Starting Your Spring Garden Series- Week 4: Soil Vegetables
We have some great info on Starting Your Spring Garden from Lori Coats from My Raggety Herbs!
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Starting Your Spring Garden Series- Week 4: Soil Vegetables
Every time I walk into Walmart or Lowe's this time of year, I spot those beautiful vegetable plants. If you are interested in growing a couple but not sure where to start, check out Lori's post below on a few basics for soil vegetables. And don't be scared to try out growing a few for yourself!
If you have questions or are interested in learning more about growing food and herbs for your own kitchen, head over to My Raggety Herbs. Lori Coats is a great resource and has several gardening events coming up! Events are located in Tuttle, OK.
Deals:
Home Depot and Lowe's have had hanging plants on sale for $5.00! Brighten up the front porch or your back yard for just a few bucks! Spring vegetables are on sale too, but if you need the hanging baskets hurry over, sale goes through tomorrow, 5/16.
My Walmart has a nice selection right now, and most are priced at around $4.98. Get tomatoes, onions, chives, and lots of other kitchen herbs. Be sure not to wait too long, as their stock of popular veggies tends to disappear quickly!
Amazon is another easy place to buy live plants. Find this 4-pk tomato plants for $19.99 ($5 each shipped).
The Best Vegetables are Grown by Soil Farmers
by Lori Coats of My Raggety Herbs
Real gardeners don’t strive to grow good plants they strive to grow good soil and good plants are merely the results of their efforts. Many times you hear the words dirt and soil used interchangeable. So, what’s the difference?
Dirt is of poor quality often being rocky, silty and void of any beneficial nutrients and microbes that healthy plants need. It does not hold its shape when scooped into your hand and water drains right through it with a leaching effect. Soil, on the other hand, is rich in nutrients and microbes and is a viable, living ecosystem. When you gather a small handful of it, it is able to be formed into a moderately tight ball and can hold rainwater for use during dryer periods. When earth worms are present in soil, it is a sign of fertile ground that is conducive for growing plants.
If you are planning a backyard kitchen garden, it’s important to determine the overall health and quality of your soil prior to planting. It is always a good idea to take a soil sample so that you have a baseline and an understanding of your soil composition before you attempt to amend it. When necessary, amend your soil with organic material in order to stabilize or improve it’s over all condition.
By introducing leaf mold from rotting leaves, decomposing straw, shredded paper, egg shells, pecan hulls, coffee and tea grounds, weed-free grass clippings and other compostable materials you will improve the overall health of your soil in a relatively short period of time. You must remember that the quality of the food you are growing is only as good as the quality of the soil that it was grown in.
Healthy soil is responsible for giving us healthy plants, abundant crops, diverse wildlife, clean air and beautiful landscapes. It is life sustaining and has the power to regulate water by directing and controlling where rain, melted snow and run-off goes. Healthy soil offers support for plant roots and physical stability for human structures. It is complex and must not be taken for granted. As we approach this gardening season, try to direct your focus away from your plants and place it on the soil.
When people ask what you’re growing in your garden tell them, “Healthy Soil”. Your results will speak for themselves!
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