The gardens close on November 1st. The water will be turned off then. All garden debris needs to be removed and hauled to the compost facility nearby. If you do haul it to the back of the gardens, it must go to the far far back, not just to the first line of trees.

Failure to clean up your plot means you may not be allowed to rent again next year.

The river is forecast to rise this weekend but the projected crest is far below the level where it hits the gardens. That said, if you have crops still there, watch the forecast.

 For various reasons, we have decided to step down from the garden’s managing committee at the end of this gardening season. This means that a new committee will be needed for next year’s operations.

If you are interested in the duties of a committee member or have any questions, please email us at cedarfallscommunitygardens@gmail.com. We’ll be happy to tell you how we have functioned for the past three years 

 We’ll have a new committee meeting in September so we can hand over the reins. 
John and Mary Jo

Lots of gardens going in!!!! We had three people wanting the last plot so we opened a new row on the west end past the flower row. So we now have two plots still up for grabs,

Special thanks to Caleb and his son and their friend for mulching down the central pathway for us!!! We really really really appreciated all the hard work and commitment. After the rains, we are realizing how nice that mulched area will be when moving hoses and walking between plots,

Sounds like the weather is finally going to warm up next week so the soil will warm and the plants already in the ground will get to growing and the seeds will start germinating as well.

IT’S HAPPENING!
The gardens are ready to go. This morning, John, Deb and I (mostly John) got the hoses set up and measured and marked all the plots. So what does each marker mean??

The plots have grown over the years. We didn’t check widths but the plots vary from maybe 9 1/2 to 11 feet wide. And the plots are now 20 1/2 to 21 foot long. The pink flags we put out on the north and south ends of the plots not only identify the plot, it sets the maximum boundaries. In some rows, the tiller went a little past but that happens with big machinery. So please, don’t plant past the pink flags. Plus, if you dig more than 2 or 3 inches deep in that runout area, you hit hard dirt!!

Most of the gardens this year seem to be double plots but we still have a few single plots. The dividing line between plots are also marked with a pink flag.

Quick Reminder:
When you put up fences, set them inside the plot 3 or 4 inches so you can keep a clean hoe line on the outside of the fence and we can get the mower right up to the fence.

The Middle Aisle
We placed stakes and twine to mark the six foot center aisle that must be kept clear for hoses and walking. Those also serve as boundaries. We’ll take them down once you get your gardens in and/or fences up.

One Plot Left
We still have on 10 by 20 plot left for ‘late’ gardeners. It can be reserved on the Reserve a Plot Page.

Not Quite Open
The tilling was done Monday and Tuesday but the ground is wet and cool and with rain forecast, we’re really not open. A miscommunication means an extra row was tilled on the east and several on the west. We’ll be putting those into grass once it stops raining. I did stick out the pink flags in case anyone drives by and wants an early peek but we won’t be measuring the plots until Friday.

Middle Aisle
The tiller also ran through the middle aisle so that need to be re-marked. The aisle is to provide easy access to the hoses by all gardeners and to help prevent damage to middle row gardens. We’d like to mulch this middle ground between plots B and C with wood chips but we need lots of help to get that done. Email us if you can help or know someone who can.

Fences and Mowing
The mower reminds gardeners that he needs you to set fences inside the plot line 3 or four inches so he can run the mower there. Remember, you are responsible for weeds to the edge of your plot. Leaving a narrow border outside the fence is easy hoeing for you and a margin for the mower. Also, don’t plant in that narrow margin outside your fence.
For those without fencing, keep your plants inside by that same margins.
Also bird netting as not to be used for fencing. It does not stay taut and can ruin the mower. If used as a cover, the netting must be set back inside the garden edge or be at least a foot above ground level.

Finally
The gardens should be open next weekend. We have one plot still available.

Still Taking Reservations
We have 8 plots left if you want to garden this summer. So reserve your plot now!

Plot Numbers Changing
We were unable to do the total tilling we had hoped to do so we’ll be using the old layout and plots. We are renumbering them this year starting at the east end and going west.. We are eliminating one row on the east end of the gardens and several additional rows on the west. We need to consolidate to keep maintenance costs down.

Plot Assignments
We’ve tried to keep folks in the same plots as last year but we had to move a few people. The plot assignment page will show the new numbering system and will be active in the next couple of days.

Opening Day??
The City hopes to till the plots this Friday – in between this weeks rain and next weeks rain. We’ll announce when that happens! But it will likely be too cool and wet to plant for a few more days. While you wait, take the time to review the garden rules and get your new plants acclimated.

We have an early registration for a garden plot for 2019 so it’s time to do an update!

We usually don’t take registrations until April or so but we understand your eagerness to get started.

Changes
We are doing some renovations this year.  The City of Cedar Falls will plow up the entire area this spring and we are still  working on a new layout.  We will likely put 4 plots together with a six foot pathway between  each set and may modify plot sizes.  This reduces mowing edges for the mower and fencing for those with multiple plots.   Pricing may change so we’d appreciate if you wait until we get the new configuration drawn up to reserve and pay or there maybe be an additional charge.  Also we will give priority to Cedar Falls gardeners first and then others if space remains.

So welcome aboard for another year  May we stay high and dry!

At the back east end of garden looking west towards downtown.

FLOODED!!!
The final flood crest was about 95.6.  Higher than forecast and a lot higher than the one we had in early September though the original forecasts were about the same.  The Cedar River is a capricious spirit!!

Getting Maximum Mileage From Your Garden

Every year we comment about the changes in weather patterns and the impact on our gardens.  Just yesterday, we were discussing the late frost dates we have had the last few years.  So will that help us get a few more miles from our gardens this year??

Did you know?
Several vegetables can be planted in late summer for a fall crop. For a fall crop, plant beets, carrots, Swiss chard, kohlrabi and kale in early to mid-August, plant leaf lettuce and spinach in late August to early September and plant radishes from mid- to late September.

Due to hot, dry soil conditions, seed germination in late summer is often rather poor. To promote seed germination, plant fall vegetables when the soil is moist after a rain, sow the seeds slightly deeper than spring plantings and lightly water the row after the seeds have been sown.