By Karen Contreras
SDUN Columnist
Ready, set, grow! April is here and it’s time to put in that vegetable garden you’ve been talking about all winter. Judging by the parking lot at my favorite nursery, many of us have already started putting in crops and are anticipating that first ripe tomato of the season. Here are a couple of tips for any newcomers to what is becoming one of America’s fastest-growing hobbies.
Feed your soil. Most of our native soils in San Diego are lacking in organic matter and nitrogen, but that’s a pretty easy fix. By adding four to six inches of compost into your garden bed every time you plant, you will add both nitrogen and organic matter to your soil. Homemade compost is the best, but there are some good premixed composts and soil conditioners available at your local nursery. Be sure when adding organic matter to your soil that the material is completely composted. If it’s not, the carbon in the raw material will rob the soil of nitrogen to complete its decomposition cycle and your plants will not get the benefit of the nitrogen you just added. Be wary of bagged “compost” with big wood shavings in it. Kelp meal, worm castings, humic acid, composted chicken and horse manure are also wonderful things to add to a new garden.
If you are building new raised beds for your garden, remember that most soil products you can buy in bulk have been sterilized to keep the weed seeds from sprouting and from spreading pathogens to new gardens. This means there are few microorganisms in the soil and your plants will not be able to take in nutrients properly. If you think of what our digestive system needs in the way of beneficial bacteria to digest properly, it’s similar with plants. Adding worm castings or another source of microorganisms will be necessary for your plants to thrive.
Keeping soil cool in the summer to reduce evaporation is very important. After planting, put down a good, thick layer of mulch around your plants. This can reduce the temperature of the soil by 10 degrees and cut down on water use while keeping the weeds down too. I prefer using straw because it’s clean, inexpensive and smells nice, but you can use compost, leaves, newspaper, cardboard or a multitude of other things.
Hand watering is the best way to care for a vegetable garden, but drip systems using micro sprayers and bubblers work well too. A favorite activity on our block is the 7:00 wine and watering hour – membership is definitely up!
Choosing healthy plants is important. Be sure to check for insects, weeds or any funny wilting or discoloration. Plant stems should not be woody. When you get your plants home, plant them within a couple of days and keep them watered well for the first few weeks.
Keep your plants harvested to encourage more food production. If you let a plant go to seed, it will think its job is done and stop producing.
Gardening is a wonderful hobby. It’s a great stress reliever and promotes a healthy lifestyle, and it is extremely gratifying when you sit down at your table and eat food you’ve grown yourself. Not only does it taste better, but it feels great. In the 1940’s, home gardens were considered a civil “ morale booster” in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown in their own yards or neighborhoods. So give it a try!
Good gardening to you all.
