The Tomato Club

Next Meeting

2009-06-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taking me so long to plan the next meeting. I am just waiting for our orchid experts to set a date, they definitely want to come and talk to us. If in the mean time you would like to meet, just let me know. Someone suggested a cooking class using fresh ingredients from the garden. Does that sound fun? Any other ideas? -Katie

More Info From Friends In Deed

2009-05-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

We are happy to accept food donations in any quantity. Our food Pantry is open twice a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and we are open for donation drop-offs Monday-Friday 9-4. Please let me know if you'd like to stop by and check us out.

Araceli Lopez
Homeless Prevention Services
ECPAC/Friends in Deed
444 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91114
626-797-2402

If anyone has something they would like to donate. I am willing and available to drop it off for you on Mondays or Tuesdays. Just let me know.

Plant a Row For The Hungry Donation Sites

2009-05-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

I received this email today and it sounds like a good place for us. Let me know what you think...

Hi Katie,

I am part of the master gardeners' email list and was delighted to read your email requesting info on possible donation sites. I work for a non-profit in Pasadena called Friends In Deed which operates a foodbank for low-income families and individuals. Our food pantry program has been around since the 1970s and we currently serve about 200 families per week. Below is a brief description and history of the program.

Description and History. Friends In Deed runs the largest full service food pantry in Northwest Pasadena, serving 18483 duplicated clients in 2008. The Friends In Deed Food Pantry has provided emergency food services since 1960 and from its current location at Friends In Deed since 1978. Clients come to the pantry to receive food that is “nutritionally balanced, age appropriate and culturally relevant”. The program allows low-income area residents to supplement their food costs, improve the nutritional content of their food, maintain good nutritional health and gain specific knowledge of other programs that our partners provide. Clients “shop” for food as they would in a grocery store, selecting item that they prefer. As they shop, volunteers build one-on-one relationships, to provide a sense of community, and so that case management issues can be identified and addressed by professional staff.
We are committed to offering our client as much fresh and healthy food as we possibly can and rely heavily on donations to do so. In fact, our organization has been trying to figure out a way to network with local gardeners who have excess produce, so I was very excited to come across your email.

I would like to invite you and your club to come tour our site and see if you would like to donate your extra produce to our program. Please feel free to check out our website for more information http://www.ecpac.net/.

Sincerely,

Araceli Lopez

Other places for us to look into are...

http://www.doorofhope.us/ in Pasadena
http://www.lafightshunger.org/ in Los Angeles

Community Organic Garden in South Pasadena

2009-05-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

If you live around South Pasadena, you might be interested in this...

Hello I got your name from Yvonne Savio… we need your help!!! We are starting an organic garden at the South Pasadena San Marino YMCA In their tree lot, are you looking to do any volunteering?

andrea damian

There is a meeting at the Y tonight at 6, if you are interested. Sorry for the late notice I just found out about it.

Plant A Row For The Hungry

2009-05-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I just heard back from Yvonne Savio, here is the email she sent me...

Hi, Katie –

Wonderful!

Our program doesn’t deal directly with connecting gardeners and food banks, but a great number of interested people are on my “Community Gardening and Food Security” elist. I’ll forward your offer to the elist and to our Master Gardeners. Anyone who knows of local connections will contact you directly.

You might also check with the Pasadena city offices to find out who you can contact locally. I know that the Union Station kitchen usually makes arrangements only with consistent quantity providers.

Please alert your gardening club members of our website and all its great information.

I grew up and again live in Pasadena – in my childhood home and garden! For several years I wrote the gardening column for the Pasadena Star-News.

If any members are interested in community gardening or school gardening, they might like to join either or both of my elists of our program priorities:
1. Community Gardening and Food Security
2. School Gardening
The welcome email of initial resources contains information on our annual Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program, which focuses on helping low-income county residents to grow and eat more nutritious vegetables.

Ciao for now.

Yvonne Savio
Common Ground Garden Program Manager
University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County
PO Box 22255
4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90022
Phone: 323-260-3407
Fax: 323-881-0067
Email: ydsavio@ucdavis.edu
Website: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/
Master Gardener Email Gardening helpline: mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu
Master Gardener Phone Gardening helpline: 323-260-3238

2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Los Angeles Community Garden Council
2007 Certificate of Commendation, Los Angeles Unified School District
2006 Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles
2004 "Feeding the Hungry" Garden Crusader Award, Gardener's Supply Company

Since 1978, the Common Ground Garden program has helped Los Angeles County residents to garden, grow their own food, and healthfully prepare it. Our targeted audience and priority are to serve limited-resource residents and those traditionally underrepresented. By training community volunteers, we empower neighborhoods to create their own solutions. Our Master Gardener volunteers work primarily with community gardens, school gardens, seniors, and homeless and battered women's shelters.

In 2008, 181 Master Gardeners volunteered 9,272 hours serving 87,376 low-income gardeners in Los Angeles County at 28 community gardens, 46 school gardens, 15 shelter gardens, 5 senior gardens, and 13 fairs and farmers markets.

I will let you know when I find a food bank for us to donate to. You can also check out www.gardenwriters.org for more information.

Organic Gardening Tips!!!

2009-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Organic Fly and Gnat Repellent

You can make a natural fly repellent to get rid of flies. Place a small piece of cloth or a sponge within a closed tin. Saturate the cloth or sponge with any essential oils like Citronella oil, Peppermint oil, Lavender oil, Eucalyptus oil, Lemongrass oil, or Pennyroyal oil after proper dilution. Allow saturation for twenty-four hours. Whenever you require a fly repellent, keep open lid of tin. Flies will not come in the vicinity due to the smell of essential oils.

Organic Rat Repellent

Some other organic rat repellents that are safer for children and pets are the use of pellets designed from the scent of natural predators of rats. Urine from a fox, coyote, or bobcat can keep rats away from your home. The pellets are professionally processed into tiny, granular pellets that you spread throughout your home, garden, shed, or any other area where rats can infest. This method of rat repellent technology is safe for pets and children since it uses organic materials.

Organic Insect Repellent

Keep slugs and aphids away from window boxes with a homemade, nonchemical pest spray. Place one peeled onion, two peeled garlic cloves, and one teaspoon cayenne pepper in the jar of a blender. Add three cups of water, and blend until smooth. Let the mixture sit overnight, strain the liquid into a spray bottle, and coat plants generously. The solution will keep, refrigerated in the bottle, for up to one week.

Composting Tips

Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter. Rather than allowing nature to take its slow course, a composter provides an optimal environment in which decomposers can thrive. To encourage the most active microbes, the compost pile needs the proper mix of the following ingredients:

Carbon
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water

High-carbon sources provide the cellulose needed by the composting bacteria for conversion to sugars and heat.

High-nitrogen sources provide the most concentrated protein, which allow the compost bacteria to thrive.

Some ingredients with higher carbon content:

Dry, straw-type material, such as cereal straws
Autumn leaves
Sawdust and wood chips
Some paper and cardboard (such as corrugated cardboard or newsprint with soy-based inks)

Some ingredients with higher nitrogen content:

Wilted green material (usually crop residues, or plants mowed for the purpose)
Animal manures (vegetarians, not meat-eaters)
Grass clippings
Fruit and vegetable trimmings, skins, and waste

Extra Tips

Planting Marigolds in your garden repels bugs in the soil
If you use any kind of wood, like as a planter box, the wood should be untreated
Cinnamon is a natural fungicide
Planting fennel will attract lady bugs to your garden

A Fabulous Website to Check Out!

http://www.backyardgardener.com

LA Garden Show!!!

2009-04-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

Check out http://www.lagardenshow.com/

9:00 am — 4:30 pm,
Friday, May 1 — Sunday, May 3
Early Admission for Arboretum Members is 8 a.m. To become a member call 626.821.3233
Bring your own wagon!

Adults $7.00
Seniors (62 and older) and Students with ID $5.00
Children (5 to 12) $2.50, Younger Children Free
Free Entry for Arboretum Members
To become a member of The Arboretum call 626.821.3233
Free parking and preferred parking available.
Directions to The LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
For more information: (626) 821-3243

Celebrate the Lush and Varied Bounty of Edible Plants
Explore the variety of edible plants that can be easily grown in a garden. From fruits and vegetables to herbs and grains, the LA Garden Show, “A Festival of Flavors” offers something for every garden — whether that garden is in pots, on a balcony, in the backyard or spans several acres.
• See Showcase and Terrace garden displays designed by Southern California landscape architects and designers featuring edible plants.
• Learn about design, edible plants, organics and sustainable gardening practices from guest speakers.
• Shop The Marketplace for garden elements, edible plants, flowering favorites and rare finds.
• Discover new ways to incorporate edible plants in containers, small plots and landscapes.
• Enjoy food, entertainment and gardening activities just for kids.

Vegetable Swap!

2009-04-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

"Wish you could turn your excess plums into lemons, or maybe even a little cash? Use this site to find neighbors to swap with or sell your excess produce to. Or if you specialize in growing tomatoes, find neighbors who specialize in other produce and form networks to share in the variety. Even if you don't have a garden, Veggie Trader is your place for finding local food near you." -Check out www.veggietrader.com
Tip from Ellen Daigle!!!

Lane Culpepper Starting Her Garden!!!

2009-04-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Heather Brattons Garden!!!

2009-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Powdery Mildew?

2009-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

www.burkards.com has an easy to make recipe for powdery mildew! Here it is...

Treating Powdery Mildew Organically
Recipe for Roses and Fruit Trees
To help keep the mildew in check, wash the leaves of diseased plant with a watering hose during the early morning hours.

Spray afflicted plants with the following mixture diluted in one gallon of water.

1 1/2 Tablespoon of Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Mild Dishwashing Detergent Without Ammonia

A little inspiration from Katie Lowry!

2009-04-12T23:34:00.000-07:00

As I was walking through my neighborhood (South Pasadena) I saw a beautiful curbside garden! I love how they have the vine growing right up a palm tree!!!

Don Roberts helping Katie Lowry release ladybugs into her garden!!!

2009-04-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

Always release ladybugs at night or early in the morning!!!

Water your plants before the release, to give the ladybugs something to drink!!!

Place the ladybugs at the base of the plants!!!

Ladybugs eat all kinds of garden pests such as aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips...

Lisa Costantino's garden pictures!!!

2009-04-12T00:58:00.000-07:00

The Early Stages!!!

After about 5 weeks!!!

My First Tomato!!!

Los Angeles County First Meeting Agenda!

2009-04-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Tomatoes,
Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday April 29 at 7:00pm. To kick off The Tomato Club we will be discussing tomatoes. Please come with ideas for our summer service project. Don't forget to bring seeds to swap. We hope to see you there!!!

AGENDA

Welcome & club news (7:00 - 7:05)

Speaker on growing tomatoes (7:05 - 7:20)

Open discussion (7:20 - 7:25)

Decide on summer service project (7:25 - 7:35)

Eat, socialize, swap seeds... (7:35...)

2009-04-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Check back for updates on our first meeting!