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What you can do to prepare for your garden

Gardening Basics
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Know n' Grow
c/o Mischel's Greenhouses
11660 Arrowhead Dr.
Williamsburg, MI 49690

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Vegetable Gardening Basics

Back to Basics

When times get tough, people turn back to the basics. We've seen this in the Victory Gardens our parents and grandparents grew during the Second World War. Recent surveys by the Garden Writers Foundation and the National Gardening Association indicate that consumers plan to turn to vegetable gardening now more than ever to help feed their families. We here at Know n' Grow can provide you the benefits of our experience and the highest quality plants to help make your garden successful!

Location! Location! Location!

The success of the garden depends greatly on location. Consider these factors when plotting out your garden space:

Good Soil - A loose, fertile soil with a level well, drained plot works the best. Containers should be filled with new potting soil each season.

Sunlight - Sunlight is vital to produce high quality vegetables. Most vegetable plants need more than 6 hours of direct sunlight a day to obtain the necessary energy to produce ripe, healthy vegetables. Keep your garden plot or containers away from shade trees or shrubs and buildings.

Other Plants and Trees - Besides shading, other plants and trees will compete for nutrients and water. Open spaces make the best garden plots for vegetables.

Water Supply - Keep your plot close to a water supply and within the reach of your garden hose. You'll thank yourself later! That nice looking open space hundreds of yards away from the nearest water source will be a bear to keep watered when summer's heat arrives!

Convenience - A garden near to where you spend your time outside is recommended. It's easier to tend when it's located conveniently to you especially on those busy weekdays. Out of sight, leads to out-of-mind, neglected gardens.

Planning - Look Before You Leap!

After choosing the location, the next step is to plan the crops and how much time you are willing to devote to gardening. Know n' Grow has taken great care in designing gardens and plots that take a lot of the guess work out of this process.

Please Consider:

Size - The size of your garden depends on the physical space you have to work with, the varieties of the vegetables you choose, and how much time to have to devote to gardening. Don't bite off more than you can chew. If you're new to gardening, try a smaller plot and expand in subsequent years. Gardening is enjoyable, but it takes time to learn the plants and your environment and easing into this process is far more enjoyable than taking on too much and getting overwhelmed.

Here's a rough estimate of the time needed to care for your Know n' Grow gardens:

• Backyard Garden: 5 hours a week

• Hobby Garden: 4 hours a week

• Kitchen Garden: 3 hours a week

• Patio Garden: 2 hours a week

Of course, time commitments depend on weather conditions. Hot, dry weather will increase your watering time. Cooler, wet weather may increase the need for more weeding.

Kinds of Vegetables - Obviously, you should grow vegetables that your family enjoys. If your family's taste differs from our established gardens, we invite you to choose your own vegetables from our "Vegetables a' la Carte" menu. Other considerations include growth characteristics and spacing requirements of different plant types. Know n' Grow takes the stress out of making these decisions - we've carefully planned our Know n' Grow gardens to maximize yields and success in the spaces provided. All you need to do is follow the instructions we provide in each garden kit and you're on your way!

Vegetable Varieties and Sources - Reap what you sow!

Plant breeders are constantly working to make better varieties to meet consumer demand for quality as well as a sturdy plant to handle the many harsh growing conditions across North America. Know n' Grow has taken the guess work out of this process and feature All-America Selections Winners. Plants that win this prestigious award have been thoroughly tested in trial grounds across the country and have satisfied rigorous standards. You can be assured that these winners are the best varieties available.

Soils and Fertilizers -

It is important that you have a good supply of organic matter in your soil to be successful. pH and other factors are also very important in a garden's success. Smaller gardens and containers can simply be filled with fresh commercial potting soil each season. Larger plots should be tested by kits available some garden centers or at your local county extension agent's office. Click here to see an excellent article on soil testing by Michigan State University. The result of these tests will provide you the necessary information on what your garden needs.

Fertilizers are an important tool to keeping your soil full of the nutrients vital to plant growth and health. Most commercial fertilizers contain three numbers. A 30-10-15 mix contains 30% Nitrogen, 10% Phosphorus and 15% Potassium. These are the major nutrients required for general plant care. We generally recommend complete garden fertilizer mixes such as 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 for Know n' Grow gardens.

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Composting - Green and Economical!

Composting has become popular in recent years and is a great way to recycle bio-degradable waste and keep the materials out of land fills and provides a natural alternative to commercial fertilizers. Composting is the fermenting or decomposing of materials like grass clippings, leaves, sod, straw, vegetable matter, flower heads, and other easily decomposable plant material. Compost piles should be located in areas away from where the odors may affect you or your neighbors.

Here's a general guide, for more information on composting go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500589.html.

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Planting Dates - Know When It's Safe To Grow!

It is important to know the climate you live in and when generally it is free from frost. For a more accurate assessment of your frost free date, go to www.weather.com, enter in your zip code, click "month"on the forecast. You can then get an idea when it is comfortably above freezing in the evenings in your area. We at Know n' Grow will take the guess work out of this for you and ship your plants only when they can successfully planted outside.

Weed Control - Keep Your Garden Clean!

Cultivation - Cultivate as often as necessary to keep the weeds under control. Deep cultivation should be avoided to prevent harm to your vegetables and plants and is generally less effective than shallow cultivation.

Mulches - A very effective means of controlling weeds is to cover the soil between rows of vegetables with a mulch. Besides controlling weeds, the mulch will conserve moisture and keep the vegetables clean.

Materials that can be used for mulching includes leaves, grass clippings, peat moss, wood chips, sawdust, ground corncobs, straw, hay, shavings, paper, cardboard, and black plastic. The mulch should be 2-4 inches deep and completely cover the soil to prevent weed growth. Organic mulches such as wood chips, saw dust, straw, and corncobs will decompose during the growing season and take nitrogen from the soil, thus it will be necessary to supply extra nitrogen to compensate.

Black plastic can also be used for weed control. It has the additional advantage of warming the soil and speeding the maturity of your vegetables. Black plastic does not break down readily and should be removed in the fall.Clear plastic should not be used because the sunlight will enable weeds to grow and compete with your vegetables.

If you are using black plastic, fertilize the soil before placing the plastic on the ground. Cover the edges of the black plastic with soil or rocks to hold it in place. Cut holes where you need to plant your vegetables. Plants can be watered through where you cut the holes.

Watering - Keep Your Garden Green!

Watering is a summer must in most climates in North America. Of course, nature helps us out from time to time, but sometimes we need to help to be sure we have enough water, especially during the early stages when your vegetables are getting established and in the hot summer months when your plants need all the help they can get.

Generally, vegetables produce best when given 1 inch of water weekly. It's best to conserve water and deter weeds by watering in your plant's root zone (areas near the plant crown). Trickle irrigation systems, soaker hoses and manually watering with hoses can be used in this way. If you must water overhead via sprinklers or hoses, plan to do so early in the day so leaf surfaces can dry out before evening. This is to discourage plant diseases and organisms for being introduced to your vegetables.

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