Time to plant the garden (at least part of it) 

If the attendance at my last “Growing Veggies” class is any indicator, I would have to say that the whole world has gone nuts for growing their own veggies, herbs and fruits.  Our seed sales are off the chart and now that transplants are starting to arrive from the growers I suspect they will be selling briskly as well.  The real question in my mind is just how successful will these people be who may have never grown a vegetable in their lives and if they are not successful will they try again or just get discouraged and quit.  Here are some tips that should help anyone that is growing their own produce. 

First of all, you need to locate your garden in the sunniest spot of the yard.  More sun equates to better tasting and healthier produce.  If your sun is limited then stick to the leafy crops and the root crops and avoid the sun lovers like tomatoes, beans and corn.

Next to lots of sun, you have to have good soil to achieve success.  By good soil I mean dirt that has lots of organic matter in it (ie. compost) and is rich in nutrients.  You can either work with your native soil and add compost and fertilizer to it or build raised beds and bring in manufactured soil like a 3-way topsoil.  But remember, even imported topsoils need added fertilizer.  Use an organic fertilizer that is balanced and slow release and you should have good success.

Only grow what you like to eat.  There are lots of fun and exotic vegetables out there but if you aren’t going to eat them then there is no point in growing them.  And some veggies like pumpkins just take up too much space. 

There are two basic planting seasons for veggies.  This time of year (actually from about February until May) you can plant what we call “cool season” veggies.  These are all the leafy ones like spinach, lettuce, chard, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage and the root ones like radishes, carrots, beets, potatoes and onions.  You can also grow peas in the cool time of the year.  The second season is for “warm season” veggies and these are all the heat lovers like tomatoes, peppers, corn, cucumbers, beans, squash and pumpkins.  These plants need warmer soil to germinate and grow and if you put them in too soon they will either rot or just sit there and pout.  I would wait until mid-May or later to plant warm season veggies. 

Thinning is critical.  Anytime you plant seeds you almost always need to thin them out once they are up about an inch or two.  Follow the directions on the package for proper spacing.  If you leave them too crowded then there is too much competition for water, sun and nutrients and the end result is poor growth and a disappointing harvest. 

Weeding is critical.  Again, too much competition will reduce the quality of your crop.  You can usually weed at the same time you thin, then follow with an inch layer of mulch and that should do it for the season.  Don’t make it harder then it needs to be.

Watering is critical.  Most of us actually tend to overwater our yards and gardens.  Stick your finger in the soil before you water.  Don’t add water until the soil becomes dry at least an inch under the surface.  When you do water, do it deeply and then let the soil dry out before watering again.  Usually once a week is adequate unless you have extremely fast draining soil.  Learn to recognize the signs of moisture stress.  Leaves will turn a dull matte finish before they actually wilt.  If you see this then its time to water.  Soaker hoses on the soil surface are better than watering overhead. 

Go vertical.  By using trellises and arbors you can grow climbers like beans, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes and use less space and at the same time get them off the ground where they are more prone to disease and are harder to harvest.  Plus, arbors and trellises can be decorative and add structure and whimsy to the garden.

Finally, there’s no point in growing produce if you don’t harvest it at the right time.  Which means you need to be checking almost daily as veggies mature.  For a zucchini, not checking for a couple of days could be the difference between a cucumber sized fruit and a football sized one.

Growing your own produce can be very rewarding.  If you follow my tips you should have a lot of fun and enjoy some very tasty veggies.  Bon appétit.