By Sam Feldman
Vegetable gardens are fun and provide plenty of beauty and fresh produce for the table
A vegetable garden can be any size and can be started in the yard, lawn, or field. A vegetable garden could be started at any time of the year and early June isn't too late to plant the warm season vegetables like tomatoes, melons, or squash.
First get a good gardening manual. A good book will provide detailed information on starting a garden, preparing the soil, planting times, spacing, techniques, and information on planting, growing, and harvesting each crop. Other good resources include Cornell cooperative extension and almanac.com.
Plan your garden by considering the space you have, the vegetables you want to grow and soil and conditions you have. Ask your neighbors about what grows best in their garden. Consider a simple soil test for soil texture (by hand) and pH. Use companion planting to plant crops that grow best together to decrease pests and attract beneficial insects. Planting companion flowers and herbs will provide much benefit and beauty to your vegetable garden. Consider planting some for wildlife such as sunflowers for birds and milkweed for butterflies. For porches, balconies, or paved areas consider planting vegetables in pots, barrels, grow bags, window boxes, hanging baskets, or other containers.
There are several ways of starting a garden. The traditional way is to use a shovel or spade to cultivate the soil. This method is labor intensive but simple and effective way to start a garden. Double digging is a technique that is harder but results in a deeper, more aerated, and better draining soil. Digging a garden can be strenuous but good exercise. The ideal tool for digging is a spade slightly higher than hip height. You do not have to dig all the garden at once. Work in small manageable chunks, say one meter square, whenever you wish and enlist all the help available. Or you can use a mechanical device for tilling the soil. For all manual cultivation, make sure to avoid working with wet soil to avoid compacting it.
Another way to start a garden is the no dig method. It requires more materials but much less labor and may work just as well as manual cultivation. With this method, moist cardboard or a layer of newspaper is laid on the ground directly on the grass or weeds. Avoid using glossy magazine pages, colorful advertising inserts, or very old newspapers as those may contain lead. A thick layer of organic matter such as compost is added on top. The plants are planted directly into the organic matter and mulched heavily with mulch such as straw. Sometimes the cardboard is omitted and successive layers of organic matter and mulch are added instead. Be careful as to what straw you add to the soil as many straw could contain residual herbicides and pesticides that could harm plant growth. Ask the farmer what type of herbicide they use as some herbicides decompose faster than others. Or test the straw by planting a susceptible plant like beans in a mixture of straw and soil.
With both digging and no dig methods you can also use raised beds. They can be built from wood and filled with topsoil and compost. They offer many benefits such as easier access, faster warming soil, and deeper well drained soil especially in places with poor, waterlogged, or excessively rocky areas. However, building raised beds require more time, effort, and cost than regular open beds.
Once your garden is prepared you can start planting. For our area, in early June you can direct sow beets, chamomile, basil, bok choy, borage, cantaloupe, cilantro, cucumbers, dry beans, fennel, ginger, green beans, melons, kale, leeks, lemon balm, lettuce, mint, okra, peanuts, pumpkins, radishes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, watermelons, winter squash, and zucchini. You can also purchase and plant seedlings of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and all those listed above for direct seeding.
For direct seeding, prepare a seed bed by using a rake or small gardening tool to level the soil, removing any twigs and rocks, and breaking any large clods. Sow the seeds at the spacing written at the seed packet or gardening book. I like to plant one seed per space to save seeds and save time on thinning. An easy trick to sowing seeds is to use seed tape. Seed tapes save time and make neat rows. You can create your own seed tape using toilet paper and a flour/water paste to glue each seed at the correct spacing. Once planted, cover the seeds with soil or compost to achieve the correct depth and keep well watered.
Care for your garden by regularly weeding and watering. It is best to water deeply but less often to encourage deeper roots. Mulching will help reduce weeds and retain moisture. Avoid stepping on cultivated soil to avoid compacting it. Collect and remove slugs. Consider making a fence to protect your garden. The type of fence depends on the wildlife in your area. A simple line and stake may work for deer while a shorter but tighter fence may work for rabbits. Ask your neighbors which wildlife they have had most problems with.
Create a compost pile. Build an at least 3 by 3 foot wooden structure and add kitchen scraps, twigs, and leaf litter. Create several piles for rotation. For smaller spaces consider vermicompost.
Starting a garden in June will also allow you to plant for the cool season in fall. Though you may have only enough time to start a small plot to plant in June, you will have more time to prepare for fall cool season planting which is around July, August, and September. You may also consider extending your season with hoop tunnels, cold frames, and other methods. Check spring and fall planting times for your zip code at https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar.
When you are done harvesting consider planting a cover crop to improve the soil, reduce erosion, and provide food and habitat for wildlife during winter. Fall is also a good time to apply manure to your soil in preparation for spring planting.
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