Preparing the Vegetable Garden at My Farm
The vegetable garden here at my Bedford, New York farm is almost ready for planting.
Having a really good vegetable garden where I can grow lots of fresh, delicious and nutritious produce is extremely important to me. I share the vegetables with my daughter, my grandchildren, as well as other relatives and friends. Every year, we spend a lot of time preparing the soil for planting - tilling the earth, adding natural fertilizers and building raised, well-aerated beds. Yesterday, I was out in the garden to check on its progress.
Here’s a video I did explaining this year’s garden layout - please enjoy it and the photos that follow.
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- Building up the soil is the most important part of preparing a garden for growing vegetables and flowers. Deep, organically rich soil will encourage and support the growth of healthy root systems. This is one side of the vegetable garden where we are building small, manageable rectangular beds.
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- Ryan uses wooden markers and jute twine to tie from one side of the garden to the other – the twine will mark the raised beds so they are all aligned perfectly.
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- Our beds are done differently every season to practice succession planting and to improve the overall growing room for the vegetables.
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- Here, one can see the twine stretched lengthwise as well as widthwise.
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- Using a simple spade and the twine as a guide, Phurba begins to create the raised beds. At one end, he removes some of the soil to create the footpath separating the sections.
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- The footpaths in between each bed are only as wide as the spade.
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- Here is another view showing another area where the footpaths surrounding each bed are more pronounced.
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- In all, this side alone will have 50 beds – it takes time to build them perfectly.
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- Phurba works lengthwise from one end to the other and then creates the cross paths.
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- I have three hose bibs in this garden – one on each end and one in the middle. Phurba places stone pavers down in front of each one making sure they are also straight and in perfect alignment with the twine.
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- Here is the main footpath between the two sides. This aisle is also measured and lined with jute twine.
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- We’ve worked hard to prepare this soil. Before any planting begins, we amend the soil, till the earth twice and then begin making the beds – it is a big process.
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- If building a new vegetable garden, test the soil to gain more knowledge of its pH, phosphorous, lime, potassium, soluble salts, and soil texture. Soil testing kits are available at garden centers, or through a local cooperative extension.
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- Next, Phurba rakes the soil on top of each raised bed until it is level. Raised beds warm more quickly in springtime and maintain better aeration and drainage.
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- While raking the raised beds, Phurba is careful to mound it neatly, leaving the newly made paths in between intact for walking, weeding and cutting.
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- Each bed is raised several inches off the ground in a very straight and even mound.
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- The width of each bed is just wide enough to grow two rows of vegetables and still reach them at harvest time. When building raised beds, be sure every part can be reached without standing on it. Let this be a number one “ground” rule – never step on the soil within raised beds.
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- No matter when the soil is prepared, only start planting when the soil is warm enough to be worked. The soil temperature for planting cool weather vegetables is about 40-degrees Fahrenheit. 50-degrees Fahrenheit for onions and leeks, and at least 60-degrees for other warmer and tender crops. This area looks great – thanks, Phurba.
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- Now onto the other side, which will have longer beds for all our tomatoes. I’ll be sure to share some of those photos when it is complete. I hope you’re able to start thinking ahead and planning your vegetable gardens. Share your comments with me below.
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