April activities in the garden

by Mark Levisay

As we head into April our gardening activities will pick up, especially outdoors as the weather warms.  Seed starting projects indoors will come to an end, and many vegetables will go into the ground outdoors.

Inside seed starting

If you’re starting seeds indoors, it’s time to plant tomato and basil seeds if you haven’t already done so.  They germinate in about a week, and you don’t want to put them out into the garden until mid-May, so this is the time.  Peppers that I planted at the beginning of March are now up—they can take two weeks or more to germinate, so it may be too late to plant the seeds now.  If you planted any other seeds earlier this year you may need to transplant them into bigger pots.  I had planted lettuce seed at the beginning of February, and they needed to be re-potted after about four weeks.  After two weeks in their bigger pots I was able to plant them into our new cold frame, and also into the covered bed we maintained all winter.

Two lettuce plants placed into the covered bed.

The back row plants in the cold frame were all started indoors.

Cool season crops outdoors

Outdoors it’s time to start planting early season cool weather crops.  From seed you can plant lettuce, beets and carrots, as they can all tolerate some cold weather and even frosts as they come up.  Plant seed potatoes now, as long as the soil’s not too wet to work.  I usually mulch over the entire area that I’ve planted the potatoes, as this helps them avoid the sun, which causes the green skin condition you see from time to time.

 It’s also time to put out cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings.  I strongly recommend using row cover fabric over brassicas, as they tend to suffer from caterpillar infestations when the weather warms.  I did a blog last year about row covers and you can refer to that for more information.  The Corner Store Garden Center has seed potatoes and brassica seedlings, in addition to other plants available now.

Plan ahead for mid-season

While you’re out in the garden planting the early crops it’s also a good idea to plan for the mid-season crops.  Things like corn, beans, melons, peppers and tomatoes won’t be going out until danger of frost is past, or mid-May.  Some of them grow quickly and get quite tall and you don’t want them to be shading shorter plants.  Or, maybe you DO want them to shade early crops like spinach and lettuce that suffer in the heat.  You can also get your hoses out of storage and check for leaks, and plan where you might want to set up circuits of soaker hoses.  Plan things out now and you’ll be ready when May rolls around.

Lawn maintenance

I’m sure you’re starting to notice the grass greening up, and this is the time to start preparing for the upcoming mowing season.  Pick up any sticks and branches that have fallen during the winter, and vigorously rake any areas that seem to have a lot of old leaves or thatch built up.  It’s a great time to spread lime on the lawn, as most of us have soil that is more acidic than grass prefers.  It’s also time to apply pre-emergent crabgrass control chemicals if you are planning on doing that.  A general rule is to apply the product when the forsythia is blooming (now!) so the chemicals can prevent the crabgrass seed from germinating.  In general it’s better to wait until fall for general lawn fertilization, but many of the crabgrass products do contain some fertilizer. Problem areas in the lawn may benefit from some fertilizer applied in the spring, but overall you’re just asking to mow more than you probably want to!  Speaking of mowing, I always recommend setting the mower on the highest possible setting, as taller grass is usually healthier, and acts to shade out weeds.  It is called TALL fescue, after all.

Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com.  Good luck with your 2021 garden!

Indoor seed starting: update and tips for success

by Mark Levisay

It’s been two weeks since I planted my first seeds indoors under my new LED lights and I thought I’d give a quick update on  the progress so far.  Basically all of the seeds have germinated, though I’m still hoping to see a couple more vincas show up that haven’t poked through yet.  I planted three varieties of lettuce and they were the fastest to germinate-all in 4-6 days.

A 6-pack of lettuce seedlings.  The two on the left are “New Red Fire” and already show some of their red coloration.

Since they germinate quickly they are also the first to display the adult leaves.  I am pleased to see that the seedlings are growing low to the soil and in a very compact manner.  This indicates that my new lights are giving them plenty of light for optimal growth.  In dim light the seedlings would be tall and spindly, growing toward whatever light they could find.

Starfighter leaf lettuce seedling.

Now that the lettuce have started to produce their adult leaves I’ll begin to fertilize them, since the seed starter soil doesn’t contain any fertilizer of its own.  This week I’ll add a small amount of a liquid soluble fertilizer (ex. Miracle Gro) to my watering can, and water the lettuce plants with that.  I won’t begin to fertilize the pepper or vinca seedlings until they start to display their adult leaves.

Two pepper seedlings.

The peppers and vinca seeds took almost two weeks to germinate, though some started to appear about ten days after planting. I usually plant two seeds in each starter cup, and as you can see in the photo, both have germinated.  I’ll wait about a week, until all of the seedlings have emerged, and then thin the seedlings, leaving the strongest one in each cup.

Vinca seedlings.

Unlike the peppers, when I have two vinca seedlings in a cup, I’ll let both seedlings grow.  These plants won’t grow nearly as big as the pepper plants, and my wife will either plant the resultant “twin” as it is or split them at planting time.

If you’ve planted multiple seeds in your starter cups, and a few haven’t come up, this is a good time to move some around.  I use a pocket knife to dig a narrow but deep hole in the empty cup, and then “prick out” one of the multiple seedlings from another cup.  Insert the seedling’s long tap root down into the hole, press the soil in around it, and water well.  This way you can have at least one seedling in each cup.

Now that we’re at the mid-point of February, it’s time to start thinking about planting brassica seeds for planting out in the garden in early April.  Cabbage and broccoli seeds germinate quickly, but will take 4-6 weeks to mature indoors.  Then plan for a week of hardening off outside before actually planting in the garden.

March is the time to start tomatoes, basil and peppers

It’s still not time yet to plant warm season seeds like tomatoes and basil, or most peppers.  Early March is a good time to plant pepper seeds, as they take almost 2 weeks to germinate and about 6 weeks to mature indoors.  Basil is similar, though they germinate more quickly but take longer to mature.  Tomatoes germinate in a week or less, but still require 4-5 weeks of indoor growth before hardening off.  Start those seeds in mid-March, with a goal of having them hardened off and planted in the garden around the middle of May, after our average last frost date.

Any questions, e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com  Good luck!

Building a LED seed starting light

Last fall I decided to re-build my seed starting light using brighter and more energy efficient LED lights.  My original light consisted of two 2-bulb 48” fluorescent “shop light” fixtures hanging in a wooden frame with chains so the height of the lights could be adjusted.  Each February, I set up a folding table and position the light frame on top to begin seed starting for the year.

This set up had always worked well, though the fluorescent bulbs seem to dim with time, and then pose a disposal hazard due to the mercury inside them.  Using modern LED lights promised a reduction in energy use and a long life span.  I ordered a set of four Freelicht brand 45W, 4500 Lumen, 5000K (daylight balanced) 2 bulb 48” LED light fixtures from Amazon.com which cost about $75.  Once they arrived I immediately installed one fixture in my workshop to see how it worked.  I was pleased to find the fixtures light in weight and obviously brighter than the fluorescent light they replaced.

My original light hanging frame, made from 1x2” lumber is 53” long and 36” high, plenty of room for the 48” light fixtures and space for 4 standard plant flats. The frame sits on top of a folding table I set up each February for the seed starting season.

Now, how to link together the three light fixtures?  The lights each come with 2 short cables with an eye on one end and hook on the other, which made it easy to install the fixture to the rafters in my workshop.  The lights also are built with a typical “keyhole” for mounting on a screw flush to a surface on each end, and I decided to try this route.

The 48” lights each come with a cord, pullchain style switch and a receptacle to allow lights to be linked together.

I cut two pieces of 1x2” lumber into 22” lengths and carefully measured the center of each, and then 9” on either side.  I drilled pilot holes and then inserted #8 x1” wood screws into the holes, leaving just enough space to be able to insert the screwheads into the light fixtures.

The 48” lights each come with a cord, pullchain style switch and a receptacle to allow lights to be linked together.

To keep the light fixtures from sliding around and falling off the screws I used clear silicone sealant as an adhesive to “glue” the light fixtures to the boards.  The silicone is not a super strong adhesive, so I can break the bond and change the light spacing later if I need to.

Closer look at the silicone holding the board in place on the light fixture.

Once the silicone adhesive has set up I was able to turn the light assembly over and attach 2 eyehooks to the top center portion of the boards.  This will allow me to attach the lights to my hanging frame with two lightweight chains.  The chains allow the light to be lowered or raised depending on the size of the growing plants.

Three light assembly with eyehooks ready for hanging.

Now for the finished product!  When I mounted the three light fixtures to the boards, I made sure to reverse the middle fixture so that two of them could be plugged into each other.  This allows just one light to be plugged into the plugstrip on the hanging frame, and I can use the plugstrip switch to control all three lights at once.  The only final adjustment I had to make was to add 2 large washers to the top of one light fixture as balancing weights to get the overall setup to hang level.

Finished light assembly hanging in frame and all lit up!

Now I will set up my folding table and I’ll be ready to start some seeds!  I usually start my first seeds indoors on Groundhog’s Day (2/2), so it won’t be long.  Next time I’ll write about the details of that process, what seeds I start that early in the year, and give you an update on how the new lights are working out!

Any questions feel free to contact me at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Tomatoes in Central Virginia, Part 2: Planting tips

by Mark Levisay

Now that you have a better idea of what varieties of tomatoes you want to plant, let’s talk about how to plant them to maximize their growth throughout the summer. 

Spacing to minimize disease

Proper spacing of the individual plants is important in minimizing the spread of disease later in the summer. Rows should be at least 3’ apart, with the plants in the rows 2-3’ apart. The idea is to get as much sunlight to the plants and promote air movement to minimize fungal diseases. I use soaker hoses throughout my tomato beds, and it helps to have them laid out in addition to your support stakes or poles before you do any planting.

Tomatoes planted and tied to support poles.

Establish strong roots

If you look closely at your tomato plants you’ll notice lots of little “hairs” on the main stem.  These will become roots if they come in contact with the soil, so your goal is to plant your seedlings as deeply as possible for maximum root development.  You’ll also notice two small oval leaves, which you want to pinch off. 

Bury your seedlings to within about 2” of the first set of leaves. Plant them as close as you can to your support stakes or poles and the soaker hose if you’re using it.  Never bury any leaves under the soil as they will rot and cause trouble later.  Mulch thoroughly all around the plants to conserve moisture and prevent soil splash onto the leaves.  (Important note: The soil splash is one of the ways that fungal spores in the soil can come into contact with the tomato plant.) 

Keeping good constant moisture in the soil, without being soggy, is a good way to prevent blossom end rot on the fruit. I use hardwood bark mulch in my tomato bed, but straw works well and you can use newspaper between the plants as well. Water thoroughly after mulching.

Feed plants through the summer

Tomatoes are classified as heavy feeders so it’s important to give them fertilizer of some sort all during the summer. Before I plant, I mix a cup or so of Espoma’s Plant Tone organic fertilizer in the soil where each seedling will go. Mix this in the soil when you dig your hole, and then firm the soil around the plant. You can use a high nitrogen (N) fertilizer at the beginning as you’re trying to promote rapid growth of the new plants.

Once the plants have begun to set lots of green fruit it will be time to add more fertilizer. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer for this application. Two weeks after your first ripe tomatoes, fertilize again, but this time use a fertilizer with a higher phosphorous (P) content, as this helps promote the fruit production. Continue this monthly schedule until fall.

Support plants

I start tying up my tomatoes as soon as they’re tall enough to get the ties around—sometimes even when I plant them.  Tomatoes want to grow UP and I think they do better if you help them climb the poles. Tying up also helps prevent damage from storms and high winds. In addition, we want the plant leaves as far from the soil as possible for disease prevention and the ties will help with upward growth.

To make the ties, I use old sheets or pillowcases torn into ½-3/4” strips about 10-12” long and tie them up after every 6-9” of growth.  I’ve also learned to put a wood or drywall screw into my poles ½ to 2/3 of the way up from the ground on the opposite side from the plants.  Later in the summer when your plants are loaded with fruit they’ll want to sag down and the screws give the ties something to latch on to.

Next time we’ll talk about training, pruning and other cultural practices in the tomato bed.

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Tomatoes in Central Virginia, Part 1: Choosing the right variety

by Mark Levisay

Without a doubt tomatoes are the most commonly grown garden plants.  Nothing beats the flavor of a home grown tomato picked fresh from the garden—especially after eating the ones offered at the grocery store.  Seed catalogs give you lots of options for starting your own plants and garden centers usually have dozens of varieties ready to go right into your garden. With all of these choices available, how can you choose the right ones for you?

How much room do you have?

Tomatoes come in all sizes. They are usually classed in three groups 1. midget, patio or dwarf, 2. determinate and 3. indeterminate.  These descriptions refer to their growth habit and may affect your varietal choice depending on how much room you have for tomatoes in your garden. The smallest tomatoes are designed for pots or containers and probably won’t need much if any support.  Determinate plants will only grow to a set height (usually 3-4’) and then stop.  They usually need some type of caging or staking, but not as much as the indeterminate types.  Indeterminate tomatoes are the ones that get big—continuing to grow through the season until killed by frost or disease. They’ll need tall stakes or heavy duty cages for support.

Big Beef tomatoes tied up to supports.

How are you going to use them?

Choosing the varieties of tomato for your garden is hard because there are so many choices available!  It seems like tomatoes come in every size and color, so deciding what you want to use the fruit for will help with your decision.  Cherry and “grape” tomatoes are great in salads.  Most slicers and beefsteaks are great for general eating or putting on your BLT at lunch!  Paste tomatoes are often used for canning or sauce production, though I make salsa and spaghetti sauce out of slicers. 

Heirloom varieties

If you’ve never grown tomatoes in your garden before, consider trying an “heirloom” variety.  These are usually older varieties passed down through the generations and prized for their flavor. Many are not disease resistant, so if you’ve grown tomatoes before you may have trouble with them as the disease fungal spores can survive in garden soil for up to five years. 

Disease resistance is critical

In my garden, where I’ve grown tomatoes for 30 years, I look for the most disease resistant varieties I can find.  Many seed catalogs will list the disease resistance (using the abbreviations from the list of diseases below) in the description of each variety.  Generally the more letters listed in the description the better!  For example, in my Park Seed catalog the Better Boy Hybrid is listed as V/F1/N/A/St, giving you an idea of its general disease resistance.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of diseases that affect tomatoes. Eight of them are fungal in nature and will persist in your soil from year to year.  Early Blight (As), Late Blight (LB), Anthracnose (An), Fusarium Wilt (races 1,2,3 F1 F2 F3), Verticillium Wilt (V), Alternaria stem canker/crown wilt (A), Stemphylium gray leaf spot (St) and Septoria leaf spot (L).  You also have Tobacco Mosaic virus (T), Spotted Wilt virus (Swv), Bacterial Wilt (B) and Bacterial Speck (Pst). 

In addition to choosing the right variety, there are some tricks in how you grow the plants in your garden that help a lot, and we’ll explore that at length next time.

And remember, regardless of size, all tomatoes are tender annuals that require full sun and won’t tolerate frost at all. 

Lemon Boy tomatoes ripening in late summer.

My tomato choices

This year in my garden I’m going to grow four different tomatoes.  I’m growing Sweet Million Hybrids, a red cherry variety that is indeterminate  with F/N/L/T resistance.  This variety is very vigorous and usually grows taller than the poles I use (8’ 2x2” posts).  Next is a red grape tomato we’ve come to love, called Juliet Hybrid which is a resistant, indeterminate type that will climb the pole and then climb back to the ground and look for the next pole down the row to climb back up on!  I grow Lemon Boy Hybrid yellow tomatoes which seem to have good disease resistance, maybe a little less acid than the red tomatoes and are indeterminate. They make really good yellow salsa!  My main red slicer is the Big Beef Hybrid, a former AAS winner.  These indeterminate plants have excellent disease resistance and produce loads of baseball to softball size fruits.

Next time I’ll review growing methods to get the most out of your tomato patch.

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Tomatoes in Central Virginia, Part 3: Growing tips

by Mark Levisay

Now that you’ve got your tomato plants in the ground, how do you care for them to ensure maximum fruit production?  I have found there are several things you can do throughout the growing season to help your plants thrive.

Tomato plants tied to support poles as they grow.

Provide great support

The first thing is to give the plants good support to keep them off the ground and growing vertically.  I use 8’ 2x2” poles to support my plants, though cages can work as well.  Using strips of old sheets or pillowcases I tie the growing leaders to the poles at least every week.  An interval of 4-8” is probably good-more supports will help hold up heavy sets of fruit.  I usually tie just under a node, which is where a leaf comes off the plant’s stem.  Don’t tie them too tight, as the stems will get bigger over the summer and you don’t want to prevent the flow of nutrients up the stems to the leaves and fruit.

Continue tying all summer long, at least until the plant gets to the top of the poles!  The goal here is to keep the plants away from soil splash during heavy rains, as that can infect the plant with fungal spores present in the soil.  The ties and supports also prevent damage from summer storms.

Prune regularly

Secondly we want to prune the plant and train it to grow with two or three main “leaders,” which get tied up to the support.  Tomatoes want to produce many growing shoots and will produce “suckers” at almost every node.  These shoots will produce flowers and fruit if allowed to grow, but the root system will have trouble supporting all of these stems and the plant will be very thick with foliage. 

We also want to encourage air movement within the tomato patch and help more sunlight reach the fruit so it can ripen.  When the plant is 12-18” tall you will notice one or two of the suckers will be really big and robust.  I let one or two grow in addition to the main leader and remove all other suckers that emerge.

A good rule of thumb is to pinch off any suckers on the plant each time you tie the new growth up or roughly once a week.  You’ll even notice suckers that appear where you’ve already pinched one off but remove it again if it appears.  This pruning actually stimulates the plant’s vertical growth which will aid with air movement and sun exposure.

Fertilize strategically

Fertilizing your plants is really important as tomatoes are classed as heavy feeders.  I use Plant Tone organic fertilizer when I plant the seedlings.  Once the first fruit has set, about 2 weeks before your first ripe fruit is expected, fertilize each plant with a fertilizer relatively high in nitrogen (N).  After that, at one month intervals, feed the plant a fertilizer that is higher in Phosphorus (P) as that will help support the flowering and fruit production.  Remember, if you are growing indeterminate plants they will continue to grow, flower and produce fruit until killed by frost or disease.

Keep it clean

To prevent the spread of disease it’s also important to practice good hygiene in your tomato patch.  I generally consider any yellow or brown leaves I see to be diseased and remove them as soon as I can.  Not only remove them from the plant, but from the garden as well.  I don’t even put them in my compost pile, as the fungal spores can survive for up to 5 years in compost or soil, unless your compost pile is really achieving the high temperature needed to kill them (131F for 3 days). 

When in doubt, throw them out!  Your plants will start to look bare at the bottom, but that won’t affect the fruit production if they’re actively growing at the top.  At the end of the season, when your tomato plants are dead, remove all of the old leaves and stems from the garden, and try to plan for having your tomatoes in a different area next year.  Most farmers practice crop rotation, and you should too.

Good luck!

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Growing vegetables in containers

by Mark Levisay

What do you do if you want to grow vegetables (or flowers for that matter) and you don’t have a yard to garden in?  If you have any sunny spot outside your home, you can grow a lot of different kinds of vegetables in containers.  Just as with garden beds, having lots of sun is key, as most vegetables simply won’t thrive in the shade.

Drainage is key

Almost any kind of container will work as long as it has drainage holes at the bottom.  The water must be able to readily drain out of the pot, and not sit in the bottom.  Plant roots want to be moist but not swimming in water, as they also need air to live.  Pot size will vary depending on the space you have and the types of plants you want to grow.  Obviously a tomato or pepper plant will need a larger pot than a couple of heads of lettuce or a few herbs. 

Larger pots are usually better, as you may need to water them less often.  One drawback of the larger pots is their depth which seems to increase faster than the diameter.  Most plant roots will only live in the top 8-10” of soil so the bottom of the pot is not really needed.  Many people use some kind of filler that doesn’t hold water and allows drainage, so your potting soil only fills the top half of the pot.  Collapsed plastic plant pots, closed cell Styrofoam, or just bark mulch will all work.  Rocks would work fine but the pot will be really heavy if you have to move it!

Railings can provide added support for tomatoes growing in containers.

What should I plant? 

Determinate tomatoes (they only get to a certain size) or peppers are good candidates if you have large pots.  Herbs work really well, and several varieties could be grown together in a large pot.  Basil tends to get pretty big by late summer, so you’ll probably need a pretty big pot for that.  Lettuce and spinach can work in smaller pots if you keep the number of plants low.  Cucumbers should work well if you have some kind of trellis for the vines to climb on.

Planting and caring for your container crops

Planting is pretty much the same as it would be in a garden bed.  After checking your drainage holes (you may need to drill these out in plastic pots or add more to what’s already there) fill the bottom half (of large pots) with some kind of filler.  Add your potting soil, plant the seedlings or seeds, and water thoroughly.  Mulch is often helpful for retaining moisture.  Commercial potting soil usually contains a slow release fertilizer, so you’re good to go for 4-6 weeks before you need to add more.  A water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro or slow release pellets like Osmocote will work well.  Water frequently and thoroughly-you should see some water run out of the bottom of the pot. 

Unless your pots are sitting on gravel, they should be up off the surface of your patio or deck by at least an inch.  There are all kinds of plant stands of varying height which will do the trick.  We even found a plastic product called Pot “Toes” on Amazon-use 3 or 4 per pot to raise the pot.  This promotes drainage and allows the surface (wood, concrete or tile) to dry out between waterings.  In our warmest summer weather you may need to water almost every day, as the entire pot will be over 90 degrees and evaporation will be rapid.

With plenty of sun, basil grows well in containers.

At the end of the growing season you have two choice of what to do with your pot.  You can pull out your spent plants and save the pots full of soil for next year. This works well if you’ve planted perennial flowers, as many will over-winter.  You’ll just need to add fertilizer at the beginning of the next growing season, as the original fertilizer will be depleted.  The other procedure is to remove the soil and filler from the pot completely.  The used potting soil will make a good addition to traditional garden beds if you have them.  Rinse your pots with water to remove soil and plant debris, and then disinfect the pots with a water and bleach solution mixed 10 parts water to 1 part bleach.  This should kill any fungal spores or harmful bacterial that may have accumulated during the growing season.  Store the pots somewhere dry and they’re ready to start all over next spring.  You’ll get many years of use out of good quality pots, so why not give it a try?

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Simple Raised Beds

By Mark Levisay

Raised beds don’t have to be complicated, or expensive.  Their main function is to enhance drainage in rainy weather, and allow you to enhance the soil, especially if your area has a lot of rocks or clay.  Three or four inches is all you need to achieve those goals.

Size and access

Let’s think first about bed size and access.  You should be able to easily reach into the center of any bed you build, so your arm length may be the ultimate guide for bed width.  If your garden has a fence, you can make beds along the fence 2 feet wide or so, which allows easy access from just one side, and can support large plants such as a row of tomatoes or peppers, or lots of smaller plants.  In areas where your bed will allow access from both sides, four or even five foot wide beds can work.  A bed this size could contain two rows of peppers or tomato plants, or even three rows of something like beans or beets.  Just remember you want to be able to easily reach the center of the bed, as you never want to step in the bed to avoid compaction.

Bed length is determined by your overall garden space.  Some folks go with a “four square’ that is four feet on every side, with easy access from any side.  Many of my beds are twenty feet long, as  row cover material often comes in either 20’ or 50’ lengths (I cut that in half and use two 6’ wide strips to cover a 5’wide bed). 

You should leave “paths” between your beds to allow easy access for you and maybe a wheelbarrow or wagon so you can get your tools and produce in and out.  Three feet or so should be plenty for a path.

Soil

You don’t need fancy soil for your raised beds, especially if you are building them in an existing garden space.  The nearest source could be your designated pathways.  Dig a few inches of soil out of your path, and pile that on your beds.  Mulch the path to keep your feet out of the mud, and you’re good to go!  If you have a really rocky site, or one with heavy clay, you may need to bring in soil.  There are numerous local contractors who can deliver really nice “top” soil by the yard, or for smaller projects you can buy bagged products.  Some are even called “raised bed soil” which seem to contain a lot of organic matter to promote good drainage.  Always plan to use some amount of mulch on the top of the soil, which will inhibit erosion and soil splash (especially important for tomatoes) and retain moisture in dry weather.

Structure

Do you really need to have physical edgings for your raised beds?  You don’t really need edging, especially if you have a fairly level site.  If you’re on a slope, physical borders can help create terraces that create level beds on the slope.  Edgings can also give you a place to kneel when you access the beds for planting, weeding or harvesting.  I’ve used a lot of landscape timbers over the years but found that they rot out pretty quickly.  I may switch to landscape blocks which are designed for retaining walls and garden edges.  This may cost a little more but should be permanent.  Railroad ties, bricks, logs, or cedar boards (naturally rot resistant) will also work depending on your site and what you feel comfortable working with.

If you put in a little up front effort you’ll have garden beds that will work well for you in any kind of weather for years to come. Good luck!

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

I’m stuck at home, what can I do?

by Mark Levisay

March is actually a pretty good time to be home, as there are many things in the garden that need your attention.  Indoors you can be starting seeds, such as tomato, pepper, and basil next to a bright sunny window or with some good artificial lighting.  Planning the layout of your vegetable or flower garden is another way to use your time and be ahead of the game when planting time rolls around.

Pepper seedlings under the lights.

Outdoors there are lots of things to keep you busy. 

Do you have a fenced in area for your vegetables?  If not, put one up!  60” welded wire fencing will keep the deer out, and you’ll probably need to build one or more gates for access to your garden.  Ever think about raised beds?  This is a perfect time to build them, so they’re ready to go—the sooner the better.  Mulching the paths between the beds is a good idea, as it will keep your feet out of the mud after big spring rains.

If you already have an established garden, now is the time to clean out dead plants, leaves and other winter debris from your beds.  Weeding is crucially important, as any weeds that are already blooming are ready to set seed for their next generation.  Getting ahead of weeds now will really help later on in the summer.  I spread pelletized lime on my beds every couple of years to help counteract the many acidifying factors, such as fertilizer, mulch, and rainfall that affect your beds.  If you have an asparagus bed you can also fertilize it now, as the spears should start to appear in April.

Have you thought about using row cover material to protect vegetables like broccoli and cabbage from worms?  This is a perfect time to set up your supports, and lay out a soaker hose where your plants will go.  The soaker hose makes it much more convenient to water once the cover goes on.  Buy your plants, set them, and then cover.  No more broccoli worms!  As a warning, kale is in the same family, so growing it under cover will help protect it from the worms.

As far as actual planting goes, mid-March already getting late for peas and spinach, but you can try if you haven’t already planted them.  Lettuce and beets should wait until later in the month, unless they’re going under a row cover.  Same with broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.  Plant now under cover, or wait a week or two to set out in the open.  We’re more than a month away from putting out things like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash, but you can plan for where they’ll go.  Poles for training tomatoes or for climbing pole beans and fencing for cucumbers can go up now, and you’ll be ready to go when the time is right to plant them.

Take advantage of any extra time you have to invest in your garden now, and you’ll reap the rewards later this summer!

Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.

Garden Bed Design Basics

Whether you are breaking ground for a new garden, renovating or enlarging an old one, or maybe considering raised beds there are a few things you should consider. What kind of sun exposure do you have? Is your proposed garden level, or sloping, and in which direction? Are you going to have a fence to keep the deer out? What materials do you want to use, or have access to on your property? Let’s dig deeper into each of these areas.

Maximize sun exposure

Sunlight is the number one factor in a successful garden, as you can’t really change that once you’ve dug your beds. Most vegetables and flowers do best with at least 8 hours of full sun each day. Some can do OK with less, and may benefit from a little afternoon shade during the hottest months. Avoid trees, for the shade they cast (which can change over the course of the season), and also the roots that compete for nutrients and water. If possible, it’s best orient your beds east-west, which will maximize the amount of sunlight each row receives.

Sun and slope were key considerations in this garden bed design.

Fencing options

Do you have a deer problem in your yard? We sure do, and it’s been getting worse with time. To keep them out, use a 60” (5’) welded wire fencing around the perimeter of your garden, with one or more gates to allow access to your beds. This fencing comes in 50’ rolls, and costs roughly $1/’. Inside, consider beds of two sizes, depending on where they are in relation to the fencing.

A 2’ wide bed along the fence allows you to reach all the way across without stepping in the bed itself, and allows plants that like/need support access to the fence itself. Pole beans, peas and cucumbers all benefit from the support. Away from the fence and small beds, consider 4-5’ wide beds. The goal is to be able to reach the center of the bed easily from either side. Pathway areas between the beds should be at least 3’ wide so you can use your wheelbarrow or garden cart between the beds.

Slope considerations

Is your garden area level, or does it have some slope? A lot of places in Central Virginia are hilly, so slope is often an important consideration. On the plus side, it will improve your overall drainage, and if your garden slopes southward more sunlight will reach each bed. Northward slopes, though not ideal, are still workable. Increase the size of your pathways to prevent one bed shading another, and consider raising the beds to some degree—possibly higher as you go down the slope.

Raised beds offer advantages in level areas too, as they allow for increased drainage when we have too much rain. You don’t actually have to use an edging material when you build up the raised beds, but many people use landscape timbers, cedar boards, concrete blocks or even logs to outline the beds. Consider using some soil from the pathway areas to help build up the raised beds. If you are using perimeter beds along your fence, you may also need to plan for some drain pipes to get water out of the garden during and after a heavy rain. Using short sections of 4” flexible plastic pipe under the perimeter beds can really help. This is most easily done when you’re first building the beds.

Taking a day to examine your sun exposure, and planning the layout of your beds can really get your garden started on the right foot. Happy digging!