aS

iT’S STILL NOT TOO LATE
TO GET STARTED ON GARDEN

THIS ARTICLE is for those
of you who are starting a
vegetable garden for the first
time.

Many of you ‘Old Hands’ are
going to think this article is over-
due — what person in his right
mind waits until the 20th of April
to start preparing a vegetable bed?

over the
garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson
es

You're right, this work should
have started months ago, but
everybody must begin somewhere.
Experience tells me that the first
time a vegetable gardener starts is
when the weather gets nice enough
to coax him or her outside.

So, overdue or not, this article
discusses how to begin a vegetable
garden. I hope I can _ provide
enough new information to keep
you ‘O.H.’s’ interested, or at least
entertained.

First consideration is where to
put it. The natural tendency is to
hide it in some out-of-the-way

corner of the yard because
“vegetable gardens are so messy.’

Well, messiness lies in the eyes
of the beholder and at the hands of
the gardener. If you put the garden
where it will be out of sight (and
out of mind) it will definitely get
messy.

A well-tended, healthy vegetable
garden is generally considered to
be an attractive addition to the
backyard. The garden will not be
healthy if banished to some shady,
no-plants zone in a comer of the
property.

Give it sun and plenty of ex-
posure to summer breezes. Good
air circulation can be as important
as the proper amount of sunlight.
This will not only reduce the risk
of disease, but situating the garden
in the ‘air laneg’ of pollinating in-
sect traffic goes a long way
towards assuring a bountiful
harvest.

Drainage is another important
factor in determining the best Ioca-
tion. Plants with water-logged
roots will never amount to a hill of
beans, carrots, lettuce, or any
other vegetable.

Speaking of hills, raised beds are
especially helpful in our somewhat
soggy Pacific Northwest. Getting
the planting zone 16 to 20 inches
above the surrounding soil will get
roat systems well away from the
water table, reduce insect problems
and ease your aching back.

I prefer 4x4 cedar to retain these
beds, as the natural oils in this
wood mean that it will last for
years without the need of wood
preservatives. You might find

pressure-treated hemlock/fir more

suited to your budget.

If you do go the raised bed
route, you will find it easier to
start a garden with fewer weeds.
You simply build your box, break
up the existing soil to a depth of

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six inches, then fill it up with
fresh, imported soil.
A word of caution here; be

15 - Friday, April 20, 1990 - North Shore News

careful what you accept as ‘top-
soil’. Most of what is being sup-
plied in the marketplace is simply

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screened fill with a liberal quantity
of fresh sawdust added for ‘bad’
measure.

If you put this in the garden
now, be prepared for a long, long
battle to turn ii into a good grow-
ing medium.

Look for a topsoil which is
composed of at least 60 per cent
peat moss. This will assure you of
getting off to a good start. It will
still require compost and/or com-
posted manure to make it
‘perfect’, but at least you are not
starting out with problems.

Hint: Topsoils containing 60 per
cent or more peat are not subject
to sales tax.

If you do not wish to use raised
beds, you must try to eliminate as
many of the weeds as possible be-
fore planting. This can be ac-
complished by merely turning the
soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches.
Most of the weeds and grasses will
rot away before they can grow
back to the surface.

Whichever method you use,
weeding will be your number one
job for most of the next year. If
you conscientiously remove the
weeds as they appear, their
numbers will decrease.

I strongly recommend that you
now get your soil tested. Pacific
Soil Analysis Inc. at 273-8226 can
tell you the PH (acidity), nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium levels
in your soil. This information will
be useful in determining how much
lime, manure, and, if necessary,
fertilizer should be added.

Now that you have done
everything you can to create a
healthy environment in which to
grow vegetables, you may begin
planting. Future articles will deal
with planning, planting, and
vegetable garden care.

CEDAR FENCING
AND DECKING

® WALLSTONE

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