Garden Planning: things to consider

Meadow Lynn Market Garden, April 8 2020

Outdoor Gardening Spaces

Garden Theme Companion Planting & Rotation Self-Feeding Gardens Vertical Gardening Ease of weeding Allelopathy Water Source Space for plants

Garden Themes

- Aesthetics

- Type of Plant: Salads, salsa, full- sun crops vs root crops

- Beneficial gardens, companion plants

- Self-Feeding Gardens

- Square foot gardening for small space

- Vertical gardens, or trellis

- Shading

- Privacy

- Rotation and soil health

Aesthetics

Portage Garden

Keyhole Garden

Types of Gardens to Consider:

Salad Garden- notice the tall plants are at the back. Lettuces grow easily and can be replanted during the season.Quick growing

Salsa Garden

Beneficial, Companion planting

Minimizing Risk: Companion planting increases odds of higher yields even if one crop fails or effected by natural hardships such as weather, pests or disease.

Crop Protection: Companion planting can offer a more delicate plant shelter from weather such as wind or sun by growing beside another plant which can shield and protect while itself having a natural defense against the harsher conditions.

Trap Cropping: Companion planting is the ultimate organic pest management system. Some plants helps repel unwanted pests, while others can be used to lure pests away from the garden. This is referred to as trap cropping.

Positive Hosting: Planting in proximity to plants which produce a surplus of nectar and pollen can increase the population of beneficial insects that will manage harmful pests.

Good list at West Coast Seeds:

https://www.westcoastseeds.com/blogs/garden-wisdom/companion-planting

Companion Planting:

Good list at West Coast Seeds:

https://www.westcoastseeds.com/blogs/garden-wisdom/companion-planting

Garden Rotation

Light-feeders vs Heavy Feeders

Heavy Feeders Light Feeders Givers

to thrive, these plants need very fertile soils:TomatoesPeppersEggplantBroccoliCabbage,CauliflowerPotatoes

Plant these crops where your heavy feeders were the year before to use up the rest of the nutrients:LettuceSpinachArugula CarrotsBeetsRadish

Known as nitrogen-fixers (produce their own nitrogen needs):PeasBeans CloverAlfalfa Peanuts

Self- Feeding Garden

Self-feeding gardens

Plants that produce their own nitrogen

Peas

Beans

Clover

Peanut

Lupin (flower)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Trellising: Many positives

Vegetables that you can trellis

Indeterminate tomatoes

Cucumbers

Pole Beans

Winter Squash, Melons

Peas

Hot house Peppers

Sweet Peas

Trellis as shade for other crops

Shade cloth

WeedMaintenance

Allelopathy & Gardens: Weed suppression

Allelopathy: An organism produces one or more chemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms.

Walnut Trees – Juglone

Alfalfa – Ethylene

Peas

Garlic Mustard

Golden Rod

Sumac

Prairie Blue Grass

Watering

Dubois Agri Innovation Center

Privacy

Space for Plants

Corn‐ 1 ftPotato 1.5 ftCucumber‐ 10 inchesCarrots‐ 2 inchesCelery‐ 1 ftKale‐ 1 ftBok Choy‐ 6 inchesLeek‐ 4 inchesgreen onion‐ 2 inchesSwiss Chard: 6 inches

Tomatoes ‐ 2ftZucchini ‐ 3 ftPeppers‐ 1 ftHead lettuce ‐ 1ftBeets‐ 4 inches Beans‐ 6 inchesOnions‐ 4 inchesEggplant‐ 2ftSpinach‐ 2 inchesRadish‐ 1 inchBroccoli‐ 2.5 ftCabbage‐ 3ftCauliflower‐ 2.5ftWinter squash‐ 3 ftWatermelon‐ 2 ftBasil‐ 6 inchesFennel‐ 6 inches

Questions?