Seattle Giving Garden Network

Grow to Give

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  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Giving Garden FAQ
  • Resources
    • Where To Donate Produce
    • Garden Updates
    • How You Can Help
    • How to create a volunteer network
    • Gleaning tips
    • Useful Links
  • Contact Us
  • Growing Tips

    The Challenge of Fruiting bushes and Trees

    October 22, 2018 /

    Here’s an update from one of our local heritage orchards — gardening is about hope and the chance to do things better next year 🙂

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    Giving Gardens really are productive–

    October 15, 2021

    Gardener Updates

    May 29, 2022

    Sprouts Growing Tomatoes

    May 24, 2022
  • Growing Tips,  SGGN Sprouts

    Information about tomato sprouts (and other warm weather starts)

    May 8, 2018 /

    This distribution is TENTATIVELY scheduled mid to late May each year, if nighttime temperatures continue to be 50 degrees farenheit. We chose to plant a diverse variety this year: in part because our summer weather is uncertain. Here’s what they are: TOMATOES: in general, plant out when nighttime temperatures are reliably at or above 50 degrees F. Apply about ÂĽ c of complete fertilizer into the soil around each plant, add bone meal if the soil is acidic. Water when dry and fertilize monthly (some instructions recommend fertilizing twice a month). All seeds started between March 3 and March 22. Slicer: Beefsteak Determinate may be planted in a large pot…

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022

    December Appreciation

    December 4, 2022

    Greens, beans, squash, cucumbers & onions for pick up May 4th, 5th & 6th.

    April 22, 2018
  • Growing & Giving in the Community,  Growing Tips,  SGGN Sprouts

    Tomatoes are a challenge in the PNW — we’ll provide starts, you grow them

    April 18, 2018 /

    SGGN will have tomato starts ready for the giving gardens, kitchen gardens, and food banks approximately mid-May, 2018. Despite the cold April weather, we have lots of starts, and lots of varieties including slicers (beefsteak, Money Maker, Siletz) cherry tomatoes: (red and yellow) paste and pasta varieties (San Marzano varieties). For those who’d like some tutoring before taking on the responsibility for new tomato starts, here’s one class: Growing Vegetables including Tomatoes, Sunday, April 22nd – 10:00 am – 11:00 am at Magnolia Garden Center. In this class, owner Chuck Flaharty will go over planting and fertilizing vegetables with a special emphasis on Tomato growing in our area, including best…

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    Annual Seed Distribution Gathering!

    January 28, 2023

    Welcome!

    September 11, 2022

    Thank you local companies for your generous seed donations!

    July 16, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    SHOULD I pick those squash?

    September 20, 2017 /

    If you were growing summer squash: you know the season is over and that it’s time to be thinking about pulling those vines and composting them. My own winter squash, however, still have nice looking fruit and some decent looking leaves. When to harvest, and how to ensure long shelf life for the food bank clients? Fortunately, Territorial’s blog just had some good information (and pictures). Happy harvesting.

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022

    December Appreciation

    December 4, 2022

    Harvesting SGGN’s Ballard Sprouts

    June 10, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    Resources — about compost

    May 28, 2016 /

    And, in particular, information about using coffee grounds in compost can be found at the WSU website.

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022

    Harvesting SGGN’s Ballard Sprouts

    June 10, 2022

    Molbaks donation

    October 14, 2022
  • general,  Growing Tips

    Free soil testing for King County residents

    March 4, 2016 /

    The King County Conservation District will process up to five free soil tests (lifetime, per address.) To learn more (including how to send the samples and how to take a sample) contact the district. Worried about heavy metals? The Department of Ecology has an interactive webpage to check services available at your specific address.

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    Winter Newsletter

    December 10, 2022

    Seedmoney Donation Campaign Starts Nov 15th!

    November 13, 2022

    Harvesting SGGN’s Ballard Sprouts

    June 10, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    Permaculture education – Beacon Food Forest

    February 20, 2016 /

    We recently heard about these coming classes: Date: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016 From 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. (Pre Registration Required) Early season vegetable seeds and plant cuttings propagation. Start some cool weather veggies, and start fruit shrubs from cuttings. Bring some home! For more info: http://beaconfoodforest.org/education/classes/start-your-garden-feb-2016/ – and – Fruit Tree Pruning with City Fruit and BFF Date: Sunday, March 20, 2016 From 10 a.m. – noon. (Pre Registration Required.) Learn the reasons for pruning, the theory behind different cuts, as well as what tools are necessary and how to care for them. Pruning practice with the help of food forest stewards. http://beaconfoodforest.org/education/classes/fruit-tree-pruning-march-2016/ Location: the Beacon Food Forest: S.…

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022

    Welcome!

    September 11, 2022

    Giving Garden lead

    October 15, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    Late Tomato Blight can break the gardener’s heart

    August 17, 2015 /

    I haven’t seen it in my own gardens yet (and hope that I don’t this year, especially since it’s been so hot) but we DID just have some rain! There’s great advice at the garden hotline!

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022

    Sprouts Plans 2019 — What and When

    February 19, 2019

    Gardener Updates

    May 29, 2022
  • Featured Story,  Growing Tips

    A Giving Gardeners Plea: Dealing with Club Root (aka slime mold)

    July 29, 2015 /

    A Giving Gardener (who volunteers at several gardens) wanted to alert everyone to the challenge of club root. The gardener sent the pictures which we’ve uploaded and also shared research and experience with us. Susceptible crops include but are not limited to: rapeseed, mustards, brassicas, broccolis, the –chois, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, kale … We also asked the broader community what they have tried in their gardens, and what was helpful. Here’s pictures of infected and healthy roots, the Giving Gardener’s comments about the problem and some solutions that’ve been considered — and some advice from other gardeners in the community : Clubroot; Fungus Pasmodiophora Brassiecae, alias Clubfoot Clubfoot is a…

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    Gardener Updates

    May 29, 2022
    2021 Sprouts

    2021 Update – SGGN continuing its mission

    September 25, 2021

    Winter Newsletter

    December 10, 2022
  • Growing & Giving in the Community,  Growing Tips

    Making Compost is Simple? Not!

    February 21, 2015 /

    Making compost is simple: vegetable waste + water+ heat = rot and (eventually) soil. The tricky part comes when we realize that what we put into the compost doesn’t always rot into something that’s healthy. ( School compost programs should think carefully about how to compost: see for example compost.css.cornell.edu/faq.html for examples of ways that compost can become a problem.) To share my own story: when I first started composting I didn’t realize that the bins let the rats and raccoons in. I fed them, made my neighbors mad, and didn’t get much compost for my garden. There are other issues with compost: it needs to be really hot to…

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    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022
    Interbay Giving Garden

    Winter Veggies

    July 26, 2019

    Annual Seed Distribution Gathering!

    January 28, 2023
  • Growing Tips

    Where, Oh Where to plant the kale?

    February 18, 2015 /

    Planning Garden Beds: Oh, Where Oh, Where to Plant: I like talking with neighbors about their plants — I like the sense of community, and it gives me a chance to prevent problems in my own garden. Recently, a neighbor was telling me about club root in her garden. Since I don’t want club root in my garden, her story reminds me to prevent it! Club root infects the brassicas: a long list of the plants we really like to grow here, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustards, turnips, and radishes. (And the weedy herb shepherd’s purse harbors the disease—a good reason to closely manage its re-seeding!) Club root…

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    One of the first harvests of the year!

    June 10, 2022

    Seedmoney Donation Campaign Starts Nov 15th!

    November 13, 2022

    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    Saving Vegetable Seeds

    October 26, 2014 /

    While doing the last of the fall clean-up (pulling down vines and pulling out old plants for the compost bin) I am finding “mature” heirlooms (they’ve set seed!) What to do? Photo: red chard gone to seed; onion seed head (white star-shape in center.) 1. Pea and bean: harvest dried pods from plants (or pull them off and dry indoors because it’s been so wet.) Once dry & brittle twist ’em open and place in an envelope or jar in a cool dry place.  (I put those water-absorbing packets that seem to come in every package in with them.) Note: peas and beans self-pollinate. 2. Basil: let seed heads dry on…

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    Giving Garden lead

    October 15, 2022
    2021 Sprouts

    2021 Update – SGGN continuing its mission

    September 25, 2021

    Small Grants Available 2022

    April 3, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    El Nino and planting fall/winter crops

    September 18, 2014 /

    After this unusually warm summer, my gardening partners at our Giving Garden plot have been wondering how long the warm weather is going to last. While I usually plant a crop of lettuces, chard, kale and collards for the fall, I haven’t had much success growing year round. This year might be different though thanks to El Nino! Cliff Mass, noted local meteorologist gives more information about the weather potentially coming up this fall and winter in a mynorthwest.com article: Experts predicting warmer fall, winter for Western Washington If indeed we experience a warmer fall/winter, what are you planting as your late season crops? Do you have any suggestions for…

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    Gardener Updates

    May 29, 2022

    Annual Seed Distribution Gathering!

    January 28, 2023
    Interbay Giving Garden

    Winter Veggies

    July 26, 2019
  • Growing Tips

    Preventing Problems from pests

    August 9, 2014 /

    Believe me: I’ve had ample opportunity to test advice about pests in the last couple of years. First: be cautious: even if some things are considered “organic” they aren’t necessarily ok for frogs or fish populations.  And some proposed solutions (such as those involving tanglefoot products) kill all insects including beneficial insects that control problem insects. 1. Start out right:  grow in soil that is 6.3-6.9 (note that if you’ve got lead in your soil it’s recommended that you grow in neutral soil — close to 7.0).  Add lime or wood ash (from untreated wood) every 1-2 years — our soil tends to be unbalanced because of the rain. Add compost (1-2 inches/year) and/or…

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    Giving Garden lead

    October 15, 2022

    Welcome!

    September 11, 2022

    Spring Gather

    February 19, 2019
  • Growing Tips

    Washington State University advice for veggie gardeners

    July 22, 2014 /

    Evidence based gardening information and downloadable handouts and pamphlets http://gardening.wsu.edu/

    Read More

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    Sprouts 2022

    October 14, 2022

    King County has cover crop giveaway

    July 26, 2022

    One of the first harvests of the year!

    June 10, 2022
  • Growing Tips

    Too late for Autumn starts?

    July 22, 2014 /

    South Park’s greenhouse usually hands out garden starts to our food bank clients in September. (These have been chards, kales, winter lettuces and herbs to grow on a windowsill). This year, because of the heat & water challenges I’ve deferred beginning these until August 2. I know that I’ll need to have these as big as possible before the cold weather sets in (because after that time they really don’t grow until the onset of the warmer spring weather.) Your advise would be appreciated: how can I get them to grow quickly?

    Read More

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    SGGN’s Summer Meet-up

    September 12, 2022

    Annual Seed Distribution Gathering!

    January 28, 2023

    Spring Gather

    February 19, 2019
  • Growing Tips

    Planting quantity verse harvest quantity

    April 16, 2014 /

    Ever wonder how much produce your plot will produce when you plant seeds or seedlings? Diane Brooks from Delridge Giving Gardens sent us the results from their garden last year. Here’s some numbers from Delridge P-Patch Giving Garden that might help new gardens understand what they can expect from their plantings. The list is the plant, start or seed quantity  = pounds harvested. For example, for 16 tomato plants, they harvested 58 pounds of fruit Plant # of plants or seeds quantity Pounds harvested tomato 16 plants = 58 pounds hot pepper 16 plants = 6 1/2 pounds beets 60 plants = 8 pounds zukes 3 plants 95 pounds Patty…

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    Molbaks donation

    October 14, 2022

    Greens, beans, squash, cucumbers & onions for pick up May 4th, 5th & 6th.

    April 22, 2018

    Giving Gardens really are productive–

    October 15, 2021

Our Mission is to support the growing of organic fresh local produce by Seattle Gardeners for the purpose of provisioning Seattle food banks, street kitchens and other food pantries. We operate from a perspective of abundance in order to provide resources to the gardeners who donate their produce. These resources include seeds, plant starts, network opportunities and funding.

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“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”

Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Seattle Giving Garden Network - 2022
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