Gardening Tips
Planting a vegetable garden; preparing the soil and putting some extra effort into preparing the beds before planting will save a lot of time and effort in the future. Dig the bed up to break up compacted soil (this will help with drainage) and removing rocks and weeds as you go. Try to pull out as much of the weed roots as possible so that they will not come back to haunt you later. This is also a good time to amend your soil.
Companion Plants in the Vegetable Garden There are some plants that, when planted close together, will benefit each other. Likewise, there are certain combinations of plants that will inhibit the growth of one or both types of plants.
Here are a few combinations to avoid:
Potatoes – inhibit growth of tomatoes and squash
Beans – inhibit growth of onions
Broccoli – inhibits growth of tomatoes
Carrots – inhibit growth of dill
This isn’t to say that you can’t grow these plants together in the same garden, just don’t grow them right next to each other.
Watering Vegetables need a bit of extra care when it comes to watering. Consistent watering will produce successful results. If you have a large garden, you may want to consider a soaker hose. This will ensure that your plants get an even watering without getting the leaves wet and all you have to do is remember to turn on the house.
Rotating Crops assuming that you plan to grow vegetables more than one year, it is important that you rotate your crops. Crop rotation prevents building diseases up in the soil and preserves micro-nutrients. Rotating is not very difficult, but does take a little advance planning as well as a basic knowledge of the vegetable families. Vegetables are broken down into basic family groups. These groups should be rotated together as they use soil in similar ways and share similar pests.
Alliums: Onions, Garlic, Scallions, Shallots, and Leeks
Brassicas: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Kale
Crucifers: Turnips, Radishes, Rutabaga, and Collards
Cucurbits: Cucumbers, Squashes (from zucchini to pumpkin), and Melons
Legumes: Peas and Beans
Mescluns: Arugula, Swiss Chard, Chicory, Endive, Escarole, and Radiccio.
Solanaceae: Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant
Perennial vegetables: Asparagus, Rhubarb and Artichokes should not be rotated and therefore should be planted separately.
The rest (most vegetables are hardy or semi-hardy annuals) should be rotated every year on a four-year plan (so that the same family of vegetables is not planted in the same location within four years). This is easy to accommodate if you have planted four beds for your rotating plants and one bed for your non-rotating perennials. See where that advanced planning starts to come in handy?
Raised beds 2”x10”x8’ and cut it down the middle
Pre-drill holes, assemble raised beds. Use exterior deck screws (3 on end) beds for 4’x4’ – use untreated wood 2/3 strips goes in corners to strengthen for the two layers
Add another level for higher – 2”x3” strips goes in corners vertically to strengthen for the two layers
Healthy soil contains the following:
Animal manure (chicken poop, horse poop have the best Ph)
Household waste for organic compost
Worms ariate soil too
House, chicken poop and rabbit poop on top of the beds first. (Use hay with horse poop on it)
Mulching with newspaper and cocoa shell (put newspaper on bottom)
Put fine wire on bottom of 4'x4' raised bed - shallow roots can grow in 12 inches.. longer roots veggies, asparagus, grapes, green pepper plants, berry bushes 24 inches deep would work.
Planting a vegetable garden; preparing the soil and putting some extra effort into preparing the beds before planting will save a lot of time and effort in the future. Dig the bed up to break up compacted soil (this will help with drainage) and removing rocks and weeds as you go. Try to pull out as much of the weed roots as possible so that they will not come back to haunt you later. This is also a good time to amend your soil.
Companion Plants in the Vegetable Garden There are some plants that, when planted close together, will benefit each other. Likewise, there are certain combinations of plants that will inhibit the growth of one or both types of plants.
Here are a few combinations to avoid:
Potatoes – inhibit growth of tomatoes and squash
Beans – inhibit growth of onions
Broccoli – inhibits growth of tomatoes
Carrots – inhibit growth of dill
This isn’t to say that you can’t grow these plants together in the same garden, just don’t grow them right next to each other.
Watering Vegetables need a bit of extra care when it comes to watering. Consistent watering will produce successful results. If you have a large garden, you may want to consider a soaker hose. This will ensure that your plants get an even watering without getting the leaves wet and all you have to do is remember to turn on the house.
Rotating Crops assuming that you plan to grow vegetables more than one year, it is important that you rotate your crops. Crop rotation prevents building diseases up in the soil and preserves micro-nutrients. Rotating is not very difficult, but does take a little advance planning as well as a basic knowledge of the vegetable families. Vegetables are broken down into basic family groups. These groups should be rotated together as they use soil in similar ways and share similar pests.
Alliums: Onions, Garlic, Scallions, Shallots, and Leeks
Brassicas: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Kale
Crucifers: Turnips, Radishes, Rutabaga, and Collards
Cucurbits: Cucumbers, Squashes (from zucchini to pumpkin), and Melons
Legumes: Peas and Beans
Mescluns: Arugula, Swiss Chard, Chicory, Endive, Escarole, and Radiccio.
Solanaceae: Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant
Perennial vegetables: Asparagus, Rhubarb and Artichokes should not be rotated and therefore should be planted separately.
The rest (most vegetables are hardy or semi-hardy annuals) should be rotated every year on a four-year plan (so that the same family of vegetables is not planted in the same location within four years). This is easy to accommodate if you have planted four beds for your rotating plants and one bed for your non-rotating perennials. See where that advanced planning starts to come in handy?
Raised beds 2”x10”x8’ and cut it down the middle
Pre-drill holes, assemble raised beds. Use exterior deck screws (3 on end) beds for 4’x4’ – use untreated wood 2/3 strips goes in corners to strengthen for the two layers
Add another level for higher – 2”x3” strips goes in corners vertically to strengthen for the two layers
Healthy soil contains the following:
Animal manure (chicken poop, horse poop have the best Ph)
Household waste for organic compost
Worms ariate soil too
House, chicken poop and rabbit poop on top of the beds first. (Use hay with horse poop on it)
Mulching with newspaper and cocoa shell (put newspaper on bottom)
Put fine wire on bottom of 4'x4' raised bed - shallow roots can grow in 12 inches.. longer roots veggies, asparagus, grapes, green pepper plants, berry bushes 24 inches deep would work.
Last edited by Carol on Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:29 am; edited 1 time in total
