The SAMRU garden is bursting with life! Barbara Morgan, SAMRU Co-Orientation and Implementation Lead of the garden, has some exciting updates to share with SAMRU Community Garden volunteers! 

Hi volunteers, I just stopped by the garden and want to let you know you’re doing a fabulous job of maintaining the garden. Everything is growing beautifully and I noticed how few weeds there are and how clean the areas around the beds are! Thank you for all of your hard work this summer. 

More veggies are ready to harvest and they look spectacular. Let me tell you which vegetables are ready to go and give you some tips on how to harvest them! 

Peas

When harvesting peas, look for pods on the plants and if you can feel the peas, they are ready to pick. If you can’t quite feel them yet, it’ll be best to wait a few more days for them to mature. 

Beets

Look or feel the beet just below ground level. The beets should be around the size of a golf ball before picking them. Beets taste amazing with olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper. You can also eat beet leave cooked or raw! 

Zucchini 

The zucchinis are growing fast! When harvesting the zucchinis, wait to cut them until they are around 12 to 20 cm long. There are scissors in the gardening shed that work well to cut them. 

Raspberries 

The raspberries are starting to ripen Keep picking!

There are still tons of lettuce and salad greens and the green beans are starting to produce. Pick them when they are about 10 cm long. If you have any other questions, write them on the notepad in the shed and I’ll do my best to answer your questions!

Happy gardening everyone and thank you again for all your hard work!

– Barbara Morgan, retired horticulturist and volunteer Co-Orientation and Implementation Lead for the SAMRU Community Garden