Starting a Successful Vegetable Garden
Jon Traunfeld- [email protected]
College ofAgriculture and Natural Resources
Why do people grow vegetables?• Flavor, freshness, pesticide-free• Save money; learn new skills • Health benefits
exercise, nutrition, phytochemicals• Connection to nature and family traditions• Introduce youth to gardening
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Join the Grow it Eat it Network!
• A program brought to you by Maryland Master Gardeners and the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC)
• Goals:– teach people how to grow food– increase the number of Maryland food gardeners– create a network of food gardeners who will
keep learning and sharing through classes, workshops, events, web site, blog
We teach a common-sense, ecological approach
• Rely on locally available materials and resources- (rocks, leaves, animal manure).
• Feed the soil (with organic matter) to increase garden productivity.
• Maximize biological and genetic diversity to strengthen your garden eco-system. – Example: Plant an assortment of annual flowers
and herbs to attract and feed beneficial insects.
Ingredients for first year success
• Good, deep soil; add organic matter.• Give your plants the nutrients, water, and
sunlight they need.• Prevent weeds from growing.• Make a plan; give it a little time each day • Observe and take notes• ENJOY!
What type of vegetable garden?
• In-ground- convert turfgrass to vegetables• Containers- on back step, deck, or balcony or
along driveway • Edible landscape- pepper, cabbage, Swiss
chard, etc. mixed into ornamental beds• Combination of the first three
Vegetable crops
• 5-10 plant families may be represented in the average garden (almost all of our vegetable crops are non-native- not even from North America!)
• Most are annuals with a life cycle somewhere between 25 days (radish, baby greens) to 110 days (big pumpkins.)
• Require good growing conditions to produce high yields.
• Can be incorporated into ornamental landscape.
Making a plan
• Good planning will save you time, work, and $
• Garden size; how big?- consider time, space, mouths to feed, motivation– Always best to start small
• What should I grow– Easy crops– What your family will eat
7 good crops for starters…• Tomato- productive and popular• Pepper- slow-growing but worth the wait• Cucumber- make them climb to save space• Summer squash- feed the neighborhood! • Bush bean- plant them twice• Lettuce- grow best March-June and Sept.-Nov.• Leafy greens- mustard, kale, collards, Asian
greens, and Swiss chard (grows during hot weather)
Sample 8 ft. X 8 ft. garden8
ft.
3 ft.
•Two raised beds- 8 ft. X 3 ft. with a 2 ft. path in the middle
•Time: late May
•Both beds could have been planted in salad greens from April 1 through mid-May
2 cuke plants
1 squash plant
Can I really save $?
• Yes, but have you heard the one about the $100 tomato?
• Only buy what you really need; be resourceful• An 8 ft. X 8 ft. garden with 48 sq. ft. of growing
space should produce $175-300 of fresh produce
Picking a site• Level ground; close to water source.• Southern exposure; tallest plants on North
side.• Protection from critters.
Digging and aerating tools
Soil prep Kill sod and control weeds- • Cover area with newspaper or cardboard,
and cover with leaves, and compost OR• Dig up the area by hand or with a tiller
Soil prepSlicing off sod
Turning soil
Loosening subsoil
Sheet compost your way to a vegetable garden
You need “good soil”
• Well-drained• Friable- deep, crumbly; allows for maximum root
growth.• Regular additions of organic matter will improve soil
structure and create a reservoir of slow-release nutrients.
• Test your soil; 6.0-6.8 is preferred range for soil pH.• Urban/suburban soils are often low quality soils
Ways to add organic matter
• Farmyard manure (fall)• Compost• Shredded leaves and grass clippings• Organic mulches• Plant roots• Cover crops
• Large amounts of organic matter may be needed for several years.
• Thereafter, 1 in. of compost will help maintain high yields.
Cover crops improve and protect soils
• Increase soil organic matter. • Mine the soil for nutrients. • Protect soil from erosion.
Raised beds
some advantages… • Warm up quickly in spring.• Drain well; less compaction and erosion.• Increase available rooting area. • Can produce greater food production per
square foot.and some disadvantages…• Up-front labor and expense.• Dry out quickly if weather is hot and dry.• Don’t work on slopes, unless terraced.
Raised bed basics2-4 ft. wide; usually 6”-8” above grade; can be bordered with wood, stone, brick
“Instant” raised bed filled with a purchased soil/compost mix
Good info on most seed packets
Growing healthy transplants
Intensive gardening: getting the most per square foot
• Close planting• Vertical growth• Inter-planting• Succession/relay
planting
How close is too close??Correct spacing for big onions
Okra plants are too tight
Interplant to maximize productionpurslane is edible!
Mustard greens on north side of tomatoes
Keep the harvest coming with succession planting
• Requires planning• Transplants fill the
space quickly• Special attention to
water and nutrient needs
• Floating row cover for protection from pests and excessive heat
An entire raised bed of Asian leafy greens.
Get the most from every square foot: succession planting examples
• Garlic (11/1)-cucumbers (7/1)-oats/clover (9/20)• Peas/favas (3/1)-squash (6/1)-kale (9/1)• Lettuce (3/20)-green beans (5/15)-broccoli (8/1)• Radish (3/1)-Asian greens (4/15)-eggplant (6/1)-
rye (9/15)• Cucumber (4/15)- green bean (7/1)-spinach (9/20)
Most commonly available commercial organic fertilizers
• Fish emulsion: 6-2-2• Seaweed extract: 1-.5-2• Bloodmeal: 15-1-0• Cottonseed meal: 6-2.5-1.5• Guano: 8 to 13-8-2• Bone meal: 4-21-0• Rock phosphate: 0-22-0• Alfalfa meal: 3-1-2
Fertilizing tips
• Nitrogen is nutrient most often in short supply. Use one of the “meals” (kelp, fish, cottonseed, alfalfa) to supplement N from organic matter.
• Follow label directions.• Organic fertilizers can be over-applied and burn
plants or stimulate excessive leaf growth at the expense of fruit.
• Add 1 inch of compost each year to contribute to long-term nutrient reservoir.
Weed management
• Weeds are plants that thrive in disturbed soil.• Best control methods:
– crop cover– hand-pull– sharp hoe– mulch
• Other methods: vinegar, flame weeder, commercial herbicidal soap.
Organic mulches • Prevent weed growth.• Moderate soil temperatures.• Conserve soil moisture.• Add to soil organic matter.• Should be spread after soil warms up.• Can provide habitat for pests along with
beneficial critters.
Examples: grass clippings, newspaper covered with straw, shredded leaves, compost
Synthetic mulches• Black plastic mulch warms the soil for
earlier, higher yields of warm-season crops.
• Red plastic mulch may produce higher yields of tomato than black plastic.
• Landscape fabric warms soil and allows water and air into soil. Can be re-used.
Drip irrigation: saves time and water
Growing up: using vertical space• Increase yields per sq. ft. • Fewer fruit problems; easier to pick, water,
and spray.• Adds complex texture to garden; enhances
ecosystem (shading, micro-climates.)
Fence out the critters
Container vegetables 8 cu. ft. of growing
mediaWhiskey barrel- 1-2 plant
capacity
EarthBox- “self-watering” container
Univ. of MD Salad Table: Growing salad greens at waist height March-November
Mixed greens cut at 1” above soil line
University of MD Salad Box
Resources
• Grow It! Eat It!http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
– We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog!
• Home and Garden Information Centerhttp://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
– We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
• Maryland Master Gardener Programhttp://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
– Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Howard County
University of Maryland Extension