Basic gardening instructions for beginners

1. Gardening 101 Resources: Books: Sunset New Western Garden Book Trowel and Error, Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener by Sharon Lovejoy Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew Websites: www.jlgardencenter.com Check it out – there are many handouts and fact sheets of several garden topics. www.extension.usu.edu Very informative – Offers gardening tips for the current month and provides information on several garden topics. Early Spring: Prune trees, shrubs, summer/fall blooming perennials Clean out dead organic material Divide perennials Soil Preparation: Remove sticks, stones, and clumps from soil Turn soil by digging or rotor-tilling. This aerates the soil, improves structure. Incorporate organic matter – compost Test Soil: Check out the USU website above. USU offers a soil testing service. The information you receive is well worth the effort and money if you want to be a successful gardener. Soil pH: pH scale Acid ------------------------------Neutral-----------------------------Alkaline 0714 Most plants prefer a pH of 7-8. There are a few exceptions. Learn about your plants needs and provide the best environment for them. Enrich the soil: Organic material Fertilizer labels have three numbers. Nitrogen – Phosphorous – Potassium Nitrogen is for top growth/greening Phosphorous is for fruiting/flowering Potassium is for overall health, rooting/color Planting: Davis County, Utah is in USDA Zone 5, Western Garden/Sunset Zone 2 Our average last day of frost is May 10. First day of Frost is October 5th General Rule of thumb for Davis County: Plant after Mother’s Day or May 15th. For more information on freeze dates and Utah’s climate go to http://climate.usu.edu Consider the type of plant, cool season or warm season. Cool season plants can be planted earlier than May 15th. USU has given the following suggested planting dates for the Wasatch Front Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for the Wasatch Front by Shawn Olsen, USU Extension Agent Plant GroupAverage Planting DatesPlants to considerGroup A:HardyPlant as soon as the soil dries out in the spring.March 15 – May 1Artichoke, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Onions, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, TurnipGroup B:Semi-HardyPlant a week or two after “A” group or about two weeks before average last spring frost. March 20 – May 1Beet, Carrot, Cauliflower, Endive, Lettuce, Parsley, Parsnip, Potato, Salsify, Swiss ChardGroup C:TenderPlant on the average date of the last spring frost – about when first apples reach full bloomMay 5 – June 1Celery, Cucumber, Dry Ban, Snap Bean, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sweet CornGroup D:Very TenderPlant when the soil is warm, about two weeks after “C” groupMay 20 – June 10Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Lima Bean, Pepper, Pumpkin, Tomato, Watermelon, Winter Squash, Special Plants for Fall Harvest Average planting datesBeetsJuly 1 – August 1CabbageMay 1 – July 15KaleJuly 1 – August 15LettuceJune 1 – August 1OnionAugust 1 – August 10RutabagaJune 15 – July 1SpinachJuly 1 – August 15TurnipJuly 1 – August 1 Extend your growing season: Protect tomatoes with Walls of Water or other protection Use small PVC pipe to create a dome tent (green house) over planting area Plant a second crop later in the season for a fall harvest as indicated above Begin plant starts indoors before moving to the garden You can make your own plant starter pots with newspaper – they are biodegradable and plant and paper both can be put into the garden. See www.potmaker.com for instructions and tools. Where to Plant: Know your yard and how much sun and shade your plants will receive Exposure to sun - Full sun: 6-8 hours full sun Partial Sun: 4-6 hours full sun Partial Shade: 4-6 hours filtered sun Full Shade: Less than 4 hours full sun Deep shade: No sun Microclimates: South side – most sun East side – am sun/ pm shade North side – mostly shade West side – pm direct sun/ am shade Rotation: Rotate plants from year to year to avoid soil depletion and bug infestation Consider plant group when rotating – all plants in one group pull the same nutrients from the soil How to plant: Read seed packets for specific information Consider Square Foot Gardening instead of rows to conserve space (see Book listed above) Sets – Dig hole, add organic matter, break apart roots, plant, root starter Give water to newly planted items Maintenance: Mulch will prevent evaporation, control weeds and will look nice Soil pep makes a nice mulch Water: Know your plants needs – plants have different watering needs, look at the fact sheet from the web sites listed above. Many of us overwater - Types of irrigation: Drip, Sprinkler, Soaker hoses Schedule: Take time to write up a watering schedule – it will simplify your work later Weeds: Pull weeds while soil is moist and when weeds are small Bring a digging tool, bag and scissors with you Dead Head: cut off dead blooms of flowers Pull weeds before they bloom to prevent weeds seeds from dropping into the soil Problems: USU Extension – Master Gardeners are available at the County Courthouse M-F from 9-12 to answer questions. Bring in a sample of your plant to show the problem. If they cannot answer the question, they will send it onto the Plant Clinic Fall: Harvest and Winterize Consider covering your beds to protect from seed pods and other debris falling into your garden area