Since this is National Garden Month, I want to share information about how to start a garden.
how to start
to gardenLook at the area where you want to put your garden. Observe the area for a period of time before doing anything. Observe the sun and shade and anything that will obstruct sun from reaching plants in the area. Shadow patterns change with the seasons — observe this and make notes of the changes. Most vegetable plants require six to eight hours of full sunlight a day to produce fruit like tomatoes and corn, but root and leafy crops, like carrots, turnips, beets, leaf lettuce, spinach, etc., can tolerate some shade.
If possible, avoid planting under trees or on the north side of a tall building. If you plant tall and short plants in the same garden close together, put the tall plants on the north side so they don’t cast a shadow on the shorter plants next to them.
Observe whether rain runs off or if it collects in that area. If water collects in the area, you can set up a raised bed or add materials like gravel, sand and organic matter to help dry out the area. I built lasagna gardens in my yard and have had good success with them. For more information on lasagna gardens, go to https://www.oprah.com/home/lasagna-gardening-101/all. Patricia Lanza wrote the “Lasagna Gardening” book on this Layering System for gardens. Or visit http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm.
Water is the most important component in dealing with a garden, and you need access to water if it doesn’t rain. Using a layer of mulch around plants helps conserve soil moisture and reduces the need for additional water while discouraging the growth of weeds. You need to make sure that water is able to move through the mulch layer into the root zone of the plants.
Preparing the seedbedSoil should be worked when it is moist but not wet. Work soil about 6-10 inches deep, depending on your topsoil. You do not want to bring subsoil to the surface.
The ideal soil is a loamy soil, the texture is not too light (sand) or too heavy (clay). Most soils in our area tend to be on the clay side, so adding organic matter is an important step in the garden process. Organic matter such as humus, compost or well-rotted manure helps make heavy soils more crumbly, improving water infiltration and root penetration. It also serves as a filler to increase the number of large pore spaces in the soil.
Do a soil test to find out what your garden needs before adding fertilizers or lime. It is important to know the soil pH. While there are exceptions, most vegetables flourish in a pH range of 5.5-6.5. Outside this range, plants cannot access many of the soil’s nutrients, even if they are present.
Tools and equipment It doesn’t take a lot of fancy tools and equipment to have a successful garden. All that is needed is a hand trowel for transplanting and roughing up the soil; a hoe for digging weeds and making furrows to plant into; a rake for smoothing out soil after planting and preparing seed beds; a spade or spading fork for turning the soil; a yardstick, twine and stakes for spacing plants, straight lines and marking plants.
what and where
to plantKeep these points in mind when choosing which vegetables to plant:
• Choose vegetables you and your family like to eat.
• Select varieties that do well in your growing area.
• Some crops, like corn, have short harvest periods, so you can make several successive plantings or choose several varieties to stagger harvests. Planting 2 weeks apart in spring results in about one week’s difference in harvest time in summer.
• If some of your crops have short growing seasons, you may want to plant another crop after harvesting the first. Consult a planting chart for appropriate planting dates (see, for example the West Virginia University Garden Calendar).
• To discourage certain soilborne pests, avoid planting the same crop, or crops, from the same plant family, in the same place two years in a row.
• When planting perennials, put them in one corner of the garden so that they won’t be disturbed by the more frequent cultivation required by annual vegetables.
• Most of all enjoy gardening and take time to smell the flowers.
If you don’t have an area of soil that you can garden, you can always grow plants in containers. I grow plants in the ground and also in containers. It’s not too late to start a garden this year. Actually, it’s still early for plants like tomatoes, squash, cucumber, etc. Now is the time to plant cole crops like: Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, broccoli, turnip and water cress. You can buy transplants to plant directly into your garden. You might find that you learn a lot by gardening, and it’s very rewarding having food that you grew yourself.
10 reasons to start
to garden1. Gardening is delicious. Homegrown produce, especially juicy tomatoes and fresh basil, are usually tastier than when store-bought. Plant what your family likes to eat and enjoy the rave reviews.
two. Gardening is good exercise. Pulling weeds, digging holes and hauling dirt burns calories comparable to brisk walking. It also challenges and tones both lower and upper body muscles.
3. Gardening is good for children. They can learn the science of seeds and plants. They can learn planning and researching skills by deciding what and where to plant and what each plant’s water, sun and nutrition needs are. They are also motivated to eat healthier foods. This whole process teaches patience in today’s era of immediate gratification.
Four. Gardening relieves stress. The emotional benefits of gardening are so well known that horticulture therapy has sprung up: horticulture therapists prescribe gardening to help people sleep better, reduce anxiety and boost mood levels.
5. Gardening helps you prepare for potential food shortages. During these days of extreme economic uncertainty and worldwide crop shortages, planting your own food supply could be crucial for your family’s survival.
6. Gardening is easier than you think. Just like learning to drive, going to college or having children, gardening can be overwhelming at first, but once you go up the learning curve, it becomes much easier.
7. Gardening makes it easy to eat organic. By avoiding pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it is simple to grow organic food.
8. Gardening makes it easy to eat locally. Harvesting sweet bell peppers from your backyard uses no fuel to transport the finished product to your kitchen. This is quite different than store-bought peppers that traveled from Canada, Holland or Israel.
9. Gardening may be cheaper than store-bought. After some initial investment in tools, seeds and soil amendments, the cost of homegrown produce is often cheaper than store-bought. By composting scraps to make your own fertilizer, subsequent year costs can be limited to new seeds and seedlings. And by learning the art of saving seed, this cost can also be avoided.
10. Gardening has withstood the test of time. For its history, mankind has depended on gardening to sustain itself; the decline of growing one’s own food has paralleled the decline of our nation’s health and overall welfare.
Source for 10 Reasons list: Natural News http://www.naturalnews.com/032106_National_Gardening_Month_April.html.
A good guide for when to plant various plants is by using the WVU Extension Service 2022 Garden Calendar. The Garden calendar can be found online at: https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/garden-calendar.
Be on the lookout for Spotted Lanternfly egg massesSpotted Lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) threaten outdoor businesses and quality of life as well as grapes and other valuable crops like peaches, apples, cherries and other important trees. Spotted Lanternfly prefers Tree of Heaven as its host.
Since spring is here, walk your yard, gardens or land before spring hatch and scrape egg masses. Kill every bug. Check your vehicles before traveling to ensure you’re not transporting them to a new area. We know the Spotted Lanternflies are in our area.
Adult lanternflies do not survive the winter months. However, last season’s insects have laid eggs on outdoor surfaces in masses of 30-60 eggs, each covered with a mud- or putty-like protective coating. Finding and destroying egg masses now will prevent their hatch and reduce their spread this season.
When you find Spotted Lanternfly egg masses and/or insects, please report them to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture by calling 304-558-2212 or submit a picture and location information to bugbusters@wvda.us.
When the department receives reports of lanternflies, inspectors confirm the presence of the insect, then survey the area to determine whether it was an isolated insect or a more extensive population. Working with property owners, inspectors treat areas that pose a high risk of spreading the insect.
You can help stop this bad bug by learning more about it and contacting WVDA if you suspect an infestation. For more information go to: https://agriculture.wv.gov/divisions/plant-industries/spotted-lanternfly/.
Until next time… Happy Spring, Gardening and Farming!
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Mary Beth Bennett, Ph.D. is a WVU Extension agent and associate professor. She can be reached at 264-1936, MBBennett@mail.wvu.edu or on the web at http://extension.wvu.edu/berkeley
WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer — Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran
Mary Beth Bennett
400 West Stephen Street, Suite 302
Martinsburg, WV 25401
.