Coach Mom Newsletter - Apr 2012
A little more than a
year ago I got intentional about my family
eating healthy and gave them a 40-day
“clean” diet challenge. That experience led
us to totally revamp our eating habits. In
my research I have learned more and more
that America has allowed companies to sell
cheap, chemically-laden food in the name of
profit, at the expense of our health.
One step away from
unhealthy foods and toward more local,
unprocessed foods is to feed your family
from your own garden. No, I’m not suggesting
you drop all grocery visits and raise
everything at home. But could you make a
small start at growing some of the foods
your family enjoys?
To gather information
on this I went to my favorite source (and
favorite person in general), my husband
Chris. Chris created successful vegetable
gardens in five homes that we have lived in
over the past 20 years, so he has learned a
bit about what works. In the following
paragraphs I will share some of Chris’
wisdom on the subject:
When creating a garden,
planning is key. The three most important
factors are healthy soil, adequate sunlight,
and consistent watering.
Healthy Soil
Healthy soil takes a
little more time and effort to cultivate in
some states than in others. Farming states
like Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska have
nutrient-rich soil. But other states have
ground that makes it hard for roots to grow.
In Arizona, Chris was
always battling caliche, a sedimentary rock
that cements together other materials like
gravel and clay and usually is found on or
near the surface of the ground. Using planks
of wood, Chris built raised gardens and
filled them with potting soil, compost and
mulch in order to get the most (or anything,
for that matter!) out of his gardens.
Rototilling the soil is
also important to a garden’s success if it
is not a raised garden. Tilling adds air to
the soil and mixes the mulch and compost so
that it retains more water. Tillers can
usually be rented by the hour from a home
improvement center like Lowe’s or Home
Depot, or most local small equipment rental
companies. (Tilling is not the fun part, but
work on the front side yields great rewards
on the back!)
Adequate
Sunlight
Most plants need as
much indirect sunlight as possible, but not
so much direct that will burn up the fruit
in the heat of the summer. Shade structures
can be built to protect plants from too much
sun. Trimming back trees can also allow more
sun into the garden. Another option that
gives you control of sun exposure is pot
planting. It allows you to move the plants
as needed, depending on sun and outside
temperatures.
Consistent watering
Consistent watering of
the soil, avoiding water on the plants
themselves, is key in maximizing fruit
bearing. With consistent watering, roots
grow, fruit sets, and ripens. Chris came up
with a creative idea last year when we grew
tired of watering the garden in the heat of
the summer. He constructed a homemade
irrigation system made of PVC pipe that
connected to the hose. When we turned the
water on at the spigot just outside our back
door, water flowed out of little holes to
each plant in our garden. It wasn’t fancy,
but it got the job done a lot easier than
hand watering.
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When creating your
first garden, start small to make sure
you can control it. You will need time
to water, tend the plants and fruit, and
weed (yes, plants grow fast in
nutrient-dense soils, and so do weeds!)
-
Define the garden
with a boundary such as stone or treated
railroad ties. This keeps weeds and
grass from growing in on the sides and
allows you to raise it a bit. Draw a
plan for where plants will be planted
before starting.
-
Choose plants that
do well in your climate. Talk to
professionals at gardening centers to
find out the recommended varieties of
tomatoes, for example.
-
Choose plants that
grow well together (see
blog on “companion planting”). We
have always had success planting peppers
and onions near our tomatoes and they
have done great. Last year my dad
planted cilantro by his tomatoes. His
tomatoes, which had a history of
thriving, looked pitiful. The
professional at the gardening center
informed him that cilantro planted close
to a tomato plant tends to choke the
life out of it.
-
Decide if you would
like to stake plants such as green
beans, tomatoes and peppers. Growing
them vertically saves garden space and
keeps the fruit off the ground (a little
harder for bugs to reach)
-
Put “bumper” stakes
in each corner of the garden to use as a
hose guide when hand watering. This
protects plants from being pulled over
by the hose.
-
Check in the
Farmer’s Almanac or with a local nursery
to find out your zone’s
last
typical freeze, then get your plants in
the ground shortly after that date. If
overnight temperatures get close to
freezing after plants are in the ground,
you may need to cover plants with a
sheet or another lightweight material.
-
Tomato tips: Flick
yellow blooms with your finger to
maximize pollination and fruit setting.
When fruit just begins to turn colors,
pick and let it ripen indoors. My
theology has always been that the birds
have nothing better to do than to watch
for the tomatoes to ripen. At the first
moment of readiness, they will go for
them. So bring them in early, and the
flavor will be delicious once they reach
their red color. Smaller varieties such
as Celebrity and yellow pear have served
us well through the years and turn out a
lot more than the larger varieties such
as Better Boy.
-
If you are unable
at this point to plant a full garden,
you might consider planting in some
pots.
Happy gardening!
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Flashback from the
Stull’s Family Scrapbook 2003: the kids
showing the fruits of our labor. Was the
tractor used at our house? It might make for
a good story, but that photo was actually
taken on a tractor at the park.
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Praying
mantis egg cases can be purchased from
companies such as
ARBICO.
Within weeks hundreds of mantis prey
upon the gardener’s insect enemies. They
then lay their own egg cases, so the mantis
population on the property is ongoing.
Ladybugs
are our friends, but they are ferocious to
all of the insects that we hate. They are
known to be the toughest defense against
insects, but don’t count on them hanging
around after they devour everything. They
will be on to another buggy area to feed.
Ladybugs can also be purchased from
ARBICO or similar companies.
Don't miss the GOOD BUG GIVEAWAY
this month! See the side bar for details.
Thank you,
ARBICO, for the donation!
Don’t
throw out your leftover brewed coffee. You
may think it tastes bad when you try to
microwave it in the afternoon, but to the
slugs and snails it’s killer!
If they are in the soil when it is
poured on, they will die. Good results have
also been found with spraying the leftover
coffee directly on the plants. Then, even if
your slug problem seems like it’s behind
you, keep it up. If slugs begin to approach
caffeinated soil, they will immediately turn
back.
Source: Marion Owen, Co-author of Chicken
Soup for the Gardener’s Soul.
http://www.plantea.com/slug-baits-coffee.htm
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