It’s that time of the year when fruit and vegetable plants are finally earning their keep. If you have produce to donate, consider giving it to those who really need it rather than someone that could buy their own. There a lots of great outlets, but here are a few that NNC encourages:
- NNC location drop-off: We have drop points in north and south Tualatin for your convenience beginning Sunday July 1. Just drop off produce from noon on Sunday to noon on Monday and we’ll deliver it to the Tualatin Schoolhouse Pantry or Meals on Wheels on Monday afternoon, where it will be used that day. We’ll record the weight of your donation for you. Label the produce with your name so that we can record your donations. Here are the drop-off locations. They are also mapped for your convenience:
- 17660 SW Shawnee Trail, Tualatin
- 9412 SW Arikara Drive, Tualatin
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- Tualatin Schoolhouse Pantry: Located on Borland Rd. in the basement of Rolling Hills Church. The Pantry serves a tremendous number of people in our community. They will weigh your produce and give you a receipt. We just ask that you please email us with the amount of your donation at neighborsnc@gmail.com. Keeping track of donations is how we get supporters for next year so that we can afford seeds and planting supplies for our volunteer gardeners…you! We also want to recognize our gardeners and track progress towards our donation goal.
- Meals on Wheels: Located in the Juanita Pohl Center in Tualatin Community Park. They have a donation rack for seniors who would like to take something home to eat. Seniors get one meal a day through Meals on Wheels so they appreciate getting a little extra to help them through to the next meal. Please estimate the weight of your donation (e.g. 2 pounds), and email us with your donation amount at neighborsnc@gmail.com.
Help us achieve our donation goal of 4,500 pounds of produce this year. Last year we donated over 3,800 pounds - thank you for being so generous!!
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Welcome New Gardeners!
Welcome to the many new gardeners who joined NNC at our plant handout last month! And thank you to all of our existing gardeners for your ongoing support. Please continue to share the good work we are accomplishing together and encourage your gardening friends and neighbors to donate produce.
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Controlling Pests Organically
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Common pests in the Pacific Northwest such as slugs and aphids can be a big nuisance in the garden – feasting on and damaging your precious produce. You’ll want to control them organically because you don’t want toxic slug bait or pesticide in your food! Following are some tips for controlling these pests, along with some resources for further information.
Aphids: Aphids are very small insects that feed on plants by sucking their juices. They love leafy greens such as cabbage, kale, the inside of broccoli heads, and outer leaves of Brussels sprouts. They may initially be hard to spot because they often have colors that blend in with the plant they are feeding, and are also often found on the underside of the foliage. When aphids infest a leaf or stem of a plant, it often curls and quits growing. These guys did a number on my beautiful kale plants last year so I’m working to stay ahead of them and outsmart them this year!
Controlling Aphids:
- Prune and dispose of infested leaves
- Spray leaves with a strong stream of water to dislodge them – many will not be strong enough to crawl back onto the plant. You’ll need to repeat this every day or two until under control.
- Encourage and protect natural enemies of aphids such as ladybugs and lacewings. More information on beneficial insects can be found here at the Mother Earth News website – see the link below. You can also purchase ladybugs at local garden centers. Know that most of them will disperse within a few days and you will likely need to reintroduce more.
- If the above methods fail, you can use a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap per gallon of water, and spray the aphids. Neem oil may also be used as directed on packaging, usually diluted in water at only 1-2% oil. These products work by smothering the aphids. Both soap and oil only kill the aphids that are sprayed, so they should be applied thoroughly and reapplication every few days is needed. Be sure to spray the under side of leaves where aphids often hide! These products should not be used on plants that are stressed by drought, or when temperatures are 90 degrees or higher. Some plants may be sensitive so you may also want to test in a small area first.
Slugs: Slugs will come out of hiding at night when it is cool, or whenever there is a little rain. They feed at night, chewing holes in vegetable leaves such as salad greens, cabbage, and beans. They can also damage low-growing vine plants such as cucumbers and squash, particularly when the plants are young.
Controlling Slugs:
- Place beer in the lid of a jar or in a tuna can. If using a tuna can, bury part of it so that slugs can enter it easily. Slugs will be attracted to this at night, and will climb in and drown. To be most effective, they should be emptied and refilled daily.
- Save eggshells that have been rinsed and dried, and then crush them either by hand or in a food processor. Spread the crushed eggshells around plants you are trying to protect in the garden. The slugs will not crawl across them, and they have the benefit of adding nutrients to your garden!
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Neighbors Nourishing Communities (NNC) is an organization of neighbors gardening to raise fresh produce for local families in need of food support. We provide plants, seeds, instruction and site consultations in exchange for 20% of the produce raised.
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