Growing Guide A comprehensive growing guide for seeds, bulbs, roses, shrubs, trees, plants & berries mended to add 2-4” laYer of organic matter and then incorporate bY miXing to a 6-8” depth. For some home gardeners, large amoUnts of compost or eVen manUre STARTING SEEDS maY not be readilY aVailable. Some alternatiVes Which can be pUrchased at garden centers inclUde peat moss, com - posted sheep or cattle manUre, topsoil and compost. The best Use of space in the garden is to prepare raised beds Which are UsUallY 3-4 feet Wide and can be anY length. The Width is important becaUse of the bending and stretching YoU Will haVe to do to Work in the garden. Raised beds haVe other benefits as Well. The soil Warms Up faster, has better drainage and has a deeper tilth for groWing root crops like carrots and potatoes. Fertilizers Garden fertiliZers come in all tYpes, inclUding organic and inorganic. Organic fertiliZers come from a natUral soUrce like bone meal or green sand. These fertiliZers release the nUtrients sloWlY oVer a long period of time and often con - tain manY micro-nUtrients essential for plant groWth. Inorganic fertiliZers are manUfactUred, proVide a qUick boost to the plant and maY or maY not haVe anY micro- nUtrients in their makeUp. HoWeVer, both tYpes of fertiliZ - Use, be sUre to dilUte to half the strength for the first feW er can Work in the garden soil as long as theY are applied feedings and then gradUallY Work Up to fUll strength. Feed according to instrUctions so as to preVent a toXicitY or defi - plants WeeklY. ciencY in the soil. Compost has some nUtritional ValUe bUt Starting Indoors temperatUre is generallY Warmer than the soil tempera - is primarilY Used to add organic matter, improVing the tUre, and is not sUfficient enoUgh to Warm the soil. For Watering: When Watering neW seedlings it is VerY impor - strUctUre and qUalitY of anY soil. It is important to first determine When and Which seeds best resUlts trY Using a propagation mat, heating cable or tant to folloW some simple gUidelines to aVoid the spread need to be started indoors. Check packages or this plant - hotbed. A reallY Warm room, sUch as a fUrnace room, maY of diseases that can attack and destroY neWlY emerging LiqUid fertiliZers are Used as a sUpplement food for plants ing gUide for groWing instrUctions. Once YoU haVe deter - be sUitable, depending on the seed. plants. The most common disease is knoW as “damping dUring the groWing season. Most plants benefit from reg - mined What plants YoU need to start inside, YoU can then off” Which can attack a seed before it germinates bUt is Ular feedings of a Water solUble fertiliZer sUch as think of the pots, containers, soil and amoUnt of room YoU Soil moisture is eqUallY as important as temperatUre. The best recogniZed as rot at the base of the plant caUsing RaingroW ® organic fertiliZer, compost tea or a granUlar are going to need to get groWing! seed needs Water to help soften the seed coat and stimU - irreparable Wilt. The folloWing instrUctions Will help YoU tYpe like Plant Prod 20-20-20. FolloW instrUctions for the late root deVelopment. Once the root has penetrated into Soil maintain a healthY crop bY proViding a disease resistant freqUencY of feeding. Tip: Epsom salts are made up of a the soil, the YoUng seedling emerges from the soil groWing enVironment. magnesium compound; plants use magnesium to help When starting seeds indoors, a soilless, pre-miXed groW - toWards the light. If the soil is alloWed to drY dUring this ing mediUm is the most conVenient to Use. Soilless miXes take up other essential nutrients such as nitrogen. process, the germination Will be delaYed or, in most cases, DO: Use sterile, Well-draining soil and containers. SteriliZe are generallY made Up of peat, perlite (improVes drainage) ended. To keep the soil moist, miX the groWing mediUm and VermicUlite (aids in Water retention) along With some old containers in a VerY mild bleach solUtion. Use fresh, With Water, enoUgh so that if a handfUl is sqUeeZed, a pH neUtral soil. Use containers With proper drainage holes CONTENTS nUtrients. These miXes are, for the most part, free from small dribble of Water Will rUn oUt. After miXing, soW YoUr disease, insects and Weed seeds. and Water plants from the bottom. ProVide good air circU - seeds accordinglY and then coVer the containers With lation at all times. Sprinkle a thin laYer of sand or perlite Sowing clear plastic; this can be anYthing from freeZer bags, plas - on sUrface to keep stems drY at the base bY absorbing tic Wrap, or the clear domes Which come With some of the Seed Starting ........................... 2-4 FolloW the instrUctions on the back of the package or in eXcess moistUre. large holding traYs. Using the plastic coVering Will help to this planting gUide. Some large seeds, sUch as Watermel - AVOID: Acidic soil. Watering from the top. Transplanting keep the moistUre and hUmiditY in the soil. If YoU find the on or sqUash seeds can be seeded directlY into the pot or taking cUttings When soil is Wet. EXcess Watering. Vegetable Seed ...................... 5-13 soil dries oUt dUe to the constant heat, Use a Water bottle Where theY Will groW Until transplanting oUtdoors. Small Letting the soil drY oUt completelY. High hUmiditY. OVer Which Will proVide a fine mist or Watering can With a gen - seeds can be scattered thinlY oVer soil sUrface. After ger - croWding of seedlings. CroWns that are beloW soil leVel. tle noZZle, so as not to distUrb or bUrY the seed deeper. Herb Seed ............................. 15-16 mination, the tinY seedlings can be separated and trans - After germination, be sUre to remoVe the plastic and place planted into larger containers. Light leVels dUring germi - plants Under groW lights in a bright, soUth-facing WindoW. nation can be important With some floWer seed Varieites. Moving Outdoors FloWers Seed ........................ 17-27 For eXample petUnias and impatiens seed shoUld not be Most Vegetables and floWers reqUire at least 8 hoUrs of coVered With soil and reqUire light to sproUt. Some seeds, After Germination light each daY. This light shoUld be the morning sUn from Lighting is critical When starting plants indoors. WithoUt Roses & ShrUbs ................... 28-39 sUch as pansies and geraniUms, reqUire total darkness. In sUnrise till noon, as this is the time of daY When plants pUt sUfficient light, the plants Will become tall and leggY, that case, coVer the flat or container With black plastic and on the most groWth. A fUll sUn area With a good soUthern Which in tUrn Will make them prone to bending and break - check eVerYdaY. As soon as seedlings are Visible remoVe eXposUre is ideal. Select a site Which is close to the garden Hardiness Zone Map ........... 34-35 ing. When groWing plants indoors, make sUre YoU haVe at plastic and place the flat in bright light. Most plants can be shed or barn, a Water soUrce and one that is not too far least a bright soUth facing WindoW along With an groWn in fiber packs With 4-8 seedlings per pack, depend - from the hoUse. Starter Plants ....................... 40-41 ing on the plant. Some Vegetables, sUch as lettUce and the adjUstable flUorescent light sUspended from the ceiling, or cabbage familY, can be soWn directlY in 1” cells With one Use a table top or shelf stYle of lighting stand to hang oVer Preparing the Garden plant per cell. GroWing in cell packs helps to eliminate root the seedlings. YoUng seedlings Will reqUire 16 hoUrs of Getting the garden soil prepared is one of the most impor - Ornamental Grasses ........... 42-43 distUrbance at the time of transplanting. light and the plants mUst be 3-4” from the lights at all tant chores of gardening. This planting gUide makes refer - times for proper groWth. Feeding plants, Whether theY are ence to adding organic matter, either in the form of com - FrUits & Berries ................... 44-46 Soil temperature refers to the ideal temperatUre reqUired in the garden or groWing as transplants indoors, is impor - post or Well rotted manUre, to the garden prior to planting. to initiate germination. Most seeds germinate at a soil tant. YoU Will need to start fertiliZing YoUng seedlings With Organic matter helps to loosen or flUff Up the soil to alloW temperatUre of 18-22˚C. Keeping the temperatUre Within a mild or small dose of a balanced fertiliZer. Some fertiliZ - for better Water and air moVements, attracts beneficial soil BUlbs & Perennial Roots ..... 47-67 this range can be hard, especiallY for seeds like peppers, ers inclUde fish emUlsion, compost tea and blended fertil - organisms sUch as Worms and bacteria and sUpplies a Which take more than a Week to germinate. RegUlar air iZers sUch as 20-20-20 or 15-30-15. WhicheVer fertiliZer YoU sloW release soUrce of essential nUtrients. It is recom - 2 3 With shredded bark mUlch no thicker than 2”. Keep mUlch aWaY from stems and croWns to preVent rotting. A Winter mUlch can be applied to protect neWlY planted or tender perennials. GROWING VEGETABLES Artichokes (Asparagus officinalis) With Well rotted manUre, compost or a Well balanced sYn - Backyard Composting thetic fertiliZer Worked into the sUrface of the soil. Use Composting Will bring manY reWards to both YoU and Planting: Artichokes need to be started indoors 8 to 10 Weeks before last frost. Plant in 3 ½ jiffY pots, as theY do straW mUlch to control Weeds and hold moistUre. YoUr garden. Kitchen scraps add Up qUicklY and redUce the Harvesting: Plants from seeds Will take 4 Years before YoU oVerall garbage Waste going to landfills.