STEPS TO BEGINNING A GARDEN

GET AN IDEA Is it going to be a vegetable garden? An herb garden? A flower garden? Or a mix? How much space do you have? How much time do you have? START small! ‘Tis better to succeed just a little, than to fail grandly’

PICK A PLACE Most vegetables and flowers need about 6 hours of full sun each day Build your garden close to the house so that it reminds you it needs attention and so you can easily put your produce to use in your kitchen Think about animals… Will you need a fence? Close to a reliable water source and a place that will allow water to drain off

IMPROVE THE SOIL Choose an area, try to avoid sandy, rocky or heavy clay soil and clear the sod/ debris **If you have time you could use newspaper to smother the weeds and this will give you more organic material Add 2-3 in. layer of compost, decayed leaves, dry grass clippings, or old manure

ORGANIC MATERIAL Compost - leaves (dry and green), manure, kitchen scraps Bocashi- rice shells, molaces, yeast, chicken manure, virgin soil, charcoal, calcium Worms- compost, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds

MAKING THE BEDS Raised beds: This is for better drainage- less fungal growth and better aeration- promotes root growth There are 2 types (digging and no digging) Can use wood or cement blocks

PICK YOUR PLANTS Choose plants adapted to your climate, your soil and the amount of sunlight in your garden It is good to plant herbs among vegetables because they act as a natural insect repellent

WATER Daily water is necessary when the plants are new/ small and it can be tapered off as plants get larger Water in the early morning to minimize evaporation In the summer months plants may need to be watered 2x day

MULCH Helps keep water in and weeds out

KEEP IT UP! Walk through your garden at least once a day Enjoy the smells, the colors, the growth, and of course the vegetables Now we will look at some recipes to make organic fertilizers and insecticides