February Newsletter 2025
Ground Up News
A composted mix of tips, plants, and the growers who tend to our gardens
February 2025 Food Bank Growers Newsletter
In this month’s newsletter...
- Strength in Resilience
- Thank you Mark Paxton & Lys Burden!
- 2024 FBG Annual Report
- Big Drip Donation Campaign
- February in the Garden
Artist and Editor - Bear (They/Them) FBG Vice President
Strength in Resilience
2025 has begun hotter than ever, testing our strength and resilience. As we walk through the fire, we invite our community to hold on to this reminder:
“Nature is Resilient and We are Nature.”
Our commitment to restoring, protecting, and feeding our ecosystems and community will not be shaken. With Mary Hunt stepping in as our new President and Bear Belle as Vice President, alongside our dedicated board members and volunteers, we are cultivating a future where the local community doesn’t just endure but thrives for generations to come.
Together, through stewardship of the gardens and support for one another, we will emerge stronger, more connected, and more resilient than ever.
Thank You, Mark Paxton & Lys Burden
A huge thank you to Mark Paxton and Lys Burden for their dedication to Food Bank Growers.
Mark stepped up when we needed it most, securing a crucial grant for our 2025 goals and driving our mission forward with determination.
Lys, a founding member, has been with us from the start—helping launch the High School Garden, Seed Bank, and Growing Groceries. Her vision and commitment continue to inspire us all.
We are grateful for their leadership and impact!
Check out the 2024 Food Bank Growers Annual Report!
Big Drip Campaign
Little drops of cash add up so that we can support our volunteers, gardens and schools that feed our local community.
Food for Thought
Pruning tips for apples, pears, and plum trees with Doug Van Allen, Master Gardener.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona Ave, PT
Doors open at 6:15 • All Are Welcome
February In the Garden
By Master Gardener Dianna Wiklund
February is once again starting off cold. Not the hard freeze of last year but still cool enough that working in the garden can be less than fun. There is a good chance that temperatures will be below average, which is 47°- 39° F, with above average precipitation, average is 2.28" for the month. There is the possibility of snowfall which averages 2.87" in Port Townsend in February. So it is a great time to focus on Garden plans and indoor starts.
Planting:
Now is the time to decide how many starts to grow. Do you really have room for a dozen tomato plants or would 6 be better, giving them more room to breathe and grow. I always over plant my starts to cover any that don’t come up or suffer damage from passing cats and other hazards. Remember that plants do better with more space around them. I was reminded by some Master Gardener friends that fewer plants will grow just as much produce for the same space as plants packed too close together. Plus they tend to be healthier. Extra starts can always be donated to neighbors, friends or the food banks.
Things to start this month include:
- Tomatoes and Peppers on heat mats and under lights.
- Onions without extra heat or light as they are photosensitive and the reduction of light, when transplanted out, may cause them to bulb up early. They need to be in a warmish place but don’t need a heat mat.
- Brassicas can be started now inside. Start on a heat mat to germinate them and remove to a well lit area.They become very leggy with too much heat.
- Celery and lettuce can also be started now. Room temperature is fine for these.
- Peas can be started now for transplanting out once it warms up a bit. This helps them get well enough started to survive some pea weevil damage.
In the garden it will be a bit more challenging. Once the ground is thawed you can direct sow
- Arugula, beets, peas can be direct sown.
- Garlic and onion sets may also be sown. Yes, you can still plant garlic, you will just harvest it a bit later in the year. Mulch to maintain soil moisture and warmth.
I would recommend row covers over anything that is direct sown this month for added warmth and protection for local birds looking for a spring treat.
Harvesting
For the forethoughtful amongst us the harvest continues.
- Sunchokes need to be harvested now before the ground warms.
- Winter greens are still putting on a few new leaves.
- Brussel sprouts, Broccoli raab and overwintering Cauliflower add a lot of nutrients to our winter diet.
- Many root vegetables are still holding on and — if they were well mulched and not found by rodents — brighten our meal times with their sweetness.
- Don’t forget the evergreen herbs. We can harvest them all winter long.
Garden work
- Divide perennials, like artichokes, and spread them throughout your garden and community.
- It is time to turn in or cut down cover crops. Let them start to decay a bit before planting time.
- Orchards are busy this time of year with both planting bare roots trees and berry bushes and pruning older ones.
The thing about February is you never know what will happen. It is a little different every year. February is a wonderful time when we can see our gardens covered in a light blanket of snow or watch the new bud begin to form on the tree. Will the ground be frozen or will the crocuses bloom. Will the lettuce survive and start putting on new growth as the light returns or will it freeze and die. It is a time of uncertainty and also a time of hope, anticipation and potential. Dead plants can be composted to feed next year's crops. Right now our gardens are full of possibilities. Enjoy all that our gardens and our lives can become in this time of uncertainty. Choose to find the joy in your garden and in your life.
Happy Gardening 🌻
Dianna Wiklund
FBG Garden Coordinator
Everyone is Welcome
We’re so grateful for our volunteers! Feel free to join us and explore opportunities to grow, glean, or help remotely. Just let us know what interests you, and we’d love to get you involved!
Thank you FBG Community!
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