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HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES

ORGANICALLY AND SUCCESSFULLY


By Kathryn Bax

INSIDE:
CHOOSING YOUR SITE
THE SIZE OF YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN
PLANNING YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN
CROP ROTATION
SOIL COMPOSITION & MANURE
DIGGING YOUR BEDS
SOWING AND PLANTING YOUR SEEDS
TRANSPLANTING YOUR SEEDLINGS
HOW MUCH WATER?
CONTROLLING PESTS NATURALLY
INTRODUCTION
Grow vegetables in your own backyard and reap the rewards. In no time at
all you could be eating fresh produce that has been grown without herbicides
and insecticides, and you will save money in the process. To grow enough
vegetables for your family doesn't take a lot of space, nor does it take a lot
of expertise. What it does take is planning, time and effort, but the results
are well worth it in the end. There is nothing more satisfying than to eat a
bowl of salad knowing that you have grown everything yourself.
For those of you who are trying to save money, you can do so by growing
vegetables and herbs at home. Any excess produce can be canned, blanched
and frozen or made into preserves, pickles and jams. Vegetable peelings and
vegetable seedlings that have been removed to make room for others can
immediately be added to the compost heap to make sure that nothing is
lost, and that everything is recycled where possible.
If you want to grow vegetables organically, and are not sure what the basic
principles are for organic gardening and farming have a look at our organic
principles page.
For those people who plant by the moon, they swear by it, feeling that as
the tides are affected by the moon, so too are the plants and so therefore
plant according to the phases of the moon. If you would like to know more
about this visit our moon planting page for more detailed information.
There are others too who like to plant their vegetables with others in order
to complement each other or to have one plant work for the other in
repelling insects or disease. This is known as companion planting.
GROW VEGETABLES: CHOOSE YOUR SITE WISELY
Where you decide to grow your vegetables is important. If you have terrible
soil such as sand with no humus, or pure clay, one could improve the soil
with additional compost or lime accordingly, but really, the easiest way to
go would be to make raised beds. These can be simple affairs using shutter
board to the more elaborate of building brick raised beds. Either way, what
you then have, are beds that contain soil that you know is rich and fertile,
that you have imported and you can just add additional compost and
manure when necessary.
If you do have good soil, count yourself lucky. The ideal spot should be in a
sunny location as vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day,
and ideally it will be on a level piece of ground that has good drainage. If
you have a sloping piece of ground, the only way you will be able to grow
your own vegetables here is by terracing that land. If you don't you will have
run-off when it rains which will wash seeds away downhill, and you will find
that some plants receive an excess of water, and others hardly any at all.
Drainage is really important as vegetables do not like having 'wet feet'.
GROW VEGETABLES: THE SIZE OF YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN
When you grow vegetables for personal consumption the size of the garden
will be determined by the size of your family. Other considerations will be
whether you can grow your vegetables year round with the water that you
have available to you, the type of vegetables you want to grow and the
amount of time you are willing to put into growing your own. Having said
that, 40 - 50 m2, is more than enough to sustain a family of five. This allows
for space to grow vegetables that take up lots of ground such as pumpkins,
melons and potatoes.
GROW VEGETABLES: PLANNING YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN
One of the biggest mistakes one makes as a novice vegetable grower is that
one tends to over-plant beds so that they end up rather crowded, and worse
still, the planting of certain vegetables hasn't been staggered. As a result,
one ends up with too many of one type of vegetable maturing at the same
time. Because of this lack of planning, there are no vegetables of this type
when you want it and you are forced to buy vegetables again at the
supermarket. So make sure that you sow your seeds successively over a
couple of weeks, to get your crop to mature over a sustained period of time,
and to be able to collect the produce over a longer period.
Take your family's tastes into consideration. There is no point in growing
rows and rows of eggplants and then not be able to do anything with them
because no one likes eating them.
Make sure that whatever you are planting is right for that particular time of
year. Growing vegetables out of season can only be done using hothouses
and cloches. If you don't have these facilities then stick to a plan to grow
vegetables according to the right time of year.
GROW VEGETABLES: CROP ROTATION
I spoke about the soil becoming depleted of nutrients earlier on. However,
even replenishing the soil with manure and compost is not enough to grow
strong and healthy vegetables. If the same types of crops are grown
repeatedly on the same patch of soil the plants and soil will be more
susceptible to disease and pests. Therefore it is imperative that in your
planning to grow vegetables, you also have a master plan of what you will
plant in these beds over the next four years. If you draw up a 4 x 4 matrix
with the different vegetable types in each group, you will be able to manage
your crop rotation.
The four groups are as follows:
Group 1: Cabbages, cauliflowers, Chinese cabbages, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, onions, leeks and celery.
Group 2: Carrots, beetroots, parsnips, salsify, turnips, kohlrabi, sweet
potatoes
Group 3: Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, egg plants, lettuce, Swiss chard
Group 4: 'Snap' beans, Lima beans, broad beans, runner beans, French
beans, Snake beans and peas.
So in year one you would have 4 different plots of vegetables and they
would be Group 1, 2, 3 & 4
In year two you would now rotate your crops in the 4 plots. Replacing the
groups as per year one as above, your planting would now be Group 4, 1, 2,
3 in its place.
In year three the rotation of crops would continue with the following groups
of vegetables replacing those that were planted last year with Group 3, 4, 1,
& 2.
Lastly, in year four the rotation of the crops would now be Groups 2, 3, 4,
and 1.
In year five you would follow the same plan for year one.
In this way one has economized on the resources of the soil and produced
healthier vegetables as you where you once planted the heavy feeding
brassicas of cabbages etc. you now plant legumes which will put back
nutrients into the soil and improve the condition of the soil. These are then
replaced the following year by leafy vegetables and tubers which in turn are
replaced by root vegetables.
Vegetables like cucumbers, pumpkins, gourds, melons, and other cucurbits
haven't been included in any of the plots as they can be included anywhere
in the crop rotation. Other miscellaneous vegetables such as okra, sweet
corn, radishes and endives can also be slipped into the rotation at any point
without difficulty.
GROW VEGETABLES: SOIL COMPOSITION & MANURE
The ideal mix for growing vegetables in raised beds, or even containers, is
1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 compost which is well rotted. Don't
forget too, to add some animal fertilizer to this compost. Chicken manure is
one of the richest there is, followed by sheep, horse, cattle and pig manure
in order of nutrient value. Manure is almost a complete food for your
vegetables as it contains good quantities of nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium and other trace elements that are vital for vegetable growing. If
you have good soil, it is still important to enrich it with the peat moss, the
vermiculite and the compost including manure as soil becomes depleted
when used often, and nutrients need to be put back into the soil. The
addition of vermiculite allows the soil to retain air and water and to release
nutrients to the plants when they need it. This results in faster and better
growth for your vegetables.
GROW VEGETABLES: DIGGING YOUR BEDS
To grow vegetables successfully you need well-drained soil, well rotten
compost and manure, a level sunny plot and deeply dug over beds. The ideal
machine for this is a rotovator. These days you can get the traditional
manual rotovator to the more sophisticated rotovator that is petrol driven. If
you have one, great, but they don't come cheap, and if you don't have one,
it is not the end of the world, but it does mean a bit of blood, sweat and
tears on your part as you will have to turn over the soil by hand.
Your beds should never be wider than what you can safely weed from either
side without having to step into the bed. You never want to do this as you
will end up compacting the soil. Therefore your beds should be about 5 feet
in width and about 20 feet long. The soil should be turned over
systematically to a depth of about 9 - 12 inches. Obviously the deeper the
depth the better for the plant, but usually 9 inches is enough. You will notice
when you have finished that the soil is a lot higher than when you first
started. This is normal, and once you add your compost, manure, peat moss
and vermiculite, you will add more depth to your bed. However, once the
rain comes and natural erosion takes place, a lot of this height can be lost.
Therefore, in order to maintain these definite beds you will either have to
edge them with some treated wood, bricks or pavers. If you don't have
these, you can make do by banking up the soil every now and again to
define your beds.
GROW VEGETABLES: SOWING AND PLANTING YOUR SEEDS
Many of you may not want to grow vegetables from seed, but prefer buying
seedlings. This is fine, as you don't have too long to wait before you see the
rewards, but it is definitely more expensive. Many vegetables like radishes,
carrots and cucumbers, among others, have to be planted as seed in situ as
you cannot transplant these types of vegetables. Others can be first grown
by seed and transplanted very successfully. Therefore, when you vegetable
growing, it is important to set some place aside where you will be able to
raise your seedlings.
If you want to grow vegetables organically make sure that the seed that you
have purchased has not been treated in any way. You will notice this
immediately on opening up the packet if you are not sure as such seeds will
be bright pink or red in colour. Find a good quality seed and prepare your
seed boxes with a suitable growing medium. Using top soil out of your
garden is not suitable. Instead, rather buy commercial potting soil, or make
your own with 1 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite and 1 part compost. At
this stage, manure should not be added as it may burn the seedlings.
Your seed boxes can be made either of wood, metal or plastic, as long as
they have holes in the bottom for drainage and have been lined at the
bottom with layers of crocks or small stones to a depth of about an inch. Fill
the boxes to within a half inch to the top with soil and make sure that the
soil has been firmed down flat with a firming board, or a plaster's wooden
float etc.
When you grow vegetables from seed you don't want the seeds to be
susceptible to any diseases found in the soil. Therefore, the next step is
really important. You will need to boil hot water in a kettle and with the seed
boxes standing level, pour the boiling water over all areas of the seedling
box. Once the soil is completely cool, you are now ready to plant the seeds.
You will need to make little drills or rows in your seed box about 5 mm deep
and about 35 mm apart. This can be done with the edge of a straight piece
of wood being pressed into the soil at the correct depth and spacings. The
seeds should now be placed carefully in the depressions making sure that
you are not planting too many seeds per row. Once you have finished, you
will need to cover the drills with either, some more sterilized soil, river sand
or vermiculite. Firm it down lightly and water the seed bed with a fine spray
making sure that the soil is well dampened. Initially place in a shady
location. As the seedlings begin to emerge, you can harden them off by
exposing them to more and more sunlight before it is time to transplant
them.
Make sure that you label each seed box clearly so that you know the type of
vegetable, its cultivar and the date it was planted. Either keep the seed
packet for the recommended spacings for optimal growth or make a note of
this information for later when you will need this information when
transplanting your seedlings out.
GROW VEGETABLES: TRANSPLANTING YOUR SEEDLINGS
When you transplant your seedlings, no matter how careful you are, your
plants will always suffer an element of shock. Therefore, when transplanting
your seedlings the aim should be to minimize the shock as much as possible,
because if you don't, you could end up losing some of them.
Most seedlings are ready to be transplanted when they are about 75 - 100
mm in heights and usually between 4 and 8 weeks old. That is unless you
are transplanting onions and leeks as these will be 150-200 mm high before
they are ready to be transplanted. Reduce watering your seedlings 10 days
before transplanting. I am not saying don't water them, what I am saying is
just don't water them as much as you have been doing so in the past. If the
weather is very hot, then your reduction of water should really be over 5
days. The last 2 days water should be withheld completely. However, on the
day that you are going to plant them out, you should water them thoroughly
6 - 12 hours before hand. Make sure that where you are going to transplant
them to has also been well watered.
The best time to transplant your seedlings is late afternoon, early evening
when the heat of the sun has gone. This then allows your plants the night to
re-establish themselves before the next day. Choose your seedling wisely.
Although you will be tempted to plant them all out, only choose those that
are strong, and discard the others. Lift your seedlings out of the seed box
with a garden trowel and lay them at the recommended intervals given to
you on the original seed packet. Dig a small hole and carefully place the
seedling inside. Make sure that it's not too deep or that there is a space
between the ends of roots and the bottom of the hole. Firm the seedling
gently by pressing down around the stem. When you have finished, water
the transplants well.
As a rule transplanting plants means that the leaves and roots are
untouched. However, there are some plants that seem to benefit from
having either their leaves cut or their roots cut, or sometimes even both.
Onions and leeks can be trimmed both at the top and bottom without much
ill effect. Beets and Swiss chard also get off to a better start if their leaves
are trimmed slightly.
GROW VEGETABLES: HOW MUCH WATER?
As humans are made up largely of water, so are your vegetables. Therefore,
when you grow vegetables, they will benefit from regular watering.
However, the major mistake that is commonly made is that people tend to
water too frequently and too lightly. Crops need much more water in the
hotter months and if you have hot, dry winds blowing you will need to water
more regularly here too. Obviously when you have new seedlings, or you
have newly transplanted seedlings you will need to water them every day.
But when your plants are more established you will need to water them
according to their type. Cabbages, spinach and lettuce tend to need lots of
water because they need to grow quickly. Root and tuber crops don't need
as much water, although the soil should always remain moist, particularly
when they are about to be harvested.
Make sure that your watering is never erratic as this can damage vegetables
as much as over-watering them. As a guide, 25 mm of water every 4 days
should be more than enough when your plants are well established. A light
watering of a garden every day retards the development of a good root
system.
To make the best use of your watering when you grow vegetables it should
be done in the late afternoon so the plants can get the maximum benefit.
With seed beds it is better to water these in the morning and allow them to
dry out before the evening so as not to encourage dampening off and the
dry soil discourages snails and slugs. Tomatoes and potatoes also benefit
from morning watering if sprinklers are used rather than flood watering in
order to reduce the chance of disease.
GROW VEGETABLES: CONTROLLING PESTS NATURALLY
To grow vegetables organically means that you are not going to use either
artificial fertilizers in the soil or chemical pesticides and fungicides. There are
a number of ways in which we can control pests in the garden through
biological methods. If you read my article on gardening with vinegar
again natural methods have been employed. Again, as mentioned before,
companion planting can be used very effectively to resist certain garden
pests. By planting onions and carrots together you will avoid both carrot fly
and onion fly. Aphids also hate basil, dill, mint and garlic, so if you plant
these near plants that are susceptible to aphids, you won't have a problem.
Slugs and snails are a vegetable grower's nightmare. However, if you take a
large basin and sink it into the ground and then put an inch of beer on the
bottom you will entice slugs and snails in their hordes. They fall into the
beer-filled basin and will be there in the morning for you to dispose.
Here are some tried and tested recipes for getting rid of those pests in your
vegetable gardens. One of the biggest problems, and certainly the most
common, is having to fight off aphids. They are really pesky creatures that
can destroy and kill your vegetables within days. Below is an excellent all-
round, cheap and natural pesticide that will quell those aphids in your
garden.
Aphid Spray
1 whole head of garlic, minced
1 cup of vegetable oil
Place the oil and minced garlic together in a glass bottle and seal tightly.
Place it in a fridge for 3 days to steep. Strain after 3 days and replace the
garlic oil in the jar. Refrigerate for further use.
For your aphid spray you will need the following:
1 tablespoon of your previously made garlic oil
1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid
1 liter of water
Mix altogether and place in a hand sprayer. Douse your vegetables with the
liquid to get rid of aphids and white fly.

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