Why grow a sustainable garden?
Many of us want the taste that only comes from fresh
picked-when-ripe tomatoes, corn, peas and etc.
Some folks believe it's the healthiest way to live.
Others love the fresh air and exercise, plus digging
in the dirt, as well as the joy of being a co-creator
of growing things with God.
The idea of having our food grown by strangers on
huge farms in far distant places, while perhaps
using harmful pesticides and herbicides, makes
others want the security and control of growing
their own. And at times like 9/11 we all feel
vulnerable to disruptions in the complex delivery
system that brings food to our doors.
You CAN have a sustainable garden of your own in
a very small space. And it can be be fun and
productive! Who wants to spend time in drudgery
if there's no reward for all the effort?
Sustainable Gardening is really quite simple, and
most of the work is already done for you by nature.
All you need to do is learn and follow 10 basic
rules:
- Choose a location away from shade of all kinds
that's reasonably level, has a good water supply,
and has easy access.
- Remove everything you can from the soil: rocks,
rubbish, and vegetation, including roots and
runners of perennial weeds and shrubs. Then till
or dig everything 8" to 10" deep.
- Plan, stake, and build level ridged soil-beds in
which to plant seeds or seedlings. An 18"-wide
soil-bed or open-bottom box, with aisles of at
least 3' is ideal.
- Assure balanced nutrition for your crops.
Basically, this means you will need a pre-plant
mix, and a growing mix for weekly feeding. These
are mixes you can make yourself at very little
cost. We'll tell you exactly how to make these
two mixes in our next issue.
- Plant seedlings or seeds at the proper time so
they don't freeze, and space them based on their
size at maturity, to give them ample growing room.
- Immediately after transplanting seedlings, give
them a boost with 34-0-0 or other nitrogen
fertilizer. Apply 4" from plant stems along the
row of plants, using 1/4 ounce per running foot
of soil-bed. Water thoroughly.
- Three days after transplanting, or immediately
upon emergence of sprouted seedlings, apply your
growing mix at a rate of 1/2 ounce per running
foot of soil-bed. Do this weekly, until 3 weeks
before crop maturity. We'll tell you more about
how to do this simply and easily in an upcoming
issue.
- At the first sign of tiny weeds, use a 2-way hoe
to remove them. Never let weeds get even one
inch high, but continue weeding until they give
up. "E and O weeding" (early and often!) will
assure you a weed-free garden, along with much
more abundant and healthy crops.
- Water down the center of your level ridged
soil-beds daily or as needed to maintain
moisture. Never let the soil dry out, as
wilting plants are dying plants!
- Harvest your crops at the peak of maturity for
best appearance, taste, and health benefit.
Never leave crops in the garden after maturity,
or they will quickly lose their food value and
attract bugs and diseases.
Just learn these few basic rules, follow them
accurately, and watch nature's miracle turn your
bare ground into a cornucopia of tasty and healthy
fruits and vegetables!
In coming weeks we'll cover these steps in more
detail so you can feel comfortable about why and
exactly how to do things the best way - for your
plants, your own health, and the environment.
To get a head start and see the complete pictorial
and graphic instructions for a great garden in any
soil and in any climate, visit the Food For Everyone
website:
http://www.foodforeveryone.org.
Jim Kennard
is President of the
Food For Everyone
Foundation, a non-profit organization with the
mission of "Teaching the world to grow food one
family at a time". You'll find many free vegetable
gardening resources, including a gardening ebook,
greenhouse plans, automated watering plans, and
a free chapter from each of the great gardening
books and software CD's Jim offers, at the
website:
www.foodforeveryone.org
