OREGON S GAY/LE SBIAN/BI/TRANS NEWSMAGAZINE
MARCH 20 2009
SASSY GARDENER
by
LeAnn Locher
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Get your veggies on!
Tips for first-time vegetable gardeners
o you want to grow a vegetable create your raised beds with untreated wood,
garden for the first time? I’ve and never railroad ties, because whatever
been tickled pink to be hearing chemicals are in that wood go into your soil,
from so many first timers, in which will go into your edibles...you get the
vigorated by a crappy economy, picture.
too many food scares, and a resurgence 3. of
Get your dirt on. The single best
the Victory Garden. And I salute you and
thing you can do to be successful in grow
welcome you to our ranks. The world is
ing your own food is to have good soil. I
a better place with more people growing hate to break it to you, but just digging up
their own food. In the spirit of helping you
the lawn and plunking some seeds in isn’t
save money and be as successful as you can, going to yield you the best results. We filled
I offer a few tips ’n’ tricks....
our beds with gorgeous soil from Best Buy
1. Plant them where they'll grow in Hillsboro: their selection is excellent,
best. Figure out where you’re going to get and you can either pick it up there, or have
the most sun. It may be in the front of your
it delivered. Their Super Grow soil is my
house: veggies in the front, party in the
tip to you, and includes compost from Til
back? Oh wait, that’s a mullet. But veggies lamook, and you know what’s plentiful in
need direct sun for a minimum of 8 hours a Tillamook, right? Hint: mmmmoooooooo.
day, and if that’s in the front, that’s where
4. Time it fight. Right now, in mid-to-
they should go. Keep it close to the house, late March, the soil is still pretty cold, and
in an area in which you’ll enjoy being, and will continue to be until June. Hot weather
where it’s protected from winds.
vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, will
2. Build those beds Think about just sit there and shiver if you put them
building raised beds: raised soil warms ear out now. While you may be tempted to buy
lier and can be easier to tend. Make sure you
those tomato starts you see at your grocery
S
store entrance, don’t. They’re hoping you’ll
buy them, they’ll die, and then you’ll buy
them again. Tomatoes don’t go into the
ground until May or June. If you’re giving
seed starting a go, things to be starting by
seed outdoors at this time of year are peas
and fava beans. If you’re a first-timer, I’d
suggest sticking with vegetable starts and a
few seeds throughout the season.
5. Figure out your watering pion now.
Some work now can provide tasty treats
later this year.
the same slow way, but only to the specific
plants you set it to water. Drip is the most
environmentally responsible watering tech
nique, and can even be set on a timer system,
perfect if you’re busy or planning a vacation.
I’ve been using soaker hoses in our beds, and
keep telling myself to figure out that drip
watering kit I’ve had stashed in the garage
for four years. Maybe a long, cool spring,will
help motivate me to get that done.
If you have the itch to get gardening, a word
to the wise: figure out your strategy for
summertime watering. Soaker hoses? Drip
irrigation? Put some thought into it: it’s
not worth it to work so hard getting your
vegetable bed going, and then find yourself
tied to a hose all July and August. Or worse
yet, taking that week-long vacation only to
discover upon returning home a heat wave
has turned your beautiful edibles to a crispy, L f .A nn L ocher is an avid gardener and
dead crunch. Soaker hoses are hoses that
Oregon State University Extension Master
“weep” water slowly along the ground over
Gardener intern. You'llfind her on the Web
an extended period of time. They provide at •www.sassygardner.com. She loves to hear
deep watering, ensuring roots grow deep from readers. E-mail her at sassygardener@
and strong. Drip irrigation provides water in gmail.com.
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