Vegetables

What do you and your family like to eat? Although pictures in a garden catalog may look delicious, there is no value in taking up gardening space with vegetables that no one eats. Make a list of your family's favorite vegetables ranked in order of preference. This can be a useful guide in deciding how much of each crop to plant. Successive plantings of certain crops, such as beans, will give a longer harvest period and increase your yield.

How do you plan to use the produce from your garden? Do you plan to can, freeze, dry or store part of the produce? Answering these questions will help you not only in planning the size of the garden but also in selecting the varieties to be grown. Some varieties have much better keeping quality than others. Choose varieties carefully making sure they are adapted to your area and intended use.

How much space is available? You should consider how much area can be converted into usable garden space, not simply how much empty ground is available.

Some Additional Planning Hints

Plan the garden on paper first. Draw a map showing the arrangement and spacing of crops. If you intend to garden all season, you may need a spring, summer and fall plan.

Plan the garden and order seeds as early as possible.

In your plan, place tall and trellised crops on the north side of the garden so they won't shade shorter vegetables.

Group plants by length of growing period. Plant early spring crops together so that later crops can be planted in these areas when the early crops mature. Consider the length of harvest as well as time to maturity. Place perennial crops to the side of the garden where they will not be disturbed by annual tillage.

Locating the Garden

Vegetables grow best in a level area with loose, well-drained soil that receives at least 8 hours of sunlight each day.

Use contour rows or terraces on sloped or hillside sites to avoid erosion. South-facing slopes are warmer and less subject to damaging frosts.

Avoid placing the garden in low spots, at the base of a hill or at the foot of a slope bordered by a solid fence. Such areas are slow to warm up in spring. Frost settles in these places since cold air naturally drains into low areas If there is a creek nearby, the water table may be high or the area may be subject to flooding.

Vegetable Gardening

Avoid windy locations. If you must plant in a windy spot, build or grow a windbreak.

Locate the garden near a good and easily accessible water supply.

Choose a spot near your home so it is convenient to work in the garden when you have time.

Avoid planting near trees and shrubs. They compete for nutrients, water and light.

Do not locate your garden too close to buildings as plants may not receive enough sunlight. If possible, observe shading patterns throughout the growing season before starting the garden. If you have a shaded area you wish to use anyway, plant shade-tolerant crops there.

Try not to plant related vegetables in exactly the same location in the garden more often than once in 3 years. Rotation prevents the buildup of insects and disease. Use old plans as guides for rotating crops.

Soil Preparation

The ideal vegetable garden soil is deep, friable, well-drained and rich in organic matter. Proper soil preparation provides the basis for good seed germination and subsequent growth of garden crops. Careful use of various soil amendments can improve garden soil.

Soil Testing

Check soil fertility and pH by having your soil analyzed at least once every 3 years. Soil pH measures the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Vegetables vary to some extent in their requirements, but most garden crops will do well with a soil pH of 4.5to 7.0. If soil pH is too high or too low, poor crop growth will result largely due to the effects of pH on the availability of nutrients to plants. A soil test will also give you a relative idea of the nutrient level in the soil.

Soil sample "kits" are available from your local county Extension office. The Extension Service will mail results to you with recommendations for correcting any deficiencies or other problems that may exist. Private companies also do soil testing; in many cases, they give detailed reports and recommendations, but they may be expensive ($30 is not unusual). For best results, carefully follow the instructions for soil testing.

Make basic nutrient and pH adjustments to the soil by adding required fertilizers and lime (or acidifiers). In new garden spots, remove sod with a spade and use it to patch your lawn or put it in a compost pile to decay. Plow, spade or till the soil. Work only when soil moisture conditions are right. To test moisture, pick up a handful of soil and squeeze; if it stays in a mud-ball, it is too wet. If it crumbles freely, it is about right. Excessively dry soil is powdery and clumpy and may be difficult to work. Take samples at the surface and at depths of 4 to 6 inches in several locations in the garden plot. If soil sticks to a shovel or if the turned surface is shiny and smooth, it is still too wet. Working excessively wet soils can destroy soil structure, which may take years to rebuild. Plowing with a tractor when the soil is wet is especially damaging because it causes the formation of a compaction layer that will inhibit root growth. Soils with adequate humus levels generally allow more leeway because of their improved structural qualities.

Just prior to planting, break up large clods of soil and level the bed with a rake. Small-seeded vegetables germinate best in smooth, fine-surfaced soil. Do not pulverize the seedbed soil because it destroys the structure and promotes crusting and erosion problems.

Equipment

The type of equipment used to prepare your garden depends on garden size, your physical ability, time and budget. Options include digging with a spade or shovel, tilling with a power rotary tiller or using a small garden tractor or a full-sized farm tractor.

Tilling the Soil

It was once assumed that gardens should be turned yearly with a moldboard plow for weed and pest control. While garden plowing is still a common practice, completely turning the soil over has been found to be detrimental in some cases. It can cause soil compaction, upset the balance of microorganisms and often results in layers of coarse organic material being buried below the influence of insects and microbes that would otherwise decompose the material.

Chisel plowing is one alternative. It does not have this disruptive effect; however, it is limited to sandy or loamy soils. Many gardeners do not have chisel plows, and gardeners in less-than-rural areas may have trouble finding a farmer who will plow and disk their garden for a reasonable price.

Tilling most home gardens is sufficient as long as plant debris accumulation is not allowed to get out of hand. Rotary tilling produces the best results because the upper soil layers are mixed rather than completely turned over. One possible disadvantage associated with tilling is the formation of a compaction layer just below the reach of the tines. This occurs at a deeper level if a moldboard plow is used to the same depth every year. Use of deep-rooted cover crops or double-digging can do much to prevent or alleviate this problem if it exists. Small gardens can be designed using raised beds that may be worked entirely by hand if the area is small enough.

Soil Amendments

Any addition to the soil that improves its physical or chemical condition is considered a soil amendment. Many types of amendments are available to the home gardener.

Lime, sulfur and gypsum are common soil amendments. Dolomitic limestone adds calcium and magnesium as it increases alkalinity. Gypsum adds calcium and some sulfur. However, sulfur itself may acidify alkaline soil.

Wood ashes may be used as a soil amendment. They contain potash (potassium), phosphate, boron and other elements. Wood ashes can be used to raise soil pH with twice as much ash as limestone applied for the same effect. Ashes should not come into contact with germinating seedlings or plant roots as they may cause root bum. Check pH yearly if you use wood ashes. Wood ashes should not be used in large amounts on soils with high pH. Nutritional amendments that can be purchased for garden use include mushroom mix, cottonseed meal, kelp meal, leather meal and worm castings, as well as an array of synthetic fertilizers. Organic amendments are particularly useful when a trace element deficiency exists. However, synthetic fertilizers are generally more available, less expensive and yield quicker results.

In special cases, coarse sand, vermiculite and perlite are sometimes added to heavy clays to help improve soil texture (the ratio of sand, silt and clay) or structure. However, these inert materials can be expensive and large quantities are needed to be effective. Compost, manures and other amendments are usually more economical and are just as effective.

Organic matter is an excellent soil improver for both clay and sandy soils. Good sources of organic matter include manure, leaf mold, sawdust, straw and other materials that are decomposed in the soil by soil organisms. Various factors, such as moisture, temperature and nitrogen availability, determine the rate of decomposition through their effects on these organisms. Adequate water must be present. Warm temperatures increase the rate at which the microbes work. The proper balance of carbon and nitrogen in the material is needed to ensure adequate nutrient availability both to growing plants and decomposing organisms. It may be necessary to add nitrogen if large amounts of undecomposed leaves, straw, sawdust or other high-carbon substances are used. Nitrogen is used by the decayers to make proteins for their bodies. If nitrogen is not present in sufficient amounts, the microbes will steal it from plants. Generally, fresh green wastes, such as grass clippings, are higher in nitrogen than dry materials.

The use of compost is one way to avoid the decomposition problem. Compost is usually made by the gardener from plant wastes. Correct composting is an art; it can be a valuable source of nutrients and humus for any garden. The basis of the process is the microbial decomposition of mixed raw organic materials, creating a dark, fluffy product resembling rich soil, which is spread and worked into garden soil.

Animal manure is frequently used as a garden soil amendment; however, different manures contain different nutrients. For example, fresh horse, sheep, rabbit and poultry manures are quite high in nitrogen and may even bum plants if applied directly to a growing garden. They are best applied in the fall and tilled under. Manures usually have less nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than synthetic fertilizers but are valuable soil-builders. Unfortunately, manure may contain weed seeds. If this is a problem, composting in a hot pile may help. In urban areas, manure may not be as plentiful as it is in rural areas.

Cover crops, also referred to as green manures, are another source of inexpensive soil improvement that should not be underestimated. Cover crops, such as annual rye, rye grass and oats, are planted in the fall and incorporated into the garden in the spring. For best results, sow seed a month before the first killing frost. In a fall garden, plant cover crops between the rows and in any cleared areas. Cover cropping provides additional organic matter, holds nutrients that might have been lost over winter, and helps reduce erosion and topsoil loss. Legume cover crops can increase the amount of nitrogen in the oil and reduce fertilizer needs. A deep-rooted cover crop allowed to grow for a season in problem soil can help break up hardpan and greatly improve tilth. Incorporate green manures at least 2 weeks before planting vegetables; they should not be allowed to go to seed.

The regular addition of manures, compost, cover crops and other organic materials can so improve soil condition that use of synthetic fertilizers may be greatly reduced or even eliminated. This comes about not only through the intrinsic fertilization value of the amendment, but also through the increased action of microorganisms on soil and humus particles. Humic acid (and other acids) helps release previously locked-up nutrients that are naturally present in the soil. The extra surface area provided by humus serves as a reserve, holding nutrient elements until they are needed by plants. This highly desirable soil quality does not occur with a single or even several additions of organic material, but instead it is the result of a serious soil-building program.