Tips for Planting a Vegetable Garden

From Balanced Living Magazine  - May/June edition 2008

By Ron Zayac

You may want to think about planting a vegetable garden this season. You can save yourself some money, help save the planet, and ensure a safe food source if you can devote a little space, time and attention to a backyard garden. And, along the way you will produce bushels of fresh vegetables that you can pluck from the vine to eat or cook right away, or you can freeze or can them for cooking during the winter months. You also can create wonderful recipes such as sauces and salsas to enjoy year-round. Your garden can even produce greens all year long. After a while you will see the savings add up as you enjoy the peace of mind from knowing exactly where your food came from. Follow these tips for a happy experience growing healthy sustenance.

1. Make gardening a part ofyour routine.

You probably do not consider the time it takes to grocery shop to be a burden because it is so much a part of your routine. Gardening is similar; if you make it a part of your routine you need not set aside “extra” time to do it. Every hour in a vegetable garden is an investment in yourself and your family, so set aside some time every week to spend on and in your garden. This time will be repaid with better health and longer life, better food, lower food costs and less time spent grocery shopping.

2. Thoroughly plan your garden.

The most productive gardeners do the most planning. Consider what foods and dishes you and your family enjoy eating. Also check out recipes for other ways to use those vegetables.

3. Choose the best spot.

Most vegetable crops prefer full sun but some, such as those in the cabbage and salad greens families, can tolerate partial shade. Remember that as the summer progresses, the sun becomes lower in the sky and locations that are sunny inthe spring may be shaded later in the summer and fall. Also, choose a site that is well-drained.

4. Choose an appropriate size.

A large garden will produce more than a small garden but also will take more time to maintain. A common mistake is starting too big and becoming overwhelmed with maintenance chores. As you become more experienced, you will find that you can keep up a larger garden in less time than you spent in your first tiny plot.

5. Choose the best tasting and most productive vegetable varieties.

Vegetable plants from a discount store or large garden center, as well as seed packets from racks, probably are based on the seed cost and not flavor or productivity. Most are not grown organically. Buy transplants from nurseries that specialize in organic vegetable gardening and seed packs from a seed catalog or nursery with varieties that are the most productive and disease resistant.

6. Spend time preparing the soil before you plant.

As soon as weather permits, clean up debris from the garden site and begin to prepare the soil. This is the hardest work of the year, and it is best done early to take advantage of pleasant spring days. Turn the soil to bring cold soil up to warm.

7. Plant at the right time.

Cold-hardy crops—such as spinach, onions, peas and broccoli—can be planted in early March or April and harvested in May and June. But wait until the end of May or early June for warm-season crops. If you plant these crops too early, they will not ripen correctly because the cold soil and night-time temperatures of spring cause root damage and stress. They may not die from the spring frosts, but the stress causes a delay in fruit set.

8. Do not skimp on soil preparation.

A gardening maxim states, “A good gardener plants a 50-cent plant in a $1 hole.” Incorporating organic matter into the soil makes plants grow better, stay healthier and yield more nutrition. Soil that is biologically active and rich in organic matter and organisms is essential to growing healthy nutritious plants. Soil organisms digest debris, recycle and bring nutrients to plant roots, help control insects and diseases, break down pollutants, and produce plant-growth hormones and antibiotics to protect the plants. Organic matter and organic fertilization encourage this ecosystem, leading to healthier plants. Compost, leaf humus and pine bark are good and inexpensive sources of organic matter.

Using too little fertilizer or using it improperly, or not at all, can lead to a wasted summer-gardening effort. Fertilize during the entire growing season. Fertilizing into late summer doubles your garden’s yield and can make the difference between a few fresh veggies and a year’s supply of sauces, salsas and veggies in your freezer or pantry.

Just as “you are what you eat,” your plants are what they “eat” - the minerals andchemicals that your soil provides for them. A high-quality, organic fertilizer will provide trace minerals and other plant essentials. Be cautious with organic fertilizers from big companies because they use common ingredients that extend their shelf life. Steer clear of chemical fertilizers because they produce plants that are less nutritious, have less flavor, and are more prone to insectand disease problems. Also, compost is a soil conditioner, not a fertilizer. Most of the nutrients in compost are released during the decomposition process before it ever reaches the garden.

10. Ensure proper drainage and water properly.

One of the greatest garden stressors is lack of water. Drying out can lead to disease and insect damage. Good drainage also is essential because most plants cannot tolerate waterlogged soil. Organic matter incorporated into the soil helps soil drainage. Water the soil during the day and not in the evening to prevent mildew or fungal diseases.

11. Mulch at the correct time.

Mulching your garden keeps weeds away and also moderates soil temperature. Mulching early in the year keeps soil cool, good for crops that prefer cool temperatures, but mulching too early in the season will hurt warm-weather crops and delay as well as lower their production. Wait until mid-July or when soil temperatures heat up appropriately to mulch warm-weather crops. Also, mulching makes it difficult for fertilizer to reach plant roots, so move the mulch back a little when fertilizing.

12. Maintain and harvest every few days.

Garden maintenance can make a big difference in crop yields. Spend a few minutes everyfew days in your garden. It is a very relaxing activity, and weekday maintenance frees up your weekends and keeps small gardening problems from becoming larger ones. Gardening also can become a pleasant time with your family. While working in the garden, you can discuss the day or how you will use your harvest for dinner. Children often enjoy these activities and can be taught to take oversome of the regular chores and harvesting.

Keepit short and easy—tonight weed and tie up the tomatoes, next time work on the peppers. Weeding minimizes competition for fertilizer and sunlight. It also reduces insect and disease damage. Staking and tying plants keeps them off the ground and less prone to disease. A few minutes for chores, a few minutes for harvest, and you are ready for dinner in less time than a trip to the grocery store.

Harvesting is an important part of garden maintenance. Greens need to be harvested every day or two in the summer to keep up production. Fruits such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and zucchini that are overripe cut down on yields and cause plant stress. Regular harvesting keeps a garden productive, reduces pest damage and rewards you with lots of fresh food to use in daily meal planning.

Enjoy!

Knowing how to use your home-grown produce is the key to making your garden worthwhile. If you love salads, harvest greens for daily salads. If you have extra greens, freeze them for future use in soups, omelets and as a nutritional supplement for almost any sauce or recipe. Cut up extra peppers and keep them in the freezer for future stir fries or other cooking adventures. Unused tomatoes can be put in a freezer container a few at a time and then used later for making sauces, salsas or for canning or cooking. A few frozen peppers, tomatoes or greens may not seem like much in the summer when produce is plentiful, but they are culinary treasures in your freezer that save money and shopping time in winter or early spring.