Horticulture : News
DATE: December 26, 2011
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Amy Aldenderfer
County Extension Agent for Horticulture
Seven Steps to Successful Gardening
Now that the holiday season is over, the true fun begins. All of the seed catalogs are arriving and the descriptions cause visions of 12-pound tomatoes, hordes of squash and bushels of sugar peas. How do you reach this vegetable Eden? With a little work and following a few steps, your garden will become the envy of the neighbors.
Follow these seven steps to have a successful garden:
1 Plan your garden on paper before you begin. A garden plan helps you grow the greatest amount with the least amount of effort. Grow only those vegetables you and your family (or your neighbors) will eat. Think about how much of a particular vegetable your family will eat in a week. Planting a row of cabbages, about 50 plants, to mature in one week is a LOT of Cole slaw.
2 Select a good gardening site: It should receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, is relatively level, well-drained, and close to a water source. The closer your garden is to the back door, the more you’ll use it, allowing you to have the freshest vegetables on the table. You will also notice insects and diseases that will destroy your crops BEFORE they get too far along. If your veggie garden is incorporated into the rest of the landscape, you may be willing to weed more often.
3 Prepare the soil properly and add fertilizer and lime according to soil test recommendations. Soil tests are available at the Cooperative Extension Service for FREE to Hardin County residents. From a soil test, you will be able to only add the plant nutrients that you need. I see a lot of soil tests come back with “No Fertilizer Needed” as a recommendation. That means your soil has all the nutrients that it can hold. It’s full. Plants can easily access those nutrients to grow large and healthy fruits.
4 Plan only as large a garden as you can easily maintain. A garden that is ten feet on a side is 100 square feet. That’s pretty big when you are going to be weeding on your hands and knees. I suggest a four by eight garden for the beginner. It’s easily accessed from both sides; it’s large enough for most vegetables and you can edge it with 1x6” boards for a nice edging and to raise the planting area.
5 Grow vegetables that will produce the maximum amount of food in the space available. Vegetables that vine will take a lot of space in a small garden. Buying watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins and corn at the farmers’ market will let you grow green beans, tomatoes, and carrots to your heart’s content.
6 Plant during the correct season for the crop. Tomatoes and peppers planting in early April will not grow until the soil temperatures warm up. Lettuces, broccoli, and radish will grow splendidly in cooler soils. Choose varieties recommended for your area. For a complete listing of cultivars recommended for Kentucky gardens, contact the Cooperative Extension Service at 765-4121 and request publication ID-128: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky.
7 Harvest vegetables at their proper stage of maturity. Tomatoes should be fully colored and yielding to the touch. Green beans should be firm but not bumpy. Zucchini should be about six inches in length and picked every day. Store them promptly and properly if you do not use them immediately.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, gender, religion, disability, or national origin.
For more information about growing fruits and vegetables in Kentucky, contact the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service by phone: 270.765.4121, email: Amy.Aldenderfer@uky.edu or on the web: www.hardinhort.org. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
NOTE: The Gardener’s Toolbox Series is continuing with Build a Bluebird House - January 18th. The Eastern Bluebird male scouts a nesting site in early February. Come and make a cozy home for the bird that eats destructive insects in the garden. All supplies are provided. Class is limited to 20.
Vegetable Gardening 101 - January 31st Start with the beginning. This class will get you started on your first vegetable garden. We will discuss gardening in containers, square foot gardening, and how to plan a garden for yourself and your family.
The “How to Grow” classes are 1 hour long discussions on growing conditions, nutrients, and varieties on a particular group of food plants.
How to Grow: Potatoes - February 20th Have you eaten a fresh potato? You are missing out if you don’t grow your own. Potatoes are easy and there are more varieties than russet and Yukon gold. We’ll explore varieties, growing challenges, and cooking tips.
All Classes are held at the Hardin County Extension Office beginning at 6:00 p.m. All Classes are $5 each. Registration and payment must be received one week prior to class.
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