Planning your garden for the 2013 growing season.

Source: http://www.news.wisc.edu/4992

Although fair summer days seem very far away, and even the tulips have not yet begun to push up out of the soil, late February is a great time to plan your gardening strategy for the coming 2013 season.  Early spring activities can include the drafting of plans, ordering seeds, and getting together useful garden hardware and other materials.

Before looking at seed catalogs or buying any gardening supplies, it is a good idea to take some time to make a list of crops, in order of priorities.  Even a large garden plot at Eagle Heights or University Houses gardens has a limited amount of space, and you may be surprised at how quickly you will fill your plot with a small number of crops.  Key considerations when making this crops list include the following.

1. What vegetables (as well as fruits and herbs) do you buy most often?  
2. Out of the vegetables you listed for (1), which can be grown in zone 4 (South-Central Wisconsin)?
3. Out of the vegetables you listed for (2), which are least affordable to buy at the store?
4. Out of the vegetables you listed for (3), which are good keepers OR do you think you will eat frequently enough to avoid letting the produce go to waste?

Peas: a popular cool season crop.

After finishing question 4, you will probably have a relatively short list of crops.  Question 1, of course, will eliminate produce you probably shouldn't consider growing to begin with, unless you really think that growing a new type of vegetable will force you to eat it.  

Question 2 will make sure that you are being realistic about what you actually can grow at EHCG.  Artichokes, grapes, and watermelons are example crops that require long, hot growing seasons (although there are a few types of each that have been bred to be more climate-flexible).  On the other hand, cool weather crops like broccoli and peas are very safe to grow in Madison.

Question 3 may eliminate some crops which are fun to grow, but not cost-effective.  Onions and potatoes are example of crops that are easy to grow, but will not really save you money (if that is important to you) while taking up garden space.  Meanwhile, one tomato plant can supply pounds of tomatoes every week throughout the mid- and late summer of a much  more expensive produce staple.

Corn: a fun warm-season crop that
may be challenging to grow in  a
small community garden plot.

Question 4 is designed to advise you to grow crops you can keep up with.  It is very easy to plant a large patch of mesclun mix at the beginning of your first gardening season, but unless you are prepared to eat sizable quantities of salad for several weeks some of this produce may go to waste.  Spinach, on the other hand, can be eaten both fresh or cooked, and can easily be frozen and stored for later use.  

A typical list of high-priority crops might therefore include broccoli, spinach, carrots, beets, and lettuces (cool season crops) to be later replaced by tomatoes, green beans, and summer squash.  This list will of course depend on what you actually eat, but these are safe to grow in Zone 4 while being easy enough for a beginning gardener.

It's important to plan where--and when--you will plant these crops in your plot.  You should set aside ample room for larger crops like tomatoes and squash, and make sure to reserve room to plant these summertime crops once the weather has warmed.  If you are a first-time gardener and are unsure about how to best plan your garden, the garden manual is a great resource.  

Seed fair 2010

Once you have a general idea of what you want to plant, it is time to scout out some seeds and/or transplants.  There are numerous online and bricks-and-mortar resources for seeds.  My personal favorite is Seed Saver's Exchange, and others include Fedco and Johnny's Select Seeds.  The farmer's market is a great resource for locally grown transplants as well.  Additionally, EHCG is very proud to host its own seed fair as well as two transplant sales, right at Eagle Heights.  The EHCG seed fair in April provides donated seeds free-of-charge to our gardeners, and will be able to provide seeds for many popular crops.  Details about the seed fair as well as the transplant sales will be available on this blog at a later date.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/staking-vegetables.htm

Depending on what crops you have decided to grow, you may need to invest in some structures or supports.   Tomatoes need to be grown in cages; similar supports are useful for peppers, ground cherries, and other crops. Peas need to be grown on a trellis, as well as cucumbers and beans.  You can either choose to invest in pricey commercial products, re-use supports donated by old gardeners, or even build your own.  It is really just important to know how what you are committing to when you decide to grow a crop which requires support.

In summary, it is important to plan and prepare for the coming season in advance of breaking ground.  Future garden posts will discuss the earliest cool weather crops, including peas, carrots, and other root vegetables.  Please post any questions or comments you may have below.