“… a handy guide for anyone
interested in growing vegetables!”
You don’t
have to grow organic, but we can’t deny it’s a beautiful thing when the plants
you love just love you right back. Planet Natural has
developed this vegetable gardening guide to answer your biggest questions, no
matter how you choose to tend your crop. Enjoy!
Why organic?
What’s all
the fuss about organic produce? When you see it stacked and misted on in the
produce section, it all looks about the same. I never understood the hype.Then
one day, a box full of fresh-from-the-farm veggies was loaded into my arms. An
organic farm just 30 minutes away from my door was selling shares of their
crops, and I signed up for a weekly delivery. I didn’t realize I’d stepped into
the flourishing world of Community Supported Agriculture that’s changing the face of farming today.
But my taste buds
weren’t interested in a movement. They were hooked on the taste. I couldn’t
believe the flavor bursting from mild-mannered zucchini and lowly carrots. The
stuff languishing in the store just couldn’t compare.Why hadn’t anyone told me
that food – vegetables, for crying out loud! – could be this fabulous?
From:http://www.planetnatural.com/vegetable-gardening-guru/
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Building Soil
The earth neither grows old or wears out if it is dunged. – Columella, circa 45 A.D If you want to improve
your soil and make it more
suitable for your vegetable garden, you first have to figure out what you’re dealing
with. Is your soil sandy or clay-based? Is it too acidic or too alkaline? The
way to answer these questions is to have your soil tested. There are
do-it-yourself tests you can purchase or you can hire a private soil testing
laboratory or your local cooperative extension office to test it. Not only will
the professional soil tester tell you the composition of your soil, but the lab
will usually be able to make recommendations on how to improve it.
In addition to measuring the pH level of your soil — how acidic or alkaline it
is — tests also look at how much calcium, organic matter, magnesium, nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, sodium , sulfur and trace minerals it contains.
When it comes to the pH scale, neutral refers to
soil with a pH of 7.0. Anything above a 7.0 is considered alkaline and anything
below a 7.0 is considered acidic. Most plants prefer slightly acidic to neutral
soil (from 6.0 to 7.0).
If your soil is too acidic, you need to add
alkaline material, such as ground limestone. For soil that is too alkaline, you
need to add something that is acidic. Most gardeners use elemental sulfur
(see How To Change Your Soil’s pH).
Once you’ve corrected the pH of your soil, you’ll also probably want to
add organic matter. According to the University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension, “an ideal soil would have equal parts of sand (0.02 to 2.0
millimeters), silt (0.002 to 0.02 millimeters) and clay (0 to 0.002
millimeters) and contain about 5 percent organic matter.”
Also aerate your soil. Dig down 10 to 12 inches
and turn the soil over. You can do this with a spade or a garden fork. The
University of Georgia recommends digging a trench 1-foot-deep on one side of
your garden. Push the soil from that trench to the outer boundary. Then dig
another ditch right next to it and fill in the first ditch with the dirt from
the second ditch. Proceed across the garden. You can also use a tractor-mounted
plow or a Rototiller set to the deepest depth. While you’re turning over the
soil, add organic matter so it gets down to the root level of the plants, so
your vegetables can have access to the nutrients that you are adding.
How much organic matter you will have to add depends on your
soil’s composition, the size of your garden and your climate. For example,
sandy soils in warmer climates may need as much as 2,300 to 4,600 pounds per
1,000 square feet, according to the University of Georgia. Heavier soils in
cooler climates with less rainfall may need as little as 200 pounds per 1,000
square feet.
You’ll want to fertilize your garden plot twice if you can: once before
planting and then again in the middle of your growing season. For mid-season
fertilizing, it’s easiest to do what’s known as “side dressing,” which means
adding dry fertilizers, compost or other organic soil amendments to the side of your plants. To side dress, you dig a narrow
furrow one to three inches deep at the plant’s drip line or six inches from the
plant base, whichever is greater. You then sprinkle the amendment into the
furrow and cover it up with soil.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Care & Maintenance
You’ve done it. Your garden is now
planted and beginning to grow… but you’re work is far from done. Now it’s time
for the watering, staking, mulching and overall general garden care to begin.
On this page, I’ve put together information that will ensure your garden is a
huge success through out the entire growing season. I’ve also provided tips and
techniques for extending your harvest when the weather turns cold.
Watering
Although it’s a simple fact that plants need
water, watering itself can be a little tricky. Consistent watering will produce
the best results. You may also want to consider drip irrigation or a soaker
hose, especially if you have
a large garden. This can save up to 60% of the water used by sprinkler systems
and will ensure that your plants are watered without getting their leaves wet,
which will help prevent disease problems.
You’ll know if you’ve over watered if the soil around the plant
stem is soaked. Mold or moss growing on the top of your soil is another dead
giveaway as is plants with wilting, yellowing or dead leaf margins.
Too little water has a
different set of symptoms: wilting of plants, brown or dead leaves, stunted
growth (see Watering
Guidelines).
Besides direct observation, you can also purchase a moisture
meter to help measure
whether roots are too wet or too dry.
If you’re watering newly planted seeds,
be careful to gently sprinkle water on them. Don’t use a torrent from a hose or
a bucket that has enough force to mistakenly.
From:http://www.planetnatural.com/vegetable-gardening-guru/care-maintenance/ash
away seeds or cause them to clump together.
0 ความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น