Save on gas, plant a garden

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, May 24, 2008

With the price of gas and groceries on a constant rise, more people are thinking about planting a garden this year. Here are a few tips for the novice gardener.

First, start small. You may find that gardening is just not your thing.

Second, do a soil test in the area you are thinking about planting. The garden should be in full sun, that is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. If the soil is good you can start removing the grass from your plot. If you simply till it in, you will fight grass and weeds for as long as you garden there.

If you find that the soil will need a lot of renovation, build raised beds. They only need to be about two feet deep, three feet if you hate to bend over to garden.

Now to plant. Peas, potatoes, carrots, lettuce and all the cabbage plants can go in as soon as the frost is gone from the soil. Corn, tomatoes, and peppers need air and soil temps of 55. Beans and the vine crops, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, need soil temps of 60.

Rows should run north and south but that is not set in stone. Just be sure your corn isn't shading your tomatoes. Lettuce likes the cool side of corn. Never plant tomatoes where you had potatoes last year and vice versa. They are cousins and are sensitive to the same diseases. Don't crowd plants. Good air circulation can prevent many diseases.

MULCH. Lay 4 to 6 layers of newspapers on the soil and cover them with grass clippings, straw, leaves or hay. This does several good things for your garden. It keeps the weeds from sprouting from seeds in the soil. Any seeds that fly in with the wind can't get to the soil to sprout. It keeps the moisture in the soil. It keeps the roots cool and

when it rots, as it will be by the end of the season, it adds micro nutrients to the soil.

When you buy seeds, check the days to maturity. We have a very short growing season. Ninety (90) days is a good time to look for. Plant corn that ripens at different times which will stretch your season. Plant radishes every two weeks, until July, to have a continual supply. Lettuce and spinach will bolt, that is flower in the hot weather but can be replanted in late August for a fall treat.

We have a small booklet at the Extension office for the beginning gardener for a small fee. The Extension office is located at 505 South Court, just over the railroad bridge south of the Courthouse. Look for the American flag and MIA flag.

Give gardening a try. It is not only good for the table, but good exercise for the gardener.

— Bev Johnson is a Master Gardener for West Otter Tail County