Community Garden Magazine Issue Eight April 2016 Community Garden Magazine Issue Eight April 2016 | Page 42

--It might be advisable to have the soil at the site tested for basic fertility,
pH, and presence of heavy metals. Depending on what you are testing for,
a soil test can cost between $30 and $150 from private labs. Here are a few
things to look for that may send you to another parcel: Heavy metals,
PCB’s, motor and heating oil, asbestos, sewage, coli form and E. coli.
--Six Steps for Planning your Community Garden.
1) Assess Your Space: Look at where you’ll be Growing your Garden. Will
you be planting in raised beds, containers, a community garden plot? What
kind of Sun does the area get. 2) Figure Out what you want to grow.
3) Narrow it Down.
4) Map it Out.
5) Buying Seeds/Plants.
6) Figuring Out When to Plant. Next, you need to come up with a schedule,
based on your plan, of when to plant everything.
--Using a rain barrel can save you a significant amount of money in a
season. For each inch of rain that falls on 500 square feet of roof, you can
collect 300 gallons of water. In most areas of North America, that means
you can collect more than a thousand gallons of water a year to use in your
containers, houseplants, garden, or even your lawn. However, rain barrels
are illegal in some areas—be sure to check your local regulations before
starting.
--Vegetables grow best with at least 6 hours of full sun each day. To avoid
both shade and root competition, locate the vegetable patch away from
trees and large shrubs. It is also important to choose a spot for your
vegetables protected from cold winds in spring and hot, dry winds in
summer. Steer clear of “frost pockets”, low-lying areas that may
experience frosts later in spring and earlier in fall than other parts of the
garden. Watering and other routine tasks are easier on a level site, if only
sloping land is available, try to find a south- or southeast-facing slope to
take full advantage of the sun.
--The Fairbanks Community Garden is located in Hamilton Park near
downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. The garden is leased from the Fairbanks North
Star Borough and managed by Alaska Foundation for Community Self
Reliance. Fairbanks gardeners are a hardy bunch. Their average growing
season is 90 days. Gardeners have been known to shovel snow off their site
and warm the soil by covering it with clear plastic. Cold soils are a problem
and usually solved by gardening in raised beds. Many gardeners use clear
plastic or weed barrier cloth to help increase soil temperatures.
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