Planting

Controlling Invasive Plants

Flowers and herbs that spread aggressively through underground runners (such as Bee Balm or Artemisia) can be controlled simply by planting them in a solid plastic container (like a pot or bucket) that won’t rot or freeze. The container should be at least 6" deep and as large as you want the clump to get. Cut out or punch holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Dig a hole in the garden and place the cut end of the container down in the hole. Be sure the rim is an inch or so above grade. Fill the bottom with soil, set the plant in the center then fill the pot with soil and tamp it down. Apply a layer of mulch to cover up the rim of the pot. Voila!

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Crop Rotation

Crop rotation is important even in a relatively small community garden plot, helping to control pests and disease as well as benefiting soil fertility. Plants can be divided into four groups based generally on nutrient needs and family. This cycle, starting with the leaf crops, moves from the heaviest feeders (take a lot of nutrients out of the soil and don’t give much back) to the nitrogen-fixers (add nitrogen to the soil). Dividing your plot into four equal-sized areas will help with organization, while planting in wide beds rather than rows helps to contain pest and disease build-up. Though crop rotation will help the fertility of your soil, the addition of organic matter is still essential for the continued health of the soil.

FRUIT: tomatoes, squash, cukes, pepper, eggplant
LEAF: lettuce, greens, cabbage family, corn
LEGUME: pea, bean, soybean, fava
ROOT: carrot, beet, turnip, radish, parsnip, alliums

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Amazing Alliums

Garlic and shallots are best when planted in the fall for harvest the following summer. Fall planting produces larger bulbs than a spring planting. Cloves should be placed with the broad, flat end down about 1 - 2" deep, 3 - 4" apart in well-drained, organic rich soil. Mulch with straw over the winter and, with garlic, pick off any seed stalks that appear in spring. They’re ready for harvest the following summer when the leaves start to turn brown and wither, usually sometime in July. Dig them up when the weather is dry and let them dry out for a few days somewhere out of direct sunlight. Store in a cool, dry place.

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Getting More From Your Strawberries

When planting new seedlings, pick off all the flowers the first season. This gets plants established faster and next year your harvest will be bountiful. After harvest, mow plants to 1-2" above the crown. Cover with 1-2" of compost or soil to keep plants upright. Strawberries grow two new crowns on top of the old one every year. Keep beds no more than two feet wide - the outside edges are where the most berries form. Thin out smaller plants - the mother plants are the best producers. White sticky traps are great for strawberry patches. One every three feet will provide control of tarnished plant bugs and other pests. Planting fennel near strawberries will also keep tarnished plant bugs away.

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Don’t Toss Those Unplanted Fall Bulbs!

Wait! Don't throw away those bulbs that you hoped to plant this fall but didn't. Just make room in the refrigerator and keep them there til spring. Plant as soon as the ground can be worked and use bone meal to give their roots a boost.

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Get an Early Start on Spring

Make a point of planting a few (or lots) of spring-flowering bulbs each fall. Hundreds of varieties of daffodils, tulips, crocus, alliums, and hyacinths are available at your garden centers and will give you such a thrill in spring. Plant asters, mums, pansies in the summer for late season blooms in your flower beds.

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A Live Tree for the Holidays

If you’re considering a living tree this season, be sure to dig the planting hole while the ground is still soft. Consider how tall the tree will get when choosing the planting spot and have bagged soil available to replace existing soil if it’s frozen.

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