Getting Down And Dirty with Vegetables

Ryan and I have been talking about planting a vegetable garden for years now. Every spring we talk about where we should plant our vegetable garden. And every year we don't do it. And every summer we bitch about buying rock hard tasteless tomatoes from the grocery store. And every fall we promise ourselves that next year we'll plant lots of vegetables. And every winter we dream of fresh tomatoes and peppers and herbs. And then spring comes around and we start the discussion all over again. Where should it go? What should we plant? And then we don't do it.

ENOUGH ALREADY!

This year we did it! We finally planted a vegetable garden! We don't have a clue what the hell we're doing or whether it'll work, but we're at least trying.

I have to give Ryan all the props for making the effort. Had he not gone through all the trouble to dig up and transplant about 8 bushes from our back yard, then spent days tilling the soil, adding nutrients, watering it and basically doing everything for me, this never would have happened. He constantly harassed reminded me to figure out what I wanted to plant and where/how to plant it. He shoved nudged me in the direction of the nursery. He insisted suggested we do it before his birthday party, leaving me with about 4 days to get it all done. And of course, I had no clue what I was doing.  But no worries.  Internet to the rescue.  Here's the (horribly simplified) step by step process that I used to plant our garden.

STEP 1 - Pick your produce.

Grow only those vegetables you enjoy eating. Give priority to those prized for incredible flavor when eaten fresh from the garden. I chose to plant the following: tomatoes, peppers (red, green and hot!), zucchini, lettuce, onions and a few herbs (basil, thyme, cilantro, oregano).

STEP 2 - Prepare the Soil.

Prepare a plot of flat ground that gets full sun nearly all day. Break up and turn the soil and add compost or other organic material. A full day of blazing sunshine is especially important if you grow vegetables in the cool weather of early spring, early fall or winter. (Thank you Ryan for doing all of this!)

STEP 3 - Plot and Plan.

Figure out how much growing space you have and plant accordingly. Lettuce, for example, can be grown in a solid mat, but tomatoes need to be spaced about 2 feet (60 cm) apart. Beans, peas, tomatoes all need support, so make sure you get a trellis or stakes. Growing requirements are provided on seed packets, in catalogs, and on nursery tags, as well as in books on growing vegetables.

It is helpful to draw a diagram of your prospective garden, mapping out each row according to height, plant requirements and other criteria. The direction of the rows isn't necessarily critical, but often it is a good idea to have them running East-West, thereby allowing you to plant your tallest crops on the North end of the plot, and successively shorter crops in front. This prevents shading of the shorter plants.

Being a crazy, detail-oriented, obsessive perfectionist Type A, I was pretty good at this. I spent about an hour plotting my garden, in 6 inch increments. Everything was labeled, color-coded, and precisely arranged. Yes, I know I'm crazy. Thanks.

STEP 4 - Schedule.

You should schedule plantings around the two main growing seasons which vary by region: cool (spring and fall) and warm (summer). Common cool-season vegetables include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and turnips. Warm-season crops include beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkins, squash and tomatoes.

STEP 5 - Shop for Seedlings.

Unless you are an experienced vegetable grower, start with nursery seedlings of certain other crops . These plants tend to do better when set out in the garden as seedlings: eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Squash and cucumbers are among a few you can plant just as effectively as either seeds or seedlings. Shop for seedlings when your soil is prepared and you are ready to plant. Keep them moist and don't let them sit around for more than three days. Buy healthy and vigorous seedlings. They should stand up straight and be stocky, not lanky, with no yellow leaves or bug holes.

STEP 6 - PLANT!!

Planting depths and spacing are critical, so don't crowd to many plants into the allotted space or you may end up with spindly plants and no food. Be sure to place a tag or marker on each row or area so that you will know what to expect will sprout there and when! Water your garden thoroughly the day before you intend to plant. 

Note: Remember to wear really crappy clothes and gloves because you will get really eff'ing dirty.  Get a towel to kneel on or you'll have dirty knee-caps for a while.  I'd also suggest pulling your hair/bangs back because if they tickle your face and then you touch your face, you will end up a muddy disgusting mess with dirt in your mouth, nose and eyes.  Or maybe I'm just a baby.  Whatever. 

If you purchased seedlings, or started your seeds indoors in pots dig a small hole which is slightly wider and deeper than the root ball of the new plant. Water the plant thoroughly prior to planting it out in the garden to lessen the shock of transplant. Gently tap the pot to loosen the roots and remove the new plant. If the root ball is tangled and compacted, use your finger tips to gently loosen the outer roots.Set the plant into the hole sightly deeper than it was growing in the pot, and firm the soil in around it, making certain that there is good soil/root contact.

And viola!! Planted vegetables!!

Ryan helped.

And Mally protected the garden from bunnies.

We planted tomatoes.

And zucchini.

And lettuce.

And peppers.

Onions.

Basil, cilantro, thyme and oregano.

I think it turned out really amazing looking!

Now, we just have to figure out how to keep everything alive!

My fingers (and green thumbs) are crossed!

Look Dad!  I did it!