As Memorial Day arrives this weekend, many of you will plant your vegetable gardens. Some of you may have a plot of land that you use, while others may use a few containers for your garden. Either way, let me give you some information that will help you to do it right.
If you are planting in containers, you must fill them with potting soil. Using topsoil to save money will result in poor yields. If you are growing tomato plants, put only one in each container. You will need to use a 14-inch pot, or in some cases, up to a 24-inch pot for your tomato plants. Using smaller pots will result in a poor crop.
Much of what I will talk about for planting in the ground also pertains to container gardening.
Before you put your plants out, make sure that they are ready to go into the garden. Some plants have been grown in a greenhouse and shipped directly into stores. If the plants have not been exposed to the wind, they may get windburn when you place them in the garden.
It will be better for the plants if you gradually expose them to the elements by putting them outside for a short time each day, and then bring them back into the house. After a few days, the plants will toughen up and will be ready to stay outside.
Make sure you read the tag that tells you how far apart to place the plants in the garden. Just like growing in containers, if you crowd the plants, you will get a poor yield. For example, you will get more tomatoes from two plants properly spaced than you will from six plants crowded together.
When you set your plants out, either in containers or in the ground, always use a plant starter fertilizer. This will help stimulate new growth and help the plants to overcome shock from being transplanted.
If your soil is a poor quality, add some compost or garden soil and work it into the top 6 inches of dirt. Your plants need good soil for proper root growth. If the plants don’t have a good environment for the roots to grow, the garden will not give you the amount of food you want.
Once you have the plants in the garden, keep an eye out for the insects that want to feast.
Cutworms live in the soil and will attack your plants by eating through the stem. You can treat the soil at planting time to kill the cutworms. Flea beetles will eat hundreds of holes in the leaves, thus weakening the plant. The flea beetles are particularly fond of peppers and eggplant. You can spray the leaves with any product that has a label stating it’s safe to use on vegetables. The good news is that once the plants get bigger, the flea beetles stop being a problem.
The soil needs to keep moist to encourage the roots to take hold. This is vitally important in the first few days. Try to do your watering in the morning to allow the foliage to dry before night. Do not keep them soaking wet, however.
Wet foliage at night can lead to fungus diseases. If we get rainy days, you can prevent the formation of fungus diseases by using an organic spray called Serenade. It works well on plants, and is very effective at preventing diseases on squash and cucumbers.
Well, that’s all for this week. The store is open all weekend, including the holiday. If you have more questions, we will be there to help you out. Happy Memorial Day and I’ll talk to you again next week.
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Tim Lamprey is the owner of Harbor Garden Center on Route 1 in Salisbury. His website is www.Harborgardens.com. Do you have questions for Tim? Send them to ndn@newburyportnews.com, and he will answer them in upcoming columns.
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