GROW YOUR OWN FOOD - 8

What not to do this season

Welcome Back

Today I’ve come up with a list of problems you want to avoid, when you’re planning and preparing your garden. I’ve learned these either through research or from experience, please comment your experience with this list and let me know if you have any to add. Let’s dig in!

1. Don’t crowd your plants

Some plants require more space than others. Especially the type of plants called Cucurbits, these are vine type plants that can take over a small garden very quickly. They include pumpkin, cucumber, squash, watermelon, gourd, and cantaloupe. If you are planning a small garden, you may need to stay away from these types of plants. Here are some suggestions for small spaces.

2. Don’t plant tall plants on the southern side of short plants

Tall plants will block the sun from shorter plants. Plan your garden to allow for the taller plants to be on the north side, allowing the shorter plants to get plenty of sun.

3. Don’t be afraid to build a trellis for your plants

A trellis a structure that plants use to climb. It allows you to grow more plants in a smaller space. Trellis is required for certain “pole style” plants and recommended for most cucurbit varieties. There are many different ways to do a trellis, I’ll cover some different ways to build these in a later post.

4. Don’t forget to weed your garden

Unfortunately, weeds will grow in your row style garden. There are a few measures you can take to minimize weeds, but no matter what, it’s imperative that you keep your new plants weed free for the first several weeks at least until they begin to bear fruit. A few easy ways to reduce weeds is to put down straw, plastic/paper material, or mulch around the plants. Another way to reduce them is to use a tiller in the rows between the plants to tear up the weeds. You will still need to hand pull or hoe closely around the plants to remove the weeds.

5. Don’t plant a garden with out a fence around it

Even if you are planning just a few small raised beds, I recommend building some sort of fencing around the area. You will be surprised what will happen to your garden over the long days of summer. Dogs, cats, chickens, KIDS, squirrels, possums, deer, and many more animals will want to trample through or eat your garden. A simple barrier will not stop everything, but it will deter most of these visitors.

6. Don’t use just any dirt you find in your raised beds

The biggest benefit of raised beds is you can use potting soil, or build your own special soils. This allows you to grow plants in soil that has no weed seeds in it. You will have a much easier time gardening since you won’t have to worry about weeding the garden. Therefore, the last thing you want to do is put regular dirt from somewhere that is filled with weed and grass seeds. You will have tons of weeds coming up and it will be frustrating. Also, be careful where you get your soil from, some people will claim seed free topsoil or garden soil, but it could have pesticides, chemicals, or seeds in it. DYOR and make sure you are using quality soil without seeds!

7. Don’t plant warm crops before the last danger of frost

It may be tempting to start early and get some seeds or seedlings in the ground a little early. Unless you are planting cool weather crops in early spring, fight this urge because if the temps drop one last time before spring and freezes your warm weather plants, they will surely die.

8. Don’t plant seeds or plants without labeling them

When you plant your seeds or seedlings, remember to label them with as much info as you can. This will pay off later when the seeds begin to sprout, you’ll want to know what is what, and this is the easiest way.

9. Don’t give up on your garden too soon

There are two main types of plants, cool weather and warm weather. Warm weather crops do not do well when the temperature starts to drop. The cool weather crops can take lower temperatures. So if you live in zones 7, 8, and 9, you can extend your season by planting cool weather crops in late summer/fall and also planting them in early spring. This way you will have vegetables growing almost year round.

10. Don’t be scared to plant too much

If you end up with an extra large garden, it’s nothing to worry about. Any left overs can be frozen, canned, fed to animals, or given away. You might even be able to sell your extra produce. Here is a guide to help you know how much to grow.

There’s my top 10 list of things to avoid in the garden. Next week we’re building our soil for raised beds.

Until then,

WAGMI

Farmer