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Potager Update Fall 2004
You will notice a difference in the way the Potager
planting has been designed. That is explained here.
I have been reading about ecological gardening this year, and have found that
the principles can be applied to annual vegetable beds as well. These are
outlined on the Steps to an
Ecological Garden page, but I will repeat them here:
Plant the different families together, rather than in large, separate
blocks, which become a beacon for pests. Interplant herbs and
flowers that will attract beneficial insects, like Dill and
Fennel, and anything with tiny flowers. Calendulas, Cosmos, Fenugreek,
and Nasturtiums are supposed to be good. Marigolds are not as great as
previously thought - only one species repels nematodes and then only when
planted in a mass with nothing else for an entire season. Their strong
scent may repel other pests, but they may also repel beneficials.
Arrange plants so taller plants can shade more delicate things
like lettuce from the strong sun. Remember that the north side of
anything is shadiest, so place sun-lovers to the south and west of taller
plants, and shade-lovers to the north of them.
With these ideas in mind, and not wishing to buy any new seed, at least not
to begin with, I got out my seeds and took inventory. The vegetables we
wanted to plant this year were listed and set aside in one stack. Then
I looked for flowers that would attract beneficial insects and repel pests,
and would not take up much space and shade out the vegetables. Each
group was further sorted by height, tall, medium, short, and very short.
The tall vegetables and flowers would be planted in the center of each
bed, the medium around them, the short around the edges, and the very short
(radishes and sweet alyssum) 2" from the edge of each bed. In
addition to the pole beans on each teepee pole, there should be beans in each
bed to fix nitrogen, and members of each of the other families should be in
each bed as well. All flower types would be scattered evenly in all the
beds in the repective height range area. I had four types of bush
beans, so I would put one type in each bed. There were two types of
summer squash, so each type went into two separate beds. I had several types
of brassicas - different types went in each bed. There were four types
of root vegetables and four onion family members - one type of each category
went into each bed. Thought was also given to the colors of the
vegetables - if the pole bean on a teepee was green, the tall greens in that
bed would be the more colorful ones. If the pole bean were purple, the
greens did not have to be colorful. One of the squashes and two types
of bush bean were yellow, and one was purple. I tried for as
colorful a mix as possible in each bed.
This may sound complicated, but it ws not, and in fact, once the seeds were
chosen, arranging them took only about half an hour. And it was fun!
Go to Cool Season Planting
2004-2005 to see what the final plan was.
The beds were first weeded (the weeds were pulled and laid on top of
the old soil), then improved by dumping a good potting soil, cow
manure, and pre-soaked coir (which I had bought in bricks - this is coconut
husk fiber and holds moisture very well. It is better than peat because
it is environmentally friendly, and will re-wet easily after drying out -
peat will not.) into each bed and mixing them well, then evening out the
level. After that, everything was watered really well with a
soft, long sprinkle. I had to be sure the peat in the potting soil was
thoroughly moist, or it would have robbed the seeds of water and possibly
killed them. This still leaves a surface that is too rough for all but
large seeds, so a top layer of Jiffy seed-starting mix was carefully spread
out over the top and the whole tamped flat using a plastic water pitcher with
straight sides (usually used to water patio plants), leaving a smooth bed
for delicate seeds. This mix is also peat-based, but the layer was
thin and applied over wet soil, so it was instantly moistened when it got
tamped down.
As for the actual sowing, I found it easiest to plant each vegetable
separately, starting from the middle of the bed and working out, and
doing one bed at a time, following my planting guide, which was printed up
and placed in a sheet protector. Once the vegetables were installed,
not on top of each other, and at their proper seed depth, I planted each
type of flower separately. Some had larger seeds that needed to be
buried 1/4" deep, but most needed to be barely covered - these I simply
scattered on top of the ground. When all seeds were in, I sprinkled a
very thin layer of Jiffy mix on top of the entire bed and tamped it down
again, this time with a foam pad I use for my knees. That way, all
seeds would make good contact with the moist ground. It had rained
the night before, so the ground was perfectly ready. If not, I would
have watered the beds carefully before starting - preferably the night
before.
How did this new method work? I'll let you know. Much of the seed
was older than I would like, so I sowed more than usual of it. I will
start a few flowers of the same types alrready direct-seeded in the beds in
pots on the patio. Any obvious gaps that appear after a couple of
weeks will be filled in with these.
Home **
What's New?
** How It
All Started * Garden Update
October 2004 * Garden Diary 2008 * Garden Diary 2009 * Garden
Diary 2010 * Garden Diary 2011 ** New! Garden Diary 2012
** Rose and Perennial Court * Rose Update Feb 2003 * Front Garden Update 2008-9 * Behind the Wall * Herb Circle * Tropical Edibles
Area ** New! Growing
Dinner: Visit to a Homegarden ** Potager
* Potager 2004-5 * Potager Plan
2008-9 * Edibles 2008-9 * Crop Chart
2008-9 * Edibles
Planting Schedule * Warm Season Planting 2005 * Succulent Beds * Wild Edibles *
Caterpillars to Butterflies * Building Healthy Soil
* Ecological Gardening
* Index of Plants and Techniques Featured * Annual Vegetable Chart * Long Lasting Markers: Jewelry for Your Plants * Build a Gardening Notebook
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