Snow Community News

With the weather being so unpredictable plowing up a garden and planting even potatoes and onions seems risky. However, the neighbors young son as usual has all the answers. He advised we just ask google when to plant our potatoes. I told him sometimes google doesn’t or how to start your garden.

He had a complete plan on when to plow and when to plant each plant that he would want on the kitchen table come harvest time. Locate a space in your yard that gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight and is close to a water source. If needed, fence in the area to protect it from pets and other wildlife. Before planting, make a list of vegetables you’d like to grow. Plant taller crops like beans, corn, and peas on the north side of the garden; this prevents them from shading other crops as they grow. Toward the middle of the garden, scatter varieties of tomatoes and squash. Low crops, like lettuce and onions, should be planted on the south side of the garden bed to get good sun. Set up a garden hose, rain barrel system, or drip irrigation before you start planting your vegetable garden. This makes maintaining your garden a breeze and takes away the stress of lugging a watering can to and from your kitchen sink or hose spout. On average, vegetables need an inch of water per week, so to make sure your garden is getting enough water, keep track of how often it rains in your area. Manually water plants on dry weeks. Adding mulch in between crops conserves water because it reduces surface - tion from the soil. Mulch also helps to reduce weed growth. Water in the morning. This gives your plants the opportunity to start the day fresh, but also to dry night keeps moisture on the foliage, leaving them more susceptible to disease. It’s easy to get excited when but beginners should start small with an easily maintainable garden. Typically, a 10’ by 10’ garden will produce enough vegetables for a family of four. But, try tackling a smaller 4’ by 4’ foot garden. If you have limited space, plant vegetables that will keep providing throughout the season, such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash. Consider raised planting beds in areas with good drainage and air circulation. For the traditional garden look, use a raised bed, but if you’re looking for something that doesn’t require bending down, consider a planter with a height of 3’ to 4’. A taller planter (see above) is perfect for gardening and harvesting while standing up. Hardiness zones account for the dates for a particular area, as well as other weather conditions and average growing process of plants. Reference the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) zone map or the Farmers’ Almanac website to determine which hardiness zone you live in. These resources can also help you determine when the best time is to sow seeds for spring, summer, and fall growing seasons. A quick search of your hardiness zone online can help you determine which vegetable plants will thrive in your climate, and which might not.

If you live in a hardiness zone with a short and wet growing season, consider planting leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach because they don’t require as much exposure to light and prefer cooler temperatures. Ensure success in your vegetable garden by focusing on a few crops you really want to grow (and eat!). Then plan the rest of your garden around those plants. This helps simplify the process of vegetable garden planning. For example, you want your main crops to be tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. You dedicate a garden bed to each crop. With remaining space, you decide you also want to grow lettuce varieties and herbs to pair with these crops (dill, basil, cilantro, etc.). This way, you maximize the potential of your vegetable garden and its use while keeping the setup relatively simple. Did you know that certain vegetables grow better together? You may have heard of the common trio of beans, squash, and corn, but the same goes for other vegetable pairings. Tomatoes grow well when paired with basil, lettuce, and cucumbers, but brassica plants like cabbages would compete too much with the tomato plant for space and nutrients. Be sure to check which of your plants work best together when planning out your vegetable garden beds. Don’t forget the pollinators. Attract pollinating insects to your vegetable plants by pairing cosmos, nasturtiums, or marigolds. Even bolted let - linators to come pollinate your vegetables. Review the seed packet or seedling information to determine how much space each vegetable plant needs in a garden bed to grow and thrive. Take the garden bed above as an example. This garden bed has young seedlings spaced the recommended 6” apart, which leaves a lot of bare soil for the eye to see. You might be tempted to add more seedlings, but it is better to refrain from overcrowding the garden bed. In time, the seedlings garden bed because you gave them the right amount of space to spread their roots and absorb sunlight and nutrients without having to compete with other plants. Regardless of your garden size, vertical growing solutions like trellises are a must. This is especially important if you plan to grow tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, and even other vining plants like squash and pumpkins. Trellises keep vegetable plants like - fruit. Not to mention, a few well-placed trellises can add to the aesthetic appeal of your garden space. Planting your seeds indoors or in a greenhouse gives you a jump start on the season. You can start them on the windowsill of your kitchen. However, greenhouses are a great way to foster plants regardless of the weather – and without taking up valuable square footage in your home. When starting your seeds, plant them in clean containers with soilless peat moss and mix in vermiculite and perlite. This equal parts mixture will allow your plants to get the appropriate amount of water and oxygen to start sprouting. If starting your seedlings in a greenhouse, you may need to provide a heat source or frost coverings for added protection during colder months.

Always follow the directions on the packet of your seeds. Be aware that some seeds need to be soaked, scratched, or chilled before planting. Plant lawhether you’re just starting out or consider yourself a seasoned vegetable gardener. Use plant labels to mark the plant variety and the date you planted it to keep track of its growth. Make sure to label each individual plant in your garden to take away the guesswork altogether. It is important to keep track of each crop and remember the variety you planted. Your taste buds won’t be happy if you mix up cilantro and parsley! Coordinate your plants by usor get crafty and write the names of each on a rock. Regardless of your technique, make sure the placement of your labels is easy to see. As a vegetable gardener, you will accumulate a collection of plastic and terracotta pots, seed trays, soil/fertilizers, gardening tools, and other gardening accessories, so it’s important to have a way to store and organize these items. Ultimately, an organization system will help you enjoy your garden and keep your outdoor space looking pristine. A potting bench/ table comes in a variety of include shelves, drawers, and waterproof cabinets for storage. Some have hooks to hang garden tools and gloves so you can always

Also, the Finley Community normally has a lunch on each Friday at noon. Days that they are not open or only doing take outs will be posted on their Facebook page. Anyone wanting to add to the article needs to turn them in before Friday at 5 p.m. Additions can be emailed to me at: antlers278@gmail. com or call 580-208-0870, Have a blessed week.