Hill Gardens of Maine -- Successful Vegetable Gardening, Part 5

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The Success-Oriented Vegetable Gardener, Part 5—Problem Solving the Natural Way
by Fred Davis, MG, Hill Gardens of Maine (To view previous articles, click: Archives)

Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! As the time to begin vegetable gardening in earnest approaches, and while a few moments of "study-time" remain, we'd all do well to review some of the more pressing problems many of us will encounter as the season progresses.

First, an appeal. Giant chemical companies, in tune with our sense of cabin-fever and deep desire for successful gardening experiences, have renewed their perennial push to sell - sell - SELL! "Just buy our products, and all your insect, disease and plant nutrition problems will be over!" "Never mind what's in them, just sprinkle, pour, dust and spray, and chase those nasty problems away!" In my opinion, they thrive on gardeners who explicitly trust every spoken or printed word about "easy, carefree and bug-free" gardening...words which press for quick (and big) sales while leaving the worrying about possible side-effects to them and their research scientists and lab technicians.

I urge you to thoroughly consider every artificial or non-natural substance you use in or on your family's food or recreation area. Be deeply concerned about any potential long-term consequences of any inorganic material touted as "safe and effective." Be especially wary of spoken, written or implied guarantees of quick results, easy care, miracles, worry-free gardening, or someone whose line reads, "don't worry about what's in it…just use it!"

Even some so-called "natural" forms of pest control can have a negative impact on plant and human health if abused. It is possible, for example, to apply too much rotenone, insecticidal soap or pyrethrum. Sprinkling salt on a few slugs is one thing; emptying a five pound bag in the vegetable garden is quite another. Dusting on a thick layer of sulfur to control mildew could quickly alter soil pH (makes it too acidic), can destroy beneficial insects and normal soil micro-organisms and can cause serious damage to cucumbers and roses.

The point is, use only enough "naturals" to resolve the problem at hand without leaving thick residues which might end up being as toxic as some synthesized materials.

Consider, also, that truly healthy soil - loaded with rich, dark compost, literally alive with earthworms and other beneficial fauna, prepared deep and lovingly nurtured and cultivated, will produce healthy plants which are tough, mostly self-supporting and able to fend off insect and disease attacks without the aid of pesticides - natural or chemical.

Soil Moisture

Considering April, 1999 – and so far into May – it seems likely that rainfall may be somewhat more than "shy" this gardening season. All the more reason to pay particular attention to deep and nutrient-packed amendments of organic matter as we prepare our gardens. Think about this: a light (skimpy) little sprinkling of compost or manure (I’m talking an inch or less) rototilled-in is grossly inadequate for protecting plants from water shortages. Garden tillers scratch down maybe five or six inches. But wait a minute…that’s the drought zone! Roots forced to reside in this shallow area are highly susceptible to the lethal condition of severe water shortage, not to mention cultivation damage, weed competition and compaction. Placing the plant’s primary source of nutrition down deep – twelve inches at least – insures that the plant’s roots go deep. That’s where the moisture is – not in the dusty top four inches.

Mulching will doubtless be even more important this season. Mulch, as we pointed out in Part 3 in this series of vegetable gardening articles, serves to conserve precious moisture, prevent widespread weeds, moderate soil temperature and generally enhance appearances. Most critical, are the first two, conserving soil water and controlling weeds.

While on the subject of conserving water, here’s a tip: when you water, water deep. More frequent sprinkling forces roots to the surface, making them less drought resistant if you forget – or can’t – water.

One final note: it's always unwise to crop potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and other nightshades in the same spot year after year. Crop-rotation is a reasonably effective preventative and will go a long way toward thwarting difficult-to-handle plant disease problems. It’s also unwise to spread any kind of manure on and into soil in which potatoes will be cropped. Manure will make your spuds scabby and will greatly diminish harvest. Use good old compost instead.

Next time we'll put cutworms, tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers and a few others under the magnifying glass to see if there's some way of thwarting them.

Jump to Veggies Part 6 Some "Creepy-Crawlies"

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