One of the most common questions asked by novice vegetable and herb gardeners is “How many?” That is, how many of each plant to put in, so that the harvest will be enough to make dinner but not so much that you’re frantically trying to find homes for a major surplus. When you plan an ornamental border, there are design guidelines that talk about groups and masses and specimen plants, but food gardens (although they can be beautiful) are not planted with aesthetics primarily in mind. So how to make these choices?
You can find plenty of guides online for, say, planning a garden for a family of four. These tend to assume that your garden is large and that you want to supply all or most of your needs from it. Which is great if that’s your goal, but I don’t find that many of the busy urban and suburban gardeners I talk to mean to skip the supermarket produce section entirely. The online guides will also measure the planting in feet of row; if you grow in the square footage of raised beds, you’ll have to do some recalculation. Growing in these kinds of high volumes probably also requires food preservation, whether by freezing, canning, or some other method.
Your garden does not need to be planted in long, long rows to be productive
Most of us find the answer to “How many?” through trial and error, and frankly you probably can’t avoid that entirely. You’ll err on the side of not enough for some plants, and too much for others, and will serve some salads featuring a handful of lettuce or one small cucumber, or get to know your neighbors when you have tons of extra tomatoes. But there are ways to plan.
If I look back at this summer in the vegetable garden objectively, I’d say it was an average success. My garden produced a fair number of tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers. We ate well. But it felt like a really hard year, and I don’t think I’m alone in that experience. We had some nasty heat waves and dry spells, and the plants and produce seemed extra susceptible to damage. I had more cracking and insect damage on my tomatoes than usual, and the plants gave up early due to all the fungal disease. Squash collapsed from vine borers and cucumbers got all the blights. My peppers were the biggest disappointment, battling bacterial leaf spot both in my own beds and at the Derwood Demo Garden. I think some infected seed was to blame, since a few ‘Big Red’ plants were the first to show symptoms, but the disease spread quickly to all the rest.
I’m very invested in gardening, so I’m not going to give up even though I know the struggles are likely to continue; our climate issues aren’t going to get any better and the bugs and diseases are here to stay. I don’t think you should give up either! But I can see how a beginner might feel very daunted.
Here are a few ideas about making your garden less exhausting and more rewarding. I’m writing them down because I need to read them as much as anyone!
“Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream.”
– Josephine Nuese
January is the month of garden dreams. The winter pause gives us time to think, to plan, to ponder. How can we make our gardens better, more productive, more beautiful and sustainable, more the gardens of our dreams?
A garden is never done. This idea eludes new gardeners. But those of us with a few gardening years behind us realize that we are always pursuing an ideal.
Misty memories recall our grandmother’s garden. Trips to public gardens inspire. Friends’ gardens spark ideas. And so our gardens evolve.
These changes are part of the joy of gardening. As gardeners, we are always learning and adapting.
When we bring into our garden an idea that we’ve seen elsewhere, it isn’t stealing. It’s imitation, the ultimate flattery. Soon our garden becomes a memory garden, a reflection of special people and places.
So as the snow falls, the wind howls, the rain whips our windows, we dream of better gardens.
We flip through photos of gardens we’ve visited. Ah, yes. There is that arbor we fancied for the perennial bed. We must have that peony. And that birdbath would be perfect in that corner.
That jars a memory of a berry-laden bush in a friend’s yard that a mockingbird favored. We make the call, get the name, and add it to our wish list for spring nursery visits.
Seed catalogs tumble from our mailboxes. Ripe with ideas, they make our dreams flavorful as we salivate over heirloom tomatoes, Thai basil, and hot peppers. We rush to put together an order before the best varieties sell out.
A crimson flash catches our eye as a cardinal glides by the window. An arc of ornamental grasses would enliven that view, wouldn’t it? Grasses sway in our minds as we add them to our list.
Seeing a copy of Garden Revolution on our bookshelf, we are reminded of our New Year’s resolution to be more sustainable.
We remember from a garden talk the suggestion to add seating to our gardens – places to rest, relax, and enjoy the lovely views we create. Our wish list grows to include a wooden garden bench.
Winter is the time to dream of a garden that feeds body and soul, that delivers a bountiful harvest of food and beauty. So pour a cup of tea, wrap yourself in an afghan, and dream on.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.
I’m a forgetful gardener. I always think I’ll remember next year what I put where, what varieties of tomatoes I loved, and what plant needed extra water. But I don’t.
I’ve reached that glorious age where I forget where my glasses are (on top of my head) or where I left my hand pruners. (God knows.)
As Dr. Seuss’ Grinch said, “I puzzled and puzzled till my puzzler was sore.”
So this year – right now – I’m making more than mental notes and investing in a few doodads to make next year’s gardening a bit easier.
I’ve started by breaking out my garden maps. These rough pencil sketches on graph paper tell me what I planted in each garden bed.
I start out with grand intentions in the spring, but end up adding things willy-nilly that I forget – or am too busy – to write down.
Now’s the time to catch up. So, I’m updating my maps and making notes because I know I won’t remember everything by the time spring rolls around.
For further motivation, I’m starting a brand-spanking new garden journal to note what worked and what didn’t.
A garden journal lets you note what worked and didn’t.
What are some of my notes for 2023?
My two butternut squash plants made a grand total of – drumroll, please – two squash, so I will try yellow summer squash instead next year. I missed the peak crop of persimmons, so I’ll check them more often and earlier.
Heirloom yellow pear tomatoes produce gangbusters and are very tasty.
I loved the taste of my yellow pear tomatoes and they produced gangbusters, so I’ll plant them again. My zinnias bloomed their heads off and are still attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, so they are must-haves.
Colorful zinnias bloom for a long time and attract pollinators.
My bee balm got powdery mildew, so I’ll be more careful to water at the base of the plants only. One pot of annuals was always thirsty, so I’ll move that pot elsewhere.
I finally got the zinc plant labels from last year’s wish list and I love them. You can write on them with a pencil and they last and last and blend well. I won’t mark everything, just key plants that help me find everything else.
Also note in your journal any tools that would help you such as a garden kneeler, self-watering container, ratcheting pruners, or lightweight wheelbarrow. Christmas is coming, after all.
Your journal also can be your rip-and-replace list. I’ve already banished non-native vinca from one bed and am putting together a list of native replacements. What do you want to change?
I hope these ideas inspire you to make some notes, start a journal, and label some plants so you can start off your next garden season with less head-scratching and more action.
Now where did I lay down my trowel?
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of gardening advice in books and websites. So I thought I’d simplify things by sharing my top 10 tips for keeping a garden healthy.
Start with your soil. Healthy soil grows healthy plants. So get a soil test to know what you have and need.
Add compost or other organic matter regularly to enliven the soil and keep the soil community happy. This intricate web of beneficial microbes, fungi, bacteria, worms, and more is crucial to healthy plants.
Well-adapted native plants such as this white penstemon naturally resist pests and disease. Photo: Kathy Vesely
Minimize soil disturbance. Every time you turn the soil, you bring up weed seeds and wreak havoc on the soil community. So dig and till minimally.
Keep the soil covered with plants, an organic mulch, or cover crops. Bare soil invites weeds, encourages soil-borne disease, and promotes erosion.
Put the right plant in the right place. Choose plants that suit the site whether it’s sunny or shady, wet or dry. This matchmaking helps plants not only survive but thrive.
Use native plants. These tough, well-adapted plants need less water and fertilizer. Since they co-evolved with native wildlife, they support pollinators and other native species best.
Encourage beneficial insects. These are the good bugs that help control bad bugs. Nine out of ten insects are beneficial, naturally controlling the few true pests. Put them to work for you.
How? Reduce or eliminate chemical pesticides which kill both good and bad bugs. Use organic products instead and try other controls like hand-picking or floating row covers.
Further, encourage beneficial insects by planting a wide variety of plants to provide food and shelter. Add a rock to a birdbath so insects can sip.
Check your plants often. When you’re strolling, be patrolling. Look for spots, yellowing, or other changes that might be clues to a problem. Early detection makes fixes easier.
If you live in Washington County, Maryland, e-mail or call me if you need help identifying an insect or disease. Just send me a photo or bring me a sample. If you live in another area of Maryland, contact your county or city Extension office, or send your questions to Ask Extension.
Many problems are preventable. Honest. About 80% have cultural or environmental causes and aren’t due to pests or diseases. So there’s much we can do to prevent problems.
Water wisely. Water in the morning and avoid overhead watering. Leaves that are wet overnight tend to have fungal problems.
Removed diseased plants. Add compost which naturally suppresses some diseases. Space plants so air circulates. Cover bare soil so rain doesn’t splash fungal spores up onto plants.
At the end of the growing season, thoroughly clean up vegetable plant debris which can harbor harmful overwintering insects and disease.
There you have it, my top 10 tips for a healthy garden. When you work with nature, not against it, you naturally limit pests and diseases, grow more resilient plants, and build a healthier garden and community.
That’s a very good feeling indeed.
By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension. This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.
I spent the early days of January 2023 thinking about the vegetable garden I won’t be planting until March. I’ve ordered my seeds, and I’ve gone so far as considering drawing a map of what goes where. (I may not get beyond considering, though it would be smart if I did—see below—but planning in two dimensions is always hard for me, and I’m pretty good at knowing how much I can grow in my 400 square feet, just not necessarily where exactly it’s going to go.) There is absolutely no need to start all this quite so early, but I like knowing that the seeds I want won’t run out before I get to them, and I had the time and enthusiasm, so there we are.
Since I don’t have room to grow everything I might want to, I have to make some choices. When I was a newbie gardener, I always bought too many seeds, and… okay, I still buy too many seeds, but at least I have a method now! So I thought I’d share it in case it’s of help to anyone.
In mid-February, I started my Gypsy, Monty, and Green Magic broccoli, Snow Crown cauliflower, Lacinato kale, several types of lettuce, and some Big Blue salvia.
Italian flat-leaf parsley was started in mid-January. Most of these transplants will be planted in the garden or containers in the first week of April after hardening off for at least a week in my cold frame. My pre-sprouted snap peas will be planted in late March. Planting dates for central Maryland can be found here on the Home and Garden Information Center website.
In early March, I will be making a trip into Baltimore to get some other seeds for Sugar Ann snap peas, Jade string beans, and a couple of other things. In late March, I will be planting some seed potatoes in containers, just to see what the yield is. On March 27th, seven to eight weeks before the spring plant out date of mid-May, I will be planting Galine eggplant and several different types of peppers.
In previous years, I’ve planted tomatoes six weeks prior to my plant out date, but they have been leggy. This year, I’m planting them on April 10 for planting in the garden and containers on May 15.
My latest soil test, done in May of 2019, says to incorporate one pound of nitrogen (N) per 1,000 square feet. Only N is required since the beds contain the optimum amount of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and are at the correct pH.
To determine what fertilizer needs to be added to my beds which are 32 or 40 square feet, I will have to convert this recommendation to determine the amount of urea (46-0-0) to apply to my beds. This is fairly simple to do, using the following equation. Amount of N/.46 (% of N in urea) x beds size/1000 square feet. This yields the following: 2.17 pounds of urea x 0.032 for a 32 square foot bed equals .069 pounds of urea or 1.1 ounces. I guess I’ll have to get out my kitchen scale.
Alternatively, the University of Delaware suggested 2.5 pounds per 1000 square feet or 2.5 x .032 = 1.28 ounces of urea. This calculation works for almost all recommendations from soil test labs. However, if in doubt, you can always Ask a Gardening Expert at HGIC.
By Kent Phillips, University of Maryland Extension, Howard County Master Gardener
