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.

What is pH, and why should I care?

by Mark Levisay

What is pH?

To answer this question we need to take the way back machine to high school chemistry class.  Acidity is the relative activity of the H+ ion in a given environment, and there is a scale to measure that activity.  The scale is from 0-14, where 0 is highly acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is highly basic or alkaline.  The scale is logarithmic, so a change from 7 to 6 is actually a 10 fold increase in the acidity.  In general, plants can grow in a pH range of 3.5 to 10, but most of the plants we’re interested in prefer a range from 6 to 7.  Exceptions to this rule would be plants from forests or bogs which have evolved in a more acidic environment.  Some acidic loving plant examples are azaleas, rhododendrons, laurels and blueberries.

Azaleas and rhododendrons are a few of the plants in our area that prefer acidic conditions.

The impact of pH on plant growth

The reason we should care about the pH of our soil is that it has a huge effect on fertility.  If the soil is too acidic, manganese (Mn) can concentrate in toxic (to plants) levels.  Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) can be tied up chemically and not available to the plant.  On the other hand, in alkaline conditions phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (Bo) and manganese (Mn) can become unavailable.  Some of these are major macronutrients, and plants can really suffer under the wrong conditions.

In central Virginia we rarely encounter alkaline conditions.  Most of our native soils are going to be at least slightly acidic due to the underlying geology and the fact that most of this area was forested at one time.  Adding mulch to your garden is an excellent idea but will lower the pH (making it more acidic) over time due to the organic processes of decomposition.  Even rain is slightly acidic which doesn’t help the situation. 

If you have trouble with your lawn grasses and/or have moss then your soil is probably more acidic than you’d like it to be.  To get an exact answer, you need to do a soil test, which will give you an exact pH number and a recommendation of how much lime you might need to bring the pH into balance.

How to fix acidic soil

Raising a pH that’s too low (acidic) is pretty straightforward.  Limestone is basically calcium carbonate (CaCo3).  Adding this to the acidic soil breaks down the molecule, releasing the Ca+ ions along with carbon dioxide and water.  Calcium is a nutrient needed by plants so limestone provides an added benefit.  You may have used pelletized dolomitic limestone on your lawn, and this inexpensive product is also excellent for your vegetable and flower beds.  Dolomite is a limestone that also contains magnesium (Mg), so you get a double benefit by adding both Ca and Mg to the soil.  This can be especially important with fruiting plants such as tomatoes which can develop blossom end rot.  This condition is caused by a calcium deficiency typically due to insufficient or infrequent watering.  Having extra calcium in the soil can help prevent this.

Wood ashes from your fireplace can also be used to correct low pH, but it’s a little trickier.  It takes twice as much ash to raise the pH than lime, but ashes also contain phosphorus, potassium and boron, so you shouldn’t use too much at any one time.  The best practice is to spread a thin layer of ashes on your garden beds in the fall and let it incorporate over the winter.  Never put ashes too close to seeds or seedlings, as it can damage the roots.  Vegetables that seem to like things less acidic than others, like beets and spinach, may benefit from an application of wood ash.  If you use ashes, it’s a good idea to do a soil test regularly to keep a close eye on the pH.

Keeping your pH at an “optimum” level of 6-7 will help ensure that your soil is able to deliver the nutrients your plants need.  Your vegetables, flowers and lawn will reward you for it!

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

What do those numbers on the fertilizer bag mean?

by Mark Levisay

You’ve probably seen bags of 10-10-10 “plant food” at a big box store or garden center and may have wondered what those numbers mean. The numbers refer to the percentage by weight of N-P-K, or nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash (potassium) which are essential nutrients that plants need to grow.  Rather than thinking of them as plant “food,” it’s helpful to view them as ingredients that the plant uses, along with sunlight, to manufacture food (sugars) that the plant needs to live.  Let’s talk about those ingredients in a little more detail.

A little chemistry

Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are readily available to the plant from the air and water (CO2 and H2O), but the nitrogen in the air is tightly bound up as N2 molecules and can’t be accessed by plants.  Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are minerals that would usually be found in soil.  These six elements are considered the major macronutrients plants need for growth.  Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) are minor macronutrients and might be lacking in some soils.  Micronutrients are iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mb), manganese (Mn), boron (Bo), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co) and Chlorine (Cl).  Most of these will be found in soil in adequate supplies for plants but can be added if a soil test indicates a deficiency.

The functions of N (Nitrogen), P (Phosphorus) and K (Potash)

The back of the fertilizer bag will provide details on the ingredients.

So, what do these individual nutrients of N-P-K do for the plants?  Nitrogen promotes top and leaf growth and is essential to the plant.  It’s transient in soil and will need to be added, at least yearly, depending on what plants you’re growing.  Phosphorus is important for root growth and fruiting, but stays in the soil, so once added should be OK.  This is also the nutrient that promotes algae blooms in Chesapeake Bay, so you’ll rarely see this nutrient in products like lawn fertilizer.  Potassium promotes stem durability and cold hardiness and is also transient in soils, so we’ll have to keep up with this over time.  A N/K ratio of about 1 is probably right for most average plants.

Soil testing provides your goal

To understand how you can improve your soil and provide your plants with the ingredients they need, you should test.  You can guess at what’s in your soil by observing your plant’s growth, but testing will tell you for sure.  Your county extension agent can help you learn more.  The test results will tell you what’s in your soil currently and make recommendations to improve it for good plant growth.  The recommendations will be expressed in pounds of nutrient per 100 or 1000 square feet. The test will also tell you the pH (measure of acidity), but we’ll talk about that in a separate blog.

The pounds of nutrients recommended is where the numbers on the bag come in. In our original example, 10-10-10 tells you there is 10% N-P-K in the bag by weight.  A 40 pound bag has 4 pounds each of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or 0.4 pounds per pound of fertilizer.  The rest of the bag is an inert filler, which is important because too much nutrient too close to the roots of a plant will burn the roots.  Some of the organic fertilizers are less potent, like Espoma’s Plant-Tone organic fertilizer at 5-3-3,    so they can be added in larger quantity to the garden.

Watering is very important in relation to fertilizer application, and it’s uptake by the plants.  The nutrients in our bag of fertilizer are in the form of nitrates, nitrites, phosphate and potash which break down into charged ions in water.  These ions are then available to be absorbed by plant roots.  98% of the plant’s nutrient needs are absorbed in water taken in by the roots.  Roots encountering dry particles of fertilizer can be damaged.  Adding chemical fertilizers one to two weeks before planting seeds or plants can allow the fertilizer to become mixed in the soil and go into solution.  I’ve had pretty good luck using Plant-Tone at planting time since it’s not too strong, but I always water well after planting.

With the right ingredients, your plants will trhive.

To learn more about the individual fertilizer requirements of specific plants, go to the Virginia Cooperative Extension website. You’ll also be able to find information about soil testing on the site.

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

Lawn care tips

By Mark Levisay

Most of us would like to have a nice lawn surrounding our home but sometimes that seems easier said than done.  Here are some tips that can help you grow some nice healthy grass.

Spring cleaning

In the spring there are a number of things you can do to get started.  If your yard isn’t too big, a good raking can pull up excess thatch (old grass cuttings) that may not have decomposed over the winter.  This can also clean up leaves and sticks which may have also accumulated during the off season.  On larger lawns a professional machine may be required, and lawn care services will be happy to do this for you.  In high traffic or compacted areas aeration may also be beneficial.  This allows the roots to have access to more air and water. 

Spring is the best time to de-thatch and lime your lawn.

I always make an application of pelletized lime in the spring, as there are many factors that tend to make our Central Virginia soil acidic.  Lime isn’t expensive and can be applied at any time—just follow the directions on the bag for the amount to apply. Lime also helps speed up the decomposition of the thatch at the soil surface.  If you have trouble with crabgrass or other annual weed grasses, you can use a pre-emergent weed killer, which will keep the over wintered seeds from sprouting.  Apply when the forsythias are blooming, as the seeds start to sprout when daytime temperatures warm.  Many of these products contain fertilizer, which will help green up the lawn.

Moss in your lawn

What does moss indicate in your yard?  Moss is a “plant” that tolerates shady, compacted areas with low pH (high acidity) and low fertility.  Correcting any of these factors will help you reduce the moss population.  If your yard has a lot of shade trees, you may have to plant a shade tolerant variety of grass.  Most common tall fescue blends are made for areas with full sun, but other varieties of grass will do better in the shade.  Remember that trees are competing for both water and food with the grass, so you may need to add more fertilizer, or water more often if that’s a problem.  There are also moss killing products available if your problem is really severe.

Mow tall and often

My number one recommendation to promote a great looking lawn is to mow tall and often.  It is called TALL fescue, after all!  I have my “push” mower set at the highest cutting setting allowed.  When I adjust my garden tractor’s mower deck, I measure 2 ¾” to the bottom of the deck, knowing that the blades are higher up in the deck than this.  Cutting tall fescue at around 3” should be a good average to shoot for. Tall grass can help shade out lower growing weeds in addition to helping grow healthier grass.

By mowing often, you minimize the amount of cuttings generated so you don’t leave piles of clippings smothering the grass.  Smaller cuttings will decompose faster (which feeds the roots) and prevent thatch build up.  Changing the direction you mow from time to time will also help grow healthier grass.

Fall preparation

The fall is usually a good time to fertilize (late September through October).  This helps the grass build a healthy root system to survive the winter.  If you have trouble with weeds, use a “weed & feed” type fertilizer.  Just don’t over apply (always follow the directions on the package) as too much will kill the grass in addition to the weeds!  If you’re still having moss trouble, more lime is probably in order.  You can hardly apply too much lime in our area, as our soils tend to be acidic, and grass likes a slightly higher than neutral (7) pH. 

I use my mower and tractor to mow up fallen leaves in November and turn them into mulch on the lawn.  It’s important to remove them in some way, as they can block out the light and kill the grass if allowed to sit all winter.  These leaf “cuttings” will tend to acidify the soil as they decompose, which is another reason to add lime again in the spring.

In Central Virginia, lawns can still be beautiful well into the fall.

Mow correctly, lime generously, and fertilize when appropriate and you should improve the look of your lawn in a season or so.  Good luck!

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

Dealing with weeds

by Mark Levisay

Most people probably agree that a weed is simply a “plant out of place.”  Tall fescue, your typical lawn grass, is certainly a weed in your vegetable garden.  A beet showing up in your lettuce bed might be too, but maybe not as onerous!  Dandelion flowers are lovely, but nobody seems to like them in the lawn—but the bees certainly appreciate their early flowers.

What makes a weed such a problem? 

Many weeds are fast growers, and as such may out-compete the flower and vegetable plants you’re trying to grow.  They take valuable nutrients out of the soil to support their own growth, robbing your desired plants of what they need.  They may even shade or crowd your seedlings to the point they can’t grow at all.  Many weeds excel at growing on poor and compacted soils where other plants can’t thrive, so Imagine how much they like your improved garden soil!  Their fast growth and short reproductive cycle (many mature, bloom and set seed in just a few weeks) demand quick action.

Henbit, one of the most pervasive weeds in the garden early in the spring.

What can we do to stop the weeds? 

Physically we can just go out and dig or pull them-most easily done when the ground is wet. For centuries, humans cultivated crops with hoes (and sticks before that) to kill weeds while preserving the desired plants. A few more modern ideas:

• Use landscape fabric as a barrier to prevent weed seeds from sprouting and growing. It’s even more effective when used with mulch. 

• Mulch itself helps a lot.  It makes the weeds that do appear easier to pull and improves the soil in the long run.  Even newspapers can prove effective as a barrier.   

• Mow the lawn as high as your equipment allows so the grass will shade out weeds. 

• Plant wide rows of vegetable plants or put flowers in clumps close together to crowd out the weeds.

Chemical weed control

There are two fundamentally different ways to attack weeds with chemicals.  One is a pre-emergent product which keeps weed seeds (many are annuals) from germinating.  Crab grass preventer for lawns is one example. Applied at this time of year (when the forsythias are blooming) it keeps last year’s crabgrass seeds (and other annual grass seeds) from sprouting.  “Preen” is a granulated pre-emergent product you can use in vegetable and flower gardens as long as you are NOT PLANTING SEEDS in those areas.  This product works great around perennials, or where you might be planting established seedlings like tomatoes or peppers.

Contact herbicides can themselves be divided into two types.  Broad spectrum chemicals like “Roundup” kill everything they’re sprayed on.  Roundup (glyphosate is the active ingredient) is absorbed by the plant and disrupts the cycle of photosynthesis. More selective herbicides differentiate between monocots (grass) and dicots (broadleaf plants).  These are usually applied to lawns to kill non-grass weeds like dandelions or chickweed.  As always, read the label, follow the mixing instructions, and avoid contact as much as possible.  Some of these herbicides are very controversial so make informed choices.

If you keep after them, you can get ahead of the weeds. Try to break their flowering and seed distribution cycle and you’ll have less work to do over time!

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

It’s spring, and planting time!

by Mark Levisay

There is a lot going on in the vegetable garden at this time of year, so I thought I’d share what I’m doing at home in my garden.  Preparing your beds for planting should be an ongoing project.  Pulling weeds and adding some lime are the two things I try to accomplish before planting any plants or seeds.

Prep your beds

I usually fertilize right before planting and for several years I’ve been using Espoma’s “Plant-Tone” organic fertilizer.  It’s N-P-K rating is 5-3-3, so it’s not overly strong, and doesn’t “burn” the roots of seedlings, or harm seeds when you plant.  This fertilizer is made from ground up chicken by-products and seems to benefit the texture of the soil in addition to raising fertility levels.  I often use this to line where rows will go, or the spots where I’ll plant tomato or pepper seedlings.  As a side note, my dogs love the smell and apparently the taste, so I only use it inside the fenced garden!

The right time to plant vegetables

As far as vegetables go, let’s talk about the first days of spring—what should be in, what to plant now, and what should still wait a bit longer. Asparagus crowns, peas and spinach should be in by now.  Asparagus crowns are often shipped at the end of February, as they’ll be planted under several inches of soil, and won’t sprout until April. Peas love cooler weather, so early March is usually a good time to plant so that the peas will mature before the real heat of summer.  Spinach germinates best in cool soil, and matures quickly, so you can probably still plant some now and have harvestable leaves before it gets hot.

This week I put out broccoli and cabbage seedlings in a covered bed.  Generally I might wait until  early April but the covered bed should keep the plants warmer than the outside temperature.  Other brassicas like kale, cauliflower and brussel sprouts can go out now too.  I also planted a row of lettuce, and one of beets.  These can be planted any time in the next several weeks.  If you see strawberry plants, this is a good time to plant or transplant them. 

It is still too early—by almost a month—to plant things like beans, squash and cucumbers.  These all like warm soil to germinate, though some bean varieties are better for planting into cool soil.  Check your seed catalog or packets for the description.  You can plant squash, cucumber and melon seeds ahead of time in plantable pots to get a head start, but the cucurbit family are tricky to transplant—they don’t like their roots disturbed.  Very late April (depending on the weather) or early May is a good time frame to shoot for.

Things like tomatoes, peppers and melons should really wait until almost mid-May to go out, unless we’re having really warm weather at the start of May.  These seedlings don’t tolerate frost at all, so if you decide to plant them out early, be prepared to cover them on cold nights.  I have started both tomato and pepper seeds under lights inside the house, and they should be ready to set out by mid-May.

Another thing you can “plant” now are your tomato supports.  I use, and re-use 8’ 2x2” poles, and you can measure out your tomato bed and set the poles now if you have time.  I also lay out the soaker hose I’m going to use in that bed so when it’s time to put in the seedlings, everything is ready to go!

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

Whys and hows of covered beds

By Mark Levisay

There are several reasons to cover some of your vegetable beds.  In the spring, cabbage moths lay their eggs on brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.). The hatched worms are hard to see and eat voraciously. I’ve found the best way to avoid the cycle, and harvest beautiful, worm-free brassicas is to cover the plants. In the fall, the cover not only keeps the moths away, it also serves as a season extender for plants like beets, lettuce and spinach. The cover acts like a mini-greenhouse and can protect the plants from early frosts.

Row covers keep cabbage worms at bay and provide protection from frost.

Choose the best row cover for the job

I have purchased my row cover products from Gardener’s Supply, but I believe there are other sources.  The row cover fabric comes in three “weights” and several sizes.  There is “summerweight” fabric, which is the lightest, and allows the most sun to penetrate.  I use this product in the spring.  All-purpose fabric is a little heavier and allows less sunlight through.  This could be used in either spring or fall.  The “garden-quilt” fabric is the heaviest of all and is supposed to protect plants down to 24F!  This is probably best suited for fall use. 

Hoops for support

The metal hoops that support the fabric come in two sizes, “super hoops’ and “hi-rise super hoops”.  The standard super hoops easily cover a single row of low growing plants such as lettuce or spinach.  For taller plants like broccoli, you probably want the hi-rise hoops which are basically 2 super hoops connected together.  These will cover a 4-5’ wide bed about 2 ½’ high, plenty for broccoli and cabbage.  After placing the hoops at about 2’ intervals along the bed I wire them together with 17gauge electric fence wire for added stability in the wind.

Wire the hoops together for added stability on windy days.

The sizes available for row cover fabric are 6’x20’, 6’x50’, and 12’x20’.  The 6’ wide fabric is fine for the standard smaller hoops, but you really need wider than that for the hi-rise hoops.  I usually buy the 6’x50’ product and cut it in half.  This allows me to cover a 5’ wide by 20’ long bed, which supports 2 rows of cabbage and broccoli.  I use clothespins and other clips to join the two pieces together along the top of the row where the stability wire comes in handy as an anchor point.  On the bottom edge I use bricks, rocks, and even tractor weights to keep the fabric on the ground.  You’d be surprised how much force the wind can exert on this fabric!

Plan for watering

Soaker hoses are important in the covered bed, as it’s difficult to water individual plants with the cover on, and generally you’ll be leaving the cover in place until harvest.  It’s also difficult to weed with the cover in place, so try to start with a weed free bed when the cover goes on. 

Soil is prepared and soaker hose laid, ready for planting.

Prepare the soil in your bed and then lay out the soaker hose(s) you need and put up your hoops.  Wiring the hoops together will help with stability in the wind.  Plant your plants or seeds, water, then cover with fabric.  Rain easily penetrates the fabric, so only water with the soaker hose when necessary.  Keep an eye on the plants, as tall ones like broccoli may fall over and need support.  At harvest you’ll be pleased to have worm free broccoli and cabbage, ready for the kitchen!

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!