Now that winter is fading, it’s time to turn our thoughts to spring and vegetable gardens.
There’s planning and plotting to do about what you’re going to grow and where and when you’ll plant it. Preparation of in-ground beds, raised beds and containers is on the list, too. And it’s time to start some seed indoors, sow others in the still-chilly ground and scope out local nurseries and online companies for seedlings we can plant when the weather warms up. (And here you thought February was a slow month!)
In last month’s Gardening 101 webinar, Contra Costa Master Gardener Janet Miller and I scratched the gardening surface, but there’s so much more to tell. So let’s start with the lowdown on how to prepare your soil for planting. (You’ll find links to other gardening topics and to the recorded webinar at the end of this story.)
Location, location, location
Thinking of planting a vegetable garden this year? For spring and summer vegetable gardens, Miller says you’ll need to choose the sunniest spot in your yard. Popular veggies, including tomatoes and peppers, need eight hours of sun a day.
That said, there is such a thing as too much sunshine. If you have a very hot and sunny yard, you may need to protect plants by using shade cloth, a special material that allows a certain percentage of sunlight through to the plants. Don’t use shade cloth that is stronger than 50 percent, Miller says — anything more opaque than that can rob plants of important light.
Shade cloth also can help prevent sun scald or sunburn on tomatoes and peppers.
Prepping beds and containers
Whether you’re planning an expansive in-ground garden, a few raised beds or pots and grow bags, getting the soil ready to receive seeds and seedlings is important. It’s all about encouraging easy-to-cultivate soil — or tilth. Basically, plants like soil that is easy for their roots to move through and rich in the nutrients that will sustain them as they grow and produce.
Gardening trends these days favor the lazy garden. Gone are the days of digging down 24 inches and turning the soil. Rototilling sounds like a great idea in theory, but in reality, it destroys the tilth. In our clay soils, rototilling tends to polish the bottom layer, making it difficult for plant roots and water to penetrate. And microbes living in the soil, which help support your plants, don’t like being disturbed.
Instead, you’ll want to add fertilizer and compost to the top layer of soil and lightly work it in. And, Miller says, you’ll need to keep something growing in your beds year round, even if you only plant a cover crop — plants that help protect the soil from erosion and put nutrients back into the soil. Their roots also help the tilth.
(So does that mean you just wasted money on a rototiller? Yes, yes it does.)
Fertilizer — a garden necessity
Testing your soil once a year or every couple of years will help you identify what nutrients might be lacking in your soil, and help guide your choice of fertilizer.
Steer, horse or chicken manure — which one is best? All manures have advantages. Chicken manure has a higher nitrogen component, so it’s especially good to add to your beds and pots.
Beware any manure that has not been aged. Fresh chicken manure has so much nitrogen, it can actually burn your plants. And know the source. If you get free horse manure from your neighbor, make sure they haven’t been treating the horses for any illness or condition, which can pass into the manure. It’s the same with steer manure. Make sure it comes from cows that aren’t being pumped up with hormones.
Compost, compost, compost
The mantra of gardeners everywhere: Compost your beds and pots.
You can make your own by using a composter or managing compost piles. Non-diseased cuttings from plants and vegetables, kitchen scraps, dried leaves and even shredded newspaper can all go into your compost pile. It’s a slow process but the end product is well worth it. With the nutrients from those cuttings and scraps concentrated in your compost, it will now feed your plants.
The alternative is to buy compost from nurseries, home improvement stores and sanitation districts. When buying compost, read the packaging. You’re looking for diversity of ingredients but no more than 20 percent manure.
Mulch, mulch, mulch
This is the second mantra of gardeners everywhere. Adding a layer of mulch to your beds and pots can help protect the soil from the harsher elements, hold moisture in and feed your plants as the mulch breaks down.
Technically, mulch is anything that covers the soil, including rocks, shredded rubber or even plastic. For gardening, however, pick organic mulches that will decay over time so they have the added benefit of feeding the soil. Wood chips are a popular choice, as is straw — but not hay, which can contain seeds.
Not every plant needs to be mulched, but every plant will benefit from it.
Do grass clippings make good mulch? Sort of, but they tend to break down very quickly, which limits their mulching benefits. If you’ve applied pesticides to your lawn, don’t use those grass clippings as mulch or in your compost.
But wait, there’s more
Find a recording of the last Gardening 101 webinar on our YouTube channel, along with the previous session on growing herbs. Sign up for the next free gardening webinar, which features author and landscape designer Susan Morrison discussing how to create gardens in small spaces on March 11, at www.mercurynews.com/events.
Check out these other Q&As from the Gardening 101 webinar:
