As gardeners race out of the “garden gate,” consider the following tips for finishing the race with a successful garden this growing season.
SITE SELECTION – The best location is one that’s near the house, receives full sun all day, is free from large rocks and weeds, has good air circulation and is sheltered from strong winds. Remember, leafy vegetables need at least six hours of sunlight to develop properly, while fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers need 10 hours of full sun.
SOIL – If possible, start with well-drained soil with the intention for annual additions of soil amendments such as compost, aged manure, cover crops, and organic mulches. Soil test your garden; N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ lab in Raleigh will do this service for you for free (April 1-November). Simply pick up the paperwork and the boxes from the Mitchell Extension Center located at 10 S. Mitchell Ave. in Bakersville.
PLANNING – Avoid planting crops from the same plant family in the same spot two years in a row. Consider the path of the sun, so tall crops do not shade shorter ones. Think about spacing so outer leaves on mature plants will just miss touching neighboring plants. If you haven’t started already, there’s still time to set out some of the cool-season vegetables such as arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, celery, collard greens, leeks, mustard and spinach along with potatoes and onions as intermediate vegetables. When the danger of frost has passed around May 15, transplant warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers eggplants and any of the cucurbits.
START SMALL – There’s a lot to learn. Experience success with a small garden, then gradually increase its size. Grow what you like to eat as you’ll take better care of your garden with the right motivation. When the weather is wet or cold, allow about twice the germination time listed on the seed packet. If there is no sign of growth after this time, dig around a little to check for sprouted seeds. If you find no signs of life, the seed has probably rotted and you will need to replant.
CROP VARIETIES – Select with care. Look for crops bred to do well in short seasons with cold, wet springs, and extremes of temperature and moisture. Also consider disease resistance, the variety’s growth habit and length of the harvest season. Water only when necessary, then water deeply and early in the day. Vegetables need about an inch of water a week. Conserve water by building soil organic matter and mulching crops to reduce soil moisture evaporation. When soil around plants is dry a couple of inches below the surface, soak the soil deeply, preferably with a drip or soaker hose.
SCOUTING – Visit your garden every day. Check for signs of pests and diseases so you can take care of problems before they get out of hand. Of course, visit for the sheer joy of it also. Make sure to correctly identify the cause of a problem before applying a “treatment.” Inappropriate use of pesticides is expensive, threatens the health of humans, pets and the environment, and may itself cause more damage than it remedies.
SANITATION – Maintain proper sanitation by removing diseased leaves, fruits and vines and, of course, controlling weeds, too. Common edible weeds include pigweed, mustard, purslane, lambs quarter and dandelion greens. Harvesting these plants from your garden plot will benefit you doubly.
Many thanks to colleague Christy Bredencamp of NC Cooperative Extension for sharing this information.
Eve Kindley is Mitchell County extension director. She may be reached by calling 828-688-4811 or by email at eve_kindley@ncsu.edu.