You can start planning a veggie garden now
Have you resolved to eat better in 2020? Growing your own food is one of the best ways to achieve that goal. Your backyard can yield the freshest food, free from pesticides and tailored to your palate. The best time to plan a vegetable garden is now, so you’re ready to plant this spring.
Begin with a garden journal. Answer the following questions:
• How much space do you have?
• How much time do you have to commit to a garden?
• How many months of the year would you like to garden? You could garden from February and continue to harvest into December!
• What vegetables do you like to eat?
• How much food do you want to grow?
Once you’ve determined your goals, explore your site options. Sun exposure is key; heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers need at least six hours of sun in midsummer, but 8-10 hours is ideal. Greens, brassicas and some root crops need 4-6 hours of sun and some grow even better in light shade. Cool season crops like these grow best in spring and fall.
Obtain a soil test, which measures the quantity of available nutrients and helps you determine the amount and type of fertilizer that will be needed. The test will also measure the pH; most vegetables grow best in a range from 6.8 to 7.2. This is important because if the pH is too low, plants cannot absorb nutrients from the soil. Test results will show how much lime is needed to raise the pH. For a new garden, testing for organic matter is a good idea. It gives you a starting point for adding fertilizer and additional organic matter. Soil tests can be obtained from your local extension office or nurseries and garden centers. To learn more and request a soil kit, go to https://extension.psu.edu/soil-testing.
Know the history of the site. If it included an older building with the potential for lead paint, be sure to check for lead with the soil test. Lead testing is also done by Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory and is detailed in the link above. Sites where a building once stood might have deeply compacted soil, requiring extra effort in site preparation. Be aware of any underground obstructions. What grows on the site now? After heavy rainfall, locate areas that remain damp for days. Check the soil structure for clay and shale. Will you need to protect the area from deer or other garden pests? Do you have access to water nearby? All are correctable issues, but advance consideration of these
issues is important.
As with most new projects, it is best to start small. As you gain experience, you can increase the size and variety of your garden. For the first season, you may want to purchase tomato, pepper, okra and other seedlings at your local garden center or nursery. But you can also grow these and many other crops from seed, starting six to 10 weeks ahead of planting outdoors.
Now is the perfect time to order a seed catalog. Most provide helpful growing information and can be a season-long reference. As you gain experience, try some unusual vegetables or specific varieties that pique your interest.
Soil and air temperature are important in determining the best time to sow seeds or transplant seedlings into the garden. Planting seeds before soil reaches the right temperature will delay or decrease germination. Tomatoes, peppers and okra prefer night-time temperatures 50 degrees or higher. Planting too soon stresses these heat-loving vegetables. Information on “days to maturity” is helpful in knowing when to harvest your crop and plan for successive plantings to keep the garden producing over a longer period of time. Books, websites and catalogs include charts detailing this information.
Penn State Master Gardeners can help you get started. Follow us on social media for updates on workshops and locations where we are growing vegetables. Our Facebook page is Penn State Master Gardeners of Allegheny County and via Instagram @AlleghenyMG. Also check out our Edible Teaching Garden at 400 N. Lexington Ave., Point Breeze (15208). We begin working in the garden on Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings in late May.
Sources
Planting guidelines: extension.psu.edu/vegetableplanting-and-transplantingguide Garden Hotline: extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/allegheny/hotline To buy our Master Gardener Manual: extension.psu.edu/master-gardener-manual
Seed catalogs
Fedco Seeds: www.fedcoseeds.com Johnny’s Selected Seeds: www.johnnyseeds.com
Barbara Kline is a Penn State Master Gardener. This volunteer program supports the outreach mission of Penn State Extension and provides research-based information on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship. Information: alleghenymg@psu.edu or 412-4823476.