We are located on the west side of UC Village, next to the railroad tracks. You can get to the garden through the gate in parking lot K, off Wilson Way between buildings 69 and 71.
The Garden is, of course, non-profit. The dues that are collected ($15/year for one plot, $20 for two) are decided upon by the Garden Committee, and are used to purchase garden tools.
To set up a time to select and rent a plot, contact the Garden Managers.
Much of this material is adapted from old material handed down from garden manager to garden manager -- if anyone knows the original author, let us know so we can give credit where credit is due!
Tools
Tools are available for the use of all gardeners. Hoses are hooked up to the water outlets (you must provide your own water key, available at any hardware store for under a dollar), and shovels, rakes, hoes, and a few other implements are stored in the large shed; two wheelbarrows belonging to the garden are to be found somewhere on the premises.
You are free to use these on a first-come, first-served basis. Your only obligation is to return them to their proper place and in proper condition when you finish with them each day. For hoses, this means you should return it to the faucet and curl it into a circle; don't leave it stretched out where someone has to pull it back over your plot or someone else's, or where someone will trip over it. For tools, rinse or scrape away any dirt or mud and return to the shed.
PLEASE do not leave tools out where someone might trip over them or get hurt. Remove debris from the wheelbarrows and park them in the shed. Fix or report to the Garden Managers any damaged equipment.
Soil Condition
In general, the soil in the gardens has a high clay content, which means that it's a soggy mess when it's wet, and a hard solid lump when it's dry. To help your plants get a root hold without having to fight their way through the hardpack, it's a good idea before you plant to amend the soil as best you can -- either by breaking up the clods with a shovel or a spading fork, or by adding some kind of amendment (preferably, both). Good additives are compost and aged manure, which help to condition the soil and add nutrients; sand, which helps texturize the soil by keeping the clay particles separated, thereby allowing water and oxygen to circulate more readily in the root zone; and commercial mixtures such as top soil or potting mix.
Microclimates
Because of the trees lining the west side of the garden (next to the railroad tracks), the plots on that side tend to receive far less afternoon sun than those on the east side. The shade is fine for those crops that dislike heat -- most leaf crops such as lettuces and spinach and many members of the cabbage family, such as broccoli and brussel sprouts -- but awful for sun-lovers like tomatoes, peppers and corn. If you are planning on planting mostly hot-season crops, get a plot away from the shade belt.
Keep in mind too that the weather patterns here are strange and unpredictable, but that summertime -- our normal gardening season -- is usually characterized by cool, foggy mornings followed by warm, occasionally hot afternoons. As a result, heat-loving plants don't always perform well here, although there are many exceptions to this rule. See below, "Varieties to try".
Pests
Most of the pests encountered in the garden are aggravating, but basically harmless. The only exception to this is the Black Widow Spider, which does live in the garden and, on at least one occasion, has been known to bite. Please inform yourself and be especially careful when moving old boards where they may be hiding.
If you're having problems with typical garden pests, you might want to check out these links for some tips:
Snails and slugs
Aphids
cucumber beetles
Environmentally sound practices
Most if not all of the Village gardeners favor an organic approach to gardening. The benefits of such an approach are many: potentially dangerous chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are not absorbed into the food, or the body; the land isn't damaged by petrochemical residue; gardeners and their children are not exposed to the poisons or carcinogens present in such products; beneficial microorganisms in the soil are not destroyed, nor are the beneficial predators that prey on the insect pests.
Varieties to try
Some plants do very well here, and some don't. Despite the drawbacks of our climate and soil, our location is actually quite fertile, and can produce abundantly -- if you plan carefully.
For tomatoes, this means choosing the right variety; as a general rule of thumb, the smaller the fruit, the better your chances of success. It's hard to fail with cherry tomato varieties such as Sweet 100 or Sweet Million, or with yellow pear tomatoes. Of the larger tomatoes, Early Girl, San Francisco Fog, and Stupice have performed well, and La Roma is a good choice for paste tomatoes. Look for varieties that have built-in disease resistance (indicated by a letter or letters after a name -- Early Pick VF, for example) which are less susceptible to viral infections which may be present in the soil.
The same general rule applies to peppers. Smaller ones do better than large ones. Big peppers (such as bell peppers) like lots of heat and long growing seasons -- two things we are definitely short of. Small peppers such as jalapenos and serranos will be more likely to succeed.
Many varieties of squash do well here. Perennial favorites are zucchini and crookneck. Be careful with the zucchini, though -- even though they often fall victim to powdery mildew, they are still so prolific that many gardeners feel themselves compelled to eat fried zucchini, steamed zucchini, zucchini lasagna, baked zucchini and zucchini bread all summer long. Two plants per family is usually plenty.
These are just a few suggestions -- the best advice is to find gardeners with really productive plots, and ask them what they planted, and how they maintain their plots. (Besides, you'll get to know another neighbor that way.)