Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Let s Grow Great Vegetables!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Let s Grow Great Vegetables!"

Eugene Lane
5 years ago
Views:

1 Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Let s Grow Great Vegetables! Part 1 Planning and Soil Preparation Paul Gibson, Thomas Bolles, Jean Meink And Master Gardener Volunteers VCE Prince William gibsonp2@comcast.net Chinn Library, Jan 24, 2014 Web page: Facebook Master Gardeners of Prince William 1

2 Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Organic, environmentally sound Use nature as a guide to manage ecological and biological processes Feed the soil, not the plant; no synthetic fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides Acceptable nutrition, protection from pests, disease Reduce external input; get renewable resources locally Conserve non-renewables (soil, energy, minerals) Biointensive high yield from small space Scientific systems approach: understand the parts, how they work, the connections and dependencies among them, and harmonize them. Depends on feedback mechanisms.

3 Nature as a Guide Old myth nitrogen from an inorganic source is the same as nitrogen from an organic source; plants don t care. Science microbiology, bacteriology, study of fungi, study of ants, chemistry, agriculture came together to focus jointly on understanding the world of soil since 1990 Truth Inorganic nitrogen, pesticides, and herbicides (the mainstay of 20 th century industrial farming) destroy essential soil organisms. Nobody fertilized the old growth forest 3

4 Planning Situating the garden Preparation of the beds Crop and variety selection Arranging crops When to start it, plant it, harvest it What goes in next Using sustainable practices NOTE BOOK 4

5 Start a Garden Notebook Objectives Garden Map Crops Companion Planting and Rotation Seeds Planting and Harvest Times Harvest Records Weather Soil Test Ideas Questions Garden Pictures Insects, good and bad Extra sheets Etc. Make it work for you 5

6 Binder Handout List Planting calendar (1) Plant harvest time chart (1) Crop rotation (2) Companion planning (2) Composting publication (2) New Gardener Quick Start Guide (3) Planting density/spacing handout (3) 6

7 Homework Create garden map Soil test results List of what you want to grow List of seeds you have or need Tools and structures you have or need Your garden s planning calendar (SVG-3) 7

8 Situating the garden Objectives - How much time? land? resources? Sun 6 hours, between 10am and 4pm Orientation direction (N-S, E-W) Slope run beds crosswise; south facing is a + Water is it nearby, too much, drainage? Garden size, bed size, pathways Width for access; equal size (16 / 50 /100 sq ft) Keyhole pathways Sketch it, name the beds Plan: proposed actual amendments Options: Raised & Bordered, Containers 8

9 Garden layout -- Plot size 15 x 20 Permanent beds and permanent pathways. Reach into beds is 2 feet x8 Uses The center bed for herbs and flowers; or vegetables; or lawn chair, umbrella. The 4 larger beds can be rotated each Year using the Penn State crop rotation plan large beds are 4 wide. The center Bed is 3 x8. Paths are 2 wide, mulched w/ wood chips 4 outer beds are each 52 sq ft. Total plot 300 sq ft Total bed area 232 sq ft Total path area 68 sq ft Peas Beans Greens Cabbage Lettuce Corn Squash Cucumber Tomato Pepper Potato Others: carrot, onion, beets go anywhere 9

10 Crop and Variety Selection Grow what you like to eat;.. should,.. want kids to eat Select some from all the major crop groups (variety, diversity) Choose organically grown seed/plants; open pollinated ahead of hybrid, non-genetically modified (non-gmo) Consult VCE pubs, MD HGIC, local growers (SESE), Master Gardeners, horticulture help line ( ) Start simple and add each year A. Pick a couple varieties to learn Beans: Bush, Pole Tomatoes: Determinate, Indeterminate Timing - Garlic: nine month crop, Sept 15 June 15 Sustainability grains - cover, compost, mulch B. Jump in with both feet: The Sustainable Vegetable Garden, Jeavons and Cox; VCE - PW New Gardener Quick Start Guide 10

11 Fruit and Vegetable Life Cycles Annual tomato, bean, squash, corn, lettuce Biennial carrot, cabbage, parsley Perennial no annual replanting Vegetables: asparagus, rhubarb, perennial onions, cardoon, artichoke (maybe) Small fruit: blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, grape, strawberry, current, gooseberry Tree fruit (pear, apple, peach, pawpaw, etc) Most sustainable practices pertain to perennials (but not crop rotation) 11

12 Vegetable Families Legumes * Crucifers * broccoli, radish Cucurbits * cuke, squash Solanaceous * tomato, pepper Umbels carrot, parsnip, cilantro, dill Alliums onions, garlic, shallot Chenopods spinach, beet, chard Composites * lettuce, artichoke, endive, greens Grasses * corn, cover crop grains * Rotate every year, 4 year cycle 12

13 Legumes Nutritionedge.net Peas Cowpeas Snap beans Dry beans Soybeans Clovers Vetches Fava beans Winter peas Alfalfa Romano, Italian heirloom 13

14 Nutritionedge.net Crucifers/Brassicas Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Chinese cabbage Collards Kale Mustard Radish Rutabaga Turnip 14

16 Cucurbits Cucumber Squash Melon Gourd Pumpkin Texas A&M Sugar Baby Watermelon 16

18 Solanaceous (Nightshades) Tomato Pepper Eggplant Potato Tomatillo 18

20 Umbels Carrots Parsnips Parsley Celery Celeriac Cilantro Dill Fennel 20

21 Alliums Onions Garlic Chives Shallots Leeks 21

22 Chenopods Spinach Beets Chard Quinoa Lambs Quarters 22

23 Composites Lettuce Endive Jerusalem artichoke Sunflower Artichoke

24 Grasses Corn Cover grains Wheat Barley Oats Rye Corn, dent: Bloody Butcher, VA heirloom 24

27 Planting Calendar (partial) P = plant in garden: seeds or seedlings* Month March April May June Date 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 27

28 Seedlings Some crops need a head start Transplants: buy or start yourself 4 to 6 weeks before planting out Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli 6 to 10 weeks before planting out Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper Many other plants can be started in flats to save space in the garden: corn, wheat, melon, herbs. Reference the New Seed Starters Handbook, Nancy Bubel 28

Soil is Job #1 Soil is not just dirt, not just a place to plant vegetables A community A complex system of living and non-living things 1. Inorganic particles of sand, silt and clay 2.

29 Soil is Job #1 Soil is not just dirt, not just a place to plant vegetables A community A complex system of living and non-living things 1. Inorganic particles of sand, silt and clay 2. Macro and trace minerals 3. Microorganisms: bacteria algae, fungi, and protozoa 4. Insects 5. Plant roots 6. Soil organic matter Job 1: Feed the soil to feed the plant by increasing soil organic matter, increasing biological activity and providing nutrients. 29

30 Soil Quality Indicators High organic matter content (5% or more) Water infiltrates rapidly Water is available to plants in the soil

31 Soil Quality Indicators Good habitat for soil organisms with large, diverse soil organism population Good root growth (mass, depth) Good soil structure (macro and micro pores)

32 Soil Quality Indicators Appropriate ph ( ) Low salinity; low in toxic elements Balanced fertility

33 Typical Unimproved Soil Mix of grass and weeds Heavily compacted Minerals there but not available Soil organic matter is less that 1 percent Little to no sign of earthworms or other life Most water runs off, not in Favors anaerobic conditions 2-20% Pore Space 33

34 Ideal Composition of Garden Soil 50 % Fluids - Pore Space 20 to 30 % air 20 to 30 % water 50 % Soil Solids 45 % inorganic minerals Sand, clay, silt; good mix is loam Minerals 5 % soil organic matter 34

35 Soil Food Web 35 NRCS - The Soil Biology Primer By Dr. Elaine R. Ingham

36 36

37 Ways to Inhibit the Soil- Food Web Soil compaction Tillage Mechanical tillage (rototilling, plowing, etc.) causes more damage than tillage using hand tools (shovel, trowel, fork, etc.) 37

38 Ways to Inhibit the Soil- Food Web Pesticides, fungicides Inorganic fertilizer 38

39 Recommended Practices Periodically test and amend the soil Build and maintain garden soil organic matter through compost and cover crops. 39

40 Recommended Practices Rotate crops; companion plant; right plant, right place Keep the garden covered: succession planting, mulches, cover crops 40

41 Recommended Practices Irrigate as needed to maintain moisture Till and aerate properly and avoid compaction 41

42 VCE Soil Testing Feedback loop - test and correct Routine ($10) Plant code 210: vegetable garden Soil Tests ph degree of acidity/alkalinity (need lime?) P phosphorus K potassium/potash Other nutrients: Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, B Add-On Tests Aren t Typically Needed Organic Matter ($4) - % in soil Soluble Salts ($2) are fertilizer/pesticide salts too high? 42

43 DIY Testing Feedback loop check and monitor Regularly Look at your Soil! Can you easily penetrate the soil to 8 inches? How quickly does water infiltrate? How many animal species can you find in the soil? Are there many fine roots throughout the root zone? Is the soil friable (readily breaks into 1 cm crumbs)? Will soil aggregates remain intact when swirled in water? How many earthworms do you have? Are you getting appropriate vegetative coverage? 43

45 Terminology Refresh Cultivation: All the tools and techniques used to develop and maintain soil fertility and crop production (tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, companion planting, irrigation, etc.) Tillage: - The actual usage of tools in the the soil to prepare seedbeds and root beds Tilth: When soil structure is changed by tillage and cultivation to suit plant growth and seed germination Good tilth has large pore spaces for air and water 45

46 Pros and Cons of Tillage Pros Opens up compacted soil to change 50% of volume to Pore space room for air and water Aeration causes release of Nitrogen Helps incorporate Organic Matter Breaks up pans Breaks up soil into aggregates Removes rocks, rubble Cons Earthworm casualties Bacteria and Fungi setback Increased soil erosion Increased susceptibility to diseases and pests Destroys soil aggregates Reduces ability to hold nutrients and water Weeds 46

47 Preparing a Garden Bed Options French Intensive Method or Double Digging Convert from Conventional or Field Garden e.g. 30 x 40, to Organic Sheet Mulching or Lasagna Gardening

48 French Intensive Method of Soil Cultivation Alternative 1 Deep cultivation with hand tools: double digging Concentration of organic matter and minerals into permanent growing beds High application rates of mature compost 200 lbs/100 sq ft, Development lbs/100 sq ft, Maintenance 5 gallon bucket = 20# compost Permanent pathways between growing beds 48

49 Garden Tillage Implements Bow Rake Spade Leaf Rake Fork Manure/ Pulling Fork U-Bar (optional) 49

50 Double Digging Sequence Unimproved Soil Spread compost at 1 lb per sq ft Fracture soil with fork to 1 ft depth Remove first 1 ft trench of soil, using spade and digging board, set aside (wheel barrow or tarp) Spread 1 lb/sq ft additional compost in trench Fracture and lift soil to 12 inches deeper (fork) Move top 12 inches of 2 nd trench to first Repeat until complete Contents of wheel barrow go in last trench, if needed Break up clods and shape bed with bow rake 50

51 1. Remove top 12 inches of soil from first trench (Spade) 2. Then break up the next 12 inches in that trench (fork) 51

52 Move soil from top of 2 nd trench to top of first trench. Repeat. After double digging the whole bed, shape it (rake) 52

53 Double Dig Video 53

54 Double Digging Produces a Dark, Naturally Raised Bed 54

55 Convert Conventional Field Garden, STEP 1: Change the Footprint Alternative 2 Convert FROM field or open planting TO defined permanent beds and permanent pathways. Stake out new plan view Bed width 3 to 5 based on arm length of gardeners; need to reach half way into bed from either side Make paths wide enough for intended use: 3-4 allows more room for wheelbarrows and rogue plants Walk only on paths, never in beds

56 Example -- Plot size 15 x 20 Permanent beds and permanent pathways. Reach into beds is 2 feet x8 Uses The center bed for herbs and flowers; or vegetables; or lawn chair, umbrella. The 4 larger beds can be rotated each Year using the Penn State crop rotation plan large beds are 4 wide. The center Bed is 3 x8. Paths are 2 wide, mulched w/ wood chips 4 outer beds are each 52 sq ft. Total plot 300 sq ft Total bed area 232 sq ft Total path area 68 sq ft Peas Beans Greens Cabbage Lettuce Corn Squash Cucumber Tomato Pepper Potato 56 Others: carrot, onion, beets go anywhere

57 Convert Conventional Field Garden, STEP 2: Change the Cultivation Tillage FROM - No more rototiller: destroys soil structure and worm habitat, forms shallow hard pan TO - Dig deeply with hand tools: remove rubble, amend heavily with compost to build biologically rich community of organisms and good tilth Cultivation FROM - No more synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides (poisons) for food gardens TO - Add compost, organic matter, well-composted manure and grow cover crops to promote natural health, nutrition, and environment

58 Sheet Mulching / Lasagna Gardening Alternative 3 Mark new bed/path outlines and cut turf as low as possible. Spread 2 inch layer of compost or manure on beds and moisten well. Cover with overlapping cardboard, moisten well Spread 2 inch layer of compost and cover with 18 inches of organic material (leaves, straw, grass clippings, manure, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds) Finish with 2-3 inches straw or compost (veg beds) or 4 inches wood chips (ornamental beds). Mulch paths. Let develop several months or over winter

59 Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Recommended Practices - Tillage Use French intensive tillage methods Initially deeply dig with hand tools (24 inches) Subsequent - Minimal Tillage Top 4-6 inches to prepare root and seed beds Surface cultivation post planting; loosen, hill, remove weeds Post harvesting - Leave roots and plant debris if disease free Concentrate large amounts of organic matter, minerals into permanent beds Properly time tillage according to moisture (50-75%), texture, climate, season, cropping system, and tilth Maintain permanent beds and pathways to avoid compaction 59

60 Select Your Site

61 Mark Your Beds and Dig

62 Just Keep Digging

63 and digging.

64 Digging Interrupted for Bluebirds

67 Questions? Horticulture Help Line Credits Virginia Cooperative Extension Research References, pubs.ext.vt.edu Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening, Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, UC Santa Cruz Teaming with Microbes, The Organic Gardener s Guide to the Soil Food Web, Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Hughes, Timber Press, 2010 The Sustainable Vegetable Garden, John Jeavons and Carol Cox, Ten Speed Press, Also How to Grow More Vegetables, Jeavons Cover Crops and Compost Crops in Your Garden (DVD), Cindy Conner, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Vegetable Gardening (.ppt) Jeff Schneider Soil Biology for Your Landscape (.ppt) Duane Mohr 67

Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Let s Grow Great Vegetables!

Sustainable Vegetable Gardening Let s Grow Great Vegetables! Part 1 Planning and Soil Preparation Paul Gibson, Jean Meink And Master Gardener Volunteers VCE Prince William 703 792-7747 gibsonp2@comcast.net