Gardening 101
Resources:
Books: Sunset New
Western Garden Book
Trowel
and Error, Over 700 Tips, Remedies and
Shortcuts for the Gardener
by Sharon Lovejoy
Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
Websites: www.jlgardencenter.com Check it out there are many handouts and
fact
sheets of several garden topics.
www.extension.usu.edu Very informative Offers gardening tips for
the
current month and provides information on several garden
topics.
Early Spring: Prune trees,
shrubs, summer/fall blooming perennials
Clean
out dead organic material
Divide
perennials
Soil Preparation: Remove sticks, stones, and
clumps from soil
Turn soil by digging or rotor-tilling.
This aerates the soil, improves structure.
Incorporate organic matter compost
Test Soil: Check
out the USU website above. USU offers a
soil testing service. The
information you
receive is well worth the effort and
money if you want to be a
successful gardener.
Soil pH: pH
scale Acid
------------------------------Neutral-----------------------------Alkaline
0 7 14
Most plants prefer a pH of 7-8.
There are a few exceptions. Learn
about your
plants
needs and provide the best environment for them.
Enrich the soil:
Organic material
Fertilizer labels have three
numbers.
Nitrogen
Phosphorous Potassium
Nitrogen is for top
growth/greening
Phosphorous is for
fruiting/flowering
Potassium is for overall health,
rooting/color
Planting: Davis County, Utah is in USDA Zone 5, Western
Garden/Sunset Zone 2
Our average
last day of frost is May 10. First day
of Frost is October 5th
General Rule of
thumb for Davis County: Plant after
Mothers Day or May 15th.
For more
information on freeze dates and Utahs climate go to http://climate.usu.edu
Consider the type of plant, cool season or warm season. Cool season plants can be
planted earlier than May 15th.
USU has given
the following suggested planting dates for the Wasatch Front
Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for
the Wasatch Front
by Shawn
Olsen, USU Extension Agent
Plant Group |
Average Planting Dates |
Plants to consider |
Group A: Hardy |
Plant as soon as the soil
dries out in the spring. March 15 May 1 |
Artichoke, Asparagus,
Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Onions,
Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Turnip |
Group B: Semi-Hardy |
Plant a week or two after
A group or about two weeks before average last spring frost. March 20 May 1 |
Beet, Carrot, Cauliflower,
Endive, Lettuce, Parsley, Parsnip, Potato, Salsify, Swiss Chard |
Group C: Tender |
Plant on the average date
of the last spring frost about when first apples reach full bloom May 5 June 1 |
Celery, Cucumber, Dry Ban,
Snap Bean, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn |
Group D: Very Tender |
Plant when the soil is
warm, about two weeks after C group May 20 June 10 |
Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Lima
Bean, Pepper, Pumpkin, Tomato, Watermelon, Winter Squash, |
Special Plants for Fall Harvest
|
Average planting dates |
Beets |
July 1 August 1 |
Cabbage |
May 1 July 15 |
Kale |
July 1 August 15 |
Lettuce |
June 1 August 1 |
Onion |
August 1 August 10 |
Rutabaga |
June 15 July 1 |
Spinach |
July 1 August 15 |
Turnip |
July 1 August 1 |
Extend your growing season:
Protect tomatoes with Walls of
Water or other protection
Use small PVC pipe to create a
dome tent (green house) over planting
area
Plant a second crop later in the
season for a fall harvest as indicated
above
Begin plant starts indoors before
moving to the garden
You can make your own plant starter pots with newspaper they
are biodegradable and plant and paper both can be put into
the
garden. See www.potmaker.com for instructions and tools.
Where to Plant:
Know your yard and how much sun and shade your
plants will receive
Exposure to sun -
Full sun: 6-8 hours full sun
Partial Sun: 4-6 hours full sun
Partial Shade: 4-6 hours filtered sun
Full Shade: Less than 4 hours full sun
Deep shade: No sun
Microclimates:
South side most sun
East side am sun/ pm shade
North side mostly shade
West side pm direct sun/ am shade
Rotation: Rotate
plants from year to year to avoid soil depletion and bug infestation
Consider plant group when rotating all plants in one group pull the same
nutrients from the
soil
How to plant: Read seed
packets for specific information
Consider Square Foot Gardening instead of rows to conserve space (see
Book
listed above)
Sets
Dig hole, add organic matter, break apart roots, plant, root starter
Give
water to newly planted items
Maintenance: Mulch will prevent evaporation, control weeds and will
look nice
Soil
pep makes a nice mulch
Water: Know your plants needs plants have different
watering needs, look at the fact sheet
from the web sites
listed above.
Many
of us overwater -
Types of irrigation:
Drip, Sprinkler, Soaker hoses
Schedule: Take
time to write up a watering schedule it will simplify your work later
Weeds: Pull weeds while soil is moist and when weeds are
small
Bring a digging
tool, bag and scissors with you
Dead Head: cut off dead blooms of flowers
Pull weeds before
they bloom to prevent weed seeds from dropping into the soil
Problems: USU Extension
Master Gardeners are available at the County Courthouse M-F
from 9-12 to answer questions. Bring in a sample of your plant to show the
problem. If they cannot answer the question, they will
send it onto the Plant
Clinic
Fall: Harvest and Winterize
Consider covering your beds to
protect from seed pods and other debris falling into your
garden area