Operation Green Thumb-Wellington's Community Gardens Introduction: Operation Green Thumb (OGT)-Wellington's Community Gardens is supported by Wellington City Council (WCC) and funded by Lottery Grants, the Community Trust of Wellington and the Nikau Trust.  We have been around since 1994 and have most of our gardens in WCC housing complexes but there are 4 public gardens:  Owhiro Gardens in Brooklyn run by Mokai Kainga Maori Centre, another in Kilbirnie, St Matts Taita, & Tawai Park for those locals in the Trentham area.  All up there are about 120 plots dug up around Wgtn at 9 sites. We also support other garden projects around greater Wellington and Upper Hutt. We try to be as organic as possible and do not condone the use of sprays.  We have a small seed bank and publish our own calendar specific to Wellington's conditions, posters sponsored by the Cancer Socity. Our Aims: are to assist in the set up of new gardens for those people who have no land of their own so they can grow low-cost food.  So if your are unemployed, on a benefit, retired or on a low-income and have no land of your own OGT is available free of charge. If you live in a WCC complex and already have a community garden there you are welcome to apply for a plot.  New gardens at St Matts Churchyard-Taita Great to see more gardens sprouting up and people growing their own veg.  If you live in Upper Hutt check out the Farmers Market during spring/summer Sundays for veg.                                                   John Ramsey's 7 foot Broad beans at Kotuku Flats Gardens OWHIRO GARDENS HAVE PLOTS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED-HAPPY VALLEY RD WGTN RING MOKAI KAINGA 3834922 If you live in the city and have no land of your own but want to have a plot contact the co-ordinator listed below.  Garden space is becoming a premium now at the 2 public gardens but we hope in the future to be able to offer more gardens in Wellington.  You do save money gardening as well as knowing the veg is fresh and spray-free. Phone: Sue Boyle (Dip Hort)- Co-ordinator- 04 9342629 Please do not ring on Sundays or late at night, gardener is resting. Mailto: greenthumb@paradise.net.nz Garden News Newtown Park Gardens will temporarily close by January so the WCC can tart up the flats and also rebuild, improve and add another garden there-great. St Matthews Church in Taita now has a community raised bed for those of you living local-see Charles Noanoa the Community Priest if you are interested Mai Kai Gardens are being upgraded with new soil for the student beds and also the raised beds for their veg co-op.  New gardens opened by Mayor Celia-Raniera Mara gardens at Daniel St Flats Newtown  Tawai Park Gardens-Trentham will be meeting every Tuesday evening to network and garden so come along  How do we keep our soil fertile, that's the prime job of gardeners-growing the soil?  Every weed you pull out and throw away you are just exporting nutrients, you must mulch your garden, for example with pea straw, or grass clippings.  Add your kitchen scraps and just cover with the mulch.  Don't dig, let the worms do the work.  Want some horse manure-go down Happy Valley Rd to the paddock past Carlucciland towards the beach at the corner there will be a shed with bags by it, leave a koha.  You can soak it in a bucket to make a strong liquid you will need to dilute or powder it up and lay on. We wish to acknowledge the generous support of: Lottery Grants Wellington City Council Upper Hutt City Council The Community Trust of Wellington Trust House Charitable Trust The Nikau Foundation The Wellington Cancer Society  Think about rotating your veg around so the soil doesnt get exhausted from the demands of the same plants in the same spot year after year.  Here is a simple chart for you: YEAR 1 potatoes-peas/beans-roots-brassicas YEAR 2 peas/beans-roots-brassicas-potatoes YEAR 3 brassicas-potatoes-roots-peas/beans YEAR 4 roots-potatoes-peas/beans-brassicas SUMMER MONTHS ARE: December-early, January-mid, February-late December-early- summer (windy, dry, bugs are out) Get everything in this month-getting late for pumpkins, eggplants that need a long season. Continue sowing lettuce seeds for continuity of supply Protect new seedlings with drink containers or wind break Plant tomatoes, beans, peas, spring onions, spuds (main crop now) lettuce, bok choy, cabbage, cauki, broccoli (white butterfly is out and laying her eggs so use an organic pesticide or shield with cloth-an absolute pain in the ar#se for ruining a good brassica. Wind increasing so mulch your garden with grass clippings, pea straw to retain moisture and give food for the worms Water evenings and early mornings if poss January-mid summer (hot, dry, & mulch) Keep planting seedlings for continuity of supply Mold up spuds and mulch-more water now Liquid fertiliser on tomatoes Mulch everything to hold in moisture and suppress weeds Grow lettuce quickly with plenty of water-replant at intervals White Cabbage caterpillar having a field day in brassicas-dont grow them or shield somehow Water evenings or mornings now Rotate your veg around-see chart up the page a bit further-it is wise to rest soil with different crops. WINTER-June, July and August Plant lupins if you want to overwinter your plots-then slash and dig in as the flowers buds form for nitrogen boost For those enquiriees from Upper Hutt this is especially for you If you are in a frost prone part now is the time to: Sow or plant broad beans-they do not get hit by frosts, are slow growing but you will reap a good crop.  Afterwards mulch those nitrogen fixers back into the soil for your spring crops to benefit from a bit of N.  Reasonable 500gm bags from Oderings- b.bs need some support/staking. If you are protected from frost its too late for brassicas, get in some quick growing Pak Choy, spinach, leeks, garlic for later on. Watch out for those blasted Pukekos who love pulling out the leeks and then just leave them lying around. Stay warm and rest uptil the madness of spring-mulch the winter garden to knock down weed growth and feed the soil-pea straw, straw, old grass clippings  Want help or advice starting a community garden of your own gives us a ring or email Sue