April 2021 E-Newsletter
“Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That’s the fun of them. You’re always learning.” –Helen Mirren
Featured Instagram Photo of the Month: Planting Potatoes in the Fertile Ground
Upcoming Garden Events:
Apr. 8-11 - Greenhouse Fundraiser
Useful info:
Happy spring holidays to all who have been and will be celebrating! I hope those celebrating are able to find ways to safely spend some time with the people who matter to you most. Holidays can be tough during the best of times so my thoughts to all of you who might be struggling. Hopefully, all of us can celebrate and enjoy the glory that is Ocean View Farms in the spring time. Take a walk around the garden and enjoy the gorgeous and ever-changing blooms.
Spring weather and sunshine call us to the garden and almost demand us to start planting and working the soil. Now is the time to weed and amend your soil as there is a major greenhouse sale just around the corner. The weather is forecasted to be warm and dry for the foreseeable future, so make sure to keep seeds and seedlings plenty wet until they establish deep roots. We’re looking at facing another drought year, so do your part to save water and consider mulching your beds. Mulch helps retain water and can have the added benefit of blocking soil pathogens from coming in contact with the leaves of your plants. Check out these suggestions for soil mulch. Also considering amending your soil with compost or some other material that retains moisture. The soil at OVF is very sandy, so once it dries out, it’s very hard to get it to hold water again. Amending your soil can help with that problem.
April is the month to garden! Weed, weed, weed and then sow seeds and transplant seedings! Tomato plants are going in the ground, so please do your part to protect them by avoiding overhead watering. Spraying water is also one of the least water-wise ways to water a garden plot and it leads to less healthy plants. It’s a lose-lose situation! Here are some tips for watering that will both save water and lead to happier plants.
OVF Announcements:
OVF Elections
OVF Election week runs from Monday, April 5 thru Saturday, April 10. The What's New page on the OVF website will feature the slate of candidates and their statements, if submitted.
How to Vote:
-Sign in to your OVF Account
-Click the big green button at top of page
-Make your choices
-Submit votes
Greenhouse Fundraiser:
The April Greenhouse Fundraiser will be a multi-day sale:
4/8 Thursday 10:00-noon
4/9 Friday 11:00-1:00
4/10 Saturday 10:00-1:00
4/11 Sunday 10:00-1:00
The greenhouse will open for members to purchase seedlings outside the door. The sale will be cash only and small bills are appreciated.
Please, no lineups! Please wear your mask over your nose and mouth.
The April greenhouse sale is a garden favorite. Who can resist the temptation of a late spring/ summer garden? Planting a mix of flowers and edibles can help attract pollinators to your plot and increase crop yields. If you’re looking to plant some blooms, the greenhouse sale will feature some gardener favorites like marigolds and cheery cosmos. However, for the more adventurous, you’ll also find the colorful and fuzzy Celosia (see photos below). This greenhouse sale will feature both pampas plume Celosia as well the variegated cockscomb variety. These flowers are very unusual head-turners to say the least.
Due to gardener demand, the greenhouse will be offering spaghetti squash seedlings at the sale this year. For those of you uninitiated to spaghetti squash, it is a large, winter squash varietal that needs room to grow. This article has some good tips for growing spaghetti squash including a suggestion for a space-saving option. Spaghetti squash is stringy when cooked and is often used as a calorie-cutting and more nutritious alternative to pasta. Snazz it up with your favorite red pasta sauce and toppings for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner or enjoy a simpler preparation with melted butter and salt. Spaghetti squash is also prized as a weeknight vegetable for its ease to prepare. You can cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pop it in the oven until it is tender but for those with limited time, you can also stick the halves in the microwave for 10-20 minutes. Once the squash is cooked, take a fork to scrape out the “noodles.” Food Network has a nice slideshow of 30 spaghetti squash recipes to get your creative cooking juices flowing.
For a complete list of seedlings available at the fundraiser, please visit the OVF website.
Transplanting and Growing Healthy Tomato Plants
Dean Cleverdon and Nancy Nyberg spend their entire garden year prepping and planning for tomato season. They are constantly studying up on tomato growing best-practices. Please take a moment to read their tips about growing tomatoes. Even a seasoned gardener might learn a new thing or two.
No Unattended Watering
As the weather heats up, help OVF save water (and funds) and make sure you don’t leave a running hose unattended. Not only can it lead to water spilling into the path, but if a board member catches you in the act, you can also receive a citation. With so little rain this year, Southern California is moving deeper into drought so please use our precious water carefully and mindfully. Every time we go into a drought year, water prices go up and the gardeners end up paying for it in their plot fees.
OVF President Nina Rumely shares this: “Weather West is a great blog about California weather.” Check it out if you are interested in weather trends in California.
Photos from the Community
We love when you share your garden photos with us! Send photos and news to askovf@oceanviewfarms.net for a chance of being included in the newsletter.
OVF Gardener and Phase 1 Rep Les Hairrell shared these before and after photos of his Independent Project 56. Les writes “attached are some photos of my IP 56. These three photos were taken today. I’ve also attached a link below to a ‘before’ photo of the IP. It shows the IP after I’d built the beds and installed the drip, but before the planting had begun. I raised all the plants from seed except for the iris and ranunculus. It has been a fun project.” Congratulations Les on the terrific gardening!
As always: we want to hear from you! Send us an email, reach out on Facebook, or tag us on Instagram @oceanviewfarms.
That’s all for now. Happy gardening!