Category Archives: Garden Advice

Garden Advice

Starting a Garden From Scratch Without a Tiller

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Starting a garden from scratch isn’t always easy especially if you don’t have access to a lot of tools. These methods can be done with little or no tools and a perfect for beginner gardeners or experienced gardeners looking to expand their growing area this season.

Lasagna Garden

The lasagna or layer garden method has recently gained popularity and is a fairly easy way to start a brand new garden if you’ve got easy access to a good amount of organic materials.

To start you’ll need to lay down brown cardboard in the shape you want your garden. Don’t use shiny cardboard. It doesn’t decompose as well and may contain harmful chemicals and/or plastics.

Cover your cardboard shape with a thick layer of hay, straw, and leaves. Some food waste, sawdust, and/or shredded paper can also be incorporated into this layer. Follow this with a layer of compost or manure.

The last layer which you’ll be planting into should be soil or well-aged compost. You’ll want it to be fairly thick to give your plants a good starting medium while the lower layers begin to break down.

Hugelkultur Mounds

Similar to lasagna gardens, hugelkultur mounds are a no-till option built of layers of organic material. However, hugelkultur mounds typically include much larger material like branches or even logs.

These materials break down more slowly meaning hugelkultur mounds may not be ready to support large, deep-rooted plants during the first couple of years. However, this slow decomposition will provide nutrients and moisture retention for years to come.

To learn more about hugelkultur mounds and how to build them check out our post How to Build a Hugelkultur Garden Bed.

Hand-Tilled Garden Beds

Long before the advent of rototillers or even plows, humans were gardening. Even if all you have is a shovel you can turn over a garden by hand.

Decide where you want your garden bed. Laying it out with stakes and string can be helpful for visualizing your design.

If desired you can solarize your soil at this point. You’ll need clear plastic, something to weigh it down, and a few weeks of patience at minimum. Lay the plastic over your plot, pulling it as tightly as possible so it’s flat against the soil. You’ll need to leave this in place for at least a few weeks depending on your weather, but this will kill grass, weeds, and even pests in the soil.

Otherwise, start turning over the soil one shovelful at a time. You want to get all the grass and roots but don’t dig too deep. You don’t want soil layers that aren’t suitable for growing (subsoil) ending up on top.

If you have one, a garden or broad fork can help you loosen deeper layers of subsoil. Use the fork to lift the soil but not turn it over.

At this point, it’s ideal to let your plot sit for a couple of days to kill the grass if you’d didn’t choose to solarize your bed.

Next, rake out your soil. Depending upon your soil type you may need to chop it up a bit with your shovel or a hoe before raking it out. Remove any large plant material and add it to your compost. If the area has lots of leaves falling from the surrounding trees,  you can use a leaf blower to efficiently clean the area.  There are recommended cordless leaf blowers for quiet clean ups available in the market that you can check out.

Ideally, you want to add a few inches of compost on top of your soil. You should also add a scoop of compost to each transplant hole.

You may be wondering what is the most important tool for gardening? We have come to the conclusion that having a pole pruner will allow you to remove branches from trees that cannot be reached from the ground, you can use it with a blade or saw. Also, it helps you reach fruits from any height you need.

 

Traditional Raised Beds

Raised beds can help you get started gardening quickly and are perfect for utilizing places that lack quality (or any) soil like rooftops, driveways, or contaminated ground. If you’re using them on contaminated ground, be sure to build them with a bottom so roots don’t grow into the contaminated soil below.

However, they also come with some downsides like that they can be expensive if you don’t live somewhere with ready access to free material like lumber, logs, compost, etc. Before building raised beds, check out our post, The Pros and Cons of Raised Beds.

Thankfully, if you don’t care what they look like, there are many materials you can use to create raised beds. Logs, boards, stones, bricks, even woven sticks (like wattle fencing) can be used to create the sides. Just avoid pressure-treated lumber or other treated materials like railroad ties

Fill the inside with good quality compost or garden soil.

Container Gardens

Anyone can start a container garden, even if you only have indoor space! You don’t need actual plant pots, you can make a container garden from nearly anything. Plastic totes, five-gallon buckets, even old shoes all work. Some people just cut open bags of soil and plant right into them. Just remember that larger plants typically grow deeper roots and will need larger containers to thrive.

To ensure your garden drains well, you should drill a few holes in the bottom of your planter. If this isn’t possible, I like to add some woody material like broken up sticks or a few handfuls of wood chips to the bottom to help absorb excess moisture.

It’s best to use potting soil for container gardens because it drains much better than regular garden soil. You can also use a mix of potting soil and compost.

Check out the 12 Varieties Perfect for Container Gardening!

Additional Resources

Garden Advice

The Indoor Garden

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We always say that anyone can grow a bit of there own food but what if you have no outdoor space? There are a few vegetables and herbs that you can grow indoors like houseplants. Plus a few alternatives to indoor growing even if you don’t have so much as a balcony.

Natural Light

If you’ve decided to start an indoor garden the first thing to consider is your home’s natural light. Here in the northern hemisphere south-facing windows provide the most natural light. East and west-facing windows will also provide some direct light. In most situations, north-facing windows will not provide enough light for vegetables.

If you live close to neighbors or another building, be mindful that this could block your direct light. Trees shading your windows are also something to consider.

Indoor gardens are also generally more successful in the summer months when the days are longer.

Grow Lights

Proper grow lights can significantly increase your yield and allow you to grow vegetables and herbs you otherwise couldn’t indoors.

While you can use shop lights, as many do for seed starting, these are generally rather inefficient. They produce less of the light that plants need than grow lights do and put out more heat. This means you’ll have a higher electric bill which may make the purchase of proper grow lights worth it.

Many new LED grow lights are also designed to fit in better in your home. You can find a variety of styles and sizes online.

What to grow?

To have the best results, start with plants that are the most shade tolerant. These include leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, and cress. You can also try more shade-tolerant herbs like cilantro, parsley, and mint. These plants are also “cut and come again” plants allowing for multiple harvests.

These vegetables and herbs also stay fairly small and aren’t heavy feeders, allowing you to grow them in small containers.

If you want to grow fruiting vegetables like tomatoes indoors you’ll probably need to learn about tree trimming for small trees and invest in a grow light.

Potting Up

Unlike transplants for your garden, you may not have to transplant indoor plants at all. However, there are a few benefits to starting in a small pot or flat.

Many plants do best when started in smaller pots. Small pots allow you to easily provide optimum growing conditions including ideal moisture and fertility.

If you started plants like greens and herbs in smaller pots you’ll probably need to pot them up in 2-3 weeks. You should try to pot them up once they’re roots are well-developed but not so far along that they’re root bound.

Fertilizing 

Occasionally you should feed your plants. Watering with homemade compost tea or liquid kelp is great for this.

For low feeders like greens and herbs, once a month should be plenty. You may need to increase this if you’re growing in small containers or for a long time.

If you’re growing larger, heavy-feeders you may want to fertilize twice a month.

Sprouts

One simple way to grow a bit of food without a big set-up or commitment is to grow sprouts. All you need is a glass jar, water, some seeds, and cheesecloth or a fine strainer.

Soak about 1-2 TBS of seeds like alfalfa, mung bean, or broccoli in a glass jar full of water for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, drain and rinse your seeds. Repeat rinsing and draining every day until your seeds are as sprouted as desired. Then they’re ready to be added to salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, and other dishes.

Your jar can sit on your kitchen counter. Sprouts don’t require direct light, just a warm place.

Alternatives

Another option to gain a bit of outdoor growing space is mounting a window box. This can still be problematic for some vegetables if your window doesn’t get much direct sunlight. They’re also small which isn’t optimum for larger veggies.

If you’re desperate to garden you should also check into community gardens in your area or try to start one yourself. Some CSAs (community supported agriculture) also trade work for part (or all) of the price of a share. Check with farmers near you!

Garden Advice

Growing, Using, & Storing Staple Crops Part 2

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Last week we discussed a few staple crops that are easy to grow in the home garden. In part 1 we covered flour corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, wheat, beans, winter squash and pumpkins, and peanuts.

Rice

A common misconception is that rice must be grown in a flooded area. Thankfully for small growers, this isn’t true. Flooding is simply a traditional weed control method. However, rice should receive about 1 inch of rain or irrigation per week and needs to be kept well-weeded.

Rice requires a long growing season, 105-150 days. It can be direct-seeded or you can transplant seedlings after danger of frost has passed. Plant 6 inches apart in rows 9-12 inches apart.

You may also need to cover your rice with netting as it’s a favorite with birds. Harvest when seeds are brown. Gently pull mature seeds off the stalks harvesting continually over a few days.

Allow the rice to dry in a warm dry place for 2-3 weeks. Old window screens are great for this. Then store in airtight containers.

Rice is slightly more involved than some other staple crops because it needs to be de-hulled. You can purchase a home-scale de-huller like the Grain Maker’s Homestead Huller.

Hulless Oats

Oats are easy to grow and can be sown as soon as soil can be worked in the spring. Sow oats in a sunny area with access to water. They do best when soil is kept moist but not soggy.

To sow, broadcast them by hand or with a spreader. Rake them in well, to avoid losing your seed to birds. You can also add a light layer of mulch like straw. It’s important to know that CLF Electrical has a proud history of delivering high quality work at great prices across the region.

When the leaves start to turn brown it’s time to harvest your oats. The seeds should be in what’s called the “dough” stage. You should be able to dent one with a fingernail but no milky fluid should come out. Don’t wait to harvest until they’re fully hard and ripe as many will fall.

To harvest, you can cut the seed heads from the stalks. You can also cut the whole stalk but it isn’t necessary. Like rice, oats should cure in a dry place for a few weeks until they’re fully dried.

Contrary to their name, hulless oats do have a hull it’s just loose and easily removed. They can be threshed like wheat (see part 1) or using a grain mill. Oats should be stored whole, in airtight containers, out of the sunlight.

Your oats can be ground into flour or cracked using a grain mill to make oatmeal. Oat straw can also be harvested in the early summer to make tea.

Amaranth

Some Central American cultures have relied on amaranth as a staple crop for over 8,000 years!

Amaranth should be planted about 2 weeks after your last frost date. Sow seed 1/4 to 3/8 in. deep, 1 in. apart in rows 2-3 ft. apart. Thin to 4-10 in. apart. We’ve found that placing seeds in a salt shaker and sprinkling seeds into the row is an easy planting method.

While germinating, keep the soil moist. Once established amaranth can withstand dry soil. Avoid over-fertilizing. Amaranth is a nitrite accumulator and too much nitrogen can cause it to lodge.

Amaranth seeds mature unevenly. To collect early-ripening seeds, “massage” the seed head over a container to collect those that fall. To harvest later-maturing seed, wait until last frost and then cut the seed heads.

Thresh the seed heads (while wearing a dust mask like a bandana), screen out the chaff, and winnow the seed like you would wheat. Cure your seeds for a few weeks or until it is fully dry by spreading it in thin layers somewhere dry.

Grind grain in a flour mill, sprout it, pop it like popcorn, or use it in hot cereal.

Cabbage

Cabbage grows best in rich, moist, well-drained soil. Irrigation may be required in dry areas and plants benefit from a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and moist. This helps prevent splitting and bolting.

For spring crops, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting. Begin hardening off transplants about 1 month before your last frost date. Plant small head varieties 10-12 in. apart, large head varieties 16-18 in. apart.

For fall crops, transplant to desired spacing when plants have 3 true leaves or direct sow 6-12 seeds/ft at a depth of 1/4 in. and thin as needed.

If you’re harvesting for longterm storage leave about 6 inches of stalk and refrigerate. For folks with root cellars, cabbage was traditionally pulled up and hung upside down by the roots in the cellar. You can also store your cabbage as sauerkraut.

Cowpeas

Cowpeas are also called southern peas, field peas, crowder peas, and black-eyed peas. They’re popular in the south but can be grown anywhere days and nights are warm for 60-90 days.

They grow best in well-drained, relatively poor soil. Plant seed 3-4 weeks after last frost when the soil has warmed. Sow seed 1 in. deep, 2 in. apart in rows 3-6 ft. apart, thinning to 4 in. apart.

Cowpeas are extremely versatile. They can be boiled, frozen, canned, or dried. Green seeds can be roasted like peanuts. Scorched seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. Leaves may be used as a potherb.

For fresh shelly peas, harvest when seeds have filled the green pods, but before seeds have hardened. For dried use, make sure to harvest dried pods before rain or else seeds will mold. Cure pods under cover in a rodent-proof space.

When harvesting dry peas, you can pull up or cut the whole plant, let it dry, and thresh on a tarp or old sheet for large quantities. Store in airtight containers once completely dry.

Sorghum

Sorghum is native to Africa and has been cultivated there since 2200 B.C. It’s thought to have been grown in the U.S. since about 1700 but the first recorded introduction was by William R. Prince of Flushing, NY in 1853.

There are 4 main types of sorghum.

  • cane sorghum with sweet stalks used for making syrup
  • grain sorghum used for feed or for making flour or cereal
  • broom corns
  • grass sorghum used for pasturing.

For a staple crop, we’ll be discussing grain sorghum.

Growing sorghum is a lot like growing corn and is planted the same way with similar spacing. Sow seeds 1/2-3/4 in. deep. It’s extremely drought-resistant and may perform better than corn in dry areas because of its extensive root system.

Harvest seed when the seed stalk has started to dry. Cut the stalks and allow them to fully dry under cover. Then strip the seeds by hand and winnow.

Store seeds in airtight containers. Use sorghum seeds to make flour which is especially tasty for pancakes!

Rutabaga

Also called swedes, rutabagas were an important staple crop in Europe especially during WWII. Both the leaves and roots are edible. They were also historically used as livestock fodder.

Rutabagas are similar to turnips but should be planted for a fall harvest. Plant 8-10 weeks before first fall frost, seeding 1” apart in rows 12-16” apart, thinning to 8” apart. Thin within 1 month of sowing or they won’t bulb properly.

Harvest when roots reach 3-6″ across or before temperatures dip below 20°F.

Rutabagas will store for months in bags or bins in a refrigerator or root cellar. Don’t wash the roots before storage. Trim back the leaves to about 1 inch and gently brush off large clumps of dirt.