Summer's Bounty!

Hey everyone, here's a quick update on some crops that are ready to harvest:

- Garlic: (next to the main herb garden) bulbs with 4 or less green leaves (this is most of them) can be pulled out and eaten fresh
- Zucchini: (next to the potato towers in the NE plot) these will be ready soon, cut individual fruits when they are ~6 inches long
- Beets: (in SE plot) pull out when they are a few inches in diameter (to your liking) -- you can also eat the greens
- Kale/Chard/Collards: (in both eastern plots) cut individual leaves, leaving a few inches of the stem at the bottom
- Carrots (in SE plot): pull out the biggest ones (usually the ones with the largest foliage), there are orange/red varieties!
- Red Onions (next to potato towers in NE plot): pull out the biggest ones
- ALL LETTUCE -- it is getting bitter, so try a piece before taking full heads (if it is all bitter, just leave and we will compost it)
- Beans (in SE and NE plots near the corn): pull off the biggest ones, be careful not to pull off entire stems
- Tomatoes (all plots): there are a few that are almost ready, pick off when ripe (deep orange/red color)
- Prune Herbs (any that are >6 inches tall) and use for tea/cooking -- this also promotes leaf growth on the herbs

**When you go to harvest, do some weeding (near plants is where it counts the most) while you're at it, then reward yourself with the summer's bounty!**

Another quick reminder to all the summer waterers: with this heat it is essential to water deeply, everyday, so if you can't water on your day, please contact me (516-554-2082, ksg2116@columbia.edu) or Sam (303-725-9471, scs2166@columbia.edu) and we will try to find a backup.

Upcoming projects: let me know if you're interesting in helping out with any of these!
-finishing touches on the outdoor compost bin
-growing shitake mushrooms
-mounting the signs (or at least the one with the community garden rules)?
-re-mulching the paths to keep down weeds
-planting new seeds :)

Thanks!

Peace & Love,

Kristina