I know that for a beginner in the garden, the knowledge base necessary can be daunting at first. Here, I have posted the text from a handout I passed out a gardening talk I gave recently. It should be a helpful start to your gardening knowledge, and hopefully encouraging you to take spade to soil and start growing some food!
Here is a simple way to install a garden with minimal labor and expense. Not wanting to water our front lawn anymore, and realizing it had good sun exposure, we installed the original garden in early July. By mid August we had a very vigorous and abundant harvest. We followed our summer plantings with winter gardens that have been equally productive.
Concepts:
Concentrated growing area Ease of installation (no dig)
Readily available materials Relatively inexpensive
Low water use
Site Selection and Design
The first prerequisite is adequate sunlight, ideally about 8 hours or more a day. This may be harder to find than one might expect. I have seen a number of folks show me a site where they thought they could install a garden that was just too shady. Or perhaps it was only sunny enough during the summer months. Remember, the sun sinks lower in the sky in the winter, casting longer shadows from buildings, trees and fences. A good way to assess this is to go out and look at your potential site at or near the time of the winter’s solstice (about December 21st) This will be the times of the maximum shade; and you can see if the plot will receive enough sunlight for a winter garden. Where I live, in a frost free area of Southern California we can garden all year round. So investing in a site that was only viable half the year or less seems less than optimal. (If one lives in an area with severe winter frosts, this would not be an issue)
Other factors to consider are access to water, slope of the ground and existing plants and animal activity. For example, if there are signs of gopher activity, then your beds might need to be lined with hardware cloth to keep the burrowing critters out. If the water spigot is too far away, then another water line might be in order. If the site is sloped, a dry stack retaining wall on the downhill side might be needed. But mostly, suburban yards have a place that is ideal for a garden – the lawn. Grass is fine for ball fields, parks and rainy climates. But for the urban homestead they are mostly useless, water hogging, fertilizer gulping wastes of space. And don’t get me started about the noise pollution and greenhouse gasses emitted during the regular mowing and blowing. However, most lawns are an area of square footage that is usually sunny, fairly level and close to water. Instead of lawns, let’s grow some fine fresh food.
Another factor in siting and designing your garden is easy access. For the urban/suburban gardener, this usually means raised beds or some variation. In general an optimal width for a garden bed is 4 feet. This is so that the gardener can reach in from both sides to tend to the garden. If the garden bed is abutted against a wall, fence or hedge, then it probably should not be more than 3 feet wide with an occasional stepping stone. There are some other variations on this theme, like the “Keyhole Garden”, a circular garden with an access path to the middle that puts all parts of the garden in reach. (See diagram/picture) If you are fortunate enough to have the space for multiple beds, we suggest a path at least 2 feet wide, wide enough for a wheelbarrow to fit through. This will greatly facilitate the delivery of soil amendments and the removal of spent plants destined for the compost bins.
As for our lawn, we stopped watering the grass about 2 months before (just never turned sprinklers on after winter rains).
We staked out our parameters with string. We could fit a 4ft x 26 ft bed in the former lawn area. Our bed is just over 100 sq ft, an easy number for calculating amendment needs. Knowing the square footage of your bed(s) will come in handy.
To define the area, we decided to lay a single row of used bricks at just about ground level. This also gave us some separation from the remnants of the lawn. We chose to define the bed by using some left over 2”x4” mesh wire fencing, staked at 1 ft high just inside the bricks. But many other options exist for the sides of your bed. My advice is look around you at what is near and cheap or free. Wood is great but will rot eventually. Stone is great but expensive and bulky. We had the wire fencing but even if we purchased it, it would be an inexpensive option.
(takes more than you think, three weeks of LA Times barely enough)
-Clean (tapeless) cardboard can also be used, 2 layers
2 bales alfalfa hay
2 bales straw
__ Blood Meal
__ Bone Meal
Enough topsoil or compost to cover bed 3-4 inches.
Installation:
With area mapped out, lay down newspaper, 10-20 sheets thick, overlapping a few inches. (If a windy day, water lightly to keep paper down), or two layers of tapeless cardboard
Alfalfa bales are compressed, and will pull off in 3-4 inch “flakes”
Spread the alfalfa apart and spread evenly, a 6-8 inch layer
Lay on 8 inches straw.
Apply about 2 cups each bone and blood meal
Repeat layer of alfalfa and straw, as above
Repeat with bone and blood
(Repeat again if you want a deeper bed)
Top with 3-4 inches of compost and/or topsoil.
Water in very well.
Note: This formula will likely heat up, like a good compost pile will, and if you don’t wait a few days for it to cool, you might cook a few seedlings, as we learned the hard way. We recommend that you plant seeds right away, but wait for the soil to cool (probably 3-4 days) before setting out seedlings. Test by poking the soil.
The bed will settle and decrease in height over the course of a season. When it is time to renew the bed, at the changing of the seasons, one can simply add a new layer of straw, hay, blood and bone meal and top it with some good soil or compost, and you are ready to plant again. Eventually you will have a garden bed full of wonderful, rich soil that will grow the crops that will feed you and your family and friends.
We have grown in this garden:
Winter- Broccoli, chard (all colors), kale (2 types), peas, many varieties of lettuce and salad greens, carrots, beets, potatoes, fava beans, leeks and onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, comfrey.
Summer- Heirloom tomatoes (10 or more varieties), cucumbers (2 types), peppers (5 types both hot and sweet), bush beans, pole beans, eggplant (3 types), zucchini and other marrow squashes, butternut and hubbard squash, basil, garlic. Lambsquarters and purslane have been edible weeds.
The compost pile is the heart of the organic garden. It is where the alchemy of turning yard trimmings and kitchen waste into sweet garden gold takes place. It is the start and the finish, the alpha and omega of the process of creating a yield.
Basically, a compost pile is simple science project, the fostering of a system of biota (bacteria, fungi, microfauna and red worms) that breaks down organic matter into “finished “ compost, the very best thing for your garden.
The conditions for the blossoming of these organisms that create the finished product is controlled by just a few factors: water, air or oxygen, surface area, and the carbon/nitrogen ratio.
Water: All life needs water, including the life in your compost pile. The composting material should be kept evenly moist, for the worms and microbes that live there. Too much water, however, will create an anaerobic environment that will inhibit decomposition and increase odor. Water your compost almost as often as you water your garden, realizing that it dries out faster around the outside of the pile. You may want to uncover your bin if rain is expected. Try to maintain the consistency of a moist sponge.
Air/Oxygen: The microbes, fungi and worms that are desired for the compost pile are aerobic, needing oxygen. That is why most bins have vents or non-solid sides. As said before, if a pile becomes too wet or compacted, oxygen containing air is not present and decomposition slows. This can be cured by turning the pile.
Surface Area: The size of the material in the pile will be one factor in the speed of decomposition; the smaller the better, so this is where a machete or hedge shears come into play when adding material. Note: some material compresses easily (flat leaves, coffee grounds) and should be layered with unlike additions or inoculated with finished compost.
Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio: This ratio (along with moisture) is the main determining factor in the speed of decomposition. Think of it this way, carbon is the structure and nitrogen is the catalyst. Nitrogen is higher in green (fresh) matter, and practically non-existent in dry matter,(dead plants, autumn leaves, etc) which are mostly carbon. Nitrogen is also the major component of fertilizers, both organic and synthetic. So one way to speed decomposition is to add (ideally in layers) a high nitrogen source such as manure, blood meal, coffee grounds, fresh plant matter, juicer pulp, etc.
When a pile is created with a high nitrogen ratio, there will be reactions that create heat. Most of us remember putting our hand in a pile of grass clipping that has sat for a few days and feeling warmth. Same thing happens with a compost pile that is high in nitrogen, which, if conditions are right will cause a bloom of thermogenic (heat producing) microbes. Although the worms don’t like the heat, as soon as it cools off they will move in and feast on the results.
That being said, one can also do a great job of composting with the “slow simmer” method, ensuring good decomposition with regular turning, moistening and adding small quantities of fresh material as they come available.
Multiple bins: It is difficult to manage with only one pile or bin. The best composting system uses 2 or more bins, so that one can be finishing while another is being added to. We currently use four – three precast plastic bins, and a circle of wire fencing about 3.5 ft in diameter that serves as a long term bin for woody material and/or for overflow from the other bins.
Worms: Red worms create the “castings” that are the epitome of soil amendments. If you can, get a few from a friend or buy a small quantity and add to your pile and with proper care you should soon have a good population. Just keep them moist and cool and they will do the rest. Sometimes they even show up by themselves in a pile.
“Turning the compost” Turning or “stirring” the compost pile ensures equal access to air, water, worms, etc, and speeds the pile to a homogenous finished product. A pitchfork or spading fork works well for this task. Also, there are auger type tools that are designed to turn compost.
“Inoculating” a new pile: Finished (or nearly finished) compost is full of beneficial microorganisms, red worms and worm eggs. By layering some of this into a young pile you will make sure that the right organisms are present and ready to start the decomposition process. Think of it like sourdough starter. If you have no finished compost, then inoculate with some garden soil.
Sifting: When a fine finished compost is needed, a finished (or nearly finished) pile may be sifted to get a fine compost, free of material that has not yet broken down. We use a ½ inch mesh screen on a frame that fits over a wheelbarrow. Coarser material that doesn’t pass through the sifter is simply returned to a younger (building) pile, inoculating it and continuing the decomposition process.
The management of water is one of the basic tasks of the gardener. There is no one set of rules to govern this process, since each garden and micro-climate has its own unique characteristics, and the needs change winter to summer, obviously. The main tool for the gardener is the watering wand with a hose end valve (see Tools for the garden). This setup allows precise and gentle options for the gardener.
Times of day-
Generally, the best time to water is in the mid to late afternoon, especially in the summer months. There are two reasons for this: the plants do a lot of their growing at night, and will have the water to do so; and less water is lost to evaporation during the heat of the day. Also, the plants will have some time for the leaves to dry out, this will help reduce the growth of mildews and fungi that tend to grow in warm moist environments, especially on summer crops. This being said, if your garden is severely dry, then water sooner than later. When we here in California are having a serious Santa Ana wind event, (hot dry winds from the inland deserts) you may need to water both morning and evening. The watering wand with a hose end valve allows you to conserve water and is the best method to deliver water at the base of the plants, leaving the leaves dry if possible. In the spring garden, especially in coastal regions, we have a lot of overcast, damp days. During this time of the year, we can have extended cloud cover yet little or no rain, or just some ineffective drizzle. During such times, it is good to water in the morning hours to allow the leaves to dry out and discourage mold and mildew.
Winter crops- are a lot less picky about wet leaves, and many in fact don’t mind having their leaves wet at all. Time of day is not so important in the winter months, and of course with longer nights and cooler days, and often with more rainfall, watering is much less of a chore.
Tomatoes- Really don’t like getting their leaves wet. Water at the base of the plant and don’t overwater once fruit has set. Minimal water will make for sweeter and heartier tomatoes. Too much water encourages foliar growth and makes for watery or even split fruit.
Edges- Garden beds always dry out faster at the edges. Pay particular attention to this when you water.
Mulch- Keep your precious garden soil covered! What a lot of people don’t realize is that the heat and UV rays of the sun actually kill off soil life that you have so carefully created. Soil should be shaded at all time, IMHO, either by the “living mulch” of growing plants or by a layer of some dry organic matter such as straw, alfalfa hay, comfrey leaves, etc. Or both. This helps modulate soil temperatures, maintain moist conditions for living soil and healthy plants and eventually adds organic matter to the soil. At the season’s change over, old mulch can be reused or added to the compost pile.
Ollas- The ingenious indigenous inhabitants of the Southwest knew how precious water can be and devised a method of burying unglazed, narrow necked terra cotta water containers (ollas) that, when filled, release their contents slowly at root level, minimizing or eliminating losses to evaporation. I can vouch for their effectiveness. What is old is new again!
Rainwater- When distilled water is delivered to your house for free, you ought to make the most of it. Strategize how to put aside some wonderful rainfall. Rain flushes salts from the soil and is slightly acidic, helping to neutralize our locally alkaline soils (in So. California) Some seeds, especially the carrot family (carrots, parsley, parsnips, etc) are very sensitive to alkaline conditions, and you will get much better germination with rainwater. So catch and store what you can and try to plant just before a rain event if possible. Used stored rainwater on starts and young plants and filter it for foliar or liquid feeding. Also consider contouring your yard to allow for rainwater infiltration rather than it exiting the premises. This recharges groundwater and benefits your trees. The mantra is “slow, spread and sink” when it comes to rainwater.
Vertical Gardening- Trellises allow for the growth of vining plants and maximize the yield in your garden by going up! Simple trellises can be made from concrete reinforcing wire grids. Be aware of the shade cast by a fully used trellis, and either place on the north side of the garden (or south in the southern hemisphere) to prevent shading of other crops. But often the shade cast is not much and can be used to your advantage.
Root infiltration- A fertile, moist garden bed is a tempting target for the roots of nearby trees and hedges. If your garden is not thriving and/or drying out quickly, then you may have root infiltration. That neighbor’s pepper tree is in full bloom because it found your garden bed! This is why cardboard or newspaper is used when installing a layered garden bed. It is therefore sometimes necessary, once or twice a year, to slice a cut around your garden bed with a square bladed spading shovel. Try to cut down to the full depth of the shovel blade. I sometimes sharpen the shovel with a mower file before this task.
Harvest generally in the morning (am) for leafy or tender crops, as this is when they are most full of moisture, or as needed for dinner (herbs,etc.)
Winter- harvest any time of day if the weather is cool.
If plants can set seeds, it slows down or even stops more production. Harvesting in a timely manner helps yields. Keep beans and peas and chard/kale/broccoli picked. Pick marrow squash when young and tender; they can get too big and fibrous very quickly. Hard or “winter” squash like pumpkin or butternut, on the other hand, can and should be left until the vine is brown, as long as conditions aren’t too damp. If there are green tomatoes left on the plant at the end of the season, the whole plant can be hung upside down in a cool dry place and the green tomatoes will often ripen quite nicely.
If you can, occasionally let a plant go to seed, just to complete the process. We have let cilantro (coriander herb) flower and go to seed (it has a pretty, lacy white flower). The gathered seed is a wonderful spice and ready for next year’s planting. And the seeds that fell while harvesting means that random cilantro will sprout up around the garden, in the shady spots in summer, in the sunny spots in winter, and we can often gather what we need for a dish or a garnish. The same is true for parsley, endive, arugula and other salad greens. When they go to seed, for the next couple of seasons they will pop up here and there. Right now in our summer garden, a couple of endive volunteers have found a nice spot under some big, shady squash leaves. Although endive is a cool season crop, this spot was just the right little micro-climate and we enjoyed it in a couple of salads. And don’t forget about seeds in the compost. In our first foray into layered gardening, we had butternut squash seeds sprout from the compost we incorporated. We simply trained the vines along the edge of the garden bed, aiming them away from other plants and pathways. At the end of the summer, we harvested 14 most excellent butternuts! Such serendipitous yields are one of the great joys of gardening.
2x4 wire fencing (for bed edge, trellis, compost bins)
1/2in. hardware cloth (for compost sifter and starter cages)
Hemp or jute twine or strips of t-shirt (for securing plants to trellis, etc)
Plastic compost bins (or homemade bins)
Long handled Shovel
D-handled square shovel
Spading fork and/or pitchfork
Metal rake
Long handled cultivator
Leaf rake
Contractor’s wheelbarrow (w/ solid wheel)
Compost bins (>1)
Red worms
Watering Wand with hose-end valve
Narrow hand spade
Harvesting Basket
Dedicated Garden knife (for harvesting, pruning, etc)
1 or 2 gallon pump sprayer (for liquid organic fertilizer)
Work gloves
Sun hat
Homemade…
Compost sifter
Seedling cages (birdless cages)
Growing Your Own:
Layered Gardening for the Urban Setting
Here is a simple way to install a garden with minimal labor and expense. Not wanting to water our front lawn anymore, and realizing it had good sun exposure, we installed the original garden in early July. By mid August we had a very vigorous and abundant harvest. We followed our summer plantings with winter gardens that have been equally productive.
Concepts:
Concentrated growing area Ease of installation (no dig)
Readily available materials Relatively inexpensive
Low water use
Site Selection and Design
The first prerequisite is adequate sunlight, ideally about 8 hours or more a day. This may be harder to find than one might expect. I have seen a number of folks show me a site where they thought they could install a garden that was just too shady. Or perhaps it was only sunny enough during the summer months. Remember, the sun sinks lower in the sky in the winter, casting longer shadows from buildings, trees and fences. A good way to assess this is to go out and look at your potential site at or near the time of the winter’s solstice (about December 21st) This will be the times of the maximum shade; and you can see if the plot will receive enough sunlight for a winter garden. Where I live, in a frost free area of Southern California we can garden all year round. So investing in a site that was only viable half the year or less seems less than optimal. (If one lives in an area with severe winter frosts, this would not be an issue)
Other factors to consider are access to water, slope of the ground and existing plants and animal activity. For example, if there are signs of gopher activity, then your beds might need to be lined with hardware cloth to keep the burrowing critters out. If the water spigot is too far away, then another water line might be in order. If the site is sloped, a dry stack retaining wall on the downhill side might be needed. But mostly, suburban yards have a place that is ideal for a garden – the lawn. Grass is fine for ball fields, parks and rainy climates. But for the urban homestead they are mostly useless, water hogging, fertilizer gulping wastes of space. And don’t get me started about the noise pollution and greenhouse gasses emitted during the regular mowing and blowing. However, most lawns are an area of square footage that is usually sunny, fairly level and close to water. Instead of lawns, let’s grow some fine fresh food.
Another factor in siting and designing your garden is easy access. For the urban/suburban gardener, this usually means raised beds or some variation. In general an optimal width for a garden bed is 4 feet. This is so that the gardener can reach in from both sides to tend to the garden. If the garden bed is abutted against a wall, fence or hedge, then it probably should not be more than 3 feet wide with an occasional stepping stone. There are some other variations on this theme, like the “Keyhole Garden”, a circular garden with an access path to the middle that puts all parts of the garden in reach. (See diagram/picture) If you are fortunate enough to have the space for multiple beds, we suggest a path at least 2 feet wide, wide enough for a wheelbarrow to fit through. This will greatly facilitate the delivery of soil amendments and the removal of spent plants destined for the compost bins.
As for our lawn, we stopped watering the grass about 2 months before (just never turned sprinklers on after winter rains).
We staked out our parameters with string. We could fit a 4ft x 26 ft bed in the former lawn area. Our bed is just over 100 sq ft, an easy number for calculating amendment needs. Knowing the square footage of your bed(s) will come in handy.
To define the area, we decided to lay a single row of used bricks at just about ground level. This also gave us some separation from the remnants of the lawn. We chose to define the bed by using some left over 2”x4” mesh wire fencing, staked at 1 ft high just inside the bricks. But many other options exist for the sides of your bed. My advice is look around you at what is near and cheap or free. Wood is great but will rot eventually. Stone is great but expensive and bulky. We had the wire fencing but even if we purchased it, it would be an inexpensive option.
Materials for 100 sq ft bed (approx)
Enough (non-glossy) newspaper to cover bed 10-20 sheets deep (takes more than you think, three weeks of LA Times barely enough)
-Clean (tapeless) cardboard can also be used, 2 layers
2 bales alfalfa hay
2 bales straw
__ Blood Meal
__ Bone Meal
Enough topsoil or compost to cover bed 3-4 inches.
Installation:
With area mapped out, lay down newspaper, 10-20 sheets thick, overlapping a few inches. (If a windy day, water lightly to keep paper down), or two layers of tapeless cardboard
Alfalfa bales are compressed, and will pull off in 3-4 inch “flakes”
Spread the alfalfa apart and spread evenly, a 6-8 inch layer
Lay on 8 inches straw.
Apply about 2 cups each bone and blood meal
Repeat layer of alfalfa and straw, as above
Repeat with bone and blood
(Repeat again if you want a deeper bed)
Top with 3-4 inches of compost and/or topsoil.
Water in very well.
Note: This formula will likely heat up, like a good compost pile will, and if you don’t wait a few days for it to cool, you might cook a few seedlings, as we learned the hard way. We recommend that you plant seeds right away, but wait for the soil to cool (probably 3-4 days) before setting out seedlings. Test by poking the soil.
The bed will settle and decrease in height over the course of a season. When it is time to renew the bed, at the changing of the seasons, one can simply add a new layer of straw, hay, blood and bone meal and top it with some good soil or compost, and you are ready to plant again. Eventually you will have a garden bed full of wonderful, rich soil that will grow the crops that will feed you and your family and friends.
We have grown in this garden:
Winter- Broccoli, chard (all colors), kale (2 types), peas, many varieties of lettuce and salad greens, carrots, beets, potatoes, fava beans, leeks and onions, cilantro, parsley, thyme, comfrey.
Summer- Heirloom tomatoes (10 or more varieties), cucumbers (2 types), peppers (5 types both hot and sweet), bush beans, pole beans, eggplant (3 types), zucchini and other marrow squashes, butternut and hubbard squash, basil, garlic. Lambsquarters and purslane have been edible weeds.
Composting
The compost pile is the heart of the organic garden. It is where the alchemy of turning yard trimmings and kitchen waste into sweet garden gold takes place. It is the start and the finish, the alpha and omega of the process of creating a yield.
Basically, a compost pile is simple science project, the fostering of a system of biota (bacteria, fungi, microfauna and red worms) that breaks down organic matter into “finished “ compost, the very best thing for your garden.
The conditions for the blossoming of these organisms that create the finished product is controlled by just a few factors: water, air or oxygen, surface area, and the carbon/nitrogen ratio.
Water: All life needs water, including the life in your compost pile. The composting material should be kept evenly moist, for the worms and microbes that live there. Too much water, however, will create an anaerobic environment that will inhibit decomposition and increase odor. Water your compost almost as often as you water your garden, realizing that it dries out faster around the outside of the pile. You may want to uncover your bin if rain is expected. Try to maintain the consistency of a moist sponge.
Air/Oxygen: The microbes, fungi and worms that are desired for the compost pile are aerobic, needing oxygen. That is why most bins have vents or non-solid sides. As said before, if a pile becomes too wet or compacted, oxygen containing air is not present and decomposition slows. This can be cured by turning the pile.
Surface Area: The size of the material in the pile will be one factor in the speed of decomposition; the smaller the better, so this is where a machete or hedge shears come into play when adding material. Note: some material compresses easily (flat leaves, coffee grounds) and should be layered with unlike additions or inoculated with finished compost.
Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio: This ratio (along with moisture) is the main determining factor in the speed of decomposition. Think of it this way, carbon is the structure and nitrogen is the catalyst. Nitrogen is higher in green (fresh) matter, and practically non-existent in dry matter,(dead plants, autumn leaves, etc) which are mostly carbon. Nitrogen is also the major component of fertilizers, both organic and synthetic. So one way to speed decomposition is to add (ideally in layers) a high nitrogen source such as manure, blood meal, coffee grounds, fresh plant matter, juicer pulp, etc.
When a pile is created with a high nitrogen ratio, there will be reactions that create heat. Most of us remember putting our hand in a pile of grass clipping that has sat for a few days and feeling warmth. Same thing happens with a compost pile that is high in nitrogen, which, if conditions are right will cause a bloom of thermogenic (heat producing) microbes. Although the worms don’t like the heat, as soon as it cools off they will move in and feast on the results.
That being said, one can also do a great job of composting with the “slow simmer” method, ensuring good decomposition with regular turning, moistening and adding small quantities of fresh material as they come available.
Compost Secrets
Multiple bins: It is difficult to manage with only one pile or bin. The best composting system uses 2 or more bins, so that one can be finishing while another is being added to. We currently use four – three precast plastic bins, and a circle of wire fencing about 3.5 ft in diameter that serves as a long term bin for woody material and/or for overflow from the other bins.
Worms: Red worms create the “castings” that are the epitome of soil amendments. If you can, get a few from a friend or buy a small quantity and add to your pile and with proper care you should soon have a good population. Just keep them moist and cool and they will do the rest. Sometimes they even show up by themselves in a pile.
“Turning the compost” Turning or “stirring” the compost pile ensures equal access to air, water, worms, etc, and speeds the pile to a homogenous finished product. A pitchfork or spading fork works well for this task. Also, there are auger type tools that are designed to turn compost.
“Inoculating” a new pile: Finished (or nearly finished) compost is full of beneficial microorganisms, red worms and worm eggs. By layering some of this into a young pile you will make sure that the right organisms are present and ready to start the decomposition process. Think of it like sourdough starter. If you have no finished compost, then inoculate with some garden soil.
Sifting: When a fine finished compost is needed, a finished (or nearly finished) pile may be sifted to get a fine compost, free of material that has not yet broken down. We use a ½ inch mesh screen on a frame that fits over a wheelbarrow. Coarser material that doesn’t pass through the sifter is simply returned to a younger (building) pile, inoculating it and continuing the decomposition process.
Water
The management of water is one of the basic tasks of the gardener. There is no one set of rules to govern this process, since each garden and micro-climate has its own unique characteristics, and the needs change winter to summer, obviously. The main tool for the gardener is the watering wand with a hose end valve (see Tools for the garden). This setup allows precise and gentle options for the gardener.
Times of day-
Generally, the best time to water is in the mid to late afternoon, especially in the summer months. There are two reasons for this: the plants do a lot of their growing at night, and will have the water to do so; and less water is lost to evaporation during the heat of the day. Also, the plants will have some time for the leaves to dry out, this will help reduce the growth of mildews and fungi that tend to grow in warm moist environments, especially on summer crops. This being said, if your garden is severely dry, then water sooner than later. When we here in California are having a serious Santa Ana wind event, (hot dry winds from the inland deserts) you may need to water both morning and evening. The watering wand with a hose end valve allows you to conserve water and is the best method to deliver water at the base of the plants, leaving the leaves dry if possible. In the spring garden, especially in coastal regions, we have a lot of overcast, damp days. During this time of the year, we can have extended cloud cover yet little or no rain, or just some ineffective drizzle. During such times, it is good to water in the morning hours to allow the leaves to dry out and discourage mold and mildew.
Winter crops- are a lot less picky about wet leaves, and many in fact don’t mind having their leaves wet at all. Time of day is not so important in the winter months, and of course with longer nights and cooler days, and often with more rainfall, watering is much less of a chore.
Tomatoes- Really don’t like getting their leaves wet. Water at the base of the plant and don’t overwater once fruit has set. Minimal water will make for sweeter and heartier tomatoes. Too much water encourages foliar growth and makes for watery or even split fruit.
Edges- Garden beds always dry out faster at the edges. Pay particular attention to this when you water.
Mulch- Keep your precious garden soil covered! What a lot of people don’t realize is that the heat and UV rays of the sun actually kill off soil life that you have so carefully created. Soil should be shaded at all time, IMHO, either by the “living mulch” of growing plants or by a layer of some dry organic matter such as straw, alfalfa hay, comfrey leaves, etc. Or both. This helps modulate soil temperatures, maintain moist conditions for living soil and healthy plants and eventually adds organic matter to the soil. At the season’s change over, old mulch can be reused or added to the compost pile.
Ollas- The ingenious indigenous inhabitants of the Southwest knew how precious water can be and devised a method of burying unglazed, narrow necked terra cotta water containers (ollas) that, when filled, release their contents slowly at root level, minimizing or eliminating losses to evaporation. I can vouch for their effectiveness. What is old is new again!
Rainwater- When distilled water is delivered to your house for free, you ought to make the most of it. Strategize how to put aside some wonderful rainfall. Rain flushes salts from the soil and is slightly acidic, helping to neutralize our locally alkaline soils (in So. California) Some seeds, especially the carrot family (carrots, parsley, parsnips, etc) are very sensitive to alkaline conditions, and you will get much better germination with rainwater. So catch and store what you can and try to plant just before a rain event if possible. Used stored rainwater on starts and young plants and filter it for foliar or liquid feeding. Also consider contouring your yard to allow for rainwater infiltration rather than it exiting the premises. This recharges groundwater and benefits your trees. The mantra is “slow, spread and sink” when it comes to rainwater.
Vertical Gardening- Trellises allow for the growth of vining plants and maximize the yield in your garden by going up! Simple trellises can be made from concrete reinforcing wire grids. Be aware of the shade cast by a fully used trellis, and either place on the north side of the garden (or south in the southern hemisphere) to prevent shading of other crops. But often the shade cast is not much and can be used to your advantage.
Root infiltration- A fertile, moist garden bed is a tempting target for the roots of nearby trees and hedges. If your garden is not thriving and/or drying out quickly, then you may have root infiltration. That neighbor’s pepper tree is in full bloom because it found your garden bed! This is why cardboard or newspaper is used when installing a layered garden bed. It is therefore sometimes necessary, once or twice a year, to slice a cut around your garden bed with a square bladed spading shovel. Try to cut down to the full depth of the shovel blade. I sometimes sharpen the shovel with a mower file before this task.
Harvesting strategies
Harvest generally in the morning (am) for leafy or tender crops, as this is when they are most full of moisture, or as needed for dinner (herbs,etc.)
Winter- harvest any time of day if the weather is cool.
If plants can set seeds, it slows down or even stops more production. Harvesting in a timely manner helps yields. Keep beans and peas and chard/kale/broccoli picked. Pick marrow squash when young and tender; they can get too big and fibrous very quickly. Hard or “winter” squash like pumpkin or butternut, on the other hand, can and should be left until the vine is brown, as long as conditions aren’t too damp. If there are green tomatoes left on the plant at the end of the season, the whole plant can be hung upside down in a cool dry place and the green tomatoes will often ripen quite nicely.
If you can, occasionally let a plant go to seed, just to complete the process. We have let cilantro (coriander herb) flower and go to seed (it has a pretty, lacy white flower). The gathered seed is a wonderful spice and ready for next year’s planting. And the seeds that fell while harvesting means that random cilantro will sprout up around the garden, in the shady spots in summer, in the sunny spots in winter, and we can often gather what we need for a dish or a garnish. The same is true for parsley, endive, arugula and other salad greens. When they go to seed, for the next couple of seasons they will pop up here and there. Right now in our summer garden, a couple of endive volunteers have found a nice spot under some big, shady squash leaves. Although endive is a cool season crop, this spot was just the right little micro-climate and we enjoyed it in a couple of salads. And don’t forget about seeds in the compost. In our first foray into layered gardening, we had butternut squash seeds sprout from the compost we incorporated. We simply trained the vines along the edge of the garden bed, aiming them away from other plants and pathways. At the end of the summer, we harvested 14 most excellent butternuts! Such serendipitous yields are one of the great joys of gardening.
Tools for the Garden
2x4 wire fencing (for bed edge, trellis, compost bins)
1/2in. hardware cloth (for compost sifter and starter cages)
Hemp or jute twine or strips of t-shirt (for securing plants to trellis, etc)
Plastic compost bins (or homemade bins)
Long handled Shovel
D-handled square shovel
Spading fork and/or pitchfork
Metal rake
Long handled cultivator
Leaf rake
Contractor’s wheelbarrow (w/ solid wheel)
Compost bins (>1)
Red worms
Watering Wand with hose-end valve
Narrow hand spade
Harvesting Basket
Dedicated Garden knife (for harvesting, pruning, etc)
1 or 2 gallon pump sprayer (for liquid organic fertilizer)
Work gloves
Sun hat
Homemade…
Compost sifter
Seedling cages (birdless cages)
Thoughts on Gardening
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“People are fed by the FOOD industry, which pays no attention to HEALTH..
And treated by the HEALTH industry, which pays no attention to FOOD.”
-Wendell Barry
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“I look upon the pleasure we take in a garden as one of the
most innocent delights in human life.”
-Cicero
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“Gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.”
-Joseph Joubert
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“We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”
-Joni Mitchell
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“The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the gardener.”
-Chinese proverb
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“By all means, plant a garden. It is good for you,
good for your community, and good for your planet.
-Swami bruce
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“While you are busy healing the planet,
the planet is busy healing you.”
-Unknown
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