and Gardens

Desert Hills 9:30 to 10:30 am

November 9 Pecan Festival

Educational Booth Shared with Master

Gardeners Sahuarita Pecan Festival Pecan Factory

November 14 Seminar

Greg Doherty Bartlett Tree

Trees for the area and winter care

Desert Hills 9:30 to 10:30 am

November 23 Member Activity

Scott Calhoun Zona Gardens Author

Annual Member Luncheon Desert Diamond Casino

All seminars are open to the public and free of charge.

Pima County Master Gardeners are always on hand to answer questions, identify plants,

and offer solutions to your gardening problems.

Community Gardeners have

The Ogden Beet