June Newletter 2025
Ground Up News
Ground Up Newsletter
A composted mix of tips, plants, and the growers who tend to our gardens
April 2025 Food Bank Growers
In this month’s newsletter...
- Events Coming Up
- Exciting News
- May in the Garden with Dianna
Artist and Editor - Bear (They/Them) FBG Vice President
Events Coming Up
Events Coming Up
Farmers Market
May 10th at Port Townsend
May 11th at Chimacum
Port Townsend Farmers Market
Come say hello and learn more about Food Bank Growers at the local Farmer’s Markets! Excited to see you there!
Food for Thought
Quimper Grange's Food For Thought presents a free discussion on
BioChar and Terra Preta - Tues, May 13 at the Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St, PT. Doors open at 6:15 for this 6:30 talk.
Attendees will be given an overview of biochar history, production and uses, including local examples (Jefferson and Clallam counties). Biochar is produced in simple micro-gasifier stoves, kilns and industrial processes. Biochar can be used as a soil amendment and water filter media for the removal of heavy metals.
The presentation is structured for maximum attendee Q&A. Francesco and Lowell will present:
- A short history, overview, of Biochar (Terra Preta) both globally and locally.
- Local production and availability of Biochar.
- Examples of uses on the Olympic Peninsula, highlighting use at Dietz Farm and its potential health benefits.
Biochar and mushroom kits will be available for purchase at the presentation, cash or check only.
Big Drip Campaign
Little drops of cash add up so that we can support our volunteers, gardens and schools that feed our local community.
Exciting News
FBG Partners with Fresh Food Connect!
With prices going up on all food items and more people needing the food safety net of the Food Banks, we are asking those who can't volunteer in a Food Bank Growers garden to bring some of their extra produce they are growing at home to the food bank. Learn more with the link above!
Hydroponic at Salish Coast
Thanks to our incredible community we now have hydroponics at Salish Coast Elementary School! Click the link above to read more!
Gratitude for our Volunteers
Thank you so much for supporting our Spring Plant Sale! We couldn’t have done it without our dedicated volunteers.
Cheers to a beautiful Spring and our wonderful community
May In the Garden
By Master Gardener Dianna Wiklund
Historically May begins with a few days of really warm weather sometime in the first two weeks. These are critical for planting our warm weather crops out in the garden and getting them to germinate. Looks like this year we will get our warm weather later in May than usual if it shows up at all. Port Townsend has an average high temperature of 58.8°F and a low of 47.7°F. Rainfall of about 1.65" in May.
The 3 sisters
Corn: To help our warm weather crop get off to a good start. Direct sowing, or transplanting out corn that has been started indoors, gives the best chance of an actual crop, at least for those who have cool shady gardens. Season extenders like row covers, cloches and cold frames help.
Squash: Direct seeding summer squash or transplanting under cloches will give them a boost in growth and keep them warm as we head into Junuary.
Beans: Interplant bush beans in between the corn gives them support as they grow and they also benefited from the warm ground created by the nearby cloches.
Notes: I have found that if I cover my corn and squash with progressively larger cloches over the next two months I get larger harvests sooner. I have even experimented with covering my corn crop with a hoop house made from a cattle panel and greenhouse plastic. It worked really well. I cover half the bed with the hoop house and left the other half open and I harvest earlier and more corn and beans from under the hoop house. I did have to remove the plastic in July as the corn got too tall.
Planting
- Herbs - Dill, Chamomile, Cilantro, Mint, Parsley, basically any annual herb can go in now.
- Root veg. - Beets, Radishes & Carrots - remember to cover carrots to keep the seeds moist (burlap or cardboard just until they germinate. Then switch to a row cover to keep out rust fly.
- Brassica - Transplant or direct sow: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts…
- Salad Greens - Spinach, Lettuce, Asian greens
- Winter Gardening - Start Swiss chard, Parsley and Parsnips for harvest next winter.
Harvesting
Rejoice in the sweet fresh greens that are coming in now! And celebrate the early fruits ripening in our gardens.
- Salads - Arugula, asian greens, corn salad, lettuce, spinach and radishes and just of few of our early salad crops.
- Sprouting Broccoli & asparagus are great lightly steamed.
- Many herbs can be harvested now before they start to bloom.
- Fruit - Rhubarb & early strawberries sweeten up our meals. Ok Rhubarb isn’t sweet but made into a pie it can’t be beat.
Garden work -
- Slug picking continues this month as they really like the new shoots coming up fresh and tender. The addition of well rinsed seaweed or dry crushed eggshells around your new starts can deter some of the slugs.
- This is often the beginning of the irrigation season. Test your lines and repair or replace damaged components. I highly recommend a timer on your water system whether you use soaker hoses or a drip system, timers are a good way to keep your watering steady and consistent.
Enjoy our warm days in May as a taste of what summer will bring when it finally arrives in July. Remember to spend time just relaxing in your garden. Bring out a chair and just sit and watch and breathe. This can be very healing and informative as you relax and see all the wonderful life that is attracted to the beauty of healthy happy plants.
Happy Gardening,
Dianna Wiklund
Everyone is Welcome
We’re so grateful for our volunteers! Feel free to join us and explore opportunities to grow, glean, or help remotely. Just let us know what interests you, and we’d love to get you involved!
Thank you FBG Community!
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