Maintenance Tasks - Updated October 3rd, 2026

Tasks List In Order Of Importance:

1. Remove CFC wherever it is found in paths, edges, and on the common property areas. There is still some near the shed. Eradication here should be the primary focus as soon as the soil is sufficiently dry enough to accomplish effective removal. Bag CFC for removal. DO NOT COMPOST CFC! If you do not know how to remove Creeping Field Cress (Keek) correctly - ASK either Karin or Stuart. We would be happy to show you in order to prevent this noxious weed's spread and to help you and us get it under control, with the goal of eventually eradicating it from our gardens. The only way to remove it correctly is to use a garden fork. NO ripping out by the tops or using a shovel, knife, cultivator, or other bladed/cutting tool. This will only result in spreading root fragments that quickly begin to grow again.

2. Keep unrented plot(s) weed free. This will prevent weeds and their seeds from spreading into rented plots. Plots A7 and A9 have been seeded with cover crop - please do not weed anything other than their edges as you may confuse emerging oat blades with grass. Plot B2-3 will need weeding and leveling. There is a small amount of compost left that can be used to fill in divets. Stuart will want to sow an oat cover crop on this plot before he leaves as well. Best tool for this plot is a push-pull hoe as it's the fastest way to get the job done. Please knock off as much soil as possible when pulling weeds and leave them in the corner closest to my plot, B5. If it's too wet to pull weeds, just leave them rather than pulling up large clumps of soil.

   Krista has requested help with her plot. It just needs general weeding. Again, a hoe is the best method here. Any weed pulled or hoed can be placed in her compost bin.

3. Line-dig uncovered, unrented plots as well as your own plots to create a trench. This makes it more difficult for creeping weeds to infiltrate plots. Also prevents damage to plots when paths are mowed and trimmed by line trimmer. Line-digging is not necessary for covered plots. We are seeing that some plots still do not have line dug their plots. Grass and weeds have heavily infiltrated some plot boundaries. This makes using the line trimmer difficult as it could result in damage to plants within the plot in order to effectively trim weeds along the path edge.

   

   Line-dug trench

4. Do not leave weeds and weed clumps on tarps anymore. Knock off as much soil as possible and compost any normal weeds - do not leave large clumps of soil on weeds as this removes valuable soil from the garden. Any weed that is considered a noxious weed such as Creeping Field Cress, Morning Glory, Crab Grass, etc must be bagged and removed from the garden. If you are not able to take it home, please leave the bagged weeds at my plot's composter on B5 and I will take care of it. Do not put weeds into the black bins by my compost - those bins are used to make weed tea.

5. Spread out your contribution time. If you plan to contribute your minimum 4 hours for the year at the beginning of the season, we have little to no contribution time remaining for the rest of the year. This is counter-productive to what we are trying to achieve. We need consistent attention to maintenance items over the course of the entire growing season, not just in the spring and early summer.

6. The only covered plot remaining for 2026 is B11. It does not need maintenance work aside from pulling large weeds from its edges that are near flowering or have gone to seed. Knock off soil please. We're still seeing far too much soil on roots being left on. If it's too wet to have the soil fall of with a few knocks, it's too wet to weed. Leave it for a drier day.

7. Clean and sweep the washroom as necessary.

8. Sweep the shed as necessary.

9. If you have your own line trimmer you may bring it to trim paths, being careful not to damage plants and watering equipment (hoses, taps, timers, etc). I will be purchasing a battery-powered weed eater for next spring. I'll advise on details once Stuart and I hammer out where the charger will be located.

10. Weed common area flower beds, such as the driveway entrance and around shrubs along the driveway.