Dundee Community Garden News

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Spring planting is just around the corner! Here's some updates for the Dundee Community Garden:


Introduction to Gardening Workshops: we're planning a series of free gardening basics workshops for our members and friends. This comes from the feedback we got from our members at our end-of-year survey last year. We'll be holding the workshops on a monthly basis on Saturday mornings at the A.V.Sorenson Community Center, 48th and Cass Streets, or at the garden. Workshops leaders will include garden members Vince Huebert and Rebecca Reagan. Workshops will last one hour, giving you time to tend to your garden plot either before or after the workshop. Coffee provided by Blue Line Coffee (thank you to our newest sponsor!)


Saturday March 20, 10 a.m. "Making Your Bed: What to Plant and When" at A.V.Sorenson


Saturday April 10, 10 a.m. "Growing Tomatoes" at A.V.Sorenson


Saturday May15, 10 a.m. "Heirloom Plants and Open Pollination" at the Dundee Community Garden. (rain location A.V.Sorenson)




Spring Groundbreaking and Clean-Up Day: (Tentative) Saturday April 10, 11 a.m. After the "Growing Tomatoes" workshop, we'll head over for some clean-up and hopefully we can start digging!




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See below for other garden-related events in the community that might interest you:


1. Starting a Community Garden Workshop, Wed. March 10, 6:30-9
Douglas County Extension Office, 8015 West Center Road.
This training is for individuals who want to start community gardens. The training is free; anyone who is interested is invited and must pre-register by calling Patty Falcone at (402.444.7146).
*Note: For those of you on our waiting list, consider attending this workshop! We could use more community gardens in the Dundee area.




2. Starting a Vegetable Garden Workshop, Monday March 29, 6:30 p.m.
Douglas County Extension Office, 8015 West Center Road

Description: This class is for people with no experience growing vegetables. It will provide the basics on planning, planting, and care through harvest. Included will be hints on how to conserve water while caring for your garden, and what vegetables to grow. Promote sustainability through recycling by using compost and newspapers in the garden. Good gardening practices will minimize use of insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers.

Registration deadline: March 25; Cost: $15

Registration flyer available at http://douglas-sarpy.unl.edu/pdf/2010_veg_class.pdf

For more information please contact Mary Anna Anderson at: manderson7@unl.edu or 402-444-7804.

3. Green Garden Workshops (rain gardens)

The City of Omaha, with funds provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, is sponsoring three Green Garden Workshops in March 2010 to provide information to residents about rain gardens. If you are interested in a brief presentation on the upcoming workshops at your next club/group/association meeting, please email greengardens@lovgren.com with your request or call Nancy at (402.397.7158).

Workshop dates:
Saturday, March 20 from 9AM to Noon at MCC, Fort Omaha Campus Bldg. 7 (30th & Fort Sts.)

Thursday, March 25 from 6:30 to 9:30PM at MCC, Fort Omaha Campus Bldg. 7 (30th & Fort Sts.)

Saturday, March 27 from 9AM to noon at Douglas County Extension Office (8015 West Center Rd.)

Description: The workshops are designed to educate area residents about the benefits of sustainable garden design and specific plants you can grow which will enhance your landscaping. The workshops are presented by the City of Omaha and feature the expertise of horticulturist Steve Rodie, Ted Hartsig, a soil scientist with Olsson Associates and sustainable landscape designer Andy Szatko.

Register: greengardens@lovgren.com or (402.397.7158)

4. Slow Food Omaha presents The Real Food Connection Sunday March 21, 1-4 p.m.

Douglas County Extension, 8015 West Center Road

For more info, contact slowfoodomaha@gmail.com

5. New Community Gardens:

For those of you on our waiting list, here is some information on some new community gardens in the area:

1. The Earth Shelter Community Garden, at 65th and Ames, has plots for rent. For more information, or contact Becky Weitzel at beckyw@getabovethebar.com, or 344-0610, or 321-7003 (cell).

2. City Sprouts is starting a second community garden on Decatur Street west of 40th. Contact Jeannie Dickes at 558-9031, or jeaninedickes@gmail.com

Food & Gardening Happenings

Another great contribution from Data Freeman. Thanks Dana!

Dear Foodie Friends,

Check out the explosion of happenings around our favorite topic--food!

• SOCIAL IMPACT FORUM OMAHA

Held Friday, February 26 from 8AM to 4PM at Creighton University. Numerous session including a panel entitled "Thinking Globally, Eating Locally: Effecting Change One Bite at a Time." During this informative session, you will hear from local experts including John Birge, Ingrid Kirst, Jim Knopik, Andrea Comiskey Lawse, & Billene Nemec. Learn & share ways in which you can change your food choices and impact your world. For more details: http://www.socialimpactomaha.org/

• Gifford Park's TEEN MARKET GARDEN
  

2010 Informational Meeting on Saturday, February 27 from 10AM to 11AM at Benson Public Library (6015 Binney St.). Library doors open at 10AM.

Year 2 is upon us for our pilot project: Teen and Young Adult Market Garden. In addition to interested your people, we are also seeking mentors to work one-on-one with teens and young adults to develop and implement business plans. Experience not necessary; just a willingness to teach and learn with a mentee.

Dive into the basics of entrepreneurship from product selection, to marketing, to pricing and selling. Interested mentors (anyone!) and young people (between the ages of 14 & 25) are welcome to join us to discuss the program concept, possibilities, and questions. Parents welcome and encouraged to attend! Contact Cynthia Shuck (402.556.2090) or Kate Bodmann (402.496.8419) for more information.

• BEEKEEPING WORKSHOPS
  

Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Apiculture!

Beginning Beekeeping Workshops:
Hastings, NE – February 27, 2010
Nebraska City, NE – March 13, 2010

Beginning Beekeeping Field Day:
Ithaca, NE – April 17, 2010

For a complete program brochure go to http://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/2010workshops.pdf

• NO MORE EMPTY POTS FOOD SUMMIT
  

Saturday, February 27 from 8AM to 4PM at Family Housing Advisory Services (2401 Lake St.). Registration is $20 per person, including lunch and materials. Want more info? Contact Nancy at nomoreemptypots@gmail.com or (402.320.5349).

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nomoreMTpots
Blog: http://nomoreemptypots.wordpress.com/

• GARDENING AS SPIRITUAL EXERCISE Lecture
  

Daniel Deffenbaugh will present "Gardening as Spiritual Exercise" on Sunday, February 28 at 1:30PM at 7300 Holdrege St. in Lincoln. This event is free & open to the public. Hosted by Common Good Farm & First Mennonite Church Lincoln. Doors open at 1 PM. Parking on north side. Questions: Call First Mennonite at (402.467.1526) or Common Good Farm at (402.783.9005).

• 6th Annual FOOD SAFETY TASK FORCE CONFERENCE: Focus on Local Food
  

Tuesday, March 2 @ Lied Conference Center in Nebraska City. Complete program brochure at www.eatrightnebraska.org/wfData/files/FoodSafetyTaskForceBrochure2010.pdf

• COMMUNITY GARDEN NETWORK MEETING
  
  
  When: Thursday, March 4 at 4:15PM
  Where: Extension Office located at 8015 West Center Road
  

The purpose of this meeting is to create a place for dialogue and plan some joint activities.

For more information please contact: Mary Balluff at mary.balluff@douglascounty-ne.gov or (402.444.1773)

• "EXPANDING NEBRASKA'S LOCAL FOODS" CONFERENCE

The Nebraska Rural Initiative and the Nebraska Local Foods Network invites you to attend "Expanding Nebraska's Local Foods" Conference on Tuesday, March 9 from 8AM to 3:30PM at UNL's East Campus Union. At the conference you can discover ways to enhance and increase the production and consumption of Nebraska Local Foods within various distribution channels.

Conference highlights include: Dr. Robert Gravani Professor of Food Science and Director of the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program at Cornell University; Lynn Fallon the Midwest Region Farm-to-School Network Coordinator, and Chris Kirby the Oklahoma Farm-to-School Coordinator.

In the afternoon, there will be breakout sessions for anyone interested in the following: Marketing/Distribution Center, Farm-to-School, or Beginning Producer Education and Curriculum.

To register for this conference, please click the following link: http://go.unl.edu/localfoodconference

Price: $25 per person for those who register before March 5 ($30 for late registration)

• OMAHA COUNCIL OF GARDEN CLUBS MEETING
  

Tuesday, March 9 6:30PM to 7PM at Douglas/Sarpy County Extension Office (8015 W. Center Rd.)

At 7 PM, Jan Riggenbach will present "Fifty Fabulous Finds." She will share her 50 current favorites and tell you how to use them in your garden. Jan is best known locally for her column in the Omaha World Herald. She writes for Midwest Gardening. Jan has written books (and is writing another).

• 1st FNS FARM-TO-SCHOOL Webinar

USDA Farm to School: Opportunities to Increase Local Food in School Meals on Wednesday, March 10 from 2 to 3PM CST.

Description: Are you interested in Farm to School? Have you been involved in Farm to School activities already? The USDA Farm to School Team is holding its first Webinar to introduce the Farm to School Team. We welcome state agencies, school food service administrators, farmers and others interested in learning about the commitment USDA offers to Farm to School. USDA will discuss the Farm to School Team's mission and goals for 2010, available resources, grant opportunities, and answer questions you may have about Farm to School.

Target Audience: State CN Program Directors and nutrition staff; FNS regional office staff; Farm to School Coordinators, and non-profit organizations involved in Farm to School programs.

Webinar Presenter: FNS Farm to School Team

Registration: To participate in this Webinar, please indicate your intent by COB, Monday, March 8 by registering online at: http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/17fb9g42e15

• STARTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN WORKSHOP
  
  
  When: Wednesday, March 10 from 6:30 to 9PM
  Where: Extension Office located at 8015 West Center Road
  

This training is for individuals who want to start community gardens. The training is free; anyone who is interested is invited and must pre-register by calling Patty Falcone at (402.444.7146).

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity 2010 Webinars
  

Please join The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity and your colleagues in the field to discuss: childhood obesity research, best practices for addressing childhood obesity, and strategies for using policy and environmental change to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The center's first round of webinars in 2010 is focused on "Making Schools the Model for Healthier Environments." Each webinar will be held bi-monthly on Thursdays at 1PM CST and will discuss initiatives currently underway to ensure that schools become the standard for healthy eating and active living.

From preschool through 12th grade, schools can make a significant contribution to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by enacting policies that promote the availability and consumption of nutritious foods and beverages, and by teaching healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

These webinars will feature researchers, advocates, and policymakers discussing solutions to problems that schools face in providing healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. These sessions will also provide resources to help make schools healthier.

Register for any or all of the four webinars in this series:

• February 25:
  Seizing the Moment: Efforts Underway to Improve our Schools
  
• March 11:
  Sowing Seeds: Improving Food Quality with Farm-to-School Programs
  
• March 25:
  Setting the Standard: What Schools Are Doing about Competitive Foods
• April 8:
  Let's Get Physical: Being Active to Reverse Child Obesity
  

For more information about this webinar series visit: http://reversechildhoodobesity.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0dbac5f26ad18ac67959e871d&id=696bff6a5b&e=19b78b10be. Stay Informed: Sign-up for RWJF Center Updates. Follow us on Twitter: http://reversechildhoodobesity.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0dbac5f26ad18ac67959e871d&id=c346955c99&e=19b78b10be.

• GREEN GARDEN WORKSHOPS
  

The City of Omaha, with funds provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, is sponsoring three Green Garden Workshops in March 2010 to provide information to residents about rain gardens. If you are interested in a brief presentation on the upcoming workshops at your next club/group/association meeting, please email greengardens@lovgren.com with your request or call Nancy at (402.397.7158).

Workshop dates:
Saturday, March 20 from 9AM to Noon at MCC, Fort Omaha Campus Bldg. 7 (30th & Fort Sts.)

Thursday, March 25 from 6:30 to 9:30PM at MCC, Fort Omaha Campus Bldg. 7 (30th & Fort Sts.)

Saturday, March 27 from 9AM to noon at Douglas County Extension Office (8015 West Center Rd.)

Description: The workshops are designed to educate area residents about the benefits of sustainable garden design and specific plants you can grow which will enhance your landscaping. The workshops are presented by the City of Omaha and feature the expertise of horticulturist Steve Rodie, Ted Hartsig, a soil scientist with Olsson Associates and sustainable landscape designer Andy Szatko.

Register: greengardens@lovgren.com or (402.397.7158)

• THE REAL FOOD CONNECTION 2010

Sunday, March 21 from 1 to 4PM at Douglas County Extension: We (people like you!) will be sharing what we do with the people, organizations, and businesses to make Slow Food actually happen in the Omaha area. The idea is for you to educate and promote what you do, so that we can share resources with one another and the community of eaters looking to learn more about what the Omaha food region provides.

Setup starts at 11.30AM. Bring along any informational and/or promotional materials. If you have a table please bring it, otherwise one can be provided for you. Contact Terra Sorensen

• RECIPE TO REALITY SEMINAR

Iowa Western Community College Entrepreneurial Center and Small Business Development Center is offering the University of Nebraska Food Processing Center's nationally recognized "From Recipe to Reality" seminar on Tuesday, March 23 from 8AM to 5PM in Council Bluffs. The seminar is the first phase of the Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program. This program, which has existed since 1989, is the only program in the nation that provides complete assistance to individuals wanting to start a food business.

For more information:www.iwccecenter.com/pdf/RecipeReality.pdf

• RAIN BARREL MAKING WORKSHOPS

There will be rain barrel making workshops on Saturdays March 27 and April 3 from 9:30 to 11:30AM at the Council Bluffs Community Hall (205 S. Main St.). Bobbi Holm of the UNL Douglas/Sarpy County Extension office will be presenting the program.

Registration information: http://pottswcd.org/wp_index_files/Rain%20Barrel%20Workshop.pdf

• STARTING A VEGETABLE GARDEN WORKSHOP
  
  

When: Monday, March 29 at 6:30PM
Where: UNL Douglas/Sarpy County Extension Office located at 8015 West Center Road

Description: This class is for people with no experience growing vegetables. It will provide the basics on planning, planting, and care through harvest. Included will be hints on how to conserve water while caring for your garden, and what vegetables to grow. Promote sustainability through recycling by using compost and newspapers in the garden. Good gardening practices will minimize use of insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers.

Registration deadline: March 25; Cost: $15

For more information please contact Mary Anna Anderson at: manderson7@unl.edu or 402-444-7804.

• 2nd Annual SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE

Held on Dana College's campus on Wednesday, March 31 starting at 9AM. Throughout the day, there will be opportunities for participants to hear from leaders in the field of sustainability, meet with exhibitors in the industry and network with business, civic, education and non-profit representatives concerned with issues of energy, the environment and sustainability. This conference also aims to heighten local and regional awareness and understanding of sustainability concepts and enterprises in the Blair, Omaha and surrounding areas.

Exhibitors and Sponsors: If you'd like be an exhibitor or help sponsor the conference, please contact Janis Enenbach at 402.426.7237 or mailto:enenbach.janis@dana.edu?subject=Sustainable%20Enterprise.

Keynote Speaker: We're pleased to announce that "No Impact Man" Colin Beavan, Ph.D. will be the keynote speaker at this year's conference!

Check out the website for more information.

• ALL-SEASONS PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE

Glacial Lakes Permaculture will be offering an All-Seasons Permaculture Design Course, starting in April 2010. The course will meet one weekend day per month and run through March 2011. More details, including a flyer, topics, and costs can be found at:http://glaciallakespermaculture.org/permaculture_design_courses_pdc

A message from Terra Sorensen. Chair, Slow Food Omaha

Hello from the new Slow Food Omaha!

Toward the end of last year, we formed a chapter to link the pleasure of food with a commitment to the Omaha community and the environment. We held one event last fall, a long table next to a farm field where folks could eat a meal made from what they could see growing.

As you know, there are ever-increasing local food options in the Omaha area. The local growers, artisans, purveyors, chefs, and markets provide so much for the locavore looking for flavorful food that also reflects the region and treads lightly on the earth. Slow Food Omaha would like to invite you to a spring open house, The Real Food Connection, which celebrates these options.

On Sunday, March 21st, from 1-4pm, at the Douglas County Extension, we will be sharing what we do with the people, organizations, and businesses that are making Slow Food actually happen in the Omaha area. People like you.

The idea is for you to educate and promote what you do, so that we can share resources with one another and the community of eaters looking to learn more about what the Omaha food region provides.

Setup starts at 11.30am on Sunday. Bring along any informational and/or promotional materials. If you have a table please bring it, otherwise one can be provided for you.

Its going to be great to have so many amazing local food providers in the same room! Contact us with any questions or ideas, and we hope to see you in March,

Terra Sorensen
Chair, Slow Food Omaha

Signup form...

Michelle Obama's new child obesity initiative

a message from Gordon Jenkins...

Earlier this week, Michelle Obama launched a new initiative to solve the epidemic of child obesity. "Let's move to get healthier food into our nation's schools," she said. More than 31 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program. Many consume as many as half their daily calories at school. Helping schools serve real food may be the most promising way to end child obesity - but it simply can't happen unless Congress invests in healthier food in the upcoming Child Nutrition Act. Will you send an email to your legislators to help schools serve real food? Now that the First Lady is leading the charge to combat obesity, Congress will start debating the Child Nutrition Act this month. It's more important than ever that legislators hear directly from citizens back home. On a conference call this week, USDA Secretary Vilsack said that the most important thing citizens can do to get healthier food into their local schools is to urge Congress to pass a strong Child Nutrition Act. This issue has broad public support, he said, but it isn't appearing in the news - so we need to make sure Congress gets the message. That's where you come in. Even if you've already signed the Time for Lunch petition, please take a minute to email your legislators today. Thank you, Gordon Jenkins Advocacy Manager Slow Food USA

National Farm to School Network

The following message was sent by dana freeman...

See below for information on how you can be a part of changing the way children eat in the US.

National Farm to School Network on the Move

The National Network has been very busy these days gearing up for the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Taking Root, in Detroit, MI May 17-19, 2010. In line with the First Lady's Let's Move initiative, the Network has two great youth contests planned for the National Conference, both focused on nourishing kids and communities. The first is a national healthy cooking contest for youth, Cooking Up Change, and the second is a national video contest titled Real Food Is.

Cooking Up Change challenges teams of high school and college students to create a healthful and delicious school meal that meets the Institute of Medicine nutrition standards, incorporates a local food item, draws from ingredients commonly available to food service, and can be easily prepared in a school kitchen. Finalists will prepare their recipes in Detroit for a prestigious panel of judges. Conference participants will sample the teams' delicious creations. Submit your recipes online by March 26, 2010. For contest guidelines and information, visit www.cookingupchange.org.

For the Real Food Is video contest, students are challenged to define what real food means to them by creating a short video that completes the phrase "Real Food is..." Created by the National Farm to School Network and sponsored by the Lunch Box Project, this contest is open to K-12 and college students and runs until March 29, 2010. The winners will receive $1,000 and an all expenses paid trip to the conference to show their videos at the opening plenary. More info is available at video.farmtoschool.org

The conference website will go live shortly; and registration will open Feb. 22^nd. We hope to see you there!

And, lastly, here's a way for you to help the National Farm to School Network!

The Network has been entered into Campbells' Sunday Supper Challenge, an online voting competition. If folks vote for Diane Cu's Ginger Chicken Egg Drop Soup, the National Network will win $10-$50k. Please circulate widely and encourage your colleagues to vote for the National Network and Diane Cu's Ginger Chicken Egg Drop Soup.

Dundee Community Garden Winter Update

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

The ground is covered with two feet of snow, so naturally our thoughts are turned towards spring and digging in the garden! We have set April 1 as our target date for having the garden space available.


1. PLOT RENEWALS
If you had a garden plot last year, and would like to continue with a plot this year, but have not already renewed, please send $20 to our treasurer Deb Hickman at 1227 N. 53rd St., Omaha, 68132.
All plots must be renewed by March 1. After March 1, we will open up available plots to people on our waiting list.




2. CHANGE OF PLOT LOCATION
If you had a plot last year, and want a DIFFERENT plot this year, please let us know... even if you told us last year. We are assuming renewals are for the same plot UNLESS you let us know differently. Please e-mail me at megreen4@cox.net if you want to change your plot location.




3. PLOT DISCONTINUANCE
If you had a plot last year, but do not wish to continue with a plot this year, please let us know.




4. BOARD MEETING FEB. 22, 7 p.m.
Our first board meeting for 2010 will be on Monday Feb. 22, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian Church, in the Parlor, which is UPSTAIRS and towards the Underwood end of the church. All garden members and friends are invited to participate in our board meetings.




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Other items of interest:


1. Sierra Club Program: "The Road to Black Sheep Farms"
Thursday Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 69th & Cass Streets (Enter north door Education wing)


You may have read about the experiences of Brian and Kelly Smith in the World-Herald last year, when they moved from Omaha to Bennington in order to start a an organic family farm. Join the Sierra Club to hear Brian and Kelly discuss the triumphs and challenges of their first year, as well as the importance of buying locally and knowing how your food is produced. For more information, go to http://sierranebraska.org/?p=432

2. Slow Food Potluck and Meeting

When: February 21st at 5pm

Where: Amy and Tom Yaroch's (9499 Broadmoor)

Potluck style dinner and conversation from 5-6 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information email: slowfoodomaha@gmail.com.

3. Green Garden Workshops

Is there a better way to manage your yard?

The City of Omaha is offering a series of workshops on how to create and maintain rain gardens and other sustainable landscapes in March. Participants will learn the ins and outs from experts in the fields of landscape horticulture, soil science and landscape design.

The cost is $20 per person, which includes a take-home rain garden manual developed by the City of Omaha through a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. The workshop dates, times and locations are as follows:

Saturday, March 20
9:00am to noon
Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, Building 7
30th and Fort streets

Thursday, March 25
6:30 to 9:30pm
Douglas County Extension Office
8015 W. Center Road

Saturday, March 27
9:00am to noon
Douglas County Extension Office
8015 W. Center Road

To register, email greengardens@lovgren.com or call Nancy at 397.7158

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If you would like your name removed from the Dundee Community Garden list, please send an e-mail to megreen4@cox.net and ask to be removed from the list!

Dundee Community Garden Stocking Stuffers

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Please don't forget about Chico bags, available at the Bread Oven for $5 as a fundraiser for the Dundee Community Garden.  They come in lots of fun colors and make great stocking stuffers.  You can see them at: http://www.chicobag.com/p-16-chicobag-original.aspx
Also, if you reuse your Chico bag while shopping at the Bread Oven, they will give you a free roll!

In other News Notes:

The Benson Community Garden at 60th & Lafayette is coming along.  Anyone wanting to get involved, contact Eric Williams at MrErlo@gmail.com

Support the Gifford Park Community Garden when you shop at Whole Foods Market!  Through the end of December, for each reusable bag you use at check-out, you receive a 10-cent refund which you can take as either cash back or as a donation to the Gifford Park Community Garden.

Happy winter to all and we'll see you next spring!

Mary

Dundee Community Garden Update Oct 20

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Thanks to all of you who helped with our fall clean-up on Saturday! The garden starting to look ready for winter.

1. If you have not yet cleaned up your plot, please clean it out by Nov. 1. Feel free to use the "previously used" yard waste bags in the blue plastic tub. Yard waste bags should be taken to your own home for pick-up, or (if you live in an apartment) you can set them out in the alley by the garden and the city should pick them up.

Plots not cleaned up by Nov. 1 will be moved to the bottom of the waiting list. FYI, we have 30 people on our waiting list for 2010.

2. If you would like to reserve your current plot for next year, please send the attached reservation form, with $20, to our treasurer Deb Hickman at 1227 N. 53rd St., 68132.

If you do not wish to continue with a plot next year, please let us know that also so we'll have a better idea of how many plots we have opening up for next year.

And for those of you who are undecided, that's fine too. We will be looking for firm commitments next spring.

3. Survey:

Thanks to those of you who gave feedback to us so we can make next year's garden even better! If you have not filled out an exit survey, it is attached. You can include it in with your plot reservation form to Deb, or fill it out on-line and e-mail to Mary at megreen4@cox.net

4. T-Shirts Are In!

Eric Williams has the Dundee Community Garden t-shirts. If you have not picked up your t-shirt, contact Eric at MrErlo@gmail.com, or 415-7933. Thanks to artist Alex Myers for the design.

5. New Community Gardens:

For those of you on the waiting list, here is some information on some new community gardens in the area:

• The Earth Shelter Community Garden, at 65th and Ames, has plots for rent and has a half price deal if you sign up by Nov. 1, 25% off if you sign up by Dec. 1. For more information, or contact Becky Weitzel at beckyw@getabovethebar.com, or 344-0610.
• Eric Williams is working with a group to establish a new community garden in the Benson area. They don't have a location yet, but are hoping to be able to start a garden next spring. For more information contact Eric at MrErlo@gmail.com or 415-7933.
• City Sprouts is starting a second community garden on Decatur Street west of 40th. Contact Jeannie Dickes at 558-9031, or jeaninedickes@gmail.com

6. Sat. Oct. 24 International Day of Climate Action
Repower Nebraska and 1Sky will be hosting an event in coordination with the International Day of Climate Action, http://www.350.org/. Starting at 2:30pm at the College of St. Mary campus, 7000 Mercy Road, they will be collecting 350 Reasons to support clean energy by 3:50pm. There will be speakers including Mayor Jim Suttle at 3pm, a green expo showing sustainable businesses, and music from local band Andrew's Ave.

www.350.org/350reasons

7. Building a Community Garden Thurs. Oct. 29
Douglas County Extension is hosting a "Building a Community Garden Information Class" on Thurs. Oct. 29 at 6:30. Cost is a canned food item which will be donated to the food bank. Register at 444-7804 by Oct. 27. The focus of the class will be on how to start a community garden. See http://douglas-sarpy.unl.edu/

Dundee Community Garden Fall Clean-Up Oct. 18

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Fall Clean-Up Day is next Sunday, Oct. 18, 1-4 p.m. Please bring your own gardening tools: shovels, clippers, rakes, gloves, etc. We are asking everyone to pull everything out of their beds (unless you have planted some perennials). Because our compost bin is already full, we will be bagging stuff in yard waste bags, which we'll be asking people to take to their own homes and have the city pick up with the yard waste collections. (Bring a yard waste bag if you've got one; otherwise Sharon has quite a collection of them that we can use.)

We'll need help pulling plants out of the community beds, the flower beds, the pumpkin patch, etc., so this will be a great time to get in more community volunteer hours!

We'll have a truckload of Oma-Grow available for those of you who want to do some fall garden care, so your plot will be ready to plant next spring. Master Gardener Mary Anna Anderson will be giving fall garden/spring bed preparation tips.

We've started taking reservations for those who want to continue at the garden next summer. Please bring $20 if you wish to reserve your plot for 2010.

I'm attaching a 2010 Plot Reservation form, as well as an Exit Survey to get your feedback, to this e-mail. Fill them out at home and bring them on Sunday, or we'll also have copies available at the garden on Sun.

Anyone whose plot is not cleaned up by Nov. 1 will be bumped to the bottom of the waiting list for a plot in 2010. Our waiting list currently has 29 people on it.

T-Shirts will be available at the clean-up, so if you ordered a t-shirt, please bring $12 and pick up your shirt!

Also, we'll be selling Chico bags for $5. They make great Christmas presents. You can also support the garden by purchasing Chico bags at the Bread Oven.

Thanks and hope to see you at our clean-up on Sunday!

Mary

Download a copy of the documents here!
DCG-End-of-Year-Survey.pdf
DCG-Plot-Reservation-Form-continuing-gardeners.pdf

Dundee Community Garden This Week Sept 28

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

We're not having a harvest night this Monday... the community beds don't have a lot of produce right now. But some of your individual plots are full of produce. Please keep picking! Also, if you have extra produce from your plot that you wish to donate to Together Inc.'s food pantry, let me know... we can pick from your plot, or you can drop it off on my porch at 5106 Western any day and I will take it down there.

Sunday Oct. 18, is Fall Clean-Up Day at the garden. We'll have registration forms to sign up for a plot for 2010 at that time.

We are currently sold out of Chico bags, but will be getting in more this week. Look for them at the Bread Oven-- a great way to support the garden.

T-shirt orders are due by Sunday!

We have two t-shirts that we are taking orders for. All orders must be placed by Sun. Oct 4th. Our goal is to have the t-shirts available by the Oct 18th clean up day.

Design #1 (front of shirt only) is $12 and design #2 (front and back) is $15. If you would like to order a t-shirt, send Eric Williams an e-mail at mrerlo@gmail.com Let him know which design and what size you would like to order. We will collect payment for the shirts on delivery.

Dundee Community Garden This Week 21 Sept

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Harvest Night this Monday at 6 p.m. (because it gets dark so early). Again, if you would like to donate food from your plot to Together, Inc., but can't come Monday night, send me an e-mail to let me know it's OK to pick from your plot.

Fall Clean-Up will be Sunday Oct. 18.

Chico bags: The Bread Oven has graciously offered to sell Chico bags as part of our DCG fundraiser. Look for them in another week or so at the Bread Oven.

T-Shirts!!: We have two t-shirts that we are taking orders for. All orders must be placed by Sun. Oct 4th. Our goal is to have the t-shirts available by the Oct 18th clean up day.

Design #1 (front of shirt only) is $12 and design #2 (front and back) is $15. If you would like to order a t-shirt, send Eric Williams an e-mail at mrerlo@gmail.com Let him know which design and what size you would like to order. We will collect payment for the shirts on delivery.

Harvest Pot-Luck Party Saturday 3-5

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Our Harvest Pot-Luck party is this Saturday, Sept. 19, 3-5 p.m. All garden members and friends of the garden are invited!
Please bring a dish to share (preferably one using produce from the garden), your own beverage, and a folding chair. This is most of all a time to socialize, for kids to play in the teepee, and for all of us to enjoy being in the beautiful garden we have created.


Additionally,
*We will be selling pumpkins from the pumpkin patch
*We will have chico bags for sale for $5
*We will be taking orders for Dundee Community Garden t-shirts
*We will have our "End of Year Survey/ Reserve a Plot for 2010" forms. Plots next year will be $20. To reserve your same plot, you will need to sign up, pay, clean up your plot, and help clean up the community beds. We'll be having a clean-up party on Sunday Oct. 18.


Important note: For those of you who are starting to clean up your own plots now, we'll be asking you to pull up everything except perennials. Most things can go in our compost bins, but PLEASE DO NOT PUT TOMATO PLANTS IN THE COMPOST! Also the squash, pumpkin, any any other plants that show signs of blight of fungus cannot go in our compost bins. These plants should go in the brown paper composting bags for the city to pick up. The city's site will get hot enough that these plants can be composted there. We're planning to get a truckload of Oma-grow delivered in October for people to dig into their plots. Watch for more details later.


Hope to see lots of gardeners on Saturday,

Mary

Dundee Community Garden 14-20 Sept

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

The garden looks great and is loaded with vegetables ripe for picking! Please visit your garden plot and harvest what is there!


Here's what's happening this coming week:

1. Our next harvest night is Monday Sept. 14. We'll start at 6:30, as it is getting dark so early. Please come to help harvest produce from the community plots that we'll donate to the food pantry at Together, Inc.

*If you would like to donate produce from your own plot to the food pantry, please join us on Monday evening, or send me an e-mail to let me know we have permission to pick from your plot! And as far as any plots covered in over-ripe or rotting-on-the-vine tomatoes, we may help "lighten the load" Monday and put some of that very ripe produce in our Together collection -- this is only if your plot is looking neglected and food is going to waste.

2. Next board meeting is Tues. Sept. 15, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian. All garden members welcome!

3. Harvest pot-luck is Sat. Sept. 19, 3-5 at the garden. Bring a dish to share, hopefully one that contains something from the garden! Hope lots of garden members and friends can come to this end-of-the-season get-together.

4. We'll have a fall "clean up the garden" work day in October... date to be decided.

See you at the garden,

Mary

***********************************************

Other community events that may be of interest:

1. City Sprouts Irrigation Workshop Saturday Sept. 12

City Sprouts Omaha is hosting a workshop to showcase a new bucket drip irrigation design. Modeled from a concept intended for subsistence agriculture in developing countries, this setup works equally well for community plots and personal backyard gardens.

Come learn how to build a simple watering system from commonly available supplies ($5) and add your input to help improve the construction

This workshop is hosted by Scott Williams, recent engineering graduate of Iowa State University. If you are interested please contact Jeanine Dickens at (402)-680-0118.

When: Saturday, September 12th (10am - 11am)
Where: City Sprouts (4007 Franklin St.)
Cost: FREE!

2. Green Homes Tour Sat. Sept. 19

The 2009 Green Homes Tour is an opportunity for metro area residents to learn how to green their living environments. The event will showcase four west Omaha homes, and each will feature a different theme. Three of the homes are undergoing a series of green home improvement projects. "Before" and "after" data on energy use will be available. The fourth home on the tour is a new Energy Star home. Free shuttle service to the tour homes will be available at Village Pointe.

New to this year's tour is an information fair at Village Pointe in conjunction with its weekly Farmers Market. Vendors will include area businesses and nonprofits interested in green living.

Admission: $5 per person (proceeds to help fund programs and activities of the Green Omaha Coalition) - Tickets can be purchased at each of the tour homes.

Host: The Green Omaha Coalition and U.S. Green Building Council, Flatwater Chapter
When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 (9:00am to Noon)
Where: Village Pointe

If you would like more information contact: Ron Duce, Kiewit Building Group Inc.(402.977.4500 or ron.duce@kiewit.com) OR Brian Spencer, RDG Planning and Design (402.679.7465 or bspencer@rdgusa.com)

3. Benson Community Garden

If anyone is interested in working to help start a Benson Community Garden, please contact Carol Dona at carol.l.dona@gmail.com

4. Choose Real Foods You may want to check out this local website/blog, http://www.chooserealfoods.org/

5. Fall Garden Clean-Up Article

The Omaha World-Herald had a story this week about fall garden clean-up. Featured Master Gardener Mary Anna Anderson will be coming to our Oct. clean-up to help us get on the right track with cleaning up our Dundee Community Garden beds. You can read the story at http://www.omaha.com/article/20090910/LIVING/709109859

6. Whole Foods threatens to Sue the Organic Consumers Association

For information on the threat by Whole Foods Market to sue the Organic Consumers Association, go to

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27761

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Since we picked so much produce to sell at Dundee Day, we won't be harvesting at the garden tonight. Our community plots don't have a lot in them right now!

Please put these dates on your calendar:

Tues. Sept. 15, 7 p.m. Board Meeting, Board Meeting at Dundee Presbyterian (open to all garden members)

Sat. Sept. 19, 3-5 p.m. Harvest Party and Pot-Luck

Bring a dish to share, using something from your garden plot if possible!

Thanks to everyone who helped pick and donated produce for Dundee Day! Our booth looked great, and we'll have photos on the web site soon, at http://www.dundeegarden.org/

Between selling Chico bags and taking donations for vegetables, herbs, and flowers, we made over $200 on Saturday! That will help cover our insurance cost for next year, so it's great to end the season with some funds.

FYI, we donated all the surplus veggies and flowers to the Dundee Towers apartment building across the street. The people who live there have been very interested in our garden, and seemed very appreciative!

Mary

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

As a reminder, we are not holding our usual harvest night tonight (Monday). Instead we will be harvesting Thursday at 7 p.m. for Dundee Day. We will be selling Dundee Community Garden produce at our stand at Dundee Day on Saturday.

If you have vegetables, herbs, or flowers you would like to donate to our stand, please join us for harvesting Thurs. evening. Or you can drop your items off at our stand on Saturday morning. We are going to be in the middle of the block between 50 and 51st Streets, on the north side of the street (between KFAB and Grandpa's.) All proceeds will go to support the garden.

Please stop by our stand on Saturday. We'll be selling Chico bags for $5, and we may have a surprise raffle item as well! Also, the Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions.

Mary

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

Join us for our harvest night this Monday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. This is a great time for you to harvest from your own plot, and also to help us harvest from the Food Bank plots that we're donating to Together, Inc.'s food pantry. If you have any extra produce from your own plot that you would like to donate, that would be great! Let us know Monday night, or shoot me an e-mail and let me know that you have extras that we can pick from your plot.

Last week we donated 65#s of fresh garden vegetables to Together!!! Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Be sure to stop by our table at Dundee Day on Sat. Aug. 22! We'll be selling fresh produce and Chico bags. The $$ we raise will go back to the garden, so if you have extra produce you would like to sell, please feel free to donate. You could drop it off at our table on Saturday, or join us to pick produce on Thurs. Aug. 27 for the Dundee Day table.

See you at the garden,
Mary

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Gardeners,

We'll be harvesting from the garden Monday night at 7 p.m. Join us if you can!

If you have more produce than you can use, or if you'll be out of town and your produce will be ripening, let us know and we'll pick your plot for you and donate produce to the food pantry at Together, Inc. They have loved getting our fresh garden vegetables, and the items go fast!

Also, our next board meeting is this Tuesday August. 11, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian, basement dining room. Send any agenda items to Sharon at sharonconlon@msn.com

Mary

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

We've donated almost 50 pounds of produce to Together, Inc.'s food pantry this past month! Join us Monday evening at 7 for our next harvest night. It's a great time to harvest from your own plot as well as help us with the community plots.

Mary

Other items of interest:

*City Sprouts 7th Annual Gala
Sunday Aug 23rd, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St
$25, or $200 for a table of 10

Eric Williams is looking for Dundee Community Garden members who would like to attend. If we have a group of 10, the cost would be $20 each. If you are interested, please contact Eric at MrErlo@gmail.com

*Food, Inc. now showing at Film Streams
Food, Inc. - This film features interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with social entrepreneurs such as Stonyfield's Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat and how it's produced.
When: July 31 -Aug. 13
Where: Film Streams (1340 Webster Street) Special Showing: Tues. Aug. 4, 7 p.m., with post-show panel discussion featuring William Powers, Executive Director of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and representative of Slow Food Nebraska, Elle Lien, creator of Clean Plate, and Dr. Darrell R. Mark, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics and Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist at UNL.
Additional details can be found at http://www.filmstreams.org/

*Slow Food

An effort's afoot to launch an Omaha chapter of Slow Food International. Organizers from the Lincoln chapter invite those interested to meet at Blue Line Coffee, near 14th and Cuming Streets, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday August 4 to discuss establishing an Omaha Slow Food group and events.

The meeting precedes a 7 p.m. screening of "Food Inc." at Film Streams and an 8:30 p.m. panel discussion with the executive director of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society.

*Clean Plate, a farm-to-table raw-foods restaurant and market, is beginning its four-week occupation of the Empty Room (behind Slowdown and Film Streams at 13th and Webster Streets). Those attending the 7 p.m. "Food Inc." premiere at Film Streams tonight (Friday July 31) are invited to stop by for a move-in day open house after the film.

Creator Elle Lien said she'll kick off her stay on Aug. 8 with live music, raw food and live-fermented beer from Upstream Brewing Co., starting at 8 p.m.

Thereafter, the temporary restaurant will be open for select weekday lunches (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Aug. 12 to Aug. 29), a Sunday brunch (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 23) and late-night nibbles (midnight to 2 a.m.) on nights when there's a show at Slowdown.

Lien said Clean Plate will also sell canned and fresh foods from area farmers.

She plans a reservations-only farm-to-table dinner with La Buvette chef Julie Berry at 7 p.m. Aug. 15 and other special events through Aug. 29, when her rent-free stay in the space draws to a close.

For more information or reservations, visit clean-plate.com or e-mail cleanplateomaha@yahoo.com.

Dundee Community Garden August Update

The Dundee Community Garden, at 49th & Underwood, is thriving! Stop by to see the tremendous variety of vegetables we’ve got growing. Our corn is tall, and our teepee is covered with gourd vines. Be sure to check out the scarecrows we made at our July watermelon party.

Our gardeners are reaping their crops, and we’re making weekly donations of fresh produce to local food pantries from the community plots.

Last but not least, visit our booth at Dundee Day to purchase some fresh, local produce. We’ll have a gardening expert at our booth who can answer your gardening questions. And we’ll have Chico re-usable bags for sale for $5 as an eco-friendly fundraiser.

Monday July 27, 7 p.m. Harvest Night and Ask a Master Gardener

Come to DCG to help harvest vegetables from the community beds for the food pantry at Together, Inc. on Monday at 7 p.m.  This is a great time to work together, and also to work on your own plot.  If you have more vegetables than you can use in your own plot, you can donate some to our food pantry collection on Monday.  

Also, Master Gardener Rebecca Reagan will be back to give you tips on caring for the plants in your plot.  This was very popular at our last harvest night!

See you at the garden,

Mary

Pruning Tomatoes

How to manage your plants for better health and better fruit by Frank Ferrandino
Photo/Illustration: Danielle Sherry

The intrinsic vigor and hardiness of tomatoes almost always guarantees a successful harvest. However, the rapid growth of a healthy tomato plant can also lead to problems.

A tomato is a solar-powered sugar factory. For the first month or so, all of the sugar it produces is directed towards new leaf growth. During this stage, tomato plants grow very rapidly, doubling their size every 12 to 15 days. Eventually, the plants make more sugar than the single growing tip can use, which signals the plant to make new branches and to flower. This usually happens after 10 to 13 leaves have expanded, at which time the plant is 12 to 18 inches tall. In the next few weeks, the entire character of the tomato plant changes. If unsupported, the increasing weight of filling fruit and multiple side branches forces the plant to lie on the ground. Once the main stem is horizontal, there is an increased tendency to branch. Left to its own devices, a vigorous indeterminate tomato plant can easily cover a 4- by 4-foot area with as many as 10 stems, each 3 to 5 feet long. By season's end, it will be an unsightly, impenetrable, disease-wracked tangle.

Videos:
• How to Prune Tomatoes
• How to Sharpen Pruners

Further Reading:
• What are heirloom tomatoes, anyway?
• Read more articles on growing veggies

Prune for plant structure and health
Early pruning encourages strong stems. Remove all suckers and leaves below the first flower cluster. Let a second stem arise from the node just above the lowest flower cluster. Let a third stem arise from the second node above the first flower cluster. With tomatoes, we want to maximize the efficiency of photosynthesis and minimize the risk of disease. This is best accomplished by ensuring that each leaf has plenty of room and is supported up off the ground. When a tomato plant lies on the ground, or when its growth is extremely dense, many of its leaves are forced into permanent shade, greatly reducing the amount of sugar they produce. If a leaf uses more sugar than it makes, eventually it will yellow and drop off. A pruned and staked plant will produce larger fruit two to three weeks earlier than a prostrate one.

A properly pruned and supported single-stem tomato plant presents all of its leaves to the sun. Most of the sugar produced is directed to the developing fruit, since the only competition is a single growing tip. The result is large fruits that are steadily produced until frost. If more stems are allowed to develop, some of the precious sugar production is diverted from fruit to multiple growing tips. Fruit production, although slowed, never stops. The result is a nearly continuous supply of fruits throughout the season. In general, more stems means more but smaller fruits, which are produced increasingly later in the season. (This is much less applicable to determinate plants, due to their shortened growing season and better-defined fruiting period. Therefore, determinate plants require little pruning. See "Indeterminate vs. Determinate," below.)

RULE 1
Get plants off the ground.

RULE 2
Give plants room.

RULE 3
Never prune or tie plants when the leaves are wet.

Pruning also affects plant health. The leaves of a pruned and supported plant dry off faster, so bacterial and fungal pathogens have less opportunity to spread. Soil is less liable to splash up onto staked plants. The bottom line: Upright plants have fewer problems with leaf spots and fruit rots because their leaves stay drier and free from pathogen-laden soil.

The way you choose to train and prune your tomato plants will affect how you space your plants, as well as the best method of support . There's no one right way to do it. Instead there are a few good patterns to follow.

Side stems affect plant vigor.
As a tomato grows, side shoots, or suckers, form in the crotches, or axils, between the leaves and the main stem. If left alone, these suckers will grow just like the main stem, producing flowers and fruit.

Suckers appear sequentially, from the bottom of the plant up. The farther up on the plant a sucker develops, the weaker it is, because the sugar concentration gets lower as you move up the plant. On the other hand, side stems arising from below the first flower cluster, although stronger, compromise the strength of the main stem. For a multi-stemmed plant, your aim is to have all stems roughly the same size, although the main stem should always be stronger, because it has to feed the entire plant for the next five or six months. Here's how I achieve this.

I keep tomatoes free of side stems below the first fruit cluster. When trained to one vine and left free-standing, tomato plants develop strong main stems. To encourage a strong stem, I remove all suckers and I don't tie plants to their supports until the first flowers appear.

Determinate tomatoes need no pruning other than removing all suckers below the first flower cluster, because pruning won't affect their fruit size or plant vigor. If you do any pruning at all above the first flower cluster on determinate tomatoes, you'll only be throwing away potential fruit.

Indeterminate tomatoes can have from one to many stems, although four is the most I'd recommend. The fewer the stems, the fewer but larger the fruits, and the less room the plant needs in the garden. For a multi-stemmed plant, let a second stem grow from the first node above the first fruit. Allow a third stem to develop from the second node above the first set fruit, and so forth. Keeping the branching as close to the first fruit as possible means those side stems will be vigorous but will not overpower the main stem.

Indeterminate vs. determinate
Indeterminate tomato plants continue to grow, limited only by the length of the season. These plants produce stems, leaves, and fruit as long as they are alive.

Determinate tomato plants have a predetermined number of stems, leaves, and flowers hardwired into their genetic structure. The development of these plants follows a well-defined pattern. First, there is an initial vegetative stage during which all the stems, most of the leaves, and a few fruit are formed. This is followed by a flush of flowering and final leaf expansion. Finally, during the fruit-fill stage, there is no further vegetative growth. As the tomato fruits ripen, the leaves senesce and die. Commercial growers favor this type of tomato because all the fruit can be mechanically harvested at once. The major advantage of planting determinate plants in a home garden is early harvest.

Semi-determinate plants, as the name implies, are somewhere between these two other types. Although there aren't many semi-determinate tomatoes, one of the most popular hybrids, 'Celebrity', falls into this category. I think semi-determinates are best grown to three or four stems.

Simple vs. Missouri pruning
In simple pruning, remove the entire sucker at the base. In Missouri pruning, pinch out the tip of the sucker. There are two ways to deal with a sucker that isn't destined to become a stem. The simplest is to pinch it off entirely; not surprisingly, this is called "simple pruning." This should be done when the sucker is still small and succulent. Grab the base of it between your thumb and index finger and bend it back and forth. The sucker should snap off, producing a small wound that will heal quickly. Avoid cutting the sucker with a knife or scissors, because the resulting stump can become easily infected. Once a sucker becomes too tough and leathery to snap off, however, you'll have to use a blade. I recommend a retractable razor knife.

In Missouri pruning, you pinch out just the tip of the sucker, letting one or two leaves remain. The advantage is that the plant has more leaf area for photosynthesis and to protect developing fruit from sun-scald. The disadvantage is that new suckers inevitably develop along the side stems, adding to your future pruning chores.

Missouri pruning is necessary when things have gotten out of hand. When you're dealing with large suckers, it's better to pinch off just the tip than to cut off the whole thing close to the main stem. For one thing, if disease hits, it's farther away from the main stem. And for another, removing just the growing tip is less of a shock to the plant than removing a foot or so of side stem.

Suckers grow very quickly during the hot summer months. This is indeed a situation that tests one's resolve. It helps to know that side stems started this late in the season will always be spindly and produce inferior fruit. You must be heartless and tip them all.

How to tie a tomato
There are two reasons to tie tomatoes, and there's a different tie for each one. Train the leader to grow upright with a loose, figure-eight tie. To support burgeoning fruit, loop a long tie above a fruit cluster, and tie it to the stake 6 to 10 inches higher. Loop the tie twice around the stake and tie it tightly so the tomatoes don't pull it down with their weight. Once flowering commences, all tomato vines must be tied to their supports. Although vigorous, the plants are also easily damaged, so take care in how you tie them and what you use. Cloth strips work well as long as they're not too old and threadbare. Pieces of panty hose cause the least damage to plants, but they're not biodegradable. Twine should be at least 1/8 inch thick, or else it can cut into the tomato stems.

There are two types of ties. Training ties direct plant growth upwards, and supporting ties keep it there. The top foot of a tomato stem, or leader, is very succulent and easily snapped; it needs to be directed upwards, gently. I wrap a short piece of twine around the middle of the leader, cross it over on itself, and loosely tie it to the support. The resulting figure-eight tie reduces the chance the tender stem will rub against the support and get bruised.

Fruit will form along this stem. If left to the devices of the loose training ties, the weight of the fruit will pull the ties down the stake. Eventually, the stem will bend over and crease. Luckily, as the stem matures, it toughens; by the time fruit develops, the stem can tolerate a tighter tie. To support a fruit cluster as it fills and gains weight, I loop a longer piece of twine, 12 to 18 inches, around the stem just above the fruit cluster, creating a sling. Then I gently pull it up to take the weight off the stem. I wrap the twine twice around the stake, and firmly tie it to the stake 6 to 10 inches higher than the point of attachment to the vine. To keep the tie from slipping, I knot it underneath the point where the sling meets the stake.

A final pruning pays off
About 30 days before the first frost, there is one last pruning chore: The plants must be topped. The fruit that has set must be given every opportunity to mature. Removing all the growing tips directs all sugar produced by the plant to the fruit. This can be hard to do, as every gardener is reluctant to admit the season is coming to an end. However, this final pruning can make all the difference between hard, green fruits, hurriedly picked before frost, which later rot in a paper bag, and ripe, home-grown tomatoes in your Thanksgiving salad. Be tough, fight your nurturing instincts, and top those plants.

Staking and spacing options
Which method of support you use and how far apart you set tomato plants depends on the number of stems you allow to grow.

Cages work for plants with three to five stems. I use them almost exclusively for determinate tomatoes. Ready-made tomato cages are too little for all but the smallest determinate cultivars. My ideal tomato cage is made from 5-foot-tall galvanized fencing with openings at least 4 inches square, so I can reach in and pick the fruit. A 4-foot section makes a cylinder about 15 inches in diameter. Secure it with baling wire, and stabilize it with two stakes, one of which is at least 6 feet long. Drive the stakes in within a week of planting, but wait to set cages over the plants until the first fruits form, to simplify weeding and pruning. Space caged plants about two-thirds of their final height in all directions.

Use the same type of fencing to make a tomato fence, which works best for plants with one or two stems. To get a good, solid fence, you need a helper. Secure the fencing with 6-foot stakes every 4 feet. Here's how I keep the fence taut. Loop each non-end stake through the bottom rung of the fence, then start to drive it into the ground so its bottom is angled away from the previous stake. Once it's about 4 inches into the ground, bring the stake upright and drive it in the rest of the way. Set single-stemmed plants 18 inches apart, and double-stemmed plants 24 inches apart. If you stagger the planting (successive plants on opposite sides of the fence), you can knock 6 inches off these distances. Erect the fence before you plant your tomatoes.

Stakes work well for plants of one to four stems. I use 1 inch x 1 inch x 6-foot lengths of untreated oak or cedar, sharpened on one end. Drive the stakes 8 to 12 inches into the ground, depending on your soil (deeper for loose, sandy ground). To avoid damaging roots, drive your stakes in within a week of planting. Space staked plants at 18 inches for a single stem, 24 inches for two stems, and 36 inches for three or four stems.

Drawings: Susan Carlson
From Kitchen Gardener 27, pp. 16-19