First Donations Planted

We had our first donation of plants, today -- a whole cartful!  Marta and I gave our donor, Ann,  a tour of all the Beaver Barracks' gardens and enjoyed an iced tea, together. 

Since the plants arrived at noon on the hottest day of the summer, we waited until 5 pm to put them in the ground.   We decided to plant only where we could work in the shade, which meant that the compost "field" got planted.   There is a plantain path behind the planters, in front of the composter, and to the composter.  The rest is mainly wild violets!

Compost Field

The Wilderness

We had some plants left.  The plantain path behind the planters in the wilderness behind plots 6-9 was started, with a voilet patch and some oregano in the rest.  

I drew out a keyhole pattern in the wilderness that stretches around the roof anchor, figuring that maintenance should have easy access to it.  The keyhole itself will be a plantain patch;  it will also be much easier to tend to the plants around it.

Sharing Economy!

How amazing Ottawa is when it comes to green projects!  

We weeded the roof. 

Weeded Wilderness Behind the Communal Plot

We did research on plant selection and came up with a vision. 

We contacted gardening groups where we knew there were Transition Ottawa members -- and people who think like them.  

And now we are organizing road trips to actually get the plants -- for free!  We even have a donation of red wiggler worms for the compost!

Watch us transform this unkempt roof into an oasis for the pollinators and residents while being safe for the roof structure!

Compost Corner in Need of Trampable Plants!

Evelyn's Native Plants -- which has inspired us to make the whole darned thing native plants!

Succession Planting

Mother Nature really knows how to optimize the growing season.  Some plants start poking through even before the snow melts.  Others love to start off in the cold and die back in the heat.  Then, there is a whole new crop of plants starting off mid-summer and growing right through the fall.  Some plants even love the early frost. 

The most common myth about gardening is that we plant on the 24th of May and put the garden to bed on Labour Day.  By doing this, we miss out on about four months of growing and harvesting!  Succession planting -- sowing seeds every couple of weeks from April to September -- follows Mother Nature's example and allows us to increase the amount of food we get from our little gardens. 

Lettuce, a cold-weather crop, gets bitter once the heat of the summer hits.  It is July 7th, today and I just pulled out and composted the last of the lettuce.  It was a good run.  We had salad every day for six weeks without making trips to the grocery store or the farmer's market.  

Now, I am planting new crops.  Basil, for one.  The first basil plants started flowering, so I yanked them out, harvested the leaves, and composted the rest.  

To get ideas on what and when to plant, check out the links below.


Canadian Organic Gardeners

Johnny Seeds

Food Share

Rennee's Garden

Roots and Roofs

Having done the research on root depth and rooftops, it seems that a root depth has to be four inches or less in order to protect the rooftop membrane. 

I would love to have a temper tantrum and stomp my feet in protest, but alas, that wouldn't change the fact that two of my favourite plants have to go. 

Sunflower roots can potentially go from 2-9 feet.  I hope to transplant the volunteers we have growing on the roof to a ground level spot.   

Rhubarb roots can also go to 10 feet.   I plan on experimenting with putting the rhubarb in a container and seeing if it flourishes and even lasts through the harsh, Ottawa winter.  I am also scouting out some space on the ground.

Cucumber Beetles

I found one on a cucumber flower on my balcony!  I squished in and looked for more.

Cucumber Beetle.  There are also spotted ones with the same colours.  Striped beetles are more common in Ottawa. 

The good news:  There was only one.

The bad news:  There is no magic potion to organically get rid of them.

All insects have life cycles.  The adult won't be a problem all summer long, but if you don't deal with them now (late June, early July), their offspring are going to wreak havoc later in the season and be ready to rise up and attack next year's crop.

Why Cucumber Beetles are a Problem

• Adults eat the cucumber blossoms.
• The adults carry diseases to the plant.
• They lay eggs at the base of the stem.
• The larvae will severely weaken the plant by eating the roots. 

Solution

• Go out in the evening and inspect.  
• Squish the adults.
• Look for the red eggs at the base of the plant and under the leaves.  Remove the infected leaves and wipe off eggs from the stem. 
• Encourage spiders, a natural predator.
• Sprinkle chopped onion at the base of the plant. 
• Cucumber beetle traps are available, but not many sources seem to think they work. 
• Trellis them -- my plant is trellised, so maybe that is why I only saw one beetle.  

Cucumber beetles also like:  eggplants, any kind of melon, squash, corn. 

Resources: The Little Garden that Could

                  Gloucester Garden

Grasshoppers

There are LOTS of young grasshoppers in our garden and on the balconies.  If you have holes in your leaves, chances are it is the grasshoppers.

Grasshopper

Problem

• They have huge appetites and travel in large groups. 
• They are difficult to get rid of, the older they get. 
• They will lay eggs that will hatch in our gardens next spring. 

Solution

Prevention

Grow plants that repel the grasshoppers.  If everyone plants ONE of the following in his or her plot, they may just get the hint.

Calendula

Dill

Daisy

Cilantro

Peas

Killing Them!

In the early morning, when there is dew on the leaves: 

• Shake the bugs off your plants
• Dust the plants and grasshoppers with plain (not self-rising) white flour
• Gently rinse off the flour after two days

For more details, go to Pest Control Options: Grasshoppers.

In the Garden Room Apothecary, there is a shaker made from an old plastic peanut butter container for the flour.  

Why Weed the Green Roof?

 

Weeds blocking access to the composter.  Planter waiting for a spot.

I had this question, recently, and figured others were likely wondering the same thing!

A green roof is not a wild roof because there are structural issues.  Seeds travel on the wind and by bird poop.  As much as we would love to see milkweed for the monarch butterflies and a small tree for birds, the roof cannot support the weight or the invasiveness of the roots. 

A green roof has a variety of plants that are sturdy, drought resistant and have really shallow roots.  Deep roots could break through the roof membrane.  If that happens, there will be all kinds of structural issues with water getting where it is not supposed to go.

There is a contractor for our building who only takes care of the section of the green roof that we don’t have access to.  The original contractor was responsible for the entire green roof.  Now, as with all other CCOC rooftop gardens, the Metcalfe gardeners receive a plot in exchange for keeping our section of the roof weeded and clean. 

Weeds behind planters with a planter nobody in the community garden on the ground wanted.  Apparently, the roof won't handle the weight of the planter in the winter, yet it sits there looking like garbage.  By managing our green space, maybe we won't become the dumping ground. 

At the meeting on Sunday 23 June 2015, the Metcalfe gardeners recognized that there were many deep rooted weeds and that the roof looked unkempt as opposed to wild.  

Patio tiles with weeds growing.  Eventually, Mother Nature will crack our tiles and the roof will look even more unkempt.  We have a new tool to make weeding this easy, though!

Our rooftop has the potential of being a beautiful, organic, food secure habitat for pollinators and people, while lowering the carbon footprint of the community below the roof.   We also want it to be easy to maintain. 

We came up with a concept, with the view to filling in the details in the near future.   The group decided which plants we definitely wanted to keep.  Evelyn was supported in wanting a section to be for wild, native plants.  Overwhelmingly, the group wanted to add plants that were either edible or valuable food sources for pollinators.  The CCOC Garden Facilitator let us know that the roof was not toxic for growing food, but that it is not nutrient rich; this will be a challenge in selecting plants that will thrive.

Michael and Robert were the first to start weeding (14 hours in a small area);  they found one section with ridiculously invasive roots.  It became evident that the plan to get rid of almost everything and start again was a sound decision. 

Over the next couple of weeks, while we are weeding, ideas will flow.  At the next meeting, we will zero in on which plants we want and then figure out how to get them.  Those who can’t make the meeting – it is summer vacation time – are encouraged to send suggestions via the rooftop coordinator. 

We weed the roof to make our home lovely and safe.  

Sorting Compost

 Healthy Ingredients in the Compost 

Healthy Food for the Vegetable Garden

Healthy Food on Our Plates

Bin 1 Cooking What to add? NOTHING!!!!   Except maybe coffee grounds without filters. What’s happening? Bin 1 has been layered with dirt, green waste and brown waste.  Throughout the season, it will get poked to keep the air flowing and watered to feed the critters transforming our yard waste into compost. The activity in the decomposing process will actually make the composter hot!  On a cool morning, you may even see steam rising from it.  This is why it is labeled “cooking”.

Bin 2 Green Waste Nitrogen rich waste What to add?   Leafy Garden Waste Flexible Stems and Roots Grass Coffee grounds and tea without filters NOT COOKED Vegetables and Fruit Waste Corn leaves and silk What’s happening? Just filling up so we will have green waste we can layer when bin 1 gets emptied in the fall. Some decomposition will happen. If Bin 2 gets stinky, it is suffocating and needs air.  Just turn it with the pitch fork.

Bin 3 Brown Waste Carbon rich waste What to add? Anything woody, hollow stalks or really thick garden waste. Sunflower stalks Corn cobs that don’t have butter or salt on them! What is happening? Just filling up so we will have green waste we can layer when bin 1 gets emptied in the fall. Brown waste takes MUCH longer to break down than green waste. Bin 3 won’t see much action during the summer, but come fall clean up, it will fill up quickly!

Do Not Add the Following to the Composter or We Will Get Sick!!!!

No cooked food;  it doesn't matter if it is vegan, vegetarian or meat.  If it is cooked, it will contaminate the composter, which will contaminate the plants that will end up on our plates!

Also Absolutely NO

Oil         Animal Waste    Eggshells   Bread(because it is cooked)

Plants that are diseased or have flowered because 

our composter won't get hot enough to kill them;  we don't want them travelling through compost to our gardens.

Animal Poop and Kitty Litter and Animal Bedding (rabbits, hamsters...)

Meat, cooked or uncooked!  Meat in compost has lead to e-coli outbreaks!

Any kind of oil

Peanut butter or any kind of bread

Butter because it is an oil and an animal product!

All of the above, except pet waste, can go in the city composter because the city compost gets a lot hotter than ours will when it is cooking.  

Weed Dance!

Gotta love the idea of singing and dancing while weeding!  Anyone down to try this on the rooftop?  Just don't break the roof membrane or those of us on the eighth floor will be rather wet!

Video

Tomato Leaf Harvest!

Healthy, bushy tomato plant that could do with pruning to prevent blight.

For those of you with tomato plants, you may be ready to prune!  If the plants are super bushy, the air might not be circulating well inside the plant.  This could lead to tomato blight. 

Cut off some of the extra branches that don't seem to have fruit starting. 

Nip off any new branches starting between the main stem and an existing branch. 

The healthy leaves can be used as a spray to combat aphids!  If there are no aphids in the garden, keep the leaves so they are on hand if we need them. 

Option A:  Chop them up and freeze them. 

Option B:  Dry them by hanging them upside down. 

Option C:  Contact the rooftop coordinator who has a food dryer and can dry the leaves in a couple of hours. 

Tomato Blight

Early Tomato Blight:  Source Cornell University Website

Tomato blight is a black fungus that grows on the leaves and stems and can destroy your tomato plants.  

Usual Cause  Warm days and cool nights.
                           Too much moisture.

Prevention

Keep the air circulating!  
1. Once the plant is growing, chop off the lower leaves so they don't drag on the ground and 
     begin to rot. 
2. Cut off extra branches, usually the ones popping out between the stem and an existing           branch. 
3. Apply the Tomato Blight Buster every couple of weeks.  See recipe below.

Watering
1.  Don't over water.  If you see yellow leaves, you are overwatering.  
2.  Water from below the leaves.  The rain hits the leaves, but not as hard as watering from 
     hoses and watering cans.  
3.  Water in the morning, if possible or as early in the day as you can.  You want the sun to
     dry the leaves. Don't water at night!

Treatment

1.  Cut off ALL the leaves, stems, and fruit that have black spots and dispose in the garbage, 
     not the compost.  The compost won't get hot enough to kill the blight and you will end up 
     infecting new plants next spring!

2.  Prune so that air is circulating. 

3.  Use an organic recipe to treat the rest of the plant. 

Tomato Blight Buster Powder

Mix together: 
3 cups compost
1 cup non-fat skim milk
1/2 cup epsom salts
1 tbsp baking soda

Sprinkle on the ground around the plants. The original source for this recipe recommends applying the mixture every couple of weeks over the season. 

Blight Spray

1 litre of water
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix in a spray bottle. 
Spray all the leaves, top and bottom.
Spray the stems.
Spray the ground. 

Avoid spraying in the hottest part of the day because that may stress the plants.  Apply in the early morning or evening. 

Tools for Pest/Disease Control

Bottles to use for homemade remedies are in the garden room.  Please label the bottles as you create new recipes. 

A bottle of dish soap is also available. 

Wet Season Issues

Watch for signs of too much water!  It is rather odd to talk about this on a rooftop, but we have had a lot of rain since the beginning of the season. Normally, drought conditions occur on rooftops and on balconies.   However, we have noticed two symptoms of too much water. 

    Slugs

   As with most pests, they love the night life.  A few slugs is no big deal as every garden needs a balance of insects.  However, if the slugs are really chomping down, put out a tuna can at soil level and fill it with beer.  The slugs will drown themselves in it. 

   Blight  

Rhubarb Blight

   This really refers to a variety of fungi that attack lots of plants, tomatoes in particular.  If you see discolouration on the leaves, it might be blight.   Typically, black on tomatoes, red on rhubarb. 

Prevention

a.    Keep large/dead leaves off the ground and make sure the air can circulate through the plant.  Tomato cages are helpful when it comes to air circulation.

b.    When you do water, try NOT to water the leaves.  Water directly onto the soil, if possible, using a gentle setting on the nozzle so that water and dirt don’t splash up onto the leaves. 

White Fly

White Fly on the Rhubarb in Plot 4

I have lots of holes in my rhubarb leaves, so I went up at night to see what was eating them.  I found this white fly!  

The organic solution is spraying with soapy water.

There will be a labelled spray bottle in the garden room if anyone else needs to spray.   It is also good for red spider mites and aphids. 

Welcome!

The Metcalfe Garden is a community garden on the rooftop of the Beaver Barracks eight-storey building.   The rooftop community garden is managed and maintained by the tenants and very well-supported by CCOC. 

The Metcalfe Rooftop Garden Blog is a central information portal for the gardeners.  Information on weeding, pest control, meetings, plants, concerns, and various gardening tips will be posted.  Although the rooftop coordinator manages the blog, any of our rooftop members are welcome to write a post or upload pictures to the blog.  

Any posts referring to specific gardeners must be positive, not use last names, and have permission from the gardeners mentioned. Clean laundry only.