Backyard Vegetable Garden

Source: eartheasy.com

A backyard vegetable garden should be an asset, not a burden.
Watering, weeding, fertilizing and similar chores can be kept to a
minimum if the beds are properly prepared and well-mulched.
Low-maintenance gardens are the only way to keep the fun in
gardening, and low-maintenance techniques can also lead to increased
yields from your plants.

• basic seasonal needs - an understanding of the three essential
elements during a crop's life-cycle will ensure that your vegetables
have the right nutrients at each stage of development.

~ nitrogen (N) - promotes leafy growth, essential is spring, but
nitrogen should not be applied as the plant nears maturity or it will
encourage growth instead of fruiting.
~ phosphate (P) - promotes root growth and new shoots. Rock phosphate
and bonemeal can be applied throughout the growing season.
~ potassium (K) - aids fruiting and flowering, essential as the plant
nears maturity.

• watering - Early in the morning is the best time to water your
agrden because there is less water loss to evaporation. Watering in
the evening is OK, but leaving the plants and soil wet overnight can
encourage slug activity, and can cause young seedlings to 'damp off'.
• weeding - It's best to pull any weeds before they are mature enough
to put out seeds.
• mulching - Once seedlings are tall enough, it's time to adda 4" -
6" blanket of mulch to cover the soil surrounding the plant. Mulch is
not dug in - it stays on top of the soil. Using mulch conserves water
by reducing surface evaporation; mulch also greatly reduces the need
for weeding, the bane of the gardener. Do not use landscape cloth or
plastic sheeting beneath mulch. The mulch will gradually incorporate
into the soil, adding nutrients and preserving loose soil texture.
The mulch will need to be 'topped up' from time to time.

Using mulch reduces maintenance chores for the gardener while saving
water and encouraging vigorous plant growth. A savvy gardener always
has an eye out for free sources of mulch material. The chart below
shows the common materials used for mulch and their properties when
in use.

type of mulch

properties
straw Straw is ideal for mulching - it's easy to apply, stays in
place and reflects light which aids fruiting in some vegetables.
However, take care to ensure you are using straw, not hay. Hay will
introduce seeds to your garden beds which will become umwanted weeds.
leaves Leaves are excellent when used as mulch and they also
contribute nutrients to the soil as they break down. However, leaves
are not readily available in the spring; they are valued as
over-winter mulch. To keep leaf mulch from blowing away, sprinkle
dirt on top.
grass clippings Older (brown) grass clippings work well as mulch.
Fresh (green) grass clippings also can be used, and they add nitrogen
to the soil. Fresh clippings should not be used in late summer when
maturing plants should not receive nitrogen.
seaweed Freshly gathered seaweed makes an ideal mulch which also
contributes trace minerals to the soil. Seaweed also deters slugs.
Seaweed should be applied thickly because it shrinks a lot as is
dries. The amount of salt seaweed brings to your soil is minimal but
you can spray it with fresh water before applying if concerned.
newspaper Strips of newspaper can be used as mulch, but it needs to
be wetted and either weighted down or covered with dirt or another
mulch to keep from blowing away. Do not use glossy paper or newspaper
printed with color inks.
black plastic sheeting Widely used as a mulch and ground cover to
supress weeds. May need to be weighted down at the edges with rocks.
Use a heavy weight (6 mil) plastic. This mulch helps retain moisture
in the soil, but cannot be watered through. Some gardeners cut holes
for the plant with some room for watering.
Black plastic sheeting can have the negative effect of baking the
soil, raising soil temperature as deep as 12". To minimize this
impact, a light-colored mulch such as straw can be laid over the
plastic sheeting.
sawdust Fine sawdust is not good to use for mulch because water
beads up and runs off in rivulets. Coarse sawdust works well as
mulch, but avoid wood shavings from chainsaws because this sawdust
has chain oil residue which you don't want in your organic garden.
bark mulch Commonly used for shrubs and landscaping, this should not
be used in vegetable gardens because it is acidic. However, bark
mulch is excellent for covering the paths between beds; first lay
down landscape cloth on the paths and cover with 2" of bark mulch.
compost/manure Compost and manure should not be used as a mulch for
vegetables because they have too much nitrogen; manure may contain
weed seeds. Better to use these as soil amendments when making new
beds, or to 'top dress' thinly in the early part of the season.

broccoli with mulch straw mulch

• use organic fertilizer - In our vegetable garden we rarely use
fertilizer because the beds are prepared with sufficient nutrients.
If you see the need for fertilizer, you can 'top dress' the bed with
a thin layer of compost, fishmeal or composted manure, or you can
water the plants with compost 'tea'. Organic fertilizers are
preferable to chemical fertilizers because they are gentler on the
plants so there's less chance you will burn the plants. Chemical
fertilizers have a short-term benefit only, and should be restricted
to spot treatment. There is no substitute for a well-prepared,
organic garden bed.
• rotate crops each year - plant crops in a different bed each year,
waiting until the third year before planting any crop in it's
original bed.
• pests and diseases - While this is a big topic, the short answer to
reducing plant damage from pests and diseases is this: grow healthy
plants. Vigorous plants have a natural resistance to pests. Pull any
weak or infested plants and remove from the garden. Ensuring that the
soil is well prepared before planting, and using healthy looking
transplants are a good defence against problems.

• plant 'green manure' in over-winter beds - When a garden bed lies
idle for a time, the soil can be built up by growing "green manure'
cover crops. These are fast growing green plants that can be easily
chopped up and spaded into the soil, adding green organic matter
which readily composts into humus. These plants of the Legume family
also add nitrogen to the soil as a boost for spring crops. Some cover
crops can be spaded into your garden and with others it is better to
cut off the green tops, add them to the compost pile, and spade only
the roots left behind into the soil.
In the fall, sow any of these cover crops: Alfalfa, Austrian Field
Pea, White Clover, Crimson Clover, Purple Vetch, Hairy Vetch, Woolly
Vetch, Common Vetch, Fava Beans, Wheat, Oats and Cereal Rye.

harvesting and storing

The glory of gardening is harvesting. A few tips can help ensure a
bountiful harvest and successful storage to extend the bounty well
into fall and, for some vegetables, over winter.

• broccoli - Harvest broccoli before any small yellow flowers appear
on the central cluster. Pick the main center head first, and cut it
5" down the central stalk; this will encourage the side shoots to
then develop into new smaller heads which can be harvested regularly
for weeks, even months. By continuously harvesting the small heads
just before they flower, you can triple the yield from each plant.
This method will extend the harvest for months if weather conditions
allow.
• onions - Once the stalks turn yellow, bend them down and wait two
weeks. Then stick a pitchfork well beneath the onion bulbs and gently
lift the soil up a bit. This will loosen the soil around the bulbs.
Wait another two weeks till harvesting. This method will increase the
size of the onions.
• tomatoes - When the fruits begin to turn red, check the plants each
day, and pick any red firm fruit. Harvest tomatoes with the calyx on.
Unripe tomatoes (windfalls or late-season) can also be harvested; set
them in a warm place indoors and they will turn red. Or you can wrap
unripe tomatoes individually in newspaper and store in a dark, cool
room for slower ripening.
• potatoes - Once the plants wilt and die back, the potatoes are
ready to harvest. Use a pitchfork to minimize damage when harvesting;
work the fork in from the side and get well under the plant before
lifting up to expose the potatoes.
• squash - As the squash near maturity they should be kept dry.
Letting the squash lie in damp grass can encourage small rot spots
which will ruin the squash for winter storage. Some gardeners set a
small saucer under each squash to help keep it dry. Another method is
to trellis the squash, in which case each mature squash should be
tied to the trellis with a piece of netting or nylon strip, fashioned
like a sling to hold the heavy squash.
• leave the fall garden cleanup until spring - When your annuals die
off in late fall, they can be left on the beds over winter. The roots
will break down into the soil over winter, making them easy to pull
in the spring. Also by letting the spent crop go to seed, you may
find free volunteer sprouts in the spring which you can use as
transplants. Some annuals may even survive winter. In our garden, for
example, several broccoli survive winter and provide small heads from
side shoots which are much appreciated winter greens.