Herb gardening has gotten a bad rep for being snooty. Herbs are the easiest of plants to grow and they grow quickly. Most need very little maintenance, unless you have ideas of growing something formal and tidy. Most herbs are NOT tidy and the plants are to be used and don't lend themselves well to decorative purposes.
For our purposes, the term "herb" is not really definitive. It's best not to spend too much time debating what is or isn't an herb. Basically, an herb is valuable to the gardener if it suits your needs. For herb growers, it is a plant that can be used either for cooking, medicinal purposes or practically, such as for dyes or perfumes. Most common garden plants like iris, sunflowers, marigolds and even sweet peppers might make it onto someone's list. I don't know that I would consider hops, used by home brewers, as an herb, but they are. You have to approach herb gardening with an open mind.
Herb gardening comes down to what you want to do with your plants. If you want to dye your homespun yarn or make potpourri or cook like a chef, you'll want to grow plants that suit that need. Having a special place to grow herbs makes their care and harvesting more convenient. It is by no means the only or even the best way to grow herbs. You can always intermingle these plants throughout your garden beds or improvise according to your space and needs.
Annual kitchen herbs, like basil, dill and cilantro, are better suited to vegetable gardens, where they'll be certain to get regular watering and will be handy when you go out to harvest dinner. Some of the highly scented perennials, like lavender and sage, are better in flower borders to discourage deer and rabbits.
For those with small spaces, your herb garden could be a collection of pots. It's romantic to envision a series of small potted herbs on the windowsill, but the reality is you'll need a good sized plant to be able to harvest enough to cook with regularly. For occasional use and for the luxury of their scent, smaller potted herbs are a delight. If you have room indoors for larger pots, I say, "Do it!"
Pick a sunny spot, but try to keep it in the veggie garden or at least near the kitchen so you'll be tempted to step outside and grab what you need while cooking.
How large should you go? The answer would be - Large enough to grow all the plants you want or need. Culinary herbs don't take up a lot of space. Because you only cut out what you need, a couple of plants each should suffice for the season, unless you're basil addicts like us - then you might need more. If you're growing to dry or freeze your herbs, the obviously you'll need more plants and thus more space.
The Basics - Annual herbs are inexpensive and easy to start from seed. Woody, perennial herbs establish better if you purchase seedlings or take cuttings. Plant your herbs in a rich, well-draining soil and avoid heavy feedings with supplemental fertilizers. Remember, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants. Mulch, mulch, mulch. However, the scent and flavor of herbs tends to concentrate when they are grown in slightly lean conditions. Start with good soil and you'll be good. Please don't use any kind of pesticides on your herbs. If you must, a mixture of Ivory soap and water will put the kibosh on most pests.
Most annual herbs taste better before they flower or bolt. Once they flower, the new leaves are smaller and bitter. Pinch off flower buds as soon as they appear to lengthen your season. Basil can be pinched back when they are around 4 inches tall to encourage them to branch out and become full.
You can dry your herbs for use later as well. Air drying is not only the easiest and least expensive way to preserve fresh herbs, but this slow process does not deplete the plants of their oils. Bay, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, summer savory and thyme do well with air drying. Basil, chives, mint and tarragon do better in a dehydrator or freezing. Bundle 4 to 6 branches with a rubber band and place in a smaller sized paper bag that's been labeled with the name of the herb and has a few holes punched in it. Gather the ends of the bag, making sure the herbs are not too crowded. Hang the bag upside down in a warm, airy room. Check in in about two weeks to see how things are going. Keep checking weekly thereafter until your herbs are dry and ready to store. I like glass jars, but zip lock bags work as well. Store the leaves whole and crush them as needed to retain more flavor. Keep your stored herbs out of sunlight and try to use up what you've stored within the year.
Think about the flavors that you love and get out there and grow it!
21 April 2008
Container Gardening
Are you moving from a house to an apartment or perhaps into assisted living? Container gardening might be the answer for folks with limited space. Those in apartments, condominiums, retirement homes or houses on small lots can still enjoy gardening using containers. Containers are mobile so you can take your plants along or move them around for an instant splash of color.
If you're in a wheelchair, if your knees are just not cooperating with you being down on the ground or if your back just isn't going to take all that bending over in the garden anymore, don't despair - ADAPT!
Think about doing your gardening from a chair. The easiest solution is containers. Some say raised beds, but containers don't require any construction and are ultimately portable. Scatter containers throughout your garden area, get yourself a couple of lightweight garden chairs so you don't have to drag just one all over. You can simply sit down and enjoy the sun and your plants in comfort.
What better way to introduce your child or grandchild to gardening than to have their very own first garden? And what better way to share that love than to do it together?
Container gardening is not without it's issues. A plant growing in an exposed location will be under more stress and dry out faster. It will need a regular watering schedule. Consistent rains tend to leach the nutrients from the containers, requiring a regular fertilizing schedule. Large containers can be spendy and difficult to move when filled with soil, but the advantages FAR outweigh the issues.
Regular garden soil is not always best for container gardening. When soil is saturated with water, the air spaces are filled, depriving the roots of oxygen. Potting mix is your best bet. The mix may contain some soil or no soil at all (soilless potting mixes can be quite spendy, though). Additional ingredients such as peat moss, vermiculite and perlite allow good drainage but still hold enough water for plant growth.
Containers come in a variety of styles and sizes. Of course, old buckets, cans and similar containers can all be recycled. The essential thing is that the container have holes in the bottom for draining excess water.
Plastic containers are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, styles and even colors. They are light in weight which can be an advantage if it has to be moved or carried. Clay pots are an old favorite, but they are quite porous and moisture will be lost more readily from the sides and bottom. They're also heavy. Wood is popular, but you should be careful about what that wooden container might have been treated with, chemically speaking.
"How big are we talking?" The answer to this question depends on what you plan to grow. You need to consider the balance between the top growth and root system of what you're growing. Small plants do well in fairly small, shallower containers. Plants in "stressful" locations such as a hot patio exposed to the south, or in elevated locations may need a slightly larger container. Most annual flowers and some small vegetables can grow in a container from 5-inches to a gallon or larger container. Larger veggies, such as dwarf tomatoes, pepper or cucumbers will require a minimum of a 1 to 3 gallon container. Full-size tomatoes and roses will require at least a 3-gallon container.
Since potting mixes drain water fairly rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the containers as you water and you will need to replace that lost fertilizer. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes containing soil. Remember, you are growing a plant with a small, constricted root system, so regular fertilizing and watering are important.
Many gardeners prefer to apply a diluted, water soluble fertilizer at every other watering. There are several available at the local hardware store. Time release fertilizers are also becoming widely available and are pelleted to release fertilizer gradually over a longer period of time. I prefer fish emulsion for all the obvious reasons - it's not full of salts and chemicals, so nothing noxious is going to be leaking about your garden and get transferred into the ground and water table.
Since containers are usually situated in an exposed location, water is quickly lost from them. Also, smaller containers have less of a reservoir for holding water until needed. There is no rule of thumb on how often to water since it will vary with the type of plant, potting mix, weather and the type of pot.
You may find that watering daily is needed if it's really hot out. One advantage of using a potting mix is that it is nearly impossible to over water since the water drains so quickly. Check your plants frequently and be alert for signs of wilting to give more water. The best method is to stick your finger about an inch into the soil to feel the dryness. Always give sufficient water to allow a small amount to drain out the bottom. This indicates that the container is saturated.
Many annual flowers can be grown in containers, especially those that tolerate heat stress. Especially popular are marigolds, geraniums (I love geraniums!) and periwinkle. Shady location plants include impatiens, ageratum, begonias and nicotiana.
Veggies require sunny locations and will vary in their produce on the type of crop. There are many varieties developed specifically for growing in containers. Check your seed catalogs for these new varieties. (Besides, who doesn't like leafing through a seed catalog?) Flowering cabbage and kale are attractive relatives of the standard varieties. Lettuce and other salad greens are available in a variety of colors and leaf textures. Red chard is also popular in containers because of it's bright red stalks.
Many gardeners like to have herbs growing near the kitchen where they are handy to use in cooking. Basil, chives, marjoram and thyme are all easy to grow in containers. Lots of gardeners keep mint in containers since it is aggressive and will pretty much take over any area in which it is planted. Some herbs are perennial and can be moved indoors for winter use or held in the container until the next year. I know a number of gardeners who dig a hole in the garden to winter-over perennial herbs til the next season.
So get creative. Put a beautiful container of wonderfully scented flowers near your front door or a nice cherry tomato to greet callers. Don't focus on what you think you've lost just because you can't crawl around the perennial border of your yard to pull weeds. Teach your grandchild or the neighborhood kid to find the joy in this task. This is a whole new adventure in gardening. The great news is that you may find entirely different special areas where you can install a mini-garden in a container.
It's all in your perspective.
If you're in a wheelchair, if your knees are just not cooperating with you being down on the ground or if your back just isn't going to take all that bending over in the garden anymore, don't despair - ADAPT!
Think about doing your gardening from a chair. The easiest solution is containers. Some say raised beds, but containers don't require any construction and are ultimately portable. Scatter containers throughout your garden area, get yourself a couple of lightweight garden chairs so you don't have to drag just one all over. You can simply sit down and enjoy the sun and your plants in comfort.
What better way to introduce your child or grandchild to gardening than to have their very own first garden? And what better way to share that love than to do it together?
Container gardening is not without it's issues. A plant growing in an exposed location will be under more stress and dry out faster. It will need a regular watering schedule. Consistent rains tend to leach the nutrients from the containers, requiring a regular fertilizing schedule. Large containers can be spendy and difficult to move when filled with soil, but the advantages FAR outweigh the issues.
Regular garden soil is not always best for container gardening. When soil is saturated with water, the air spaces are filled, depriving the roots of oxygen. Potting mix is your best bet. The mix may contain some soil or no soil at all (soilless potting mixes can be quite spendy, though). Additional ingredients such as peat moss, vermiculite and perlite allow good drainage but still hold enough water for plant growth.
Containers come in a variety of styles and sizes. Of course, old buckets, cans and similar containers can all be recycled. The essential thing is that the container have holes in the bottom for draining excess water.
Plastic containers are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, styles and even colors. They are light in weight which can be an advantage if it has to be moved or carried. Clay pots are an old favorite, but they are quite porous and moisture will be lost more readily from the sides and bottom. They're also heavy. Wood is popular, but you should be careful about what that wooden container might have been treated with, chemically speaking.
"How big are we talking?" The answer to this question depends on what you plan to grow. You need to consider the balance between the top growth and root system of what you're growing. Small plants do well in fairly small, shallower containers. Plants in "stressful" locations such as a hot patio exposed to the south, or in elevated locations may need a slightly larger container. Most annual flowers and some small vegetables can grow in a container from 5-inches to a gallon or larger container. Larger veggies, such as dwarf tomatoes, pepper or cucumbers will require a minimum of a 1 to 3 gallon container. Full-size tomatoes and roses will require at least a 3-gallon container.
Since potting mixes drain water fairly rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the containers as you water and you will need to replace that lost fertilizer. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes containing soil. Remember, you are growing a plant with a small, constricted root system, so regular fertilizing and watering are important.
Many gardeners prefer to apply a diluted, water soluble fertilizer at every other watering. There are several available at the local hardware store. Time release fertilizers are also becoming widely available and are pelleted to release fertilizer gradually over a longer period of time. I prefer fish emulsion for all the obvious reasons - it's not full of salts and chemicals, so nothing noxious is going to be leaking about your garden and get transferred into the ground and water table.
Since containers are usually situated in an exposed location, water is quickly lost from them. Also, smaller containers have less of a reservoir for holding water until needed. There is no rule of thumb on how often to water since it will vary with the type of plant, potting mix, weather and the type of pot.
You may find that watering daily is needed if it's really hot out. One advantage of using a potting mix is that it is nearly impossible to over water since the water drains so quickly. Check your plants frequently and be alert for signs of wilting to give more water. The best method is to stick your finger about an inch into the soil to feel the dryness. Always give sufficient water to allow a small amount to drain out the bottom. This indicates that the container is saturated.
Many annual flowers can be grown in containers, especially those that tolerate heat stress. Especially popular are marigolds, geraniums (I love geraniums!) and periwinkle. Shady location plants include impatiens, ageratum, begonias and nicotiana.
Veggies require sunny locations and will vary in their produce on the type of crop. There are many varieties developed specifically for growing in containers. Check your seed catalogs for these new varieties. (Besides, who doesn't like leafing through a seed catalog?) Flowering cabbage and kale are attractive relatives of the standard varieties. Lettuce and other salad greens are available in a variety of colors and leaf textures. Red chard is also popular in containers because of it's bright red stalks.
Many gardeners like to have herbs growing near the kitchen where they are handy to use in cooking. Basil, chives, marjoram and thyme are all easy to grow in containers. Lots of gardeners keep mint in containers since it is aggressive and will pretty much take over any area in which it is planted. Some herbs are perennial and can be moved indoors for winter use or held in the container until the next year. I know a number of gardeners who dig a hole in the garden to winter-over perennial herbs til the next season.
So get creative. Put a beautiful container of wonderfully scented flowers near your front door or a nice cherry tomato to greet callers. Don't focus on what you think you've lost just because you can't crawl around the perennial border of your yard to pull weeds. Teach your grandchild or the neighborhood kid to find the joy in this task. This is a whole new adventure in gardening. The great news is that you may find entirely different special areas where you can install a mini-garden in a container.
It's all in your perspective.
14 April 2008
Green Up Your Lawn
Green Up Your Lawn - Organically
Most people find lawn care challenging, but it is actually much simpler than it seems. We’ve all grown so compliant to the concept that the only way to get that lovely green lawn is through the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides. The truth is that a healthy organic lawn will stand fast against insect invasions and all but the toughest of weeds. Plus – you have the added bonus of not having the chemicals going into the ground, the water table and getting on your kids and grandkids, who can now be flagrant grass-rollers with no concern!
These five steps will result in a beautiful healthy organic lawn:
Get a soil test. Lawns are a little finicky about the pH levels and nutrient requirements. The only way to measure these factors is to get your soil tested at a facility such as the local county cooperative extension service. You can ad either lime or sulfur to your lawn, depending upon the results of the pH test. Too much of certain types of nutrients will benefit the weeds at the cost of your lawn’s health. The test results will not only provide you with accurate measurements of pH, but chemical composition as well. They will further supply you with recommendations for how to improve your soil. Adding amendments without getting a soil test is not only a waste of money, but you could wind up with a less healthy lawn that the one you started with.
Top dress with compost in the spring and fall. Every single lawn can benefit from a twice-yearly top dressing of compost. It will add trace minerals and some nutrition to your soil. Remember, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants. Compost also introduced beneficial microbes into your soil, which results in healthier soil that has better water retention. Earthworms love compost and will tunnel through your soil to get to it, aerating your lawn, adding fertility and increasing worm populations. A one-quarter inch layer of compost, raked evenly over your lawn, will accomplish all of these tasks without overwhelming your lawn. How much do you need? 100 square feet of lawn will require one cubic foot of compost.
Mow high. Mowing high, 2.5 to 3 inches tall, does a number of important things. Taller grass shades the soil, which helps weed seeds from germinating. It helps keep the soil moist and cool, so your lawn will require less water. Finally, taller grass will increase its ability to photosynthesize. Each blade soaks up the sunlight and converts that energy into food. Another beneficial mowing practice is to use a mulching mower and leave your grass clippings right on the lawn. The clippings will shade and cool the soil while they decompose, and will give your lawn frequent, low doses of nitrogen.
Water deeply, but less often. People waste more water on lawns than anywhere else in the household. Lawn grasses need approximately one inch of water per week during the growing season. If it doesn’t come from rain, you’ll need your sprinkler. Lawns need to dry out between waterings. There are two reasons why this is important – First, a lawn that is watered frequently develops a root system only in the first inch or two of soil. These lawns are susceptible to heat and drought. Second, lawn grasses grow best when their roots extend deep into the soil. Most weeds are shallow-rooted. By watering frequently and not allowing the soil to dry out, you’re actually encouraging weeds. The best way to ensure that you’re watering enough is to use a rain gauge, or even a coffee can to catch the water. Measure every ten minutes or so and when you’ve got an inch, you’re done. Water in the early morning so that your grass has a chance to dry out before evening to avoid fungal issues.
Be Smart About Weeds. While weeds are not the end of the world, no one wants a lawn that’s more dandelions than grass. A little white clover, however, isn’t going to hurt anything, plus it captures nitrogen from the air and released it through its roots into the soil. There are several great organic ways to address weeds in your lawn. The first method – the one that no one likes – is to simply pull or dig out the weeds on a regular basis so they don’t take over your lawn. Ahem. Yeah, I knew that would go over like a lead balloon. The second method is to apply corn gluten meal, which is an organic pre-emergent herbicide, in early spring – like right now. Corn gluten is outstanding at controlling dandelions, crab grass and other weeds, but it’s not an instant fix. It can take up to two years of use before the corn gluten gets things totally under control. You can also run your lawn mower a few times over the leaves on your lawn rather than raking them up and adding them to the burn pile. A recent study by Michigan State University showed that chopped leaves left on the lawn and allowed to break down naturally prevented the germination of dandelions the following year.
Organic lawn care isn’t hard and it’s not expensive either. If you’re willing to change a few longstanding lawn care habits or beliefs, a beautiful ORGANIC lawn is easily within your reach.
GARDEN FOCUS FOR APRIL:
Rake or remove mulches from your flowerbeds.
Broadcast lime, wood ashes, or a combination of the two over alkaline-loving perennials such as delphiniums and dianthus.
Sow sweet peas as soon as the soil can be worked. Nick the seeds with a nail file and plant them five inches deep, but cover them with three inches of soil. Hoe more soil on them as they grow.
Although April can be a damp month, be mindful of keeping your transplants well watered during dry spells.
When the danger of frost has passed, uncover your strawberry bed and keep it well watered.
05 April 2008
Rhododendrons & Azaleas
The spectacular show of spring flowers put on by azaleas and rhododendrons make them amount the very most popular of garden shrubs. They are, however, shrubs for all seasons. Throughout summer and fall the leaves add an eye-pleasing, deep-green color to your garden. Some deciduous azaleas add bright fall color before dropping their leaves for winter. When winter does arrive, some varieties stand out with large, evergreen leaves.
Growing rhodies and azaleas is not difficult. The Renegade Gardener suggests that all nurseries should attach a bold tag to each plant that reads, “ATTENTION: GROWING THIS THING INVOLVES GARDENING!”
Here, you will find some simple gardening steps to successfully growing these truly magnificent shrubs:
LOCATION: Rhodies and azaleas both thrive in the light shade created by an overhead tree canopy. Dense shade, however, is not satisfactory. Rhodies can take full morning or afternoon sun, but like it best when it’s not more than four hours. Azaleas may be planted in part shade to full sun. In all cases, these plants must be mulched heavily throughout the growing season to keep their roots cool and the soil from drying out. Selecting a good site is important as is selecting a good quality plant. A site sloping to the north or east is usually best, because it is protected from the drying south and westerly winds. Always plant azaleas and rhodies where they get wind protection. Buildings and slopes provide good barriers. Evergreen shrubs or trees such as pine, juniper or spruce planted to the south or west of your rhodies protect them and make a good backdrop for showing off the flowers. Plants not given protection from the wind often develop leaf scorch or splitting bark on the stems.
SOIL: (I know, I know – “Here she goes with the soil again!” But really, folks, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants!) Soil is crucial. Rhodies and azaleas will die if planted in clay or any soil that does not drain efficiently, and will grow poorly without blooming in soil too high on the pH scale. They need ample moisture but will rot if the soil stays too damp. They wish to develop a thick mass of very fine, shallow roots that can spread with ease horizontally from the main stem. These roots will rarely go more than 8 inches deep, but can travel as far as 8 feet out. These roots need acidic soil, lower on the pH scale than the soil in your yard. All of these seemingly difficult conditions are extremely easy to create.
Most azaleas and rhodies thrive best at a soil pH between 4.5 and 6.0. Soils previously limed heavily for a lawn or garden may need the pH lowered. Mortar or other building materials mixed into the soil close to foundations may increase pH. It would be a really, really good idea to take a soil sample to any cooperative Extension Service Office for testing. If the pH is too high, the soil can be made more acid by applying agricultural sulfur or iron sulfate. The amount the pH will change varies with different soils, but generally about one and a fourth cups of iron sulfate or two and a half pounds of agricultural sulfur per 100 square feet will lower the pH one unit. For example, if the soil tests at 6.5, this treatment should lower it to 5.5.
Soils that are too acid (below 4.5) may easily be made less acid by adding ground limestone.
PLANTING: Prior to planting, dig a large, bowl-shaped hole at least three feet in diameter and 18 inches deep. If you can dig it wider, do! The hole should resemble a UFO landing site or a giant birdbath. Do not dig a hole with abrupt sides. In your barrow, make soil that is one-third compost, one third dirt and one third coarse sand or pea gravel. Remember, drainage is vital. Rhodies and azaleas don’t like wet feet! Fill your hole and plant your rhodie or azalea in the middle, being careful not to compact the soil. Scatter a couple of handfuls of soil sulfur across the circle and rake it lightly in. Water the “bowl” thoroughly and mulch with a two to three inch layer of wood chips. That’s it. You’ve just planted the shrub perfectly and it will thrive.
WATER: During hot periods with no rain, water moderately twice a week. If you’re using a drip system, which I personally don’t like for rhodies and azaleas, make sure you’re getting enough water to the outlying roots and keep the drip heads away from the crown of the plants. Over watering in sites where drainage is faulty will kill your plants, no doubt about it. Especially avoid excessive irrigation in the fall. Plants kept dry in September will tend to harden off and be better prepared for the winter. If the fall has been excessively dry, watering should be done after the first hard frost. At that time, watering will not reduce winter hardiness, but will prepare the plant for winter. The soil should be thoroughly moist before cold weather sets in with a vengeance. The best time for fall watering is around Thanksgiving. During the growing season, be sure that at least one inch of water, either from the sky or from the hose is available each week.
PRUNING: There is little need for pruning azaleas and rhodies. If growth becomes excessive, reduce the size with light pruning. It is important to remove the flower stems on rhodies as soon as flowering is complete, although this practice is not necessary on most azaleas. Failure to do this will reduce flowering the following year, leads to a messy plant and flowerbed and lends itself to disease. Be sure to break out only the dead flower cluster and not the young buds clustered at its base.
Azaleas sometimes branch poorly and form a loose, open shrub. The plant’s form can be improved by pinching out the soft, new shoots of vigorous growing plants. Do not pinch after July because flower buds will not have time to develop for the following year.
Fertilize as you would any shrub, preferably with an organic fertilizer. Be sure to stop all fertilizing after September 1. These plants set their flower buds for the next year in mid-summer, so they mustn’t be pruned in the fall or winter. Depending on the types of plants you’ve chosen, your plants can reach heights of six feet in our area, and in the spring will provide your garden with a riot of bloom that is a wonder to behold.
Growing rhodies and azaleas is not difficult. The Renegade Gardener suggests that all nurseries should attach a bold tag to each plant that reads, “ATTENTION: GROWING THIS THING INVOLVES GARDENING!”
Here, you will find some simple gardening steps to successfully growing these truly magnificent shrubs:
LOCATION: Rhodies and azaleas both thrive in the light shade created by an overhead tree canopy. Dense shade, however, is not satisfactory. Rhodies can take full morning or afternoon sun, but like it best when it’s not more than four hours. Azaleas may be planted in part shade to full sun. In all cases, these plants must be mulched heavily throughout the growing season to keep their roots cool and the soil from drying out. Selecting a good site is important as is selecting a good quality plant. A site sloping to the north or east is usually best, because it is protected from the drying south and westerly winds. Always plant azaleas and rhodies where they get wind protection. Buildings and slopes provide good barriers. Evergreen shrubs or trees such as pine, juniper or spruce planted to the south or west of your rhodies protect them and make a good backdrop for showing off the flowers. Plants not given protection from the wind often develop leaf scorch or splitting bark on the stems.
SOIL: (I know, I know – “Here she goes with the soil again!” But really, folks, feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants!) Soil is crucial. Rhodies and azaleas will die if planted in clay or any soil that does not drain efficiently, and will grow poorly without blooming in soil too high on the pH scale. They need ample moisture but will rot if the soil stays too damp. They wish to develop a thick mass of very fine, shallow roots that can spread with ease horizontally from the main stem. These roots will rarely go more than 8 inches deep, but can travel as far as 8 feet out. These roots need acidic soil, lower on the pH scale than the soil in your yard. All of these seemingly difficult conditions are extremely easy to create.
Most azaleas and rhodies thrive best at a soil pH between 4.5 and 6.0. Soils previously limed heavily for a lawn or garden may need the pH lowered. Mortar or other building materials mixed into the soil close to foundations may increase pH. It would be a really, really good idea to take a soil sample to any cooperative Extension Service Office for testing. If the pH is too high, the soil can be made more acid by applying agricultural sulfur or iron sulfate. The amount the pH will change varies with different soils, but generally about one and a fourth cups of iron sulfate or two and a half pounds of agricultural sulfur per 100 square feet will lower the pH one unit. For example, if the soil tests at 6.5, this treatment should lower it to 5.5.
Soils that are too acid (below 4.5) may easily be made less acid by adding ground limestone.
PLANTING: Prior to planting, dig a large, bowl-shaped hole at least three feet in diameter and 18 inches deep. If you can dig it wider, do! The hole should resemble a UFO landing site or a giant birdbath. Do not dig a hole with abrupt sides. In your barrow, make soil that is one-third compost, one third dirt and one third coarse sand or pea gravel. Remember, drainage is vital. Rhodies and azaleas don’t like wet feet! Fill your hole and plant your rhodie or azalea in the middle, being careful not to compact the soil. Scatter a couple of handfuls of soil sulfur across the circle and rake it lightly in. Water the “bowl” thoroughly and mulch with a two to three inch layer of wood chips. That’s it. You’ve just planted the shrub perfectly and it will thrive.
WATER: During hot periods with no rain, water moderately twice a week. If you’re using a drip system, which I personally don’t like for rhodies and azaleas, make sure you’re getting enough water to the outlying roots and keep the drip heads away from the crown of the plants. Over watering in sites where drainage is faulty will kill your plants, no doubt about it. Especially avoid excessive irrigation in the fall. Plants kept dry in September will tend to harden off and be better prepared for the winter. If the fall has been excessively dry, watering should be done after the first hard frost. At that time, watering will not reduce winter hardiness, but will prepare the plant for winter. The soil should be thoroughly moist before cold weather sets in with a vengeance. The best time for fall watering is around Thanksgiving. During the growing season, be sure that at least one inch of water, either from the sky or from the hose is available each week.
PRUNING: There is little need for pruning azaleas and rhodies. If growth becomes excessive, reduce the size with light pruning. It is important to remove the flower stems on rhodies as soon as flowering is complete, although this practice is not necessary on most azaleas. Failure to do this will reduce flowering the following year, leads to a messy plant and flowerbed and lends itself to disease. Be sure to break out only the dead flower cluster and not the young buds clustered at its base.
Azaleas sometimes branch poorly and form a loose, open shrub. The plant’s form can be improved by pinching out the soft, new shoots of vigorous growing plants. Do not pinch after July because flower buds will not have time to develop for the following year.
Fertilize as you would any shrub, preferably with an organic fertilizer. Be sure to stop all fertilizing after September 1. These plants set their flower buds for the next year in mid-summer, so they mustn’t be pruned in the fall or winter. Depending on the types of plants you’ve chosen, your plants can reach heights of six feet in our area, and in the spring will provide your garden with a riot of bloom that is a wonder to behold.
04 March 2008
The Dirt On Dirt
The dirt in your garden, the soil, is generally perceived as the boring part of gardening. Garden soil will never be as fun and interesting as choosing what you’re going to put init, but there is a whole world under your feet that is – quite literally – the base of your garden. Fledgling gardeners are advised to put funds and efforts into improving their soil before they even consider planting anything. Not so many appreciate the inherent smarts in what they are hearing until they watch their new plants struggle to survive, demanding more food and more water. In organic gardening, we’re told, “Feed the soil and the soil will feed the plants.”
The soil in your yard supports an amazing community of insects, invertebrates and microorganisms. Adding organic matter to the soil will provide food for this array of critters and they will in turn release nutrients into the soil as they process the organic matter. These soil dwelling critters contribute more organic matter through waste and decomposition, as well as aerating the soil.
Bug sprays, fungicides and other chemicals make their way into the soil and can kill these beneficial critters living there. Synthetic or chemical fertilizers contain salt and other chemicals, which can also kill your critters as well as build up in the soil and – after time – can actually harm the plants you think you’re feeding. Also, synthetics add nothing to the actual fertility of the soil.
“But what is healthy soil?”
When looking at soil, we should consider four things: texture, structure, pH and fertility.
Texture refers to the actual size of the soil’s particles. Sandy soil has the largest particles and is of irregular shape. This is why sand feel coarse and why it drains so well. Sand doesn’t compact well at all. Silt soil contains particles that are smaller than sand but still irregular in shape. Clay has particles that are almost flat, which is why it packs so easily. Clay soil leaves hardly any room for water or air to penetrate. Sandy loam is thought to be the ideal garden soil and is made up of three textures. Don’t run out, though, and buy sand to add to your heavy clay soil. Mixing sand and clay gives you concrete.
Soil structure is how your soil clumps together. You can determine your texture by testing your structure. Squeezing a handful of damp soil into a ball and poking it lightly will tell you volumes. If it falls apart with a light poke, it’s probably sand. If you need more pressure, you’ve got silt. If you poke and poke and nothing happens, you’ve got mostly clay. A good soil structure is crumbly. This lets the roots work through it, air passes through and water drains, but not so quickly that the plants can’t use it.
There are two things that will improve your soil and they work together:
Remember those critters I talked about? Insects moving about in the soil help to aerate and they add small amounts of organic matter, the second part of improving your soil. Organic matter improves any type of soil. Compost, leaf mold, manure and green manure are all decaying organic matter. They loosen and enrich the soil and provide food for your critters. Infrequent tilling will loosen the soil structure and sometimes this is a necessity. Over-tilling can crumble the soil too much and kill the critters living there. Regular tilling is not recommended.
PH is a measure of your soil’s acid or alkaline levels. 7.0 is considered neutral. Most garden plants prefer a neutral pH range. Some plants have different requirements. Lilacs and clematis like soil with a higher alkaline level, whilst rhodies and blueberries like it a bit to the acid side.
Generally, if your plants are growing well, you pH is probably fine. If your plants are having nutrient issues or not growing vigorously, it’s worth it to get your soil tested. There are a number of pH soil testers available at a good garden center or nursery. Once you know your pH, you can begin to adjust it slowly. Some form of lime will raise pH and a form of Sulphur will lower it. Your testing kit will likely tell you what to do once you have your results in hand.
Adding lime or Sulphur is not a quick fix to the pH dilemma; it can take months to register a change and you will need to periodically retest to make sure your soil is not heading towards it’s old, original level.
Organic matter does so many fabulous things for your garden that it’s just silly not to take advantage of it. There would be no “organic” gardening without organic matter! Organic matter is how plants are fed in nature, how things are meant to be. Those good critters in your soil need to be taken care of. The more beneficial microorganisms your soil has, the less bad organisms will survive. These good critters feed on harmful microbes like nematodes and some soil born diseases. They also feed the soil when they die.
Compost is the poster child of organic matter. You can make your own or buy it in bags or by the truckload. Finished compost looks like very rich soil. Dark and crumbly with an earthy smell. Compost can be added to your garden at any time, either by turning it into the soil or mulching or top dressing. Grass clippings, leaves, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, egg shells, sawdust, straw and shredded paper are all fine things to put in your compost bin if you have one. Aged animal manure is an organic material with the added bonus of soil nutrients. Cow, sheep and chicken manure are the most popular varieties. There are others, however, that are equally acceptable. Avoid cat, dog, pig and human manures due to the risk of disease.
The nutrients in your soil are the final component in building healthy soil. Just like people, plants need certain nutrients to grow and fend off disease. Organic fertilizers are made of plant, animal and mineral sources and are basically returning what you’ve taken from the soil. They are released slowly, which means that plants can feed when they need to. Your plants will develop strong, healthy root systems because they’ll have to work a bit harder to get to the nutrients rather than living off the chemical rush of salt-based fertilizers. No sudden change in the makeup of the soil will prevent harm to your army of friendly critters.
Building healthy soil is an ongoing process. If your gardens are already established, you can always give it a boost by side- or top dressing, mulching and the addition of rich organic matter. It’s not the most fun or glamorous part of gardening, but the rewards are immeasurable.
The soil in your yard supports an amazing community of insects, invertebrates and microorganisms. Adding organic matter to the soil will provide food for this array of critters and they will in turn release nutrients into the soil as they process the organic matter. These soil dwelling critters contribute more organic matter through waste and decomposition, as well as aerating the soil.
Bug sprays, fungicides and other chemicals make their way into the soil and can kill these beneficial critters living there. Synthetic or chemical fertilizers contain salt and other chemicals, which can also kill your critters as well as build up in the soil and – after time – can actually harm the plants you think you’re feeding. Also, synthetics add nothing to the actual fertility of the soil.
“But what is healthy soil?”
When looking at soil, we should consider four things: texture, structure, pH and fertility.
Texture refers to the actual size of the soil’s particles. Sandy soil has the largest particles and is of irregular shape. This is why sand feel coarse and why it drains so well. Sand doesn’t compact well at all. Silt soil contains particles that are smaller than sand but still irregular in shape. Clay has particles that are almost flat, which is why it packs so easily. Clay soil leaves hardly any room for water or air to penetrate. Sandy loam is thought to be the ideal garden soil and is made up of three textures. Don’t run out, though, and buy sand to add to your heavy clay soil. Mixing sand and clay gives you concrete.
Soil structure is how your soil clumps together. You can determine your texture by testing your structure. Squeezing a handful of damp soil into a ball and poking it lightly will tell you volumes. If it falls apart with a light poke, it’s probably sand. If you need more pressure, you’ve got silt. If you poke and poke and nothing happens, you’ve got mostly clay. A good soil structure is crumbly. This lets the roots work through it, air passes through and water drains, but not so quickly that the plants can’t use it.
There are two things that will improve your soil and they work together:
Remember those critters I talked about? Insects moving about in the soil help to aerate and they add small amounts of organic matter, the second part of improving your soil. Organic matter improves any type of soil. Compost, leaf mold, manure and green manure are all decaying organic matter. They loosen and enrich the soil and provide food for your critters. Infrequent tilling will loosen the soil structure and sometimes this is a necessity. Over-tilling can crumble the soil too much and kill the critters living there. Regular tilling is not recommended.
PH is a measure of your soil’s acid or alkaline levels. 7.0 is considered neutral. Most garden plants prefer a neutral pH range. Some plants have different requirements. Lilacs and clematis like soil with a higher alkaline level, whilst rhodies and blueberries like it a bit to the acid side.
Generally, if your plants are growing well, you pH is probably fine. If your plants are having nutrient issues or not growing vigorously, it’s worth it to get your soil tested. There are a number of pH soil testers available at a good garden center or nursery. Once you know your pH, you can begin to adjust it slowly. Some form of lime will raise pH and a form of Sulphur will lower it. Your testing kit will likely tell you what to do once you have your results in hand.
Adding lime or Sulphur is not a quick fix to the pH dilemma; it can take months to register a change and you will need to periodically retest to make sure your soil is not heading towards it’s old, original level.
Organic matter does so many fabulous things for your garden that it’s just silly not to take advantage of it. There would be no “organic” gardening without organic matter! Organic matter is how plants are fed in nature, how things are meant to be. Those good critters in your soil need to be taken care of. The more beneficial microorganisms your soil has, the less bad organisms will survive. These good critters feed on harmful microbes like nematodes and some soil born diseases. They also feed the soil when they die.
Compost is the poster child of organic matter. You can make your own or buy it in bags or by the truckload. Finished compost looks like very rich soil. Dark and crumbly with an earthy smell. Compost can be added to your garden at any time, either by turning it into the soil or mulching or top dressing. Grass clippings, leaves, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, egg shells, sawdust, straw and shredded paper are all fine things to put in your compost bin if you have one. Aged animal manure is an organic material with the added bonus of soil nutrients. Cow, sheep and chicken manure are the most popular varieties. There are others, however, that are equally acceptable. Avoid cat, dog, pig and human manures due to the risk of disease.
The nutrients in your soil are the final component in building healthy soil. Just like people, plants need certain nutrients to grow and fend off disease. Organic fertilizers are made of plant, animal and mineral sources and are basically returning what you’ve taken from the soil. They are released slowly, which means that plants can feed when they need to. Your plants will develop strong, healthy root systems because they’ll have to work a bit harder to get to the nutrients rather than living off the chemical rush of salt-based fertilizers. No sudden change in the makeup of the soil will prevent harm to your army of friendly critters.
Building healthy soil is an ongoing process. If your gardens are already established, you can always give it a boost by side- or top dressing, mulching and the addition of rich organic matter. It’s not the most fun or glamorous part of gardening, but the rewards are immeasurable.
18 February 2008
Esteemed Member Of The English Cottage Garden...Allow Me To Present...The Hollyhock!
I don’t know about you, but hollyhocks take me back to my grandmother’s garden. I couldn’t tell you what she called them; I just can’t wrap my mouth around the word for “hollyhock” in Italian, but she loved them and so do I. In fact, there is probably a soft spot for this classic garden beauty in the heart of every gardener. If you think you’d like to plant a garden after the English cottage style, hollyhocks are an absolute must-have. Plant them along a fence, next to your shed, by the garage or at the back of the garden in the back of the border. Many gardeners plant dahlias and baby’s breath, Black-eyed Susans and mums in front of hollyhocks to “cover their shins.”
In addition to planting them at the back of the flowerbeds, they can be used as a screen to hide undesirable views. In fact, hollyhocks were once known as “outhouse flowers” because they were often planted to hide outhouses. A polite lady didn’t need to ask where the outhouse was – she just looked for the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks could be planted around children’s playhouses to make them a little more secluded. In fact, an ambitious gardener could use hollyhocks for the walls of a playhouse and perhaps runner beans to grow over the top for the roof. Ok, maybe I’m crazy, but it’s an interesting idea, you have to admit!
Hollyhocks are perennials or biennials depending on your climate. In zones 3 to 8, they may live over the following winter and bloom again if you cut the faded flower stalks off at the base, but it’s not guaranteed. In colder zones, you will want to mulch over the bases to protect from frost over the winter.
Flowers come in both single and double varieties. The blooms are carried on stems that can reach up to 8 feet tall depending on the variety. For more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice early in the growing season. This will give you shorter plants with more branches. As they say, hollyhocks can get quite tall. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I’m interested in anything that requires a ladder in order to get those flowers into a vase! Hollyhock flowers open up like colorful saucers, up to 5 inches across! The double varieties look like large pom-poms. If you have children or grandchildren about, I’m sure you’ll find that they will love playing with these enormous blossoms. If you never made dolls from hollyhock flowers, you missed out on a wonderful childhood experience. The fully opened flowers are the skirts, half opened flowers are the torsos and the buds are the heads. Threading them onto a little stick holds them together.
While hollyhock flowers have no scent, bees and hummingbirds like to visit them.
Some gardeners insist that the ONLY way to start hollyhocks is indoors, in pots, in mid-February (in other words, RIGHT NOW!). If you choose this method, plant them about ½” deep in soil mix. The seeds will germinate at around 65 to 70 degrees. Check the pots often to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, but be careful of over watering – these seeds rot easily. Seedlings should appear in about two weeks. Cut back on the water and let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. They like bright light otherwise they stretch and get quite gangly.
If you want blooms in the first year and are starting your seedlings indoors, some varieties for you to consider are Indian Spring, Happy Lights, Crème de Cassis and Summer Carnival. These are known for being rust resistant and for blooming the first year. However, I’m a lazy gardener and I prefer sowing right into the ground. Here in the Valley, the best time would be around mid-April.
Plant them in well-drained, neutral soil and make sure they get lots of sun. These plants don’t like shade! Feed in the spring with generous amounts of composted manure and continue feeding about every three weeks to once a month with fish emulsion.
When pruning, be sure to always leave a few spikes on the plant so they can set seeds and re-sow. You can also collect some of these seeds to share, when you become the envy of all your friends and neighbors with a knock-em-dead display of blooms.
Hollyhocks are prone to hollyhock rust. If you start to notice orange bumps or blisters on the leaves, pick off those leaves at once, put them in a bag and dispose of them – preferably off of your property. Do not compost those leaves; you’ll only be propagating the rust. Hollyhock rust is worse during wet summers, which we generally don’t have here in the Rogue Valley. Avoid overhead watering with your hollyhocks whenever possible. I always just pull of the rusty leaves and get rid of them. I’ll live with a little rust. If you don’t want hollyhock rust at all, then there are copper or Sulphur sprays you can use to prevent further infection. Obviously, if you’re using fungicides and pesticides, you shouldn’t let children play with the blossoms or around the plants themselves.
Hollyhocks also have a reputation for attracting bugs. I make a point of setting out extra ladybugs in their vicinity to control whatever it is that thinks living on my hollyhocks is the thing to do. Of course, if you’re using ladybugs, you shouldn’t be using pesticides. You could even set out a mantis egg case either right in or very close by your patch of hollyhocks. Mantids are great for controlling a large number of pests, plus they’re kind of fun. I had a really large one living in a wisteria vine on my back porch for a season and I think we got to be friends…but that’s a story for another time.
In addition to planting them at the back of the flowerbeds, they can be used as a screen to hide undesirable views. In fact, hollyhocks were once known as “outhouse flowers” because they were often planted to hide outhouses. A polite lady didn’t need to ask where the outhouse was – she just looked for the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks could be planted around children’s playhouses to make them a little more secluded. In fact, an ambitious gardener could use hollyhocks for the walls of a playhouse and perhaps runner beans to grow over the top for the roof. Ok, maybe I’m crazy, but it’s an interesting idea, you have to admit!
Hollyhocks are perennials or biennials depending on your climate. In zones 3 to 8, they may live over the following winter and bloom again if you cut the faded flower stalks off at the base, but it’s not guaranteed. In colder zones, you will want to mulch over the bases to protect from frost over the winter.
Flowers come in both single and double varieties. The blooms are carried on stems that can reach up to 8 feet tall depending on the variety. For more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice early in the growing season. This will give you shorter plants with more branches. As they say, hollyhocks can get quite tall. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I’m interested in anything that requires a ladder in order to get those flowers into a vase! Hollyhock flowers open up like colorful saucers, up to 5 inches across! The double varieties look like large pom-poms. If you have children or grandchildren about, I’m sure you’ll find that they will love playing with these enormous blossoms. If you never made dolls from hollyhock flowers, you missed out on a wonderful childhood experience. The fully opened flowers are the skirts, half opened flowers are the torsos and the buds are the heads. Threading them onto a little stick holds them together.
While hollyhock flowers have no scent, bees and hummingbirds like to visit them.
Some gardeners insist that the ONLY way to start hollyhocks is indoors, in pots, in mid-February (in other words, RIGHT NOW!). If you choose this method, plant them about ½” deep in soil mix. The seeds will germinate at around 65 to 70 degrees. Check the pots often to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, but be careful of over watering – these seeds rot easily. Seedlings should appear in about two weeks. Cut back on the water and let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. They like bright light otherwise they stretch and get quite gangly.
If you want blooms in the first year and are starting your seedlings indoors, some varieties for you to consider are Indian Spring, Happy Lights, Crème de Cassis and Summer Carnival. These are known for being rust resistant and for blooming the first year. However, I’m a lazy gardener and I prefer sowing right into the ground. Here in the Valley, the best time would be around mid-April.
Plant them in well-drained, neutral soil and make sure they get lots of sun. These plants don’t like shade! Feed in the spring with generous amounts of composted manure and continue feeding about every three weeks to once a month with fish emulsion.
When pruning, be sure to always leave a few spikes on the plant so they can set seeds and re-sow. You can also collect some of these seeds to share, when you become the envy of all your friends and neighbors with a knock-em-dead display of blooms.
Hollyhocks are prone to hollyhock rust. If you start to notice orange bumps or blisters on the leaves, pick off those leaves at once, put them in a bag and dispose of them – preferably off of your property. Do not compost those leaves; you’ll only be propagating the rust. Hollyhock rust is worse during wet summers, which we generally don’t have here in the Rogue Valley. Avoid overhead watering with your hollyhocks whenever possible. I always just pull of the rusty leaves and get rid of them. I’ll live with a little rust. If you don’t want hollyhock rust at all, then there are copper or Sulphur sprays you can use to prevent further infection. Obviously, if you’re using fungicides and pesticides, you shouldn’t let children play with the blossoms or around the plants themselves.
Hollyhocks also have a reputation for attracting bugs. I make a point of setting out extra ladybugs in their vicinity to control whatever it is that thinks living on my hollyhocks is the thing to do. Of course, if you’re using ladybugs, you shouldn’t be using pesticides. You could even set out a mantis egg case either right in or very close by your patch of hollyhocks. Mantids are great for controlling a large number of pests, plus they’re kind of fun. I had a really large one living in a wisteria vine on my back porch for a season and I think we got to be friends…but that’s a story for another time.
11 February 2008
Begin at the beginning...
And continue on right to the end. Alice was advised to do this during her sojourn to Wonderland. And that would be a good place for you to start, if you’re thinking about wading into a vegetable or herb garden for the first time. Aside from gardening being good for your physical and mental health, the veggies you grow yourself are way healthier for you. If you have children, getting the to eat their veggies is MUCH more easy to do when it’s something they have helped grow! There’s something magical about your first garden and every day is a learning experience. Who among us couldn’t use a little bit of that kind of magic?
Take courage! With a little reading and research, you can be really successful and have a garden worth crowing about!
If you think you’re ready to think about beginning, remember this: It’s better to be proud of a small garden, than frustrated by a big one. You don’t want to get out there, rotor till a quarter of an acre and then find out that you just can’t manage something that size. If you don’t want to dig up your yard or make a garden in the ground or don’t have a yard to dig up, there are lots of things you can grow in containers. Cherry tomatoes spring to mind, but I’m wandering. More on containers later…
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic or your neighbors to hide when they see you coming with your brown bag of veggies, plan carefully. By the way, if you wind up in the situation of having way too much of anything, I’m sure the folks over at the community center can help you find someone who would be interested in some surplus fresh veggies. Wandering again…moving on…Start small and then – if you choose to – you can expand with the years and experience. For example, one tomato plant per person is really sufficient, unless you plan on being the supplier for your neighborhood or want to sell them in your front yard. I have to admit to a fondness for tomatoes and frequently have more than we can use. I like the heirloom tomatoes and the ones in interesting colors. But really, one plant per person works well, perhaps with a cherry tomato plant for salads.
Here are some very basic concepts you’ll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener supreme:
Vegetables love the sun! They require six hours of sunlight each day, at least. Continuous sun would be best, if possible.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Unfortunately, many people have a truly astounding combination of rocks and clay that can sometimes seem nearly invulnerable to shovels, picks and hoes. It’s a good reason to start small, because improving the soil is the toughest part of gardening. Check with your local nursery or county extension about soil testing. Working quantities of composted manure into your soil is, in my opinion, the best way to make sure that your veggies get what they need and you’re making your soil better as well. I tend to shy away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides; so composted manure is always my first choice. There are so many horses, cows and goats around about; there’s got to be local sources for composted manure. Rabbit manure is really great fertilizer as well.
You can always construct a frame, line the bottom with chicken wire (to keep burrowing critters out) and fill it with soil from your yard, blended with composted manure, composted leaves or peat moss.
Placement is everything. Like people, vegetables need the right nutrition to grow healthy produce. Place your garden too near a tree and it will lose its nutrients to the tree’s greedy roots. On the other hand, a garden closer to your house will help discourage rabbits, raccoons, deer, mice and opossums from chowing down on your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water. At least one inch per week. Did you notice where the snow was melting first in your yard a few weeks ago when we all had a white coating in our yards? That’s where the sun catches in warm pockets and will make a difference in how well you vegetables will grow.
If you receive the seed catalogs, study them and order early. If you don’t, you can check locally for seeds or go into town to a home center or nursery. Later in the season, you can get plants that are already started which are also a great way to set out your garden. Tomatoes and peppers are among the few vegetables that aren’t direct seeded into the garden. They should be started indoors in April, then planted in the garden with the seeds of beans and zucchini in mid-May. Or you can always purchase pre-started plants locally. Peas, lettuces, spinach and radishes like cool temperatures and they should be started as soon as the chances for frost have passed.
A good-sized beginner garden is 10 x 16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing and giving away. Adjust proportionately to your family size, don’t be afraid to do less and definitely feel free to adjust quantities to what you and your family are likely to enjoy eating! If you think you can manage more than what’s listed here, consider a couple of barrels or wooden containers with some extras or salad greens. These will be easy to maintain. Cherry tomatoes are a great choice for a container and are very easy. Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, radishes and spinach. To plan for a second crop, check the days to maturity in the seed catalogs or on the packets.
For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun. Make your garden eleven rows of 10-feet each of the following: tomatoes – 5 plants – staked or caged, squash – 4 plants, peppers – 6 plants, cabbage, bush beans, lettuce – leaf and/or bib, beets, carrots, chard, radish, garlic and marigolds (to discourage rabbits and other garden-munching visitors). Leave two feet between bush beans, one half foot between bush beans and lettuce and one foot between all the rest.
When to plant? If you’re setting out pre-started plants, pick a day that is overcast. If you have to plant on a sunny day, wait until the sun is low in the sky. It makes the transition from pot to the ground much easier on the plant.
Dig a whole twice the size of the pot and loosen the soil as deep as your trowel will go. Turn the pot upside down and tap out the plant. Place the plant in the hole and give it a good soaking. Carry the watering can with you when you plant and give each plant a drink as it’s planted. Don’t plant the whole bed and then come back to water it later.
Seeds need a finely raked bed. Be sure to just barely cover them and keep them moist until they germinate. It’s really nice to do your planting in a light rain. The plants love it although your neighbors might think you’re nuts. Keep ‘em guessing, I say. Keep the new plants watered well the first couple of weeks, then water as needed. Remember, your garden will need one inch of water per week, either from the hose or from Mother Nature.
Once everything is growing, weeding is the main task left. The best tip I ever read about weeding was to use just mulch over the weeds throughout the season. Eventually, you will smother even the most persistent and invasive weeds and turn them into something that will benefit your soil.
Let’s talk for a minute about pests. There are a variety of insects that may try to take up residence in your garden. Aphids, tomato hornworms, cut worms – all kinds of things. There are two things that I like for pest control – ladybugs and praying mantis. You can purchase containers of ladybugs and mantid egg cases at the nursery, hardware store and most home centers. If you really don’t want them, Ivory soap and water will deter most garden pests. Unfortunately, the only foolproof way to keep hornworms off of your tomatoes is to pick them off by hand. If you must, there are pesticides available to control bugs in the garden. The local hardware store has a selection and knowledgeable folks to help you out in that area.
You can always grow your lettuces or salad mix and radishes in containers. One great way to get your kids or grandkids to eat salad is to purchase the seeds for a nice salad blend. Plant it in a container and when the plants are four inches high or so, send the kidlets out with some safety scissors to harvest the salad for dinner. Rinse it and toss it with some of those cherry tomatoes you grew on your deck and you have a very healthful meal, packed with nutrients and flavor. You will notice that veggies you grow yourself, taste a lot better than store-bought!
Gardening is fun and – really – it’s good for your soul. There’s something primitively satisfying about digging in the dirt – maybe a throwback to a time when our parents told us not to. So get up, step away from the TV and get outside! I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the fruits of your labor.
Take courage! With a little reading and research, you can be really successful and have a garden worth crowing about!
If you think you’re ready to think about beginning, remember this: It’s better to be proud of a small garden, than frustrated by a big one. You don’t want to get out there, rotor till a quarter of an acre and then find out that you just can’t manage something that size. If you don’t want to dig up your yard or make a garden in the ground or don’t have a yard to dig up, there are lots of things you can grow in containers. Cherry tomatoes spring to mind, but I’m wandering. More on containers later…
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic or your neighbors to hide when they see you coming with your brown bag of veggies, plan carefully. By the way, if you wind up in the situation of having way too much of anything, I’m sure the folks over at the community center can help you find someone who would be interested in some surplus fresh veggies. Wandering again…moving on…Start small and then – if you choose to – you can expand with the years and experience. For example, one tomato plant per person is really sufficient, unless you plan on being the supplier for your neighborhood or want to sell them in your front yard. I have to admit to a fondness for tomatoes and frequently have more than we can use. I like the heirloom tomatoes and the ones in interesting colors. But really, one plant per person works well, perhaps with a cherry tomato plant for salads.
Here are some very basic concepts you’ll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener supreme:
Vegetables love the sun! They require six hours of sunlight each day, at least. Continuous sun would be best, if possible.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Unfortunately, many people have a truly astounding combination of rocks and clay that can sometimes seem nearly invulnerable to shovels, picks and hoes. It’s a good reason to start small, because improving the soil is the toughest part of gardening. Check with your local nursery or county extension about soil testing. Working quantities of composted manure into your soil is, in my opinion, the best way to make sure that your veggies get what they need and you’re making your soil better as well. I tend to shy away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides; so composted manure is always my first choice. There are so many horses, cows and goats around about; there’s got to be local sources for composted manure. Rabbit manure is really great fertilizer as well.
You can always construct a frame, line the bottom with chicken wire (to keep burrowing critters out) and fill it with soil from your yard, blended with composted manure, composted leaves or peat moss.
Placement is everything. Like people, vegetables need the right nutrition to grow healthy produce. Place your garden too near a tree and it will lose its nutrients to the tree’s greedy roots. On the other hand, a garden closer to your house will help discourage rabbits, raccoons, deer, mice and opossums from chowing down on your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water. At least one inch per week. Did you notice where the snow was melting first in your yard a few weeks ago when we all had a white coating in our yards? That’s where the sun catches in warm pockets and will make a difference in how well you vegetables will grow.
If you receive the seed catalogs, study them and order early. If you don’t, you can check locally for seeds or go into town to a home center or nursery. Later in the season, you can get plants that are already started which are also a great way to set out your garden. Tomatoes and peppers are among the few vegetables that aren’t direct seeded into the garden. They should be started indoors in April, then planted in the garden with the seeds of beans and zucchini in mid-May. Or you can always purchase pre-started plants locally. Peas, lettuces, spinach and radishes like cool temperatures and they should be started as soon as the chances for frost have passed.
A good-sized beginner garden is 10 x 16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing and giving away. Adjust proportionately to your family size, don’t be afraid to do less and definitely feel free to adjust quantities to what you and your family are likely to enjoy eating! If you think you can manage more than what’s listed here, consider a couple of barrels or wooden containers with some extras or salad greens. These will be easy to maintain. Cherry tomatoes are a great choice for a container and are very easy. Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, radishes and spinach. To plan for a second crop, check the days to maturity in the seed catalogs or on the packets.
For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun. Make your garden eleven rows of 10-feet each of the following: tomatoes – 5 plants – staked or caged, squash – 4 plants, peppers – 6 plants, cabbage, bush beans, lettuce – leaf and/or bib, beets, carrots, chard, radish, garlic and marigolds (to discourage rabbits and other garden-munching visitors). Leave two feet between bush beans, one half foot between bush beans and lettuce and one foot between all the rest.
When to plant? If you’re setting out pre-started plants, pick a day that is overcast. If you have to plant on a sunny day, wait until the sun is low in the sky. It makes the transition from pot to the ground much easier on the plant.
Dig a whole twice the size of the pot and loosen the soil as deep as your trowel will go. Turn the pot upside down and tap out the plant. Place the plant in the hole and give it a good soaking. Carry the watering can with you when you plant and give each plant a drink as it’s planted. Don’t plant the whole bed and then come back to water it later.
Seeds need a finely raked bed. Be sure to just barely cover them and keep them moist until they germinate. It’s really nice to do your planting in a light rain. The plants love it although your neighbors might think you’re nuts. Keep ‘em guessing, I say. Keep the new plants watered well the first couple of weeks, then water as needed. Remember, your garden will need one inch of water per week, either from the hose or from Mother Nature.
Once everything is growing, weeding is the main task left. The best tip I ever read about weeding was to use just mulch over the weeds throughout the season. Eventually, you will smother even the most persistent and invasive weeds and turn them into something that will benefit your soil.
Let’s talk for a minute about pests. There are a variety of insects that may try to take up residence in your garden. Aphids, tomato hornworms, cut worms – all kinds of things. There are two things that I like for pest control – ladybugs and praying mantis. You can purchase containers of ladybugs and mantid egg cases at the nursery, hardware store and most home centers. If you really don’t want them, Ivory soap and water will deter most garden pests. Unfortunately, the only foolproof way to keep hornworms off of your tomatoes is to pick them off by hand. If you must, there are pesticides available to control bugs in the garden. The local hardware store has a selection and knowledgeable folks to help you out in that area.
You can always grow your lettuces or salad mix and radishes in containers. One great way to get your kids or grandkids to eat salad is to purchase the seeds for a nice salad blend. Plant it in a container and when the plants are four inches high or so, send the kidlets out with some safety scissors to harvest the salad for dinner. Rinse it and toss it with some of those cherry tomatoes you grew on your deck and you have a very healthful meal, packed with nutrients and flavor. You will notice that veggies you grow yourself, taste a lot better than store-bought!
Gardening is fun and – really – it’s good for your soul. There’s something primitively satisfying about digging in the dirt – maybe a throwback to a time when our parents told us not to. So get up, step away from the TV and get outside! I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the fruits of your labor.
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