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Black Rot Disease in Brassicas
What is it? Black rot is a bacterial infection that affects the vascular system of members of the Brassica (broccoli) family. It is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Which plants are affected? All cruciferous crops are susceptible including arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (including Chinese cabbage), cauliflower, collards, garden cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard (including mizuna), radish, rutabaga, and turnip. NOT AFFECTED seems to be nasturtium (it must be far enough away on the family tree). Where did it come from? We don’t know the origin of our current outbreak. The bacterium infects all parts of host plants, including seeds, so it could have come in on a seed or on a commercial transplant. There are also some Brassica family weeds that can harbor it in the wild. Why is it such a problem now? We have had the perfect warm, humid weather for it to spread and multiply these past few months – temperature has been between 50-75, it has been breezy and wet. It wasn’t until Wayne saw the same pattern on several of his plants that he brought it to Ray’s attention. We’ve probably been living with it for months without realizing it, which allowed it to spread widely. How is it spread? […]
WCG 5th Birthday Celebration
Bring your picnic and let’s party! The event will include Garden tours Children’s activities Decorated straw hat contest Sky King’s Birds of Prey @ 12:00 noon Educational booths and displays PUCS – Pop Up Coffee Stop food truck. Celebrating 5 years of Growing Community through Gardening.
Spring Seeds Are Available For $10
These 21 varieties are available in the Spring 2015 Seed Pack. You also get inocculant for the edamame, since it is a different rhizobium than our normal beans require. Contact Ray or Shelly and meet at the garden to purchase your seeds. Vegetable/herb When to plant Arugula-regular Plant Feb – Apr Arugula-Sylvetta Plant Feb – July Basil-Genovese Plant […]
How To Make Decisions On What Vegetable Varieties To Grow
By Education Committee members, Wayne Slaiku and Ray Sher Figuring out what vegetable varieties to grow is a fun and interesting thing to do, but it takes a lot of time, and seed catalogs always make every variety sound good. To sift through the information, there are key things to look for, which makes decision […]
Winter Wonders
Just a quick peek at what’s growing in our gardens…
Orchard Maps
The two orchards at Westbury Community Garden include over 40 citrus, fig and other fruit trees. Have you wondered what varieties have been planted? Can you help fill in the details on the numbered trees on the maps? Mouse over each dot to see tree info. Front Orchard North 40
Radishes
Ever wonder what to do with those huge radishes that seem to want to grow above the ground? Did you know you can cook them? I’ve tried steaming them and serving with salt, pepper, and butter–yummy! Sort of like a mild turnip. And they can be sliced thinly and sauteed with other fresh veggies for […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
On this perfect-weather Thanksgiving Day, while I rest up before the marauding hordes arrive, I am reflecting on how very grateful I am for all the wonderful things that have happened at the Garden this year and the dedicated people who made them all possible. Thanks to community leaders and their supporters, who worked tirelessly […]