Sustainable Vegetable Gardening I

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1 Sustainable Vegetable Gardening I Soils and Cover Crops Presented by Harriet Carter, Ellen King, Jean Meink, Jannell Bryant, Thomas Bolles

2 Housekeeping SVG Series Evaluations Asking Questions Bathrooms Presentations & Handouts Videos Compost Publications: pubs.ext.vt.edu/hort/hort-49/hort-49-pdf.pdf pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/ / _pdf.pdf pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/ / _pdf.pdf (Vermiculture) Prince William County Compost Call for pricing 2

3 Selecting Your Space So you want to grow vegetables? Where do you start? Ask yourself important questions: Suitable Space Environment Soil/dirt Picking your plants 3

4 Selecting Your Space Survey your future space. Do the walk around. Environmental considerations Sun exposure 4

5 Don t survey when trees are bare. 5

6 Access to Water 6

7 Selecting Your Space Survey your future space. Do the walk around. Environmental considerations Sun exposure Access to water Obstructions Wild Life 7

8 What is in the way? 8

9 Selecting Your Space Planning your garden Pick your favorite vegetables Setting your goals 9

10 Setting goals be conservative 10

11 Your team? 11

12 Selecting your Space Size and style of your workspace 12

13 Right Plant for the Right Space Grow what you would like to eat (or would want your family to eat) Start simple and add more every year Easy vegetable favorites Growing requirements for your favorites 13

14 Grow your favorites 14

15 To grow or not to grow? 15

16 Work with Nature not against it Get to know the growing season of your favorites When to plan use a guide Use the recommended planting dates for your area Minimize/eliminate pesticide usage 16

17 Vegetable Planting Calendar 17

18 Work with Nature not against it Other considerations Plant vegetable friends together Add native pollinator plants to help your garden grow 18

19 Work with Nature not against it 19

20 What is Soil? What is It? What is the Ideal? What are the Soils in PWC Like? Getting Your Soil Tested 20

21 What is Soil? The textbook answer: A natural body comprised of solids (minerals and organic matter), liquids and gasses that occurs on the land surface, occupies space and is characterized by distinguishable horizons and/or the ability to support rooted plants in a natural environment 21

22 What is Soil? Soil is not just dirt, not just a place to plant vegetables Soil is a community: A complex system of living and non-living things Inorganic particles of sand, silt and clay Macro and trace minerals Microorganisms: bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa Insects Plant roots Soil organic matter 22

23 Soil Quality Indicators High organic matter content (5% or more) Water infiltrates rapidly Water is available to plants in the soil 23

24 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) 24

25 Soil Quality Indicators Appropriate ph ( ) Low salinity; low in toxic elements Balanced fertility 25

26 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 26

27 Ideal Composition of Garden Soil 50 % Gasses/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 27

28 Soil Food Web 28 NRCS - The Soil Biology Primer By Dr. Elaine R. Ingham

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30 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? 30

31 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? 31

32 Protecting Soil is Job #1 A healthy soil is a dynamic ecosystem. 32

Reduces space for soil organism to live Unrestricted Root Growth

33 Ways to Inhibit the Soil- Food Web Surface Crust Soil compaction Limits root growth Limits space for water and air Limits infiltration Reduces space for soil organism to live Unrestricted Root Growth Surface Compaction Tillage/Plow Pan Just below tillage level Deep/Sub Soil 33

34 Ways to Inhibit the Soil-Food Web Tillage Destroys soil structure Can cause compaction Disrupts/Kills soil organisms More damaging Less damaging 34

ball If it retains its shape, delay soil tillage until the water content

35 Ways to Inhibit the Soil-Food Web Working Wet Soil Destroys soil structure Causes compaction Restricts Root Growth To Test Form a handful of soil into a ball If it retains its shape, delay soil tillage until the water content diminishes If the ball crumbles when pressed with your thumb, it is ready to till 35

36 Ways to Inhibit the Soil- Food Web Pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, etc.) Kill beneficial organisms Can add salt Inorganic fertilizer Adds salt Can affect ph Makes plants dependent on fertilizer by retarding natural nutrient cycling 36

37 Soil Building: Turning Brick into Sponge Improve Your Soil by: Protecting and Feeding Soil Organisms Covering the Soil Reducing Tillage 37

38 Recommended Practices Periodically test and amend the soil as needed Build and maintain garden soil organic matter through compost and cover crops. 38

39 Compost Amend with compost 200 lbs. per 100 sf at establishment lbs. per 100 sf annually 5 gallon bucket 20 lbs. of compost Add compost whenever you till See Virginia Tech Publication HORT-49P Backyard Composting

40 Tillage from a Soil Organism s Perspective 40

41 Applying Compost When You Till 41

42 Cover Crops Any crop grown when a garden plot isn t in production Many choices and a variety of uses Cover Crops can : Act as a reservoirs for nutrients Add nutrients Improve soil structure Sustain soil organism populations Protect the soil from erosion Suppress pests Cereal Rye Spring

43 Sweet Potatoes Late Summer Crimson and Red Clovers Daikon Radish and Dill 3-Way Mix of Crimson Clover, Daikon Radish and Hairy Vetch

44 3-Way Mix of Daikon Radish, Common Vetch and Mustard 44 3-Way Mix of Crimson Clover, Cereal Rye and Daikon Radish 7-Way Mix October 2015 (Planted September 2015) Daikon Radishes and Tomatillos

45 Radish Growth in Late Summer and Autumn Freeze Kill in Winter By Early Spring 45

46 Cabbage and Kale under row cover 4 Jan 2016 Beds H G F Daikon some winter injury Chard Rye Carrots Rye/Daikon rye is insulating the daikon Garlic/Dill some of the dill is winter killed and matting down to cover the soil 46

47 4 Feb weeks after 2 ft of snow 47

48 This c. 5-6 mm sized aggregate is from an organically managed soil with the use of cover crops. Intraaggregate pores are in blue and particulate organic matter is green. Aggregate Picture Courtesy of Dr. Sasha Kravchenki, Michigan State University from the Article A Tale of two (Soil) Cities, by Susan Fisk, The American Society of Agronomy,

The space between aggregates in a clod (macro pores ) allows for

49 Soil organisms use organic matter as food and secrete glues to turn small aggregates together to make clods. The space between aggregates in a clod (macro pores ) allows for Gas exchange Water infiltration Space for roots to grow Habitat for soil organisms 49

50 Recommended Practices Rotate crops; companion plant; right plant, right place Keep the garden covered: succession planting, mulches, cover crops 50

51 Recommended Practices Irrigate as needed to maintain moisture Minimize tillage and till properly to avoid compaction 51

52 No-Till 52

53 Tillage The way used to prepare the soil in your garden depends On its size Your physical ability Your time Your budget Options include: Double digging Power rototilling Constructing a Lasagna Garden Building raised beds 53

organic matter Remove topsoil and add organic matter to the

54 Double Digging What is it? Process of hand digging beds very deeply and adding lots of organic matter Remove topsoil and add organic matter to the subsoil level Goal is to loosen soil to a depth up to 24 Over time results in rich, loose soil with lots of air space

bottom of trench Fracture soil with a digging fork to an additional 12 deep Continue across bed, use topsoil

55 Double Digging How you do it Mark out bed area, typically 3-4 wide by X long and cover with ~2 of compost Start on one end and dig a trench 12 deep across the bed width saving topsoil for use later Add compost to the bottom of trench Fracture soil with a digging fork to an additional 12 deep Continue across bed, use topsoil from first trench to fill in last trench See video how-to at: mgpw.org/index.php/gardening-information/resources 55

56 Double Digging How you do it 56

57 Double Digging How you do it 57

to displace weight if you must stand in bed Take care of your soil microbes Add

58 Double Digging How to Manage Beds are permanent never walk or use machinery in the bed Establish permanent workable pathways around beds Use a digging board to displace weight if you must stand in bed Take care of your soil microbes Add organic matter before planting Minimize tillage and soil disruption between crops

59 Double Digging - Benefits Increases pore space and soil aeration Aides in water absorption, retention and drainage Improves root growth and penetration Increases fertility with organic matter Plant more in less space with increased fertility and root space

t dig in wet soil May take 5-10 years to develop great soil (like the

60 Double Digging - Drawbacks Moderately intensive labor if done correctly Initially disrupts soil structure and soil inhabitants Can t dig in wet soil May take 5-10 years to develop great soil (like the Teaching Garden) May have to do again in 3-5 years if soil is particularly bad

61 Rototilling What it is: Turning over the soil with A power rotary tiller Small garden tractor Full-sized farm tractor Mixing the upper layers of soil rather than just turning the soil over 61

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69 Rototilling Advantages of Fall Rototilling Allows for earlier spring planting Better chance of decomposition due to higher temperatures than spring and more time for process to take place Insects, disease organisms and perennial weeds may be reduced by killing/inactivating through burial and exposure to winter weather Heavy clay soils may be improved by the alternate freezing/thawing breaks up tightly aggregated particles More moisture retained in rough soil Gives amendments to soil more time to react with soil 69

70 Rototilling Advantages of Spring Rototilling Better for sandy soil or shallow tilling Better for hillsides to minimize erosion Smooths ground to allow for easier planting 70

71 How to Manage Remove plant waste Test soil Amend Compost Manures Leaf mold Sawdust Rototill Cover Crops Rototilling 71

72 Rototilling Benefits Gets the organic matter down into the soil where it can be broken down Relieves compaction in upper soil Can be successful over the long term if organic matter is brought in every time Minimizes time required to prepare garden Makes large scale gardening more accessible 72

73 Rototilling Drawbacks Can cause soil compaction just beyond the reach of the tines Using deep-rooted cover crops can do much to prevent or alleviate this problem Upset the balances of microorganisms Causes layers of coarse organic material to be buried below the zone where insects and microbes break it down 73

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75 Lasagna Garden How you set it up: Lay down cardboard or newspaper Cover with a layer of browns Fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat and/or pine needles Put down a layer of greens Vegetable scraps, garden trimmings and grass clippings In general, you want your "brown layers to be about twice as deep as your green layers Layer to about a two-foot tall bed 75

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77 Lasagna Garden When to build it: Any time of the year Fall is optimum Availability of organic materials Garden can sit and break down all winter Will be ready to plant in spring Spring or Summer Add more soil-like amendments Peat moss Topsoil Layer as many browns and greens as you can Finish off bed with 3-4 inches of finished compost or topsoil 77

78 Lasagna Garden How to manage: Add mulch to the top of the bed Straw Grass clippings Bark mulch Chopped leaves Weed and water when necessary 78

79 Lasagna Garden Benefits A way around digging, weeding, and rototilling Fewer weeds Better water retention Less need for fertilizer Soil that is easy to work: crumbly, loose and fluffy 79

80 Lasagna Garden Drawbacks You normally need to wait a season before planting Best constructed all at once You must build up layers at the same time for them to be effective and uniform If you use newspapers as your weed-blocking layer, you need to first soak them and then lay them in place, which is heavy work Filling, moving and unloading wheelbarrows full of leaves, hay, grass-clippings and other materials is labor-intensive 80

81 Raised Beds 81

82 Raised Beds Raised beds can mitigate many soil and topography problems. Warm up sooner in the spring Need to be watered more frequently than in-ground beds 82

Raised Beds Many options are available for construction Rot resistant woods (cedar, cypress, redwood) Lumber (pine and spruce) Decays the quickest of these materials Pressure

83 Raised Beds Many options are available for construction Rot resistant woods (cedar, cypress, redwood) Lumber (pine and spruce) Decays the quickest of these materials Pressure treated wood Post 2003 are not deemed a threat to plants or humans Composite lumber Can be expensive Bricks/blocks/stone Can be expensive Don t Use Creosote treated wood (railway ties) 83

84 Raised Beds Choose a site with full sun (8 hours between 10am and 4pm) Once your site is determined, measure out the garden size and mark with pegs. Beds should be no wider than 4 feet to allow access from all sides Leave wide pathways between beds to allow for easy access Draw a detailed sketch of the gardens lay out and placement of plants. 84

85 Raised Beds - Drawbacks Requires more frequent watering Cost of construction Takes time and effort to build and prepare the beds. They will need to be watered more frequently especially in dry or drought conditions. Once constructed, do not step on the beds, walk around them 85

86 Please remember to turn in your class evaluation form and any questions on index cards Virginia Cooperative Extension 3308 Ashton Avenue, Suite 105 Manassas, VA Extension Horticulture Help Desk

step 4 Soil Prep & Planting

step 4 Soil Prep & Planting The Dirt On Colorado Soil Good soil is the basis of any successful water-wise landscape but here in Colorado, most of it is sandy or full of clay. Luckily you can whip your