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= Rye Junior High Garden Community [|RJH Website] and the RJH Goss Farm Garden Plot =

Mary Coombs mcoombs@sau50.org Ron Fortier rfortier@sau50.or
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Summer Seedfolks are needed! //Use our new Google Form!//
A modest garden has been planted for the fall. We have:
 * Tomatoes
 * Peppers
 * Broccoli
 * Brussel Sprouts
 * Herbs
 * Flowers
 * Squash
 * Cukes

Join us the first week of August to plant: Please see the directions for Watering and Weeding below.
 * Leafy Greens
 * Beans
 * Broccoli
 * Cabbage
 * Cauliflower
 * Herbs

Help is needed on the weekends for the summer. =//** *Key to shed is in the mailbox in the garden. **//=
 * = == == ||=  ||= // **** We still need some help - it is not too late to sign up to help out! **** // ||

= = = General Direction for Garden Care: =
 * There is a solar electric fence up in the RJH garden. It runs around the fenced-in portion (excluding the front where the hosta is growing and the gate is located) and is about 4" off the ground. * Note: The vinyl coated woven wire fence (5 foot green fence) is not connected to the charger. Only the single strand of wire around the perimeter is charged. If you turn off this fence while working, please make sure you turn it back on. Thank you.

====__Watering:__ Please look at and test the soil under the mulch to see if watering is needed. (Use the hose provided on the hose reel, taking care with the plastic nozzle and shut off valve (they can break) when returning hose to reel.). Also, make sure the hose does not drag across any of the beds, disrupting the vegetation.==== ====__Weeding:__ There are a several small weeds here and there inside the beds and in the stone pathway. Check for labels as we have some small herbs and flowers planted among the larger plants. the two most common weeds are Oxalis and witch grass. All pulled weeds should be put in the compost piles.==== ====__Thinning__: Radishes, carrots, lettuce,and beets all need regular thinning. (Note: there are carrots planted with the radishes so be careful not to pull them out as you thin.) When you thin, you are pulling out the entire plant to make room for its neighbors. a few inches in between is best for most plants. Head lettuce needs about a foot in between.==== ====__Hilling:__ Using a hoe, gently pull loose soil from between potato rows up around the potato plants, leaving only 3" of the plant out of the soil. Plants will grow potatoes under the soil and continue to grow shoots and leaves above the soil. This needs to be done a few times once they sprout until the plants bloom (late July - August).==== ====__Pruning:__ Prune any "bolting" flower heads from onions, arugula, or parsely will keep them producing. When the lettuces begin to bolt, they will also begin to taste bitter and should be removed from the garden all together. [|Tomatoes] need the "suckers" removed as they form. They will also need to be secured to the grade stakes for support.====

__Clean Up__: There are several plants that have gone by and or are being destroyed. These can be pulled out and put in the compost pile. If they remain in the garden, they are bug bait!
Compost pile protocol: Please put all compost material into the pile on the LEFT side of compost bins. The right side is ready for use. = =