Composter Help

We are in the process of bettering the compost system in Butler. It is a little up-in-the-air as to how this is going to be accomplished as it takes a lot of community cooperation to make this successful. Because we, as gardeners, are directly affected by the compost situation, we ask that you do what you can to get the word out and encourage your neighbors to use the composters, but most importantly, to USE THEM PROPERLY. Misuse of the composters is the biggest problem and communicating to all Butler residents the proper way to compost is not easy. We ask that you follow the new guidelines (posted on the signs at the patio and near the garden) to better our compost and continue to replenish the garden with the nutrients it needs.

We will try to reach out to new residents as well as current residents to make sure everyone is aware the composters exist. Composting is an important part of our organic garden since we do not allow synthetic fertilizers to be used. GOOD compost is essential for high yields and the necessary nutrients plants need to grow.

Please take the time to help individuals you may see at the composters. Pass along the knowledge and express the importance of Butler-wide participation.

Thanks. For more information, please visit the Butler website, 'Garden & Compost' http://www.princeton.edu/~butlerap/gardening.shtml for further information.

A Community Plot

Gardeners,

We recently had a couple of gardeners decide that they would not be able to garden this season. All wait listed people now have a garden plot, but there is still a half plot that is available. Unless someone objects or would like to claim another half plot (location TBD), we will be designating this as a 'Community Plot' that anyone can plant in and the produce will be donated to residents throughout the season using a bin in the community room or to Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. We donated to MSFFB last year and they were very appreciative of the healthy food.

If anyone has any other suggestions, we would be happy to hear them. Also, if anyone has extra seeds or seedlings that are not going to be used, please donate them to this cause. Thank you so much.

More Resources on Organic Pest Control and Others...

Check the recipes from GardenWeb:

What are some Great Natural Pesticidal and Fungicidal Recipes

Garden Pests Have Arrived...

Hi All,

I spotted pepper weevils on my plants about a week ago.  Its snout gave up its identity!

There are many sites willing to discuss types of garden pests and/or diseases.  However, it seemed more of a challenge to find sites with actual organic pest control options/products.  So, to save you time,  I hope this will help if you find pests too.

Arbico Organics Website:

• Beneficial Insects & Organisms - Where to buy?

• Organic Insecticides

Clean Air Gardening Website:

• Organic Pest Control

I also stumbled across Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management, which looks VERY good.  This may help us understand and identify key "ready to use" products based on ingredient knowledge from this site (which is also available in book form).

It's tick season

Just a reminder that we live in NJ and with spring upon us, the ticks are out in full force. I pulled one off of myself today (I did not go near the garden today, but I am sure they can be there too).
Just be careful and check after spending time outdoors.

Weed Control

Visit the Organic Gardening website for great information on weed control. Browse the website for more great tips on improving your organic gardening techniques.

http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-2-11-200,00.html

Farmer Ronnie Lee Visits Butler Garden

For those of you who were able to make it out to Ronnie's visit, THANK YOU. It was such a great talk and Q&A that he provided us with and this was something he volunteered for, so it was great to have a nice turn out to show him our appreciation for his tips and very useful information. We will be planning a trip to his farm (as he has offered to tour us around there) later this season. We will keep you posted!

For now, visit the Lee Turkey Farm website. http://www.leeturkeyfarm.com/