Plant a Garden

Plant a Garden

It will soon be time to plant a garden, so here’s how to get started:

v     Choose a plot of land that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. If you can’t plant directly in the soil, use this site for containers.

v     Prepare the soil by loosening it, removing weeds and stones, and adding compost or manure.

v     Check out the blog post for “Lasagna Gardening” to make your cultivating tasks even easier.

v     You can either start your plants from seeds or buy seedlings from your local nursery.

            “We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and planters.” ~ Spencer W. Kimball, “Family Preparedness,” Conference, April 1976

            “Home production of food and nonfood items is a way to stretch your income and to increase your skills and talents. It is a way to teach your family to be self-sufficient. Our children are provided with much needed opportunities to learn the fundamentals of work, industry, and thrift.”

~ Vaughn J. Featherstone, “Food Storage,” Ensign, May 1976

Garden Possibilities

The following vegetables will grow well in your summer garden:

v     Corn (plant April—July): Plant corn in several rows to improve pollination. Splitting the crop into two or more plantings spaced a week or two apart will prolong the harvest period.

v     Cucumbers (plant April—June): Cucumbers grow on prickly, dark-green vines which take up lots of room in the garden. Conserve space by growing them on a trellis.

v     Eggplant (plant March—May): Members of the tomato family, these do best in sunny locations. These require a long growing season, so plant early! Will grow in containers.

v     Green Beans (plant April—August): “Bush” style green beans are compact—growing only a foot tall—and therefore ideally suited to growing in containers. “Pole” beans need support, such as a stake or trellis; they promote maximum usage of limited garden space.

v     Melons (plant May—June): Fresh melons—cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, watermelon, etc.—surpass the melons you buy at the grocery store. They do take up a lot of space unless you trellis them.

v     Peppers (plant May—June): Available in many varieties: sweet (red, green, yellow, purple) and hot (jalapeno, cayenne, habanero, etc.) Can be grown in containers.

v     Summer Squash (plant March—July): These are “soft-skinned” squash which are normally eaten fresh, such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and scallop squash. Very productive. Can be planted in a very large container (2 feet in diameter minimum).

v     Tomatoes (plant March—June): Take maximum advantage of limited space by providing your tomato plants with adequate support. (The cheap tomato cages available at home improvement stores are rarely sturdy enough.) Tomatoes do well in pots. Get hooked on home-grown tomatoes, and you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff.

v     Winter Squash (plant April—June): These hard-shelled squash keep well for many weeks in a cool location, and are usually boiled or steamed for eating. Like melons, these need lots of space.

Please note that lettuce and other greens grow best in early spring or fall: they quickly go to seed in hot temperatures.