New Gardener Orientation 2021
Topics Covered Gardening Program & Management Parks & Recreation Staff Contacts Basic Garden Orientation • Garden Manager Contacts • Garden Calendar, Manual, Resources • Gardener Responsibilities • Tool Shed Use • Bird Friendly Trellising • Service Hours Rules Getting your plot started Drip irrigation Weed-control Using community composting projects Dealing with bugs and slugs Leaving in good standing
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 1 The Community Garden Program
How Our Program Works We are a City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Program. Our program is administered by Parks & Recreation staff, employed by the City of Hillsboro. Our program is managed at the garden level by active volunteers who participate in the program.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 2 Parks & Recreation Staff
Lori Prince Outdoor Recreation Manager 503-681-6424
Community Garden Coordinator 503-681-5374
Susan Howard Administrative Support Specialist 503-681-6206
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 3 Community Garden Volunteer Staff
Sonrise Volunteer Staff Orenco Volunteer Staff David Hill Volunteer Staff Garden Manager Garden Manager Garden Manager Ulli Stuart Shay Lot Inspector Lot Inspector Lot Inspector Betty Victoria Joan Jan Compost Manager Compost Manager Tasha Vacant (contact Orenco Grant Mark Garden Manager) Richard/Melina Compost Manager Mark Mike
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 4 Garden Calendar: sonrisegarden.weebly.com
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting http://sonrisegarden.weebly.com Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 5 2021 Garden Manual Online Hillsboro-Oregon.gov/Community Gardens
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 6 Hillsboro Community Gardens are Organic
Pesticides and Herbicides Do not use herbicides or pesticides not approved for use in organic gardening. Do not spray any substances in your plot without permission and without notifying neighboring gardeners. Check with your manager before using any herbicide or pesticide, even though they are in the OMRI list. You will be immediately removed from the program for breaking these rules.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 7 Community Tool Shed Use
Do Not Dump junk in or around tool sheds. Keep tool sheds locked & clean. Do not store personal items in tool sheds. Everything in the garden tool shed is for everyone to use, first-come-first-serve.
Do NOT dump your tomato cages or other garbage in or around the tool sheds. Garbage can put some of our gardeners with reduced mobility at risk.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 8 Bird Friendly Trellises
For the Safety of Our Garden Birds This netting is prohibited throughout the garden for any use.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 9 Gardener Responsibilities: Summary
You must attend the spring orientation meeting EACH YEAR You must complete 8 service hours minimum each season to be eligible to renew your plot for the next year You must maintain your plot AND your pathways surrounding it all season You must completely clean up your plot at the end of the season and mulch it down in order to renew for the next year (winter gardening is allowed)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 10 Garden Service Hours: What are They?
Garden Service Hours: The time we spend working together in groups looking after the community areas of our gardens.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 11 Garden Service Hours: Why do them? To Keep Our Gardens & Program SUSTAINABLE
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 12 Garden Service Hours: Major Projects Management tasks Maintaining our community garden compost projects Weed control projects in open spaces of the gardens
These projects need a group to be done well.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 13 Garden Service Hours (1 of 3)
Doing Your Hours
Garden managers will only count hours done at hosted, pre-approved work events.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 14 Garden Service Hours (2 of 3)
Doing Your Hours
We count the hours done by one person per plot ONLY at any given work event. Friends and family are always welcome! Their hours do not count towards your 8 hours. Their efforts are very much appreciated.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 15 Garden Service Hours (3 of 3) Work Events Protocol Spread your 8 hours over the full season. Plan to come out to three or four work parties. You will do all your service hours in your garden. Hours should be done by the final clean up deadline.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 16 Three Official Work Parties
Your garden managers & volunteers will host multiple small group work parties each season:
Spring Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session) Mid-Season Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session) Gala Fall Garden Parties (2 – 3 hrs per session)
These work parties are generally scheduled over a weekend so you can come EITHER Saturday OR Sunday.
GMs might modify event schedules accordingly You can’t earn more than the hours offered (2 or 3). These parties are: The only guaranteed work party opportunities Schedule well in advance for easy planning
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 17 Garden Service Hours: Work Parties
Gardeners host all other work events. If you can’t get to the official parties, or someone else’s event, you can arrange to host an event of your own. Plan to do four hours by the mid- season work party. This makes it easy to finish on time. There is no guarantee that there will be service work after the fall.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 18 Mandatory Covid Prevention Regulations
All gardeners MUST wear facemasks, keep 6 feet apart, wash hands and follow all federal & state covid prevention regulations during work parties. No more than 5 participants (excluding host) per work party. Garden Manager will send out a doodle link capped at 5 participants max.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 19 Covid Sanitation Kits Available Onsite
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 20 Accessing the Irrigation System Water Keys! To access the garden irrigation system you will need a “4-way sillcock Key” or similar tool. Always turn the water off with the key when you leave. Hose bibs can leak!
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 21 Using the Irrigation System: Rules
You must be on-site to water. No automatic watering systems are allowed. ALWAYS disconnect hoses from community hose bibs when done. Do not leave any devices attached to hose bibs. NEVER attach ANYTHING to the irrigation towers. Report breakages or leaks ASAP.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 22 Using the Irrigation System: Hoses (1 of 2)
Store hoses in plots, not in pathways. Never attach a hose hanger or anything else to the irrigation tower.
A big NO NO! Hose all over pathway!
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 23 Using the Irrigation System: Hoses (2 of 2)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 24 Starting Your Garden
Soil health is the single most important input in your gardening. Unhealthy soil = unhealthy garden! Compacting soil is BAD, BAD, BAD! o Oxygen can’t get into compact soil o Water can’t get into compact soil Walking on your garden beds is BAD for your soil and for your garden!
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 25 Starting Your Garden: Introduction (1 of 2) Plot Layout is All Important! The layout of your garden can make you fail or help you succeed! “Plot Layout” means: where you plant where you walk how you want to get amendments to your plants (wheel barrow?) where you have open space how you plan to weed
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 26 Starting Your Garden: Introduction (2 of 2) Three IMPORTANT Considerations in Plot Layout You never want to step on the soil in your planting beds. Compaction! You must be able to get amendments to your plants. Wheelbarrow! You must be able to reach every part of your garden so you can weed and work in every part of your garden.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 27 Starting Your Garden: Layouts
Layout: Bed & Pathway Models
Mark out pathways where you will always walk or run your wheelbarrow Mark out your garden beds where you will plant and not walk o Garden beds need to be narrow enough so you can reach into them easily at least halfway from each side. o You need access from both sides
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 28 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (1 of 9) Neighboring Gardens Garden Large Plot: 20′ x 20′ Beds • Easy to unload amendments from garden pathway • Easy to put woodchips in Wide Interior interior paths Pathways • Easy to reach all planting areas
Access with wheel barrow from path.
Main Garden Pathway Entries to plot
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 29 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (2 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 30 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (3 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 31 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (4 of 9)
Garden Large Plot: 20′ x 20′ Beds • Easy to unload amendments from garden pathway • Easy to put woodchips in Wide Interior standing places Pathways • Easy to reach all planting areas
Entry to plot
Main Garden Pathway
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 32 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (5 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 33 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (6 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 34 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (7 of 9)
Places to stand Medium Plot: 10′ x 20′
Garden • Easy to unload Beds amendments from garden pathway • Easy to put woodchips in standing places • Easy to reach all planting areas
Garden Pathway Strawberry bed Put in retaining boxes
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 35 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (8 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 36 Starting Your Garden: Layout Examples (9 of 9)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 37 Starting Your Garden: Pathway Prep (1 of 3)
In-Plot Pathway Preparation Dig out the top soil from your path o This is the top layer of black soil Do not dig into the clay layer o This is lighter brown and dense Pile top soil onto your garden beds Put down 2 to 3 layers of cardboard to suffocate weeds Cover with woodchips
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 38 Starting Your Garden: Pathway Prep (2 of 3)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 39 Starting Your Garden: Pathway Prep (3 of 3)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 40 Watering Your Plot: What to Know
Watering is one of the two most time- consuming tasks in the garden. Guess what the other one is! Water is expensive. Water is easily lost to evaporation. Water needs to penetrate the soil to be any use to the plants. Healthy, deep roots make healthy plants. When water penetrates deep into the soil, roots are encouraged to grow down.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 41 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (1 of 6) Overhead Watering is Wasteful! Most of the water you spray evaporates before it hits the ground. Water runs off rather than soaking into the soil so soil stays dry below surface Roots stay shallow because water is on the surface, plant is unhealthy and unstable Surface water means nutrients are not released from soil for plants to absorb Very time-consuming to use a hose to soak soil properly at a slow rate
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 42 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (2 of 6) Drip Irrigation is the Way to Go! Watering Mantra: Water deeply and infrequently! Drip system delivers water slowly so it can soak in. Water is delivered right at the soil to minimize evaporation. Roots must reach down into soil to get moisture: roots grow long. Water is in soil, so can dissolve nutrients and deliver to deep roots.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 43 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (3 of 6)
Using Soaker Hoses
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 44 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (4 of 6)
Using Soaker Hoses
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 45 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (5 of 6)
Drip irrigation system with emitters
Emitters
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 46 Watering Your Plot: Drip Irrigation (6 of 6) Notes on Supplies Lowes: Their brand is Raindrip. HP used a lot of these parts. HP got a hose connector and pressure regulator, and used the friction attachments. Home Depot: Their brand is Dig (another new line is Orbit). HP had no trouble interchanging the parts between the two brands.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 47 Water Conservation: Mulching
Cover Your Soil & Keep it Healthy
Healthy soil holds water! The healthier your soil, the less often you need to water. If you keep soil covered, you reduce evaporation a lot. o Cover all unplanted areas with mulch or a cover crop o Mulch around your plants Mulch adds organic matter needed for healthy soil.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 48 Weed Control: Keep Soil Covered (1 of 2)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 49 Managing Weeds: Keep Soil Covered (2 of 2) More About Mulching/Cover Crops Keep the soil in your planting beds covered with mulch until you plant o Retains moisture o Discourages weeds from sprouting Any place you decide not to plant, mulch or use a cover crop like: o crimson clover o flowers o perennial herbs o Fava beans...etc These cover crops attract pollinators!
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 50 Managing Weeds: Crimson Clover
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 51 Managing Weeds: Flower Cover Crop
Flowers feed your pollinators. Flower breaks form habitat for beneficial insects and feed pollinators.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 52 Managing Weeds: Flowers Instead
Flower breaks are habitat for beneficial insects and attract pollinators.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 53 Managing Weeds: Don’t Use Straw…
Straw seems like a nice mulch, but it is dried wheat stalks and sometimes...
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 54 Managing Weeds: A Mix of Strategies
flower break for beneficial insects pollinators
Soil covered and full of organic matter
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 55 Soil and Plant Health: Mulch
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 56 Managing Weeds: Cardboard as Mulch
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 57 Forbidden Fruits
Plants NOT to Plant No Federally controlled plants (no marijuana, opium poppies) No cane berries like raspberries, blackberries, Marion berries, etc. No trees, except in pots No mint, except in pots off the ground No tobacco Other plants may be added to this list if they become a nuisance
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 58 Weed Primer: Canada Thistle Cirsium arvense, Canada Thistle, Asteraceae Also “Cursed Thistle” and “Lettuce from Hell”
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 59 Weed Primer: Field Thistle (1 of 2)
How Thistle Spreads Roots form an underground network with o long thick horizontal roots, o long thick vertical roots, o short fine shoots, and o vertical underground stems Root buds form on the thickened roots of creeping thistle and grow new shoots. Shoots can arise from lateral buds on the underground portion of regular shoots; particularly if the shoots are cut off (mowing) or when stem segments are buried.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 60 Weed Primer: Field Thistle (2 of 2)
Controlling Field Thistle The only successful control method is to starve the roots! Remove the green tops or cover them so they get no sun. The roots eventually die. In our organic garden, we use layers of cardboard to cover thistles. You must be consistent in removing all stems that appear and in re-covering infested area.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 61 Weed Primer: Bindweed (1 of 5)
Convolvulus arvensis, Field Bindweed, Convolvulaceae
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 62 Weed Primer: Bindweed (2 if 5)
Convolvulus arvensis, Field Bindweed, Convolvulaceae
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 63 Weed Primer: Bindweed (3 of 5) Background Most parts of bindweed roots and rhizomes can produce buds that can create new roots and shoots A single field bindweed plant can spread radially more than 10 feet in a growing season. It can sink roots as much as 9 feet into the soil and can persist for up to 20 years. It is one of the most noxious weeds in the world. Bindweed seed can persist for many years in typical garden soil.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 64 Weed Primer: Bindweed (4 of 5) Controlling Bindweed
Remove the smallest shoots as soon as you see them.
Use the deepest cultivation implements available, such as a garden fork.
Get as much root as possible. Root fragments as small as two inches can generate new shoots.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 65 Weed Primer: Bindweed (6 of 5) Controlling Bindweed????
Spread out all the bindweed you pull up in the sun. Once it is completely dry, it is safe to compost.
Cover large infested areas with three to four layers of cardboard, then cover the cardboard with mulch.
Aggressively weed out sprouts.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 66 Composting & Waste Management Waste Disposal Options 1. Compost everything in your own plot. 2. Bag up waste and haul it off-site to dispose of off-site on your own. 3. Use the community compost bins.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 67 Managing Weeds: Where They Go…
Put all your weeds in the big onsite bins except (if you can ID them): Bindweed Thistle Crab Grass Sort your weeds If you are confused, just put it in the bin.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 68 Community Composting Rules (1 of 2)
ONLY garden waste goes into compost piles NOTHING from off-site is allowed in compost bins Clean up after yourself. Do NOT leave a mess. Do NOT dump in front of the compost bins. Pile carefully and high Cover waste with lots of high- carbon matter (e.g. leaves) each time
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 69 Community Composting Rules (2 of 2)
Anyone dumping on community areas (including in front of the composters) will be removed immediately from the program.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 70 Personal Composting Solutions (1 of 2) The Orenco Worm Bucket – Soon to be a Buried Bin! 5-gallon bucket has holes drilled in the sides to let the worms crawl in and the worms crawl out again. Buried in the plot; Lid has holes for air to enter and is removable; Veggie waste is added from the top; Worm castings regularly removed.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 71 Personal Composting Solutions (2 of 2)
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 72 Managing Weeds: Fall Mulching
Fall Mulching is All-Important! Fall clean-up and mulching is very, very important to your plot’s health. Weeds grow exuberantly in our mild winters. Un-mulched plots generate a verdant weed cover by early spring Weed seeds spread very early in spring A thick layer of mulch, like leaves, does an excellent job of discouraging weed growth over the winter.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 73 The Final Mulching In Order to Renew…. You need at least 8 service hours by 11/29/21. You must clean up your plot by the clean-up deadline (11/15/21), usually about two weeks after the fall work party. You must mulch your plot by the mulching deadline (11/22/21), which can be later than clean-up. It depends on when we get leaves delivered. If your plot is not tidy by the clean-up inspection, you will get a block on your renewal. If you clean up, the block will be removed. If someone else must clean up your plot, you will not be eligible to renew or re-join the program.
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting http://sonrisegarden.weebly.com Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 74 Managing Weeds: Not Mulching…
If you don’t mulch for the winter, this is what it looks like the following spring…
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 75 Bugs & Slugs: Getting Started
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 76 End! Thanks
Hillsboro Community Garden Program New Gardener Orientation Meeting Last Update: May 17, 2021 Slide 77