Building a Better Garden with Less Effort

1. Building a Better Garden with Less Effort Ted Lambert, Moira Weldon, Lee Royer

2. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

3. Are You Happy W/ Your Garden • Did it produce the volume you wanted? • Did veggies taste better than store bought? • Did they look perfect? • Was your garden more work then you thought? • Did it get taken over by weeds? • Any watering issues?

4. Ingredients For First Year Success Good, deep soil; add organic matter Give your plants the nutrients, water, and sunlight they need Prevent weeds from growing Give it a little time each day Realize that a perfect harvest is a dream ENJOY!

5. 1st Things 1st • Cleanliness is very important here • Diseases and insects like to over winter in plant litter!!!! • Completely remove all questionable material • Remove old mulch • Allow soil to breathe for a few days • Soil test every 3 years

6. Testing the Soil Well-drained (drainage test) Friable - deep, crumbly; allows for maximum root growth. (squeeze test) Test your soil; 6.0-6.8 is preferred pH range!!! Good soil test can actually save you money! Urban/suburban soils are often low quality soils pH must be corrected for healthy plants

7. Soil Gets Little Respect • Soil is often an after thought • It gets compacted when driven on, walked on and over watered • It’s left uncovered; there is never bare soil in nature • Remember It supports all plant life which in turns supports animals and of course us

8. Who Has Ideal Soil • Not most gardeners! • Fortunately almost any soil can be made suitable for a vegetable garden • At least on a backyard scale Ideal soil has by volume, half solid matter, half pore space, with half those pores filled with water. Mixed organic matter plays an important role. It glues together small minerals and acts like a sponge to hold water.

9. Improving the Soil with Organic Matter!! Regular additions of organic matter will improve soil structure and create a reservoir of slow-release nutrients Sources: manure, compost, shredded leaves, grass clippings, organic mulches, plant roots, cover crops, buried kitchen scraps, barn leavings etc. Maple leaves break down quickly; oak leaves slowly decompose Large amounts of organic matter may be needed for several years

10. “To Till or Not to Till” or Rototillitis • Benefits of a rototiller: • great for turning under cover crops, residues, manure • makes soil loose and weed-free for planting • can disrupt pest populations in the soil • Potential problems: • damaged soil structure • soil compaction if machine is over-used • disruption of soil food web • freshly tilled soil is prone to erosion • “burns up” organic matter faster • brings weed seeds to the surface • extra work Permanent cover, no compaction, no tillage = conditionsthat plants have grown in for eons!!

11. No Dig and Other Low Effort Gardens • Lasagna Gardening • Ruth Stout Gardening • “Weedless” Gardening • Square foot Gardening • Instant Gardening

12. Sheet/Lasagna Compost Your Way to a Fast Vegetable Garden!

13. Layer It All In • If starting a new garden don’t remove sod • Lay cardboard or newspaper down first • 2 to 4 inches of leaves, straw (brown matter) • 2 to 4 inches of grass clippings (green matter) • Pile it high up (16 inches or more) • Mix in peat moss, kitchen scraps, compost, manure, etc. • Cover it in black plastic, poke it, and let it cook all winter!!!

14. Raised Beds some advantages… Warm up quickly in the spring Drain well; less compaction and erosion Increases rooting depth Can produce greater yields per square foot Use fewer amendments

15. Are these raised beds?

19. Develop a MulchMentality • Straw, leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, peat moss, newspaper, cardboard, etc. • Plastic, rocks, rubber, etc. • 2 to 8 inches plus • No bare soil • Cover crops? • Moderates soil temperatures • Some mulches may confuse pests • A good layer of mulch=LESS WEEDS

20. What Else Do You Need • Sun light plants will do there best with 6 to 8 hours • Water ideally at base of plant (soaker hoses or drip lines) • Keep a look out for insects and diseases

21. My Garden May/August

22. Oops!! Garden Mistakes • Letting weeds go to seed • Over-fertilizing • Saving seeds from hybrid plants • Planting too closely together • Buying plants already in bloom, fruiting or root bound • All work and no relaxation makes gardening a chore!

23. Resources Grow It! Eat It! http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog! Home and Garden Information Center http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter. We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts” Maryland Master Gardener Program http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!

24. Thank You! Please take a few minutes to complete a short survey for today’s class. Good luck with your garden. Equal Opportunity Employer/ Equal Access Programs

25. This program was brought to you by the Maryland Master Gardener Program Frederick County University of Maryland Extension