Planting in 2010!

Year 2 is underway at the Sadiq Organic Farm & Garden! This year is full of promise and the SOFG looks to be bigger and better than before. Last year SOFG yielded a great harvest. We had 5 varieties of tomatoes, 2 varieties of cucumber, 4 varieties of peppers (3 sweet, 1 hot), 3 varieties of eggplant, lettuce mix, zucchini squash, spinach, collards & mustard greens, strawberries, potatoes, scallions, watermelons, edible flowers and herbs! Dare I say it, it was a good year and this year looks to be even bigger!

We're 'growing' this year, by adding more beds to provide more organic vegetables to the community. We will develop a Farmer's Market and provide classes on gardening and healthy living. There will be solar technology added for lighting and a covered seating area for 'green-thumbs' to relax.

The planting has already started! So far, we've planted 16 tomato plants all from last year's tomatoes that were grown in the garden. Planted 8 beds containing lettuce, collard greens, rainbow chard, squash and okra. Gave away 3 lbs of strawberries that remained in the garden from last year's crop and harvested 1lb of scallions from the garden....and it's just June!

Oh, and it's looks that SOFG is 'sowing' more than 'seeds' in the community but also inspiration. One of our neighbors, who always wanted to start a garden, supported SOFG last year and gained the tools, resources and motivation to start another garden in the community. Keep on 'planting' Walnut Park! And keep on 'sowing' SOFG!

Keep your ears to the 'ground' for the happenings at the Sadiq Organic Garden & Farm as we continue to give life to the community.

What's in the Garden...

To date we have planted the following...

Summer crops: (veggies, fruits, melons, & herbs): tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, sweet & italian peppers, onions, radishes, zucchini squash, spinach, bush beans, corn, strawberries, watermelons, potatoes, basil, & lemon balm.

Companion plants: edible marigolds, edible borage, and sunflowers. Already bearing fruit or ready for harvest: cucumbers, radishes, onions, potatoes, basil, & lemon balm...

Flowering & soon to fruit: squash, tomatoes, some peppers and some eggplant Early planted Fall crops: beets & lettuce

Fall crops scheduled to be planted (via seeds) within next week: turnips, collard greens, mustard greens, and chinese cabbage. Possibly some other herbs such as sage and oregano.

Visit the Garden

Visit the garden, see how the cucumbers and squash are climbing up the fence...how the tomatoes are growing in their EarthBoxes...watch the corn and bush beans coming up...pull some wild grasses from the pepper and eggplant bed...put fresh water in the birdbath and add bird seed to the feeder tray...check for hungry catepillars on our young plants and if necessary, spray some of the eco-friendly pest spray (follow listed directions) that's kept in the green bin. There's always something that can be done...small or big...little or a lot. Or just visit, sit a spell, enjoy the flowers...it is so peaceful and calm...most of all the plants thrive on our positive energy for they are living things too. Let's invite the entire Jamaat and Community to do this! It's good for the spirit!

July 20

Bro. Hadi cut the grass yesterday and also weed-wacked around the fence...which could use another run-through...all in all looks much better than it did before. Allahumdolillah, got the rain barrels filled with water from Mr. Townsend today also. Hopefully, we can have someone from our Jamaat responsible for doing that using the fire hydrant. My dad's sister is visiting from out of town and she helped me plant one of the small beds that was designated for the children's bed. Cucmbers are climbing the fence and so is the gourd plant (in the squash bed). The squash are getting big too. All are starting to flower...beautiful! Some of the tomatoes are flowering too.

Kareema Shahid

REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHORES TO BE DONE ON REGULAR BASIS:

Grass needs cutting outside as well as inside fenced area (probably best to use a hand mower on inside until we get the whole area covered with mulch) WEED-WACKED around fencing by garden beds, EarthBoxes and along neighbor's fencing side Grass & weeds need pulling from garden beds as part of regular maintenance (they can "choke" out the young plants, stunting their growth) Check plants for unwelcomed bugs and disease Make sure plants get plenty of water on a daily basis until they get bigger Vining plants such as squash, cucumbers, tomatoes & melons should be 'staked-up' as they grow

Update

• Installed birdbath and birdfeeder
• Planted 2 vegetable beds
• Installed 3 more planting boxes

To do's

• take pictures of some children planting in the Children's Garden Bed for our online album and website.
  
• have mulch & compost delivered
• put up the trellises in the cucumbers and squash beds as well as along the row of EarthBoxes with the tomatoes.
• two EarthBoxes for Okra which have been rolled out from the back of Sadiq Mosque that need to be picked up ASAP in a truck and brought over
• Design and make the trash recepticle.
• Level the parking area, and make the parking lot cinder-block 'fence'.
• Get some type of signage.

96 degrees in the shade...

There was a heat wave in St. Louis but that didn't stop the team from moving forward working in the Sadiq Organic Farm & Garden. The team filled the remaining beds with compost and mixed with vermiculite. The beds are now ready for planting. Weed stop material was laid in between the beds as the foundation for the mulch, which will comprise the walkways. At the end of the day, the youngsters began planting seeds. A good 'hot' day of work. Great effort team! Looking forward to 'the fruits of our labor'. See the new pics in the slideshow.

Rain, Rain...

Rain can be like a confused friend. At times when you need it...it doesn't come, then when you don't need it...it comes. During the project, rain has been both friend and foe. Because of rain, our time lines have been unpredictable. The last couple of days, we have had some fierce rain. Hopefully, our rain barrels are full. Thanks 'friend'.