Spring is officially springing March 21 and with it comes spring fever. If you want to reduce food bills and have some fun too, then grow your own vegetables. Yards and lanais are prime opportunity to help cut food expenses. You can do it by planting vegetables along with your ornamentals. If you’re going to a have a top-notch garden, it’s time to plan the planting layout for fall.
By designing a combination, you can have an attractive spot that will produce flowers as well as fresh vegetables. Both require regular fertilization and spraying for insects and disease, so they are a natural, together.
In selecting the plot, remember that most annuals and vegetables must have a full six to eight hours of bright light per day.
Next comes the vexing problem of what to plant. Choosing plants by heights is one problem-solving approach. Some taller growing annuals for the back areas of the garden are cleome and sunflower. Some taller vegetables to try are Hawaiian super sweet corn, trellis U.H. tomatoes and Manoa wonder beans.
In the center rows and toward the front, consider the medium height plants. Tuberose, blue salvia, tall ageratum, giant dahlias, red salvia, and gypsophila are examples. Vegetables include peppers, squash and Waimanalo long eggplant. For low edging, you might use allysum, petunias, verbena, dwarf phlox or some of the dwarf nasturtiums. Waianae strain kai choi, won bok, Manoa lettuce and parsley are good varieties of vegetables.
With up to 100 annuals and vegetables to choose from, it shouldn’t be a problem to fill the garden with many kinds of colorful and useful plants.
You can try your hand at success by using the organic approach or the conventional approach or a combination.
Organic gardening differs from “conventional” gardening mainly in fertilization and pest control. The organic gardener uses natural and organic materials and methods, whereas the conventional gardener will utilize a combination of all materials and methods shown to be safe, effective and nondetrimental to animals and the environment.
Here are some steps to aid you in supplying your vegetable needs:
Select a plot of good, well-drained soil near a water supply. It should be close to the home for convenience but should not be shaded by buildings or trees. Enclosing the garden spot with a fence is important if you need to keep out wild jungle fowl, pheasants and pigs.
Many gardeners find it helpful to draw out on paper the location of each row and the crop or succession of crops to be planted.
Contact the UH Master Gardener Hotline for information on vegetables suited to Hawaiian gardens, leading varieties, seed or plants needed, planting distances and depths, and best time for planting.
Since organic fertilizer and soil conditioning materials are slow working in general, they should be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting and the soil thoroughly prepared for the seed or transplants. Clumps of unrotted organic materials not only interfere with the seeding operation, but may result in nutrient deficiency and possible soil-borne disease problems such as “damping-off” of young seedlings.
Natural and organic materials that yield plant nutrients upon decomposition are often available for purchase either separately or in combination. These materials may be applied to the garden separately or in combination, used in the compost pile, or mixed with manure.
Rock phosphates are natural deposits of phosphate in combination with calcium. Raw materials dug from the earth are very hard and yield phosphorus very slowly. When finely ground and with impurities removed, the powdery material is only slightly soluble in water, but may be beneficial to plants in subsequent seasons following application. The reaction of phosphate rock with acids from decaying organic matter in the garden or compost tend to make the phosphorus available to garden plants. A more readily available form of phosphate is treble super phosphate. Broadcast the material over the soil surface and work into the topsoil at least three weeks before planting. Manure or other organic fertilizer should be added at this time. Since the materials are slowly decomposed, side dressings are seldom beneficial.
Potassium is widely distributed in nature, occurring in rocks, solid, tissues of plants and animals, and water of seas and lakes. In gardening practices, materials such as wood ashes, banana peals, seaweed, potash salts, and ground rock potash are used alone, in combination with other materials yielding other nutrients, mixed with manure, or in compost piles. Since the potash bearing materials vary so much in composition and rate of decomposition, specific application rates must be determined for each material and its combination.
An advantage for using organic materials as fertilizers is that they contain many of the elements also needed by the plants in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Besides the general amounts of minor elements found in most organic materials, certain ones are concentrated into such naturally occurring materials as gypsum (calcium and sulfur) and dolomite (calcium and magnesium). Important minor elements include iron, zinc, manganese and boron. However, care must be taken not to over apply, especially boron because it can be toxic.
Reducing the acidity of the soil is the primary purpose for using lime in the garden. However, liming materials also provide nutrients for plant use.
Calcium and magnesium are the two most elements most commonly provided by lime. Lime to sweeten the soil should be applied only when the needs have been established by a reliable soil test. Apply lime well in advance of the planting date, preferably two to three months before the garden is planted. Mix well with the soil and keep moist for best reaction.
In irrigating the garden, it is advisable to thoroughly wet the soil once a week unless sufficient rain falls. Thus, the soil will be moist throughout the root zone. Light sprinkling every day merely tends to wet the surface and encourage shallow root growth. Use of organic materials as soil conditioners and fertilizers tends to improve the ability of the soil to retain moisture.
Individuals with home garden questions may call the UH-CTAHR Master Gardener helpline in Kona at 322-4892 and Hilo at 981-5199.