LESSON

PLANNING A VEGETABLES GARDEN

5
___________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION
Vegetable growing is one of the most profitable enterprises in the Philippines.
Vegetables are essential in the daily diet of a person. Rich in vitamins and minerals, these plants
contribute enormously to the nutrient requirements of the human body.
If there is a space in the backyard, it can be made productive, too, by planting vegetables.
There are also vegetables that grow in pots, if space for planting vegetables is a problem.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this lesson, students must be able to:

1. Identify what are the necessary tools used for gardening;
2. explain what is urban gardening and its role;
3. demonstrate how to construct basket and trench composting;
4. apply to plant a variety of vegetables and record all the methods and
techniques that applied to care for the plant; and
5. determine the harvesting time and the proper storage of
the vegetables

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Read the Information Sheet 5.1 very well then find out how much you can remember and
how much you learned by doing the self-check 5.1

5.1 Ways of Growing Vegetables

Growing vegetables will always be worth your effort, time, and money because vegetables
have always been part of daily meals.
Steps towards Having a Vegetable Garden
What suggestion can be taken toward a healthier and profitable vegetables planning? An
answer is to grow organic vegetables in the urban or rural areas.
What is organic gardening? Organic gardening is simply avoiding the use of manufactured
pesticides, herbicides, and mineral or synthetic fertilizers. Why grow organic vegetables? Why
grow organic vegetables? Growing organic vegetables is healthier and more profitable because
of the following benefits:
1. The vegetables produced are fresher, have better flavor and higher nutritional value.
2. You can easily harvest safe crops that are grown chemically free from your own garden.
3. You can educate and encourage the future generation to grow vegetables that are
environmentally beneficial to “health”.
4. You can recycle through techniques like composting organic waste.
5. You can also help your families and communities earn additional income.
6. You can control what you and your family will eat.
7. You will have fun and enjoy the abundant harvesting and marketing of fresh vegetables
8. The soil is kept healthy.
9. Global warming and pollution through the use of fossil fuels are minimized.
10. There is reduced contamination of drinking water, rivers, lakes, and streams.

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 11. A healthy habitat is provided for insects and animals.

What is urban gardening? Urban gardening is a way of growing vegetables in the city like:

• Container gardening- plants are planted in pots and other containers rather than in the
ground.

• Urban horticulture – crops and ornamental plants are grown in urban or semi-urban
setting.

• Urban agriculture – is production of food in an urban setting

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 • Window box – plants are grown in boxes and placed in windows of houses in the city,
mostly are ornamental plants.

What is the role of urban gardening?

Urban gardening is growing in or around the cities the amount of vegetables available to
urban consumers. It contributes to food security and food safety. It uses organic waste as a
compost and waste water for irrigation. Urban gardening provides nutritional and economic
benefits to the urban residents. A small plot or any container is easy to manage and can still
produce a good range of vegetables.

Gardening Tools

The following are tools for digging and pulverizing the soil:

3 4 5
1

1. Hoe – used to break hard and compact soil

2. Garden rake – used for leveling garden soil. It can also be used for gathering leaves,
stones, and cuttings scattered in the garden
3. Pick mattock – used for breaking hard soil. The pointed part is for digging out stumps of
trees and stones.
4. Shovel – used for working for working on loose soil. It usually used to dig holes and canals
of ditches.
5. Pitchfork - used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw or leaves

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Other gardening tools:

Bolo- used for cutting and splitting bamboo Hand trowel- is light hand tool used for
and for cutting tall grass. loosing the soil.

Hand cultivator – is also a light hand tool Hand Sprinkler – is used to water plants
used for loosing the soil.

Water hose – is a rubber or plastic tube Wheelbarrow – is used to carry load or

used for continuous watering transport vegetables from the nursery to the
planting site. It is also used to carry loads or
transport manure, fertilizer and other
equipment

Water Pail- is used to load and transport Hand Glove - they'll keep your hands clean
water, soil, fertilizer, and other gardening while digging in the dirt and will protect against
materials. blisters while you yank weeds.

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Where to Grow Vegetables

Vegetables can be grown in rows, beds, or containers mixed with flowers and shrubs.
There are some considerations to follow in making a garden:

1. Locate the best site for your garden.

a. Sunlight and Shade

Choose an area where there is plenty of sunlight throughout the day and little
afternoon shade. Do not plant vegetables under or near trees or shrubs because their
roots will absorb water for and from the vegetables.

b. Good Soil Drainage

Establish your garden on a light slope to provide drainage, especially during rainy
season. If your land is flat, dig drainage channels or ditches around the planting site

c. Soil Fertility
Soil, the natural medium for plant growth, is the primary source of agriculture. The
soil in your garden should be fertile enough to make plants grow. It should contains
humus, a form of plant food. Plants get their food from the soil. There are three kinds
of soil: loam, clay, and sand.
❖ Loam soil is the most suitable for vegetable gardening. The soil is composed
of sand, silt, clay, and decaying matter.
❖ Clay soil is made up mostly of mud. It is heavy and sticky and holds too much
water but becomes very hard when dried.
❖ Sandy soil is not good for vegetable gardening because it cannot hold water
and lacks the necessary nutrients for plants.

d. Good Air Circulation

Air circulation refers to the intensity of wind passing through the garden site. Strong
winds are not good for young plants. Your site should have natural windbreaks around,
including trees and houses.

2. Thoroughly prepare the soil before planting.

Soil Preparation
Successful vegetable cultivation depends largely on how well you prepare the soil
before planting. Vegetables grow and yield better in well-prepares soil. However, there
are hard-and-fast rules in preparing the soil for vegetable planting. Much depends on the
terrain, soil type, site of the garden, and vegetables you want to plant.

How to Prepare the Soil

Prepare the land manually with the hoe and rake. Do not work on the soil when it
is very wet so as not to destroy the structure. Clean the site and cut grasses and weeds
for composting. Dig the land at least two times a depth of 15 to 20 cm harrowing with the
rake and pulverizing clods between diggings.

3. Fertilize the soil with compost.

Basket and Trench Composting

Basket and trench composting help make the soil fertile. Basket composting is
the process by which decomposable home garbage and leaves are allowed to rot in half
buried basket. Trench composting is digging a hole in the backyard approximately 30.5
cm deep. Add 10-15 cm of compostable materials like kitchen scraps, garden plants then
bury them with the soil you dig out of the trench.

4. Plans and Records Even if you are only growing a few vegetables to start with, it makes
sense to draw a simple plan for a crop rotation. Keep an eye on what happens through

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 the season, so can deal with any problems, and adjust with growing conditions
accordingly.
Keep records. This is helpful for all gardeners not just beginners. Simply write the
name of the plant and sowing date on the plastic label used to mark a row. Include records
on yields. Do not worry if your vegetables do not grow well. Plant again.

Vegetables Beds
Growing vegetables in narrow beds is the simplest and least labor-intensive to set
up. The most important suggestion when setting up for vegetables growing is to be able
to plant everything in place. Growing vegetables of the same family in different beds will
make rotation easier to organize.

No-dig vegetables growing

No-dig gardening is an organic technique that can be used for growing all types of
vegetables. In No-dig, the soil should be in reasonable condition ideal for seed sowing.

Vegetables in Containers
Vegetables can be grown in containers such cans, pots, and plastic bags, and
others. Tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants are grown in large individual containers.
Vegetables like carrots, radish and green onion can be grown in mixed pots or individual
containers.
Vegetables with deep roots such as cauliflowers are not recommended to grow in
containers.
Here are some tips for growing in containers:
1. Buy young plants rather than sowing direct.
2. Line clay pots with plastic to cup down on water loss.
3. Choose dwarf or small plants.
4. Grow annual vegetable plants

POINTS TO REMEMBER
Take note of the following important points in Lesson 5.1

• Vegetables can be grown in rows, containers on their own or

mixed with flowers and shrubs
• There are some considerations to follow in making a garden:
locate the best site for your garden, thoroughly prepare the soil
before planting, fertilize the soil with compost, and keep plans
and records.

SCQ 5.1

I. MATCHING TYPE
Direction: Match the items in column A with the items in column B. Write the letter
the letter of the answer on the separate sheet of paper.
A B
_____ 1. Hoe a. used to carry trash, soil, and fertilizer
_____ 2. Bolo b. used for loosing the soil
_____ 3. Sprinkler c. used to dig holes and canals of ditches
_____ 4. Shovel d. used to break hard and compact soil
_____ 5. Pick Mattock e. used to water plants
f. used for breaking hard soil
g. used for cutting tall grass and splitting the
bamboo

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 PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Show that you learned something by doing this.

TASK SHEET 5.1

Title : Basket and Trench Composting

Performance Objective : Demonstrate how to construct basket and/or trench composting

A. Basket Composting Steps:

(Basket” is not a literal term, but instead refers to any structure you might build in the
middle of your garden to hold compost. You can modify or improve the method of basket
composting, but this is the general procedure in doing it:)

1. Prepare the materials.

• long bamboo strips (two to three cm width)
• bamboo stakes (at least 30 cm length)
• home organic garbage, farm and garden wastes, leaves of ipil-ipil, kakawate, rensoni
and/or Flemingia (if available)
• dried manure (goat, duck, chicken, horse, and/or carabao

2. Prepare garden plots.

• Clean garden site.
• Save weeds and grasses for composting materials
• Prepare garden plot thoroughly.

3. Make holes.
• Dig holes along the center of the plots at least 12 cm in depth and 30 cm diameter.
• Space holes 1 m apart.

4. Make the baskets.

• Drive seven stakes around the holes; uneven number of stakes makes perfect brace for
weaving.
• Weave the long strips of bamboo around the stakes to form a basket. Without bamboo
strips, closely space the stakes (about 1 cm apart).
• Half-bury the baskets in the holes. The basket serves as erosion control and as container
that prevents the chicken and other fowls from scattering the compost

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5. Put organic wastes.
• Place the rotting garbage and manure into the basket first.
• Fill to the brim with other organic wastes. Fresh manure can be used.
• Place the undecomposed mater composed materials like ipil-ipil leaves or any
recommended leguminous leaves, grasses and weeds next Cover the organic wastes with
a thin layer of soil

6. Plant seeds or seedlings.

• If the materials placed at the bottom part of the basket are almost decomposed (within
2-3 days), you can start planting seeds or seedlings. Plant them six to eight inches
around the basket.
• If the composting materials placed in the baskets are green leaves (called ['green
manure'), plant the seeds or seedlings two to three weeks later. This will give enough
time to start decomposing.
• If green leaves of ipil-ipil are used, put five kilograms of the leaves to the basket at the
start. Add two kilos of leaves every two weeks.

7. Water the seedlings.

· Water the newly transplanted seedlings. Later on, when they can grow on their own, just water
the basket.
· Water only at the center of the basket, instead of watering the plants. The lower part of the
basket is cool, moist and has abundant nutrients for crops. Later on, the roots will grow into the
basket.

8. Incorporate decomposed materials.

• After harvesting your vegetables and your compost are used up, remove the
decomposed materials and incorporate them into the soil while cultivating.
• Add new composting materials to the basket for the next plants. Avoid using diseased
plants for composting. Use the basket while still intact.

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B. Trench Composting Methods: The “Lazy Man’s” Method
The term “trench” is used loosely, as it is basically digging a hole, filling it with kitchen
scraps and garden waste, then filling it back up with soil. There are multiple ways you can
effectively use this type of composting. The one you choose depends on what time of year it is
and what type of gardens you have.
1. Dig and Drop Method

First gather a week-or-two’s worth of scraps in a five-gallon bucket or composting pail. Dig
a hole roughly 12 inches deep and wide enough to bury whatever scraps you have
collected, dump in 4-6 inches of compostable material, and cover it back up with dirt.

Within a few months the composting material will have broken down and enriched your
soil with no extra work from you. Not sure what to do with your leaves in the fall? This
method also works well. Simply bury them around your garden or flower beds. Mowing
them up first will help them decompose quicker.
2. Trench Between Rows/Side Dress Method
These methods are effective during your growing season. It fertilizes and adds nutrients
to existing plants. Simply dig holes or trenches a few inches out from the roots of your
vegetable or flower plants and bury your everyday compostable material. As it breaks
down, it will feed extra nutrients to the plants nearby as they grow. Used coffee
grounds (filter and all) are an especially great side dressing for plants, providing extra
nitrogen and improving soil structure. Crushed eggshells add a boost of calcium as they
break down, great for preventing blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers. If trenching
between rows, be sure to plant rows far enough apart so that you don’t harm roots while
digging.

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3. Trench Rotation Method
First, divide your garden into three zones: trench composting zone, pathway zone (where
you’ll walk), and growing zone. Each year you rotate your zones, moving your trench zone
to a different part of your garden, while also shifting your pathway and growing zones as
well. After three years, you will have compost under every part of your garden. Just keep
rotating and nourishing your soil.

FURTHER INSTRUCTION:
Students may perform the following:

1. Choose which among the composting method you want to perform

2. Prepare the materials needed for the said activity
3. Use camera, cell phone or tablet camera to photograph each steps of your activity
to show evidence of your performance
4. Include this output in your portfolio together with your reflections on your
experiences in doing this activity or you may also take a video for this activity and
send to my email add: maryjillarias@gmail.com

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Chapter 5 -Planning a Vegetables Garden
 INFORMATION SHEETS

Read the Information Sheet 5.2 very well then find out how much you can remember and
how much you learned by doing the assessment.

5.2 Organic Vegetable Growing

Organic vegetable growing does not use synthetic products including pesticides and
fertilizers. The soil is kept healthy: dried leaves, kitchen scraps to manures and fish heads are
recycled back in soil.
Here are some basic elements that will help you start an organic garden:
1. Organic matter is used as soil conditioners. It can be used as a top dressing or mulch
( layer of material applied to the surface of soil) in an existing garden.

2. Organic garden soil provides plants with water, air, and nutrients.
a. Use close spacing when planting crops in beds; this helps keep weeds away and
prevents loss moisture from the soil.
b. Choose a variety of organic vegetables. Gardeners are free to choose from hundreds
of organic vegetable varieties.
C. Consider factors controlled and not controlled by farmers or growers
• Planting Time
• Soil Condition or marketing outlets
Factors that cannot be controlled
• Availability of organic seeds
• Soil type
• Rainfall
• Market quality requirement

Table 1. List of Vegetable Crops in the Philippines

CROPS PLANTING CLIMATE SOIL
CALENDAR REQUIREMENTS TEXTURE
1. Cabbage September- January Cool moist climate Clay-loam

2. Chinese Cabbage September- January Cool moist climate Silty-loam

3. Cauliflower October- December Cool moist climate Silty-loam

4. Celery January- April Cool Climate Silty-loam

5, Mustard All year round Climate with distributed Silty-loam

rainfall
All Year round Climate with distributed Loam or Sandy
6. Petchey rainfall Loam
All Year round Mild Climate Loam or Sandy
7. Pepper, Hot Loam

8. Pepper, Sweet September- January Mild Climate Sandy Loam

November- February Mild Climate Sandy Loam

9. Tomato
10. Ampalaya ( Bitter All Year Round Mild Climate All type of Soil
Melon)
11. Asparagus All Year Round Cool Microclimate Sandy Loam
and Silty
12. Carrots All year Round Microclimate Sandy Loam

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Table 1. Continuation…
CROPS PLANTING CLIMATE SOIL
CALENDAR REQUIREMENTS TEXTURE
13.Casava or October-March Warm Climate; with Clay-loam
Kamoteng Kahoy enough rainfall
14. Ceylon spinach or October-March Warm season Clay-loam and
alugbati silty loam
15.Sweet Corn May-July Warm Climate Clay-loam andsilty
loam
16. Cucumber September-October Mild Climate Sandy-loam and
silty loam
17. Garlic October-March Mild- Climate Sandy-loam and
silty loam
18. Ginger or Luy-a October-March Warm Sandy or Silty

19. Soybean May-July Warm Sandy loam to

clay loam
20. Sponge gourd September- October Warm Sandy-Clay-Loam

21. Squash or Kalabasa October-March Warm Clay

22. Swamp Cabbage/ May- July Rainfall Sandy Loam

Kangkong

23.Sweet Pea or Chicharo All Year Round Cool Sandy Loam and
Silty Loam
24. Sweet Potato or November- January Warm Climate Sandy Loam and
kamote Silty Loam

25. Taro or Gami All Year Round Warm Climate Sandy Loam

26. Okra All Year Round Warm Silty Loam to

Sandy Loam
27. Radish April-June Cool Sandy
September-January

POINTS TO REMEMBER
Take note of the following important points in Lesson 5.2

• Organic vegetable growing does not use synthetic products including

pesticides and fertilizers
• Some basic elements that will help you start an organic gardening are using
close spacing when planting crops in beds, choosing a variety of organic
vegetables, and considering factors under your control and those you
cannot control.

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 PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Show that you learned something by doing this.

TASK SHEET 5.2

Title : Growing Organic Vegetables

Performance Objective : Demonstrate how to plant a variety of organic vegetables
and record all the methods and techniques applied to
care for plant.
Steps:
1. Plant a variety of vegetables that is all year round, using a recycle container.
2. Record all the methods and techniques you used to care for your plant.
3. Photograph your plant and their improvement.

ASSESSMENT 5.2

Complete the following phrases:

1. One thing I learned about growing organic vegetables is ______________________

____________________________________________________________________

2. I am confused about ___________________________________________________

3. One question I have is __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
4. I choose ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. I believe _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

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 INFORMATION SHEETS

Read the Information Sheet 5.3 very well then find out how much you can
remember and how much you learned by doing the assessment.

5.3 Harvesting and Storing

The table below gives the proper time to harvest and store vegetables to maintain their
freshness.
.
Table 2. Harvesting and Storing Vegetables

VEGETABLES HARVESTING STORING

Asparagus Begin harvesting the third year after
planting. Harvest when the spears are
15 to 24 cm above the ground but
before the heads open. Maximum
harvest period is 6 to 8 weeks.
Bean Harvest when pods are full-size and
when seeds are tender and about one-
fourth developed. Harvesting usually
begins 2 to 3 weeks after first bloom
Cabbage Heads are ready to harvest when they
are firm and heavy
Carrot Harvest when 1.9 to 2.5 cm in diameter,
roots are 7.6 cm long
Cauliflower Harvest when the heads are full-size but
still white and smooth
Celery Harvest when plants are 25.4 to 30.5
cm tall
Eggplant Harvest when fruit is firm and bright
purple black in color.
Lettuce Harvest the older outer leaves from leaf
lettuce when they are 4 to 6 inches long.
Harvest heading types when the heads
are moderately firm and before seed
stalks form.
Okra Harvest when 7.6 to 12.7 cm long and Store in plastic bags in the
tender
Pepper, green & Harvest when fruits are firm and full-size Store for 2 to 3 weeks in the
red
Potato Harvest when full-size with firm skin
Radish Harvest when the roots are 1.3 to 3.8 Remove the tops, place the
cm in diameter
Last from 8 to 14 weeks. Store in
plastic bags in a refrigerator for up
to 1 week. Freeze or can any
surplus
Store green beans up to 1 week in
perforated plastic bags in the
warmed part of the refrigerator.
Can or freeze surplus.
Store in the refrigerator
For storage, Remove the green.
Tightly seal unwashed the carrot
in a plastic bag and store in the
coolest part of the refrigerator.
Store in perforated plastic bags in
a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze any surplus.
Wrap celery in aluminum foil after
washing and drying properly.
Store in a refrigerator
Egg plants are not adopted to long
storage. Keep in warmest part of
the refrigerator 45°C to 50°C (
113-122°F).
Head, semi-head, and leaf lettuce
can be stored for up to 2 weeks in
perforated plastic bags in the
refrigerator.
warmest part in the refrigerator for
about 1 week.
warmest part of the refrigerator in
the plastic bags.
Ideal storage is 12.7°C ( 55°F)
and 85 percent relative humidity
radishes in a plastic bag and put
them in the refrigerator. The
leaves cause moisture and
nutrients loss which is why you
remove the tops first.

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Table 2. Continuation….

VEGETABLES HARVESTING STORING

For peak quality, harvest 5 to For faster ripening, raise

Tomato 8 days after fruits are fully
colored. Tomatoes lose their
firmness quickly if they are
overripe
temperature to 18 to 21°C ( 65
to 70°F). Keep mature green
tomatoes from 3 to 5 weeks by
wrapping each tomato in
newspaper and inspecting for
ripeness each week.

Harvest when roots are 3.8 to Immediately remove the

Turnips 7.6 cm in diameter greens from the turnips or they
will draw moisture from the
root, dehydrating the tubers to
which they are attached. Rinse
the greens in cool water and
shake vigorously to remove
any excess moisture. Transfer
the washed greens in a plastic
food storage bag and place the
bag in the refrigerator. Put a
useful quantity of the roots in a
plastic food storage bag and
place the bag in the
refrigerator. Turnips can be
stored in this manner for up to
2 weeks.

POINTS TO REMEMBER
Take note of the following important points in Lesson 5.3

• Harvest time and proper storage help maintain the quality and
freshness of garden vegetables
• Follow and use the guidelines as to when to harvest and properly
storing vegetables

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 PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Show that you learned something by doing this.

TASK SHEET 5.3

Title : Harvesting and Storing

Performance Objective : Determine the harvesting time and the proper storage of
the vegetables.
Steps:

1. Make a list of vegetables that are classified under each of the following categories:
a. Early maturing vegetables
b. Semi- annual vegetables
c. Annual Vegetables
d. Permanent Crops

Follow this format:

EARLY MATURING SEMI-ANNUAL ANNUAL PERMANENT
VEGETABLES VEGETABLES VEGETABLES CROPS

ASSESSMENT

Answer the following:

1. How will you know when the vegetables is ready to harvest?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. How will you harvest the following vegetables?

❖ Okra _________________________________________________________
❖ Potato ________________________________________________________
❖ Tomato _______________________________________________________
❖ Cabbage ______________________________________________________
❖ Eggplant ______________________________________________________
❖ Turnip ________________________________________________________
❖ Asparagus ____________________________________________________
❖ Cauliflower ____________________________________________________
❖ Onion ________________________________________________________
❖ Carrot ________________________________________________________

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.

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