In My Lovely Garden

5 Steps to Gardening
1. LOCATE it: (Now)
Every yard has a space for a garden! Part of the lawn, play area, or flower beds may be converted to
vegetable gardens. No yard? No problem, grow vegetables in window boxes or pots. You can have your garden
level to the ground or build it up in boxes. (see squarefootgardening.com)
Remember This:
SUN! Put the garden where it will receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunshine daily.
BEST SPOT? Near the house –easier to tend and pick!
SOIL! Soil should drain well (this can be worked with - see #2)
WATER! You need to have an adequate source of water available to the garden!

2. SOIL Prep: (March & April) Soils can be Improved

Improved!
mproved!
1. Digging in:

Dig when dry or slightly moist, digging while wet will leave large difficult clumps

Till the area about 18” deep. Work in the nutrients as you do this.

2. Mix in Nutrients: (you’ll do this every year)

FOOD: Compost
i. Compost gives the plants the nutrients they need each year, during growing season the
soil loses it’s nutrients and your next crop will turn unsuccessful – so compost!!!
ii. Homemade or Bought (we get ours from the dump which charges about $18 for a
tractor scoop dumped into your truck or trailer) or you can buy bags of compost at
hardware stores (sterile steer manure)

Texture:
i. Helping to Get rid of clay this makes it a little less clumpy each year
ii. Pete Moss, Vermiculite, sand, purchase this at hardware stores in bags and mix in every
year to get that perfect texture.
iii. If your soil has trouble holding water this also helps to hold the water in longer

3. PLAN it: (March) Plan for Success!

 Get a little Notebook (garden diary).

This helps to organize and keep track or what works and what didn’t over the years!

Draw your plan, where will you plant each item?

Writing will remind you where you planted the tomatoes etc. so you can rotate them to a different
spot the next year
A. Plan what to Plant:

Salsa Garden: Tomatoes, red onions, Peppers (I prefer to purchase the cilantro and limes)

Dinner Veggie Garden: Corn, Peas, Green Beans (bush or pole), zucchini, squash

Salad Garden: Lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers,

Canning Garden: What do you want to preserve this year? Green beans? Peas? Freeze
Onions, peppers, corn? Salsa, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes? Pick at least ONE item and
plant 3x as much
 B. Plan how to Water:

Water by hand, build ditches to flood the hose water down, soaker hoses, hook up to your
sprinklers a drip system, sprinklers to your yard, Soaker hoses etc.

4. PLANT it: (March – May) The Fun Part!

When:
March & April – During Frost

peas, carrots, onions, radishes, lettuce, beets
After Mother’s Day

Easy Seeds – corn, green bean bushes, onions, zucchini

From Transplants (little ones you buy at the nursery) – tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, broccoli,
cabbage,
How:
 Really it’s as simple as following the instructions on the back of the seed package
 For transplants you buy at a Nursery you can add miracle grow as you plant it and don’t forget to loosen
the roots/dirt before you place it in the hole!

5. PRESERVE it: (June – Oct) The Yummy Part!

A. Freezing: onions, peppers, corn, peas, fruit, etc.

B. Drying: fruit, tomatoes, peppers, etc.
C. Canning/Bottling: jams, fruits, beans, relish, tomatoes, etc.

Misc. Garden Info:

1. Seeds “Also remember to buy a year’s supply of garden seeds so that, in case of shortage, you will
have them for the following spring.” (V.J. Featherstone, Ensign, May 1976 p.116-117) A year supply of
seed may be stored in a dark, cool place to help maintain seed quality.
2. Mulch: In addition to eliminating weeds, mulching promotes the retaining of moisture and the building
up of the soil. Straw, hay and grass clippings are all effective mulch. Usually, you should wait until the
plants are well above ground before applying the mulch.
3. Compost Pile: Making nutrients for your garden. Using leftover food scraps and matter from yard &
garden. Check library books, internet & local experts for instructions on how to build a compost pile.

Great Gardening Websites:

http://extension.usu.edu/utah Utah County – 801-851-8460
(100 E. Center St. Rm.L600, Provo, UT 84606)
Squarefootgardening.com (excellent way to garden, loads of gardening info. Great youtube videos
each month to inform us what to do)
backyardplanter.com (more on square foot gardening)
www.garden.org (How to videos, lots of info., Projects, etc.)

“Let every Latter-day Saint that has land, produce some valuable, essential foodstuff thereon and then preserve
it.” Conf. April 1942 p.89 “We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property.
Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can
generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Make your garden . . . neat and attractive as well as
productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process.” S.W. Kimball, Ensign May 1976
 Utah’s Garden Calendar
March –

Start Planning your garden!

Start preparing the soil – work in nutrients

Plant Peas mid March (and other seeds that can
withstand the harsh frost)
April –

Finish Preping soil before planting

Planting seeds that can withstand the frost
(carrots, lettuce, peas, potatoes, beets etc.)
May –

AFTER Mother’s day PLANT seeds &
transplants

Plan out watering system

Control weeds while they are small
June –

Fertilize & Weed

Remember you can preserve strawberries
July –

Fertilize & Weed

Remember to watch for fruits to Preserve
August –

Fertilize & Weed

Watch for fruits and some veggies to preserve
September –

Watch for fruits and veggies to preserve
October –

Begin clearing garden

Pull out tomato plants and other thick viny
plants (the vines don’t break down well over the winter,
so throw them in your trash)

Work any dead & non-diseased veggies into
garden soil, they will rot away leaving great
nutrients in your soil (composting).

Remove stepping stones & hoses from
garden

Work organic matter (leaves) into garden soil.

Square Foot Gardening

Top 10 Reasons to Have
a Square foot Garden!
1. Grow More in Less Space!
2. No Tiller Needed
3. Less weeding (no isles to weed)
4. No packing soil by walking on it
5. Simple to Build!
Build!
6. Low cost supplies
7. Can place close to house! (even on back porch!)
8. Looks
Looks great, neat and orderly
9. Encourages composting
10. Anyone can garden this way!!!

 Grab some lumber, screw it together, even use old

blinds to help grid the top and your ready to go!

See websites and

and books for simple instructions on how to build and fill.
A great new way to garden outside the box (or should I say “in the box” in this case☺)!