Planting in My Vegetable Garden
The beds in my vegetable garden are filling up quickly.
My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been very busy in the vegetable garden down by my chicken coops. After making all the beds and spreading hay on the main footpath, they planted a number of crops. Many plants were started from seed in the greenhouse, such as the brassicas - kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage - I love these vegetables and always plant enough to share with my family and friends. Soon the entire garden will be filled with rows of wonderful and nutritious produce.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I am always thinking of new ways to improve the appearance and function of my gardens. This year, I decided to change the main pathway in my vegetable garden slightly by adding weed cloth under the hay, so it would cut down on maintenance time in this large space.
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- Phurba begins by laying down the weed cloth in the center of the garden. Twine is used ensuring the path is aligned properly all the way to the opposite end of the garden.
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- To keep the weed cloth secure, Phurba places garden sod staples every few feet down the entire length of the path.
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- The path is about four feet wide to accommodate the hoses and our stand-up tripod sprinklers from Gilmour. Weed cloth is available at garden shops and comes in a variety of widths.
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- Next, Phurba drops a two-inch layer of hay on the path.
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- When it comes to creating and maintaining a healthy garden, proper soil preparation is crucial. Several weeks ago, the area was tilled and amended with nutrient-rich compost. Just like we did last year, we built raised, well-aerated smaller beds on one side instead of just long rows. This makes better use of the space and allows us to plant more.
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- A portion of one side was left as long rows for the tomatoes. The deep, organically rich soil will encourage and support the growth of all the healthy root systems.
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- Some of the first plants we get into the ground include the brassicas. Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family. Members are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plants. They are also sometimes called cole crops – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale – all started from seed in the greenhouse.
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- Ryan thinks through the measurements of each bed to assess how many rows of each vegetable can be planted in the space. He takes into consideration the number of plants and the size of the vegetables when mature. Ryan places as many as he can in the bed without compromising the needs of each plant.
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- As Ryan puts down each plant, Phurba follows six-feet behind to dig the holes so that each one goes deep into the ground – about half the stem should be buried.
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- Phurba uses a narrow trowel. it is made of stainless steel, with a five-inch by three-inch blade and a five-inch handle.
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- Phurba places the plant in the hole, backfills, and then lightly tamps down on the soil around the plant.
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- Cauliflower plants grow best in cool daytime temperatures of 70 to 80-degrees Fahrenheit with lots of sun and moist soil conditions high in organic matter.
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- Here, one can see how they are planted so they all have enough room to grow. The plants are at least 12 inches apart. The trick to growing brassicas is steady, uninterrupted growth. That means rich soil, plenty of water, and good fertilization.
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- Phurba continues to plant the cauliflower in this corner of the vegetable garden. My family and I love these vegetables, so I like to plant a lot of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
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- It is very easy to plant in raised beds because of the light, fluffy, well-drained soil, which encourages vigorous plant growth.
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- And we always rotate our crops every year. Rotating them gives various nutrients to the soil and improves soil stability by alternating between crops with deep roots and those with shallow roots. Pests are also deterred by eliminating their food source on a regular basis.
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- Ryan and Phurba also planted broccoli. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables and is high in vitamin-C and fiber.
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- Also planted here is the cabbage. The planting season for cabbage is quite long. Early cabbage should be transplanted as soon as possible so that it can mature before the summertime heat. Red, or purple, cabbage is often used raw for salads and coleslaw. It contains 10-times more vitamin-A and twice as much iron as green cabbage. For cabbage, seeding to harvest takes 60 to 100 days, depending on the variety.
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- We still have lots of room to plant more in the coming weeks. I am already looking forward to the first harvest. What are you planting in your vegetable garden this season?
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