We're digging into gardening 101 and the basics... and that means we have to start from the ground up - with soil! You’ll learn how to prep and refresh your soil, how to compost, and more.
We're digging into gardening 101 and the basics... and that means we have to start from the ground up - with soil! You’ll learn how to prep and refresh your soil, how to compost, and more.
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Find episode transcript here: https://dig-it.simplecast.com/episodes/gardening-basics-pt-1
[MUSIC PLAYING] KELLY SMITH-TRIMBLE: Hi. This is Dig It! I'm Kelly Smith-Trimble. I'm a master gardener and the author of Vegetable Gardening Wisdom. I'm also the senior editorial director at hgtv.com.
In this episode, we're digging into gardening 101 and the basics. And that means we have to start from the ground up with soil.
OK, so let's dig in with your questions from last week. The first question is on a lot of people's minds. It's about soil for your raised beds. I have raised beds that had vegetable plants in them last year. What should I do to prepare the beds for a new growing season?
So my recommendation for filling your raised beds is a mix of a third top soil, a third peat or something like peat, and a third compost. So the compost is really nutrient-rich, so you need that. And the peat is really lightweight.
But the problem with peat is that it's not really sustainable. The way that it's harvested and how long it takes to produce makes it not really a sustainable product. So even though I've used it in the past, I'm trying to look for some alternatives.
And some of those are coconut core. It's made from the shell of the coconut that would otherwise get discarded. That's a really good option, but it can be hard to find, and it can also be a little expensive. And then the other option is just ground up leaves.
In addition, there's something called perlite. It's the little white specks that you see in potting soil. And that's a mineral that promotes aeration, so airflow and drainage in a soil mixture. That's something you can throw into if your topsoil is really dense. And that's something you buy in a small bag.
As we get into the basics, a lot of you want to plant flowers with your veggies. I definitely recommend planting flowers around your garden to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. Some of my favorites are Nasturtiums, cosmos, calendula, borage, and zinnias.
Nasturtiums have bright yellow or orange blooms and beautiful round leaves, and they're completely edible. Calendula looks like a daisy but sunshiny yellow. Borage blooms are a gorgeous blue, and bees absolutely love them.
But zinnias have to be my all time favorite. You can find Zinnia seed in a range of colors from red to purple to white. All this leads to the next question about flowers in the garden.
SPEAKER 1: Hey, Kelly. I'm inside because it's too hot out there. But I do have some questions I need your help with.
First off, I've always planted marigolds with tomato plants and with my pepper plants. But this year something crazy is happening. The marigolds are just taking over the container pots.
And even though my banana peppers are producing and my jalapenos are as well, I'm worried that the marigolds are crowding the pot. So should I dig those up and move them?
KELLY SMITH-TRIMBLE: I love that Michelle is growing marigolds alongside her tomatoes and peppers. Marigolds can actually repel some insect pests, including aphids and nematodes. Michelle's marigolds look really full and healthy to me, but they don't really look like they're overtaking the tomatoes and peppers. They're actually shading the soil, which reduces evaporation of water from the soil.
If they do get a lot bigger if they start getting taller than the tomatoes and peppers, I would recommend cutting them back by about a third. One good thing to remember with marigolds is that you need to deadhead the flowers, which basically just means picking off the flowers after they've started to die back. And that helps the plant continue to produce more flowers.
So Rachel asks, can or should you trellis veggies like cucumber, squash and zucchini. She says, I have a 4 by 4 bed, and it's looking like my eyes were bigger than my garden. If so, what kind of trellis system is best?
So I definitely recommend trellis binding plants like cucumbers and squash. It keeps them up off the ground, which is where they can be more susceptible to diseases and pests. It also makes it easier to harvest them.
So when you're looking at trellises, go for something really sturdy. Metal is probably your best bet. And also consider where you're going to store them in the off season. So look for something that will flatten down and will be easier for storage.
Sharon asked about the best raised beds for children. She's wondering about galvanized versus treated wood. So I think I would recommend wood here. Although if you can afford cedar, go for cedar because treated wood can have chemicals that could be harmful.
Galvanized is a really good option. But if you live in a warm climate, it can get very hot in summer. So it might not be the best for little hands.
So Alena says, I have a small space that gets full sun. Can you recommend some pairings that will do well together in containers? I am all over basil, parsley, tomatoes, any other combos.
So tomatoes with herbs is a really great option. I also really love to grow peppers in the containers, and you could plant those with oregano and maybe some onions. I also think that lettuce is great for containers, lettuce and other greens. And pretty much every herb will grow well in a container, so definitely plant herbs.
So Melissa asks, are there any vegetables that will not do well in a raised garden? And really can grow any vegetables in a raised bed garden. It just needs to be deep enough. And I recommend 12 inches minimum.
A few of you asked about potatoes and how to know when they're ready to harvest. So you'll know when they're ready to harvest when the plant above the soil starts turning yellow and dying back. That means the roots are about ready to dig up. So digging up potatoes is actually really fun, and it's a great project with kids.
Last week a lot of you asked about mulch. You asked why I mulch my vegetable garden, what kind of mulch I use, and what are the best mulches for vegetable gardens.
So I'll start with the why. There's a few reasons. One is that it keeps weeds down. So that could mean less weeding on your part. It also helps with moisture retention in the soil, so it could mean less watering on your part. And then also the right kind of mulch will break down over time and add nutrients to the soil.
I typically use shredded cedar or cypress mulch in my garden. It's really lightweight, and it's readily available in my area. So that's a great option for me.
A lot of you mentioned straw, and that's really good too. I just happen to be allergic to it, so I don't use it. And shredded leaves are a good option too. What I don't recommend is large bark mulch like this. It takes a long time to break down, so it's not the best for improving your soil.
Several of you asked about how to make compost at home. So I'll start with some basics. Generally, you use organic materials from around your house like grass clippings, leaves and kitchen scraps. And then they decompose to make soil amendment that's really great for your garden.
So to make really good compost you need a 3:1 ratio of brown and green materials. Brown usually come from trees, so bark or leaves. And green are kitchen scraps, grass clippings, things that will decompose really quickly.
You need about three parts brown to one part green. And that helps slow down the decomposition process, so that your compost doesn't get smelly and rotty.
You also need water and air to make compost. A lot of problems with compost come from it being too dry, so not enough water, or too wet, too much water and not enough air flow. You can make compost just in a pile in your yard, but you can also make it in a bin that's made of wood, plastic, or metal.
Whatever it's made in, it's just really important that there is that good airflow. I just move my compost into this new metal bin that has holes in the side for airflow. You can see that we put our kitchen scraps on the top, and then the made compost comes from the bottom.
Here's one more compost question. Linda asked, how do I get rid of ants in a container composter? The ants aren't necessarily a bad thing in compost. They can help with decomposition.
But if you have a lot of them, it could be a sign that your compost is too dry. So a few things you could do. You can turn your compost with a pitchfork or shovel. You can sprinkle in some water, and you can also add some ready made compost, which will add nitrogen and just, kind of, balance things out.
OK, now here's a hot topic. Zero waste mom asked, what is the easiest way to set up companion planting in a garden? I loved this method last year, but it took quite a bit of planning to get it right.
Companion planting is the practice of pairing plants together to enhance growth and production and to prevent pests and diseases. Companion planting can improve the soil, attract pollinators, create a living mulch or living trellis, and so much more.
There's a lot of information out there about companion planting, but my favorite is a new book by Jessica Walliser called Plant Partners. And it presents science-based companion planting information that's been proven. It'll really help you see your garden in a whole new way, and you'll learn a ton from it. I definitely recommend it.
So Stephanie says, how do you accommodate different soil pH preferences among plants that share a raised bed? So with vegetables, most of them really like a pH between six and seven. So you shouldn't have a lot of discrepancy between vegetable needs pH wise in a raised bed.
One vegetable that likes more alkaline soil is asparagus. And then another edible plant that likes more acidic soil is blueberries. For both of those, I recommend growing them in their own bed.
Now I want to show you a project I worked on this spring to freshen up our raised beds. Wooden raised beds can be great to grow in, because you get really deep great soil. But they can look a little dingy after a couple of seasons.
Our cedar raised beds were starting to fade, so I wanted to brighten them up with paint or stain. I found a non-toxic stain that's made from whey. It's a byproduct of cheese-making. I chose a moss green that still looks really natural.
The stain was easy to apply, and just two coats did the trick. Then I surrounded the beds with fresh mulch, and now they look as good as new.
Here's another great question. How can I fertilize organically? There are a lot of options for you to fertilize your vegetable garden using organic natural materials.
One of my favorites is liquid fish fertilizer, which is a byproduct of the fishing industry and makes good use of something that would otherwise go to waste. Another is seaweed fertilizer, which can be sustainably harvested to make a liquid plant food. Mix these with water and apply according to the label directions.
There are also organic granular fertilizers. Look for ones specifically for vegetables. And then compost itself is a great fertilizer. This one is a mixture of composted plant, cow, and fish products. I add compost to the soil around my plants both before and during the growing season.
For more gardening info tips and hacks, check out hgtv.com/digit. I'm Kelly Smith-Trimble. Happy gardening.
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