Seeds, Soil & How to Succeed
Vegetable gardens are plentiful with right light, water
Why do some vegetable gardens flourish while others suffer from
nasty pests, pathogens and stunted plants? If your thumb is
blue, red or any other color except green, here are some tips on
watering, lighting, soil preparation and more.
When to Water
Overwatering is the most common mistake gardeners make,
according to Oleg Daugovish, farm advisor for the University of
California Cooperative Extension, who has been conducting
research in organic gardening at Faulkner Farms in Santa Paula.
“Most gardeners think vegetables need more water than they
do,” said Daugovish. “Too much water prevents oxygen from
reaching the roots, and makes plants more susceptible to pests
and diseases like root rot.”
Container plants may need daily watering in hot weather, but
your ground plants don’t. A good rule of thumb is to look at the
leaves, Daugovish advised.
Large-leaved plants like lettuce need more water, because they
transpire more moisture into the atmosphere. Plants with
smaller leaves, such as tomatoes, need less.
Water when the soil is 50 percent moist. To determine the
moisture level, dig 6-8 inches into soil. Hold the soil in your
palm.
In sandy soil conditions, the soil won’t form a ball. In clay soil, a
ball forms only under pressure. It’s best to water deeply and
infrequently in the morning, so plants dry off before evening.
Other Considerations
Insufficient light is another problem, which can cause smaller,
weaker plants. Vegetables and fruits need 6-8 hours of direct
light. Walls and leaf canopies reduce the quantity and quality of
light, and negatively affect the plant’s photosynthesis process.
Growing the right vegetable during the right season is also
important.
Cool-season vegetables are plants where vegetative parts are
eaten, such as carrots (roots), broccoli (flowers) and spinach
(leaves).
Warm-season vegetables have seeds like zucchini, tomatoes,
eggplant and peppers. “In these cases, we’re actually eating
the fruit of the plant,” Daugovish said.
Improve your Soil
“Garden soil is like a bank,” said Daugovish. “The more you put
into it, the more you get back.”
Compost, decomposed leaves and dried manures mixed into the
soil improves its structure and adds nutrients and beneficial
microorganisms. Mulching with 2-3 inches of fine wood chips or
compost saves water, reduces weeds and builds better soil.
Leave some space between mulch and plant to avoid diseases.
Replenishing soil regularly is critical, agreed Phil McGrath, co-
owner of McGrath Family Farm with nine other family members.
“Feed the soil and the soil will feed the crop,” said McGrath.
“That’s what an old farmer once told me. It’s good advice to
remember.”
The Camarillo-based farm sells more than 60 certified organic
crops to seven farmer’s markets and 30 restaurants throughout
Southern California. Among those crops are vegetables from the
legume family, such as snap peas, green beans, lima beans, soy
beans and fava beans, according to McGrath.
“Vegetables in the legume family are nitrogen fixers,” he said.
“They not only taste good. They also feed the soil by adding
valuable nitrogen.”
Often called green manures or cover crops, legumes and some
other plants improve soil structure, replace nutrients and
encourage beneficial insects. Popular choices include Alfalfa,
Barley, Fava Bean, Lana Woolypod Vetch and Winter Field Peas.
Direct seed them in your garden alongside other vegetables, or
grow them alone to prepare soil for another growing season.
Unless you want to eat the produce, mix plants back into the soil
once they start flowering. Wait two weeks before planting.
Rotate Crops
Avoid growing vegetables in the same place each year.
Otherwise, you’re providing an ideal environment for diseases
and pests, according to McGrath.
“We’re constantly rotating crops on the farm,” he said. “Every
three months, we’re planting something new. The more you
rotate crops, the more balanced your soil.”
Plants from the same family shouldn’t be planted in the same
place year after year, advised Daugovish. For instance,
tomatoes and peppers belong to the same solanaceae family.
Diversity is a sign of a healthy garden, McGrath added. “Plants
need different quantities of nutrients and micronutrients,” he
said. “By rotating crops, you avoid depleting the soil. Greater
plant diversity in your garden means fewer problems with pests
and pathogens.”
Vegetable gardens are plentiful with right light, water
Why do some vegetable gardens flourish while others suffer from
nasty pests, pathogens and stunted plants? If your thumb is
blue, red or any other color except green, here are some tips on
watering, lighting, soil preparation and more.
When to Water
Overwatering is the most common mistake gardeners make,
according to Oleg Daugovish, farm advisor for the University of
California Cooperative Extension, who has been conducting
research in organic gardening at Faulkner Farms in Santa Paula.
“Most gardeners think vegetables need more water than they
do,” said Daugovish. “Too much water prevents oxygen from
reaching the roots, and makes plants more susceptible to pests
and diseases like root rot.”
Container plants may need daily watering in hot weather, but
your ground plants don’t. A good rule of thumb is to look at the
leaves, Daugovish advised.
Large-leaved plants like lettuce need more water, because they
transpire more moisture into the atmosphere. Plants with
smaller leaves, such as tomatoes, need less.
Water when the soil is 50 percent moist. To determine the
moisture level, dig 6-8 inches into soil. Hold the soil in your
palm.
In sandy soil conditions, the soil won’t form a ball. In clay soil, a
ball forms only under pressure. It’s best to water deeply and
infrequently in the morning, so plants dry off before evening.
Other Considerations
Insufficient light is another problem, which can cause smaller,
weaker plants. Vegetables and fruits need 6-8 hours of direct
light. Walls and leaf canopies reduce the quantity and quality of
light, and negatively affect the plant’s photosynthesis process.
Growing the right vegetable during the right season is also
important.
Cool-season vegetables are plants where vegetative parts are
eaten, such as carrots (roots), broccoli (flowers) and spinach
(leaves).
Warm-season vegetables have seeds like zucchini, tomatoes,
eggplant and peppers. “In these cases, we’re actually eating
the fruit of the plant,” Daugovish said.
Improve your Soil
“Garden soil is like a bank,” said Daugovish. “The more you put
into it, the more you get back.”
Compost, decomposed leaves and dried manures mixed into the
soil improves its structure and adds nutrients and beneficial
microorganisms. Mulching with 2-3 inches of fine wood chips or
compost saves water, reduces weeds and builds better soil.
Leave some space between mulch and plant to avoid diseases.
Replenishing soil regularly is critical, agreed Phil McGrath, co-
owner of McGrath Family Farm with nine other family members.
“Feed the soil and the soil will feed the crop,” said McGrath.
“That’s what an old farmer once told me. It’s good advice to
remember.”
The Camarillo-based farm sells more than 60 certified organic
crops to seven farmer’s markets and 30 restaurants throughout
Southern California. Among those crops are vegetables from the
legume family, such as snap peas, green beans, lima beans, soy
beans and fava beans, according to McGrath.
“Vegetables in the legume family are nitrogen fixers,” he said.
“They not only taste good. They also feed the soil by adding
valuable nitrogen.”
Often called green manures or cover crops, legumes and some
other plants improve soil structure, replace nutrients and
encourage beneficial insects. Popular choices include Alfalfa,
Barley, Fava Bean, Lana Woolypod Vetch and Winter Field Peas.
Direct seed them in your garden alongside other vegetables, or
grow them alone to prepare soil for another growing season.
Unless you want to eat the produce, mix plants back into the soil
once they start flowering. Wait two weeks before planting.
Rotate Crops
Avoid growing vegetables in the same place each year.
Otherwise, you’re providing an ideal environment for diseases
and pests, according to McGrath.
“We’re constantly rotating crops on the farm,” he said. “Every
three months, we’re planting something new. The more you
rotate crops, the more balanced your soil.”
Plants from the same family shouldn’t be planted in the same
place year after year, advised Daugovish. For instance,
tomatoes and peppers belong to the same solanaceae family.
Diversity is a sign of a healthy garden, McGrath added. “Plants
need different quantities of nutrients and micronutrients,” he
said. “By rotating crops, you avoid depleting the soil. Greater
plant diversity in your garden means fewer problems with pests
and pathogens.”
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| Article published in Ventura County Star California (Home & Garden section) May 20, 2004 |
More on this subject:
Crop Rotation
Vegetables for So. Cal
Crop Rotation
Vegetables for So. Cal
Photo by Isabel Gomes
Photo by Isabel Gomes
Photo by Isabel Gomes
Other Gardening Articles:
Bee-Friendly Gardens
Edible Flowers
Early-Blooming Flowers
Organic Roses
Bee-Friendly Gardens
Edible Flowers
Early-Blooming Flowers
Organic Roses