Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 11, 1993 TAG: 9302110050
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
NOW'S DREAMING, PLANNING TIME; YOUR GARDEN'LL THANK YOU FOR IT
If you're like me, you've been drooling over the seed catalogs for several weeks now.When that cold winter wind is blowing, dreaming of the new garden season's promise makes me feel a little warmer.
But if you're a relatively new gardener, you can easily be overwhelmed by all the choices you have to make:
Which varieties?
How much seed?
When to plant?
The time you spend in planning can be just as important as the time spent planting, weeding and harvesting.
Asking yourself a few basic questions now can provide a good start to realizing that vision of bounty this summer.
\ Who will be doing the work? Will the garden be a group project with family members or friends who will work willingly through the season to a fall harvest, or will you be handling the hoe alone, in between camping and swimming?
Remember, a small weed-free garden will produce more than a large weedy mess.
\ What do you and your family like to eat? Although the pictures in the garden catalog look delicious, there is no value in taking up garden space with vegetables that no one eats.
Make a list of your family's favorite vegetables, ranked in order of preference. This will make a useful guide in deciding how much to plant of each.
List recommended varieties and planting dates.
\ How do you plan to use the produce? If you will can, freeze, dry or store part of it, this will be a factor not only in planning the size of the garden but also in selecting the varieties grown.
Some varieties have much better keeping quality than others.
Care should be used in choosing the seeds, making sure the varieties you select are adapted to your area and intended use.
\ How much seed is available? Vegetables grow best in a level area with loose, well-drained soil and at least six hours of sun.
Choosing a spot near the house will make it convenient to work in the garden and make it accessible to a water supply.
The ideal garden plan has small quantities of vegetables ripening over a long period of time - some to be consumed each day, plus some to preserve, if desired.
With proper planning you will be surprised how long the harvest period can be extended.
Leaf lettuce can be cropped almost continuously by removing (and consuming) the outer leaves as they mature.
Swiss chard can be cropped in the same way; one planting will last practically all year.
Pole beans will bear over a long period of time if kept picked, watered, fertilized and disease and insect-free. The same is true for tomato, eggplant and pepper.
Theoretically, the growing season of cold-susceptible vegetables is from the dates of the last killing frost in the spring to the first killing frost in the fall (May 10-Oct. 10 in the New River Valley).
However, you usually can get an earlier start by planting seeds and transplants of hardy crops up to a month or more before the frost-free dates in the spring.
Other ways to extend your harvest include succession planting and interplanting.
Sweet corn does well in succession planting.
For a continuous harvest, plant early-, mid- and late-season varieties, or make successive plantings of the same variety every two weeks or when the last planting has three to four leaves.
Corn sewn in early spring will take longer because of cool temperatures.
Succession planting also can be used for green beans, lettuce and many other crops.
When garden space is limited, you can try interplanting.
In this system, crops such as cauliflower and broccoli can be set out between rows of maturing beans in late summer or early fall when they would benefit from the shade of the bean plants.
The same thing can be done by planting slow-growing crops such as tomatoes and peppers in earlier-planted rows of lettuce, green onions, spinach and radishes.
Maximum production from a small backyard garden requires planning.
Your time and effort will be rewarded by a bountiful harvest.
Publications that you can request from your local extension office to help you with the task of garden planning include: "Planning and Locating the Garden," 426-312; "Vegetable Planting Guide and Recommended Planting Dates," 426-331; and "More Vegetables from Your Garden," 426-657.
Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture in Christiansburg. If you have questions, call the Montgomery County extension office at 382-5790.