Tops on the list for growing high quality vegetables is adding a good compost to your garden each year. This is not just top soil, this is broken down organic material that is just waiting to stimulate the soil, feed your plants and even protect them from disease and pests. Compost takes about a year to make if you just use a static pile system (which I find the easiest) that you turn about 4 times a year. Of course, you can speed this process up a lot through various techniques, but that is more effort than it is worth in my opinion.

If you don’t have a year to wait, then you can purchase compost from your nursery or a local recycling yard for anywhere from $25-$50 a yard. This is very expensive for something you can make for free, but you may consider it while you are building your own pile.

You do not need a lot of compost to be successful. You can cover a 1000 sq.ft garden with 1 inch of compost with about 3 yards or compost. Just this one inch will be heaven to your soil so don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on this. And you really will only need to do this once a year for great vegetables. After the first year you should be able to amend your soil for free with your own compost pile.

Composting a simple way…

When I first started learning about compost I heard about how you need a layer of soil on top of a layer of green then you need to water and then turn and then…….needless to say it got very overwhelming. Of course there is a fast way, but since I like things simple I just use the pile method. It is simple and easy.

To make compost you need 5 things: nitrogen, carbon, moisture, air and patience.

Nitrogen are the green materials including all types of manures, plant life, grass, leaves and weeds. Food scraps are also nitrogen. It is recommended to always have some manure for good compost. Any kind of manure will work, the best kind is the kind that is closest.

Carbon are the brown materials or bulk including sawdust, wood chips, straw, dried leaves, corn cobs, paper and cardboard. If there is a question on if it is nitrogen or carbon just put it in a pile, if it is dry wet it. If nothing happens it is carbon, if it starts to stink and draws flies it is nitrogen.

An ideal compost pile is 2 parts carbon, one part nitrogen. If the pile doesn’t heat and always smells then you have too much nitrogen, if it heats and doesn’t smell, but goes way too slow then you have too much carbon. Remember it will all eventually break down. Occasionally you may need to water the pile if it is easily dried out. If you get too much rainfall in your area you may want to consider throwing plastic over the top of your pile so that all the important nutrients don’t leach out over time.

The pile needs access to air and it should be turned once in a while. 4 times a year works well.

Once your pile is well composted add it to your garden by spreading it uniformly over your garden and cultivating in into the top 2 inches of soil. You may want to give your high feeding crops a little extra. You should do this 3-4 weeks before you plant. You only have to do this once or twice a year, but listening to your plants will tell you best. If they are vigorous and healthy then you are doing it right, if they are dying and have pests and diseases you are doing something wrong. Either way, you will always need to add compost back to your soil if you are taking nutrients via growing vegetables.

You should not need any commercial fertilizers using this method since the compost comes with all that the plant needs. Not only is the method relatively free, but it will give you better tasting vegetables and your disease and pest resistance in your plants will be so high that you will probably have little or not problems there. For more information, one of my favorite compost books is “The Secret Life of Compost” by Malcom Beck.

If this is your first year gardening then it is a good idea to get a soil test. In fact, I think it is a must unless someone in the know that lives near you can give you a good idea of what to expect. The reason for this is because there are many books, people, websites etc. That tell you to add this or that, but the fact is that it may be wrong depending on what is already there.

Soil tests run about $50 and can usually be done locally by a private testing lab or your state extension office might provide the service. Both generally charge about the same so I would just use whichever one is convenient. Which ever you use they should give you instructions on how to obtain the sample.

Obtaining the sample usually consists of digging 12 inches down in a number of different spots in your soil 5-15 samples and then mixing them all together. From that batch you would send the required amount. Make sure you obtain the soil with a instrument that won’t invalidate the sample like a rusty tool or something.

The soil test report should provide information on how to use the report and what to do with the information. For example, it may recommend you add nitrogen or lime etc. They should give you the application rates too.

If you haven’t done a soil test and are ready to plant, here are  few things to consider

pH level- Vegetables want a pH of about 6.5 give or take. You need to know what yours is. If it is too low or too high then no matter how much food you give the vegetables, it will all be for not because the plant won’t be able to use the nutrients. Many books will tell you to lime the soil. Beware this advice if your pH is already too high. I used to live in Utah where my pH was 8 or higher. The last thing I wanted to do was add lime. Lime brings the pH up, elemental sulfur or lots of organic amendments will lower pH. Find out what yours is so you know what to do.

N, P, K: The three major elements that your soil needs to be appropriate for your plants success. Follow your soil test recommendations closely, as these nutrients need to be there for the plant to grow and bear fruit. There are other nutrients that your soil needs and these are usually in abundance, if not, your soil test will let you know.

This post is about a soil test and not the virtues of how to feed your soil. For more information on that subject see a prior post. Keep in mind that post is geared toward using commercially available fertilizers and will only feed your plant and not the soil which is not good practice in the long run.

In nature, where do plants get their food? From the soil. What do most commercially available fertilizers do? Feed the plant. Why is this a concern? Well, it would be like feeding a human body with an IV. The body gets what it needs but it is not how things are made to work and it is more expensive. I believe the best way to feed the plants is to feed the soil and let the soil do its job.

So how do you feed the soil? Compost, organic matter, and more compost. In essence, we try and replicate what already happens in our incomprehensible ecosystem. As things like leaves and plants die, they return to the soil and improve its microbiology and nutrient levels. The best vegetables are grown in highly active, highly nutritious soil with an appropriate pH level.

Does this mean I am opposed to commercial fertilizers? No, I am not, as I am not opposed to IV fluids. What I am trying to promote here is why spend the extra money to feed the plant when it is the soil that does that job. If any money is to be spent, it should be on improving the soil. Take all your kitchen scraps and but them in the compost and not the trash. That is valuable soil food. Use your grass clippings, dead leaves and any horse or chicken manure you can get people to give you. These “free” inputs are so important for your soil and in turn your vegetables.

If you don’t have any compost material then you may have to spend some money on compost from a local nursery or organic material like peat, but it will pay huge dividends.

Let nature do its work and instead of trying to bypass the system, use it and you will find that you will get superior produce and enhance a sustainable production system that will actually save you money in the long run.

In many of the people I talk to and classes I teach it is very clear that most of us are not clear what “organic” means as it relates to gardening and food production. I would like to venture some thoughts on the subject in hopes of letting people define it for themselves.

Our wonderful government defines it as:

“Organic production. A production system that is managed in accordance with the Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.” USDA National Organic Program.

For more definitions from the USDA go their site.

Does that sound like you can’t use chemicals to be organic? Not exactly.

It is clear to me that there are degrees of organic adherence to the production of food. Some have tried to communicate the difference in these degrees by talking about “deep” organic production vs. “shallow” organic production. I thought this distinction was fair and useful.

In a simple summary, deep organic production promotes interdependence with the very nature you are using to grow produce. Using only the inputs available to you within nature to produce quality vegetables and such. Examples include using horse manure and compost to fertilize, made on the farm instead of getting commercial produced fertilizers. Using principles of soil management, crop rotation etc in order to eradicate pests and diseases instead of applying solutions to symptoms that appear. Even taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint via unheated greenhouses, battery powered implements and more.

Shallow organic production is more like “we do it naturally unless a limiting factor prevents us from it.” Limiting factors may be time, money, crop failure etc. This appears more in line with the USDA’s definition.

Hopefully it is clear to see how all of this organic means of production can be taken to a certain degree vs. just arriving at a place in your growing practices that clearly define your methods as “organic”. What this means is that just because a product was labeled organic doesn’t mean that the particular grower adheres to principles you believe to be organic. What this also means is that just because some grower’s product isn’t organic doesn’t mean they don’t adhere to principles of gardening you hold dear.

I think we all agree that utilizing natural principles of food production is ideal. What we don’t all agree on is the point at which deviating from those principles are appropriate.

So for all you home gardeners out there who struggle with the question whether or not they will use organic means of production in their gardens, I would invite you to answer a few questions for yourself before the time comes when all those pests are eating your vegetables and you are looking at the bottle of Sevin on the shelf debating if you could live with yourself if you were to “just this once” apply the pesticide.

• Is losing the plant more important than potentially adding chemicals to your soil that you probably don’t know much about one way or the other?
• Are you vigilant at adhering to correct principles of gardening to nurture healthy, successful plants?
• Do you stop and think about what is happening to your environment in all of your activities?

If you answered “yes” to these questions then I think you should look into deep organic techniques and adhere to those principles. I admire and support you and thank you for your efforts. You are making things better for all of us.

However, if you are the type of person that hypocritically drives gas guzzling vehicles, dumps oil based paints down the drain and burns plastic on the campfire and then has problem with applying malathion to keep your broccoli alive, then you may want to figure out what organic really means to you.

I am not trying to say that you have to be all in or all out, I am just asking for education and knowledge to temper guilt and judgement when it comes to growing or purchasing organically grown produce.

Personally, I am a “shallow” organic gardener with the desire to become more faithful in deep organic adherence. However, my philosophy is best summed up in the analogy of using dieting, exercise and preventative bodily care to take care of the body, but when something is not right I have no problem popping an Aleve or letting the doctor prescribe a remedy to an ailment. But that doesn’t not mean that I should allow man made remedies to limit my accountability and responsibility to adhere to principles of dieting and exercise. If it continues to hurt, I must make every effort to mitigate the cause not the symptom.

This is how I treat my plants. Nuture them with the greatest care and best possible environment for success, however, when more food is needed or something is wrong I will add nitrogen or spray with bacillus thuringiensis (BT) hoping these minimally evasive techniques solves the current issue, while I focus on fixing the cause. However, to eradicate disaster I have no problem applying the man made remedy so far as that, again, allows me to work on a sustainable solution. Does that mean I am not an organic grower or that I do not have respect for the environment? You choose for yourself, but for me and my house we choose to keep things alive in the long run.

One of the most valuable tools in my shed is a root feeder. I would spend the money on a Ross Root Feeder since it has proven to the best I have found. Not only do I need this to feed my fruit trees, but I consistently use it to feed plants that have plastic mulch around them like my tomatoes and melons. I just had to fertilize with nitrogen the other day and since I have the melons and tomatoes growing across a large swath of black plastic, this pretty much the only way to get to the roots.

All you do is hook up the hose, stick it in the ground, add the appropriate amount of fertilizer, in this case I added 1 tablespoon per tomato and melon plant, and then turn it on. Within 30 seconds all of the fertilizer is shot down to the roots.

A couple of things to know. First, this really only works for soluble fertilizers or you will jamb it up. Also, you should water your plants right after feeding them so that the feeding is not too concentrated. Right after doing this I watered my tomatoes and melons for about 3 hours on a drip system. Last, timing is everything. You shouldn’t do this whenever, there are specific, ideal times to fertilize. If I would have done this any later, I might ruin my harvest. Tomatoes and melons should be fertilized 4 weeks and 8 weeks after transplanting. Don’t do it any more than that.

Let VegeNag take the guesswork out of the proper timing and amount by subscribing to our automated email reminders complete with how to’s by signing up for a free account today at VegeNag.com

Preparing your soil for planting requires a complete fertilizer at the beginning of the year. In this video I discuss what to add, how much to add, how to read fertilizer labels, how to adjust your pH and more. This video was created for Utah gardeners, however, most of the principles taught are for all gardeners.

For those who live outside of Utah, make sure to find out what your pH is and ask your local nursery about a complete fertilizer recommendation.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6_MnIcWeZ8

I also have this information outlined in another post

Many people have compost piles, and if you are like me, you don’t manage them very efficiently. Since I am not a fan of managing my pile to break everything down quickly, I tend to have non-composted material in my compost pile this time of year. You can either not add this material to the garden yet or you can till it in at least 4 weeks before you plant. I do the latter.

As soon as I can work the soil without jambing up the tiller or making a muddy mess, I perform this operation. It is critical to do as early as you can so that there is sufficient time for the composting to occur before you plant. Give yourself at least a month.

Here is how I do it. First, I spread out all of the compost pile in the garden whether it is finished composting or not. I then spread nitrogen over top the places I added the compost. Just sprinkle it around like you are salting a steak. You will need this nitrogen since a lot will be used during the composting process and you don’t want to “drain” of soil of the critical nutrient. At this point you may also add other amendments to your soil such as leaves or peat moss. Finally, just till it all in or turn the soil over with a shovel if you don’t have a tiller.

This process of adding amendments to your soil is so helpful and it makes your soil much much better every year. Not only does it make it more loamy and easier to work, but it lowers the pH and it adds a lot of critical nutrients to your soil. If you don’t need to lower your pH in your area like I do in mine, then consider adding lime to your soil during this process.

Here is what my soil looks like after I just did this to my garden. In about a month most all of the amendments will be composted.

Before you plant, it is important to add a complete fertilizer to your soil each year. Most of the nutrients will be abundant in the soil for the whole year. However, the most important nutrient, nitrogen, is something that many of your vegetables need consistently and it happens to be the one that is depleted the fastest. Nitrogen not only is used heavily by growing plants, but it is also leeched out of the soil when you water.

Therefore, you will want to “side-dress” your crops with nitrogen (ammonium sulfate 21-0-0). You can buy this at just about any gardening center or Walmart. I will explain how to do this and for which plants. When side dressing you don’t want to over do it or else you will kill your plants with love. Too much nitrogen will prevent the roots from soaking in water due to an osmosis effect. For some vegetables too much nitrogen will also promote excessive vegetation on not good fruit yields. It is best to follow the proper amounts for each plant. I have made up a spreadsheet on how much to add per vegetable. This information comes from the USU extension vegetable facts sheets.

As for the proper way to apply the nitrogen, you will want to place the nitrogen at least 6 inches away from the plant. When you “side-dress” you will want to cut a notch into the soil on the edge of the row with a hoe. Add the proper amount into the notch. I have included a picture of this.

After you add it, pack the soil back onto the nitrogen. This makes sure that the granules will not float away when you water.

If you have black plastic or something covering your row then just fold up the side of the plastic and apply, make sure to not cover your plants with the plastic during hot sunny days.

This process, more than any tip on vegetable gardening, has been more conducive to a successful garden then almost any other that I have learned. Not only will you achieve larger yields, but you will have healthier plants, and increased resistance to disease. You will also continually help the pH of the soil by adding ammonium sulfate.

At the beginning of the season, it is important to fertilize your fruit trees. They need nitrogen, first and foremost, and they need a lower pH in order for the roots to get the nutrients they need. Many times you will see a chlorosis problem due to a high pH and not just lack of iron or zinc. There could be plenty of iron, but if the pH of the soil prevents it from taking the iron in then you have a problem.

It is for this reason that I choose to fertilize with a soil acidifier formulated fertilizer like Miracid or another brand that is usually 30-10-10 with trace elements, particularly sulfur. It is equally important to get it down to the roots so the grass doesn’t steal most of the nutrients before it soaks down. For this I use a Ross Root Feeder.

As for the amount, it depends on a number of conditions. In this photo I used the miracle grow spray fertilizer hooked up to the root feeder, however, I have since purchased a Ross Tree Root Feeder which is easier since it is all one unit. I let it go for 2-3 minutes total in multiple holes around the drip line.

Doing this every year right before blossoming will give the tree much needed help in growing great fruit.

We recently purchased and planted our strawberries. We were really excited about this because of the newer varieties that we have learned about. Over the years many new varieties have come out and many more will continue to come out. California is the major producer, so if you are trying to find a good variety, find out what they are growing.

We have learned that for Junebearing strawberries, Chandler or Ventana is the best in terms of size, flavor, yield, etc. As for everbearing/day-neutral strawberries, we have learned that Diamonte is the best, however, recently a newer better berry which surpasses the Diamonte has come out. It is called Albion. So this year we planted both Albion and Ventana. Of course, alot of this is subjective, but it is a good place to start anyway.

There are many things to know about strawberries and so I would refer you to the strawberry fact sheet for many of the specifics.

As for our garden, we use the black plastic method in a row. This means that the strawberries can’t put out their runners to create new strawberry plants. We pinch the runners off and do the initial planting 12″ apart which is pretty close together since we don’t let them runner. The reason for this is that we feel that the plants, at around $.25 a piece are cheap and we want to enjoy them as soon as possible so we don’t let them put their energy into creating new plants, instead we make them put it into the fruit. Another benefit of the black plastic is water conservation, since the berries like the moisture, and the fruit doesn’t tend to rot when touching the ground.

Also, remember that strawberries like a lower pH than most vegetable, therefore, I add extra sulfur when I fertilize to accomplish this. See post on this.

While strawberries do the best in California, the still do well in Utah. One problem we frequently have is iron chlorosis, so you will need to watch for this.

You can see this problem in the leaves noted be green veins with a yellow leaf.

This is due to improper fertilization or irrigation. If you have this problem read here.