Sustainable Vegetable Gardening II Garden Planning and Basic Sustainable Practices Presented by Jean Meink, Jannell Bryant, Amye Foelsch, Don Peschka, Thomas Bolles Housekeeping Recap • Evaluations • Asking Questions • Presentations & Handouts • www.mgpw.org/index.php/gardening-information/sustainable-vegetable-garden-series- class-notes • Videos • www.mgpw.org/index.php/gardening-information/resources • Double-Digging, Simple Fencing Example for Raised Beds, Turning a Compost Pile • Compost Publications: • pubs.ext.vt.edu/HORT/HORT-49/HORT-49-PDF.pdf • pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-703/426-703_pdf.pdf • pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-005/442-005_pdf.pdf (Vermiculture) • Prince William County Compost • www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/publicworks/trash/Pages/Compost.aspx • Call 703-335-8181 for pricing • Companion Planting: Basic Concepts & Resources (ATTRA) • attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=72 2 Questions from SVG1 • We have a lot of crabgrass and weeds, is that a problem using the clippings in the garden? Possibly • What’s the best way to get rid of Bermuda grass? Repeated applications of Glyphosate to start a new bed; hand pull invaders creeping into an established bed • Can I use vinegar as a spray to stop bugs on my plants? No – vinegar can harm your plants • Can I use egg shells to plant starters? No. • Can you recommend something to buy to test your own soil? Lab tests are much more reliable. 3 Questions from SVG1 • When buying seeds are there certain ones better than others – i.e. organic? Depends on what “better” is. • How do I keep bunnies out of my plants? Fencing • Small scale composting tumblers vs. bins – tumblers are less efficient – worms might be a better option • Vermiculture – VCE Pub & lots of good books, see Brenda • How did the chickpeas grow? They did alright– the squirrels seemed to enjoy them 4 Questions from SVG1 • More detail on raised beds and orientation to the sun – orient so that you get as much sun for as much of the day as possible, an E-W orientation is more common than N-S • Growing Wheat for Bread – Pub 424-024 Bread Wheat in VA • Starting seeds – more of an advanced topic, see SVG 2 presentation from 2015 on MGPW.org • More information on smaller suburban gardens – Principles in this class series apply to all gardens • More detail on starting in the spring – we get into that today 6 Planning Your Garden – What to Plant and When • Plant Families and Crop Rotation • Vegetable Planting Calendar and Succession Planting • Garden Journaling 7 Vegetable Families • Legumes * • Alliums • beans, peas • onions, garlic, shallot • Crucifers * • broccoli, radish • Chenopods • Cucurbits * • spinach, beet, chard • cucs, squash • Composites * • Solanaceous * • lettuce, artichoke, • tomato, pepper endive, greens • Umbels • Grasses * • carrot, parsnip, cilantro, dill • corn, cover crop grains * Rotate every year, 3-4 year cycle 8 Legumes Characteristics Members • Fixes Nitrogen in Soil • Peas Stimulates beneficial soil Cowpeas • • organisms • Snap beans • Dry beans • Uses Phosphorus and Manganese • Soybeans • Clovers • Follow a “heavy feeder” • Vetches - Tomatoes • Fava beans - Corn • Winter peas • Alfalfa Crucifers/Brassicas Members Characteristics • Broccoli • Prone to Club Root disease Cabbage • Pests: Cabbage Loopers, Cauliflower • • Imported Cabbage Worms, Collards • Harlequin bugs • Brussels sprouts • Kale • Good Cover Crop for • Mustard Nematode control • Chinese cabbage • Radishes and Mustards are • Radish good early trap crops • Rutabaga • Cool Season • Turnips Curcurbits Members Characteristics • Cucumber • Pests: Squash bugs, • Squash Squash Borers, • Melon Cucumber Beetles • Gourd (spotted and striped) • Pumpkin • Diseases: Bacterial Wilt (mainly cucs and melons) • Generally warm season Solanaceous Members Characteristics • Tomato • Heavy N feeders – follow • Pepper legumes? • Eggplant • Pests • Tomatoes: Horned Worm? • Potato • Potatoes: Colorado Potato • Tomatillo Beetle • Tomatillos & Eggplants: Flea Beetles • Diseases – Blights, Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Root Knot Nematodes Grasses • Corn • Cover grains • Wheat • Barley • Oats • Rye Corn, dent: Bloody Butcher, VA heirloom 13 Composites • Lettuce • Endive • Jerusalem artichoke • Sunflower • Artichoke Chenopods • Spinach • Beets • Chard • Quinoa • Lambs Quarters 15 Alliums • Onions • Garlic • Chives • Shallots • Leeks 16 Umbels • Carrots • Parsnips • Parsley • Celery • Celeriac • Cilantro • Dill • Fennel 17 Crop Rotation • One of agriculture’s oldest cultural practices • Change planting location of vegetables within the garden each season. • Benefits: • Interrupts disease cycles • Keeps insect numbers low • Prevents depletion of nutrients, helps manage soil fertility • Soil microorganisms benefit the MOST from crop rotation Penn State Rotation Corn Peas Squash Beans Pumpkins SWEET POTATOES Greens Nightshades Cabbage Tomatoes Broccoli Peppers Lettuce Potatoes Small Scale Garden Options • Grow one family per year • Use a Soil Balancing Rotation • Heavy Feeders – Tomatoes, Corn, Leafy crops • deplete Nitrogen (N) & Phosphorus (P) • Root Veggies are light Feeders • Beans add N but use P • Use Succession Planting • Use Cover Crops to deter pests and improve soil Vegetable Planting Calendar 21 “Days to Maturity” on Seed Labels • Occasionally this means the average number of days after germination • Usually means the average number of days from planting to the first harvestable veg • If you plant Cabernet (22d) radishes on 3/1, you can expect they will be harvestable on 3/23 • If you plant Amy’s Apricot (74d) tomatoes on 3/1, you can expect your 1st ripe tomatoes on 5/14 • Remember “maturity” is relative in some plants – is a pepper mature at green, red or purple stage? 22 “Days to Maturity” on Seed Labels • Can vary from what’s listed on the seed pack due to: • Transplant shock • Soil temperature at planting/transplanting • Air temperature • Solar exposure • Rainfall • Fertility • For information on how to tell if common veggies are ready to pick see: www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/pdf/hgic1262.pdf 23 Planting Calendar (partial) P = plant in garden: seeds or seedlings H = harvest * = start indoors (Timing is on the back page of the calendar) Month March April May June Date 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 Crop Turnips P H Potatoes P H Beets P H Cabbage* P H Carrots P H Lettuce, bibb P H Lettuce, leaf P H Broccoli* P H Brussels sprouts* P H Cauliflower* P H Beans, bush P P&H Beans, pole P Corn, sweet P P&H Cucumbers P P&H Eggplant* P 24 Planting Calendar - Brassicas Month March April May June Date 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 Radish P P&H H Turnips P H Broccoli* P H Cabbage* P H Radish Plant from 1 March through mid-April Harvest mid-March through early June Turnip Plant in March Harvest from April until early June Cabbage Start seeds 1 February through mid-March Plant seedlings mid-March through the end of April Harvest mid-May through early July Broccoli Start seeds mid-February through mid-March Plant seedlings late March through early May Harvest June through early July Source: BonniePlants.com Remember Weather, local micro-climate and variety can all effect these dates 25 Succession Planting - Seasonal • Getting the most out of each bed • 4 Beds – By Family March April May June July August September October November December January February 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 9 19 29 8 18 28 7 17 27 7 17 27 9 19 29 8 18 28 7 17 27 7 17 27 Garden Peas Bush Beans Cover Crops – Rye/Clover Brassicas Cover Crops - Buckwheat Brassicas Rye/Daikon(?) Rye/Clover Sweet Corn Rye/Clover Rye/Clover Tomatoes and Peppers Clover/Diakon/Rye • 1 Bed mixed families: March April May June July August September October November December January February 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 9 19 29 8 18 28 7 17 27 7 17 27 9 19 29 8 18 28 7 17 27 7 17 27 Brassicas and Lettuce Tomatoes, Peppers, Beans Spinach/Turnips Turnips/Rye 26 Succession Planting – Relaying I • Plant a row of a single cultivar each week March-April to harvest radishes weekly from mid-March to early June • Plant Cherry Belle every week from early March to mid-April Month March April May June Date 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 Crop Radish P P&H H 27 Week 1 Mulch or Cover Crop 28 Week 2 Mulch or Cover Crop 29 Week 3 Mulch or Cover Crop 30 Week 4 31 Week 5 32 Week 6 33 Week 7 Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop 34 Week 8 Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop 35 Week 9 Mulch/Cover Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop Crop/Next Crop 36 Succession Planting – Relaying II • Plant several varieties with different maturity dates at the same time 1. Cabernet 22d 2. Cherry Belle 20-30d 3. Mino Early 40d 4. Minowase 45d 5. Watermelon 50-60d 6. Okhura 65-70d 7. Giant White 70d Month March April May June Date 1 11 21 31 10 20 30 10 20 30 9 19 29 Crop Radish P 1,2 2 3,4 5 5 6 6,7 37 Week 1 38 Week 2 39 Week 3 40 Week 4 41 Week 5 Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop 42 Week 6 Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop 43 Week 7 Mulch/Cover Crop/Next Crop 44 Succession Plus Crop Rotation For a larger garden that can rotate families through multiple beds For a smaller garden that has to mix families in a single bed 45 Garden Journals 46 IPM: Integrated Pest Management • Ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage and minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms and the environment. • Use Cultural Practices that Encourage Healthy Plants • Monitor for Problems • ID Pest/Cause • Determine if Treatment is Really Needed • Select Control Strategy Starting with Controls that Minimize Health and Environmental Risks 48 Managing Insects Goal: encourage the good bugs, control the bad ones without the use of harmful insecticides • Before planting, gain an understanding of the pest (bad bug), and the beneficial organism (good bug) associated with crop • Correctly identify adult pests and beneficial insects • Correctly identify immature life stages such as eggs, nymphs & larvae • Learn and look for the signs and symptoms Pests are more effectively controlled when their numbers are low.