Vegetable Gardening

1. Vegetable Gardening Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program

2. Excellent Resource • Oklahoman’s Guide to Growing Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables, Ext. Pub E-995 • Cost $10 • Available by contacting • Stephanie Larimer at 405-744-5404 • E-mail: stephanie.larimer@okstate.edu • On the web at: http://home.okstate.edu/Okstate/dasnr/hort/hortlahome.nsf/toc/handbook

3. Gardening, Why Go To All The Effort? • Well, there are lots of reasons • Obviously, fresh food • Know where it came from • How it was grown • Food for preservation • Recreation-exercise • Education • Children, Grandchildren, Schools • Even experienced gardeners

4. Garden Planning • Basic questions to ask • What’s the garden for? • What will you grow? • Who will be helping? • Where will it be located?

5. Garden Planning www.cornichon.org • What’s the garden for? • Fresh salad and vegetables • Processing — canning & freezing • Combination fresh & processing • Give away garden www.territorial-seed.com

6. Garden Planning • Who will be helping? • The obvious people • Me—Myself—I • Other household members • Adults, Children • Other folks • Neighbors • Friends horticulture.unh.edu

7. Garden Planning • What will you grow? • What do household members like? • Poll everyone and get an idea • Provide a list • Try something new and different each year Whole Foods Market

8. Garden Planning www.pdkinc.com • How much should you grow? • Know your garden goals: • Food-Recreation-Education-Exercise • How much space is available? • How much help will be available? • What type of equipment do you have?

9. Garden Planning • Where will it be located? • Accessibility • Available water • Control of site Avoid Walnut Trees

10. Site Selection • Soil texture • Soil depth • Drainage • Fertility • Sun exposure • Slope • Air movement

11. Soil Texture • Soil Particles • Sand, silt, and clay • Course  Fine • Soil Texture • Describes relative amounts of each particle ww.soilsensor.com

12. Soil Types www.cannonsturf.co.uk • Sandy • Leaching, drying • Easy to till, good rooting Sandy-loam

13. Soil Types • Loamy • Free movement of water and air • Good water retention • Fertile • Little resistance to tillage www.oznet.ksu.edu

14. Soil Types • Clay • Poor drainage • Difficult to till • Poor rooting • Fertile www.rhs.org.uk

15. Soil Depth • Combination • Topsoil and subsoil • Total of 4-6 feet is desirable • Minimum of 10 in. of topsoil

16. Adding Topsoil Till First!

17. Drainage • Soil needs good drainage • Prevent root rots and other disease • Good aeration to meet oxygen needs cbarc.aes.oregonstate.edu

18. Slope • >10% Offers problems • Excessive runoff • Erosion • Special management required • South facing slopes • Earlier plantings

19. Air Movement • Pest considerations • Damage to seedlings & transplants • Drift from adjacent properties • Adjustments • Barriers • Fencing • Thinning

20. Garden Design and Layout

21. Corn & Tomatoes N Cole Crops Garden Layout Taller plants at north end reduces shading North-south orientation • Reduces effect of westerly winds Group plants with similar needs

22. Garden Layout www.mobot.org Traditional Rows

23. Garden Layout www.sfpermaculture.com oblique.csail.mit.edu Unconventional Design

24. Alternatives to Row Plantings Improve Drainage Warm soil in spring www.geocities.com Mounded or Ridged Rows

25. Alternatives to Row Plantings • Drainage • Fertility • Great for herb and salad gardens • Physical disabilities www.humeseeds.com Raised Beds

26. Alternatives to Row Plantings www.lollygirl.com ripples.typepad.com Containers

27. Alternatives to Row Plantings www.burpee.com www.corporate_elite.info Trellising Hanging Baskets Vertical Gardening

28. Alternatives to Row Plantings members.aol.com Square-foot Gardening

29. Alternatives to Row Plantings www.agroecology.org Intercropping

30. Getting Started

31. Pre-planting Preparation www.floridagardener.com Solarization Crabgrass Weeds!

32. Tilling www.pdkinc.com www.oznet.ksu.edu

33. www.himalayanacademy.com 1 ft. wide 1 ft. deep Double Digging www.okstate.edu Dig trench Loosen subsoil

34. Double Digging 10-12”

35. Double Digging

36. Soil Fertility

37. Soil Nutrition • Macronutrients • Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K) • Secondary Nutrients • Ca, Mg, S • Micronutrients • Fe, Mn, Co, Zn, Bo, Cl, Mo

38. pH Scale Neutral Acid Alkaline 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Vinegar Battery acid Ammonia Bleach Lye Orange juice Pure water Baking soda

39. Soil Analysis….. • ……takes the guesswork out of fertilization • Correct nutrition imbalances • Prevent over fertilization • Adjust pH • Test soil every 2-3 years www.plintestusa.com

40. Soil Test Results

41. Soil PH • Adjusting pH • Too acidic - add lime • Too alkaline - add sulfur

42. Understanding Fertilizer Analysis • What do those 3 numbers mean? • % of N-P-K • Example: 18% N-24% P-6% K • Sources can include: • Organic • Inorganic

43. Organic Versus Non-organic Fertilizers

44. Organic versus Non-organic • Chemical Fertilizers • Immediately available • Potential for root burn Nutrient Availability www.hort.cornell.edu

45. Organic versus Non-organic Nutrient Availability • Organic Fertilizers • Nutrients released slowly • Nutrients available for longer duration www.dahlias.net

46. Organic versus Non-organic • Organic Advantages • Wider assemblage of nutrients • Carries beneficial bacteria and fungi • Addition of organic matter

47. Organic versus Non-organic • Organic Disadvantages • Handling - large quantity required • Weed seeds in some sources • High soluble salt levels in fresh manures

48. Organic Matter • The Magic Elixir! • Loosen heavy clays • Increases pore spaces • Improve water/nutrient holding capacity of sands • Release nutrients as it decomposes • Fosters good microbial health of soil

49. Sources of Organic Matter Free Sources www.univers-nature.com Compost Manure

50. Make Your Own Compost www.monkeyrivertown.com