November garden photos

Have you walked by Central Library’s AFAC vegetable garden recently, and thought, “I wonder what’s going on now?” The answer is, a lot!

During November Don Weber (our volunteer from USDA) got the last of the summer crops harvested. All of the bamboo has been removed, and will turned into wood mulch, and the irrigation equipment has been stored for the winter.

Don and Puwen Lee (of AFAC) have also cleared and seeded the main garden with a cover crop of crimson clover and triticale (wheat x rye hybrid), and planted garlic near the kale. Remaining herbs include sage, oregano, thyme, a beleaguered rosemary, chives, and garlic chives. Some of the thai basil has also been left in the garden, as an index of whether frost has finally arrived to our fairly warm location. They also seeded a variety of cover crops on the strip between the parking lot and the tennis courts. It is a bit late in the year, but as the weather has continued to be warm, there is a chance for decent growth. Cover crops enrich the soil by adding organic matter and capturing nutrients which might otherwise be lost to erosion or groundwater, and adding nitrogen in the case of legumes like clover. Watch for labels arriving soon, identifying the cover crops.

Starting in February and March, watch for public workshops on seed-starting and cold frames. The garden will get an early start with cold-hardy plantings such as peas in March, and seedlings such as broccoli and bok choy in April. All this, and the garden won’t even be a year old by then!