Volunteers needed for community garden setup effort

As the green of spring begins to replace the gray of winter, the Wrangell Community Garden crew wants to prepare its plots for planting.

Volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 16 at the community garden site at 1.5 Mile to move soil, set up garden beds and fill them with soil.

“In theory, we will be setting up the new beds and filling them, possibly Wrangell lasagna-style, depending on how much soil we have available,” said Kim Wickman, community garden board member.

Lasagna-style filling starts with a layer of soil or gravel, depending on drainage needs. Then a layer of seaweed is laid down, followed by another layer of soil, then compost and another layer of seaweed. The process is continued until the bed is filled.

Along with volunteers, wheelbarrows, gardening gloves and snacks are needed for the day’s work.

Efforts to prepare the garden site for planting have been underway since the weather became more tolerable. After the setup day, the board will continue to rent out beds and organize its first gardening class. Plans are underway to have a booth at the upcoming Stikine River Birding Festival and community market on May 7.

Wickman said one person already has shown interest in renting a garden bed, and she expects more people to reserve spots once they know the beds are available.

Last year, Wickman and fellow board member Valerie Massie organized a seed exchange that wasn’t successful because of late March snow. This year, however, the board talked about combining a plant swap through the community garden along with a potato seed distribution event. Fifty pounds of seed potatoes have been ordered through GK Farms in Trapper Creek, near Talkeetna.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the workday or wanting information on any other community garden programs can email wrggarden@gmail.com.