Spring 2018 & the Three P's: Planning Part 1 of 2
This is an extensive update to my original post from 2015. Check it out!
2) Check out my garden journal
3) Consider the crop rotation
4) Look at what seeds I already have
5) Then do some shopping!
Generally speaking, since I am no longer a beginner gardener, I have a pretty good idea of what I can plant and when. I also know what did well and what has not over the years. Crops tend to fall into one of two categories - cool weather and warm weather crops. But just because something does well in the fall does not mean it will do well in the spring and vice versa even those are both "cool" times in the garden. Common sense and experience go a long way. If you don't have much experience as a gardener, find an experienced person with some common sense to boot.
I would recommend that any beginner do some research on what works in their area. Start with those basic plants and THEN branch out. No need to frustrate yourself or waste time and money on plants that do not really do well in your area.
If you are in NC, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Vegetable Planting Guide can be found at nearly any farm and garden or hardware store or your local Cooperative Extension Office. Check out a link to a free publication from NCSU that includes the same information here. They base their information on the Piedmont growing schedule. I know that for me, being in the lower Coastal Plain, that I can plant in Spring 2-3 weeks earlier and need to hold off on Fall planting 2-3 weeks.
That being said, unseasonably cool, hot, dry or wet weather changes some of that. This is where that experienced person we discussed earlier will come in very handy. I personally like to rely on my mom.
Next, is a tool that is very useful when you have some experience: a Garden Journal. These days when I consult my garden journal I look at two main things: what did well in the past and what's next in the rotation (That is Step 3). I suggest every gardener keep a journal - especially novices. (Might even consider doing a post on how I use my garden journal here in the coming months.) In my case, it's just a notebook where I sketch out what I plant every year and make some notes about successes andmany failures.
So the last spring I planted anything I had a motley crew of onions, garlic, strawberries, cabbage, rutabaga, broccoli, potatoes, peas, radishes, carrots, and leeks. Some of those plants were carry overs from fall, which is very common for me. I typically winter-over whatever I've planted in fall unless it is something very delicate like pak choi. Onions, garlic, radishes, rutabaga, and peas were the only things I planted that spring. And somehow with all of that, I still managed to follow some sort of crop rotation! What?!? (I should note that this is a big reason I decided to do a cover crop. I had too much going on and needed a clean slate from where I had neglected my garden.)
When I plan for this spring, I need to bear in mind that many of my plants from fall will over-winter and I won't get that space until I harvest them or they die off. Fall 2017 I planted leaves and roots only and I have a good idea of when those will finish off and I can work around them. For example, the radishes I am going to try to use up ASAP. The carrots, however, need the winter to do anything substantial and will be harvested late spring. The collards, cabbage, basically all of my greens, will need to be picked very soon to keep bugs at bay. That brings us to our next phase...
Basically, crop rotation can be fairly complicated or rather simple. Initially as a beginning gardener, I was very overwhelmed with the amount of information and my perfectionist streak. But, I put those concerns on the back burner and picked a system that I thought was simple enough it could work for me. I will discuss two processes and their merits.
Process 1: leaf, flower, fruit, or root plants followed by a legume / cover crop
More or less all plants love being planted after peas and beans (depending in their need and tolerance for nitrogen). This is because peas, beans, and cover crops help add nitrogen to the soil. Those other plants love a nitrogen rich soil and peas and beans love to make it that way. Cover crops also can act as a green manure, replinishing the soil as they break down; they put space between when plants are put in a garden which helps minimize pest problems; and many of these cover can be pulled up or packed down to act as a natural weed block. I would recommend this if you see consistently poor growth in the garden. Especially doing some type of cover crop or legume followed by a leaf type plant. This will help eliminate one potential trouble spot in the garden and ideally you get a sense of success with whatever is planted next.
I have to admit I have been very impressed with how well the plants are doing this fall after I planted a cover crop during the summer. I've had my fair share of failures so I am really pleased I did this one.
Process 2: Leaves, Fruits then Roots then Legumes (then flowers then a cover crop).
This is a similar process that still includes legumes but spaces out their plantings. I really like this system and have used this system in the past. It allows more variety and more edible produce from the garden. However, if your soil is underdeveloped one may need to rely more on fertilizers.
You can read more about this technique here:
https://sites.duke.edu/food/2011/10/12/leaves-fruits-roots-legumes-flowers-cover-repeat/
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2487/yes-you-can-practice-crop-rotation
Unfortunately, here is where I hit a snag! I'll tell you more about that with my next post.
Until then, take care and keep warm (brrr!)
-Rebecca
Planning the Garden:
Little has changed for me regarding the way I plan out my garden these past three years. The first properly cold day of winter I make it my mission to get ready for spring. There is something very heartening on bitterly cold winter days to know that the promise of spring, warmer days, and fresh vegetables is right around the corner.So, if that hasn't changed how is it that I plan my garden these days? What techniques do I use?
1) Consult NC Vegetable Planting Guide (that's the yellow chart in the picture)2) Check out my garden journal
3) Consider the crop rotation
4) Look at what seeds I already have
5) Then do some shopping!
Steps 1 & 2 Consult NC Vegetable Planting Guide & My Garden Journal
I would recommend that any beginner do some research on what works in their area. Start with those basic plants and THEN branch out. No need to frustrate yourself or waste time and money on plants that do not really do well in your area.
If you are in NC, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Vegetable Planting Guide can be found at nearly any farm and garden or hardware store or your local Cooperative Extension Office. Check out a link to a free publication from NCSU that includes the same information here. They base their information on the Piedmont growing schedule. I know that for me, being in the lower Coastal Plain, that I can plant in Spring 2-3 weeks earlier and need to hold off on Fall planting 2-3 weeks.
 |
| I have my notations with date changes. |
That being said, unseasonably cool, hot, dry or wet weather changes some of that. This is where that experienced person we discussed earlier will come in very handy. I personally like to rely on my mom.
Next, is a tool that is very useful when you have some experience: a Garden Journal. These days when I consult my garden journal I look at two main things: what did well in the past and what's next in the rotation (That is Step 3). I suggest every gardener keep a journal - especially novices. (Might even consider doing a post on how I use my garden journal here in the coming months.) In my case, it's just a notebook where I sketch out what I plant every year and make some notes about successes and
 |
| Man, I even coded everything with symbols! |
So the last spring I planted anything I had a motley crew of onions, garlic, strawberries, cabbage, rutabaga, broccoli, potatoes, peas, radishes, carrots, and leeks. Some of those plants were carry overs from fall, which is very common for me. I typically winter-over whatever I've planted in fall unless it is something very delicate like pak choi. Onions, garlic, radishes, rutabaga, and peas were the only things I planted that spring. And somehow with all of that, I still managed to follow some sort of crop rotation! What?!? (I should note that this is a big reason I decided to do a cover crop. I had too much going on and needed a clean slate from where I had neglected my garden.)
When I plan for this spring, I need to bear in mind that many of my plants from fall will over-winter and I won't get that space until I harvest them or they die off. Fall 2017 I planted leaves and roots only and I have a good idea of when those will finish off and I can work around them. For example, the radishes I am going to try to use up ASAP. The carrots, however, need the winter to do anything substantial and will be harvested late spring. The collards, cabbage, basically all of my greens, will need to be picked very soon to keep bugs at bay. That brings us to our next phase...
3) Consider the crop rotation
I'm no expert but I have seen a lot of things about crop rotation in the gardening books and the research I've done on my own.Basically, crop rotation can be fairly complicated or rather simple. Initially as a beginning gardener, I was very overwhelmed with the amount of information and my perfectionist streak. But, I put those concerns on the back burner and picked a system that I thought was simple enough it could work for me. I will discuss two processes and their merits.
Process 1: leaf, flower, fruit, or root plants followed by a legume / cover crop
More or less all plants love being planted after peas and beans (depending in their need and tolerance for nitrogen). This is because peas, beans, and cover crops help add nitrogen to the soil. Those other plants love a nitrogen rich soil and peas and beans love to make it that way. Cover crops also can act as a green manure, replinishing the soil as they break down; they put space between when plants are put in a garden which helps minimize pest problems; and many of these cover can be pulled up or packed down to act as a natural weed block. I would recommend this if you see consistently poor growth in the garden. Especially doing some type of cover crop or legume followed by a leaf type plant. This will help eliminate one potential trouble spot in the garden and ideally you get a sense of success with whatever is planted next.
I have to admit I have been very impressed with how well the plants are doing this fall after I planted a cover crop during the summer. I've had my fair share of failures so I am really pleased I did this one.
Process 2: Leaves, Fruits then Roots then Legumes (then flowers then a cover crop).
This is a similar process that still includes legumes but spaces out their plantings. I really like this system and have used this system in the past. It allows more variety and more edible produce from the garden. However, if your soil is underdeveloped one may need to rely more on fertilizers.
You can read more about this technique here:
https://sites.duke.edu/food/2011/10/12/leaves-fruits-roots-legumes-flowers-cover-repeat/
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2487/yes-you-can-practice-crop-rotation
Unfortunately, here is where I hit a snag! I'll tell you more about that with my next post.
Until then, take care and keep warm (brrr!)
-Rebecca
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