COMPUTER CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR GARDEN PLANNING

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 1, 1993                   TAG: 9304020406
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY  
SOURCE: JOE HUNNINGS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
COMPUTER CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR GARDEN PLANNING
Planning a garden can be an overwhelming task for a new gardener. Trying to solve questions of when to plant, how much to plant and how far apart in the row and between rows are just a few of the things a gardener must consider.
Even experienced gardeners have to change plans as new vegetables are tried or household size changes.
A tool that might be helpful is a unique computer garden planner available through your local extension office. This computer program takes into account your garden size, shape, cultivation methods, choice of vegetables for fresh use and processed use, and the number of appetites you're planning to feed.
What it gives you is a detailed layout for your garden, planting and harvest times including succession plantings, spacing between plants, and tips on disease and insect control for the vegetables you select.
If you would like to try this computer garden planner program, call the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service office at 382-5790 for a data-input form, or you may use the one that is provided below.
The extension service will run the program for you and send your plan within a week of receiving your form.

The Garden computer program will design a vegetable garden for family use. Answers to the following questions will be used in running the program and the results will be mailed to you at the address given below. Only one garden plot can be planned from each form. PLEASE PRINT.
\ 1. Your name Address City County Zip Code For best results, your garden should be located on level land with good drainage, loam soil, and at least six hours of sun per day. (Maximum width or length is 300 ft. Gardens wider than 60 feet cannot be drawn).
\ 2. What is the width of your garden plot? feet The length? feet\ \ If you must garden on a slope that is steep enough to cause erosion, the rows\ or terraces should run across the slope and the tallest plants should be on\ the high side of the garden to reduce shading. For our planning purposes the\ high side of the slope would be equivalent to the north of the garden and\ should be given consideration above orientation to the sun.\ \ 3. Circle the number of the garden plot above which is most nearly like yours: 1 2 3 4 5 6 You can weed your garden by hand of with cultivation tools. You may choose a width between rows to fit the method of weed control you plan to use: Width between rows 1 foot 2 feet 3 feet 4 feet Weeding method hand weeding small rototiller medium rototiller large rototiller or small garden tractor\ \ 4. Circle the minimum width between rows desired: 1 2 3 4\ \ 5. Average date of last frost in Spring: month day Average date of first frost in Fall month day\ \ 6. In the following tables, columns B and D show the amounts grown for an average adult's fresh and processed consumption for one year. In column C, write the number of adults you wish to grow fresh vegetables for. In column E, write the number of adults you wish to grow processing vegetables for.\ 6. A. Vegetable beans, bush green beans, lima beets broccoli cabbage cantaloupe * carrots cauliflower corn,sweet cucumber eggplant lettuce, leaf okra onions (green/bulb) peas peppers potatoes, Irish pumpkin * radishes spinach squash, summer squash, winter * swiss chard tomatoes, caged tomatoes, staked tomatoes, not staked turnips watermelon
\ If your favorite vegetable does not appear on the selection list, you may be able to substitute it for one which is on the list. For example, suppose you want to raise waxbeans, but they are not on the list. Waxbeans are similar to bush green beans, so increase the number of people for whom you want to grow waxbeans. If you double the bush green bean entry, for example, then plant half of the bean rows in the garden plan with bush green beans and half with waxbeans.\ \ Other examples include:\ For bush beans - soybeans, waxbeans; cabbage - brussels sprouts, Chinese\ cabbage; cantalopue, other viney melons; onions - kohlrabi, celery; peas - sugar or snap peas; summer squash - bush cantaloupe, bush cucumber, bush pumpkin; winter squash - viney melons, squashes, gourds\ \ If you would like information on minimizing the use of chemicals in your garden, request Extension publication #426-366 from your local Extension office.

Joe Hunnings is the extension agent for agriculture in Christiansburg. If you have questions call the Montgomery County extension office at 382-5790.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB