WCPT's Parking Lot Farm
This May Be the Final Report
The farm in the parking lot is winding down. There are still some tomatoes for the staff, one lonely cuke, an eggplant or two. But farm is pretty much done for the year. And the slide show is short but choice. Thank you, Heather.
Vegetable plants in September Ain't Too Pretty.
The Parking Lot Farm is beginning to look a little ragged now that September is upon us, but that's the natural course of things with vegetables. The fruits of our labors still taste wonderful.
Heather's Back!
And the plants are grateful, though it must be said that Gavin, the two Mikes and the rest of the WCPT crew took pretty good care of the farm.
Everybody's gone! Will the farm survive?
Heather went on vacation, and Mike spent the week working on the Backyard Makeover! What will the farm look like when we next see it. Will it have fallen into complete disrepair? Will it be a crispy mess that Mike and Heather have to clean up? Tune in next week.
R.I.P., Good and Faithful Zucchini
Powdery mildew won the zucchini battle this week.
No Slide Show
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
A lot happened at the farm this week. All the boxes were moved to the west of the building when it became clear that the parking lot was JUST TOO HOT! The tent had to be taken down after it fell on the plants.
Quarantine and Sun Protection
This week Heather was moving earthboxes all over the parking lot. Dr. Wally from Pesche's correctly diagnosed the white spots on the zucchini as powdery mildew and said the box should be moved away from the other plants. Mike pruned away the damaged leaves and supplied Heather with some Espoma Three 'N' One. Heather, in the cool of the day, sprayed the remainder of the plant. So far, so good. But then, DARK SPOTS began to appear on the tomatoes. Mike and Dr. Wally considered sun scald and Heather first moved the plants and then, with a little help from the rest of the WCPT crew, erected a tent for them. But the problem turned out to be blossom end rott!!! This condition is a watering issue, which is not supposed to happen in earthboxes. Anyway, the affected tomatoes were removed and discarded and life in the garden went on.
Stake-Up Update (and a Dramatic Development)
Mike and Heather continue to care for the WCPT Parking Lot Farm. This week, they do some staking up and encounter one those dreaded garden disasters.
Planted by Mike and tended by Heather,
the Parking Lot Farm is Rockin'!
We planted the Earth Boxes at the beginning of June and already (July 2) the tomato plants are close to five feet tall. Some of the staff at Chicago's Progressive Talk--like Sales Director Mark Earnest--think I'm some kind of wizard but when you have the right plants, the right soil, the right fertilizer, plenty of sun and some tender loving care (producer Heather Frey is out there six days a week, tending the garden), it's not that hard to grow spectacular plants.
The earth boxes and plantes were donated by Sid's and Pesche's, the soil and fertilizer by Dr. Earth.
While this is a modest project, I think it is truly making a difference among the people who work at the station. Every day, when they come to work, they are reminded that it's not that difficult to make the transition from "talking the talk" to "walking the walk."
Upward and onward.
