The daily Astorian., May 14, 2020, our coast weekend, Page 9, Image 9

hailey hoffman/The astorian
Flowers scatter the Gray School community garden to invite bees and other pollinators to help
plants grow.
hailey hoffman/The astorian
Rows of sprouting vegetables grow at the Gray School community garden.
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waitlists for it every year,” said coordinator Erin Reding.
“Over the last couple weeks I’ve gotten some inquiries
from people who are moving to the area or who have just
learned about the garden.”
In Seaside, the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation Dis-
trict’s community garden, which was last managed by
Friends of Clatsop Gardens, has recently been assigning
interested gardeners plots. Other local gardens are either
nearly full or reached capacity earlier this spring.
Though interest in community gardens hasn’t changed
much, the reasons people are gardening have.
“While gardening in the past has been more of a recre-
ational activity for many, there is more of a need now for
fresh produce with stores being limited during the pan-
demic,” Reding said. “I’ve also talked with many gardeners
who are specifically wanting a plot to have a project to do
with their child who is now at home full-time due to school
and day care closures.”
Gardening has also provided an option for people to
get some time outdoors while following social distancing
guidelines.
What to grow this time of year
“If you’ve got a flower pot you can put outside, you can
garden vegetables,” Hickman said.
For beginners, Hickman suggests starting with a vegetable
like peas, carrots, radishes or beets. Peas and carrots do well
when planted through June.
“Or buy a package of seeds of something you like and
throw them in a pot, it’s as simple as that,” Hickman said.
Other vegetables that do well this time of year on the coast
include tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage
and lettuce, said Scott Thompson, owner of Blackberry Bog
Farms.
“There’s a reason you don’t see cornfields in Gearhart,”
Thompson said.
Growing herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano also
works well, he said.
hailey hoffman/The astorian
Plants sprout.
“Create a planter or a herb basket. Get yourself a container
and put in your herbs, they’re wonderful,” Thompson said.
When choosing herbs, Thompson suggested researching
the herb first, as some herbs like basil and mint grow aggres-
sively and can take over the space of other herbs.
Where to grow your garden
When deciding where to start a garden, it’s important to
consider how much sunlight and shade a space has during
the day. Different types of seeds require different amounts of
sunlight.
“So much of it is trial and error. It all depends on where
you live. Every home has its own microclimate,” Hickman
said. “If you’re living right on the coast line, the climate, with
all the wind and salt, is going to be extremely different versus
those homes inland.”
Using a container or raised beds to garden can work well
for those who don’t have much space.
“You can use all kinds of things for containers, a
five-gallon bucket, a pot, whiskey barrels, really anything
that will hold an adequate amount of soil,” Thompson said.
“It’s surprising what you can grow in containers, tomatoes,
broccoli, cucumbers.”
Another useful strategy is to build a mini greenhouse
for plants. These work in all spaces and can be made using
materials like plastic or old windows.
“Plants will grow better, especially on the coast, if you
provide them some kind of shelter,” Thompson said.
Another important variable to consider is the type of soil
being used.
“If you’re using native soil, your own backyard’s soil,
there’s a very high likelihood that your soil is very acidic.
Vegetables in particular don’t like acidic soils so you have
to amend the soil by adding lime to raise the pH,” Thomp-
son said. “You’ll have much greater success.”
Adding nutrients to soil is another decision to consider.
Local garden and feed stores are good resources for learn-
ing about different soils.
Maintaining the garden
When caring for the garden, it’s important to not over- or
under-water plants.
“The typical rule of thumb is that plants need an inch of
water a week,” Thompson said. “So probably two or three
waterings. If you have a big plant in a small container, you
of course have to water more often.”
Pulling weeds is also necessary for plant growth.
Most importantly, follow the instructions listed on the
plant’s seed packet, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
“My word of wisdom, is try it,” Hickman said. “If
you’ve never planted a plant before, don’t invest a lot of
money. You can start out small and if you’re successful,
repeat it. Try something new.”
Thursday, May 14, 2020 // 9