Newlsetter October 2010

  

Concept to Completion

 

 

Grow It Yourself Limerick

GIY is a national non-profit organisation urging people to return to local produce and be more self sufficient. The plan is to have a branch in every town and city in the country.

GIY Limerick City was started in June by Leonie Kerins.  The county will see the launch of its first group on October 27th with East Limerick group starting under Heather Ridgewell.  Heather can be contacted on 086 1546996 or through the website http://www.giyireland.ie

 All are welcome.  The meetings are completely free and there is no membership fee.
 GIY Ireland aim to get together people who are interested in growing their own food and to provide them with the practical skills they need to do so successfully.
 
Their objectives are:
 

  • To take the 'self' out of 'self-sufficiency' for amateur growers. 
  • To inspire people to produce their own food. 
  • To inform people about the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of home-grown produce. 
  • To provide home growers with the knowledge they need to grow successfully - what to grow, when and how to grow it.
  • To build vibrant, active, local communities of food growers by establishing sustainable GIY groups in every town in Ireland. 
  • To be socially inclusive and accessible to all who are interested in producing their own food regardless of age, financial means, gender or ethnicity.

 
You should join if:
 
 - You want to be part of something incredible.
 - You want to produce your own food but are not sure where to start.
 - You want to increase your knowledge and get better results from your food growing.
 - You want to get in touch with fellow GIYers or share knowledge they gained the 
   hard way.
 - You have excess produce and want to barter/exchange with other growers.
 - You want to save money and reduce your grocery bill.
 - You want to improve your physical and mental health through the positive impact of 
   physical activity associated with vegetable growing and social interaction  
   associated with GIY groups and meetings.

 

Limerick City group meet on the
last Tuesday of the month
6pm in the Savoy Hotel.

Limerick East group will meet on the
last Wednesday of the month in
Hospital Family Resource Centre,
Knockainey Road, Hospital at 7.30pm.

 

Preparing for Spring

 

  • There are three simple steps to preparing your garden for organic gardening. These should be carried out as soon as possible to prepare for planting next spring. 
  • Strim the grass and vegetation and leave the strimming on the ground.  It will rot and help fertilize the soil over the winter.
  • Add about one wheelbarrow of farmyard manure per square metre.  The soil is often hungry and it is important to fertilize it well for growing plants.
  • Use black plastic weighed down with stones, building blocks or peg it into the ground to prevent sunlight reaching the manure. This plastic does not have to be airtight but neither should it be flapping.
  •  Carrig Landscaping would be happy to undertake the above work for you and we can supply you with free farmyard manure.

 

 Jobs for October

  • Plant winter lettuce and spring cabbages.
  • Lift and store beetroots and carrots.
  • Harvest apples and pears before hard frosts. 
  • Apply an Autumn weed and moss killer this month. 
  • Lime and aerate lawns now.
  • October is a great month to lay roll out lawns (turves). 
  • Lightly trim over Lavender hedges and individual plants.
  • October is an excellent month to plant new perinnials, container grown shrubs and trees.  The roots will continue to get strong during the winter and they will get a great start next Spring.
  • Blackberries can be refrigerated individually on a tray and when frozen put them into a bag or container, store in the freezer.
  • Be alert for the arrival of bulbs in the shops such as crocus, daffodils, irises, day lilies, freesias, hyacinth and tulips.
  • October has been a dry month so far, therefore some watering may be necessary.
  • Prepare vegetable beds for spring and remove all debris.
  • Cover open compost heaps with plastic to keep off the heavy rains.
  • Strawberries planted in the Autumn will bare more fruit next Summer than strawberry plants which are planted next Spring.
  • Plant Spring Cabbage, Garlic, Onion Sets (Japanese Varieties are available at Garden World) and Kale.
  • Broad Beans can now be planted as an early spring crop.
  • Old Rhubarb crowns can be lifted and divided.
  • The summer fruiting raspberries can be pruned at this stage while the unfruited canes will need some support.
  • Blackcurrants can be pruned by removing the distressed looking ones.
  • Once the leaves have fallen, prune the goosberries, red currants and white currants.
  • While the ground is dry now is an ideal time to dig and prepare for planting fruit bushes and trees later in the year.
  • Prevent winter moth from crawling up trunks of fruit trees by placing a grease band around the trunk of the tree.
  • Remove yellowing leaves from Winter brassicas.  If these are left on the plant it will only encourage botrytis to develop.
  • Organise water butts and barrells to collect rain from roofs of sheds.
  • With the abundance of leaves in the Autumn leaf mould can be created by simply storing leaves in a designated compost area.