Planning for planting success
Credit to Author: rebeccakeillor| Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2020 14:32:34 +0000
Growing your own vegetables and herbs is an appealing idea for many, but it can also be a daunting one. Advice from professional gardeners in the early stages is worth its weight in garlic, so below are some tips from industry pros who are also presenting at the BC Home + Garden Show.
It sounds like common sense, but something people often overlook is properly planning their vegetable or herb garden, says Reinier Van de Poll, of Van de Poll Garden Design. It’s easy to overdo it, in terms of what you think you can fit in—or do the opposite, and plant too sparsely. “Gaps are very unsatisfying and weeds will grow in there,” Van de Poll says.
When you’re considering what vegetables or herbs to grow, says Alex Augustyniak, general manager of West Coast Seeds Ltd., some good questions to ask yourself are: How long will it take to grow that plant? Does it like wet or dry soil? Is the plant tall, low or sprawling? Do you have the room for it and does it need a trellis?
When it comes to successful vegetable and herb gardens, soil and sunlight are everything, says Leanne Johnson, of GardenWorks.
If your plants have six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day, you can pretty much grow anything you want, says Johnson, but if you don’t, you still have options. If your growing space has “part sun” (east-facing morning sun, or west-facing late afternoon sun), you can easily grow lettuce, carrots, peas, cucumbers, cauliflowers, radishes and onions, as all tolerate light shade, she says.
Planting in pots is a great idea, she says, because you can move them around to follow the sun. If your gardening space is in full shade, look at sharing a friend’s garden or join a community garden.
“To garden is to share. Share the experience and, of course, the gardening harvest!” she says.
Getting your soil right is critical, says Janis Matson of Shoreline Landscape Design. Ideally you don’t want it to be too hot, or too cold, too wet or too dry, she says, so it should have moisture, but not be too soggy.
Water your plants at the root base, says Matson, because water on the foliage leads to rot and mould. And something people often don’t know is that vegetables and herbs don’t like wind as it destroys their leaves and they dry out. So be mindful if planting in pots on patios.