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Contents

Chapter1WhyGrowYourOwnFoodChapter2PlanningtoGrowChapter3PreparingtheSiteChapter4GrowingFoodinSmallSpacesChapter5GrowingVegetablesChapter6VegetableSpecificsChapter7GrowingFoodforFallandWinterChapter8GrowingPerennialFoodsChapter9HerbsChapter10SmallFruitsChapter11TheHomeOrchard

Index

1WhyGrowYourOwnFood

Growingyourownfoodoffersmanybenefitsincludingareduceduseofourdwindlingenergysuppliesasfoodisprocessed,packaged,andshippedallovertheworld.

Learningtogrowfoodwasamilestoneinthedevelopmentofthehumanrace.As hunters and gatherers learned to cultivate food, they began to developsocieties.ManyoftheNativeAmericanswereexpertfoodgrowersandtaughtthepilgrims togrownative foods suchas corn,beans, and squash, thus sustainingthe struggling settlements. A community food garden was the norm as thesesettlementsgrew.As thepioneersworked theirwayacross the country, a foodgardenwas anecessity for survival. Indayspast, every farmhad abig garden,andeventhoseinthecitieswithbigbackyardsgrewtheirownfood.Thesedaysamuchsmallernumberofpeoplegrowtheirownfood,whilemostdependonthegrocery-storeshelvestoprovidetheirnutrition.

Thesedays,withallofourpurchasedfood,weexpectfoodsnotinseasontobeavailableyear-round.Wealsoenjoytheexperienceoftastingnewfoodsthathaveneverbeenavailable inour localareas.Thisconveniencecomesatahighcost.Transporting food fromeast towestand fromnorth tosouth fromoneendofthecountrytotheotherandfromonecountrytoanotherisamajoruseofoilforfuel.Packagingfoodstobeshippedalsoutilizesatremendousamountofenergy,as well as oil for producing plastic and trees for paper. Other major factors,however,arethetasteandtextureoffood.Muchoftheproducefoundontoday’sgrocery-storeshelvesisbredtobepickedgreen,notripe,soitwon’tripenbeforeit hits the stores. This produces, in some instances, a tasteless, hard-texturedfood.Justcomparethehot-housetomatotoajuicyfreshlypickedtomatofromthegarden.

So why grow your own food? Granted, we can’t all have huge gardenscompletelyfulfillingourfoodneeds.Butthereareseveralgoodreasonstogrowwhatwecan.First is thetaste.Yousimplycan’tbeatthetasteof freshlypickedsweet corn, brought in from the garden and directly to the table. The taste ofhomegrowntomatoes,ripeandburstingwithjuice,isheaventoatomatolover.Andhowaboutfreshgreenbeanswithnewpotatoes,oneofourfamily’sfavoritehomegrown dishes. Even those with limited space can grow their own saladgarden, with fresh lettuce, spinach, onions, and radishes. Peaches and apples,lusciousblueberries,blackberries,andstrawberriesthattastenothinglikestore-boughtonesarealsoprimefoodsyoucangrow.

The second reason is health.More andmore problems are developingwithcommerciallygrownandprocessedfoods.Bygrowingyourown,youcan limittheuseofharmfulchemicalssuchaspesticides,insecticides,andherbicides.Or

youmaydecidenot touseanychemicalsandgroworganically.Youwillknowwhatyour family is eatingwhenyougrow it yourself.Doctors and researcherswarnofourgrowinghealthproblems fromdiabetesandobesity.Manypeople,especially youngsters, live on fast foods and don’t even get a minimum dailyrequirementof fruitsandvegetables.Health.gov suggestsweneed two to threeservingsoffruitsandvegetableseachday.Mostfruitsandvegetablesarelowincaloriesandhighinvitaminsandfiber.Growingyourownfruitsandvegetablesincreasestheopportunityformorehealthyfoodsforyourfamily.

Tastingyourownripetomatoes,freshgreenbeans,blueberries,andpeaches,aswellasapricotsoffyourowntrees,isfardifferentfromtheproduceyoufindatyourlocalgrocer’s.

Formany,attaininggoodhealthisthereasonforgrowingtheirownfood.Bygrowingyourownfoods,youcancontrolwhat’susedinthewayofpesticidesandotherchemicals,aswellasfertilizers.Thecabbage

shownhasafewchewedinsectholes,butnochemicals.

The third reason is also health related. Growing your own food gets yououtside and serves as a form of exercise. Although too much sun can bedangerous,studieshaveshownalackofsunlighttobeacommonproblemwithmany people. Fresh air, sunlight, and enjoying the outdoors are also stressrelievers.Tilling, planting,weeding,watering, andharvesting all require effort,creatinghealthydailyexercises.

The fourth reason is simply economics. You can definitely save moneygrowingyourownfood.Andifyougrowenoughtoputfoodupforfutureuseeither by canning, drying, root-cellaring, or freezing, the savings reallymountup.We always keep a record of what we grow, eat, and put up each year. Itdoesn’t,however,countwhatweeatfreshaswellasthebushelsofproduceandfruitwegive away toneighbors, friends, and family.The amount and typesoffood varies from year to year. For instance, one year we might have anabundance of sweet corn but fewer tomatoes, or lots of broccoli one yearfollowedbyaless-productiveyear.Ourorchardoftenoverproduces,followedbyayearwithlittleornofruit.Whenwehaveanabundanceoffruit,everyonegetsjams and jellies for Christmas. The following is our record for 2010 and themonththefoodwasputup.

Homegrownfruitsandvegetablesarejustplaingoodforyou.

May,2pt.spinach(freezer)May,4pt.asparagus(freezer)

May,4pt.spinach(freezer)June,3½gal.choppedapricotsforjam(freezer)June,7qt.apricothalvesinlight

syrup(piefilling/freezer)June,1gal.sugarsnappeas(loose-frozen)June,4qt.strawberries(freezer)

June,8qt.apricothalves(freezer)June,3qt.driedapricothalvesJune,6qt.raspberries(freezer)June,2qt.asparagus(freezer)

Growingyourownfoodisamajorstepinsavingmoney—andifyouprocessthefoodsyougrow,youreallysave.

June,8qt.blueberries(freezer)June,3batchesapricotjamJune,1gal.apricothalvesforcobbler(freezer)June,2batchesapricotjamJune,4qt.strawberries(freezer)June,2qt.rhubarb(freezer)June,2qt.asparagus(freezer)June,6qt.choppedcabbage(freezer)July,2qt.French-cutgreenbeans(freezer)July,14qt.greenbeans(pressure

canned)July,7qt.beets(pressurecanned)July,14pt.beetpickles(pressurecanned)July,14qt.greenbeans(pressure

canned)July,14qt.sweetcorn,cutoffthecob(freezer)July,4qt.and6pt.blackberries(freezer)July,4qt.rhubarb(freezer)

July,7qt.sweetdillpickles(waterbathcanned)July,7qt.wholetomatoes(pressurecanned)August,7qt.sweetslicedpickles(waterbathcanned)August,2gal.refrigeratordillpickles

August,9pt.tomatoandonionconcentrate(freezer)August,7qt.wholeplumtomatoes(pressurecanned)August,4qt.strawberries(freezer)

August,2qt.peaches(freezer)August,4qt.zucchini(freezer)August,13pt.tomatorelish(pressurecanned)August,11pt.hotsalsa(pressure

canned)August,13pt.mildsalsa(pressurecanned)August,5bushelspotatoes(basementcellar)August,14qt.peachhalves(pressurecanned)August,7pt.tomatoandonionconcentrate(freezer)August,3qt.peaches(freezer)

August,2gal.peachesforcobbler(freezer)August,2qt.peaches(freezer)August,2gal.peachesforcobbler(freezer)August,14pt.Italian-flavoredplum

tomatoes(pressurecanned)August,3gal.peachesforcobbler(freezer)August,14pt.tacosauce(pressurecanned)August,6pt.cantaloupeinlightsyrup(freezer)August,7qt.pizzasaucemixwiththreemeats(freezer)September,9pt.pears(pressurecanned)

September,16pt.applebutter(waterbathcanned)September,32qt.tomatojuice(pressurecanned)September,2qt.friedapples,readytoheatandserve(freezer)September,4pansapple-piefilling(freezer)September,2qt.applepeelsforjelly(extrapeelsmakearosyredapplejelly,freezer)September,7pt.tomato-and-onionconcentrate(freezer)October,7pt.roastedredbellpeppers(freezer)October,6pansstuffedpeppers,readytocook(freezer)October,10pt.roastedredbellpeppers(freezer)October,5qt.bagssweet(red,green,andyellow)peppers,diced(freezer)October,4qt.bagssweet(red,green,andyellow)peppers,diced(freezer)October,6qt.friedapples,readytoheatandserve(freezer)October,6qt.bagssweetpeppers,diced(freezer)October,6bushelssweetpotatoes(basementcellar)October,4cupsgratedhorseradish

October,7pt.roastedred,green,andyellowpeppers,diced(freezer)October,6qt.bagssweetredandgreenpeppers,diced(freezer)AsofOctober2010,appleswerestillavailableaswellasafreezerofstrawberries,raspberries,andblackberriestobemadeintojamsandjellies.AbushelofgreentomatoesisslowlyripeninginthegarageandwillprovideripetomatoesthroughThanksgiving.I’mnotsureIcanevenfigurehowmuchmoneywehavesavedthisyeargrowingourownfood.Ifyoutakethegreenbeansandbeetsaloneandfigure¢75acan,twocansor$1.50perquart,at44quarts,that’s$66.00.Ourcostforseedandfertilizerforthatsameproducewaslessthan$10.00.Whenyoubegintofigurethesavingsinfruit,youreallysave,especiallyfruit

readytoserve.Grantednoteveryonehasthetime,inclination,andspacetogrowandputupthisquantityoffood,butanyamountyougrowyourselfisahelp.Ifyoucan’tgrowyourownfood,orarelimitedinwhatyoucangrow,amajor

stepyoucantakeistopurchasefromfarmers’marketsandotherlocalsources.Not only are you “greening” by cutting down on the use of fuel fortransportation,butyouarealsoenjoyingmuchtastierandhealthierfoods.Andyou’rehelpingthelocaleconomy.

2PlanningtoGrow

Onceyou’vedecidedtogrowyourownfood,thenextstepistoplanyourfoodgarden.Planningisextremelyimportant.Themoretimeyouspendplanning,thefewerhasslesyou’llhave, themoreyouwillenjoygrowingyourownfood,andthemoreproductiveitwillbe.Thefirststepistochoosealocation,thesecondistodecidewhatyouwanttogrow,andthethirdistodecidehowbigagardenyouwanttohaveorhowmuchyouwanttogrow.It’simportanttoberealisticinallthreechoices.

Growingyourownfoodrequiresawell-drainedgardenspot,withatleast6to8hoursoffullsunperday.

Location

Aswithrealestate,andagardenis“realestate,”it’sallaboutlocation,location,location.Mostofusdon’tbuyahomeorpurchaseapropertywithagardensiteforemostinmind.We’reoftenlimitedtowhat’savailable.That’snottosaywitha little effort and imaginationyoucan’t growmost foods just about anywhere.Regardless of where you live, it’s important to pick your best garden locationdepending on several factors. Understand your geographic area; the averagemean temperatures, including first and last frosts; amountof sunlight; and thesoiltypes.Elevationcanhaveagreatdealtodowithfrosts.WeliveonanOzarkhillside,butagoodportionofourfarmisdownthehillinavalley,asaresomeofourneighbors,lessthanaquarteramileaway.Weoftendon’tgetnearlyasmuchfrostasourneighborsorthevalleybelow.Notonlycanwegardenlonger,butwealsohavebetterchancesthanourneighborsdoforfruitblossomsurvival.

Folks in thenorth,withextremelyshort seasonsandrelativelycoolweather,mayhavetroublegrowinglong-seasonplants,althoughmanynorthernershavediscoveredtricksforextendingtheirseason.Gardenersinthoseareasoftengrowplantsstartedinrowcoversorcoldframestoextendtheseason.Thechapteronfallgardeningcoversmanyideasonhowyoucanextendyourseason,evengrowfoods year-round in some instances. On the other hand, growers in northernareascangrowrhubarbwhilethoseinthesouthhaveproblemswiththisplant.

Sunlight is extremely important. Most vegetables, fruits, berries, and treesneedfullsunoratleastsixhoursoffullsunperday.Thismayrequireshade-treepruning or even removal of a tree or two near your garden site. I had thisproblem formanyyearswith anoldoakon thewest endofmygarden, and Ifinally had to remove it. You can also build reflectors, including decorativefences, tohelpdistributemore sunlight.Limited shading,however, is good forsomeplants.Ifpossible,thegardenshouldrunsouthtonorth.Thisprovidestheoptimumamountofsunlightasthesuntravelseasttowest.Ifyourgardenrunseast towest asdoesmycurrentgarden,youcan remedy thisbyplanting tallerplantsonthenorthandworkingsouthwithshorterplants.

Try to locate the gardenona relatively level area, but in aplace thatdrainswell.Ifyouhaveaslightslope,runtherowsacrossthesloperatherthanupanddowntopreventerosion.Severeslopeswillrequireterracing.Ifthegardenareadoesn’tdrainwell,asevidencedbycontinuedpuddles,youmayneed toutilizedrainlinesor,betteryet,createraisedbeds.Thegardenshouldalsoberelativelyclosetoawatersource,inmostcasesahose-supplyfaucet.

It’simportanttodeterminewhattypesofandhowmuchfoodyouwanttogrow,aswellashowmuchtimeyouwanttoputintobothgrowingandpreserving.

The nextmajor factor is soil. Again this can vary, but inmost instances, agarden plot isn’t “ready-made” for productive food growing. Asmentioned, acontinually wet area is not a good spot. Extremely sandy soil causes otherproblems, asdoesaheavy-clay soil.Althoughweharvest abountiful supplyoffood each year from our Ozark hillside garden, we probably have the worstgardenspot.Thetopsoil isverythin.Digabout four inchesdownandyourunintoahardpanofclayandflintstones.Andtheresimplyisn’taflatspotonourhillsidehomelocation.Ourhousestartsatgroundlevelinthefrontandendsupfour feet above ground level at the back. And the garden location isn’tmuchbetter.Twotacticshavebeenusedtocreateourproductivefoodgarden.Thefirstwas to terrace thehillside.Weused logscut fromtrimmingour timberland,aswellasrailroadtiesandlandscapingtimberstobuildupthelowside.Thencamefilling in the low area with good topsoil. Even that has been continuallyimprovedwith regular additions of compost andwell-rottedmanure.We stillcontinuallytillordigupandgardenaroundrocks,andwesometimesthinkthegardengrowsrocksbetterthananythingelse.Regardless,thesoilproduces.

WhatandHowMuchtoGrow

Thisisthehardpartforbeginningfoodgrowers.Beginnersusuallywanttogroweverything,andyoucangrowalmostanyfoodyoucanbuy.Youshouldaimtoproduce asmuchhigh-quality food as possible fromyour growing area.Growfamily favorites and a variety of foods so you can keepmeals interesting andnutritious. It’s also important to choose foods based on what you and yourfamilyliketoeat.Forinstance,ifnoonewilleatbroccoli,whygrowit?

Even ifyouhaveunlimitedspace,don’tplan too largeagarden,especially ifyou’renewtogardening.It’sbesttohaveawell-keptsmallgardenthana largegardenthatbecomestoomuchwork.I’vebeenthere.Yearsago,whenourkidswere growing up, we had four gardens, a half-acre sweet corn patch, and agardenjustforpotatoes.Oneyearthepotatopatchproducedapickuptruckloadofpotatoes.Thentherewasthegeneral-purposegardenandfinallyagardenforthewildlife.Weallworkedlongdaysfromlighttodarktogrowourfood.ThesedaysmywifeandIhaveonlyonegarden,andit’snotparticularlybig;we’rejustgrowing“smarter.”Sorryforthepun.Thegardenisbetterorganized,utilizesalotofraisedbeds,andisaboutone-fourththework,yetproducesanabundanceof food. Growing some plants in volume in the home garden isn’t practical,except for the satisfaction of growing food and the fun of tasting your ownhomegrown produce. Specific plants require specific spacing, depending onwhethertheyaregrowninconventionalrowsorintensivegardening.Chapter6on “Vegetable Specifics” illustrates how much food can be grown in specificspacing,aswellashowmuchisneededperperson.Measureyourgardenareatodetermine how much space is available. Some plants can be grown in smallspaces;others,suchascornandpotatoes,requirelargerareas.Afterdetermininghowmuchspaceyouhaveandhowmuchyourgardencantheoreticallyproduce,thenext step is toconsider realisticallyhowmuch timeandeffortyouwant toputintogrowingandprocessingyourownfood.Growingyourownfoodcanbetime-consuming,especiallyifyougrowenoughtoprocessorstoreforfutureuse.There’s the garden preparation: seeding and planting, weeding, watering,harvesting,andprocessing.The lattercanalsobea lotofwork.Anexampleofthetimeinvolvedisoursweetcornpatch.We’veharvestedenoughroastingearsinoneweekendtolastusforthirtydaysintherefrigerator,plusputnumerousquartsof cutoff-the-cobcorn in the freezer.Notcounting the time involved inplanting andmaintaining, it takesmy wife Joan and I one whole weekend toshuck,process, and store theharvest.Otherplants aren’t quite somuchwork.We dug almost two hundred pounds of sweet potatoes from six plants andsimply stored them in the basement. Some plants also require more effort in

growing, and again corn is one of those, although with some tricks andtechniques,youcancutdownonalotofthework.Someoftheeasiestvegetablesto grow in volume, however, include corn, as well as potatoes, bush beans,cabbage,tomatoes,lettuce,spinach,andothersaladgreens.

Otherplantsdonotproducethequantitybutstillhaveaplaceinyourgardensimplybecause thehomegrown foods taste sogood.Agoodexampleof this ispeas.Wegrowpeassimplybecausetheytastesogreatwithnewpotatoesinthe

spring,butwe’vefoundithardtogrow,harvest,andpodmorethanafewpintsforthefreezer.Greenbeans,ontheotherhand,oftenbecomesoprolificit’shardtokeepupwiththevolume,andwepressurecanlotsofbeans,eatlots,andgiveawaylots.Itdoes,however,taketimetosnapandprocessanyvolumeofgreenbeans.Someplants,suchascornandwatermelons, takea lotofspace togrow.Tomatoesalsotakeupspace,butgrownvertically,theytakeuplessspaceandarea garden favorite. One tomato plant, grown properly, can produce up to fiftypounds of delicious,mouthwatering homegrown tomatoes each season. By allmeans,includesometomatoesinyourgarden.Beans,broccoli,cabbage,lettuce,zucchinisquash,chard,andspinachareallplants thatproducea lotof foodinlimitedareas.

Someplantsrequiremorespacethanothers.Alotoftomatoescanbegrowninasmallspace.

Beforeyoubegintoplantyourgarden,planitonpaper.Useatapemeasureor

stepofftomeasurethesizeofyourfoodplot.Again,chapter6detailsthespacingof specific plants in a traditional row garden, as well as howmany plants arenormallyneededperperson.Usingthisyoucan layoutyourgardenonpaper.Usesquaredordraftingpaper,ormarkoffsquaresonpaperwitharuler,witheach square representing one foot. Then write in where you want to positiondifferentfoodplants.

Also,rememberyoudon’thavetogrowallyourfoodatonetime;successiveplantingscankeepyourgardenproducingthroughoutthegrowingseason.Planyourgardentotakeadvantageoffencesthatmightbeborderingit,forinstancegrowing peas, cucumber, or pole beans on the fences. Most importantly,however, is positioning plants so tall-growing plants don’t shade out shorterplants.Ifagardenrunseasttowest,forexample,cornandpolebeansshouldbeplantedon thenorth side, followedby tomatoplants in cages, thenbeans andpotatoes, followedby lettuce andother lower-growingplants.Living in a ruralarea andwith a big yard,we’ve always grown the traditional big farm garden,althoughwe’vescaledbackgreatlyinthepastfewyears.Ourpresentgardenrunseast towest,measures30×50feet,andone-fourthof thegardeniscompletelymade of raised beds. Three of the beds contain strawberries, with one bedrejuvenatedeveryyearsowecankeepacontinuoussupplyofplantsgoing.Theregular-rowportion isused togrowcorn,beans,andpotatoes.Asinglerowoftomatocagesandahalfrowoftomatoesandhalfrowofpeppersdividetherowportion from the bed portion. One-half of the bed portion is used to growlettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, squash, spinach, radishes, onions, andother salad greens. The other half of the bed portion, or one-fourth of thegarden, is used to growwatermelons, cantaloupe,muskmelons, andhoneydewmelons,alongwithaplantortwoofpumpkins.

It’sagoodideatomeasureyourgardenspaceandtomakeagardenplanonpaperbeforeyoustartdigging.

Someplantsdobetterwiththeircropsrotatedeachyear,soremembertokeepyourgardenplans fromyear to year inorder todetermine crop rotations.Wealsomake up a planting plan aswell for crops such as tomatoes and peppers,wheremore than one variety is often planted in a row or bed. This lists eachvariety planted sowe candeterminewhich varieties dobest each year.Keep adiary of what grew best, how long it took plants to germinate or fruit, theweatherconditions,andthefirstandlastfrosts.Thesepaperrecordswillbecomeinvaluableovertheyears.Ifyouputuporgiveawaysurplusfoods,keeparecordofthataswell.

Interplantspeciesthatcanbegrowntogetherwithsomematuringfasterthantheircompanionplants.Forinstance,plantradishesandcarrotstogether.Asyouharvest the radishes, the slower-growing carrotswill havemore room to growandareautomatically“thinned.”Anothertactictoproducealongersaladgarden

istogrowvarietiesoflettucethatgrowwell incoolweatherbuttendtoboltinhot weather. Follow this with New Zealand spinach that can produce saladgreenseveninhotweather.

Keepadiarywithasketchorplanofwhatvarietiesareplanted.Alsonotehoweachvarietygrewandproducedinthatgivenyear.Overtheyearsthisdiarywillbecomeinvaluableinchoosingvarietiesthat

thriveinyourgarden.

Interplantingslow-andfast-growingvarieties,suchasspinach,radishes,andonionstobeusedasyounggreenonions,producesthemostfromyourgrowingspace.

Saveonespotinthegardenfortryingnewvarietiesorevennewspecieseachyear.Itaddstothefunofgrowingyourownfoodandalsospicesupyourmeals.

Whileplanningyourgarden,makethemostoflocalgardeners.Mostaremorethandelighted todiscuss their foodgardens.Checkout local county extensionoffices for information.Good information onwhat grows best in your area isavailableandwillsaveyoua lotoftime,expense,andhassle.Partofthefunofgrowing your own food is poring over the various seed catalogs and droolingoverthemouthwateringphotosofdeliciousfoods.Thesecatalogscanalsobeagreathelpinplanningyourgarden.Inmanyinstances,morevarietiesofseedareavailableearlier thancanbe found locally.Otherseeds—suchascorn, spinach,beets, lettuce, and onion sets—or plants aremore economical if purchased inbulklocallyandareavailablewhenit’stimetoplant.

Withtimespentplanningyourfoodgarden,you’llenjoyaproductive,money-saving,tastysupplyoffoodforyou,yourfamily,andprobablyevensomeofyourfriends.

PreparingtheSite

Growing yourown food requiresmore than simply throwingout some seeds.Youwillneedtocreateagrowingarea.Preparingthegrowingsitecanbeagreatdeal of work, or relatively easy depending on the site location, soil type, andwhetherornotagardenhasalreadyexistedonthearea.Nomatterwhattypeofsoil thesitehas, itcanprobablybe improved.Thevery firstessential step is totakeasoiltest.Removethesodanddigupseveralsamplesofsoilfromthearea.Mixthesesamplestogetherinaplasticcontainerandallowthemtodry.Takeahalf pint of the sample to your local cooperative extension office. It will takeaboutaweekforthesampletobesenttothetestcenterandwillcostjustafewbucks.Theresultsofthesoilsamplewilltellyouwhatmaterialsyouwillneedtoaddtoyoursoil.

Properlypreparingthegrowingsiteisvitalforaproductivegardensuchasthisgardenwithtomatoes,corn,andgreenbeans.

UnderstandingSoil

Ashort“scienceclass”canhelpinunderstandingyoursoilandhowtocreateaproductivefoodgarden.First,soilisthesinglemostimportantingredientofany

garden. Second, soil is alive and constantly changing. Third, any soil can beimproved.Fourth,allgardensoilsneedregularmaintenanceandcare.Oneofthemostimportantfactorsinsoil isthesizeandarrangementoftheparticles.Thisdeterminesthetypeofsoilandhowyoucanamendit.Asimpledemonstrationcanprovideyouwiththetypeofsoilinyourgardenlocation.Placeaquartercupofsoilfromyourgardenlocationandapintofwaterinaglassfruitjar.Placealidorcaponthejarandshakewell.Allowtheparticlestosettleforafewminutesandthenshakewellagain.Set the jaraside for five tosevendays.Thesoilwillsettleoutinlayers,andthewaterwillclear.Studythedifferentlayersinthejar.Theheaviestparticles,coarsesandorsmallrocks,willmakeupthebottomlayer,followedbyfinesand,thensilt,andfinallyclay.Bitsoforganicmattermayalsobe floatingon topof thewater. If the sediment ishalf sand, it is called a lightsandysoil.Ifthesedimentisoverhalfsiltbutwithlittleclay,it’scalledaheavysiltsoil.Ifitismorethanone-fourthclaywithalargeamountofsilt,it’scalledaclaysoil.Ifthelayersareabouttwo-fifthssand,two-fifthssilt,andtherestclay,it’scalledagoodloam,theidealsoil.

Youmustfirstunderstandthetypeofsoilinyourgardensite.Asoilsampleplacedinajarofwaterwillsettleout,providingadescriptionofyourtypeofsoil.

Eachof thesesoil typeshasplusesandminuses.A light sandysoil iseasy towork, warms up quickly in the spring, and normally has good drainage. It,however, won’t hold moisture or nutrients very long, so it needs water andfertilizermoreoften.Addingorganicmatter,peatmoss,compost, leafmold,or

sawdustcanhelpthesoilretainmoistureandnutrients.Heavyclayorsiltsoilsareslowertowarmanddryoutinthespring,usuallydrainpoorly,andcompactveryeasily.Theyshouldn’tbeworkedwhenwet,ortheywillformhardclumpsor clods. Add organicmatter tomake them lighter andmore porous. Addingquantitiesofcoarsebutnotlightsandcanalsohelp.

Humus is a very important part of soil. Humus is basically the result ofdecomposition,actuallythe“life”ofthesoil.It’sjustaboutimpossibleforasoiltohavetoomuchhumus,andmostsoilsdon’thavenearlyenough.Humusaddsanumberofthenutrientssoilneedsandimprovesthetextureortilthofthesoil,allowingittobetterabsorbandholdwaterandnutrients.Humusalsoactsasabufferagainsttheproblemsofpossibleoverdosesoffertilizerand,insomecases,some herbicides. Rich, deep, well-fertilized soil that is dark brown or black isoftencalledahumussoil.

Humus is an organic matter, produced by countless microorganisms thatbreak down dead tissues and then reduce them further into chemical formsplants can utilize. Humus is constantly being lost and replaced in nature. Ingardeningor farming,morehumus isnormally lost than isnaturally replaced.Forthisreason,youshouldalwaysaddhumusofsomesortwhenyouprepareagardentoplant.Thishumuscanbecompost,manure,peatmoss,leafmold,andother organic materials. Compost is the best choice, as the organic materialsaddeddirectlytothesoilanddugincancreateatemporarynitrogendeficiency.If you dig undecayed organicmaterials into the soil, add a bit of nitrogen. Agreenmanurecropcanalsoaddhumus.Ryegrassorcloverisplowedunderafteritisabouthalfgrown.Normallythisisdonebyplantinginthefallandplowingunderinthespring.

MakingCompost

Thesinglemost importantchoreyoucando togrowa lotof food is toaddcomposttoyourgardensite.Compostisbasicallymadeupoforganicmaterialsthathavealreadybeenbrokendownorareinthelaststepsofbeingbrokendownbymicroorganisms.MotherNaturedoesthisnaturallywhenplants,insects,andanimals die, returning them to the soil. The soil organisms decompose theorganicmattersotheirnutrientscanbeusedbyplants.Decomposingisgoingonall the time all around us. Composting basically organizes and speeds up theprocess.Manycommunitiesnowbanwastesuchasgrassclippings,leaves,paper,and other natural materials from public landfills and are composting them

instead.Do-it-yourselfcompostingwillgreatlyimproveyourfoodgardenwhilerecyclingmaterials fromyouryardandkitchen.Composting iseasy,andwhendone properly, it doesn’t provide noxious smells nor create a “nuisance”appearance.Basicallyallyouneedtodoistossgrassclippings, leaves,andevenyourcoffeegroundsintoabin,andinaboutfourweeksorless,you’llhavefreefertilizertoaddtoyoursoil.Inmostinstances,compostingisdoneinabinthatcanbemadefairlyinexpensivelyfromanumberofmaterials—stackedconcreteblocks, a cage of welded wire, chicken wire, old hay bales, even landscapingtimbers,oraconstructedwoodenbin.Thelatterisfairlyeasytomakeevenforanon-do-it-yourselfer.Regardlessofthematerialused,thebinshouldhavelotsofholesforaircirculation.Thebinshouldbeabletoholdapileofmaterialsaboutthree feet square and three feet high. Any smaller and it won’t work quite asefficiently; any taller and thematerialsmaycompact rather than stay loose forpropercomposting.

Compostisthesinglemostimportantmaterialyoucanaddtoanygrowingsite.It’seasytocreate,aswellasagreatwayofrecyclingmaterialsfromyouryardandkitchen.Acompostbincanbemadequiteeasilyusing

treated5/4-inchdeckingboards.

Thefirststepistochooseasitethat’swelldrainedandonbaresoil.Ifpossible,locate the bin close to your garden to avoid hauling. The bin should be in apartiallyshadyareatopreventdirectsunlightfromdryingthematerialsouttooquickly.Thenorthsideofabuildingisanideallocation.Youshouldalsobeabletoreachthebinwithagardenhose.Manygardenersliketobuildtwobins,onethat’s “working” and one that holds finished compost. The two bins are usedtogether, tossingmaterials back and fourth.Three binswork even better,withtwobinsworkingandoneholdingmaterialstobecomposted.

Althoughyoucansimplydumpmaterials intothebin, thebestmethodistodividetheorganicmaterials intotwocategories:dryorbrownmaterials,which

arehighincarbon,andgreenorwetmaterials,whicharehighinnitrogen.Thedry materials include straw, wood chips, dried leaves, and dried plants. Thegreenmaterialsincludegrassclippingsandgreenleaves,aswellasmanure,greengardenwaste,andkitchenscraps.Donotusemeatscraps,fat,orotherfoodsthatwill attract the neighborhood critters. Experts like to divide the twomaterialsintoabout twenty-five to thirtypartshigh-carbonmaterialsandoneparthigh-nitrogenmaterials.Shredorcutup largermaterialsasmuchaspossible.Usealawnmowertochopleavesandcutkitchenscrapsandgardenrefuseassmallaspossibleorblendwithabitofwater.The smaller the sizeof thematerials, themoretheirsurface isexposed,andthequickerthepilewilldecompose.Donotaddweeds thathaveseedheads.Also,beawaresomeherbicidescanremain intheplantsandkillplantswhenusedascompost.

Anothereasycompostbincanbemadefrom1x4sandhardwarecloth.

Then it’s simply amatter of placing thematerials in the bin in layers. Startwithafour-to-five-inchlayerofcoarsebrownmatter.Addathinlayerofgreenmaterials such as grass clippings,manure, and so forth.Addabout aone inchlayer of garden soil. This will help introduce the microorganisms needed forcomposting.Thenaddmorebrownmaterialssuchasdriedhay,straw,orleaves.Followwithathinlayerofgreenmaterials.Sprinklewithwaterasyoubuildupthe layers. Build the pile to at least three feet high. Once you have the pileconstructed, coverwitha tarporoldpieceofplywood tokeep rainwater fromslowingthecompostingprocess.Anidealbinhasacoverconstructedtofit.

Allowthepiletositforacoupleofdaysandthen,usingapitchfork,turnthepile.Thisiswherethesecondbincomesin.It’seasiertosimplyforkthepileintothesecondbinthanturnoverallthematerialsinonebin.Turnthetop,bottom,andsidesofthepileintothecenter.Thisintroducesairintothepileandexposesflyeggsandplantpathogenstotheheatcreatedbythedecomposingpile.Turnandmixthepileatleasteverythirdday.Turningitmoreoftenwillspeedupthe

process. If thepilehasbeenproperlymadeandturned, itwillheatup ina fewdays to approximately 160°F in the center. The pile will return to thistemperatureeachtimeitisturneduntiliteventuallybeginstocooldown.Afteraboutthreeorfourweeks,thepilewillcooldowncompletely,andthematerialscanthenbeaddedtothegarden.Youreallydon’thavetocreateabigcompostpile.Compostcanactuallybecreated inanynumberof smallcompostmakersavailable through garden-supply catalogs. Or simply place materials in largeplasticleafbagswithholespunchedinthem.Dampenthematerialsinthebagsandplaceinanout-of-the-wayplace.Turnandshakethebagstwiceaweek,andyoushouldhavecompostinacoupleofmonths.

Layerthematerials,allowthepiletositforacoupleofdays,andthenuseapitchforktoturnthecompostpile.

Fertilizer

Evenwith the additionof humus and compost, tomaintain good soil fertility,you will need to add some sort of fertilizer on a regular basis. Most organicmaterials are low in phosphate and produce limited amounts of nitrogen.Growingplantsneednutrients,includingtheelementsmagnesium,phosphorus,potassium,andnitrogen.Magnesium(Mg)comesfromlimestone.Theamountofmagnesiumcarbonateingroundlimestonevariesquiteabit.Phosphorus(P)hasmanyimportantfunctionsinplants,theprimaryonebeingthestorageandtransfer of energy through the plant. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) andadenosine triphosphate (ATP) are high-energy phosphate compounds thatcontrolmostprocesses inplants, includingphotosynthesis, respiration,proteinand nucleic acid synthesis, and nutrient transport through the cell walls.Phosphorus is essential for seed production, and it promotes increased rootgrowth,produceshealthygrowth,andencouragesgoodfruitdevelopment.Rockphosphateisthemostcommonsourceofphosphorus.

Growingfoodrequiressomesortofregularlyappliedfertilizer.Thesemaybecommerciallyproducedchemicalfertilizersororganic,oracombinationofboth.

Eachtypeofplanthasdifferentfertilizerrequirements.Forinstance,cornrequiresfertilizerhighinnitrogen.

Potassium(K)comesfrommuriateofpotash,derivedfromlargedepositsofpotassiumchloridesalts found in thesouthwesterndesertof theUnitedStates.Potassiumisneededforthemanufactureofcarbohydrates—sugarsandstarches.Potassium also increases resistance to disease and produces strong plant cellwallsandstems.Nitrogen(N)isnecessarytoconvertthesun’slightintoenergythrough photosynthesis. Plants also use nitrogen to form amino acids, thebuildingblocksofprotein.Theavailabilityofusablenitrogenoftendeterminesthequalityofplants.Plantswithdarkgreenleaveshaveahighorproperamountof nitrogen availability. Slow-growing, stunted plants or those with yellowingleaves show a nitrogen deficiency. Each plant has different nitrogenrequirements.Corn,forinstance,hasoneofthehighestnitrogenrequirements,needing as much as 215 pounds of nitrogen per acre to produce high yields.Legumes,suchascloversandbeans,“fix”oraddnitrogentothesoil.Rhizobiumbacteria formsnodulesontherootsof theplantsandthentakesnitrogenfromtheatmosphereandmakesitavailabletotheplants.Forthisreason,acovercropofcloverplantedinlatefallandtilledinlatewinterorearlyspringisagreatwayofaddingnitrogentoyourfood-growingsite.

Different types of plants require different types of fertilizers. Chapter 6 ongrowing specific vegetables details the fertilizer requirements for each species.

Fertilizers are available as chemical and as organic. The former are actuallymaterials found growing naturally and ground or manufactured to producenitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. The latter are from organic sources.Commercialchemicalfertilizerisavailableinseveralforms.Farmershaveabulkfertilizer dealer mix the ingredients to specific requirements. For the smallamountsneeded,however,themostpracticalmethodforhomefoodgrowersisto purchase bagged fertilizers. A numerical code on the bag indicates theamounts of each element. The first figure is the percent of N (nitrogen), thesecond is the percent of P (phosphate or phosphorus), and the third is thepercent ofK (potash or potassium). For example 8-31-16 has eight pounds ofnitrogen,thirty-onepoundsofphosphate,andsixteenpoundsofpotashperonehundredpounds.Therestofthematerialsareinert.Themostcommonbaggedcommercialfertilizersare10-10-10,12-12-12,or13-13-13.Thesecontainalltheelements in equal portions and are considered all-around general fertilizers.Simply applying thesewill provide the fertilizer requirements formost plants.Mostvegetables,withexceptionslikecorn,arereallynotheavyfeeders.Usuallyabout five pounds of a general-purpose fertilizer should be applied to a one-hundred-foot square. Apply half the fertilizer before you prepare the soil andthenadd the remainderafter thegroundhadbeenprepared, lightly raking thefertilizer into the top inch or so of soil. This positions fertilizer both for theseedlingswhentheyfirstputdownrootsanddeeperforwhentheplantsbegintogrow. Side-dressing with fertilizer also helps provide amaintenance supply ofnutrientsthroughthegrowingseason.

Commercial garden fertilizers are also available.Manyof these aredesignedspecifically for plants such as beans, tomatoes, and so forth. Water-solublegardeningfertilizersdesignedtobeappliedwithwater,suchasMiracle-Gro,areextremely easy to use. Dry commercial fertilizers can be overapplied, but thewater-soluble fertilizers prevent that problem.Thewater-soluble fertilizers canbe applied by simply mixing a bit of the powder in a watering can, or withapplicators holding the powder and fastened to a hose. The proper mix offertilizerisappliedasyouwater.Thisisaveryconsistentandeasywayofaddingfertilizer.

Commercialfertilizersareavailableinbagged(themostcommon)orinpopularwater-solubleforms.

Organic fertilizers are the choice of many gardeners. The commercialfertilizersmanufactured fromrockandsalthavea tendency toaddsalts to thesoil,andmany foodgrowersprefer toutilizeamoregreenapproach.Differenttypesoforganicmaterialsprovide thedifferentplantnutrientneeds.Themostcommon organic fertilizers are animal and bird manures. These are ratedaccording to thenutrients,with rabbitmanure thehighest, poultrymanure orlittersecond,sheepmanurethird,horsefourth,andcowfifth.Ifyouhaveareadysourceofanyofthesemanures,you’relucky.Inmostinstances,youwillneedtopurchasebaggedmanure,andit’susuallycowmanurethatisavailable.Allthesemanures also addhumus or organicmaterials to the soil, helping to build thesoil, theamountdependingonthesource.Themanuresalsodon’tbreakdownquiteasrapidlyaschemical fertilizers.Freshmanuresshouldnotbeapplied tothe garden at planting time—especially poultry, rabbit, or horse manures—astheycanburntheplants.Thebesttacticwithfreshmanureistoapplyit inthefallorveryearlyinthespring,plowitunder,andthenplantinthespring.Driedmanurecanbeappliedthesameaswithotherfertilizers.Oneofthebestwaysofutilizingfreshmanureistocompostit.

Differentorganicmaterialsprovidedifferentelementsoffertilizer.

Inadditiontomanure,othernaturalororganicmaterialscanalsosupplythebasic nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. These can be appliedseparately to match specific plant needs, or you can make up mixes thatapproximate commercialmixes. For instance,wood ashes contain phosphorusandpotash,bloodmealishighinnitrogen,andcottonseedmealcontainsfairly

high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. Bone meal providesphosphorus.Mostofthesematerials,however,arenotreadilyavailableinbulkinmostlocales.Theplantmeals,suchascottonseedmeal,areavailable,however,asthey are often used as animal feeds and are available at farm and feed stores.Bone and bloodmealmay also be available in some areas. By using differentquantities of the various available organicmaterials, you canmake up generalfertilizermixesthatresembletheamountsofelementsinchemicalfertilizers.

Youcanalsomakeupyourownliquidfertilizersusingeitherfishorseaweedemulsionormanure.Thelatter,calledmanuretea,iseasytomakeandlikeotherliquid fertilizersdoesn’tburnplants likesomeharsher fertilizersdo. Itdoes,ofcourse,haveadistinctsmell.Sinceweliveonaworkingcattlefarm,withacow-calfoperation,wehavelotsofcowmanure.Weapplymanurefreshandtilledin,use itdried to createhumusandcompost, andmakeourownmanure tea.Tomakeupyourownmanuretea,you’llneeda five-gallonplasticbucket,ameshbag,and,ofcourse,driedcowmanure.Thiscanbepurchased,oryoumayscoopyourown.Iguessyoucouldutilizefreshmanure,butbelieveme,driedisbest.Ifyou’re not brave enough, you can make a compost tea, which isn’t quite as“strong.”Placethedriedmaterialsinaplasticbagthathasholesinit.Theidealbag isone that is actuallymadeof tightlywovenplasticmesh.Apairofpantyhosewillalsowork.Placearockinthebagforweightandtietheendshut.Placethebucketinaplacewhereitwon’tcollectrainwaterandaddthemanure-filledbag.Fillthebucketwithwater.Placeaboardlooselyoverthebuckettokeepoutcrittersandallowthe“tea”tosteepforafewdays.Youcanthenpouroffordiptheliquidandsprinkleoveroraroundyourplantswithagardenwateringcan.Youcanaddmorewaterandsteepanotherbatchortwo,butitgetsweakerwithtime. I like to keep two buckets, one “working” and one finished to use asfertilizer.

Youcanmakeupyourownmanuretealiquidfertilizer.

Homefoodgrowershavethechoiceofusingchemicalororganicfertilizersforgrowing their food. This is a personal choice. Over time I’ve used both. Bothtypeshaveadvantagesanddisadvantages.Chemicalfertilizersarequickandeasytouse,andyoucanfertilizefairlypreciselywiththem.Youcan,however,justaseasilyapplytoomuchandburnorloseyourcrops.Chemicalfertilizersaremorecostly(ifyouhaveaccesstothenaturalmaterials);theyleachoutofthesoilfairlyquicklyandcanrunoffintowaterways,creatingrunoffproblems.Overtimethesoil can also accumulate chemical salts, actually bringing down fertility ormaking it necessary to add continuallymore chemical fertilizers. For themostpart, we’ve gotten away from chemical fertilizers on our farm operation andgarden.

Someplantsareheavyfeeders;othersaremediumandothersareonlylightfeeders.

Organic fertilizers takeabitmore time inapplying,andtheystay in thesoillonger,buttheywillalsoleachfromsandysoils.Organicgardeninghasbecomeoneofthegreeninthings.Indayspast,organicgardenerstendedtousereadilyavailablebulkmaterials.Withtheirnewpopularity,alotoforganicfertilizersareavailablecommercially,evenfromthebig-boxstores.Ifyoupurchasesmallbags

commercially,theycanbecostly.Ifyouaccumulatethematerialsinbulk,they’reless expensive. The main advantage of organic fertilizers is they’re basicallyrecycling nature’s materials, and their manufacture is not as hard on theenvironment. But most importantly, organic fertilizers, when used properly,havelesschanceofburningplants,andtheyaddcontinualhealthtothesoil inorganicmaterialsthatdecomposeintothesoil.

Differentvegetablesneeddifferenttypesoffertilizers.Plantssuchascornandthe leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, cabbage, kale, and spinach, requiremorenitrogen than other plants. Root and tuber crops, such as turnips, parsnips,carrots,beets,potatoes, and sweetpotatoes, requireahigheramountofpotashandphosphorus.Beansand tomatoes require less fertilizer, especiallynitrogen,whichcanstimulatefoliagegrowthattheexpenseofthefruitandpods.Bothofthese,however,dobetterwithapplicationsofphosphorus.Somecropsdobetterwith relatively heavy fertilizer applications and include corn, onions, lettuce,spinach,celery,andtherootcrops.

Fertilizercanbeappliedinseveralways.Oneofthemostcommonistobroadcastthefertilizeroverthegrowingsite,usingapushorhand-heldbroadcaster.

ApplyingFertilizer

Fertilizers are applied both at the time of planting and as a side-dressing.Fertilizersmaybeappliedat the timeofplanting inoneof threemethods,andyoumayuseallthreeorjustoneortwodependingonthetimingofapplicationandthetypeoffood-growingmethodsused.

The first application is broadcasting. After the ground has been tilled orworked up initially, broadcast the prescribed amount of fertilizer over the soilsurface.Useeitherafertilizerspreaderorbroadcastbyhandandthentillthesoilagaintomixthefertilizerintothesoil.Ifneeded,limestoneshouldbeaddedatthis time as well. This is the most costly in both time and expense but iscommonlyused in traditional rowgrowingandwhenstartinganewsite,oratthe firstof thegrowingseasonbeforeplanting.Youcanalsoapplycompost inthismannertobeginanewgardenornewseason,andthemethodiscalledsheetcomposting.Ifgrowinginraisedbeds,thismethodisused,andyoustillhaveaneconomicalandeasymethodofapplication,becauseyou’reusingfertilizeronlywheretheplantsarelocated.

Ifyouknowthelocationofrowsforcrops,applyingthefertilizerintheareaofthe rows also saves on time and expense.Mark off the row and dig a two-tothree-inchdeepfurrowaboutthreeinchestoeachsideofthemarkedrow.Applythe fertilizer using the prescribed amounts.With most fertilizers, this will beaboutonetotwopoundsperone-hundred-footofrow.Coverthefertilizerwiththesoil,fillinginthefurrows.Thencreateafurrowfortheseedintherowandplanttheseed.

Plants that are set in hills (such as melons, squash, and cucumbers) andtransplanted plants (such as cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and spinach grown inraised beds, as well as peppers and tomatoes) are often fertilized in the “hill”method.Atthetimeofsettingoutthetransplants,digaholeabouttwiceasdeepasneededforthetransplantroots.Addacoupleoftablespoonsoftheprescribedfertilizertothehole,coverwithacoupleofinchesofdirt,waterwell,andsetthetransplants.

Liquid fertilizersareextremelyeasy toapply. I’vebeenusingScottsMiracle-Groformanyyears,anditcanbeappliedwithasprinklercanorbycombiningwith a soaker hose. Since it is both a foliage and root feeder, it can also besprayedonto theplantswitha sprayeravailable fromthecompany. Ifgrowingyourownplantsfromseed,useafertilizerspecificallymixedforseedgrowth.A

number are available commercially, or you can make up your own. Fishemulsion ormanures are both good choices. A starter fertilizer can also helpyourtransplantsgetofftoagoodstart.Again,thesecanbepurchased,oryoucanmixyourownusingacompletechemicalororganicfertilizer.Addabouttwoorthreetablespoonsoffertilizertoagallonofwater.Makesurethefertilizeriswelldissolved.Stirbeforeusingandaddaboutacupof fertilizeraroundsetplants.Fortomatoes,peppers,andeggplants,useasolutionofhighphosphorus,suchas10-50-19. Slow-release fertilizers are available and are best for containergardening.Moreinformationoncontainergardeningisinchapter4,“GrowingFoodsinSmallSpaces.”

Liming

The proper pH is extremely important for productive food growing. Most

vegetablesgrowbestwithapHof6.5to7.0,butmostsoilsareacidicandrequirethe pH to be raised. The most common method of raising the pH is to addlimestone.Limestoneworksintothesoilfairlyslowly,atarateofaboutoneinchperyear.Applyatleastpartofthelimestone,asrequiredbythesoiltestresults,beforetillingthesoil.Usegrounddolomiteagriculturallimestone.Thiscomesinbagformandiseasilyapplied.Thematerialalsoaddscalciumandmagnesium,furtherimprovingthesoilandmakingfertilizerelementsmorereadilyavailable.As a general rule, you should add twopoundsperonehundred square feet oflightsoilandfiveandahalfpoundsperonehundredsquarefeetofheavysoil.Butfollowthesoiltestsuggestion.IfyouneedamajorchangeinpH,dosoastepata time—nomore thanonepHunitperyear.Changesgreater thanoneunitshouldbeadjustedoveratwo-tothree-yearperiod.Again,yourextensionofficecanhelpyouwiththisinformation.

Fertilizingtherowsorhillssavesonfertilizerandavoidsfertilizinganyunwantedweeds.

LimingisextremelyimportantinmanyinstancestoraisethepHofacidicsoil.Inmostinstancesgrounddolomiteagriculturelimestoneisused.WoodashcanalsobeusedtoraisethepHandalsoaddstosoil

fertility.

WoodashcanalsobeusedtoraisethepH,andithasotherelementsthatcanhelpraisesoilfertility.Thefollowingarethenutrientscommonlyfoundinwoodash:

Phosphorus–(1to2%)Potassium,aspotash–(5to25%)Lime,ascalciumcarbonate–(30to50%)Typically you need to use twice as much wood ash as you would with

limestone.Unlikelimestone,whichiscommonlyappliedinthefall,woodashisbestappliedinthespringbeforeplanting,asthenutrientscontained,especiallythepotash,leacheasilyfromthesoil.Whencollectingwoodashinthewintertospreadinthespring,keepitinadryplacetopreventcakingandlosingnutrients.

GroundPreparation

You will need to break up the soil to grow anything, and the method used

dependsonthesite,thesizeoftheplot,andthetypeofequipmentavailableorfor rent, aswell as the amount ofwork youwish to do.Very small plots andraisedbedscanbeworkedorcreatedwithnothing

Youwillneedtobreakupthesoilinyourplantingsite.Arotarytilleristheidealtoolandagoodinvestmentforlargergardens.morethanaspadeorshovel.Makesureyouremoveallsodandworkthesoildeeply,

turningitoversosomeofthesubsoilmixeswiththetopsoil.Addhumusandcompost,fertilizingasyoudo.

Thebest food-growinggardens,however,areactuallycreated in the late fall.Workatthattimewillpayoffinlessworkthroughoutthegrowingseason.Applymanure, fertilizer, humus in the form of compost, peatmoss, or decomposedleaves, aswell as limestone.Leave through thewintermonths, and then in thespring when the soil is dry enough to crumble and will not ball up when ahandfulissqueezed,till,spade,orplowthematerialsunder.Analternativeistogrow a winter green fertilizer crop and then apply compost, well-dried cowmanure,orotheradditivesearlyinthespringassoonasthesoilcanbeworked.

Smallerareas,suchasraisedbeds,canbeworkedwithashovel.

Ifyouhavealargesite,andespeciallyifit’sanewgardenarea,you’llprobablyhavetotillitwitharotarytiller.Onalargeplot,youmayneedtohiresomeonewithatractor-poweredtiller,althoughawalkingtillercanbeusedifyouhavethetimeandenergy.Theold-timemold-boardplow is stillhard tobeat for initialbreakingupandturningoverof thesoil,but thesitemust thenbegradedandleveledwithaharroworcultivator.Arotarytilleristhebestchoiceformostfoodgrowers.Notonlycanitbeusedforgettingthesiteready,butitcanalsobeusedto cultivate between rows during the season. Tillers do a better job than thetraditionalplowsbecausetheytendtomixthesoilparticlesandorganicmatter.

Ifyou’relimitedtothepick-and-shovelgang,thebesttacticisamethodcalleddouble-digging.Mark off the sitewith stakes and string.Dig a trench about afootwideandtwelvetoeighteeninchesdeep.Placethesoilfromthistrenchinawheelbarroworona tarp.Diganother trenchnext to the first,placing thesoilfrom this trench into the previously dug trench and turning the soil over ifpossible. Continue trenching until you get to the opposite side of the garden,thentransportthesoilfromthefirsttrench,andplaceitinthelasttrench.

Youcanworkthesoilinfallorspring.Afalltillingprovidesforearlierspringplanting,butyouwon’tbeabletouseagreenmanureorcovercrop.Heavysoils,however,arebestfalltilledtoallowthefreezingandthawingactionofthewinter

tohelpbreakupthesoil.Fallsiteworkisalsobestifyou’reapplyingfairlylargeamountsoforganicmatter tobuildup the soil.With fall tillingorplowing,allyou need to do in the spring is light tilling or harrowing. If spring tilling orplowing,waitfortherightconditions.Plowingtooearly,whilethesoilisstillwetand cold, can create cloddy clumps that will be a hassle the entire growingseason.Theages-oldtestistosqueezeahandfulofsoil.Ifitcrumbleseasily,it’stimetoworkthesoil.Ifthesoilsqueezesintoaballorissticky,it’stoowetforgoodtillage.Plantassoonasyougetthesoilworkedtogetaheadstartontheweeds.Inourgarden,Itimethespringtillageforspecificplants.Itilltheareasforearlyplantsandplantorsetthem,leavingtheareasforlaterplants,suchascorn,andtillingthemimmediatelybeforeplanting.

Doublediggingisagoodmethodforturningasoddedareaintoagrowingsite,orforcreatingaraisedbed.

GrowingFoodinSmallSpaces

Creatinglushgardens insmallspacesisnothingnew.ReplicatingtheHangingGardensofBabylonmightbeabitimpractical,butregardlessofhowtinyaspaceyouhaveforgrowingyourownfood,youcanuseavarietyofmethodstogrowabountiful crop. Green zones can flourish on rooftops, patios, decks, and evenpint-sized apartment balconies by using containers, raised beds, and also theBabylon-styleverticalorevenhanginggardeningmethods.

Youdon’tneedahugegardentogrowyourownfood.Manyfoodscanbegrowninsmallspaces,usingavarietyofmeans.

ContainerGardens

Containergardeningoffersmanyadvantages.Containerscanbeusedanywhere,but they’re especially useful where space is a problem. You can place each

containerexactlywhereyouwantandrearrangethemduringthegrowingseasonfor maximum effect. Pots and wooden boxes can be used to grow nearlyanything,dependingonthesizeofthecontainers;evendwarffruittreescanbegrownincontainers.

Almost anything imaginable has been used at one time or another forcontainer gardening, from discarded bathtubs to halves of wooden whiskeybarrels. Large plastic buckets, with drainage holes cut in the bottom, can alsoserveascontainers.Oldrecycledfoodcoolersalsomakegreat,ifsomewhatugly,containers.

Containergardeningisagreatwayofgrowingfoodondecks,patios,orevenonanapartmentbalcony.

Containersforgrowingfoodcanbeanynumberofitemsincludingpurchasedpots.

Evensimple,do-it-yourselfwoodenboxesareeffectiveforgrowingfood.

Themostpopularcontainersareclayorplasticpotsandwoodenboxes.Thelattercanbepurchasedorbuiltathomeifyou’rehandywithyourhands.Do-it-yourselfershavetheadvantageofbuildingpreciselytosizeandshapetheboxestheyneed.

Youcanbuildself-wateringcontainersusinglarge5-gallonbucketstypicallyusedforcommercialstorage.

Boxcontainerscanbeplacedonadeck,patio,walkwayorbalcony,fastenedtoawindowsill,orusedashangingplantersonporches.Designscanbeassimpleor as elaborate as you like, and boxes can be crafted to suit your individualdecorating or landscaping tastes. All containers must have drainage holes toprevent plants fromdrowning or rotting from toomuchwater. You can evenbuild your own “self-watering” containers. If you intend to place boxes orcontainersonawoodensurface suchasadeck, it’s agood idea toput shallowholdingpansunder them to catch excesswater andprevent staining the deck.Another idea for large-sized containers on roofs, decks, and patios is to addwheelsormakesimplewoodendollies.Thisallowsyoutomovethecontainersaroundforthebestavailablelight,orevenindoorsintheeventoffrost.

Asoilmixtureshouldbelightandabletoholdmoistureandnutrients.Pebbles,gravel,orbrokenclaypotpiecescanaddtodrainage.

Regardlessofdesign,woodenplantboxesneedtobeconstructedofwoodthatis resistant to the ravages of weather, insects, and rot. Redwood and westerncedararetwopopularchoices.Orusepressure-treatedlumberforalong-lastingplantcontainer.Whatevertypeofwoodyouuse,makesuretoalsouseexteriorfasteners.

Anotheradvantageofcontainergardeningisthatthesoilusedcanbecarefullypreparedandmatchedtothespecificneedsoftheplantsyouwanttogrow.Asageneralrule,thesoilmixtureshouldbefairlylightandabletoholdmoistureandnutrients.Itshouldalsobeabletodrainwell.Thefirststepistoplacealayerofpebbles,gravel,orpiecesofbrokenclaypotsinthebottomofthecontainertoaidindrainage.Someexperts like toputa fewpiecesofcharcoal in thebottomtohelpkeepthesoil“sweet.”Theboxesarethenfilledtowithinone-halfinchorsoofthetopwithsoil.Useeitherpurchasedcommercialpottingsoilmixesormakeupyourownusingonepartgardensoil,onepartcompostorhumus,andonepartsand.Vermiculiteorperlitecanbesubstitutedforsandtoprovidealightersoilthatwilldrainwell,yetholdmoisture.Anothergoodrecipeissixpartsgood,richgardensoil;onepartpeatmoss;andtwopartsvermiculiteorperlite.Someplants have specific alkaline or acid needs, and these can be met with soiladditives.Yourgardensupplierornurseryshouldbeabletohelpyouwiththose.Ifyouaregardeningonarooftoporbalcony,considerusingagrowingmediumwithoutsoil.Itweighsabouthalfasmuchasasoilmixture,whichaveragesabouttwenty-fivepoundsper cubic foot.Plantingmixtureswithout soil are availablecommercially,oryoucanmakeupyourown.Usethreepartspeatmossandonepart vermiculite or perlite. Add about a half pound of ground dolomiticlimestonepereachbusheltoneutralizetheacidinthepeatmoss.

Anynumberoffoodscanbegrownincontainers,includingtomatoesinhangingbaskets.

Strawberriescanbegrownintheoldfashionedstrawberryjars,butcanalsobegrowninahalf-whiskeybarrelplanterwithsmallholescutaroundthesides.

All container-grownplantsmust be kept suppliedwith thepropernutrientsaccordingtotheplantsneeds.Thisisespeciallyimportantformixtureswithoutsoil.LiquidfertilizerssuchMiracle-Groandothercommercialproducts,aswellas fish emulsion or homemade manure tea, should be applied once a week.Plantsincontainersalsoneedtobekeptwellwatered,andduringsummertimeheat, thatoftenmeansonceor twiceaday.Regularly check the soil. If the topinch is dry,water until thewater begins to drain out.Container-grownplantsmusthaveatleastsixhoursoflightdaily.Ifyoudon’thaveaplacewithfullsun,

considermakingreflectorstohelpdirectsuntotheplants.Anynumberofvegetablescanbegrownincontainers,withtomatoes,peppers,

herbs,onions,andlettucesomeofthemostpopular.Thesmallhotpeppersareespeciallypopularbecausetheyalsoadddecor.Anumberofplantvarietiesarealso available especially for growing in small spaces, such as dwarf cucumbersandsoforth.

Strawberriesarepopularplanted in theold-fashioned strawberrybarrel, andthesedays“strawberrykits”completewithcontainersareavailable.Someplants,such as some varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers, can even be planted inhangingbaskets.

RaisedBedsforSupersmallGardens

Oneofthebestwaysofgrowinginsmallspaces,eveninlargergardenareas,isinraisedbeds.

Raisedbedsalsoprovidealotofgardeninginsmallspaces,regardlessofwhetheryou want to grow vegetables or herbs. In a way, raised beds are just bigcontainers, and they have a number of advantages over traditional tilled-rowgardening.Raisedbedscanbebuiltandfilledwithanimprovedsoilmixtureinlesstimethanittakestodevelopagoodin-groundplot.Raisedbedsalsoallowforintensivegardening,oftencalledFrenchintensiveorsquare-footgardening,raisingmorefoodinlimitedspaces.Thismeansspacingplantsmuchcloserthanin traditional gardeningmethods. Experts suggest it takes five times asmuchspacetogrowfoodinconventionalgardening.

Withproperplantingandcare,youcanproduceoverhalfatonofvegetablesinonlyafive-hundred-square-footgardenusingthesetactics.Wehaveanumberof raisedbeds inourgarden. In fact,overhalfofourgarden ismadeof raisedbeds,withmulchedareasandwalkwaysbetween.Builtthreefeetwide,thebedsallowyoutoreachtothecenterofthebedwithoutwalkingonitorgettinginitforplanting,weeding,andharvesting.Withoutthecompactionofwalkingonthesoil, the raisedbedsprovideacontinuously loose, friable soil.Oldergardeners,suchasme,findtheheightsofraisedbedseasiertoworkonsincewecansitontheedgeoronastoolandnothavetostooporbendaswithground-levelplots.Raisedbedstakelesstimetoplantandmaintainaswell.First,youdon’tneedtotill.Merelydigupthebedinearlyspringwithashovelortrowel,whichiseasybecause the soilhasn’tbecomecompacted.Anevenbettermethod is tomulchthebedsheavilyinthefall.

Wegrowagreatdealofourfoodinraisedbeds.Thebedsareeasiertoworkwith,thesoilstayssoftandworkablebecauseitisnotcompacted,andwecangrowalotmorefoodinasmallerspace.

Merelyrakebackthemulchinspring,uncovertheloosesoil,andplant.Astheplantsaregrowingclosetogether,theyalsotendtoshadeoutmanyoftheweeds,cuttingdownonweeding.Ifraisedwithmulch,raisedbedscanalmosteliminateweeding. And of course, harvesting and watering are also easier.With a littleplanning,youcandirectwatertospecificbedsorareas,cuttingdownonwaterandwateringtimes.

Raised beds can also be combinedwith frames holding netting to keep outbirdsandotherpests,aswellascoveredwithplasticforwintergardening.OneideaI’veusediscreatinga“cage”ofweldedwireusedforreinforcingconcrete.This comes in five-foot-wide rolls, perfect formaking cages formy 3× 5 footbeds. Itkeepsout thedeer,andaddingmeshwire to thebottomkeepsout thesmaller critters such as rabbits. Covering the cage with clear plastic creates amini-greenhouse for winter growing. There is one raised-bed intensivegardeningproblemyouneedtobeawareof.Ifgrowingplantssuchaspeppersinanintensivegardeningmethod,theymaycross-pollinate.Plantonlyonevarietyofeachplantineachraisedbed.

Raisedbedsnotonlycontainplants,butcanalsohelpkeepoutcrittersifcoveredwithawiremesh—whichisgreatforthoselivinginareaswithanabundanceofwildlife.

Raised beds are often combined with modern-day mulches such as blackplasticorplasticscreeningmulchwithmicroscopicholesthatholdinmoisturewhileholdingdownweedsforeasy-caregrowing.Thisisagreatwayofgrowingstrawberriesthatcutsdowngreatlyontheweedingproblem.Herbsdoespeciallywellinraisedbeds,andyoucancreateanattractiveherbgardenbydividingthebedintosectionsforeachvarietyofherbs.

Raisedbedscanbeusedwithblackplasticscreeningforweed-freegrowingofplantssuchasstrawberries.

Youcancreateaformalandattractiveherbbedusingwoodtocreateadividedraisedbed.

Theeasiestraisedbedconsistsofsimpleraisedmoundsofsoilwithawalkwaybetweenthemounds.

Old-style raised-bedgardeningconsistedofmoundingup the soil into long,raised,or roundedmoundswithwalkwaysbetween them.This is effective,butmore intensive gardening can be done with contained beds. What makes acontained,raisedbedisaborderthatholdsthesoilinplace.Myfirstbedsweresimply made of logs obtained by thinning the timber on our hillside farm.Concrete blocks, bricks, and rocks can all be used to build raised beds as canrecycled railroad ties and landscaping timbers made of treated lumberspecificallyforuseincreatingraised-bedgardens.

Theseareoftensimply laid inplaceorheldtoslopinghillsideswithwoodenstakes.Cedar,redwood,ortreated2×6sor2×8scanbefastenedtogetherwithdeckscrewstocreateafast,sturdy,andeconomicalraisedbed.They’rebasicallyboxeswithoutbottoms.

Locatethebedwhereitwillcatchthemostsun,fullsunifpossible,andthenmarkofftheareawithstakesandstring.Useashoveltodigoutandremoveallsod,grass,andweeds.Thebestbedshaveverydeepsoilbases.

Containingtheraisedbedsmakesthemeasiertoworkwith,increasestheirproductivity,andkeepsthesoilinplace.

Raisedbedscanbecontainedmanyways,includingsimpletreated2x6frames.Oursarethreefeetwideandvaryinlengthfrom5to12feet.

This isdonebydigging, ifpossible,downtoat leasteighteen to twenty-fourinches.Ifyoucan’tdigthatdeep,asinmyareawithrocksatabouteightinches,simplybuildthebedshigher.

Someofmybedsaretwelveincheshighforthatreason.Buildthesidesofthebed using the materials you’ve selected and reinforce the corners with stakesdrivenintothegroundandfastenedtothelogs,timbers,orplanks.

Aswithcontainergardening,soilthatdrainswellandisrichinnutrientsisthekeytosuccess.Bothsoilandnutrientsshouldsuittheplantsyouintendtogrow.Becauseofthesizeandvolumeofaraisedbed,you’llprobablyhavetofillitwithsoilmaterialsreadilyavailableinyourareaorobtainableatareasonablecost.Asageneralrule,amixtureofgoodtopsoil,compost,orwell-rottedmanure,peat,andsandisagoodstartingpoint.Oncethebedhasbeenfilled,haveasoilsampletestedtodeterminepHlevelandtoseeifanyadditionalnutrientsarerequired.

Landscapetimberscanalsobeusedtocreatearaisedbed.

Onegreatwayofgrowingstrawberriesisinaraisedpyramidbed.

Youcangrowplantsmoreintensivelyinraisedbedswithcloserspacing.Ratherthanplantedinrows,plantsarespacedinanequidistanttriangularfashion.Acardboardtemplate,sizedtomatchthespacing,helps

spaceplantsproperly.Thischartshowsthespacing.

Another important factor in intensive gardening is to use precise and closeplantspacing.Seedsortransplantsarenormallyspacedequidistanceapart.Thiswillincreaseyields.Onetricktogettingmoreproducefromintensivegardeningis to set or seed plants in a staggered fashion rather than in rows.Make up acardboardtemplateinatriangleshapeandusethistodetermineproperseedortransplant placement. This shape better utilizes the available space. But don’tplant tooclosely.Asanormal rule, youcanabouthalve the spacing forplantssuchaslettuce,broccoli,andcabbage.Wealsosimplysowlettuceandspinachonbare ground in a raised bed, rather than in individual rows, and shovelmoreloose compost and well-rotted manure over the seeds. The plants are thenthinned as they sprout.We also interplant in raised beds, again adding to theintensivegardeningtactic.

Growingcompanionplantsalsohelpssavespace.Atraditionisplantingbeans,corn,andpumpkinsnexttooneanother.

Weoftenplantonionsandlettucetogether,lettuceorspinach,andcabbageorbroccoli.The lettuce isharvested first,butas thebroccoligetsbigger, it shadesthe lettuce,extending the lettuceharvestaswell.Andthe lettucecutsdownontheweedsuntilthebroccoligetsstarted.Somefoodgrowersliketomakeabedor two of the “big three”—corn, squash, and pole beans. The corn providessupport for thepolebeans,and thesquashkeepsdowntheweeds in thebeansandcorn.Another tacticweuse is tokeep thebedsproducing throughout theseason with successive plantings—for instance, spring lettuce, followed bysummersquash,followedbyfallspinach.This isespeciallyeffectiveifyoustartseedsindoors,orinthesummeronaporchorshadyarea,keepingplantsreadytogointothebedsatalltimes.Almostanythingcanbegrowninraisedbedsintheintensivegardeningmethod,evensomeplantsyoumightnotconsider.Youmightevenconsidergrowingafast-growingshortorearlycorninaraisedbed.Spacetheseedsaboutsixinchesapartinalldirections.Oncetheplantsemerge,carefully weed andmulch heavily. Drive wooden stakes or steel posts in eachcornerof thebedandmakeachickenwirecagearoundyourminicornpatch.Nopests,nofuss,andabountifulsupplyofsweetcornfromaverysmallspace.Afinaltricktoincreasingyieldsistokeepproduceregularlyharvested.Wepicktomatoesassoonastheybegintoturnyellowororangeandallowthemtoripenoffthevine.Theytastejustasgoodasthoseleftonthevine,andremovingthetomatoes allows theplant to continueproducing.The same tactic canbeusedwithmanyothervegetablesaswell.

VerticalGardening

Growingupwardisagoodchoicewhenyoudon’thaveroomtogrowoutward.Wealsouse vertical gardening techniques inour garden aswell. In fact, someplants—suchascucumbers,peas,polebeans,andeventomatoes—notonlytakeup less space but also actually do better when grown vertically on supports.Fruitsorvegetablearelesslikelytobedamagedbecausethey’renotlyingontheground,andlargercropscanbegrownbecausetheir flowersaremoreexposedandthereforemorelikelytobepollinated.Grapesandberries,ofcourse,allneedtobesupportedbytrellisesorothermeans.

Fences are the simplest supports for some vertical gardening. For grapes orberries, fencepostsshouldprotrudesixfeetabovegroundlevelwithno.9wirestapledtothem.Afenceforcucumbersandotherplantsthatputoutheavyvinescanconsistofsturdyhogwirestapledinplacetotheposts.Myfavoritesupportforgrowingcucumbersisa“cattle”panel.

This is a heavy-duty galvanized,welded-wire panel available at farm supplystores.Sixteenfeetlongandfivefeethigh,itissupportedbythreesteelpostsandwillgrowlotsofcukeswelloffthegroundandeasytocareforandpick.

Tomatoes are a very common and popular vertical-gardening plant. Testshaveshowntomatoeswillproduceagreatdealmoregrownverticallyratherthanallowedtosprawl.Theplantsaretraditionallytiedtowoodenstakes,butifyouhavea lotofplants, itcanbeahasslekeepingupwithretyingthefast-growingplants. The simplest method is to grow tomatoes in cages. These can bepurchased,oryoucanmakeyourownoutofheavywire.Imademyfirstcagesfrom hog wire, which creates a cage about four feet high. Then I discoveredweldedreinforcingwirenormallyusedinconcretepours.Thiscreatesafive-footcage that is much stronger and supports even the most prolific plants. As Idiscovered,thehigherthecage,themoretomatoesareproduced.Mytomatoeswilleventuallygrowrightoverthetopsofthefive-footcagesandhangdown,stillproducing.Eachofthetwo-and-a-half-footdiametercagesholdtwoplants,andwith the right conditions and varieties, I’ve harvested almost fifty pounds oftomatoesfromeachcage.Ourgardenisonahillsideandcangetprettywindy.Stormscanblow thebigcagesover. Idrivewooden stakes inbeside thecages,spacing them about every third cage. I then tie the cages together and to thestakes.Sofar,thishaspreventedthecagesfromblowingovereveninseverewindstorms.

Keepvegetablespickedtohelptheplantcontinueproducing.Wepicktomatoesassoonastheybegintoturnorange.

Growingverticallycanalsohelpproducealotoffoodinsmallspaces.

Acattle-panel,heldinplacewithsteelposts,makesagreatpermanentverticalsupportforcucumbersandother“climbers.”

Pole beans alsoneed support.These canbe purchased supports, or you canmakeyourown.Ateepeeof2×2polesor,inmycase,saplingsfromthetimberisasimpleandeasymethodofconstructingapolebeansupport.AnothertypeofsupportisanA-frameof2×2s.Thiscanbeboltedtogetherandthentakendownattheendoftheseasonifdesired.CombinetheA-framesupportwitharaisedbedandyoucanraisealotofbeansinaverysmallspace.

Tomatocagesareanextremelyproductivewayofgrowingtomatoesverticallyandare,infact,thebestwayofgrowingthefruit.

Peasandcucumberscanalsobegrownongardenpanelsmadeof1x4scoveredwithchickenwireandsupportedbyposts.

Asimple,portablepolebeantowercanbemadefrom2x2sandtwine.

AnA-framesupportcanalsobemadefrom2x2sandsetoveraraisedbedforintensivelyraisingpolebeans.

Youcanevengrowcucumbersandotherplantsverticallyincontainerswithasimpleboxcontainerandatrellis-likesupport.

Regardlessofhowtightyourgardeningspaceis,alittleingenuityandtherightmethodscanhelpmakeyourworldalittlemoregreen.Moreelaboratesystemscanbecreatedifyou’reinterestedindecoraswellasgrowingfood.Don’tletthethoughtofabiggardendeteryoufromgrowingyourownfood.Thesegardeningmethodscanbecombinedtogrowalotoffoodinasmallspace.

GrowingVegetables

SelectingSeedsandPlants

Vegetablesareavailableinanamazingnumberofvarieties.Thereare,infact,wholecatalogsjustoftomatovarieties,includingthisyellowpeartomato.

Mostvegetablesare available ina confusinglywidenumberofvarieties. Some

varieties take longer to mature; some produce smaller or larger fruits. Withvegetables like tomatoesandcorn, therecanalsobeawidevariance in flavors.It’s important when choosing seeds or plants for growing your own food tomatch the variety to your garden site, geography, and locale. Seed companiesoffer an array of both seeds and plants.Most seed catalogs, however,describewhichvarietiesarebestforcertainspecificpartsofthecountryorcertainzones.Youwillalso,ofcourse,wanttoselectvarietieswithaflavoryoulike.

It’simportanttomatchtheplantspeciesandvarietytoyourgrowingsite,topography,andweather.

Thefirst-timefoodgrowerwillneedtodoalotofexperimentingtofindthebestchoices.Talkingwithotherlocalgrowerscanbeagreathelp.Ifpurchasingvegetablesfromalocalfarmer’smarket,askaboutthevariety.Eventuallyyou’lldiscoverfavoritesthatnotonlysuityourtastesbutarealsoeasiertogrowinyourparticulargarden.Tryingnewvarietiesofvegetables,however,ishalfthefunofgrowingyourownfood.

Somevegetablesareavailableonlyasseedswhileothersasseedsorplants.Ifyou’rejustgettingstarted,yourlocalgardencentercanusuallyhelpinselectingseedsorplantsthataregoodproducersinyourarea.Farmsupplystoresarealsoan excellent source of local seeds. Some seeds—for instance, corn—are moreeconomicalpurchasedinbulkfromtheselocalsourcesthanbymailorder.Otherseeds that are cheaper in bulk include the standard lettuce varieties, beets,

spinach, and turnips. Potato sets, onion sets, and plants are also moreeconomical purchased locally and are usually suited to the area.On the otherhand, you are more limited in the availability of many plant varieties, forinstance,tomatoes,peppers,andcorn,evenlettuce.Mailordermaybeyouronlysourceforsomeseedvarieties.

Someplantsareavailableasseedandothersasplants,readytotransplant.

Manyvegetables, suchascorn,arebestdirect seeded into thegarden.Othervegetablescanbeeitherdirectseededorstartedindoorsorinagreenhouseandthen transplanted into thegarden.Manyof the latter are available asplants inflatsorpots,readytosetoutinyourgarden.Todayanalmostendlesssupplyofchainsuper-store,aswellasmail-orderplantsareavailable.Vegetableandflowerplantsmustbeaveryhighmark-upitemsbecausethereseemstobeagrowingnumberofmarketers.I’venoticedovertheyearsthecostoftheseplantshasalsobecomeincreasinglyhigh.Themostpopularandtraditionalplantsaretomatoes,peppers, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, but any number of vegetables areavailablethesedays.

Youcaneasilystartmanyseedsindoorsfortransplantingoutdoors.

SowingSeedsIndoors

Startingyourownseedsindoorsandthentransplantingintoyourgardeniseasy,fun,andagreatwayofsavingongrowingyourownfood.Inaddition,youcangrowplantvarietiesnotavailablelocally.Growingyourownfoodisacontinuallearning process, and the past few years I’ve started seeds indoors for anincreasinglywider variety of plants. This has allowed us to greatly extend ourgrowing season. In addition to tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, andcauliflower, plants started from seed now include beets, lettuce, spinach, andevenonions.Somevegetables,however,arehardertotransplantintothegardenandarebestdirect-seeded.Thevolumeofsomeplantsneededalsomakesdirectseedingthebestchoice.

Seedscanbestartedandgrownjustaboutanywhereinyourhouse.I’vestartedseedsindoorsformanyyears,eveninmybasement,usingafluorescenttubeforlight. A small greenhouse or sunnywindow can, however, be a helpmate.Wehaveaverysmall lean-togreenhousethat ispassivelysolarheatedusedtostartseveral hundred transplants in each season.We start some seeds indoors andmovethemouttothegreenhousetocontinuegrowinguntilitistimetosetthemout.Later,plantsarestarteddirectlyinthegreenhouse.

It’simportanttostartseedsatthecorrecttimesoyoucantransplantthemattheappropriatetimeoftheseason.Manyseedpacketsprovidethiscrucialinformation.

Themostimportantfactoringrowingyourownseedsindoorsiswhentosowthe seeds to set out the transplants at the right growing stage and in the rightweather conditions. If you start seeds indoors too early, they’ll be spindly andhardtotransplantbythetimeyoufinallycangetthemsetout.Toolateandtheymaybetootendertowithstandtransplanting.Tostartseedsindoors,you’llneedtoknowthreethings:thelastexpectedfrostdateforspringgardensandthefirst

expected frostdate for fall gardens, the typeofweather theyoungplantgrowsbest in,andthenumberofweeks fromsowingtosettingoutsizeof theplants.Althoughnationwidefrostchartsareavailable,theseareprettygeneral.Whetheryouliveatloworhighelevationinyourlocalarea,youcanalsohaveagreatdealof influence on the frost dates for your garden. Your local county extensionoffice can providemuchmore detailed information for your growing area. Inaddition to frost dates, other seasonal benchmarks are also important. Somevegetables germinate at different temperatures. For instance, some seeds needtemperaturesof70°Forwarmer,whileothersgerminatebestat55°Forcooler.Some young vegetable plants grow best in coolweatherwhile others thrive inwarm and hot weather. The temperatures referred to are soil, not air,temperatures.

Asyoucanguess,allseedsarenotstartedatthesametime.Forinstance,westart broccoli and cabbageon January1; tomatoes andpeppers arenot starteduntil mid-March. It helps to make up a planning chart or calendar for thedifferentvegetablesyouplan togrow.Thechart should list the following: seedtype, transplant season, transplant date in your area, number of weeks fromsowingtogardensizetransplants,anddatetosow.Todecidewhentosow,picktherightdateforsettingoutinyourgardenandthencountbackthenumberofweeksneeded to grow theplants to the right size for settingout. Seedpacketshave this information: for instance, tomato seed packets suggest seeding sixweeksbeforesettingout.Inourarea,thelastfrostislateApril,andweplantosetout onMay 1, so tomato seeds are startedmid-March as stated before. Onceyou’vedecidedwhentostartyourseeds,sorttheseedpackagesaccordingtothebeststartingdatesforeach.

Youcanpurchaseormakeupaseedstartingkit.Shownisasimplewooden-flatsuspendedoveraheatmatandisselfwatering.

Inadditiontotheseeds,you’llalsoneedsomesupplies.Firstisaseed-startingmedium. A number of these are available commercially, or you canmake upyourown.Themediumshouldbeporous,welldrainedyetabsorbent,andloose

andfriable,notheavy.Finelytexturedhumusorcompostisoftenused.Oneofthemostcommonhomemixesisablendofpeatmossandperliteorvermiculate,aswellasonepartfinelysiftedcomposttofivepartsofthepeatmoss-perlitemix.Thisaddssomefertilizer.Inaddition,you’llneedseed-startingtrays.Thesecanbepurchased as seed-starter kits, some evenwith startingmediumanda clearplastic cover. You can also make up your own quite economically using anumberofrecycleditems.

Seedscanbestartedandgrownnearasunnywindow,butagrow-lightsuspendedovertheplantsprovidesmoreconsistentresults.

Seedsarestartedinrowsintinyfurrows.Plasticseedmarkerscutfromplasticfooddishesandapieceofplasticfoodwrapcreateamini-greenhouse.

Anynumberof tacticscanbeused,dependingon thenumberofplantsyouintend to grow and your growing area. I’ve created a very easy, consistentlysuccessfulseed-startingtechnique.Thetechniqueutilizeswarmheatandbottomwatering,alongwithagrowlightabove.

Whentheplantshavethreeleavesthey’rereadytotransplantintopotsorindividualplanttrays.

Theseedlingscanbetransplantedintoanynumberofcontainers,frompurchasedpotsandtraystorecycledfoamplasticcups.Oneofmyfavoritesisrollednewspaperpots.

Theseunitsaresoldthroughmanyseedcatalogsandareveryefficient,butI’veconstructedmyownquiteeconomically.Asolidplastictrayhastwoholesboredinit.Sectionsofsoftropearethreadedthroughtheholes,andtheropeislaidoutonthebottomoftheplastictray.Theropeextendsouttothebottomofthetray,andtheendsareplacedinaplasticpanofwater.Thewatergentlywicksuptheropeintotheseed-startingtray.

Doubleapieceofnewspaperandcutittofitthesizeofavegetablecan,withaboutaninchextra.Rollthepaperaroundthecan.

Theseed-startingtraysitsonawirerackoverthetopofanelectricheatpadmadejustforstartingseeds.Overthetopofthisisarackholdingafluorescentgrow light.Apieceofkitchenplasticwrapover the soilkeeps inmoistureandprovidesawarmertemperatureuntilthetinyseedsfirstsprout;thentheplasticisremoved.

ThisiswhereIdepartfrommanyothertactics.Allmyearly-seasonseedsarethicklysowninrows.Thegrowingmediumisplacedinthetrayandwellwatereduntilitisthoroughlysoaked.Oryoucanplacethegrowingmediuminaplasticbag and addwater until it iswell soaked and then add to the starting tray. Ineithercase,thestartingmediummustbewellflattenedandpressedoutsmooth.I

use a piece of one-quarter-inch thick plywood (or recycled paneling) to presstiny “furrows” or indentations in rows in the tray. Seeds are dropped into thefurrowsandcoveredlightlywithmorestartingmedium,theamountofcoveringdepending on seed depth requirements. Normally seeds are covered to abouttwice their thickness and the starting medium pressed down to assure soilcontact.Someseedswillnotgerminatewithoutlightandshouldnotbecovered.Checktheinstructionsontheseedpacket.Icutplasticfoodcontainerssuchascottagecheesecontainersintoone-half-inch-widestripsandaboutoneandahalfincheslong.Imarkthedifferentvarietieswiththese“rowmarkers.”Plasticwrapisplacedover the trayandover the topsof therowmarkers; the top light andbottomheatpadarebothturnedon.Theunitislefttoruntwenty-fourhoursadayuntiltheseedlingsemerge,andthentheplasticisremoved.It’simportanttochecktwiceadayandfillthewatercontainerasneeded.Inafewdaysoraweek,seedlingswillsprout,andtheplasticwrapisremoved.Usingthismethod,Istartseveralhundredseedlingsinaverysmallspace.

Whentheseedlingsbecome largeenoughtohave twoactual leaves, theyaretransplantedintoindividualpotstocontinuegrowinguntiltheyarereadytobesetout.I’verecycledanynumberofitemsintopotstoholdtheindividualplants.This includes reusing plastic trays from purchased plants, foam plastic drinkcups,andmyfavoriterolled-upnewspaperpots.

Thesenotonlyrecyclenewspapersbutcanalsobeusedwithplantsthatdon’ttransplantwellbecausetheyaresetoutinthepotswithoutdisturbingtheroots.Foamplasticcupsmusthaveaholepunchedintheirbottomsforwaterdrainage.Paperpotsdotendtodryoutfasterthanplasticones,somakesuretokeepthemwellwatered.

Placetheindividualpotsorplantcontainersintoasolidplastictray.Filleachwithagoodpottingsoilmixandyou’rereadytotransplant.Thepottingsoilcanbepurchasedorhomemade.Asimplerecipeisonebushelofpeat,onebushelofperlite or vermiculite, one bushel of compost, and one-half cup groundlimestone.Addnutrients ifyouwish,evenmatchingeachplant’sspecialneeds,butkeeptheamountsfairlylow.

Waterthepotsandthenuseawoodenpenciltopokeaholeinthecenteroftheplantingmedium.Usingawoodenpopsiclestick,digunderandgentlypryupa fewseedlings.Gently separate theplantsbyholding themby their leaves.Place the rootsdown in thehole in themediumanduse the eraser endof thepenciltopressthesoilaroundtheroots.

Tapetheendofthepaperinplace.

Markeachtrayorpotastovariety.Iusetheplasticstripsfortraysandwriteon foamcupswitha feltmarker.Waterwellandplace ina slightlycooler,butnotcold,but sunnyplace for the seedlings tocontinue togrowproperly.Keepwellwateredbybottomwatering.Thesoilshouldn’tdryoutbutshouldn’tdrowntheplantseither.

Seedsforlettuce,spinach,melons,andothersarestartedinindividualpots.Isow seeds that don’tmind having their roots disturbed—like lettuce, spinach,andbeets—in thewooden trays. In this case, theplants are dividedby cuttingaround each plant with a dull knife and separating the roots at transplantingtime.Thisonlyworkswithplantsthatdon’tmindhavingtheirrootsdisturbed.

Pushtheextralengthofpaperdowninsidethecup.

Removethecupandinsertitbottom-sidedownintothepapertubetocompressthebottomfoldedsectiontightlytogether.

Regardlessofthecontainersused,fillwithagoodpottingsoil,waterwell,anduseafatpenciltopokeaholeinthesoilinthecenterofthecontainers.

Presproutingisagoodtacticforseedsthatarehardtosproutorexpensiveandscarce.Dampenadoublelayerofpapertowelsandplacetheseedsonthetowel,makingsure theydonot touch.Roll the towelup,makingsure theseedsdon’tshift. Label aplasticbagwith the seednameandplace the roll into theplasticbag. Partially close the bag. The seeds should have some air. Place in a warmspot. In twodays check the seeds to see if theyhave sprouted and then checkdailyuntiltheseedssprout.Oncetheysprout,placeinindividualcontainers.Besurenottodamagethetenderrootsandstems.

UseaPopsiclestickorsimilaritemtogentlypryaseedlingfromthestartingtray.

Placetheseedlingroots-downinthehole,asdeeplyaspossiblewithoutcoveringtheleaves.Usetheeraserendofthepenciltogentlypressinplace.Thenpresssoilaroundtheseedling.

The more traditional method of starting seeds indoors is to start them inindividualpotsorplanttrays.Inthiscase,thetraysorpotsareplacedinalargeplastic tray, and the startingmedium is added andmoistened. Two seeds areplacedineach“cell”orpot.Thetraysorpotsarecoveredwithplasticwrapandtheholdingtrayplacedinawarmareawithatleast70°Ftemperature.Thetopofa refrigerator or hot-water heater is a traditional choice, or youmay use anygentleheatsource.Youwon’tneedlightfortheseedstogerminate.

Begincheckingafterthefirstcoupleofdaysandthencheckdailyforthefirstsprouts.Oncetheseedssprout,removetheplasticandplacethetrayinaslightlycoolerspot,around60°to65°F,butwithplentyofsunlight.Nearapatiodoororalargewindowisagoodchoice.Turnthetrayeachdaytopreventtheseedlingsfromgrowingsidewaystowardthelight.Iftheseedlingsmissadayoflight,theywillbecomespindly.Again,thebesttacticistouseabankoffluorescenttubes.Keep the bulbs two to three inches away from the seedlings and allow at leastsixteenhoursoflightaday.Watertwoorthreetimesadaytokeepthesoilfromdrying out, but water lightly to prevent disturbing the soil. This is especiallyimportantiftheplantsarenearawindow.Don’toverwateranddrowntheplantsorkeepthemsowetafungusforms.Bottomwateringisthebesttactic.Keepacloseeyeonyourseedlings.Iftheybendoverandwilt,thesoilistoodry.Iftheybendoverwithabreakatsoilline,thesoilistoowet,creatingadamping-offthatcankillyourentirecropofseedlings.Damping-offisalsosometimescausedbypooraircirculation.Allowthesurfaceofthesoiltodryoutslightly,butdonotletthebottomdry.

Someseedsdobestpresprouted.Placeindampenedpapertowelsandtheninsertthetowelsintoaplasticbagandplaceinawarmspot.

Themoretraditionalmethodofstartingseedsisinindividualcellsofplastictrays.Planttwoseedstoeachcellandsnipoffonewhentheseedlingshaveemerged.

Oncetheplantssettwopairsofleaves,useapairofsharpscissorstosnipoffoneof theplants, leavingonlyoneplantpercellorpot.Onceaweek, feed theseedlings with a diluted liquid fertilizer, such as fish or seaweed emulsion,composttea,oracommercialliquidfertilizer.Ifgrowingunderlights,continuetomovethelightsupsotheystayjustafewinchesabovethetopsoftheplants.Placinga small fannear theseedlingswillhelpkeep theplantsdryand fungusfree, as well as keep the air stirred around them, creating a better supply ofcarbon dioxide. Provide more water, but less frequently, and feed with thediluted fertilizer. At this time, about April 1 in my area, all my growingtransplants are moved into my small greenhouse for further growth. It’scrowded,butitworks.Ataboutfiveweeks,youmaywishtorepottheplantsintolarger three-or four-inch pots or trays. This will provide sturdier-, larger-stemmedplantsfortransplanting.

Useaflatwoodensticktogentlyliftouttheplantandplaceinthelargerpothalffilledwithpottingsoil.Presssoilaroundtheplantandwater.Makesurethetransplant is planted deep, up to the lower leaves. Growing into garden-sizeplantsmaytakejustafewmoredays,oraweekorso,dependingonthevariety.It’sbesttobeabletotransplantintothegardenbeforetheplantsbeginflowering.

Placeseedlingsinasunnylocation.Weuseoursmallgreenhouse.

HardeningOff

Hardening off is a very important step in successfully transplanting yourcarefully grown seedlings.Theyoungplantshavebeen coddledandwell takencareof. Ifyouset themout in thegarden immediately, they’ll suffer fromsun,wind,andrain.Hardenthetenderyoungplantsbymovingyourtransplanttraysoutdoorstoashadyspotoutofthewind.Startwithanhouraday,increasingthetimeeachdayandbringingthetraysbackinatnighttime.Keeptheplantswellwatered,buttheywillwiltsomewhatevenatthat,sodon’tgettooworried.Theplantswillperkbackupwhenbroughtinside.Afteracoupleofdaysintheshade,movethemintoapartiallysunnylocationforacoupleofmoredays.Thenmoveto a sunny spot for a day or two, and the plants are hardened and ready totransplant.

Transplanting

Proper transplanting is also important. Transplant late in the afternoon ifpossible so the plants don’t start their first daywith full sun.Make sure yourgardenorbediswellpreparedtoreceivethetransplants.Positiontheplants,stillin thepotswhere youwant them, to achieveproper spacing.Digholeswith ashovelortrowelforeachplant.Abulbplanterworkswellforsmallplants.Addwater to each hole. Setting the plants to the correct depth and in the correctposition is important. Some plants, such as cabbage and lettuce with basebranches,shouldnothavetheirstemsburied.Otherplants,suchaspeppersandtomatoes,dobetterifburieddeeper.Butneverburytheleaves.Ifyouburypartofthestem,pinchofftheleaves.Keepdebrissuchassticksorleavesoutofthetransplantinghole.

Properlytransplantingseedlingsisimportant.Transplantinlateevening.Digaholeandsettheplantgentlyinplace.

Pressthesoilfirmlyaroundtherootsandwaterwell.

Press the soil firmly down around the transplants and water well. It’simportanttothoroughlysoakthesoilwithwaterto“waterin”thetransplants.In

beds,thesoilshouldbewettoseveralinchesbelowthesurface.Onetacticistosoakthebedsjustbeforeplanting.Widelyspacedplantsshouldbewatereduntilawaterpuddle formsaroundthebaseof theplants.Thishelps toeliminateairpocketsandcreatesbettersoilandrootcontact.Addingamulchassoonastheplantsaresetoutandwateredcanhelpthetransplantsgetofftoagoodstartandwillpreventweedsfromcompetingwiththeyoungplants.Useoldorweatheredmulch,notfreshorganicmaterials.Oldhay,straw,drygrassclippings,andwoodshavingsaregoodchoices.Makesurethemulchisuparoundtheplants,butbecarefulnottobreakthestems.

DirectSeeding

Manyvegetablesaredirect seeded into thegarden.Thiscanbedone inseveralways,dependingon theplants, timing,andso forth.Makesureyourgarden iswellpreparedandthetimingiscorrectfortheseedchosen.Directseedinginthesoft soil of raised beds is easy. Simply push the seeds into the soil with yourfingertothedepthandatthespacingneeded.Waterandwaitfortheseedlingstoemerge. For row seeding, firstmark out the rows. The distance between rowsdependsonthevegetablevariety,aswellas thegardeningmethodandtools. Ifyouplantotillbetweentherows,leaveroomforyourtiller.

Manyplants,suchasbeansandcorn,areplantedinrows.

Amarkeronahoeorrakehandlecanbeusedtohelpevenlyspacerows.

Ifyouplantohoeormulchbetweentherows,plantsomewhatcloserbutstillstickfairlyclosetothesuggestedrowspacingforeachvariety.Ikeepapieceofblackplasticelectricians’tapearoundahoehandle.Thedistancefromtheheadofthehoetothetapeisthecorrectwidthbetweenrowsformytiller.Someplantsneedwider spacing, for instance, beans needmore than corn because of theirbushygrowinghabit.

Mostplantsaregrowninrows.Tomakerows,tieapieceofheavystringtoacoupleofstakes,drivethestakesinplaceateitherendoftheproposedrow,anduse the corneror edgeof ahoe todig a furrowwith the correctdepth for theseeds.Droptheseedsatthecorrectspacing.Youmayprefertoseedthickerthanthefinalspacingandthinplantstoassureacompletelyfullrow.Forinstance,I

plantcorninthismanner,makingsuretheentirerowisthicklyplantedandthinaftertheplantsareup.Addfertilizerbeforeorafterplanting,dependingonthevarietyorspecies.Removethestringlineanduseagardenraketobringthesoilbackover the furrowandcover the seeds. I like touse thebackof the rake togentlycompressorpackthesoildownontheseedstoassuregoodsoilcontact.Someplants,suchasthetinyseedsoflettuce,needlighttogerminate.Justcoverlightly.Allthat’sleftistowaterandwait.

Watering

Inmostareasandinstancesyou’llhavetosupplywatertoyourgarden.Thiscanbedoneinnumerousways.Asprinklerisoneofthemostcommon.

Amuchbettermethodthatutilizeslesswaterandplaceswateronlywhereitisneededisasoakerhose.Usedwithmulch,it’sextremelyeffective.

Successfully growing food requireswater. Somemethodof regularly supplyingwatertoyourplants,whethertransplantsordirectseeded, isrequired.Insomepartsofthecountry,wateringplantsmaybeaproblem.Droughtsandrestrictedwaterusemayrequiretheuseofcollectedrainwaterinsomeareas.Anynumberofwayscanbeusedtoconservewater,yetsupplymoisturetoyourplants.Oneofthemost important stepsbeginsat seeding time.Keep the seedbedmoistuntiltheseedshavesprouted.Donotallowit todryout.Useafinespraywithyourhosenozzleorwateringcantopreventwashingsoilawayfromtherowsorfromaroundtransplants.Rainis,ofcourse,yourbestsourceofwater.Onceseededorplanted,yourgardenwillneedaboutone inchof rainperweek,dependingonevaporation.You’llneedslightlymoreinthesummermonths.If this is lackingor you notice plants wilting during the heat of the day, they’re not getting

enoughwater.Check the soilmoistureweekly, especiallyduring the first threeweeksofplanting.Ifthetopcoupleofinchesofsoilaredry,you’llneedtowater.Laterintheseason,astherootsgrowdeeper,you’llneedtowaterless.It’sbesttowater deeply and less frequently than lightly and more frequently. Soakthoroughlyateachwatering.Insummer,thismaymeanwateringforuptofourhours ormore. Allow the upper portion of the soil to dry out slightly beforewateringagain.Thishelpstoincreaserootgrowth.

Watercanbeprovidedforplantsinanumberofways.Soakerhosesareoneofmy favorite methods of watering rows. Soaker hoses, as well as trickle tubes,allow for deep soaking of the soil and don’t applywater to foliage,which cancause disease problems. I’ve recycled a number of broken old soaker hoses bycuttingthemtofitexactlythespaceneededandthenputtingnewhoseendsonthem.It’seasyandefficienttousethesehosesundermulch,providingthebestandsimplestmoisturemanagementsystem.Ievenusesoakerhosesonmycornpatch,which often consists of five or six rows at least fifty feet long. I lay thesoakerhosenexttoonerow,waterforacoupleofhours,turnoffthehose,pullitout,andpullitbackintothenextrow,continuinguntiltheentirecornpatchiswellwatered.Youcanalsopositionaliquidfertilizerfeederjustbeforethehose.

A number of mechanical watering devices are available. Impulse sprinklerscanprovidealotofwatertoalargeareabuttendtobeatdownsmallortenderplants.Anoscillatingorwhirlingsprayerprovidesafinermist,andmanycanbeadjustedtowateronlyaspecificarea.Thesimplestmethod,however,istheold-fashionedgardenwateringcan.Raisedbedsandsmallgardensareeasilywateredwiththese.It’seasytoaddfertilizertothewateringcanandwaterandfeedyourplantsatthesametime.

Hilledplantscanbegrowneasilyusingblackplasticorothermulchandaplasticcontainerwithholespunchedinthebottom.Fillwithwateroraddwatersolublefertilizerormanuretea.

AsimplemethodI’veusedwithhilledplants,suchasmelonsandcucumbers,

istopunchholesinplasticfoodcontainersandplacetheminholesnexttotheplants.Fillwithwaterandallowthewatertoseepthroughthebottomandtotheplantroots.Again,youcaneasilyaddliquidfertilizerormanureteatofeedtheplantsatthesametime.

ThinningandWeeding

Once your seedlings are up, it’s important to thin them to the spacinginstructionsontheseedpacketortotheinformationinchapter6on“VegetableSpecifics.” It’s also extremely important to keep your garden weeded. Weedsprovide direct competition for food, and if they get too high, weeds can alsoshadeoutthesun.Handweedingandhoeingweremuchhatedchoresbymanycountrykidswhowererequiredtohelp.Iknow!IwasoneofthekidsthatneverwantedtoraiseagardenwhenIgrewup.

Mulch

Mulchingmakesgrowingyourownfoodmucheasier.

Anynumberofmaterials,includingsawdustorwoodchips,maybeusedasmulch.

Mulching canbeoneof themost important tools for growingyourown food.Notonlydoesitconservewater,butitalsokeepsthesoilfromhardpanningandprovidesa lightersoil forrootstomoreeasilygrow.Anditkeepsdownweeds.Youreallycan’tmulchtoomuch,unlessyoucovertheleavesofyourplants.Justaboutanyplantcanbemulchedalthoughittakestime,effort,andafairlylargeamountofmaterialstomulchabigcornpatch.Thebestthingaboutmulchingisoncedone,you’vecutyourgardeningchoresgreatly for the restof theseason.Mulchshouldbeappliedassoonasplantsareupandthinned.Anynumberofmaterialscanbeusedasmulch.Regardlessofwhatisused,themulchshouldbedried,notgreen.

Anynumberofnaturalitemscanbeusedformulch.

Common mulching materials include the following: straw, old hay, leaves,driedgrassclippings,sawdust,andwoodchips.Somefolkshavehadgoodluckusingoldnewspapersformulch.Wefeedcalvesatweaningtimefromourcow-calfoperationandendupwithasupplyofpaperfeedsacks.Theyrecyclegreatintomulchingmaterialsaroundmytomatoplantsandunderthetomatocages.It’s important to provide plenty of mulch, usually four to six inches is aminimum,andyou’llprobablyneedtoaddmoremulchastheseasonprogresses.

Blackplasticcanalsobeusedasmulch,andit’sagreatwayofwarmingupthesoilinnorthernareasforquickergardenstartsorextendingthegrowingseasonin the fall. I use black plastic to provide a totalmulch formelons.The plasticcoverstheentirepatchwithholescutforeachmelon“hill.”Themelonssprawlovertheblackplasticastheygrow,andtherearenoweedsbetweenandaround

thevines.

Blackplasticisaneffectivemulchformanyplants,includingmelonsandcantaloupes.

Mostplantsneedtobeside-dressedwithsomesortoffertilizerduringtheseason.

Feeding

You’ll also need to side-dress or apply fertilizer of some sort as the seasonprogresses. Yellowish leaves and a slow growth usually indicate a lack ofnutrients. The type of fertilizer, amount applied, andmethod depends on theplantandyourgardensoilnutrients.Chapter6on“VegetableSpecifics”detailsfertilizingfordifferentvarieties.Mostplantsneedabitofnitrogenside-dressing.Theamountandtimingareimportant.

DiseasesandPests

Ahealthygarden,withgoodgardensoilandcaredforproperly,willhavefewerpests and diseases than an ill-kept garden.Many diseases are caused by poorgardening tactics.Several simplepractices canhelppreventdiseases and insectinfestations.Overwateringorwateringatthewrongtimeandkeepingfoliagewetcanbeamajorcauseofseveraldiseases.Waterinearlyafternoontoallowfoliagetodrybeforenightfall.Ifyouhavelongperiodsofwetweather,youmaywishtoconsiderusinga fungicideon someplants.Oneeasy step is to choosedisease-freeplantsandseeds.Thisisespeciallyimportantifyouhavediseasesspecifictoyour area. Seed companies list plants and seeds that are immune to specificdiseases.

Diseaseandbugscanbeaproblem.Theycanbecombatedinanumberofways.Keepingacleangarden—freeofdebris—isnecessary.Somebugscanalsobehandpickedforcontrol.

Inadditiontodiseases,awholehostofcreatureslovethefoodyougrow,orattimesseeminglyattempttogrow.Oneofthebestpreventivemethodsistorotateyour plants. Don’t grow the same plant year after year in the same spot topreventthespreadofsoil-bornediseases.Thisisespeciallyimportantforplantssuchaspotatoesandtomatoes.Keepyourgardenclean.Removealldebrisatthe

end of the season. Fall tilling and then planting a green cover crop will alsoexpose and kill some of the insects and insect eggs that overwinter in gardendebris. Keeping a continuous watch on your plants is important to stopinfestations before they become major problems. Watch for signs of insectproblems, including chewed leaves, droppings, and the insects themselves.Handpickoccasionalpests,butbereadytoapplyinsecticidesbeforepestsbeginmultiplying.Again,propergardenhygienecangoalongwayincuttingbackoninsectpopulations.

If you spot heavy infestations, it’s time to do battle. A number of ways areavailable tobattle infestations,buthowyoucombat thisarmy isyourchoice. Itendtouseacombinationofmethods.Whenmykidswerelittle,Ipaidthemasinsectbountyhunters.Ahornwormoffthetomatopatchmeantadimeintheirpiggybank.Coloradopotatobeetleswentforapennyapiece,asdidsquashbugs.Slugswerealsoadimeapiece.Companionplantingcancombatsomepests.Forinstance, interplanting marigolds along with vegetables such as cabbage andbroccolicancutdownonpests.Anumberofnaturalremediesareavailableforhelpingtocontrolinsectpests,asarechemicalpesticides.Keepyourgardenwellweeded.Weedscanharborinsectpestsanddiseases.

Chemicalpesticidesorinsecticidesareextremelyeffectiveincontrollinginsectinfestations, but in some cases, they also destroy beneficial insects, even somethatpreyonharmfulinsects.Ifyoudecidetousechemicalpesticides,makesureyou carefully follow all label directions.Measure accurately.Don’t spraywhenthereisanywind.Followallsafetyprecautionsinmixingandhandlingandwearprotective clothing.Always follow the specific days-before-harvest informationfor that particular chemical. In most instances, this means two weeks beforeharvest.Manypestsanddiseasesarespecifictoregionalareas.Checkwithyourlocalcountyextensionofficeforfurtherinformationoncontrollingdiseasesandpestsinyourarea.

CritterControl

Iftheinsectarmyisn’tenough,therearealsomoreandbiggercrittersreadytofeed off your efforts. Living in the Missouri Ozark hills means living withwildlife,andthere’salotofitaroundourhome,includingdeer,turkeys,rabbits,squirrels, ducks, and geese, as well as lots of snakes, field mice, moles,groundhogs, possums, raccoons, and gophers, not to mention thousands ofsongbirdssuchasbluejaysthatlovefruits.Wethoroughlyenjoythewildlife,butwhenitcomestogrowingourfood,it’sadifferentmatter.WhenIwasyoungerandhadmoreenergy,Isimplyplantedenoughforall.ButthesedaysI’mmoreprotective of my food garden. I plant lots of food plots scattered around ourpropertyjustforthewildlife,butthatwon’tkeepcrittersoutofthegarden.

Simplecagescanbeconstructedaroundraisedbedstokeepoutthecritters.Cageshownisfromconcretereinforcingwire.

Wildcrittersfromrabbitstodeercanalsobeamajorproblemwhengrowingyourownfood.

We’vetriedjustabouteverythingtokeepthecrittersundercontrol.Raccoons

inthecornpatchhavebeentheworst.AneighborsuggestedIrunanextensioncordtomypatchandhangafloodlight.Ididandtheyhitthepatchagainthatnight.ThenhesuggestedIaddaradio.Ididandtheyhitthepatchagain.Allwedidwasprovidemusicand lights for theirparty.MyyoungsonMichaelhadabigoldLabcalledFireballthatwenteverywherewithMichael.Ihitontheideaofparkingmypickupnexttothecornpatch,puttingasleepingbaginthebackofthetruckforMichael.WethoughtFireballwouldstayclosetoMichaelandkeepthecoonsoutofthecorn.ThenextmorningwhenIlookedatthepatch,ithadbeendevastatedagain.Michaelwasinhissleepingbagasleep,butsowasFireball.

A good fence can go a longway towardprotecting a small garden. Itmust,however, bedeerhigh, rabbit short, and groundhog tough tobe effective.Thefencecanbeconstructedofmanythings,butoneextremelyeffectivepermanentfenceismadefromsectionsofcattlepanelsfastenedtosteelpostsdrivenintotheground.This creates a sturdy five-foot-high fence.Tokeep the smaller crittersout,includeasectionofpoultrywirearoundthebottom.

If you don’twant to enclose thewhole garden, an alternative is to usewirecages over raised beds or row covers. Wire cages made of welded concretereinforcing wire are effective for deer, and you can also add poultry wire forsmallercritters.Oneadvantagethesehaveisyoucansimplyplaceplasticoverthecagestocreateminiaturegreenhousesforearlyspringorlatefallandwinterfoodgrowing.

Oneofthebestmethodsofcrittercontrolisanelectricfence.

Designedproperly,anelectricfencewillkeepoutsmallandlargecritters.

Fencing

Anelectricfenceistheonlycurewe’vefoundformaraudingcoonsanddeer.Weuse one low strand for keeping out raccoons and groundhogs and one highstrand for deer.Myneighbors have the ultimate in an electric fence, and theyneedit for the largedeerpopulationinthearea.Their fenceconsistsofcloselyspaced electric wires spaced from just a few inches off the ground to the topstrandatalmostfivefeetofftheground.Anelectricfenceconsistsofacharger,whichcanbepluggedintoahouseholdcircuit,orsolarpowered.

Youcansaveseedsfromsomeplantstogrowyourown.Onlyseedsfromheirloom,standard,andnon-hybridplantscanbesaved.Placeseedsinpapertowelsinasafeplacetodry,thenstoreinenvelopes.

No, the electric fence won’t electrocute animals. A good, powerful charger,however,willgivethemaheftycharge,anditdoesn’ttakeanimalslongtolearntoavoidit.Youwillalsoneedpostsandwire.Aportablefencecanbesetupwithplastic push-inposts and awire called polywire,which consists of plasticwireinterlacedwithfinemetalwires.Tapewireisalsoavailable,andit’smorevisibleand carriesmore current. Both are economical, easy to install and take down,and use. For a permanent fence, usemetal posts, insulator connectors on theposts,andwireortapefencing.

VegetableSpecifics

Eachtypeofvegetablehasdifferentgrowingrequirements.Theamountsofseed,thenumberofplantsneededperperson,whenandwheretoplant—theseareallimportantfortheseriousfoodgrower.Belowarethedetailsofhowtogroweachspecificvegetable.

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Beans,suchasgreensnapbeans,aresomeofthemostimportantandeasiestoffoodstogrow.

Beans(bush,pole,filet,lima,andshellordrybeans)Description. In theirmanydifferent types, beans are oneofmankind’smost

important foods. And they’re easy to grow. If you were to grow only onevegetable,beanswouldbeagoodchoice.They’regreat fresh,canned,dried,or

frozen.Beansbelongto the legumefamilywithother foods,suchassnappeas,soybeans,lentils,andpeanuts.Beansareaveryimportantsourceoffiber,aswellashighinprotein.Beansarealsovirtuallyfatandcholesterolfreeandarefullofvitamins.

Beanvarietiesincludebothbushandpoletypes.

Types.Beansareavailableinbothbushandpolevarieties.Bushbeanstendtoput on amain crop, followed by successive crops, and are good fresh and forcanningorfreezing.Bushbeansgrowasbushesorclosetotheground.Theydonot need supports, but some varieties tend to producemore sprawling plants,takingupmorespaceandallowingbeansonthebottomtocontacttheground.Polebeansmatureovera longer season,butwith less initialproductivity.Thismakes them good choices for picking and eating a continuous crop of freshbeans.Polebeans require seven-to eight-footpoles or supports for their vines.Sincepolebeansareupoff theground, theyareusuallycleanerbecauseof lesssplatteringwithsoil inheavyrainsandareeasier topick.Snapand limabeansareavailableasbothbushandpole.Bushbeanscanbesowneverytwoweekstoprovideacontinuoussupplythroughoutthesummer.

Thefollowingarethekindsofbeansyoumayconsidergrowing:

Snapbeans.Byfarthemostpopulartypeofbushsnapbeansincludethewidevariety of greenbeans.These includemanyof the classic home gardenplants.Another type is the yellowwax bean, producing the bright yellow snap beansoften used in the popular three-bean salad. These beans tend tomaturemoreslowly.ItalianorRomabeansareaflatterversionwithamorepronouncedandrichbeanflavor.FiletbeansareatraditionalandfavoriteEuropeanbean,oftenusedasbabyFrenchgreenbeans.Theyhavesomeofthetendenciesofbothbushandpolewithlongstring-freepods.Polesnapbeansincludeanumberofgreenbeans,aswellaswaxandRomano.

Beanvarietiesalsoincludelimasaswellastypesthatareoftendriedsuchasnavyandpintobeans.

Limabeans.Limaslovehotclimates.Theyareavailableasthesmaller-seededbushaswellaspolebeans.Thebushlimabeanstendtobesweetertastingthanthe pole versions. The latter produce the popular big-pod butter beans. Bushlimasforthemostpartdon’trequirestaking,althoughsomevarietiescangrowtotwenty-fourinchesandtendtofallover.Mulchingwithhayaroundtheplants

helpskeepthebeansoffthesoil,clean,weedfree,andeasiertopick.

Shellanddriedbeans.Astapletheworldover,shellordriedbeansaregrownfor the seeds inside thepod.Shell beans areharvestedwhen thepods are fullyformedbutstillsomewhatgreenandsoft.Driedbeansareallowedtodryontheplantsbeforeharvesting.Driedbeans canbe storedand transportedeasily andcanbeused in awide variety of dishes from soups to salads andmaindishes.Shellanddrybeansarealsoavailableinanumberofvarieties,oftenwithcolorfulbeanseeds.Theseincludethepopularkidneybeansusedinchili;greatnorthern,the popular soup and main dish bean; navy beans, used in baked beans; theunusual maroon-speckled Jacob’s cattle beans; pinto beans for tacos, tamales,and refried beans; black beans for a number of traditional dishes; andhorticulturalbean,abeanthatisoftenusedasashellbeanorwhensemidry,orcanalsobedried.Wehavegrownhorticulturebeansformanyyears,substitutingthemforpintoandkidneybeans.They’reeasytoharvestandgreatasacannedbean.Garbanzobeansmayalsobeusedinthegreenshellordried.Theyhavearichnutty flavor, are also calledchickpeas, andareoften served in saladbars.

Bushfavabeans,alsocalledEnglishbroadbeans,aregreenbeansusedlikelimas.Theyareeasiertogrowinthenorththantraditionallimas.

Ediblesoybeanshavebecomeincreasinglypopularasahome-gardenfoodandwithgoodreason.Theyshouldnotbeconfusedwithagriculturalsoybeans,butare eaten by boiling the fresh beans and removing them from the pods. Theyhaveanextremelyhighproteincontent.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1lb.C.Amountneededforpoleplantings:½lb.D.Wheretoplant:fullsunE.When to plant:After all danger of frost andwhen soil temperature reaches

60°FF.Rowspacing:24in.G.Polerowspacing:30in.H.Plantspacinginrows:3in.I.Plantspacinginhills:36in.J.Plantingdepth:1in.K.Howmuchperpersoninrows:fresh,10to15ft.;processed,20to30ft.L.Howmuchperpersoninhills:fresh,3to5hills;processed,5to10hillsM.Daysfromplantingtoeating:bushbeans,50to60;polebeans,70to95

Requirements

A.Soiltype:Well-drainedfriableandfertilesoil.Workinwell-rottedmanureorotherorganicmaterialsbeforeplanting.

B.pH:6.5to7.C.Fertilizer:Avoidhigh-nitrogenfertilizersastheyproducelotsoffoliagewith

fewpods.Growing tips. Beans are a warm-season crop and must be planted after all

dangerof frosthaspassedandthesoilhaswarmeduptoat least50°F.Ipreferthesoiltobearound60°F.Poorgerminationresultsfromplantingtooquicklyinthe spring and is especially so with limas. Some companies treat seeds with afungicide to protect the emerging plants fromdisease.Untreated seeds shouldnot be planted until the soil is thoroughlywarm.As beans are a legume, theybenefitfromtheuseofaninoculant.Somecompaniesofferinoculant,anditcanincreaseproduction.Ifyouwantacontinuoussummercrop,planteverytwotothreeweeksthroughoutthesummermonths.Thesoilshouldbewelltilled,loose,and friable. Heavy, cloddy soil results in poor germination. Before planting,incorporateaboutacupperfiftyfeetofrowofalow-nitrogenfertilizer,suchas5-10-10 or comparable organic fertilizer.Water the fertilizer into the soil andplant the seeds. Beans can be very productive, even just a few plantswith thecorrect care, and it’s usually not too much effort to plant a fifty-foot row byhand. I like to overplant and thin to the recommended spacing aftergermination.Youcanalsouseasmallmechanicalseederfor largerareas.Keeptherowswellweeded,and lightlycultivatedtokeepdownweeds,andkeeptheplants well watered. Side-dress with a complete commercial fertilizer once ortwice during the growing season by applying alongside the row and lightlycultivating it in.Once floweringand thepodsbegin to set, side-dresswithonecupofammoniumnitrate(33-0-0)orequivalentnitrogenfertilizerperfiftyfeetof row.Do not allow the fertilizer to contact the foliage, lightly cultivate, andthenwater it into thesoil.Heavynitrogen,earlyon,however, results in lotsoffoliagewithfewpods.

Polebeansneedlotsofsupportwithpolesseven-toeight-foottall.Usepolesintripodfashion,postswithwireorheavy-dutytwinestrungbetweenthem,orA-frame-type supports. The latter can be fastened to a raised bed for efficientlygrowingpolebeansinasmallarea.Clippingofftheendsoftheplantswhentheyreachthetopcreatesbushierplants.

Pests.Beansdon’thaveasmanypestsassomeotherplants,butanumberofbeetlevarietiescanbeaproblem.Rabbitsanddeerlovethetenderyoungplantsandpods.

Harvest. Pick snap beans while the pods are still tender. Older pods canbecometoughandstringy.Limasandpolebeanstendtomatureafewatatime,overalongerseason,requiringyoutopickthebeansonthebottomoftheplantand work upward as they mature. Pick shell beans, such as horticulture, justwhen the shell begins to dry but before the beans begin to harden. Pick driedbeansafterthepodsandshellshavedried,allowingthebeanstodryonthevine.

Storage. For snapbeans,pressure can, freeze,ordehydrate.Fordriedbeans,keepcoolanddryandawayfrompests.

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Beets

Beetsarearootcropandalsoveryeasytogrow.

Description.Beetsbelongtotherootcropfamilyandareextremelyeasytogrow,actuallyoneoftheeasiestcropstogrow,astheyarebotheredbyfewpests,willgrow in a wide range of soil types, and grow relatively fast. Beets are a greatchoiceforraised-bedgardening,andyoucangrowsuccessivecropsfortheentiresummer,plantingabouteverythreeweeks.A4×6footraisedbedcanproducemore than fifty pounds of beets plus the tops, a great choice for small-spacegardening.And that’s just one planting. Beets are also a very versatile kitchenfood. They can be pureed and mashed to be used in soups; oven roasted,simmered, and cooked for Harvard beets; pressure canned; or pickled for thepopularbeetpickles.Evenbetteryet,beetsaregoodforyou.Theycontainlotsoffiber,iron,andfolicacidaswellasvitaminsB1,C,andA.ThetopsorgreensareevenbetterforyouprovidingvitaminsCandAaswellasiron.

Types.Beetvarietiesareavailableintwotypes,dependingontheshapeoftheroot:globesandcylinders.Beetsarealsoavailableasearlyorlatematuring.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:2oz.C.Where to plant: Full sun but do best when temperature of soil and air is

slightlycool.Beetsdobestinthenorthernportionofthecountrybutcanbegrowninthesouthinlatewinterandearlyspring.

D.Whentoplant:Beetseedswillgerminateinsoiltemperaturesaslowas40°F.Manygrowersplantwhentheyplantpeasorsetoutcabbage.

E.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:5-to10-ft.rowfresh,10-to20-ft.rowprocessedI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:45to65

Requirements

A. Soil type: Soil should be loose and loamy for proper growth of the roots.Hard-packed soils should be built up with compost or well-rotted cowmanure.Donotplantinfreshmanure.

B.pH:6.5to7C.Fertilizer:Beetsarenotheavy feeders.Organic fertilizer, suchaswell-rotted

cowmanure,willsufficeformostinstances;however,applicationofawater-soluble fertilizerwillhelpcreatebiggerroots.Addingorganic fertilizerswithpotashcanalsohelp.Oruse5-10-5orsimilarcommercialfertilizer.Growingtips.Thetwomainfactorsingrowingbeetsareagood,loosesoiland

a steady, plentiful supply of water throughout the growing season, at least aninchperweek.Thebiggestproblemwithgrowingbeetsissowingtheseedstooclosetogetherornotthinningthemproperly.Beetseedsareactuallyfruitsoraripened ovary containing several seeds. You’ll often get four or more sproutsfromeach seed. I like toplant aboutadozenbeet seedsper footof row,allowthem to sprout, and use scissors to cut off all but one sprout from each seed.After theplantshavegrown for three to fourweeks, I thin theplants toaboutthreeinchesapart.Thethinningleavesaredeliciousinsalads,andthetinytenderbeets can be simmered. Soaking the seeds in water overnight will also helpgermination.Formanyyears I simplyplantedrowsofbeetsandhoped for thebest. Spotty germination, resulting in lots of sprouts in one spot and little ornothinginotherareas,ledtopoorproductionandlotsofweedproblems.ThenItried planting beet seeds in my greenhouse at the same time as cabbage andbroccoli.Beets transplant very easily, and it’s easy tomaintainproper spacing.Plantedinraisedbedsinthismanner,they’remuchmoreproductivethandirectseededintorows.

It’simportanttokeepbeetsthinned.Usethethinningsasbabybeetsandtopsforsalads.

Beets require little in thewayofcareexceptweedingandwatering.Theydonot like direct weed competition. A mulch of straw around the plants afterthinning helps maintain more even soil temperatures and prevents pale orirregularcoloringoftherings(calledzoning).

Pests.Beetshaveveryfewpests,withleafminersandsomebeetleschewingontheleaves.

Harvest. Beets can be harvested any time, andmany varieties are grown toproduceearly“babybeets.”Thesmallerbeets,aboutthesizeofagolfball,willbemoretenderandhavebettertextureandflavorthansaysoftballsize.Beetscanbeleftuntiltheygetlarger,butdonotleavemuchlongerthanthematuritydaysonthe seed packet, as the plants can get woody or fibrous, especially during hotsummerweather.Tocookbeets,leaveaboutaninchofthetopsattachedtotheunpeeledbeettopreventexcessivebleeding.

Storage. Beets can be used fresh, pressure canned, and dehydrated; or late-seasonorfallbeetscanbekeptinarootcellaroraboxfilledwithmoistsandinacool basement. In areas withmildwinter, simply cover the beets with a thicklayerofstrawforfreshbeetsanytime.

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Broccolibelongstothecabbagefamilyandishighlynutritious.Itdoestakeabitmoreefforttogrow.

Broccoli

Description. Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family and is one of the mostnutritiousvegetables. It isveryhigh invitaminsA,B,andCandalsoprovidesbothcalciumandiron.OnecookedcupoffreshbroccoliislessthanfiftycaloriesyetcanprovidehalftheminimumdailyrequirementofAanddoublethedailyrequirementforCforanadult.Broccoliisalsoanexcellentsourceforfolicacid,anditisrichinfiber.

Broccoli is not the easiest plant to grow, and it does take space. Broccolirequirestherightcooltemperaturesforpropergrowthandisverysusceptibletoinsectattacks.Notgrownproperly,itcanbebitterwithstuntedheads.Ifyouliveinanareawithnospringandlotsofhotweatherearly intheyear,youwilldobestgrowingbroccoliinthefall.Insomeareas,youmaybeabletodoublecropwithbothspringandfallcrops.

Types.Broccoliisavailableinanumberofvarieties,mostlydependingonthelengthtomaturity.Twotypesareavailable,headingwhichproducesheads likecauliflowerandsprouting.Sproutingvarietiescanproduceacontinuouscropofsproutsoveralongerseason,butwithsmallerheads.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspring,evenbeforelastfrostifyoucancovertheplantsE.Rowspacing:30in.F.Plantspacing:24in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,3to5plants;processed,5to10plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:55to70,dependingonvariety

Requirements

Soiltype:Arichloamysoilproducesbest,butbroccoliwillgrowinlessthanperfectsoils.

pH:Broccolidoesnotlikeacidicsoils,6.5to7.Fertilizer:Broccoliisnotaheavyfeeder.Well-driedcowmanureworkedinto

thebedwilladdtoproductivityaswilloccasionalfertilizingwithacommercialwater-soluble fertilizer. Too much nitrogen, however, produces lots of foliageinsteadofheads.

Growingtips.Broccolicanbedirectseededinthegardenorbed,anditisthemethodoftenusedforproducingafallcrop.Broccoliismostoftengrownfromtransplants, either plants purchased to set out in March or early April or bystarting your own plants indoors. Plant the seeds in a flat in early January,sowingaboutahalf-inchdeep.Broccoliplantsareeasytogrow.Isowtinyrowsof seeds in a flat under a light and transplant intoplastic trays, paperpots, orfoam coffee cups once the plants have two leaves. Keep plants well wateredthroughoutthegrowingseason.

Pests.Treatpests as soonas you spot them.Everything that crawls and flieslovesbroccoli,butthemostcommonpestandonethatcausesthemostproblemsisthecabbageworm.Buryinginsidethehead,they’reinsidiouslyhardtospot.

Harvest.It’simportanttoharvestbroccolibeforethebudsflowerandbegintodryout.Cutoffheadssoalongstemremainsontheplant.Withsomevarieties,numeroussideshootswillform.Soakharvestedheadsinsaltwaterbeforeeatingorpreservingifheavilyinfestedwithworms.

Storage.Broccoliisbestfreshbutcanalsobeblanchedandfrozenforstorage.

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BrusselsSproutsDescription. Brussels sprouts should be called frosty plants because they areprimarilyafallcropandactuallydobestafteralightfallfrost.Amemberofthecabbagefamily,Brusselssproutsaresomewhathardtogrow.

Types. Only a few varieties are available, the difference mostly in time tomaturity.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededandtransplanted

B.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:seedinMay,transplantinJulyforfallcropE.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:12–18in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,5to6plants;processed,5to10plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:80to100days

Requirements

A.Soiltype:Loamy,richinorganicfertilizerB.pH:6.5to7C.Fertilizer:Liquidwatersolubleor10-10-10side-dressedaftertransplanting

Growingtips.StartseedindoorsoringardeninbedsinMay.Transplantintothe garden in July. Keep well watered, weeded, and inspect for pests. FrostimprovestheflavorofBrusselssprouts.

Pests.Itdoesnothavemanypests,exceptforsomebeetles.Harvest. Allow buds to remain on plants until after frost and then harvest

often,startingwiththebottombuds.Storage.Canbekept in root cellar and coolbasement inboxesordoeswell

frozen.

***

Cabbageisoneofthemostimportantfoodcropsandisaneasygrowerforthehomefoodgarden.

CabbageDescription.A very important crop inmanyparts of the country, cabbage is acool-seasoncropandrelativelyeasytogrow.Cabbageispopularbothasafreshfoodaswellascookedandaddedtootherdishes.Cabbageisoftengrownasbothaspringandfallcrop.

Types.Cabbageisavailable inbothgreenandredtypeswithseveralvarietiesavailable, as well as in ball or leafy heads. Chinese cabbage is also popular.Anotherfactorinthevarietiesistheagetomaturity.Early-maturingvarietiesareeatenfreshorfrozen.Later-maturingvarietiesareoftengrownforwinterstorageinrootcellars.Somevarietiesarebredtoresistdiseasesfromthesoil,andsomegrowbetter inhotterweather.Most types,however, succumb todisease,pests,and theheadssplittingopen in thehotweather.For thebestcabbage,plant sotheheadsripenbeforehotweather.

Culture

A. Propagation: Spring plantings can be direct seeded, but are usually startedindoorsandtransplanted.Fallplantingscanbestartedindoorsoroutdoorsinashady,somewhat-protectedareaordirectseededinthebeds.

B.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼to½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:veryearlyspringorinmid-tolatesummerforafallcropE.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:12inG.Depth:¼inH. How much per person: 3 to 10 plants ball heads, 5 to 10 plants Chinese

varietiesI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:55to105days

Requirements

A.Soiltype:Aloose,friable,richsoilB.pH:6.5to7C.Fertilizer:Addonepoundofcomplete12-12-12or10-10-10fertilizerperrow

beforeplantingortransplanting.Side-dresswithahighnitrogenfertilizerafterheadsbegintoform.Growingtips.Cabbage fromtransplants iseasy togrow,and it’seasy tostart

the seed indoors. This is a good choice for beginning food growers.We startseedsinourgreenhouseandtransplant.PlantosetoutplantsinAugustforafallcrop.Cabbage requireswatering throughout the growing season. Several yearsagowestartedgrowingcabbage in raisedbeds, and it’s easy tokeep theplantswellweededandwatered,andyoucanalsospacethemsomewhatcloserforanintensivegardeningsituation.

Pests. Cabbage worms, cabbage butterfly, looper worms or inch worms,importedcabbagewormsaresomeoftheworstpests.Sevindustwillkeepthemundercontrol.Woodashesareanorganicremedy.

Harvest.Harvestheadsafter they firmupbutbefore theysplitand, ifyou’renotintopesticides,beforethebugsgettothem.

Storage.Earlyvarietiescanbekeptrefrigerated touse fresh, frozen,ormadeintosauerkraut.Latervarietiescanbekeptinacoolstorageareaorevencoveredwithstrawandkeptinthegardeninsomeareas.

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CauliflowerDescription.Cauliflowerisapopularvegetablemanygardenerstrytogrow,butit’sabitmoredifficulttogrowproperlythanmanyothervegetables,includingitscousin broccoli. Cauliflower is a cool-season crop and must be started andplantedveryearlyinordertogrowtheheads.Oncehotweatherhits,cauliflowerstops producing. You may be better off growing as a cool-season, fall crop.CauliflowerisrichinironandvitaminC.

Types. Cauliflower varieties are relatively few in number. The biggestdifference is in its time tomature. Shorter-maturing varieties are best for thesouth,buttheheadsareusuallysmalleraswell.Coloredvarietiesratherthanthewhiteheadsarealsoavailable.Some“self-blanching”varietiesarealsoavailable.

Culture

A. Propagation: By direct seeding or transplanting. Starting indoors andtransplantingisusuallythebestmethod.

B.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼oz.C.Wheretoplant:fullsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspringorlatesummerforfallcropinsomeareasE.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:24in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,5plants;processed,10plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:65to70

Requirements

A.Soiltype:rich,loosewithfullsunandgooddrainageB.pH:6to7C.Fertilizer:Highinnitrogenwithtraceelementsofboron.Lackofnitrogencan

causetheheadstobestuntedandyellowed.Inordertoproduce,cauliflowermustgrowfast.Soilmustberichinorganicfertilizer.Useageneral-purposefertilizerbeforeplantingandthenaddnitrogenastheheadsbegintofill.IfthepH is low, add lime. Alkaline soils can prevent the plants from absorbingboron,animportantmineralforcauliflower.Granitedustandrockphosphatearegoodsourcesofboron.Growingtips.Thebestmethodinmostinstancesistostarttheseedsindoors

eightweeksbeforethelastfrostdateforyourarea.Thisshouldcreatetransplantsreadytosetoutfromtwotothreeweeksbeforethelastfrostdate.Forafallcrop,sowseedsinpotstwelveweeksbeforethefirstfallfrost.Setoutplantswhentheyhavethreeleavesandasmallbudinthecenter,whichwillformthehead.Whentransplanting,makesurethesoilaroundtheplantisthoroughlysoakedandtheplantsarewellsettled.Astheplantgrows,theleavestendtocurlawayfromtheheads.Whentheheadsareabouttwoinchesinsize,theheadsareshieldedfromthesunbypullingtheleavesupandtyingthemaroundtheheadwithasoftclothorstring.

Pests.Cabbagewormscanbeaproblem.Harvest.It’sbesttoharvestcauliflowerearlierthanlater,astheheadstendto

becomelooseandlosetheirwhitecolor.Thisisusuallywhentheheadsarefourtosixinchesindiameterandthecurdsarestillcompact.Cutofftheheadswithasharpknife,leavingtheinnerlayerofleavesaroundthehead.

Storage. Cauliflower is best eaten while fresh, but a bountiful crop can beblanchedandfrozen.

***

CarrotsDescription. Rich in vitaminA and beta-carotene, carrots are one of themostcommonvegetables,aswellasoneofthemostbeneficialandnutritious.Carrotsarecool-seasonrootcropsthatgrowalmostanywhere,butrequireloose,poroussoil.

Types.Carrotsareavailable inseveralvarietiesmostlydependenton thesizeand shapeof the root.Sturdy,blockyvarietiesyieldmorepoundsper rowandarethebestchoicesforcanningandstoring.Themoreslendervarietiesarebestforeatingfresh.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼to½oz.dependingonvarietyC.Wheretoplant:fullsunD.When to plant: Early springwith successive plantings through spring. Late

summer for fall crop in some areas. Carrots do not germinate well in hotweather.

E.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,5to10ft.;processed,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:75to80

Requirements

A.Soiltype:richandloosewithfullsun,gooddrainage,andnorocksB.pH:6.5to7.0C.Fertilizer:general-purpose

Growingtips.Makesure theground iswellpulverizedand loose,notclayorcloddy. Rocks, roots, and other objects can cause the carrots to split. Addingsomesandmayhelpascanabigdoseofcompost.Beforeworkingthesoil,addtwopoundsofcompletefertilizerperone-hundred-footrowandworkwellintothesoil.Donotusefreshmanure,asitcanmakethecarrotstough.Plantasearlyasyoucanworkthesoilinthespring.Ascarrotsareslowtogerminate,addafewradishestohelpmarktherows.Oncestalksappear,side-dresswithonepoundofhighnitrogen fertilizerperone-hundred-foot row.Keepwellweededandkeepthecrownscoveredtoprevent theroot tops fromturninggreen.Mulchingcanbeagreathelpinkeepingdownweedsandlightlyprotectingthetops.

Pests.Carrotsaretroubledbyfewpestsanddiseases,andwirewormscanbeaproblem.Sprinklewoodashesalongtherowsforprotection.

Harvest.Harvestassoonasyou likewiththe first tender, juicybabycarrots.Forageneralcrop,waituntilafterthefirstfrost,thendig,andstoreorprocess.

Storage. Carrots can be stored in several ways—pressure canned, frozen,dehydrated, or even in the old-time root cellar or in a cool, moist area withtemperature from just above freezing to about 43°F and with a fairly highhumidityof90to95percent.Oneold-timemethodwastherootbarrel,usingabarrelorlargebucket.Fillthecontainerwithcarrotsandthenfillthemouthofthebarrelwithstraworhay.Burythebarrelinatrenchonitssideandcoverwithstraworhayandthenaddathinlayerofsoil.Addmorestrawandathickerlayerofsoil.

***

Manycrops,suchascarrots,canbestoredinanold-fashionedrootcellar.

SwissChardDescription. Swiss chard is actually a variety of beet butwithout the root.Thetopslookmuchthesameasbeetsandthefine-texturedleavesareoftenusedlikespinach. Swiss chard is easy to grow, doeswell in hotweather, even droughtyconditions,andisoftensubstitutedforspinachinhotclimates.ItisnotonlyrichinvitaminA,butitalsoadds“decor”toyourgarden.Swisschardcanbegrownearly in spring as a cool-season plant and also does well as a fall planting. Ifcoveredwithathicklayerofstrawmulch,itwillkeepproducingthroughoutthewinterinsomeareas.

Types. Swisschard isavailable in two types, redveinedorwhiteveined,andseveralvarieties.

Swisschardisanothereasy-growerandcanbegrowninspringorfall.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:2oz.C.Wheretoplant:fullsunD.Whentoplant:2to4weeksbeforelastfrostdateE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3to6in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,5to10ft.;processed,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:55to65

Requirements

A.Soiltype:anyloose,goodsoilB.pH:Itdoesnotdowellinacidsoil.C.Fertilizer:Side-dresswithnitrogenfertilizerafterplantsarewellstarted.

Growing tips. Swiss chard grows fairly prolifically, even throughout thesummer.Successiveplantingsarenotusuallyrequired,althoughsomegardenersmay wish tomake a fall planting. About the only requirement is to keep theplantswellwateredandweededormulched.

Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest.Harvest theouteror firstmost-tender leaves,usually ina coupleof

months.Leavetheinnerleavestodevelopforacontinuousharvest.Storage.Quiteoftenusedfreshbutmayalsobefrozenlikespinach.

***

CollardsDescription.Primarilyknownasasoutherngreen,collardscanalsobegrowninthenorthsincetheywithstandbothheatandcoldquitewell.Theygrowandtastesimilar tocabbagebutdonot formheads.Collardsarerich inbothvitaminsBandC.Inmanyareas,theydobestasafallandwintercrop.

Types.Notalotofvarietiesareavailable,andseedsarenotasavailablefromasmanyseedcompanies.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:Earlyspring,evenbeforelastfrostifyoucancovertheplants.E.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:12in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:fresh,5to10ft.;processed,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:85to95

Requirements

A. Soil type:A loose, friable, rich soil.Addingwell-rottedmanureor compostcanbeagreathelp.

B.pH:6.5to7.0C.Fertilizer:Add1lb.ofcomplete12-12-12or10-10-10fertilizerperrowbefore

plantingorsettingout.Fertilizeduringmidseasonwith1poundof12-12-12perrow.Growing tips. Grow as for cabbage starting seeds indoors or direct seeding.

Make sure to keep well watered during hot, dry weather. Weeds can be aproblem. Keep the plants well cultivated and weeded. Mulching can help cutdownonweeds.Flavorimprovesafteralightfrost.

Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest. The young plants can be used whole, although themost common

tacticistoremovethetendertopleaves,especiallyastheplantmatures.Storage.Thetenderleavescanbeblanchedandfrozenfollowingdirectionsfor

spinach.

***

CornDescription. Sweet corn is from the grass family, and it is a true Native

American plant. In fact, the Native Americans taught the first immigrants togrow this valuable food. It is fairly easy to growand extremelypopular. Sweetcorndoesrequirequiteabitofspace,richsoil, lotsof fertilizerandwater,andsomeeffort.TheNativeAmericansplantedcorninhillsorgroupsofseedwithadead fishplaced alongside thehole as fertilizer.The taste of homegrown freshcornmakesitwellworththeeffort.

Sweetcornisagardenfavorite,butitdoestakespaceandsomeeffortingrowing.

Choosingsweetcorncanbeconfusing.First,sweetcornisclassifiedaccordingtothecolorsof thekernels. It isavailableasyellow,white,andbicolor.Bicolorcorn usually has about 20 percent white and 80 percent yellow kernels. Inaddition,sweetcornisavailableasopenpollinatedorhybrid.Open-pollinatedorheritagevarietieshavewithstoodthe testof timeandstillproduce lotsofcorn,especiallyformarketgrowersorpreserving.Forthemostpart,heritagevarietiesare hardier than hybrids and include such favorites as country gentleman,Stowell’s evergreen, and golden bantam, popular corn for over one hundred

years.Hybridsweetcornvarietieshavebeenbredtoproducespecifictraits,andawidevarietyexists,mostlyconcerningthesugarcontent.Thepackageorcatalogdescribesthetypes.Thesedifferenttypeshavedifferentculturalrequirements.

Types

A.suTheseareanormalsweetcornwithafirmyetcreamytexture.Varietieshave

differinglevelsofsugarcontent(9–16percent).Thesugarsofthistypeconvertquiterapidlytostarchafterharvest,sothevarietiesmustbeconsumedquicklyorprocessedafterharvest.This is theoldest typeofhybridandproducesaheartycornwithvigorousgerminationandiseasytogrow.Itmustbeisolated(250to300ft.orbythree-plusweeksinmaturity)fromsh2varieties.B.se,se+,orEH

These sugar-enhanced varieties produce an increased tenderness andsweetness. The conversion from sugar to starch is slower, so they keep longeroncepicked. Some se+varieties can last up to twoweeksbefore converting tostarch andbecoming tougher. Somevarieties donothave to be isolated; somemustbeisolatedfromsh2andsuvarieties.C.sh2

ThesecornvarietiesarecalledsupersweetorXtrasweet.Thesugene(shortforshrunken) creates a cornwith very high sugar content (28–44 percent) that isveryslowtoconverttostarchandwithagreatlyincreasedsweetness.Thiscornhasextrasweetflavorandcrispness.Theseedsordrykernelsofthistypeareverysmallandshriveledup.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼lb.C. Where to plant: Corn does best in areas with lots of hot, summer sun,

althoughsomevarietiescanbeplantedincoolerclimates.Theareachosenforacornpatchshouldhaveatleast8to10hoursoffullsunlight.

D.When toplant: Soil temperatureof at least 60°F and7 to 10days after lastpredictedfrostor,betteryet,later.

E.Rowspacing:36in.F.Plantspacing:10to12in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:fresh,15to25ft;processed,30to50ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:70to85

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,loosewithfullsunandgooddrainagepH:6.0to6.5Fertilizer:Requireshigh-nitrogenfertilizer.Purchasedhigh-nitrogenfertilizers

maybeusedorcottonseedmealorwell-driedmanure.Growingtips.Cornisverysensitivetocoolweather.Mostcornpacketssuggest

waiting until the soil temperature is at least 60°F, and inmany areas thiswillwork,aslongasthereisn’talatefrost.Iprefertowaituntilsoiltemperatureisatleast 70°F and at least a week after the last predicted killing frost.We usuallyplant corn the first week ofMay in theMissouriOzarks where we live. Cornplanted tooearlywill simplyrot in thegroundandnotsprout.TheXtrasweetvarietiesrequireextremelywarmsoil.Fastergrowing,earlycornyouplantearlierand take your chances. In some areas, with late springs and short growingseasons,onesolutionistocoverthesoilwithblackplasticandallowittowarmthesoil.Thenpunchholes in theplasticandplantcorn. Ifyouwant toputupcorn for thewinter,plant a single late-spring crop to ripenall atonce. Itdoestakequiteabitofspacetoplantacornpatchprovidingfoodtoprocess,aboutathirty-to fifty-foot rowper person.Corn should also be spaced aminimumofthirty-sixinchesapart,soyou’relookingatabouta15×50footareaforafamilyof four.Many varieties will stay sweet in the refrigerator for ten days to twoweeks, providing lots of fresh corn on the cob. If you wish to extend yourroasting-earseason,plantsuccessivecrops,spacedtwoto threeweeksapart,orplantvarietieswithdifferentmaturitydates.Butwatchmixingthesupersweets,astheyshouldbeisolatedbyatleastfivehundredfeet.

Cornmaybeplantedinrowsorinhillsorseedgroups.Inthelatter,threetofour seeds are planted every fifteen inches. I prefer to plant in rows. You canplantcorninamore intensivespacing,evenascloseas twenty-four-inchrows,but it requiresmorework inweeding. Ialsoplantcorncloser thanthepacketssuggest,aboutfourinchesapart,andthenthintheplantstoabouteightinches.Closer spacingusually results inonlyoneearper stalkwhilewide spacing twoearsperstalk.Cornisamonoeciouswiththeplanthavingbothmaleandfemaleflowersoneachstalk.Thetasselatthetopisthemaleflower,withthesilksthefemaleflower.Thesilksprotrudingfromthetopof thecobareactuallyhollowtubes leading towhatwill be a kernel of corn. Pollination is bywind, and thepollen from themale flowermust landoneach silk toproducea full ear.Ears

only partially filled are due to poor pollination. One major cause of poorpollination is a windstorm that blows the stalks from their upright position.Anotherreasonistheplantingpattern.Cornshouldnotbeplantedinasingleordoublelongrow,butinblocksofatleastthreeandpreferablymorerowsinordertoprovideproperpollination.

Thesoilshouldbewellworkedtoadepthofatleasteightincheswithatiller,working in compost or well-rotted manure. One secret to adding organicnitrogenistoalternatethecornpatchwithalegumesuchasabeanorpeapatch,as theseplantsaddnitrogen to thesoil.Anotherold-timemethod is toplantalegumesuchascloverinthefallandthenturnitunderinearlyspring.Thebestplanting is on a finely worked soil, so don’t till or work the soil during wetweather tokeepfromcreatingclods.Plantinga largecornpatchbyhandtakesquite a bit ofwork, layingout the rowswith a string line, creating the furrowwithahoe,dropping theseed,andcoveringwitha rake.Asmallhand-pushedmechanicalplantercanmakethischoremucheasierandfaster.

Asoiltestshouldbedoneandfollowedforthebestcorncrop.Withoutasoiltest,astandardpracticeistousesixpoundsof10-10-10orfivepoundsof12-12-12fertilizerperonehundredfeetofrow.Layouttherowsandspreadthisbeforeplantingtheseed.Fortheultimatecornpatch,theplantsshouldbeside-dressedwithahigh-nitrogenfertilizertwotothreetimesduringtheseason,oncewhenthe plants are about six inches high, just before the plants begin to tassel andwhentheplantsareinfulltasselwithsilksexposed.Toside-dress,digashallowfurrowneartherow,addthefertilizerandcover,butbecarefulnottocut intothe stalk roots. In the past, ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) has been the mostcommon commercial fertilizer used by home gardeners, or you can use theorganiccottonseedmealfertilizer.

Cultivateshallowlytoremoveweedsbut,again,becarefulnottodamagetherootsystem.Hoeingasmallmoundofsoiluparoundtherootscanhelpprotectstalks fromwinddamage. Smallpatches canbemulched to controlweeds andhelpcontainmoisture.Water,water,andmorewaterareneededtogrowcorn—thereasonirrigatedfarmcorndoesthebest.Provideaminimumofoneinchofwater per week, and this is especially important during pollination and eardevelopment.It’simportanttowaterintheearlymorningorbyearlyafternoontoallowthefoliagetodrybeforedark.Oneexcellentmethodofwateringcornisto use soaker hoses placed alongside the rows. I usually place one hose in thepatch,pullingitoutandmovingittothenextrowonceeachrowisthoroughlysoaked.

Pests.Thecornearwormisthemostcommonpest.Placingadropofmineraloil in each ear just as it begins to tassel can help. Other pests include thefollowing: aphids, flea beetles, cutworms, seed-corn maggots, southern cornrootworm, wireworms, fall armyworms, European corn borers, and Japanesebeetles.

Harvest.Bestpickedatthemilkstageorwhenamilkyjuicesquirtsoutwhenthe kernels are pierced with a thumbnail. The ears should easily snap off thestalk.

Storage:Besteatenimmediately,butsomevarietieswillstoreforseveraldays,evenaweekorsoinarefrigerator.Pressurecan,freeze,ordehydratethecut-offkernels.Dentorfieldcorngrainscanbedriedontheplantandthengroundintomealforstorage.

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CucumberDescription: Cucumbers are a delightfully easy vegetable to grow, and theyprovidebothfreshcucumbersforsaladsandothersummerdishes,buttheyarealsoprocessedtoproduceawidevarietyofpickles.Cucumbersfreshfromyourgardenresemblenothinglikethewaxedkindoftenfoundingrocerystores.

Types.Awiderangeofvarietiesareavailable, includingthepopularburplesstypes,big,small,long,andshort.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:latespring,wellafterfrostdangerE.Rowspacing:36in.F.Plantspacing:48in.

Cucumbersareeasytogrowandareamustforgarnishingsummersalads.

G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,2to3hills;processed,3to6hillsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:65to70

Requirements

Soiltype:arich,deepsoilpH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:ageneral-purposefertilizer,chemical,ororganicGrowing tips. Cucumbers need lots of water and lots of fertilizer. In most

instances,cucumbersaregrown inhills rather thanrows,unlessyou’remarketgardening. You’ll usually get fifteen to thirty seeds of many hybrids and onehundredormoreseedsofmoststandardvarietiesinapacket.Spacehillsaboutfivefeetapart.Digdeepholeswherethehillswillbe.Fillintheholewithplentyofwell-rottedmanureorcompost.Thenaddaboutthreeinchesofgardensoiltocreatethehill.Placeaboutfivetosixseedstoahill.Cultivateshallowlyuntilthevinesbegintogrow.Heavymulchcanpreventalotofweedingproblems,butitwill take quite a bit to mulch the entire space. Cucumbers do extremely wellgrown on trellises or vertically, and they don’t take up nearly asmuch space.Growingonblackplastickeepsdowntheweeds,buttheytakeupalotofgardenspaceinthismanner.Mycucumbertacticshavebeenrefinedoveranumberofyears, growing themmore intensively. I have a permanent trellismade fromasectionof cattle panel supportedby steel posts and centered in a raised bed. Iplant three hills on each side of the fifteen-foot panel, spacing closer thanconventional spacing. As soon as the plants are up, I mulch the bed heavily.Cucumbersneed lotsofwateraswellas food.The lattercanbe in the formofchemicalororganicfertilizer,usingageneralfertilizermix.Mymethodisevensimpler.Iburyaplasticfoodcontainer,withthebottomperforated,inthecenterof the hill and plant the seeds around the container. Once a day during thegrowing season, I fill the containers with water. About once a week, I fill thecontainerswithmanuretea.Anyliquidfertilizerwilldo.

Pests.Thereare lotsofbugsandbeetles that likecucumberplants,especiallythe stripedcucumberbeetle.Removebyhandor shakeonSevindustorwoodashes.

Eggplantisbothadecorativeandediblefoodplant.

Harvest.Harvestcucumbersforslicingandsaladswhenthey’reaboutmediumsizeandwhilethey’restilldarkgreen.Forpickling,harvestthecucumberswhilethey’re still fairly small. Regardless, keep picking, usually every other day.Allowingoldcucumberstostayonthevinereducestheyield.

Storage.Storeforshortperiodsinperforatedbagsintherefrigerator.Preserveaspickles.

***

EggplantDescription. Eggplants are a semitropical plant used in many Mediterraneandishes. It has beautiful purple flowers and glossy black fruits. These plantsprovidenotonlyabitofdecortoyourgardenbutcanalsobegrownasatasty“ornament,” intermingled with flowers in containers on your deck or patio.Eggplantsareextremelysensitivetocold.

Types. Several varieties are available,mostly depending on size of the fruitsanddaystomaturity.

Culture

A.Propagation:transplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsuntopartialshade(youngplantsneedsomeshade)D.Whentoplant:latespring(1to2weeksafterdangeroffrost)E.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:24in.G.Depth:2to3in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:2to3plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:80to90

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,loamypH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:general-purpose,side-dresswithagoodgeneral-purposeGrowingtips.Makesurethetransplantsarewellhardenedandsetoutafterall

dangerof frost.Mulchingheavilykeeps thegroundcoolandmoist,amust foreggplant.

Pests.Lotsofbugslikeeggplant,includingthepotatobug.Harvest.Harvestwhenfruitsarefullygrown,butstillbrightincolor.Storage.Itwillnotstorewell,eveninarefrigerator.

***

GarlicDescription.Aflavorfulvegetableutilizedinmanydishes,garliciseasytogrowandisgrowninmuchthesamemannerasonions.Garlicisgoodforyou,withchemicalcompoundsthataresaidtohelplowerbloodpressureandreducetherisksofheartdiseaseandcancer.

Types.Severalvarietiesareavailable,someforsouthernandsomefornortherngrowers.

Culture

A.Propagation:settingoutbulbsB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:4lbs.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:springorfallE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:8to10in.G.Depth:1to2in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:1lb.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:6mos.

Requirements

Soiltype:deep,fertilepH6.57Fertilizer:general-purpose,side-dresswithgeneral-purposeGrowingtips.GarliccanbeplantedinearlyspringforharvestinAugust,orit

canbeplantedinthefall forharvest inthespring.Thelattermethodproducesbiggerbulbs.Plantand fertilize in the samemanneras foronions.Garlicdoesbest,especiallywhenfallplanted,inraisedbeds.Interminglewithonionswhenspring planting. Keep well mulched, especially important if fall planting andoverwintering.

Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest.Harvestwhenbulbsarebigenoughtouse.Storage.Canbedriedandkeptinmeshbagsorbraidedaswithonions.

***

KaleDescription.Althoughkaledoesn’t formahead, it’s thought tobe a formof

cabbage.Kalecanbegrownalmostanywhereinspringorfallandiseasytogrow.Itismostoftenplantedasafallcropandwillevenoverwinterinsomeareasofmild freezing. Kale is high in vitamin A andmakes a great winter green andsubstituteforcabbage.Liketurnips,theflavorisimprovedbyafrost.

Types.Itsvarietiesaresomewhatlimited.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:fullsunD.Whentoplant:mid-tolatesummer,dependingonthelocaleE.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:8in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,5to10ft.;processed,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:50to65

Requirements

Soiltype:Adeeploamysoil.Itdoesn’tdowellinheavy-claysoils.pH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:Applygeneralfertilizerbeforeseeding.Growing tips. Kale can be seeded successively about two weeks apart for a

continuousharvest.Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest.Harvestafterafrost,cuttingawaytheouterleaves.Orcutentireplant

anduseonlythetenderinnerleaves.Storage.Maybekeptinperforatedplasticbagsinrefrigeratorforacoupleof

weeks.Blanchandfreezeexcesstobeusedlikecookedcabbage.

***

KohlrabiDescription.Whatastrangevegetablekohlrabiis.Unusuallookingandwitha

somewhat strange taste, kohlrabi resembles a turnip, and it has becomeincreasingly popular. Kohlrabi can be grown both as a spring and fall crop,although it grows best in cool weather. Kohlrabi is delicious when cooked orfreshandishighinvitaminC.Hotweathertendstomaketherootssomewhatbitter.

Types.Notalotofvarietiesareavailableofthisstrangeplant.Mostarewhiteskinned,butpurplevarietiesarealsoavailable.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼oz.C.Wheretoplant:fullsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspringorlatesummerE.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:4in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,3to5ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:55to65

Requirements

Soiltype:Kohlrabiisfairlyeasytogrow,requiringonlyarichorganicsoilwithnostones,althoughtherootgrowsprimarilyoutoftheground.

pH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:all-purposeGrowingtips.Keepwellwateredandweededormulched.Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest. Pull the bulbswhen they’re about one and a half to two inches in

diameter.Astheygetbigger,theybecometougherandsomewhatbitter.Storage.Usefreshorstoreinacool,dryplacesuchasarootcellar.

***

Growingyourownlettuceforasummersaladiseasy,evenforfirst-timers.Lettuceisavailableinseveralvarieties.Aboveisonetypeoflettuce.

LettuceDescription. Lettuce is oneof the easiest foods to growandoneof themost

popular.Lettucecanbegrowninagarden,inacontainer,eveninagreenhouseforwinter-long salads. It’s also good for you because it has lots of vitaminA.Lettucecanbesownforsuccessivecropsinbothspringandsummer,butitdoesnotdowellinextremelyhotweather.

Types.Awidevarietyof lettuce is available.Partof the funofgrowingyourown is growing several different varieties to produce colorful and flavorfulsalads. Lettuce is divided into four varieties. Three varieties are popular withhome food growers. Loose-leaf or nonheading varieties have a loose leaf androundedorrosetteshape.Theyaretheeasiesttogrowandareavailableinbothgreen and red types. Butterheads are a semiheading type with loosely foldingleaves.Theyarealsoeasy togrow.Cosorromaine, thecontinental lettuce,hastallupright,looselyformedheadswithauniqueflavor.They’reeasytogrowanddobetterinhotweatherthanothertypes.Mostareself-blanching,buttyingtheouter leaves togethercanproduceamoredelicate flavor.The last typesare thecabbageheads.These are the lettuceheads foundat the supermarket.Theydonotdowell inhotweatherandcanbeachallenge in someareas for thehomefood grower to produce, especially to produce the big heads that arecommerciallygrown.

Aboveisromainelettuce.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:2weeksbeforeaveragedateoflastfrostE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:2in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:5to10ft.peryearI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:35to50

Requirements

A.Soiltype:anygood,well-drainedgardensoilB.pH:6.75.Itdoesnotdowellinacidsoil.C.Fertilizer:alightapplicationofcompletefertilizeratplantingorseedingtime

Growing tips.You’ve got to beat theheat to grow lettuce.Onemethod is tostart seeds indoors and transplant just after the last frost. Both romaine andbutterheadvarietiesdowellstartedindoors; looseleafcanalsobestartedbutisusually so fast growing it’s best direct seeded. Sow at ten-day intervals for acontinuedspringorearly-summercrop.Lettuceissomewhatslowtogerminate,especiallyduringcoldorcoolweather,sowhensowingdirectlyintothegarden,sprinkleafewradishseedsalongwiththelettuce.Keepwellwatered.Lettuceisalsoagreatplantforgrowinginraisedbedsoreveninpatioplanters.

Pests.Lettucedoesn’thavemanypests,asitusuallygrowsfairlyfast.Harvest.Lettucemaybeharvestedinseveralways.Themostcommonmethod

istoremovetheouterleavesassoonastheybecomelargeenoughtoeat.Thisisthebesttacticwith leaf lettuce.Anothermethodis tothintheplantsandallowthem to form compact heads and then harvest the entire plant. Romaine andbutterheadsdowellwiththismethod.Anothermethodistousescissorstoclipoffthetopsoftheplant.Theplantwillregrowleaves.

Storage. Lettuce can be kept for several days in a refrigerator in perforatedplastic bags.Orwrap the cleandamp leaves in a damp towel andplace in therefrigerator.Ifpickedandcleanedinthemorning,theleaveswillbecrispforaneveningsalad.

***

Leeks

Summersalads,suchaslettuceandspinach,dowellinraisedbeds.

Description:Milder in flavor but similar to onions, leeks are a very populargourmetvegetable,addingaEuropeantaste toanynumberofdishes.Leeksdonotbulbasdoonions.

Types.Varietiesaresomewhatlimited.

Culture

A. Propagation: direct seeded or can be started indoors for transplanting asbunches

B.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:indoors,8weeksbeforeoutdoorplantingtime;outdoors,early

springE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:130days

Requirements

Soiltype:Leeksrequirearichdeeploamysoil.Theygrowbestinraisedbeds.pH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:Leeksrequirelotsofnitrogenforgoodgrowth,especiallyduringthe

earlystagesoftheirgrowth.Growingtips.Leeksareavailablebothasseedsandasplantsinbunchestobe

setout.Plantasyouwouldonions.Leeks,however,arenotday-lengthsensitive,and their tops do not fall over. Sow in shallow trenches. Keep the plantswellwateredand side-dresswithnitrogenduring thegrowing season.Leeksdonotlikecompetition,sokeepthemwellweededandwatered.Hillingupthesoilfromthesidesofthetrenchesaroundtheplantsaboutsixtoeightinchesblanchesthelower stemsandkeeps themwhite.Deepmulchcanalsobeused for the samepurpose.

Pests.Aswithonions,therearefewpestsexcepttheonionmaggot.Harvest.Harvestassoonasthestalksmature.Storage.Most commonly used fresh but can be stored in perforated plastic

bagsintherefrigeratorforashortperiodoftime.

***

MelonsDescription. The melons, honeydew, and muskmelon, also known as

cantaloupe,arepopularespeciallyasbreakfastfoods.Theyprovidealotoffiberinadditiontotheirgreattastes.Cantaloupeshaveanettedskinandmoreofanaroma thanmuskmelons.Growingyourownmelons takesquite abitof spaceand effort.Melons also require a long growing season. Any cool weather caneasilyinjuremelons.

Melons,suchascantaloupes,muskmelons,andhoneydews,takeupalotofgardenspace,butthehomegrowntastecan’tbebeat.

Types.Awidevarietyof cantaloupes,muskmelons, andhoneydeworgreen-fleshedmelonsisavailable.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:¼oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:latespringafterallchanceoffrostE.Rowspacing:48in.F.Plantspacing:60in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:3to5hillsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:80to90

Requirements

Soiltype:richsandysoilpH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:all-aroundgeneral-purposeGrowing tips. Because of the long growing season, transplants are often the

bestchoiceforsomeareas.Theplants,however,mustbetransplantedwithcare,as they don’t like their roots disturbed. Plant seeds indoors in peat pots ornewspaper pots. If you have a long growing season, direct seed in hills. Hillsshouldbespacedaboutsixfeetapart.Digdeepholesandaddsomecoarsesandandcompostaswellaswell-rottedmanure.Iliketoplaceaplasticcontainerwithholes in the bottom in each hill. Bring the hill up around the container withcompost or rich garden soil and plant eight to ten seeds per hill. Keep lightlycultivateduntiltheseedlingsareup.Thenthintojustfourofthebestplantsandmulchheavily.Ihaveapermanentmelonpatchcoveredwithblackplastic.Thisprevents having toweed, keeps the soil warmer for earlier starts, and actuallycreatesminiatureraisedbeds.Ineverwalkontheareasthatgrowtheplants,sothere is no compaction. Merely dig the hills over and refill with humus andfertilizereachyear.Melonsneedlotsofwaterandfood.Thecontainersallowforeasywateringandfeedingoftheplants.

Pests.Melonshavelotsofpests,includingthecucumberbeetle.Harvest.Harvestwhen the fruits come off easily from the stem. Lift up the

melon;ifit’sripe,itwillcomeoffeasily.Storage.Storeintherefrigerator.Cutintoballsorcubes,placeinalightsugar

andwatersyrup,andfreezeforwinteruse.

***

OkraDescription. Also called gumbo, the pods are used mostly in soups, adding

flavor and thickening the soup. They’re a very important ingredient of theLouisianaCajundishcalledgumbo.Okraisalsopopularbreadedandfried.

Types. A number of varieties of this unusual plant are available, mostlydependingonsize.Smallersizesareavailableforcontainerorpotgrowing.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedBAmountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:directseedortransplantafteralldangeroffrostE.Rowspacing:30in.F.Plantspacing:12in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,3to5ft.;processed,5to10ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:55to60

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,deep,andfertilepH:7.0to7.5Fertilizer:highnitrogenGrowing tips.As you canguess, thisplantdoesbest inhotweather.Wait at

leastacoupleofweeksafteryourlastfrostorwhenthesoiltemperaturereachesat least 70°F. For direct seeding, sow seeds one inch apart and then thin toeighteeninchesapartoncetheseedlingsarewellup.Fortransplants,usepaperorpeatpots,asokradoesn’tdowellwhen therootsaredisturbed.Soak theseedsovernight inwarmwater to increasegermination.Okramusthavedeep, loose,andfriablesoildowntoat leasteighttoteninches.Useplentyofcompostanddriedmanuretocreatearich,deepsoil.Okraisalsoaheavyfeeder,especiallyofnitrogen.Side-dresswithnitrogenaswell.

Pests.Okrahasfewpests.Harvest.Harvestthepodswhenthey’reabouttwotothreeinchesinlength.As

theycontinuetogrowandmature,theybecometoughandstringy.Storage.Store inplasticbags in thewarmestpartofyourrefrigerator.Freeze

forfutureuseorbreadandfreezeforfriedokra.

***

OnionsDescription.Another “easygrow” for the first-timers, onions are alsooneof

themostpopularplantswithallgardeners.Althougheasytogrow,successfullygrowing onions can be somewhat confusing because they can be grown fromseed, sets, and transplants or bunches.And if thatwasn’t enough, onions alsocome as winter or self-seeding onions. Onions are good for you, as they arepackedwithcompoundssaidtoreducerisksfromcancerandheartdisease.

Onionsarealsoeasytogrowanddowellinbeds.

Onionsareavailableasseed,bulbs,ortransplants.

Types. A wide range of types as well as varieties of onions are availableincludingthefollowing:sweetandkeeper.Onionsgrowintwostages—thefirststageisimmediatelyafterplantingwhenalltheenergyisdirectedtogrowingthegreentops.Thesecondstage, theformingof thebulb,beginsafter thetopsarewell established. The length of day and sunlight has a direct effect on theformationofthebulb.Onionbulbsorvarietiesareavailableinthreetypes:longday,shortday,andneutral.Long-dayonionsneedfromthirteentosixteenhoursof sunlight per day and do best in the north. Short-day onions do best in thesouth.Day-neutralonionscanbesuccessfullygrownanywhere.

Perennial,Egyptian,orwinteronionsareatotallydifferentstory,andtheyalsodefinitelyhaveaplaceinthegarden.Theycanprovidegreenonionsorscallionsduring the year when regular onions are not producing. They’re actually notperennials, but direct-seed themselves with tiny bulblets at the end of thegrowingseason.

Inlatesummer,thetinybulbsformonthetopofthemotherplant.Ifleftasis,theywill falloverandreseed themselves,producinggreenonionsby fall.Theywilloverwinterasisinsomelocales,orlightmulchwillhelpkeepthemthroughthewinterincolderclimates.Youcanpulloffthetinybulbsandplanttheminthefallbutdonotstorethemtoplantinthespring,astheytendtodryout.

Culture

A.Propagation:seed,sets,transplantsB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspringE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperperson:25to50ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:100to120

Onionscomeinavarietyofcolors,likewhite,yellow,andred.

PerennialorEgyptianonionscanproducescallionsduringwinterandearlyspringseasons.

Requirements

A.Soiltype:loose,friable,rich,andwelldrainedB.pH:7.0to7.5C.Fertilizer:Use fertilizershigh inphosphorusandpotashaswell asusewell-

rottedmanureandcomposttocreateafertiledeepbed.

Onionsarepulledwhenthetopsfallover,areallowedtodry,andthencanbebraidedinstrings.

Growingtips.Althoughonionsarecommonlygrowninrows,Iprefertogrowthem in raised-bedboxes.Oneof themainreasons is the soil isn’t compacted,and I can apply the correctmix of fertilizer for good growth.Onionsdo theirbestgreengrowthincoolweather,sogettheminthegardenassoonasthesoilcan be worked. I typically plant both sets and bunches. The sets are placedequidistantthreeinchesapart.Pickthroughthesetstoobtainbulbsatleastone-half inch in diameter. Smaller bulbs will not produce large onions. Plant thebulbs one-half-inch deep. Bunches, which I usually use as scallions or greenonions, are planted thickly in rows and then thinned as they grow. I use thethinnings as green onions. Onions do not like competition. It’s important tokeepthemwellweededusingshallowcultivationorbyhand-pullingweeds.Since

onionsareshallowrooted,theymustbekeptwellwatered.Mulchcanalsobeagreathelpingrowingonions,especiallyinraisedbeds.

Onionscanalsobegrownfromseeds.Althoughittakesmoretimeandeffort,more seed varieties are available than with bunches or sets. Plant seeds fortransplantonionsindoorsatleasttwelveweeksbeforetransplantingtime.Treataswithanyotherindoorseededplant.

Pests.Oneofthemostcommonpestsistheonionmaggot.Plantingradishesin with the onions can help remedy the problem, as the maggots prefer theradishestotheonions.

Harvest. Harvest when the tops fall down. Throw into windrows and allowthem to cure for two to three days. Protect from rain and sunscaldwith lightshadeifnecessary.Donotwaituntilthecool,wetdaysoffall,astheplantsmaybeginasecondgrowthandwillnotkeepaswell.

Storage. After the bulbs are dry, store in mesh bags, slatted crates, or bybraiding into strings. Ideal temperature for storage and long keeping is 40° to45°F.

***

Peas

Peasareanearlyspringplantandagardentraditioninmanyareasofthecountry.

Description.Peasareanothergardentradition.Theytakeabitofefforttogrowbut are great canned or frozen. You can’t beat fresh-out-of-the-garden peas,especiallywhencookedwithnewpotatoes.Peasbelongtothelegumefamilyandprovide lots of vitaminA, B, and C. Peas are a cool-season crop and do bestplanted early when the soil temperature reaches 45°F. Peas must also besupportedoffthegroundtoproduceanykindofcrop;evenbush-typepeasneedsomesupport.

Types.Peasareavailableinanumberofvarietiesandthreebasictypes:Englishorshellingpeas,snappeas,andsnowpeas.Shellpeasarethemostcommon.Youeatthepodsandallonsnappeasorwaituntiltheymatureandshellthem.Snowpeas,alsocalledsugarorChinesepeas,areeatenwholewhenthepeasfirstbegintoforminthepods.They’redeliciousraw,steamed,ortheirmostpopularuse,stir-fried.

Peasareavailableinthreebasictypes:shelling,snap,orsnow.Thelatterfeaturesediblepods.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1lb.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:Plantinearlyspring,asearlyastwomonthsbeforeyourlast

frostdate.Canalsobefallplantedinsomesouthernareas.E.Rowspacing:24in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:1in.H.Howmuchperperson:fresh,10to15ft.;processed,20to30ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:50to60

Requirements

Soiltype:Doesbestinrich,deep,andwelldrainedbecauseoftheearly-springplantingtime.Peasdonotdowellinclayorhard-pannedsoil.

pH:7Fertilizer:Althoughpeasfixnitrogenfromthesoil,theyusemostofit.Usea

general-purposefertilizer.Peasdobestwithoutadditionalnitrogen,whichmaycauseexcessivefoliagegrowth.

Peasneedsupportofsometype.

Growingtips.Peasareusuallythefirstthingsseededinthegarden,oftenwhenthesoil is still cold,wet,andclumpy fromthewinter.Sincepeasmatureearly,leavingspaceforsuccessiveplantingofothervegetables,Iplantpeasalongonesideofthegarden,tillingonlythatareaandleavingtherestofthegardentotillforlaterplanting.Anothertacticistoheavilymulchtheareaforthepearowsinthefall.Merelyrakebackthemulch;digafurrowinthesoil,whichwillbemorefriable;andplanttheseed.Peasrequiresteadymoistureand,astheweathergetswarmer,protectionfortherootsfromheat.Whentheplantsappear,simplyrakethe mulch back in place. Peas can be planted in double rows for increased

productivity.

Peasandpotatoesmakeagreatearlyspringfoodcrop.

Mostpeasneedsupportinthewayofsomesortoftrellis.Acommontrellisisthree-footpoultrynetting fastened towoodenstakes.Onemethod is toplantarowoneither sideof the trellis.For thebestyields,peasneed tobe inoculatedwith nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. Seed sellers also sell the inoculant. During dryweather,keepthepeaswellwateredbutdonotuseoverheadwatering,asitmaycausemildew.Ifyoucultivate,doshallowcultivationtopreventrootdamage.Insomeareasoflongspringweather,peascanbeplantedsuccessivelyforanumberofcrops,buttheydonotdowellinhotweather.

Pests.Peasarenotbotheredbymanypests.Harvest. Snap and shell peas should be harvested once the pods have filled.

Early,immaturepeasarethemosttender.Forfuller,“meaty”peas,waituntilthepodsaresolid.

Storage. Keep them stored in perforated plastic bags or containers in therefrigerator.Pressurecan,freeze,ordehydratethesurplus.

***

PeppersDescription. Peppers are another all-time favorite food to grow. They’re

extremelyversatileandcanbegrownintraditionalgardenrows,raisedbeds,andevenincontainersonadeckorpatio.Peppersareamuchfavoredfoodinmanydishes, and they’re good for you. One sweet green pepper has almost all thevitaminCyouneedforaday.Amatureredoryellowpepperhasevenmore.

Types. Peppers come in awide rangeof varieties: sweet, hot, reallyhot, red,yellow,green,orange,andevenpurple.

Peppersareanotherpopularhomegrownfoodcropandareavailableinawiderangeofvarietiesfromhottomild,red,green,andyellow.

Culture

A.Propagation:Peppersneedwarmweatherandalonggrowingseason.Forthisreason,mostpeppersaregrownfromindoorstartedseedsfortransplants.

B.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:latespring,afterallchanceoffrostE.Rowspacing:30in.F.Plantspacing:18in.G.Depth:2to3in.fortransplantsH.Howmuchperperson:fresh,2to3plants;processed,3to6plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:70to80

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,welldrainedpH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:Useanall-purposefertilizer.Overapplicationofnitrogencancreate

excessfoliageandalate-seasonbloom.Growing tips. Pepper plants are extremely popular in the garden centers.

Peppersareeasytogrowaslongasyouhaveahotsummer.Theyalsodobestinhigh-humidity areas but will withstand drought fairly well. You can also startyourownpepperplantsindoorsfromeighttotenweeksbeforesettingout.Notonlydoes this savemoney, but it also gives you abigger choiceof varieties. Itdoesn’ttakealotofpepperplantstofeedafamily.Inormallystartabouthalfoftheseeds inapacket,savingtherest for the followingyear. Idon’tgetquiteasgoodgerminationonthesecondyearbutstillhaveplentyofseedlings.Mulchingcanhelpagreatdealinholdingmoisturefortheplants.Irunasoakerhosealongthepepper plants and cover itwithmulch.Theplants often grow four feet ortaller,soIsupportthembytyingthemtowoodenstakeswithsoftclothstrips.Itpaystokeepthepepperspickedtokeepthemproducingthroughouttheseason.

Peppersdobestgrownwithmulchandstaked.

Pests.Peppershavefewpests.Harvest.Harvest sweetpeppersas soonas thepeppersarebigenough.They

shouldbewellformedandfirm.Almostallsweetpeppers,withtheexceptionofyellowpeppers,will turnred if left tomature fully.Forhotpeppers,pickwhatyouneedthroughtheseasonfordishesbutleavethemajorityontheplant.Pullthe plant at the end of the season and hang in awarm place to dry.Under aporchroofisagoodchoice.

Storage. Store sweet peppers in the refrigerator for two to three weeks andfreeze surplus. Sweet peppers can be roasted, peeled, and frozen or diced anddehydrated.Driedhotpepperscanbeleftontheplantandhunginabasementorotherarea.Oryoucanpulloffsomehotpeppersandstringonthreadforuseinthekitchenaswellasfordecor.Excessgreenchilipeppersshouldbefrozen.

***

PotatoDescription. Until you grow your own potatoes, you won’t realize the

difference between store-bought and homegrown. The flavor and texture aregreatly different. New potatoes are a melt-in-your-mouth treat you definitelywon’t find at themarket. It takes space to growpotatoes, but they grow fairlyeasily.Potatoesareacool-seasonplantandmustbeplantedearlyinthespring,rightafterthepeas.

Potatoesareatraditionalhomegrownfood.Theydotakeupspacebutproducealotoffood.

Types.Potatoes are available as redsorwhites,dependingon the skin color.And a fairly large variety is available in each color. Somevarieties are best formashedpotatoes,somebestforbakers,andsomearegoodall-aroundpotatoes.

Culture

A.Propagation:planting“eyes”orseedpotatoesB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:10lbs.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspringE.Rowspacing:30in.F.Plantspacing:12in.G.Depth:4in.H.Howmuchperperson:50to100ft.freshandstoredI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:100to120

Requirements

Soiltype:Becausethey’rearootcrop,potatoesdobestinadeep,rich,friablesoil.

pH: It ranges from6.0 to 6.5, butdonot overlime, as this can cause scabbypotatoes.

Fertilizer: Use the general-purpose. Potatoes do best with applications ofphosphorusandside-dressingwithnitrogenoncetheybloom.

Potatoesaregrownfromchunkscutfromseedpotatoes.Eachchunkmusthavetwoeyes.

Potatoesaremostcommonlygrowninrows.

Growing tips. Potatoes are grown from pieces cut from seed potatoes or, insomeinstances,smallwhole-seedpotatoes.Thesearenotthesamepotatoessoldinthesupermarketaseatingpotatoes.Seedpotatoesaretreatedtohelppreventrottinguntiltheysprout.Mydadusedtokeepthesmallestofhispotatocroptoplant the next year’s crop, but I’ve found this reduces production somewhat.Seedpotatoesarenormallyavailablelocallyandusuallythevarietiesthatdobestinyourarea.Seedpotatoesarealsoavailablemailorderwithagreatselectionofvarieties.Makesureyouusecertifieddisease-freeseedpotatoes.

Ifplantingchunks,cutseedpotatoesintochunksabout1½×1½inchesandwithatleastoneeye.Iprefertwoeyes.Allowthecutchunkstodryforadayortwo in a shady, cool spot.Traditionally, potatoes are planted in rows.Apply alayer ofwell-rottedmanure and a general fertilizerwith high phosphorus.Tillmanure and fertilizerdeeply into the soil and thendig a four-to six-inch-deepfurrow. Plant the cut side down, spacing the chunks twelve to sixteen inchesapart. Pull the soil up and over the chunks, covering them well to preventfrostbiteandrotting.Whentheplantssproutandbegintogrow,continuetopullsoil up around the rowonboth sides. Pickoff the blossoms as they appear to

keeptheenergyinproducingthespuds.

Potatoescanalsobegrowninoldautomobiletires,orwithapotatotowerofwireandplastic.

Inyearspast,I’vediscoveredaheavyhayorstrawmulchtobetheeasy-does-itmethod.Icontinuetoaddmulchastheplantsgrow.Whenitcomestimetodigpotatoes, there’snodigging involved.Simplypullback themulchandpulloutthe potatoes. Potatoes shouldn’t be grown in the same place each year, so Ialternatewithanothercool-seasoncrop—peas.Youdon’t,however,needtohavealongrowofpotatoestoenjoyhomegrown.

Firstdigafurrow.

Potatoescanalsobegrowninanumberofimaginativeways.I’vegrowntheminoldtires,placingonetireinplace,addingsomesoil,plantingthechunks,andthenaddingmoresoilandtirestocreateaminipotatopatch.Ifyoudon’tlikethelooksorhavingtodealwitholdtires,abettertacticistocreateacageofhogorchickenwire, line the insidewithblackplastic,andplant like the tires, starting

seedpotatoesandaddingsoilastheplantsgrow.Pests.TheColoradopotatobeetlecanbeamajorpest.ThisisoneplaceIuse

Sevindusttopreventaninfestation.

Thecutchunksarethenplacedinthefurrow.

Harvest.Harvestnewpotatoesassoonastheblossomsappear.Ifyou’reusingstrawmulch,simplyreachunderthestrawand“steal”afewsmallpotatoes.Waituntil theplantsdiedown toharvestmaturepotatoes.Donot leavepotatoes inthegroundandexposedtothesunafterthetopsdiedown,asthepotatoeswillturngreenandbecomeuseless.Washdirtfromthepotatoesandallowthemtocureinashady,well-ventilatedplace,butoutofthelight.

Thenthechunksarefullycovered.

Potatoescanbestoredinabasementorcellarbutmustbekeptawayfromsourcesoflight.

Storage.Storeinacoolplacewithfairlyhighhumidity,goodventilation,andnolight.

***

PumpkinDescription.Halloweenwouldn’t beHalloweenwithout jack-o’-lanterns, and

Thanksgivingwouldn’t be Thanksgivingwithout pumpkin pies. Pumpkins arefunandfairlyeasytogrow.They’realsoagreatwaytointroduceyoungsterstogrowingtheirownfunfood.Pumpkinsareverygoodforyou,andthatincludestheroastedseeds.

Types.Pumpkinsareavailableinanumberofvarietiesandinawiderangeofsizes, from the tinydecorativepumpkins to the giants grown forbigpumpkincontests.Inbetweenarenumerousvarietiesforcooking.Thelattertendtohaveasweettaste,aresmaller,andmoretenderthanlargervarieties.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.C.Wheretoplant:suntopartialshadeD.Whentoplant:afterdangeroffrostE.Rowspacing:48in.F.Plantspacing:60in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:3to5hillsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:110

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,deep

pH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:general-purposeattimeofplantingGrowingtips.Atraditionalmethodofplantingpumpkinsisinthecornpatch.

Pumpkinsdon’tlikeextremelyhotorcoldweather,andthecornprovidespartialshade.Plantaboutadozenseedsineachhill.Aftertheplantsarewellestablishedandalldangerfrombugsispast,thintothreeplantsperhill.Addingcompostorwell-rottedmanure to the hills at plantingwill give pumpkins a boost. If youwant to grow giant pumpkins, pick off all but one or two blossoms at thebeginningoftheirgrowth.

Pests.Pumpkinshavemuchthesameproblemassquashwithsquashbeetles,Coloradopotatobugs,andmanyothers.

Harvest. Harvest when the skin darkens and turns hard. They must beharvestedbeforefrost.

Storage.Storeinacool,dryplace.

***

RadishDescription. Radishes are another fun crop almost anyone can grow almost

anywhere.Theonlyexceptionisextremelyhotweather.Radishestendtoturntoseed production in hotweather. They’re basically a cool-to cold-weather crop.Radishes can be grown throughout the winter in some areas, and almostanywhereit’scoldinhotbedsorcoldframes.Radishescanbeplantedspringorfallforafallorwintercrop.

Types.Althoughmanyknowradishesonlyasthebrightredglobessoldinthesupermarkets,radishesareavailableinawiderangeofvarieties,fromtinytobigwinterradishes,andinawidearrayofcolors.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:veryearlyspring,latefallE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:1in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:5to10ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:25to35

Requirements

Soiltype:Willgrowjustaboutanywherebutdoesbestinadeep,richsoil.pH:6.5Fertilizer:general-purposeatplantingGrowingtips.Becausethey’resoeasytogrow,radishesareagreatkid’s“grow

yourown.”Make successiveplantings toprovide salad fixings frommidspringthroughearlysummer.Keepwateredandgrowfast.Slow-growingradisheshavea pungent flavor and woody texture. Interplant radishes with any number ofslower-germinating seeds in the spring to mark rows. Pull radishes as theymature,creatinganaturalthinningofthesecondaryplants.

Radishesareanotherfuncropthatbrightenssummersalads.

Pests.Ithasfewpests.Harvest.Harvestwhenhalftooneinchindiameterforgloberadishes.Storage. Wash well and store in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Winterradishescanbestoredthesameasforcarrots.

***

Spinach

Spinachisasuperfood—supergoodforyou—andeasytogrow.

Description.Popeye,thefamouscartooncharacter,haditright.Spinachisthesuperfood.Fullofvitamins,minerals,andcancer-fightingcompounds,spinachcanbeservedraworcooked.Spinach isacool-seasonvegetable. Itwillnotdowellineitherhotorcoldweather.

Types. Spinach comes in several varieties, with some, such as Asian types,moretolerantofharshweather.NewZealandspinachismoreheatresistant.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededbutmayalsobetransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:earlyspring,midfallE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:3in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:fresh,5to10ft.;processed,10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:40to50

Saladgreens,suchasspinachorlettuce,canbepulledasplants.

Youmayalsousegardenshearstocutoffthetops.

Requirements

Soiltype:deep,rich,well-drainedsoilpH:6.5Fertilizer:highnitrogenGrowingtips.Spinachiseasytogrowundertherightweatherconditions.This

is agreatplant for raised-bedgardening.Make successiveplantings twoweeksapart for a continuous supply through the spring and early summer months.Thenplantagaininthefallanduserowcoverstoprovideacropthroughearlywinter.

Pests.Ithasfewpests,butbeetlescanbeaproblem.Harvest.Harvestleaveswhentheyreachasuitablesize.Pinchoffouterleaves

andtopstokeeptheplantproducing.Orharvestthewholeplant.Storage. It doesn’t store well. Keep in a damp cloth in the refrigerator or

blanchandfreezeexcess.

***

SquashDescription. Squash is one of America’s original foods. Squash grows easily

andoften,asinthecaseofzucchiniwhichproducessomuchsofast,it’shardtofindsomethingtodowithalltheharvest.Squashisextremelygoodforyou,withwinter squash providing lots of vitamin A. The deep orange flesh of wintersquashalsohasalotofbeta-carotene,acancer-fightingcompound.

Squashisanall-Americannativefood.

Squashisavailableinbothsummerandwintervarieties.Thisisayellowzucchini.

Thisisasummersquash.

Types.Squashisavailableasbothasummerandwintervariety.Twotypesareavailable;bushvarietiesareplantedinhillsfourtofivefeetapart,sprawlingvinetypes require eightormore feet of roombetweenplants. Squash is also a verydecorative plant with lots of unusual colors and shapes, including acorn,butternut,andevenvegetablespaghetti.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededortransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:summer,1oz.;winter,½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:summer,latespring,winterE.Rowspacing:summer,48in.;winter,60in.F.Plantspacing:summer,48in.;winter,60in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:summer,2to4hills;winter,4to5hillsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:summer,80to90;winter,125to160

Requirements

Soiltype:rich,welldrained,somesand,noclaypH:6.5Fertilizer:Usegeneral-purposeandside-dresswith fertilizer low innitrogen.

Excessnitrogencausesexcessivegrowthofvines,withlessfruit.Growing tips. Squash shouldbeplantedafter alldangerof frost. If youwant

earlierplants,startindoorsinpeatornewspaperpots.Theplantsdonotdowellif theirrootsaredisturbedduringtransplanting.Plant inhills,addingcompostanddriedmanureinaholedugforeachhill.Coverwithabitoftopsoilandplantseedsortransplant.Ifdirectseeding,plantaboutsixseedstoahill.Youcangrowthebushvarieties inraisedbeds,andtheydoquitewell.Spacethemaboutoneandahalftotwofeetapartforintensivegrowing.Mulchandkeepwellwatered.Since summer squashproduces soheavily, youwon’tneed a lot of plants.Butplantmorewintersquashaswinterkeepers.Keepwellwateredandmulched.

Pests.Squashhavequiteafewpests,mostnotablysquashbugs,squashborers,andanumberofbeetles.RegularlydustingSevinorwithwoodashes canhelpkeepdowninfestations.

Harvest.Picksummersquashwhiletheyarestillyoungandtender.Pickeveryday or so during their growing season, as they grow fast. Pick winter squashwhentheskinscan’tbepiercedwithyourfingernail.

Storage.Keep summer squash in the refrigerator fora short time.Freeze forfutureuse. Storewinter squash in awarm,dryplace, such as abasement, in asinglelayeronashelfsotheyhavegoodaircirculation.

***

Sweetpotatoesareextremelyversatileandeasytogrow.Theycanalsobeextremelyproductive.

SweetPotatoesDescription.Basicallyatropicalplant,sweetpotatoesdowellinthesouth,but

anyonewith one hundreddays of frost-free growing can grow sweet potatoes.Sweet potatoes are an extremely versatile food.They canbe baked, deep-fried,madeintocasserolesandevenpies.Theyalsoprovidelotsofhealthbenefits.OnesweetpotatocanprovideallthecaroteneandvitaminA,plusaboutathirdofthedailyrequirementofvitaminC.Sweetpotatoesarefairlyeasytogrowandcanbestored through the winter months. Nothing can be easier to prepare—merelymicrowaveafewminutesandaddadollopofbutter.

Types. A handful of varieties are available, mostly depending on days toharvest. Growers in the north should use the shorter-season varieties. Sweetpotatoesareavailablewithdifferentskincolors,buttasteissimilar.

Sweetpotatoesareplantedasslips.Theyshouldbeplantedinraisedfurrows.

Culture

A.Propagation:byrootedslipsB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:100slipsC.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:afteralldangeroffrostE.Rowspacing:30in.F.Plantspacing:12in.G.Depth:2in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:2to6plants

I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:90to150

Requirements

Soiltype:deep,richsandyloampH:6Fertilizer:lotsofwell-rottedmanure,general-purposeGrowingtips.Sweetpotatoslipsareavailablemailorderandusually through

local garden centers. You can also very easily start your own with purchasedpotatoes.But youmaynot know the variety. Slips canbe started in twoways.Onesimplemethodistoplacethesweetpotatoinaglassorjarofwater.

Youcanstartyourownslipsbyplacingatuberinajarofwater.

Sticktoothpicksintothepotatoaroundthecenter,thensuspendinthewaterwith the tiny purple eye, or end facing away from the root end up. Sproutsshouldappear ina fewweeks.Themorecommonmethod forproducing largenumbersofslipsistoplacealittleseed-startingsoilorcoarsesandinacontainer,such as a seed flat. Place a layer of sweet potatoes on thematerial, cover and

waterwell.Providebottomheatandalittlelight,forinstancefromagrowlight.Sproutsshouldappearinfromthreetofiveweeks.Keeptheslipsingoodlight,warm,andwellwatereduntiltimetoplant.

Youcanalsostartfromtubersplacedhorizontallyinstartingflatsofsand.

Whenyou’rereadytoplant,simplygraspaslipandyankitoff.Youwon’thurtit. Sweet potatoes are normally planted in ridges six to eighteen inches high.Create these ridges by layering compost, coarse sand, well-rottedmanure andthenmixingthenwell.Theseridgesheatquickerthanlevelground.Makerowsabout thirty inchesapartandspace theplantsabouteighteen inchesapart.Digholesforthetransplantsorslips,waterthehole,andplanttheslip,makingsurethesoiliswellpackedaroundtheslip.Keepwellwateredandinafewweeksthevineswillstarttosprawl.Mulchingaroundtheplantandbetweentherowscutsdownonweedingandkeepsmoisture inthesoil.Sweetpotatoescanbegrowneveneasier,especiallyinthenorthernareaswithblackplastic.Preparetheridgeasbeforeandcreateafurrowdownthecenterofthetop.Covertheentireareawithblackplasticatleasttwoweeksbeforeplanting.Thiswillwarmupthesoil.Waituntillateafternoonofthedayyouintendtoplantandthencutsmallslitsintheplasticovertherowandspacedabouteighteeninchesapart.Digholesfortheslips, addwater, and transplant.Makesure to firm the soilwelluparound theplants and theplastic doesn’t cover any leaves. In the south, remove theblackplasticaftertheplantsarewellestablishedandmulchheavily.Isimplyfoldtheplasticdownofftheridgesbutleaveonbothsidesandthenaddaheavylayerofhay mulch. Keep well watered and stand back. Sweet potato vines can reallycoveranarea.

Pests. Sweetpotatoes arebotheredby fewpests.Undergroundcritters,mice,andfieldratsreallyliketochewonthedelicioustubers.

Harvest.Harvest in the fallbefore frosts.Useapotato forkandbecareful indiggingnottodamagethetenderroots.Cureforaweekinawarmplace(80°to85°Fisideal)butoutofthesun.

Tomatoesaretheall-timefavoritefoodtogrow.

Storage.Storeat55°to60°Fwithafairlyhighhumidity.Ifinabasementnearafurnace,placeinventilatedboxesoronshelvesandkeepcoveredwithburlapsacks,periodicallymoistened.

***

Tomatoes

Tomatoesareavailableinawiderangeofvarieties,includingthesetiny“grape”tomatoes.

Description.Thefavoritehomegrownfoodistomatoes.Almosteveryonewhogrowsfoodgrowstomatoes,evenpatiogardenerswhosimplylikethedecorofatomato plant. Homegrown tomatoes also have a flavor and texture that isnothinglikethesupermarkettomatoes.Tomatoesarealsoveryeasyandfuntogrowandprovidelotsofhealthbenefits;theyareanexcellentsourceofvitaminsAandCaswellaslycopene,acompoundthatresearchersbelievethatcouldhelppreventprostatecancerinmen.Tomatoesarealsoextremelyversatile.Theycanbeeaten fresh,whole, insaladsandareamain ingredient inmanymeals.Andthey’regreatcannedasjuiceandinanumberofsauces.

Types.Tomatoesareavailableinnumerousvarieties,includingtiny,huge,red,yellow, black, all purpose, and orange-striped.Most local garden centers carrytomatoes favored in their area. The larger box stores carry standard varieties.Mail-order seed companies produce a very wide range of tomatoes, both asplants and seeds. Tomatoes are available in two types: determinate andindeterminate.Determinatetomatoesripenoverthreetofourweeksandareon

bushier vines. Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow and producetomatoesallseasonlongoruntilfrost.Tomatoesaresusceptibletoanumberofdiseasesandpests;however,manyvarietieshavebeenbredtowithstanddiseases.Tomato plant or seed sellers use letters to denote resistance. V stands forverticilliumwiltdisease,FFstandsforresistancetofusariumwiltraceIandII,Nforroot-knotnematodes(asoil-dwellingpestcommoninthesouth),andT fortobaccomosaicvirus.

Tomatoesaremostcommonlystartedbysettingouttransplants.

Culture

A.Propagation:canbedirectseededbutmorecommonlytransplantedB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:.125oz.

Youcanstartyourowntransplantsfromseed.

C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:afteralldangeroffrostE.Rowspacing:48in.F.Plantspacing:18in.(stakedorcages)G.Depth:2in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:fresh,3to6plants;processed,6to12plantsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:75to90

Requirements

Soiltype:Tomatoesdon’tneedanoverlyrichsoil.pH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer: Too much nitrogen can cause heavy foliage with less fruit.

Applicationsofphosphorusandpotassiumcanhelp.

Myfavoritemethodofgrowingtomatoplantsisinlargemetalmeshcages,withmulchandasoakerhoseforwater.

Growingtips.Thereareprobablyasmanydifferentwaystogrowtomatoesastherearevarieties.Afteroverfiftyyearsofgrowingtomatoes,I’veprobablytriedthemallandsettledonasystemthatworksforme.Istartmyownseedindoors.The tomatoes are grown in big cages, about twenty-four inches in diameter,madeofweldedconcretereinforcingwire.Aweekorsobeforetimetoplant, Ilayasoakerhosedownthelengthofthegardenandpositionmytomatorow.Ilaythecagesnearthesoakerhoseas“spacers.”Usingashovel,digaholeonbothsidesofthesoakerhose.Theholewillbeaboutafootdeep.Abitofcompostorwell-rottedmanureisshoveledintotheholeandworkedintothesoil.Youdon’twant too rich a soil, so go lightly on the manure. When it comes time totransplant, I wait until late afternoon, position the plants near the holes, andmarkthevarietylocationsinanotebook.AteaspoonofEpsomsaltsisappliedtoeachhole,andtheholesarewellwatered.

UsingthismethodIcangrowalotoftomatoesinasmallspace.

Theplantsareremovedfromthepots,andthebottomleavespinchedoff.Theplantsarelaidintheholeswiththeirrootendsfacingoutwardorawayfromthecenter.The stemsaregentlybent soonly the topsof the transplantsareabovesoil level.Thesoil shoveledout israkedbackandfirmedover the transplantedstemsandroots.Thentheplantsarewateredagain.Aftertheplantshavebecomeestablishedandbeforetheweedsstartgrowing,mulchheavilyaroundtheplantsand over the soaker hose. Then the cages are positioned over the plants, twoplantstoacage.

Properlysettingoutthetransplantsisimportant.

Becauseofhighwindsinourarea,Idrivestakeseverythirdcageandtiecagestoeachotherandtothestakes.Otherthanregularwatering,that’sallIdountilblossomsappear.Then Ibegin toadda liquid tomato fertilizeroronehigh inphosphorus.Youwillalsoneedtoapplysomenitrogenoncetheplantsstarttosetfruit.Nitrogenappliedtooearlyortoomuchcancausetheplantstogivealltheirenergytoproducingfoliageinsteadoffruits.Blossom-endrotisacommontomatoproblem,usuallycausedbyinconsistentwatering.Tomatoesrequirelotsofwater;however,don’twateroverhead,asthiscancauseproblemswithmildew.Many tomato growers pinchoff the sucker stems that growbetween themainand secondary stem. I don’t botherwith this, as I’ve found it doesn’t increaseproductionthatmuch.

Pests. Tomatoes have pests, principally the horned worm, Colorado potatobeetles,andevengrasshoppers.Thelattercanreallyworkovertheplantsindryweatherwhenothersurroundingfoliageisdryanddead.

Harvest. Althoughmany suggest harvesting when the fruit is bright red orripe,Iprefertoharvestredtomatoeswhentheyfirstbegintheirblushofcolor.Tomatoeswill ripen just as easilyoff the vine if placed in a shady,warmarea.Thismethodkeepstheplantsproducingheavily.Pickallthegreentomatoesjustbeforethefirstfrost.Somecanbeusedingreentomatodishes,butmostareleftto ripen. I usually pick the first week of October and have ripe tomatoes forThanksgiving.

Storage. Tomatoes can be kept in the refrigerator, a cool place, canned, orfrozen.

***

Settheplantshorizontallyforbestresults.

TurnipDescription.Turnipsandtheirrelative,rutabagas,areanextremelyimportant

food,grownnotonlyforhumanconsumptionbutalsoasalivestockfoodcrop.Turnips are extremely easy to grow. They are a cool-season crop and can begrowninspringorfall,butmorecommonlyinthefall.

Types.Notalotofvarietiesareavailable,butturnipseedisavailablelocallyatalmostanygardensupplyorfarmstore.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:½oz.C.Wheretoplant:directsun

D.Whentoplant:mid-tolatesummerE.Rowspacing:18in.F.Plantspacing:6in.G.Depth:¼in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:10to15ft.I.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:35to60

Requirements

Soiltype:good,loose,friablesoilpH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:general-purposeGrowingtips.Turnipshavefewgrowingrequirementsexceptforcoolweather

andarelativelygoodsoil.Thesoilshouldbefairlylooseandfriablefortherootstogrowproperly.Donotsowtoomanyseeds,ascrowdedplantsproduce less.Keepwellwatered.

Pests.Rootmaggotsandfleabeetlescanbeaproblem.Harvest. Can be harvested any time they’re one inch or bigger. Turnips

becomesweeterafterfrostsandcanwithstandseverallightfreezes.Storage.Storeinacool,moistareasuchasarootcellar.Orcoverwithheavy

layersofstrawandleaveinthegarden.

***

WatermelonDescription. For many folks, summer wouldn’t be summer without

watermelon. Once you taste the sweetness of homegrownwatermelons out ofyourowngarden,you’lldefinitelybespoiled.Watermelonsareveryeasytogrow,buttheyrequirealonghotgrowingseason,andthesprawlingvinestakealotofspace.

Types.Anumberofvarietiesareavailable,includinghoneydewmelons,growninthesamemannerastraditionalwatermelons,withredtoyellowflesh,whiteorgreen flesh.Melons are available in numerous sizes, from giants to “personal”size.Watermelonsareavailableseededorseedless.Theseededaretheeasiesttogrow.Seedlessseedscomewithpollinatorseedsthatmustalsobeplanted.

Culture

A.Propagation:directseededorstartedindoorsinpeatorpaperpotsB.Amountneededfor100-ft.row:1oz.

Growingwatermelonstakesalotofspaceandeffort,butit’saveryhealthfulsummertimetreatyoucangrowyourself.

Growinginblackplasticcanmakethechoreeasier.

C.Wheretoplant:directsunD.Whentoplant:afterlastfrostE.Rowspacing:96in.F.Plantspacing:96in.G.Depth:½in.H.Howmuchperpersonperyear:3to6hillsI.Daysfromplantingtoeatingstage:65to95

Requirements

Soiltype:deep,richsandyloampH:6.5to7.0Fertilizer:general-purposeGrowingtips.Watermelonsaregrowninhills.Ifyoursoildoesn’thavesand,

addabitofcoarsesand,aswellaslotsofwell-rottedmanuretothelocationofthe hills. I couldn’t grow watermelons until I started growing them on blackplastic.Thisnotonlywarmsup the soil for an earlier start, but youalsodon’thave to weed around the sprawling vines.Watermelon vines don’t like to bedisturbed.Iplaceaperforatedplasticcontainerineachhillandplanteightseedsor three transplants. The seeds are thinned to three or four plants after theseedlingsarewellstarted.Ialsodriveawoodenstakeinthelocationofeachhillbecauseoncethevinesreallygetgoing,youwon’tknowthelocationoftheroots.Keeptherootswateredandusealiquidsprayfertilizer.

Pests.Watermelons have few pests, but Colorado potato bugs, squash bugs,andsomebeetlescanbeaproblem.

Harvest.Forgetaboutthumpingthemelon.Afteranumberofyearsgrowing,Istillcan’tdeterminearipemelonby thismethod.Therindshouldbedull,notshiny, and a whitish to yellow spot should be on the underside. Mostimportantly,ifthetinycurlingtendrilnearestthestemofthemelonisdried,themelonisripe.

Storage.Inyourtummy.Watermelonwillstoreatroomtemperatureforaboutaweek.Oritcanbekeptinarefrigeratororcoolerfortwotothreeweeksat45°to60°F.

7GrowingFoodforFallandWinter

Youcangrowsomefoodsinfallandwinterwithafewtricks.Cabbageisaneasyfallandwinterfoodcrop.

Whenmostfolks thinkofgrowing food, they thinkof thespringandsummergrowingseasons,butsomefoodscanbegrowninthefallaswell.Withtherightcircumstancesandalittlework,somefoodscanbegrownyear-round.I’llhavetoadmit to being a bit lax in winter gardening. Usually I’m worn-out fromgardeningandputtingupfoodaboutthetimeI’msupposedtobestartingafallandwintergarden.Ontheotherhand,growingfoodinthefallcanactuallybeeasierinmanywaysthaninthespringandsummer.Thisisespeciallysoofthecool-season crops such as cabbage, spinach, turnips, and others. The pests ofsummer,heat,andweedsarenotasmuchaproblem in late-seasongardening.Growing fall and winter foods can be done in four ways: in the gardenunprotected,inthegardenprotected,takeninsideatthestartofcoldweather,orgrowncompletelyinsideagreenhouse,sunroom,orevennexttoasunnydoororwindow.

GrowingintheGarden

Somefoodsare easier togrowin the fall thanothers,andcoolseasoncropsaretheeasiest.Notonlydotheygrowbestincoolweather,buttheyalsotypicallyhaveafairlyshortgrowingseason.Ifyouplantogrowthesecropsunprotected,thefirststepistodeterminethetimingofyouraveragefirstfallfrost.Theplantsyou grow and the timing of their planting depends on that factor. In mostinstances, you should sow seeds,or setplants, about six to sevenweeksbeforeyour first fall frost. Thiswill vary somewhat, depending on your climate, late-summer/fall temperature, and available moisture as well as time to maturity.Frostdoesn’thurtsomeplants,forinstance,turnipsandBrusselssprouts.

Ifdirectseeding,preparethesoilinthesamemannerasforaspringfoodcrop.Iftheweatherishotanddry,youmaywishtowaterthesoilwellbeforeseeding.Plantsthatdowelldirectseededincludethefollowing:carrots, turnips, lettuce,spinach,andradishes.Broccoliandcabbagecanbedirectseeded,butIprefertostart seeds in flats in a shadyplace, butwithgood,butnotdirect sun, suchasunderanawningorporch.Ialsostartsomelettuceandspinachtogeta“jump”onthefallgarden.Transplantinthegardenafteraboutfourtosixweekswhentheplantsarewellstartedandusuallyjustaboutthefirstofthecoolweatherinourpartof thecountry. I typicallystart seeds inearlyAugust tosetout in lateSeptember.

Onemethodistogrowplantsinawirecage.

Most of these plants will do well even through light frosts without anyprotection, but you can greatly extend the season by adding protection. The

simplestplantprotectionistocovertheplantstheeveningbeforeanightlyfrostwithalightblanketortarp.Floatingrowcoversareabettermethod.Theseareavailable as lightweight, clear plastic coverings from seed and nursery supplycompanies. The covers are simply spread or floated over the plants and willincreasesoilandairtemperature,trappingheatduringthedayandreleasingitatnighttokeepplantsgrowingevenincoldweather.TheTunLcoverfromBurpeeisanevenbetterchoice.Theseexpandtoeighteenfeetlongandareplacedovertherowtoactlikeamini-greenhouse.TheTunLcoverwillkeeptemperaturesupto25°Fwarmerthantheairtemperature.Withtheseyoucangrowthroughthefallfrostsandrightthroughthewinterwithsomeplantsinsomeareas.

Useplastictocoverthecagesinextremecoldweather.

Radishesandlettucearealsogoodchoicesforacoveredfallbed.

Ahoophouseoverraisedbedsprovidesmoregrowingspaceina“mini-greenhouse.”

Allfall-plantedfoodsdowellinraisedbeds;infact,that’stheeasiestmethodofgrowingthem.Here’swhereyoucanreallygetcreativewithprotectingfallandwinterplants.Ibuildraised-bedcagesfromweldedconcretereinforcingwiretofitovermyraisedbedsandprotecttheplantsfromdeerandothercrittersduringthespringandsummerseasons.It’seasyinfallandwintertosimplyaddaclearplastic cover over these cages and grow through frost and freezing weather,liftingtheclearplasticasneededduringextrawarm,sunnydays.

The next step up is the hoop house. These can be built over rows or largerraised beds, and you can actually get inside them to work. They’re basicallyinstant greenhouses and consist of plastic plumbing pipe bent into hoops andcovered with clear plastic. The edges are held down with hay bales or othermeans.Hoophousesdohavesomeproblemsinwindyareas.

ColdFramesandHotbeds

Another great way of growing through the fall andwintermonths as well ashavingagreatplace tohardenoff springplants is incold framesandhotbeds.Coldframesarebasicallyraisedbedswithlidsthatallowsunlighttofilterinandheat the interior, but keep out the cold. They can be purchased or very easilyhomemade. Cold frames can be constructed as permanent free-standingstructures, as attachments to the south side of a building, or even as portableunits if bolts are used in the corners so they can easily be disassembled andmoved or stored as desired. If you construct several raised beds early in thespringandusethemthroughthesummermonths,youmightsimplyaddacoldframelidtooneinthefallforwintergardening.

Acoldframeorhotbedextendsfoodgrowingthroughbothfallandwinterandisgreatforearly-seasonspringplanting.

Themain difference between a cold frame and a raised bed is that the bedsurfaceinacoldframemustbelowenoughtoallowforplants,suchaslettuce,togrowunhindered.Thisusuallymeansadepthofsixtoeightinches.

Adiscardedoldwoodenstormwindoworevenrecycledwindowsashescanbeusedasthelid,oryoucancreateyourownusingdouble-strengthglassorspecialgreenhouse fiberglass panels. The latter are safer, as they are not prone tobreakage.Constructionof the cold framebox is the sameas for raisedbedsoftreatedlumber.Theboxforthecoldframe,however,shouldbesetinthegroundtopreventcoldairfromseepinginaroundtheedges.Ormoundsoiluparoundtheedgesofthebox.

Acoldframeworksbestifithasaslantedtoptoallowmoreofthesun’srays

toreachtheinteriorofthebox,compensatingforwinter’sfewerday-lighthours.Althoughthelidcanbeleftunattached,itismoreefficientifthelidissecuredtothebackoftheboxwithbutthinges.Apropboardorastickisusedtoholdthelid partially open to allow air circulation.Duringwarmwinter days, the lid isproppedopentocoolandclosedinthelateafternoontokeepintheheatduringthenight.It’sagoodideatoincludeanoutdoorthermometerinthecoldframetobettermonitorandmaintaintemperatures.

Youcanbuildacoldframeorhotbedquiteeasily.

Theold-fashionedhotbedwasamajorfeatureonmanyfarmsteadsofthepast.Thehotbedisactuallynothingmorethanacoldframewithheatsupplied.Intheoldendays,horsemanure,averyhotmanure,wasdugwellbelowtheplantingsoil to provide the heat. These days special electric heating cables do the jobmucheasierandwithlesshassleandsmell.Ifusingaheatingcable,removethesoil below the bottom edge of the frame and put a two-inch layer of sand inplace.Laythecableoverthesandandthenaddthesoilontop.(Makesuretheheating cable specifies it is for use as a buried cable.) Another method inextendingtheseasonistosimplydragplantsindoors.Ifyou’realreadycontainergardening,this isano-brainer.Asunroomistheideal,butasunnywindoworpatio door can also provide a food-growing space. It’s important to checkfrequently and keep indoor winter-grown plants well watered and lightlyfertilizedwithawater-solublefertilizer.

The last and ultimate winter-growing space is a greenhouse. Serious foodgrowers dream of their own greenhouse, and yes, you can grow just aboutanythinginagreenhouse.This,however,islaborintensive.Ittakesdailyworktomaintainthetemperatureandhumidityofagreenhouseforwintergrowing.Nottomention thedailycareof theplants.Homegreenhousescanbeas largeandexpensive as you can imagine and just as simple and economical. Our firstgreenhousewassimplya6×12footA-framenailedtogetherandcoveredwithclear plastic. The plastic lasted through one season; the greenhouse recoveredtwice throughthreeseasons.Butwegrewa lotof foodforourgrowingfamily.Thencameafancyall-glassgreenhouseonthesideofourhouse.Weuseditforanumberofyears,but it faced theroadanddrivewayentranceandwhennot inuseduringtheoffseasonwasaneyesore.Finallywebuiltthegreenhousewehavetoday. It’s basically a very small 6×8 foot andattached to the south sideof agarden storage shed. It has a concrete floor, fiberglass panels, and is passivelyheated.Theheatcomesfromblackplasticbarrelsfilledwithwateralongthebackof the greenhouse. There is no electricity or other heat source. Even whentemperaturesgetbelow10°F, itstayswellabovefreezing,usuallyaround40°to42°Finthosecoldtemperatures.Thisistrueaslongasthedaysaresunny.

GrowingPerennialFoods

Anumberofplantsaregrownasperennials.Someannualscan,infact,begrownasperennials inwarm-seasonareas.Trueperennials,however,will continue toproduce crops for many years if properly cared for. The most commonperennials include the following: artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, andhorseradish.

Someplants,suchasrhubarb,aregrownasperennials.

Artichokes

First todistinguish is that the artichokes commonly found in grocery storesareglobeartichokes,notJerusalemartichokes,whichareannuals.Noteveryonecangrowglobeartichokes,nomatterhowmuchtheymightdesirethisunusualand expensive gourmet food. Globe artichokes have very specific climaterequirements.TheyarebasicallyaMediterraneanplantanddobestinareaswithalonggrowingseason,mildwinters,andadampclimate.Insouthernareaswithhot, dry climates, the globes become tough.You can grow globe artichokes innorthernclimatesbygrowingthemasannuals,digginguptheplantsandstoringthemoverthewinterinacool,darkplace.

Artichokesarecommonlysoldasseeds.Sowseedsindoorsabouteightweeksbeforethelastfrost.Transplantafterfrostdangerinrowssixfeetapartandwithplantsspacedthreetofourfeetapart.Plantinarich,well-fertilizedsoil.Plantingin partial shade can help productivity in hot southern areas. The key tosuccessfullygrowingartichokes is tokeepacontinuoussupplyofmoistureandgeneral-purposefertilizerorplantfood.Mulchingtheplantshelpsagreatdeal.

Asparagusisatraditionalperennialfavorite.Oncestarteditwillgrowforyears,producingagourmetdelight.

Asparagus

Asparagusisanold-timefavoritethatcanproducelotsofnutritiousfoodformanyyearsonceit’sstarted.Itdoes,however,takesometimeandefforttogetabedstarted.Asparagusisacool-seasoncrop,andoneofthemostdeliciousofthespringvegetables.Itistraditionallycommerciallygrowninrowsandinbedsingardens.Asparaguscanbegrowninagroundlevelorraisedbed.

Thelatteroffersacoupleofadvantages.It’seasiertoweed,andyoucandoabetter job of soil preparation. The plants, however, may eventually spreadoutside the bed. The single most important facet in productively growingasparagusisgroundpreparation.

Thebedmustbeverydeepandrich.Forthebestresults,youmustdigthesoildowneighteentotwenty-fourinchesdeep.Inhard-panorrockyandclayareas,thismaybealmostimpossible,andagain,araisedbedmaybethebestchoice.Aslightlysandysoilthatcanmaintainsomemoistureisthebest.

Spadeordig thebed intoa trench,settingthe topsoilaside,near the trench.Fillthebottomsixinchesorsowithcompostandwell-rottedmanure.Addasix-inchorsolayerofgoodgardensoil,mixedwellwithageneral-purposeorganicfertilizer.

It’simportanttoproperlyprepareandplantanasparagusbed.

Harvestwhenthespearsare6to10incheshigh.

Asparagus is grown from crowns. Set the crowns on top of the soil in thetrench,spacedtwelvetoeighteeninchesapart.Coverwithacoupleofinchesofsoil, compress the soil around the roots, and water well. Keep the plants wellwatered,andastheygrow,continuetofill inthetrencharoundtheplantswithgood garden soil and compost. The trench should be completely filled in andslightlyraisedbytheendofthefirstgrowingseason.

Donotcutorpickanyspearsonthefirstgrowingseason.Harvestthespearssparinglyonthesecondyearafterplanting.Bythethirdseason,youcanexpecttoharvesta fullcrop.Afterharvest,applyafertilizerof threetofivepoundsofgeneral-purpose (10-10-10) or organic fertilizer per one hundred square feet.After the second season, remove the tops of the plants in late fall to preventinsects and diseases from wintering over. Several inches of a good mulch isimportantincoldclimateareastopreventwinterdamagetothecrowns.Repeat

the fertilizer application in the spring.Rake off themulch, apply the fertilizer,andlightlyrakeintothesoilsurface.

Toharvest,pickthespearswhentheyaresixtotenincheshighandonlyforaboutsixtoeightweeks.StopharvestafterJuly1toallowtherootstostorefoodfor the comingyear.Asparagus is great freshbut canalsobe frozen for futureuse.

Rhubarbisagreathealthfoodanddeliciousinpies,cakes,andjams.Itdoesbestinareaswithcool,moistsummersbutcanbesuccessfullygrowninmanyotherlocales.

Rhubarb

Another all-time favorite perennial is rhubarb. Rhubarb is also great for youwithlotsofvitaminC,potassium,andfiber.It,too,canbeachallengetogrowinsomeareas.Itdoesnotdowellinwarmclimates.Thoseinthesouthmayhaveproblemsgrowing rhubarbconsistently, although somevarieties arebred for abetter chance inwarmerareas.Rhubarbgrowsbest inareaswitha cool,moistsummeryetwith coldwinters thatwill freeze the ground fairlydeep.Rhubarbgrowsasaperennialintheseareas,asitrequireswinterdormancy.

Ifyouliveinahotarea,you’llneedtogrowafreshcropeachyear.Asyoucanguess, the state ofWashington is the rhubarb capital of North America. Theeffortsarewellworthitwhenyoutastearhubarbpiefromyourowngarden.Ontheotherhand,rhubarbisrelativelyeasytogrowifconditionsareright.Rhubarbcanbegrownfromseedorfromcrowns.Inmostinstances,you’llreceivecrownsfromamail-orderorgardensupplycenter.Rhubarbcanbeplantedinthespringorfall,butspringisthemostcommonplantingtime.

Rhubarbrequiresadeep,fertilesoil.Digadeepholeandaddsomebonemeal.

Like asparagus, rhubarb is a very heavy feeder, requiring a very rich soil.Grownproperly,rhubarbisalsoaprolificspreader.Theplantsshouldbespacedthreetofourfeetapart.Digaholeatleasttwenty-fourinchesdeepandtwenty-four incheswide or about the size of a bushel basket. Fill the hole about two-thirdsfullwithamixtureofhalfcompostandhalfwell-rottedmanure.

Addsomebloodmeal.

Positionthecrownsonthislayerandcoverthecrownswithatwo-inchlayerof compostwithwell-rottedmanuremixed in.Compress downwell and leavethecrownsaboutthreetofourinchesbelowthesurface.

Waterwell.

Water well and cover with a deep layer of mulch, leaving an open spacearoundthecrownssotheycangrowupthroughthesoilandmulch.Waterandfeedwellthroughoutthegrowingseason.Donotharvestthefirstseason.Harvestlightlythesecondseason.

Bythethirdseason,theplantsshouldbewellestablished,andyoucanharvestfromearlyspringthroughearlysummer.Insomeareas,youmayalsohaveafallharvest.Ifyoudon’tharvestforaperiodoftime,thestalkscanbecomewoody.Cutoff all topgrowth,waterwell, andyou’ll oftenbe rewardedwith a secondcrop.Duringfall,coverwitha layerofwell-driedcowmanure. Inearlyspring,applyanotherlayerofwell-rottedcowmanureorageneral-purposefertilizer.

Rhubarbcomesasacrownorpotted.Placeinthefertilized,wateredhole.

Fillinaroundtheplantandcompressthesoilwellthenwateragain.

Toharvest,cutoffthestalksastheybecomeaboutthediameterofyourthumborslightlylarger.Removetheleaves.Donoteattheleaves,astheyarepoisonous.

Abouteverysixorsevenyears,likemostperennials,you’llhavetodiguptheplantsanddividethem.Whenyounoticethecrowngettingbiggerandthestalkssmaller, it’s timetodivide.Divideinfallorspring,butthebesttimeis inearlyspringbeforethenewstalksappear.Usingaspade,digaroundthecrownabouteight to ten inches deep, cutting the crown from the extending roots.Using asharp, heavy knife, divide the crown following the natural indentations. Thecrown should be cut into pieces about the size of your fist, with at least onegrowingbudoneach.Leaveaboutathirdoftheoriginalcrowninplaceandsetoutthenewcrownsinanotherarea.

Horseradish

Anotherpopularperennialishorseradish.Horseradishisafavoritecondimentinanumberofgourmetsaucesanddishes.Itisalsooneoftheeasiestplantstogrow,anditdoesn’ttakealotofhorseradishtofeedafamily.Planthorseradishin anout-of-the-wayplace in your gardenbecause it can, in fact, spreadquiterapidly.Likerhubarb,horseradishdoesbestincoolclimatesandwithdeep,rich,moistsoils.Horseradishisestablishedfromrootcuttingsorsets.

Digholesabout12×12inchesand8to10inchesapartinsunorpartialshade.In hot climates, grow in partial shade.Growing in a raised bed allows you tocontaintheplantsomewhat.Partiallyfillwithcompostandwell-rottedmanure.Set the root cuttingswith the large end facingupward and about three inchesdeep.Compressthesoilwellaroundthecuttingsandwater.Keepwellwateredand fed throughout the growing season. Keepweeded during the first season;afterthat,itwillprettywelltakecareofitself.Youshouldbeabletoharvestyourfirsthorseradishrootsintwotothreeyears.Digandcutthelargerrootsinthefall,leavingthesmallerrootsforregrowthoftheplant.Touse,peelandgratetheroots.Youcanalsodigrootstoestablishmoreplantsifdesired.

Ifyouhavethespaceyoucangrowyourownhorseradish.Itdoestendtospreadsobesuretohaveawaytocontainitifpossible.

Ginger

One unusual perennial, although grown somewhat differently, is ginger.Ginger is a tropical plant that requires warm,moist growing conditions. Youcan,however,growenoughforflavoringindoorsinpots.Purchaseagingerrootat a grocery orOriental food store, as the roots are not readily available fromseedcompaniesorgardencenters.Planttherootinasix-toeight-inchcontainerfilledwith a goodpotting soil.Waterwell and place in a sunny south orwestwindow.Keepwellwatered.Ifyourhouseisdry,occasionallymistwithasprayof water.When the root fills the pot, remove and cut off a two-to three-inchpiece to restart. Keep the root in a dry place for use or slice and store in thefreezer.

Herbs

Growingyourownherbs,suchasdill,isafunandgreatwayofaddingexcitementtoyourcooking.

Youdon’tneedtogrowahugegardentoenjoygrowingfoods.Herbsaresmall-garden favorites. Some can even be grown in pots on your deck, patio, or

window.Cookingwithyourownherbsaddspersonalizedflavoringandspicestoyourdishes.Mostherbsarefairlyeasytogrow,andmanyalsoadddecortoyourbackyard or garden. Some herbs are grown as annuals, some as perennials.Annualsareavailableasseed,perennialsasplants.Mostherbsdobestinfullsunandinwell-drainedsoil.Mostseedsareplantedone-fourth-inchdeep,andseedsandtransplantsshouldbekeepwellwatered,atleastoneinchofwaterperweek.Mulching can conservemoisture for garden-planted herbs.Make sure to keeptheplantswellweeded.

Balm

Mulchcanalsobeagreathelpinweedcontrol.Ifgrowinginagardenandifyou’re likeme, you’ll have trouble identifying the young seedlings. I prefer tostart herb seeds indoors and then transplant, making it easier to identify theyoungplants.Perennialsshouldbedugupanddividedinthespringeverythreeorfouryears.Cutawaytheoutsideclumpsandreplant;replantthemainclumpinthesamearea.Thefollowingaresomefavoriteherbsandhowtogrowthem:

Borage

Anise. Grow as an annual. Young leaves are used for garnishes, seeds forflavoringcandyandcakes,aswellasgroundforsachetpowder.Thedistilledoilisusedinperfumes.

Balm.Growasaperennial.Leaveshavealemonyfragranceandaresometimesusedforflavoringstewsandsoups.Balmisalsoahoneybeeattractant.

Basil.Growasanannual.Awiderangeofdifferentbasilsareavailable,eachwitha slightlydifferent flavor.Sweetbasilhasaveryaromatic, sweet, clovelikefragrance. Fresh basil leaves are used in stews, for flavoring salads, and indressings.Driedleavesareusedinsaucesandinsausages.

Borage.Growas anannual.Tenderyoung leaveshavea cucumber-like tasteandareusedinsaladsandtospiceuplemonade.Thisisanotherplanthoneybeeslove.

Catnip.Growasanannual.Thisherbismostcommonlymadeintoasoothingtea.It’samemberofthemintfamilyandspreadsrapidly.Catsandbeesloveit.

Catnip

Carawayseeds

Caraway.Growasanannualandasabiennial.Young leavesandshootsareusedinsalads.Seedsarethemostimportantpartofthisherb.Thedistilledoilisusedinflavoringcakes,candy,sauces,breads,andsoups.

Chives

Chives.Growasanannualorperennial.Thisherbbelongstotheonionfamilybut is less pungent.Chives are used to flavor soups, salads, and stir-fry. Somevarietiesalsohaveaslightgarlicflavor.

Manyherbs,suchascilantro,areeasilygrowninpotsorcontainers.

Cilantro. Grow as an annual. Also called Chinese or Mexican parsley, theleavesofcilantroareusedasflavoringinpopularethnicdishes.

Coriander. Grow as an annual. Coriander is the dried seeds of the cilantroplant.Theyareusedwholeorgroundineverythingfrommeatdishestodesserts,soupsandbreads.

Dill.Growasanannual.Seedsandstemsareusedindillpickles,dillvinegar,andasaflavoringforstews,soups,andsauces.

Epazote. Grow as an annual. It is a spice used in Mexican bean dishes topreventgasandindigestion.

Fennel.Growasaperennial.Thestembaseshaveananiselike flavor.Leavesareused infishandvegetabledishes.Seedsareused insoups,onbakedgoods,andinsausages.

Horehound.Growasaperennial.Ithasanaromaticodorandpungent,bittertaste.Itisoftenusedasatonicincoughsyrupsand,inlargedoses,isalaxative.

Lavender. Grow as a perennial or annual. The dried leaves and flowers areusedinpotpourriandsachets.

Coriander

Fennel

Lavender

Marjoram

Marjoram,sweet.Growasaperennial.Youngleavesandstemsareusedfreshordriedinfishandmeatsauces,dressingsandstews.

Oregano.Growasanannual.Stronglyaromaticleavesareuseddriedorfreshintomato-basedsauces,salads,meatandfishdishes,andinItaliandishes.

Oregano

Rosemary. Grow as a perennial. Young leaves and stems are used fresh ordriedtoflavorfishandmeatdishes.

Rosemary

Sage

Sage.Growasanannualorperennial.Theextremelyaromaticleavesareusedbothfreshanddriedforseasoningmeats,especiallyporksausage.Alsousedasaspiceinturkeystuffing.

Mint

Summersavory

Basil

Thyme

Someherbsareannuals,someperennials.It’simportanttoknowhowtostartandgroweach.

Spearmint.Growasanannualorperennial.Hasafresharomapopularforuseincandies,jellies,anddrinks.

Summersavory.Growasanannual.Theleavesandstemsareusedbothfreshanddriedinmeatsaucesandstews.Summersavoryisalsocalledthebeanherbbecauseit’softenusedasaflavoringinlentilbeandishes.

Thyme.Growasanannualorperennial.Theleavesandstemsareusedfreshanddriedinmeatsauces,poultrydishes,andinsausages.

Theleavesandstemsofmanyherbsaresimplysnippedoffasneededtoflavordishes. You can keep many herbs growing all winter in pots indoors or agreenhouse for a continuous supply of flavorings. Most herbs should beharvested just before the flowers open, including marjoram, summer savory,basil, sage, oregano,mint, and fennel. Thyme and rosemary can be harvestedwhenplantsareinfullbloom.

Herbs canalsobedried for futureuse.Todry, loosely tie theherb stems inbundles andhang in a cool, dark roomwithplentyof ventilation.Or you canspreadtheherbsoutoncheeseclothtodry.Inthiscase,checkregularlyandstirfrequentlytomakesuremolddoesn’tform.Youcanalsouseafooddehydratortospeeduptheprocess.Storedriedherbs inairtightcontainers inacool,darkarea.

10

SmallFruits

Small fruits, including raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, andgrapes, are someof themost satisfyingandrewarding foods togrow.Growingthe volume of small fruits for a family to eat fresh and preserved, however,requiresafairlylargearea.Themouthwateringflavorofhomegrownberriesandthesavingsfromgrowingyourownarereasonsenoughtogrowasmuchasspaceallows.Allthesmallfruitsareextremelygoodforyouandlowincalories.

Thefollowingarethemostcommonsmallfruitsandhowtogrowthem:

Growingyourownsmallfruits,suchasstrawberries,isverysatisfying,agreatbudgetextender,andawayofprovidingyourfamilywithlotsofhealthyfoods.

Strawberries

Strawberries are the most popular small fruit. Some growing methods areprimarily for commercial productions and can be labor intensive and

discouraging to the first-timer or home food grower.Newer growingmethodsmakegrowingstrawberrieseasierandmoreproductive.

Strawberriesarebasically short-livedperennials.Some traditional strawberryvarieties take a year for the plants to reach bearing size, and then they willproduce for a couple of seasons.As they grow, theplants sendout runners tocreatenewor “daughter”plants.A traditional establishedbedconsistsof threedifferent typesofplants—plantsnotyetbearingbutstillgrowing,plants in fullproduction, and plants that have stopped bearing. This makes growingstrawberries a bit complicated for the first-timer. Strawberries also requirepatience when grown traditionally, as it takes at least two years to get aproductivecrop.

Strawberriesareaverypopularsmallfruittogrowinahomegarden.

Awiderangeofstrawberryvarietiesareavailablewithdifferingqualities.Theberriesofsomevarietieshavethefirmnessneededforshippingandthelargesizeneededbycommercialgrowers.Otherqualitiesincludeberriesbestforfreezing,berriesforpreservesandjam,berriesthatdobestinpoorordrysoils,aswellasberries for very cold climates.There are also earlymidseason and late-bearingvarieties.Ifallthatisn’tconfusingenough,strawberriesarealsoavailableasJunebearers,everbearing,andthenewerdayneutral.

June-bearing strawberries ripen in late May and June and produce a goodmain crop for processing. These berries are managed to produce a crop thefollowing or second season after planting. All blossoms are removed the firstyear.Runnerscreatingdaughterplantsfillinthemattedrow.

Ever-bearing plants can often be productive in the fall following a springplanting.Inthesecondseason,ever-bearingstrawberriesareproductiveinbothspringandfall.Everbearers,however,arenotasproductiveasJunebearers,butproducesomeberriesthroughouttheseason.Everbearersareeasiertogrowandareoftenusedindeckplanters,strawberrybarrels,andpyramidplantings.The

berriesareusuallysmallerthantheJunebearers.Day-neutralstrawberriesaregrownmuchdifferentthanboththeJunebearers

and the older, more traditional ever-bearing varieties. Day-neutral berriesproduce fruit throughout the season, producing flower buds continuously aslong as the temperature is not too high (above 85°F). Day-neutral berries arenormallyproductiveduringtheyearofplanting.Theyalsoproducethesecondyearandthenarereplanted.It’simportanttopinchoffallrunnersastheyform.Whenalltherunnersarepinchedoff,newplantsmustbepurchasedtoreplenishthebed.Forbiggerberries,pinchoffthefirstblossomsforaweekorsoandthenlet theberries form.Theseberries typicallymake theirbestproduction the fallfollowingtheinitialplanting.

It’s important to match the berries to your locale. Check with your localcooperative extension office as to the best varieties for your area. Alwayspurchase disease-free, certified virus-free plants. You’ll need about twenty-fiveplantstostartastrawberrybedforafamilyoffour.

Strawberriesareplantedinoneofthreesystems.Thisisaspacedrow.

Aboveisahillsystem.

Strawberrieshavetraditionallybeenplantedinthreesystems:thehillsystem,matted rows, and spaced rows. The hill system is best for those with limited

spacebutisnotasproductiveovertime.Settheplantstwelvetoeighteeninchesapartinalldirections.Removeallrunnersastheyform.Thisisagoodsystemforsmallbeds,producingafewchoiceberriesforfresheating.Incoolclimateareas,thehillsystemisoftenusedinconjunctionwithblackplasticmulchtowarmthegroundandextendthegrowing.

Aboveisamattedrowsystem.

The most common planting system for more production is the old-timemattedrow.Theplantsare set twelve to twenty-four inchesapart inrows fourfeetapart.Alltherunnersareallowedtogrowandarespacedoutwardtocreateawidemattedrow.Thisisaneasymethod,andalsolesstime-consumingbecauseweedingiscutdownbythestrawberryfoliage.

Thespaced-rowsystemisagoodchoiceforhomegardeners.Theyareplantedinthesamemannerasforamattedrow,excepttherunnersarethinnedassoonas they form until aboutmid-June, creating plants spaced six to seven inchesapart.Thisproducesthebest,high-qualitybiggestfruit.

Strawberrieshavespecificrequirementstobeproductive.Theyneedasunnyareawitharich,well-drainedsoil.Althoughtheplantsareextremelyhardy,theblossoms are very easily damaged by spring frosts. The upper side of a slightslope isagoodchoice.Growingstrawberries inraisedbeds isanexcellent ideaforthehomefoodgrower.Theraisedbedsareeasiertoworkandmaintain;it’seasiertocreatethedeep,richsoil;andmoreimportantly,it’seasiertobattletheweeds.Weedsare thebaneof the strawberrygrower.Don’t simplydigup turfandstartastrawberrypatch.You’llbefightingweedsforever.Ifyou’veevertriedto keep quack grass or crabgrass out of a strawberry bed, you’ll know utterfrustration.

Prepare thebed in latesummerorearly fall foraspringplanting ifpossible,althoughthebedcanbepreparedinearlyspringinsomeareas.Till,dig,spade,whateverisneededtodeeplybreakupthesoil.Althoughstrawberrieslikewell-drained soil, it must also hold somemoisture. Add plenty of organic matter.

Layer rotted manure, compost, peat moss, and other materials over the bed.Abouttwobushelsofmanureperonehundredsquarefeetofbedareneeded.Tillandmixtoadepthofsixtoeightinches.Ifpreparingthebedinfall,spreadlightstrawmulchoverthebedforthewinter.Thiswillkeepthesoillooseandfriable,readyforeasyplantinginthespring.

Strawberriesrequireasunnyspotwithwell-drainedsoil.Araisedbedcanbeextremelyproductive.

Strawberryplantscomeastransplantsthatmustbesetout.

A rich, deep bed probably won’t needmuch fertilizer at planting time, butstrawberries need nutrients. A general-purpose fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, orcottonseedmeal, fishmeal, and a littlewood ash should be applied about twoweeksafterplanting.Applyone-halfcupof12-12-12pertwenty-fivefeetofrow.Side-dresswiththesameamount twicemoreduringtheyear. Iusuallyapplyawater-solublefertilizerwithasoakerhose.

Inmostpartsofthecountry,strawberriesaresetoutinearlyspring,aboutthesametimeascabbagetransplants,orafewweeksbeforethelastfrost.Strawberry

plantsaresoldinbunchesfrommail-ordernurseriesandgardencenters.Setoutthe plants as soon as you receive or purchase them. If you can’t plant themimmediately, place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.Wrap therootswithdamppapertowels.Youcanalsokeeptheplantsinashallowtrenchinashadyspotinyourgarden.Covertherootswithsoil.

Thebesttimetosetoutplantsisaquiet,overcastday.Ifit’shot,waituntillateafternoon.Examinetheplantsanddiscardanythataremoldyordark.Placetherootsinacontainerofwaterwhileyouwork.Strawberriesmustbeplantedattherightdepth.

Theplantconsistsofroots,acrownorthecenterbulgingportionoftheplant,andtheleaves.Theplantsmustbesetwiththerootswellcovered,butthecrownatgroundlevel.

Thetraditionalmethodofplanting is todigaholebigenoughtospreadouttheroots,water,andsettheplantatthecorrectdepthwiththerootsfannedout.Compressthesoildownandaroundtherootsanduptothecrownlevelandthenwater again.Adding a teaspoon ofwater-soluble fertilizer to a gallon ofwaterandusingforthelaststepwillhelpgettheplantsofftoagoodstart.

Theplantsmustbesetattheproperdepth

Ifusingthehillsystem,mulcharoundtheplants.Ifusingthemattedorspacedrow,don’tmulch.Instead,tillorhoeshallowlyaroundtheplants.Thiskeepstheweeds out and the soil loose and friable for easier rooting of daughter plants.Traintherunnerstofillinwhereyouwantthembypositioningthemandthenplacingsmallstonesorclodsofdirtonthestems.Nowcomesthehardpartwithtraditionalmattedor spaced-row June-bearerplants—pickoff all theblossomsonthefirstseason.Nope,nostrawberriesthefirstyear.Thisallowstheplantstoputalltheirenergyintogrowingafullbed.Everbearersonlyneedtobepruned

ofblossomsuntilmidsummerandthenberriescanbepickedthatfall.

Digasmallhole,makeaslightraisedconeinthecenter,spreadtherootsoutoverthecone,andfillinaroundtherootswithsoil.

InlateAugustorearlySeptember,side-dresswithageneral-purposefertilizer.Thisputsnutrientsintoproducingnextyear’sberries.Side-dressingearlyinthespringtendstoputtheenergyintoproducingmorefoliage.

Waterwell.

After a few frosts in late fall but before the temperature drops below 20°F,covertheplantswithfourtofiveinchesofgoodmulch.Makesurethemulchisweed-seedfree.Strawisusuallythebestchoiceorwoodchipsorsawdust.Earlythenextspring,rakeoffabouthalf themulch, leavingsomearoundtheplants,andspreadbetweentherows.Leaveaboutatwo-inchlayerofmulchfortherestoftheseason.Theplantswillgrowthroughthemulch,yetitwillhelpkeepthe

weedsdown.That’sthebiggestproblemwiththesemethods—youwillstillhaveweeds.Somegrowersutilizeherbicides,butIprefertoweedbyhand,althoughitcanbework.

Inlatefallcovertheplantswithmulch.

Rakebackthemulchintheearlyspring.

Strawberries are luscious and juicy, and for that reason, they need lots ofwater,atleastoneinchperweek.Ifyoudon’tgetthatthroughrain,you’llhavetoirrigate.Setanemptycaninthebedtoindicatehowmuchrainyou’regettingorhowmuchfromirrigation.During thegrowingseason, I like toapplyawater-solublefertilizerasIwateronceaweek.Duringhotweather,Imayirrigatemoreoften.

After thesecondgrowingseason,manygrowerssimply till in theplantsand

startagain.Forthisreason,youmayprefertohavetwobeds,rotatingthebedstokeep a regular supply of berries. The traditional matted-row method ofrenovationisusedcommerciallyandonlargerbeds.Immediatelyafterharvest,narrowtherowtosix to twelve inches inwidth.Rakeoutanydead leavesandpullallweeds.Thintheplantsintherowtosixtonineinchesapart.Mowoverthebedwiththemowersetonetothreeinchesabovethetopsofthecrowns.Onraisedbeds,carefullyuseastringtrimmer.Applyalightcoveringofcompostorwell-rottedmanure.Side-dresswithfertilizerandwatertheplants.Keepthebedweeded or apply a pre-emergent herbicide. Cover with mulch in the fall.Daughter plants can be dug up and planted in another bed for a continuoussupplyofplants.Ialsodigsomeofthedaughterplantsinthefallandheelthemoverintrenchesinthegardenforanewbedthefollowingspring.

Monte’seasy-does-itstrawberrymethodusesblackplasticaroundtheplants,withwoodchipmulchovertheplastic.

Monte’s easy-does-it strawberry method comes from several years ofstrawberry hassle. Two beds holding twenty-five plants each will produce anabundance of fresh berries, frozen berries, and preserves. The beds are raisedbeds,andthesoiliswellpreparedandfertilized.Asoakerhoseislaiddownthecenter of each bed and a layer ofweed-barrier fabric stapled to the top of thewooden edges of the raised beds. The plants are planted in slits in the fabric.Oncetheplantsareestablished,sawdustmulchisappliedoverthefabric.Therearenoweeds,thebedsstaymoistbutnotsoaking,andstrawberriesareavailablefromfalltothesecondyearwitheverbearersandthroughoutthefirstyearwithday-neutral berries. After two years, the beds are started over.Make sure youkeepstrawberrieswellpickedtokeepacontinuouscropgrowing.

Blueberries

Another small-fruit favorite is blueberries. These delicious and, in thesupermarket, extremelyexpensive small fruitsarenotonlya tasty treatbutarealso very good for you. Although blueberries have some fairly stringentrequirements,witha littleeffortsomevarietiescanbegrownalmostanywhere.Blueberriesnotonlyprovidefoodbutalsoagreatbackyardornamentalplantaswell, adding color all season long. Blueberries require an acidic soil, at least a160-daygrowingseason,andwintersnocolderthan220°to225°F.Anumberofvarieties are available with some bred for northern and some for southerngardens.Blueberriesarerelativelyeasytogrowonceestablishedandareveryeasyto pick and preserve. Blueberries are available as early-, midseason, and late-season varieties. A couple of plants of each will provide plenty of deliciousberriesbothfreshandfrozen.Youwillneedatleasttwovarietiesforpollination.

Blueberriesareanothersmallfruitfavoritethatarereallygoodforyou.

Blueberry plantsmay be set out in late fall or early spring.Make sure youpurchase disease-free plants. Blueberry plants may be purchased as rootedcuttings, bare-rooted plants, and potted plants. The best choices for mostpurposes are the two-to three-year-old plants normally sold as bare rooted bymailorderorpottedinnurseries.Althoughabitmorecostly,theyusuallyhavebetterplantsurvivalandgetofftoanearlierstart.

Blueberriesrequireanacidicsoil.Addsphagnumpeatmosstotheplantinghole.

Blueberryplantsareavailablebarerootorpotted.Thefirststepistodigaholelargeenoughtoaccommodatetherootsandalsotoincorporatetheadditionofpeatmossandsomecompost.

Settheplantinplaceandcompressthesoilaroundtheplant.

Theidealblueberry-growingsoilhasacontinuouswatersupplybecauseoftheshallowrootsyetiswelldrained,haslotsoforganicmatter,andisacidic.Spaceplants four feet apart in rows eight to ten feet apart. To prepare for blueberryplants, dig a hole twelve to fifteen inches deep and large enough to hold thespread-outroots.Mixahalfbushelofwetsphagnumpeatmosswithcoarsesandandmix that inwith somecompostorgoodgarden soil. Spreada layerof themixinthebottomofthehole,spreadouttheblueberryrootslaterally,addmoreofthesoilmix,andcompressthesoildownaroundtheroots.

Waterwell,thenmulcharoundtheplantwithwoodchips.

If settingoutpottedplants,makeshallowverticalcuts in theballof roots toallowtherootstospreadintothesurroundingsoil.

Goodpermanentmulchat least four tosix inchesdeeparoundandbetweentheplantsisextremelyimportantforblueberries.Hay,straw,pineneedles,orthebestwoodchipsor sawdust,whichdoesn’tbreakdownquiteas rapidly,areallgood.Onemethodofkeepingacontinuouswatersupplyduringdryweatheristorunasoakerhosealongsidetheplantsandcoverthehosewithmulch.Ittakesalotofmulchtomaintainblueberries,andyouwillneedtoaddmoreeachyear.

Blueberriesarefairlyheavyfeeders.Applyfertilizeronestablishedplantsbeforetheblossomsopeneachspring.

Blueberriesare fairlyheavy feedersandrequireannualapplicationsofeitherorganicorsyntheticfertilizer.Anapplicationofageneral-purposefertilizer(12-12-12)shouldbeappliedfourtosixweeksafterspring-plantedblueberries.Usetwotablespoonsspreadevenlyaroundeachplant.Aboutsixweekslater,fertilizeusingonetablespoonofammoniumsulfateperplanttohelpkeepthepHleveldown.

Water-soluble fertilizers for acid-loving plants can also be used.During thesecondgrowingseason,whenthebudsbegintobreakinthespring,fertilizewithfourtablespoonsofgeneral-purposefertilizerperplant,followedsixweekslaterby two tablespoons ammonium sulfate per plant. Continue the ammoniumsulfate applications at six-week intervals. For established plants, three years orolder,applyone-halfcup13-13-13atbudbreakinthespring,followedbyone-fourthcupammoniumsulfatesixweeks later.Continuetheammoniumsulfateatsixweekintervalstwomoretimesduringtheseason.

Blueberriesmustbeprunedproperlytocontinueproduction.Before.

After.

High bush blueberries are highly prolific and require pruning. Blueberries

produce fruit on the previous year’s wood. Prune in early spring, usuallyFebruaryorMarchbeforethebudsbreak.Pruneverylightlyduringthefirstandsecond seasons, removing only dead or broken branches. Prune lightly duringthethirdandfourthseasonsaswell,cuttingoutdeadandbrokenbranchesandstemsandremovingafewofthethin,spindlygrowthfromthepreviousseason.Bythefifthseason,moreseriouspruningisrequired.Inadditiontocuttingawaydeadanddamagedgrowth,cutouttheweakestyoungeststemsfromthepreviousseasonandremoveaboutone-fifthoftheoldest-producingcanesfromthebase.

Brambles

Other favoredsmall fruitsareblackberriesandraspberries.Theycanalsobegrown at home for delicious pies, jams, jellies, and to be simply eaten fresh.Bramblesareveryeasy togrowand, in fact,willoftenspreadandtakeoveranarea.

Brambles,suchasblackberriesandraspberries,areeasytogrowbutdotakeupspace.

It’simportanttoplantbramblesattheproperdepth.

Brambles are available in a number of varieties both as trailing anduprightberries.Theirrequirementsaresimilar.Allrequireadeeploamysoilwithlotsoforganic material. Brambles won’t tolerate heavy or poorly draining soil. Bothblackberriesandraspberries like lotsofsun,althoughraspberriescanbegrowninsuntopartialshade.It’simportanttoproperlypreparetheplantingsite.Digaholethatwillaccommodatetherootsandistwiceasdeepasneeded.Addalayerofcompostorgoodgardensoiltothehole.Waterandsettheplantsinplace.Donotplanttoodeep;thecrownoftheplantshouldbeatsoillevel.

Therootsshouldbejustunderthesurface.Ifsettingoutpottedplants,plantatthe same depth they were in the pot.Water andmake sure the soil is firmedaroundtheroots.Forbare-rootplants,prunethecanesbacktoabouttwoinches.Youwon’tneedtoprunepottedplants.Fertilizerisn’trequiredthefirstyear,but

mulch the plants heavily and keep them well watered and weeded. Anapplicationof10-10-10orothergeneral-purposeplant fertilizercanbeappliedthenextspringandeachspringthereafter.

Properpruningisalsoneededforblackberries.Before.

Blackberries are available in the traditional thorny and thornless varieties.New varieties such as Prime-Jan and Prime-Jim are totally different fromtraditionalvarieties.Mostberriesproduceonlastyear’scanes.Thenewvarietiesbearonboth last year’s canesaswell as thenewcanes.Thisnotonlypreventsfrost fromgetting theberries innorthernpartsof thecountrybutalsospreadsthe harvest throughout the season. Blackberries and boysenberries should bespaced five feet apart for upright varieties and eight feet apart for trailingvarieties.Rowsshouldbeeightfeetapart.Cutofforpinchoffbudsthefirstyearso fruits won’t set. Blackberries must be pruned annually and properly to beproductive.Aftertheplantsareestablished,pruneinthespring.Pruneawayold,weak, anddeadwood.Cut all but the heaviest canes to the ground. Leave theheavycanesspacedaboutsixtoeight inchesapart.Prunebackthetips, leavingabouttentotwelvebudspercane.Tiecanestowiresorothersupportsifdesired.

After.

Raspberries are available in a number of varieties, producing some of thetastiest homegrown fruits. Raspberries are available in black, purple, red, andgold; and in summer-bearing- and fall-or ever-bearing varieties. Plantraspberriesinrowswithplantsspacedtwofeetapartforpurpleandredsummer-bearingberriesandonefootapartforfall-orever-bearingberries.Leaveatleasteightfeetbetweenrows.Setoutraspberriesassoonasthegroundcanbeworkedon.Waterandmakesure soil is firmedaround theplants.Once theplantsareset,cutthecanesdowntogroundlevelandapplymulch.Removeallcutcanesfromthearea.Raspberrydiseasesspreadrapidly.Onemonthafterplantingapplyonecupofageneral-purpose fertilizerper ten feetof roworabout fiveplants.The first year after planting, apply one cup of fertilizer per ten-foot row inMarch.Insucceedingyears,applytwocupsofgeneral-purposefertilizerpertenfeetofrowinMarch.

Raspberriesareavailableinanumberofvarieties,includingblack,red,andgold.

Prune summer-bearing raspberries in January or February, removing anydamagedorspindlycanes.Thintothreeorfourcanesperfoot.Trimthetopsofthecanestoaboutfivefeethighbutdonotremovemorethanone-fourthofeachcane.Immediatelyfollowingharvestremovethecanesthatborefruit.Again,cutout all damaged or spindly canes. Remove all trimmings and cuttings frompruningandburn.

Prune fall-and ever-bearing raspberries to produce a fall crop by cutting allcanes down close to the ground in January or February. Do not damage thecrowns.Makesuretoremovealltrimmingsandburn.

Black and purple raspberries produce fruit on side branches or laterals. Toinducemorefruiting,cutthetipsofftheprimocanesthroughoutthesummerofthefirstyear,reducingblackraspberrycanestotwenty-fourinchesandpurpletothirtyinches.Thispromotesthedevelopmentofthesidebranchesthatwillbearfruit the following year. After the harvest in subsequent years, continue tosummer-trimtheprimocanes.Cutthefruit-producingcanestogroundlevel.InFebruary,cutbackthelateralstoeighttotwelveinches.Thinthecanestofourtosixperplant.

Raspberriesalsoneedproperpruning,theappropriatemethoddependingonwhethertheberriesaresummerorfallbearing.Theabovedrawingsshowfallbearingpruned(beforeandafter).

Thebelowdrawingsshowsummerbearingpruned(beforeandafter).

Grapes

Grapes take more time and effort to get started and also more effort inmanagement.Grapesmustbetrainedontrellisestokeepthefruitoffthegroundandprovideaircirculation.Theymustbeprunedproperlyinordertoproduce.Birdsmaybeaproblem,requiringnettingtoprotectthefruit.Grapes,however,have been a tradition in many a backyard. The popular Concord grapes arerelatively easy to grow and produce the old-time standard eating grape, juice,and jellies. Most grape varieties bear fruit within two years, with each plantproducingaboutfifteenpoundsoffruitperyear.Youwillneedabouteightfeetoftrellisforeachplant.

Agrapearborwasatraditiononmanyhomesteadsandinmanybackyards.Youcangrowyourowngrapesforjuice,jelly,orwine.

Grapes are available in awide rangeof varieties and in red,white, andbluetypes. All varieties of grapes can’t be grown successfully in all parts of thecountry.It’simportanttogrowthevarietiesthatadapttoyourgeographicregionandclimate.GrowersinthenortheastandupperMidwestmustchoosevarietieshardyenoughtowithstandextremecoldwintersorhardyto230°or240°F.Forthe most part, American cultivars are hardier than the French-Americanvarieties.Ripening times also vary, frommidsummer through fall.Checkwithyourlocalcooperativeextensionofficeastovarietiesthatdobestinyourarea.

Aswithmostplants,grapeshavespecificrequirements,withtheplantingsitethemost important.Grapes need full sun, good air circulation, awell-drainedarea,andonewithoutlate-springfrosts.Mostpeopledon’tthinkofMissouriasagrape-growingstate,butithaslotsofwineriesandgrapegrowers.Muchofthestateishilly,especiallythesouthernareaorOzarkswherewelive,andthehill-sidesareidealforgrapeproduction.Anidealsiteisthetoporupperslopefacingsouthor east.North-andwest-facing slopesdon’t receive full sununtil later intheday,whichallowsdew to stayon theplants longer.Goodair circulation isextremely important to help prevent fungus growth, a grape bane. If possible,runthegraperowsparalleltotheprevailingwindstoallowthewindtohelpdrythegrapefoliageafterrainsanddew.

It’simportanttosetoutgrapeplantsproperly.

Space thegrapesaccording to the type.Mostgrapes shouldbeplantedeightfeet apart with ten feet between rows.Muscatine grapevines should be spacedtwelvetofifteenfeetapart.Mostgrapevinesarepurchasedasbare-rootcuttings.Inspect the cuttings.Roots that aredarkbrownish, soft, and spongymayhavebeenfrozenandmayrot.Cutoffdeadorbrokenshoots.Soaktherootsinwaterforafewhoursandplantassoonaspossible.Keeptheplantsmoistwhilesettingthem out. Dig the planting hole large enough to accommodate all the rootswithoutcrowdingorbendingthem.Workplentyoforganicmatter inwiththesoilfromthehole.Mixabitofcompostorwell-rottedmanureinwiththegardensoil. In the bottomof thehole, create a smallmoundof the loosened soil andcompostandsettherootsonthemound.You’llnoticeadarkareaornurserysoillineonthetrunkofthevine.Settheplantslightlydeeperthanthissoilline.Makesureallrootsarewellspreadoutandthenfillinovertheroots.Addabitofthesoil/compostmix andwaterwell.Add the remainder of the soil/compostmix,compress the soil, and water again. Prune the top of the vine to one stemcontaining three to four buds. Buds are the enlarged areas along the vine.Shallowcultivationduringthefirstpartofthegrowingseasonandmulchduringthesummermonthswillgetyourplantsofftoagreatstart.Donotfertilizenewplantingsuntil growthhas begun and thenuse three tablespoonsof a general-purpose fertilizer such as 12-12-12. Scatter this in a two-foot-diameter circlearound each plant but maintain a six-inch space around the trunk. Repeat acouple of times the first twomonths, spreading the fertilizer in wider circles,thirty-sixandforty-eightinchesaroundthevines.Afterthethirdyear,applythesametypeoffertilizerinMarchorearlyAprilattherateofoneandahalfcupspervine.

Grapeplantsmustbetrainedtoatrellis,andprunedproperlyandannually.

Grapesneedatrellis,arbor,orothersupportwithatwo-wiretrellisthemostcommon support.Grapesmust alsobe trainedonto the trellis.The traditionalfour-caneKniffenmethod is themost common andbest for home growers. Ittakes three years to train the plants onto the trellis. During the first year, theplantsprobablywon’tgrowenoughtobegintraining.Atthestartofthesecondyear,begin training thevineonto thesupport.Keep themain trunkpruned toaboutfourandahalffeethigh.TwoshootsaretrainedtoeachofthewiresinaT-fashion.Tietheshootsinplacewithsomethingsoftenoughnottodamagethevines.Beginninginthethirdyear,shootswillbegoingineverydirection.Inlatewinterorearlyspring,pruneheavily.Pickthefourbestpencil-sizedstemsasthefruitingcanes.Pruneeachbacktoeightortenbudsandtietothewires.Nexttothebaseofthesestems,leavetwoshortstemswithatleasttwobudseach.Thesewillformthefruitingcanesforthefollowingyear.Trimawayallotherstems.Itsoundsdrastic,butyoumustdothiseachyearinorderforyourvinestoproduceproperly.

11

TheHomeOrchard

Youcangrowfruitsinyourownhomeorchard,eatingfreshandcanningorpreservingtheexcess,suchasthispeachjam.

Growing fruits in your backyard is not only possible but also a great way ofprovidingyourfamilywithwholesomefoods.Nothingtastesbetterthanafreshpeachpicked fromyourown treeor a fresh steaminghot applepie fromyourorchard.Ifyouenvisionanorchardasacresoftrees inrows,thinkagain.Very

productive orchards can be grown in very small spaces. With miniature andColonnade trees fromStarkBro’s, full-sized fruits canbe grownon a balcony,patio,orsliverofground.Thebackyard,however, is theplacemostofusgrowfruit trees, and these days, even that doesn’t have to be large to produce anabundanceofdeliciousfruits.

Planning

Aswitha foodgarden, thehomeorchardshouldn’tbe sobig it can’tbe takencare of properly. On the other hand, the orchard should be large enough toproduce fruit for your family, both fresh and processed. An orchard requiresspaceand,aswithgrowinganyfoods,work.Anysizeoforchardrequiresyearlywork. A poorly maintained orchard is not only unproductive, but it can alsobecome an eyesore. Fruit trees must be spaced properly to produce, so theorchard sizewill need tomatch your space. Fruit trees are available in severalsizes: standard, semidwarf, dwarf, and even miniature. Each matures to adifferentsize.

Ahomeorchardtakesworkbutitnotonlyaddstoyourstockofhomegrownfoodbutthebeautyofyourbackyardaswell.

The crowns or tops of standard trees mature to around twenty feet indiameter. Semidwarfs grow to around fifteen feet, dwarfs to ten feet, andminiaturestosixfeetindiameter.Standardtreescangrowwellovertwenty-fivefeettall.Semidwarfstypicallygrowfifteentoseventeenfeet,anddwarfsseventotenfeettall.Spacingbetweenthetreesisneededtoassuregoodsunlightandaircirculation. Just because the trees are smaller doesn’t mean they aren’t

productive.Semidwarfanddwarftreescanproduceplentyoffruitsforthehomeorchard.Theyalsoproducequickerthanstandard-sizetrees,althoughtheydon’tliveaslong.Keepinmindthatmanytreesrequireasecondvarietyplantedcloseathandasapollinator.Nuttreestypicallyareonlystandardsize.Theytakeupalotofspace,andittakesagoodnumberofyearsforthemtoproduce.Youmightconsider carefully before using limited orchard space for nut trees. The chartshows the time, estimated yield of the different trees, as well as time fromplantingtoharvest.

Ahome-orchardshouldbecarefullyplannedandspacedforproductivityandtoincreasethevalueofyourproperty.

Species,timefromplantingtoharvest,lifeinyears,andestimatedannualyieldarelistedbelow:Apple

Standard:4to6years,35to45,10to15bu.pertree

Somefruitsareeasiertogrowthanothersincertainlocales.Forinstanceapricotsarehardtogrowincertainareas.

Awiderangeoffruitscanbehomegrownincludingapples.

Semidwarf:3to5,20to30,6to10bu.pertreeDwarf:2to4,15to20,3to6bu.pertree

PearStandard:5to8years,35to40,10to15bu.pertreeSemidwarf:3to5,20to30,5to10bu.pertree

PeachStandard:2to4years,15to20,3to8bu.pertreeSemidwarf:1to2,10to15,1to3bu.pertreePlum4to6years15to203.5bu.pertreePiecherry3to5years,15to20,2to

3bu.pertreeAwiderangeoffruitvarietiesareavailablebothbymailorderandfromlocalnurseries.It’simportanttopickvarietiesthatwilldowellinyourarea.Some fruit treesarequite specific in theirneedsandmaynotproduce inyourarea.Checknurserycatalogsforzoneandclimaterequirements.It’salsoagoodideatocheckwithyourlocalcooperativeextensionofficeastothebestvarietiesforyourarea.

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Location

Picking the correct location for your orchard or individual fruit trees isextremelyimportant.Anorchardshouldhaveplentyofsunandawell-drained,fertile soil.You’llneedat least six toeighthoursof sunlight.Higherelevationsare also better than lower, as lower elevations tend to have later spring frosts,which candestroy blossoms.An east or south-facing, gently slopinghillside isthebest choice.Soils canbeamended somewhatand fertilizer applied togrowyourtrees,butsoilswithverypoordrainageorofheavyclayshouldbeavoided.

Careful planning is extremely important. Once planted, fruit trees are apermanent fixture, as I learned thehardway several years ago afterplanting afruit treewherewe laterneeded toplace adriveway. In addition toproducingfruit, the tree can also be a landscaping feature or nightmare. Determine thelocationofyourtreeortreesandtrytoimagineitasafull-growntree.Lookatthe surroundings. Are there sidewalks nearby, overhead lines, possibly buriedcables,sewerlines,orwaterpipes?Willitobstructyourvisionofareasyouwantto see? Plant at least ten to twelve feet away from patios and sewer andwaterlines.Therootstendtogrowtowaterandcancauseseriousproblems.Alsocheck for shade trees, buildings, or other objects that might shade your newtrees. Inmany instances, once you discover the pleasure and advantages of ahomeorchard,youmaywishtoexpand,soplanforfuturetreesaswell.Makeupan orchard plan on grid paper. Measure the area and mark the location ofimportantfeatures,buildings,patios,utilities,andsoforth.Thendrawcirclesof

thecorrectsizeofmaturetreesinpossiblelocations.Withtheplaninhand,usestakestomarkoutlocationsofthetrees.Tomakesureyouplantthetreesintheexact locations of the stakes, use a planting board. Position the boardwith itsnotch in the tree locationstake.Thendrivestakesat thenotches ineitherend.Theoutsidestakesmarktheoutsideedgesoftheplantinghole.

Planting

Fruittreescanbeplantedeitherspringorfall.Bothtimeshaveadvantages.Falltreesdon’t have to fight theweeds, insects, andpossible summerdrought, buttheytypicallydon’treallymakeanygrowthuntilthefollowingspring.Springistheusualplantingtime.Regardless, ifpossible,plantyournewtreesassoonasyoupurchaseorreceivethem.Thiswillhelptherootsgetofftoahealthystart.Iliketohavemyplantingholesdug,everythingonhand,andbereadyformynewtrees. Ifyoucan’tplant immediately, thetreescanbestoredforashortperiod.Openthepackageandwrapthetreerootsindampnewspaperandthenrewrapthe roots and newspaper covering back in the packing plastic. Store thedampened roots in a cool place such as a basement. Dampen the roots againeverycoupleofdays.Ifyoumustkeepthetreeslonger,theycanbe“heeledin”inashallowtrenchinyourgarden.Again,keeptherootswatered.

Fruittreesmustbeplantedproperly.

Soaktherootsfortwelvetotwenty-fourhoursbeforeplanting.Keeptherootswetwith dampnewspaperswhile planting to protect from sun andwind.Themostimportantfactorinplanting,however,isthehole.Theholemustbelargeenoughsotherootsarenotcrowdedanddeepenoughtobeabletosettheplantone-inchdeeperthanthenurserysoilline.Inmanyinstances,youmayneedtoamendthesoil,addingcompostor, inthecaseofheavyclaysoil,aboutathirdpeat.Mixwellwiththeplantingsoil.Inheavyclaysoil,digtheholeaboutdoubletherecommendedsize.Usetheplantingboardandstakestodeterminethesizeof thehole.Fill theholeaboutone-thirdwithwell-pulverizedoramendedsoil.Set the tree in place, making sure the nursery-soil line is at the right height.Spread out the roots.Use the notched board across the hole to determine the

correct height. Note that grafted trees require a somewhat different method,leavingthebudunionaboveground.Followplantinginstructionsthatcamewithyour tree.Addsoil to fill thehole toabout three-fourths fullandtampthesoilfirmlyaroundtheroots.Pourinabucketofwaterandallowittosoakin.Somenurseries sell special time-release tree fertilizer to be applied at this time. Noother fertilizers,however, shouldbeapplied.After thewaterhas soaked in, filltheholewith the remainderof the soil, leaving a slightdepression around thetreetrunk.Thisallowswatertostandandsoakinaroundthetreeanddowntotheroots.Inthefall,fillinthisindentationtopreventwaterfromcollectingandfreezing around the trunk and roots. Spread mulch around the tree to helpconservemoistureandkeepdownweeds.

Insomecases,nurserystock,suchasfruittrees,arepreprunedforplanting.Inotherinstances,pruningmaybeneededatplantingtime.Followtheinstructionswithyourtreeforspecificpruningdetailsatplantingtime.Makesuretosoakthesoil frequently and thoroughly throughout the first growing season.Note thatsomedormantorbare-rootstockmaytakequiteabitoftimetogetstarted.Bepatient.Ifyou’reindoubt,scratchatinyareaofbarkwithyourfingernail.Ifthetreeisgreenunderneath,it’salive.

Stakingcanhelpyoungtreesgetofftoagoodstartandpreventwinddamage.Inourpartofthecountry,deerandrabbitsareaseriousproblem.Deereattheyoungleaves,andbucksruboffthebark.Rabbitsnibblethebarkoffthetrunk.Wrapping the trunkwith heavy paper is onemethod of preventing the trunkproblems.Special tree-trunkguardsarealsoavailable.My tactic is to stake thetree,addmulch,anduseacage,much likea tomatocagearoundthe tree.Thecageisalsostakedinplacetopreventbeingblownorpushedover.Youmaywishto paint the lower trunk and crotch with a good-quality water-soluble whitepaint. This reduces the problems of winter injury from the heat of the sun,creating bark splitting andother damage.Thepaint can be indoor or outdoorandshouldbethinnedhalfwithwater.Donotuseoil-basedpaints,astheycankillthetree.

Maintenance

Fruittreesrequirequiteabitofmaintenanceinordertobeproductive.Thisincludes regular watering, some fertilizing, and most importantly, properpruning.Youwillneedatleastaninchofwatereverytendaystotwoweeks.Intimesofdrought,makesuretokeepyourtreewellwatered.Onemethodistouse

agardenhose set to lightly trickle. If youhave several trees, a soakerhose is agoodidea.I’vereworkedsectionsofsoakerandsolidgardenhosefromoldhosesto create hose spacing formy trees and easywatering, amust in our hot, dryOzark summers. Don’t overwater. Frequently drowning the roots is a definiteno-no.Keeptheareaaroundthetreeswellmulchedtoprotecttheroots,controlweeds, and keep moisture in place. Use leaves, straw, or wood chips. Beforewinter, rake themulchback away from the trunk somicewon’t nest near thetrunk.

Fruittreesrequirefertilizationbut,inmostinstances,inspecificanddifferingamounts. You can use general-purpose fertilizers or special orchard fertilizers.Again, follow instructions for your particular variety of tree as to types offertilizer,amount,andtiming.

Tobeproductive,thehomeorchardrequiresyearlymaintenanceincludingregularfeedingandwatering.

Asyoucanimagine,fruittreesaresusceptibletolotsofpest,includingbugsandcritters.

Pests

Asyoucanimagine,justabouteverythingthatwalks,flies,orcrawlslovesfruittreesandthefruits.Therearenumerouswaystohandletheproblems,includingmechanical, with organic, or chemical means. We use as much mechanicalmeansaspossible. Squirrels areamajorproblemwithapricots.Theydon’t eatthefruits,butchewthroughthefruitstogettheseeds,whichtastelikealmonds.We tried any number of means of fighting these pests and finally solved theproblemwithaluminumtreeguardsplacedaround the trunkof the trees.Thesamemethodkepttheraccoonsoutofthepeartrees,afteryearsoffightingthatproblem as well. Birds can really be a problem, especially with cherries andapricots,butgardennetsstretchedoverthetreescansolvethatproblem.

Themostimportantpruningstepsinvolvecuttingawaydeadanddiseasedbranches,aswellaskeepingthecenterofthetreeopen.

Keepyourorchardclean.Pickoffallmummifiedfruitsanddestroythemimmediately.

Forthemostpartit’simportanttousesomesortofprotectionfrompestsanddiseasesonyourorchardtrees.

Acleanorchardis thefirststepinfightingdiseaseandinsects.Makesuretokeepthetreesprunedproperly,cuttingawaydead,diseased,anddamagedlimbs.Burn the discards to prevent spreading diseases. Remove and burn any“mummified” fruitsonthe treesoranythatmayhavedroppedontheground.Mowandrakethegroundaroundthetreestoremoveanydebris.

Most orchards, especially commercial orchards, rely heavily on pesticidesprays,andifyouwantperfectandbountifulfruit,it’srequired.Wetendtouseavariety of pest-control methods. Our apple orchard consists of about twentytrees,andtheonlychemicalusedonitisadormant-oilsprayinlatespring/earlysummer.

No, the apples are not perfect; they have splotches, black spots, and someinsect damage.But theorchardproduces a bountyof delicious apples, andwedon’tmindthe“ugly”apples.Wealsodon’tsprayourpears.Ontheotherhand,weusesomespraysonourpeaches,althoughorganicmethodsareavailable.

Sprayingpesticidesshouldnotbetakenlightly.Youcancauseseriousdamagetoyourself,evenbekilledifyoudon’tfollowallsafetyprecautions.Asafarmer,I’vehadtobecertifiedtousecertainchemicals,althoughIrarelyandprefernottouse them.Theclass isaday-longaffairandseriousbusinessand is required

beforepurchasingsomechemicals.

SafetyRules

Read the labelbeforeopening the container.Note allwarnings,precautions,and antidotes. If the label suggests a respirator, goggles, rubber gloves, andclothing,you’rebetteroffleavingitalone.Mostorchardsprays,however,arenotthattoxicbutmuststillbecarefullyused.

Makesuretofollowallsafetyruleswhensprayingchemicals.

Measure accurately. Mix all ingredients on a solid level surface to preventspilling. Ifyougetconcentrateonyourhandsorbody,wash immediatelywithsoapandwater.Ifyouspillitonyourclothing,changeclothesandimmediatelylaundertheclothing.

Do not smoke or eat while mixing or spraying, or if your hands arecontaminated.Washhandsimmediatelyafterusingchemicals.

Coverbirdbaths, dogdishes, and fishpools.Don’t leavepoolsof chemicalsdogsorcatsmaybeattractedto.

Don’tspraywhentemperaturesorwindsarehigh.Sprayintheearlymorningandlateafternoon.Avoiddriftandbyallmeansdonotletspraydriftontoyou.

Don’tstore leftoverdilutedspray.Spray left inthesprayershouldbepouredinto a pit and covered over. Properly discard empty pesticide containers

accordingtotheinstructionsonthelabel.Store pesticides in their original containers only. They should be kept in a

lockedcabinetawayfromchildrenandpets.Usethepropersprayingequipmentandmakesureitisworkingcorrectly.Forcorrectspraying,afruit-treescheduleshouldbefollowed.Therearefour

basic stages of fruit-tree spray: dormant, prebloom, bloom, and petal fall. Thetimingofapplicationsdependson the treevarietyand thechemicalused.Andthisisfairlydetailed.Chartsdetailingthetypeofsprayandtimingforeachtypeof fruit are available at your local cooperative extension office, from chemicalcompanies,oronline.

Properpruningisalsoimportantforcontinuedproductivity.

Pruning

Proper pruning is also extremely important for good fruit production.Pruningcanbe somewhatcomplicated tounderstandat first, andmanybookshavebeenwrittenonhowtoprune.Asageneralrule,thetreesshouldbeprunedearlyeachspring,duringthedormantseason.Pruneawayanycrossinglimbsordeadanddiseasedbranches.Properpruningallowsmore sunlight to reach the

insidebranchesofthetree.

Treesshouldbeprunedduringthedormantseason.

Differenttreetypesrequiredifferentpruningmethodstotrainthetreesproperly.Belowisaphotoshowingthetrainingofpeaches,apricots,andnectarines.

Each type of tree, however,must be pruned properly in order to train it togrowandbeproductive.Itisimportanttostarttrainingearly,ifnotatplantingtime, thenearlythefirstspring.Twopruningmethodsareused.Apples,pears,and cherry trees are pruned and trained using the central leader method,consistingofamain,dominantlimbandaconeshapedtree.Peaches,nectarines,and apricot trees are pruned and trained in a vase shape. In both instances,pruning is done over a period of time, starting the first year and continuingthroughthesecondorthirdyear.Afterthat,allpruningisformaintenance.

Cone-ShapedCentralLeader

Starting with a four-foot sapling in the first year, locate the lower scaffoldbranches, which should be located one and a half to two feet off the ground.Prune out all but five of these branches spaced evenly around the trunk. This

creates the first scaffold level. Up about one and a half feet above the lowerscaffold,pruneoffallbutthreemorebranches,againspacedasevenlyaspossiblearound the trunk.Prune back the central leader to create a conewith the twolevels of scaffolds. This pruning cut releases growth hormones to the scaffoldbranches.

Aboveshowstrainingapple,pear,plum,andcherrytrees.

For the second-year pruning, prune back each scaffold branch as a separatetree,orconeshape,makingtheoriginalscaffoldbranchthecentralleaderofthispruning.

By the third year, the tree should have been trained to its basic shape. Allpruningafter thispoint is corrective.Removealldeadandbrokenbranchesaswellasthosethataretoolow,growstraightup,orthosethatcrossoverscaffoldbranches. Prune away any branches that might block light from the fruitinglimbs.Applesformontheinsideofthetree.

Fruittreesalsorequireyearlypruningtokeeptheirshape.Aboveisapyramid-shapedtree.

Vase-ShapedTree

During the first year choose scaffold branches to form wide angles with thetrunkor central leader.The scaffoldbranches shouldbeabout eighteen inchesoff the ground, but not over thirty-six inches. Trim back the central leader toaboutone-fourth.

Aboveisthepruningforvase-shapedtrees.

In the second year, eliminate the central leader completely, thereby creatingthevase-shapedtree.

After that, prune the tree regularly. Prune away dead, broken branches orthose thathaveonlysingle-leafbudsandaremostlynonfruiting.Fruitingbudshaveanouterpairofbudtriplets.Keepthemiddleofthetreethinnedsoitcangetsunlight.Usuallyafterthesecondyear,onlylightpruningisneededforthesetrees.Oneofthebiggestproblemsisthefruitingwoodgrowsfartheroutonthebranch ends. This creates overlong branches that can break when laden withfruit.Keepthesebranchesprunedbackyearly.

GeneralPruningTips

Alwaysprunebacktojustinfrontofthebudsaimedinthedirectionyouwantthe limb togrow. Inmost instances, theseare thebuds facingoutward,asyouwantthebranchestogrowoutwardratherthaninward.

Metalcollarscanbeusedtokeepclimbingcrittersawayfromthefruit.

Makeyourpruningcleanusingasharppruningtool.Thecutsshouldbeclosetothebudsothereisnolongstubthatwon’thealoverproperly.Butdon’tprunetooclosetodamagethebud.

Prune to create wide crotches; narrow crotches will eventually split. Manyexpertssaytoprunenocloserthanattenandtwoo’clockangles.

In some instances, you may need to use spreaders on trees to train thebranchesintomorehorizontalshapes.

Inseasonswithheavyproductionsyoumayhavetobraceupthetree’slimbs.

Index

anise.Seeunderherbs

balm.Seeunderherbsbasil.Seeunderherbsbeans,89.Seealsolegumes,32

harvest,94pestsof,94requirementforgrowing,93types,90

beet,94growingtips,96harvest,96pestsof,96requirementsforgrowing,95storage,97

borage.Seeunderherbsbroccoli,97

growingtips,98harvest,99pestsof,98requirementsforgrowing,98storage,99

Brusselssprouts,99growingtips,100harvest,100pestsof,100requirementsforgrowing,99storage,100types,99

cabbage,100growingtips,101harvest,101pestsof,101

requirementsforgrowing,101storage,101types,100

caraway.Seeunderherbscarrots,103

growingtips,104harvest,105pestsof,105requirementsforgrowing,104storage,105types,103

catnip.Seeunderherbscauliflower,101

growingtips,103harvest,103pestsof,103requirementsforgrowing,102storage,103types,102

chemicalfertilizer,TK.Seealsounderfertilizerchives.Seeunderherbscilantro.Seeunderherbscollards,107

growingtips,108harvest,108pestsof,108requirementsforgrowing,107storage,108types,107

coldframe,160

compostmaking,28–30

composting,28containergardening,48–51

boxcontainers,48plasticpots,48strawberrybarrel,50

clover,22.Seealsolegumescoriander.Seeunderherbscorn,108

growingtips,110harvest,112pestsof,112requirementsforgrowing,110storage,112types,109

cucumber,112growingtips,113harvest,114pestsof,114requirementsforgrowing,114storage,114types,113

decomposing,27dill.Seeunderherbsdirectseeding,66,75

eggplant,115growingtips,115harvest,115pestsof,115requirementsforgrowing,115storage,115types,115

Englishbroadbeans,69.Seealsobushfavaunderbeansepazote.Seeunderherbs

fennel.Seeunderherbsfertilizer,30–40

applying,37,76chemical,31,40liquid,33–36,73manuretea,35organic,33differenttypes,32

fishemulsion,73

garlic,115growingtips,116harvest,116pestsof,116requirementsforgrowing,116storage,116types,116

growingyourownfood

elementsneededmagnesium,31phosphorous,31potassium,31nitrogen,31

perennialfoods,165planningfor,11location,25

reasonsfor,3understandingsoil,13insmallplaces,47

herbs,135–141anise,176balm,176–177basil,177borage,177catnip,177caraway,177chives,177cilantro,178coriander,178dill,178epazote,178fennel,178horehound,178lavender,178marjoram,sweet,179oregano,179rosemary,179sage,179spearmint,181summersavory,181thyme,181

homeorchard,207cone-shapedcentral,218location,211

maintenance,214pests,214planning,208planting,212pruning,218safetyrules,216vase-shapedtree,219

horehound.Seeunderherbshotbed,160humus,27

kale,116growingtips,117harvest,117pestsof,117requirementsforgrowing,117storage,117types,116

kohlrabi,117growingtips,118harvest,118pestsof,118requirementsforgrowing,118storage,118types,118

lavender.Seeunderherbsleeks,121

growingtips,122harvest,122pestsof,122requirementsforgrowing,122storage,122types,122

legumes,32lettuce,119

growingtips,120

harvest,121pestsof,121requirementsforgrowing,120storage,121types,119

limestone,31,41liming,40liquidfertilizer.Seeunderfertilizer

manuretea.Seeunderfertilizermarjoram,sweet.Seeunderherbsmelon,122

growingtips,123harvest,124pestsof,124requirementsforgrowing,123storage,124types,123

mulch,53,79

okra,124growingtips,125harvest,125pestsof,125requirementsforgrowing,125storage,125types,124

onion,125growingtips,128harvest,129pestsof,129requirementsforgrowing,128storage,129types,126

organicfertilizer.Seefertilizeroregano.Seeunderherbs

peas,129

growingtips,131harvest,132pestsof,132requirementsforgrowing,130storage,132types,130

pepper,132growingtips,133harvest,134pestsof,133requirementsforgrowing,133storage,134types,132

perennialfoods.Seealsoundergrowingyourownfoodartichokes,165asparagus,166ginger,172horseradish,171rhubarb,168

potato,134growingtips,135harvest,137pestsof,137requirementsforgrowing,135storage,138types,134

pumpkin,138growingtips,138harvest,139pestsof,139requirementsforgrowing,138storage,138types,138

radish,139growingtips,140harvest,140pestsof,140

requirementsforgrowing,140storage,140types,139

rosemary.Seeunderherbsraisedbed,42,51,78,159ryegrass,27rockphosphate,31

sage.Seeunderherbs

smallfruitsblueberries,193brambles,197grapes,201raspberry,197strawberry,186

spearmint.Seeunderherbsspinach,140

growingtips,140harvest,140pestsof,140requirementsforgrowing,140storage,141types,140

squash,142growingtips,143harvest,143pestsof,143requirementsforgrowing,143storage,143types,142

summersavory.Seeunderherbssweetpotato,144

growingtips,145harvest,147pestsof,147requirementsforgrowing,145storage,147types,144

Swisschard,106growingtips,107harvest,107pestsof,107requirementsforgrowing,106storage,107types,106

thyme.Seeunderherbstilling,6,40,45tomato,147

growingtips,149harvest,151pestsof,151requirementsforgrowing,149storage,151types,148

turnip,152growingtips,152harvest,152pestsof,152requirementsforgrowing,152storage,152types,152

vegetablescrittercontrol,83directseeding,65,75diseasesandpests,81feeding,81fencing,85hardeningoff,74mulching,79selectingseedsandplantsof,63sowing,65thinningandweeding,79transplanting,74watering,77

verticalgardening,58

watermelon,153growingtips,155harvest,155pestsof,155requirementsforgrowing,154storage,155types,153

woodash,41