Time to think about your summer garden
Spring is in the Air
‘Tis the season to start your own veggie garden
by Marcy Hachman, San Joaquin Master Gardener Program
Spring is the time to begin thinking about your summer vegetable garden. Who doesn’t love walking out to the garden to pick a juicy, ripe tomato right off the vine for a dinner salad, or slicing open a fresh melon for dessert? The University of California’s San Joaquin County Master Gardener Program has some tips for preparing your summer garden.
Location
Vegetables can be grown in containers, raised beds, home yards, community garden lots, or large ranch areas. When deciding where to plant your vegetable garden, there are a few factors to keep in mind to choose the best available location.
Good soil. You may have little choice concerning the soil type available to you, but you can use a simple test to find out whether your soil is in good condition for planting. Squeeze a handful of soil to test for moisture content. If the squeezed soil forms a clump, the soil is too wet. If you work soil that contains this much moisture, it might form into hard, cement-like clumps, which can cause problems for the remainder of the year. If the soil crumbles easily when it’s squeezed, it’s in an ideal condition to work. Correct preparation of the soil and the use of fertilizer and soil amendments can improve poor soil, and can increase yield, even in good soil. Raised beds that contain potting soil or amended garden soil are also an option, if you are unsatisfied with the soil in your garden.
Raised beds. Raised beds are often helpful in maximizing plant growing space in a garden. They can be used to optimize soil otherwise poorly suited for vegetables. Raised beds can be achieved by adding large amounts of topsoil or organic soil amendments so that a bed is established above the previous soil level. Raised beds also lend themselves well to improved drainage, if needed.
Raised beds. Raised beds are often helpful in maximizing plant growing space in a garden. They can be used to optimize soil otherwise poorly suited for vegetables. Raised beds can be achieved by adding large amounts of topsoil or organic soil amendments so that a bed is established above the previous soil level. Raised beds also lend themselves well to improved drainage, if needed.
Water supply. Locate your garden near an abundant supply of water that can be easily reached with a garden hose.
Adequate light. Vegetables need at least eight hours of sunlight each day for best growth. Plant your vegetables where they are not shaded by trees, shrubs, walls, or fences. Trees and shrubs also compete with vegetables for the water available in the soil, and they attract birds, which may damage young plants. Plant your garden near your home, if possible. You are more likely to spend time working in your garden if you can reach it easily, and placement near the kitchen will make easier the last minute run to the garden for the fresh zucchini missing from your pasta dish. Also, a garden nearby the home means that you don’t have to carry tools back and forth over a long distance.
Planning your garden
Although many gardening books and experts present knowledge about the “right” way to garden, the truth is that much of the process relies on trial and error. What works for one person may not work for another, and what works in one location may not work as well elsewhere. Some basic tips when planning your garden will make your gardening easier and more efficient.
Trellising and staking. Why grow horizontally what you can grow vertically? Certain crops, such as tomato, squash, cucumber, and pole beans, use a great deal of space when allowed to grow along the ground. Trellises, stakes, or other supports minimize the ground space used, and increase garden productivity. Support materials can consist of wood, extra stakes, twine, or a nearby fence. These plants have tendrils that will grab onto the vertical support system and will then allow the plant to grow vertically.
Succession planting. This process consists of sowing seeds of a given crop at one- to two-week intervals to produce a continuous supply of vegetables. Instead of planting your green beans all at once plant half the seeds, wait a few weeks and plant the rest. This will allow the new crop to begin producing when the first crop is done producing, extending your green bean season.
Irrigating: Water your vegetable garden about one or two times a week in summer. Wet the soil to a depth of at least two feet at each watering. If you only keep the surface of the soil moist, most of the water evaporates into the air and is lost to the roots. There are many ways to irrigate your garden; Master Gardeners recommend furrow or drip irrigation.
Furrow Irrigation: The most basic method in flat or bed plantings is to run water in a small ditch -- called furrows--between plant rows. Water is started on the high end of the furrow and allowed to run downhill to the furrow end. Water soaks into the soil downward and laterally towards the plant. The longer the water is left on the more water enters the soil. Be careful not to over irrigate and saturate the soil increasing disease problems. This method of irrigation keeps the water off the plants reducing leaf diseases on susceptible crops.
Drip irrigation is a relatively new watering method that offers several advantages to home gardeners. Drip irrigation is the slow application of a small amount of water out of emitters placed along a polyethylene tubing. The major advantage is the efficient use of water-- less wasted to evaporation and percolation below the plants rootzone, ease of use. The amount of water applied is controlled by the time of irrigation. Weed growth can be less since some areas of the garden are not irrigated. Both root diseases and leaf diseases are of less concern using drip. Drip irrigation systems require more maintenance than other systems which includes line flushing, preventing emitter clogging, and checking for leaks. A good UC publication which covers drip irrigation components, maintenance and how much to water is: Drip Irrigation in the Home Landscape Pub # 21579. “The advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and a drip irrigation system, when correctly installed and maintained, can be very helpful to the serious gardener.” Terry Prichard UC Water Management Specialist
What to plant
The hardest question a home gardener faces is what they want to plant in their garden. The list of desired vegetables is usually larger than the allotted space. When thinking of spring planting for summer gardens, the UC Master Gardeners recommend planting in April and May when the ground has warmed up and dried out. Keeping track of the local temperatures is the most important thing a home gardener can do.
"You can plant warm-season crops as soon as the risk of frost has passed (average date of last frost is March 23rd). However, planting early (for example planting March 23rd versus waiting 2 weeks until April 6) will not result in you eating tomatoes two weeks earlier in the summer. That's because these heat-loving plants grow slowly in cold soils " Brenna Aegerter UC Vegetable Crop Advisor. Some vegetables that grow well in our area and can be planted at this time are summer and winter squashes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, okra, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, and snap beans.
Try something new this year in your garden. You may be familiar with the common varieties of tomatoes, but try planting a Golden Zebra or Brandywine tomato in your garden this spring—that’s the whole fun of starting your own veggie garden.
For more information about home vegetable gardening or a complete planting guide of vegetables that grow well in this area, contact the San Joaquin County UC Master Gardeners at (209) 468-8457 or visit http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu.
Sidebar: Veggie Garden Rules to Live By
1. Plant only as large a garden as you can maintain easily. Beginning gardeners often overplant and fail because their skills and time commitment are not great enough to accomplish the task. Gardening requires that weeds and pests be controlled and that water be applied when needed.
2. Plan your garden on paper before you begin.
3. Grow crops that produce the maximum amount of food in the space available.
4. Plant during the correct season for the crop you plan to grow. Choose varieties recommended for your area.
5. Select a spot that receives at least eight hours of full sun each day. It should be relatively level, well-drained, and close to a water source. Avoid shaded locations.
6. Prepare the soil properly, and amend and fertilize as needed.
7. Harvest vegetables at their proper stage of maturity. Store them promptly if they are not to be used immediately.