New link added - Cucurbit Disorders - 28 October 2004

New link added - Cucurbit Disorders

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/cucurbit/intro.html

Does your pumpkin have a problem? To find out what's noshing on your squash, click through the images on this pest management "online problem solver" for cucurbits (plants of the gourd family).

Found on the 'net: A vegetable garden plan - October 26, 2004

Apparently this information comes from the U.S. Peace Corps but the link is dead. I have seen the same details in books. Remember those.:-)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urbanwild/message/56


TABLE 1 Seeds per ounce and Germination Rates

Table 2 Spacings For Intensive Method Of Growing Plants In Beds Crop Spacings

Plating Centers Per 100 Sq. Feet

Table 3 A List Of Common Garden Vegetables With Their Companions And Antagonist

Table 4 Time Required To Raise Vegetable Seeds To Transplanting Size

Seeds To Start In Planting Beds

Seeds To Plant In Seed Beds And Transplant

Table 5 Cool Season And Warm Season Crops
[No Table - No info]

Table 6 Estimated Yields Per 25 Ft. Row

Table 7 Estimated Yields Per 100 Sq. Ft. Bed

Table 8 Row Crop Spacings

Table 9 Estimated Yields Per 1 Acre Of Intensely Planted Ground


Technorati Tags: garden, plan, seed, planting, produce, yield, urbanwild

Not posting but not unbusy - Monday, October 25, 2004

Not posting but not unbusy - Monday, October 25, 2004

Getting back online after an abscence is not esay. So much has
happened and yet nothing has changed.

I have borrowed a digital camera and that makes it easier to
document my projects, but it takes longer to process
an entry.

So in the next few days, I'll be posting updates on my garden
locations, including a new one added a few weeks ago.

A new location - October 25, 2004

Construction zones are intersting places to grow things.

In Vancouver, when a building is constructed the trees on the
boulevard must not be cut down, so they are protected







The site is guaranteed not to be disturbed for as long as
the construction is ongoing, allowing for long term growth and
observation. One of my hopes is that if it is attractive enough
when the barrier is removed, people may not disturb it

When I first saw this site it was one of four trees and it had the
most open ground before the leaves fell. I had a small prescription
vial that I had filled with White clover, red clover, crimson clover
and spread it out of the area.

This is a picture from about a week later






You can see the clover starting to sprout.

Here's a picture from yesterday - October 24, 2004







Here's another side, also from yesterday:

Road Island - Seedballs sprouting Sunday October 10, 2004 [Pics]

The seedballs that remained intact are starting to sprout!!



The difference between the seedballs sprouts and the ones that
fell apart after the first rainfall is striking. They are about four
times the size since they started inside the growing medium.

I'm convinced.



.
.

Walking beside winner of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize - October 9, 2004

Walking beside winner of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize - October 9, 2004

Sandy Gillians, writer of Pollenatrix, one of the sites on
my blogroll wrote an entry that mentioned an environmentalist
winning the Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize 2004

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the
Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 to Wangari Maathai for her
contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.

Then I started looking a bit more closely at what the Green Belt Movement does:

The Tree Planting Program (Phase 1)- Tree planting on private land (farms, schools, churches, etc)

In Phase 1 of the project (1977-1997), GBM focused on planting trees on farms with women groups as the main
implementing agency...By 1997, over 20 million trees had been
planted and survived.

The Tree Planting Program (Phase 2) - Tree planting on public
lands (parks, forests, road reserves, etc)

The stakes are much higher in Africa, but still it is a great
feeling 'cause I'm doing that too!!

My first seedballs ready - October 2, 2004 and updates [Pics]

Update: October 10, 2004 - New entry with pics. Seedballs sprouting!!

Update: October 6, 2004 - rained a few days ago. Many of the
smaller seedballs have disintegrated. I can see the clay debris
and the seeds open on the ground. The larger ones are intact.
Next time, I will make sure they are more compacted before
considering them done.

Update: October 3, 2004 - put the seed balls on the road island. Using the guideline of ten balls per meter I covered about three meters on each side. It is a long road island. So, I am probably going to need about 200 - 300 seedballs to cover it all.

===

I found a potter on Granville Island who sold me some red clay and a few days ago I made them. He said it was a brand/type called Redart

I used the instructions on the Path to Freedom page [that's their picture too - not direct linked!!], because they used measured quanities, 1 1/4 Cup clay 3/4 Cup compost, 1/4 Cup seeds.

There is a road island

that I found on my way to work and a few weeks ago, the city cut the weeds that were growing in the cracks. I figure if the "weeds" are pretty enough, they may not cut them as often.

I used the seeds I received from Cristina [see Wish List] and made a mixture of

Wildflowers [shade tolerant]
California Poppies
Mint
Red Clover
Crimson Clover

It all went very well. I made the mixture and sprayed it with water until it started sticking together. In the end, I had a ball about the size of a large apple - about 4-5 inches round.

The balls I made are a bit smaller than what was recommended, since I knew that they were going into a crack in the pavement. so while the recipe suggests I should get 40 - 50, I probably have around 70 - 80.

The smaller ones break under the pressure of my fingers giving them a tight squeeze. I'm not sure if it has to do with the size
or that I didn't compress them enough.

The weather outside is sunny so I put them outside to dry and
realized that I could do that just as easily on top of my 'fridge when the weather is not so good.

I'll "plant" them on Sunday.

See also Replanting Stanley Park with Seed Balls July 18, 2004

......

New blog added - Netivat Sofrut - a woman writing a Torah - September 24, 2004

Aviel Barclay

Soferet
http://soferet.blogspot.com

Not updated on a regular basis, but an impressive journey nonetheless.

"For the first time that anyone knows, a synagogue has commissioned a woman
to write a sefer Torah (Bible scroll). The synagogue is Kadima in Seattle,
Wash., and the woman is Vancouver resident Aviel Barclay. To the best of her
knowledge, Barclay will be the first woman to be certified in this ancient
Jewish vocation.

At this moment, Barclay has yet to start the actual writing of the sefer
Torah. In fact, she is in Israel now, completing her process of becoming a
certified soferet (female scribe). She began her training five years ago but
her interest in sofrut started long before that."

http://www.jewishbulletin.ca/archives/Aug03/archives03Aug22-01.html

On the dark side of the 'net [beheading in Iraq] - September 24, 2004

[Fair Notice - No image, but graphic description of Eugene Armstrong's death in Iraq below.]



I interupt this gardening blog with news from a different reality:

We all live on a very narrow bridge. But the main thing to recall is not to fear at all.
-Rabbi Nachman

I started reading the news that appears on my Blogroll again.
Big mistake.

I found access to the video [link at end of this entry] of Eugene Armstrong's beheading at the hands of Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi's Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad. I watched it.
Bigger mistake.

To see this man, who is someone's father, brother, son,
cousin, uncle, friend and colleague being killed, struggling to
his last breath is horrifying. [At its worst, he was squealing like
a pig; his final breath sounded as if a horse snorted - once]
Then, to see his head being separated from his body and
placed on top of it is beyond words.
I didn't sleep the rest of the night.

Later, I realized again why I started my gardening projects. It
gives me the opportunity to create beauty and provide
sustenance in a world that is, at times, inhospitable.

May TheOne, Who is everywhere, comfort his family amongst the other mourners of those everywhere who experience the
loss of a loved one.

The day is short, the task is great...It is not incumbent upon
you to finish the task. Yet, you are not free to desist from it.
-Pirkei Avot Ch 2, v20, 21

http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/Hostages.asp

I now return you to my regular blogging about gardening [maybe].

Again! Vandalism at Science World - September 21, 2004

Again! Vandalism at Science World

The ground was dug up, coffee bags were exposed, the tansy uprooted, the bamboo "fence" was torn down.

It was a mess. As always, I feel sad for people who can only destroy what is supposed to be beautiful. [3p]

Surprisingly, the Corn Salad is still sprouting almost undisturbed. They missed the main rows.
Cleaned it up as best I could.

No matter; I'm going to put clover seeds on it tomorrow [September 23] and hope for the best.

If they take hold, I'll plant my veggies among them in the spring.

[September 23: In the end I could not put the seeds on the plot. I went to another triangle
of land a few meters south and threw them [Red clover, white dutch clover and
crimson clover] over a 2m sq area. [p]

Getting rid of bindweed [Morning Glory] September 17, 2004

Getting rid of bindweed [Morning Glory]

Update: September 23, 2004

Well, I think it is working, slowly in some spots, faster in others.

I may have to play with the formula a bit.

To get rid of it,

http://www.bcbiodiversity.homestead.com/noxiousweeds.html
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/bindweed.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Convolvulus+arvensis

I'm trying this:

"You will get suggestions that involve a ton of work and you may have to
resort to that, but what I would suggest trying first is a "trick" with
roundup. Take a container like say a plastic milk jug, fill it half way with
a strong dilution of round up concentrate and dig a hole in the ground to
set the container (so it doesn't tip over and kill your pumpkins). Grab a
piece of bindweed, but don't rip it out of the ground, put the end into the
milk jug so part of it is submerged in the roundup. Secure the weed to the
jug so it can't get out and leave it sit until the weed is dead.

"The problem with bind weed is it's extensive root system and ability to
regrow from any root left alive. Using roundup via normal applications often
isn't sufficient to kill the entire root system which is why I recommend
soaking the plant in it until it dies completely.... one Garden Webber
reported doing this and seeing bindweed dying on several lots which would
indicate one weed with an incredibly massive root system."
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/weeds/msg0506291210419.html

I have four containers set up around the garden and will report on the
progress.

There is a bug that may solve the problem

http://www.ag.state.co.us/DPI/insectary/BOM-Am.html


Scientific Name: Aceria malherbae
Common Name: Bindweed gall mite
Type of Agent: Mite (Acari:Eriophyidae)

A website in BC refers to the same creature as

Aceria convolvuli

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/range/manual/ch11%2Dapp%2D06.htm

Current links list - September 11, 2004

Current links list - September 11, 2004

**For current links, see Blogrolling list in the right column or here**

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urbanwild/links



BC Biodeversity

An excellent site explaining the plants, animals and their habitat in
British Columbia. Also includes uses.

http://www.bcbiodiversity.homestead.com/



BikeBox Trailers

A growing and innovative manufacturer located in Vancouver, British
Columbia, BikeBox began as the simple "stuff transportation" solution for
cyclists. Built around the philosophy that "small is beautiful", and a
commitment to "doing more with less" Andy Hunter started the company with
the desire to make off-the-shelf trailers that don't cost an arm and a leg.

http://bikebox.ca/index.html



Blog: AA UrbanWild's bloglines list

Mine, obviously

http://www.bloglines.com/public/urbanwild



Blog: ColdClimateGardening bloglines feed
Yet another

http://www.bloglines.com/public/ColdClimateGardening



Blog: ColdClimateGardening newsfeed list
Gardening Weblogs with XML/RSS feeds

http://server.com/WebApps/NewsApp/news-read.cgi?id=1172



Blog: List from ColdClimateGardening
"These are all the gardening blogs I know about that are being regularly
updated."

http://www.coldclimategardening.com/links/index.html#weblogs



Blog: List from The Providence Journal, RI I've been added [September 3,
2004]

http://www.projo.com/cgi-bin/include.pl/blogs/shenews/gardenblogs.htm



Center for Invasive Plant Management (CIPM) Noxious Weed List - June 2004

Under the British Columbia Weed Control Act, the following weeds are
classified as noxious within all regions of the province. The BC Weed
Control Act imposes a duty on all land-occupiers to control designated
noxious plan

Science World redo - Monday, September 6, 2004

Science World redo - Monday, September 6, 2004

I decided it was time to start from scratch at the
Science World location.

I loaded up my cart and went down to the site.
On the way, I picked up some cardboard in one
of the alleys.

[p] Once there, I shovelled the soil [p] onto one of
the pieces cardboard and used Roundup [ugh!]
along the edges of the bed to remove the wild clover.
I put cardboard on the ground and cut it to fit [p].
Where there were gaps, I used foil coffee bags from
Starbucks [p]. Slowly, I put the soil back on the
cardboard and filled the bed back in keeping the soil
evenly spread. Smaller pieces of cardboard were also
used to fill in any open spaces

While putting the soil back, I removed any weeds and
moss found in the soil and added 18L of topsoil to the
orginal mix [p].

After the soil was back on the bed, I took another piece
of cardboard and compacted the soil by kneeling on it.[p]
Finally, I put a bamboo stick at the small and ran some
green garden twine to a nail in the telephone poll and back,
so the strings were at different heights. To the string, I
added orange flagging tape.[p] With luck, this will deter
people from running over the garden. Of course on the
other side of the coin, it draws attention to the garden itself.

I decided that the winter garden would be vegetable,
so I planted Corn Salad again this time in three rows
instead of broadcasting them like I did at the Car Barn.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urbanwild/message/32

The seeds in the north row [closest to the road] are
unevenly spaced in the row as the seeds spilled
and I had to collect them off the ground and mixed
them with some gravel.

Spoke with about ten people who stopped by -
refered them to the diary site where possible by
asking them to Google urbanwild

Watered it all with 8L of water and took lots of PICs [p].

The Zen of gardening - a nice dry day, not to hot, not in a rush.
Arrived at 930am - left at Noon.

Scavenging compostable materials - Friday, September 3, 2004

Starbucks gives away their coffee grounds.

People cut their grass and put in bags in the back lanes.

Smaller grocery stores will give you their produce that
they throw out. Some of it does go back into a compost

pile to nourish more plants.

In the fall people have to many apples and pears than
they can eat. They bag them and leave them to rot.
That is sad waste.

An alternative is the Fruit Tree Project: "The Fruit Tree Project connects people who have fruit trees, people who can help harvest fruit, and community groups that use fruit in their programs."

Seeds - Thank you!! - August 29, 2004

From: A. A. Pasternak
To: Cristina
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - Thank you!!

Cristina,

Wow! Thanks.

Getting the box of seeds was worth the wait. Really.

I left a bit later than I would have liked to, and the timing was perfect -
and as you probably know [or will soon enough] - Chris was already there.
Seeing the first Starbuck's near the Liquor Store was a bit of a surprise,
but a kid at the bus stop was able to tell me how to get to the London Drugs
side.

You have a public Thank You on my Wish List page - the second link.

Best wishes,

Al

P.S. - I will be interested in that second box when its ready.

----- Original Message -----
From: Cristina
To: A. A. Pasternak
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - Sunday

Hi Al,
Chris's cell phone # is 604-###-#### I would assume he will be drinking
coffee and possibly smoking, if he has a large box you will be able to spot
him. If not he has a silver Pathfinder and has dark hair (buzz cut) about
30 years old. If it helps I did take the Skytrain form his house to
downtown a while ago and it took me about 45 mins to get from Brentwood to
Granville Street, mind you it was mid day and fairly busy.
Cristina

A. A. Pasternak wrote:

Cristina,

When I'm on my bicycle, I can estimate the time it will take me to get
there.

8:45am at Starbucks is OK

Does Chris have a cell-phone number that I can call if I am delayed - I'll
only use it on Sunday

Or your number, so you can act as a message center, in the event of
disaster.:-)

Thanks,

Al

----- Original Message -----
From: Cristina
To: A. A. Pasternak
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2004 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - Burnaby

Hi Al,
Chris gets off work at 8 am and has to stay until about 8:15 (works in North
Van) so he says he can meet you at the Starbucks by London Drugs at the
upper level on Sunday, Aug. 29th at 8:45 am. Would this be ok with you?
Actually the Skytrain goes right to Brentwood Mall so you could take that if
you wanted instead of biking, it seems like such a long way!!!
Cristina

A. A. Pasternak wrote:

Cristina,

Thanks for letting me know the current situation

Now that it is all in one box, I think I would be able to fit it in the bike
trailer that I have. So, I can be in the Brtentwood Mall area on Sunday
morning - 8:00AM is okay - or whatever time works best for Chris.

Please call me or have him call me at 604.###-####

Thanks for this and Yours Truly,

Al

----- Original Message -----
From: Cristina
To: A. A. Pasternak
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - Burnaby

Hi Al,
Actually he still had the boxes in his truck so yesterday I sorted through,
organized everything and I got everything into one box, so that makes things
easier. I actually will have another box as soon as I plant some things as
figure out my extras so I will have another box extra next spring. The
problem with Chris is his schedule, he works all night and sleeps all day.
He basically goes to work then comes home so he doesn't go downtown. He
works 10 pm to 8 am. Sleeps until 5 pm. As I mentioned it makes things
really difficult. I actually was hoping to be out next week but I won't
know until the weekend. I'll let you know. In the meantime if you know
anyone who is going to Brentwood let me know.
Cristina

A. A. Pasternak wrote:

Cristina,

Thanks for letting me know the situation. Since your boyfriend is closer to
me in Burnaby, it can make things easier.

Your boyfriend has a car, right? [ - you were going to bring the boxes to my
[old] office in Gastown.] Maybe we [he and I] can arrange for delivery /
transfer of the boxes sooner and then I could meet up with both of you when
you are next in Vancouver.

I also have colleagues with cars [and some with pickup trucks] and a trip
out to Brentwood Mall is not a difficult task.

We can make this work.:-) How many boxes are there?

Yours Truly,

Al Pasternak
604.###-####

----- Original Message -----
From: Cristina
To: A. A. Pasternak
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - Checking in

Hi Al,
Sorry I am slow to get back to you. Figuring out when he will be home, etc.
is difficult. He has been out here this week and is leaving for home
tomorrow. He lives not far from Brentwood Mall in Burnaby. The problem is
that he works graveyards from 10pm - 8 am and sleeps the majority of the
day. He lives on a busy street in a basement suite and can't just leave the
seeds outside as most likely someone would take them. He also finds out his
schedule on Fridays so I have no I idea what next weeks hold for him. So I
will get back to you as soon as I can figure out when I will be out in
Vancouver next or let me know if you will be around the Burnaby, Brentwood
Mall location.
Cristina

A. A. Pasternak wrote:

Hi Cristina,

I'm still interested in your flower seeds.

Planning a visit to the PNE between August 21 and Labour Day?:-)

I might be going out to Delta this coming Saturday morning. Once there
it isn't that much further to find my way to your boyfriend's house.

Yours Truly,

Al Pasternak
604.###-####

----- Original Message -----
From: Cristina
To: A. A. Pasternak
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 2:19 PM
Subject: Re: Seeds - delivery

Hello,
I was thinking I doubt there will be any volunteers for the pick up and
since my boyfriend is out here now I thought I should send the seeds home
with my boyfriend today and when I am next out we could meet you somewhere
convenient. I must say that I don't think the boxes could be carried by
yourself alone so we will have to figure something out. We as I mentioned
usually go downtown and so Gastown is on the way. Would it be a problem to
meet you somewhere in that area? If you take transit I would think you
could only carry 1 box at a time so could you leave the boxes at work?
Cristina

Solution - Thursday, August 26, 2004

That email yesterday from Mr. Laird was a bit harsh in its tone.

I remember that Mr. Laird is often cutting the Horsetail weed that grows in the garden bed, so today I went by and removed every single sprout I could find. Even when I thought I had found them all, I found more.

was a bit harsh in its tone.

I remember that Mr. Laird is often cutting the Horsetail weed that grows in the garden bed, so today I went by and removed every single sprout I could find. Even when I thought I had found them all, I found more.

Powered By Qumana

Well, I got a response. - August 25, 2004

Mr. Laird replied to my email of the other day

He was very clear and to the point:

"You will NOT touch the bachelor button (blue) plante! If you do I will remove ALL of your plantes!

I don't like Oregon Grapes so don't plante any."

My reply:

"Dear Mr. Laird,

Thank you for responding. If I didn't ask, I wouldn't know.

Okay, no Oregon Grape. So a Rosemary bush where the
dead tree is now?

See you on the weekend."

I think he has different ideas than I about what beautification means.

When I started he seemed ambivalent about me doing this.

Now that he sees what is happening/changing, he might be wanting to keep control.

That's understandable, so a fine balance needs to be maintained.

After a weekend of rain - Monday, August 23, 2004

After a weekend of rain - Monday, August 23, 2004

Everything at the Car Barn seemed to be doing well. Someone moved the
west J-choke closer to the center of the garden. I wrote an email to Dale
Laird to say hello, thanks, ask why and tell him of what might be happening
next:

"My other plans include removing the blue plant and replacing it with a Day Lily and replacing the dead tree with a Rosemary bush. Both these plants are hardy and drought tolerant. An Oregon Grape is another alternative plant that I am considering putting where the dead tree is.

"Please respond if you have any concerns about my activities."

I planted Corn Salad in the open space on the east side near the
Rock Rose. I broadcast the seeds, so I'll see what happens.

I also added some regular Chives along the front beside the Garlic Chives

The Science World site was trashed again with a tire track. I was so
frustrated I didn't even bother to fix it. I'm thinking its time to give up
and plant clover instead.

A perfect circle - Sunday, August 22, 2004

A perfect circle - Sunday, August 22, 2004

Stopping for a moment on my ride home I looked to my right and down. I saw a
hole that went below the ground in a stand of Oregon Grape. It was a
perfect hole, fresh and I thought it would be the perfect entrance for a
mouse. A few seconds after seeing this I see a wasp crawl up from inside the
hole, take off and fly away. Then another. Two wasps fly down and enter the
hole. More come out, go in in an endless cycle.

Looking more deeply, I see that the foliage along their flight path has
formed a circle around the hive entrance - not at ground level, but 10 -
15cm off the ground at an angle. It is so perfect I think they might have
cut it that way.

Vancouver Freecycle - wanted and offers completed - Sunday, August 22, 2004

Vancouver Freecycle - wanted and offers completed - Sunday, August 22, 2004


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vancouverfreecycle

Sharmeen picked up my double size futon, frame, couch bed frame and foam
mattress today. I still have the boxspring so I will put it out on the list
again in two weeks or so.

Cheri has some perennial plants that she wanted to be rid of so I went down
there and picked up a whole bunch of daylilies as well as
lavender mint ["put it in a container right away!"]
and marjoram.

She lives in New Westminster and I cycled down on the Skytrain Bikeway with
my kid cart. I left Cambie & 18th at 12:40pm and arrived around 2:00pm. On
my way back I discovered a 20 foot/7 meter!! patch of landscaped Rosemary bushes. Also on my way back I heard crickets in the city.

Non-garden adventure: Was sitting outside of Flying Wedge Pizza when a
confrontation began outside of Choices as the staff accused a young man of
stealing steaks. He denied it, said he put it back and refused to lift his
shirt. They wrestled him to the ground - that took a long time - and called
the police. He had 3 salmon filets in his waistband and three more in his
pockets.