Come check out our new FAQs page!

We've been updating content on the Growing Hope FAQs page. Included now on the site are tips for dealing with garden pests, and we hope to add more information as soon as we can.

If you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see on the site, leave us a comment here!

The photos you see here are but a few of the miracles happening in Recreation Park's Community Garden's four squares...

End of Month Number Two in a Four Square

These images were taken last week. You can see the carrots starting to really tower over the surrounding beets. When I water them, they completely flop over the beets on the west side of the bed.

In this photo, you can see the beautiful color of the Bull's Blood leaves. I think the beets are about an inch in diameter after 9 weeks. (They were planted on May 3.) That's one tiny carrot on the edge -- about an index finger-size. I've since pulled three more -- each getting to be a respectable size of about 6", although still a small carrot.

Here you can see the state of the leeks -- still pretty tiny. I have leeks planted about two weeks earlier in the ground at the community garden and they are about the size of a scallion now.

In this one, you can see the White Triumphs beginning to vine after just about 4 weeks in the ground.

Garden Resources

Hello Four Square Gardeners! In case you're in need of garden supplies, here are some quick tips on where to go in Washtenaw County to get what you need for your square foot garden... Any tips of your own? Post a comment and share them with us!

Garden Questions?

Call the Master Gardener Hotline: Washtenaw County Master Gardeners, with support from the Extension Horticulturist, staff a Garden Hotline from April through October. Advice on general gardening questions and household pest problems can be received by calling (734) 997-1819, Monday through Friday, 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm.

Compost

There are a number of places in Washtenaw County with free or inexpensive compost if you don't have space to make your own. Check these out, and let us know of any others!

Ypsilanti Township Compost Site, 2600 East Clark Road
(Between Ford Blvd. and Ridge Road)
Phone: 734-482-6681
Mixed quality compost
Free to Ypsilanti Township residents- 3 yard limit- load your own pickup
9-3 Mon-Fri
http://www.twp.ypsilanti.mi.us/services/compost.shtml

City of Ann Arbor
4150 Platt Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: 734-971-8600
$17/yard- bring open-top pickup truck and tarp
8-4 Mon-Fri, 8-12 Sat
High quality, tested compost- test results available on-site

Other Composting Facilities in Washtenaw County:
www.urbanoptions.org/PDF/deq-whm-stsw-MichiganCompostingContacts.pdf

Compost calculator:

You need to decide how much area (in square feet) you want to cover, and then the depth of coverage you want to achieve. We suggest one to three inches for vegetable gardens and fall cover crops, between a quarter and half an inch for lawns and raised flower beds. With these numbers, you can either (1) use our handy online Compost Calculator, or (2) you can calculate your needs using the following equation:

Area * Depth * 0.0031 = Compost

(square feet) (inches) (cubic yards)

Visit www.intervalecompost.org/coverage.htm

Rain-barrels
Growing Hope has blue or white 55 gallon barrels, fully assembled, with lid. Cost: $65

If you would like to construct your own, we have rain barrel parts kits for $35- you supply the barrel!

Tools
Growing Hope has tools available for lending to the public, so e-mail us at info@growinghope.net, or come into our office, and specify what you need, and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.

Wood

Building a new raised bed? Got a garden project or two? We recommend any wood that is chemical free or untreated. Here's where you'll find it:

Recycle Ann Arbor Reuse Center
2420 South Industrial Highway
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 662-6288

Carter Lumber
2800 E Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti 48198
(734) 484-3923
www.carterlumber.com

Fingerle Lumber Co.
617 S. Fifth Ave., P.O. Box 1167
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1167
(734) 663-0581 (800) 365-0700
Fax: (734) 663-0137
Mon-Thurs: 7:30-5:30 SAT: 8:00-4:30 (ET)