Organic Vegetable Gardening 101

Workshop manual
THE ROBERT A. MACOSKEY CENTER for Sustainable Systems Education and Research at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania 247 Harmony Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 Phone: (724) 738-4050 e-mail: macoskey.center@sru.edu www.sru.edu/ramc

Table of Contents
The Benefits of Organic Gardening It All Starts With Soil Sustainable Garden Design Garden Preparation Selecting and Buying Seeds and Transplants Starting Seeds Starting Seeds Indoors Making Soil Blocks Preparing a Seed Bed and Sowing or Transplanting Garden Maintenance Weed Management Water Management Pest Management Reference Resource Appendix 2 4 8 12 15 16 18 19 22

23 26 27 30 32

Written by Kristin Quell, Kyle Holzheuter, Thomas Reynolds, Julia Shock, Juliette Jones, Chris Sanford and Abigail McCullough

Edited by Thomas Reynolds

2008 Slippery Rock University. All rights reserved. This publication is protected by federal copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or to be used to make derivative work without prior permission from the author.

The Benefits of Organic Vegetable Gardening: An Overview

What is Organic Vegetable Gardening? Organic vegetable gardening is a safer and healthier way to garden, both for the environment as well as for you and your family. Organic gardeners avoid the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers that contaminate the soil, air, water and eventually humans as well. Organic gardeners develop an understanding of ecological systems, and use a holistic approach to try and provide the best circumstances for their plants to grow with a minimum number of inputs. The Benefits Safe, Fresh, Nutritious A safer way to garden If you take a quick look at your local garden supply store (or big box retailer) you will probably find the gardening sprays and fertilizers aisle quite easily. If you read the labels of these products (put on a pair of disposable gloves fir st) you will most likely find a warning something like this: Keep off skin. Do not breathe spray. Wash hands and exposed skin after use. Dangerous to fish/aquatic life. Extremely dangerous to bees. Warning: this product contains metaldehyde which can kill if eaten. -Everyday low price: $2.49 It might occur to you that perhaps you might not want to use this product on something that you were eventually going to eat. You certainly would not be anxious to have your friends and loved ones close by if you chose to use that particular product in the garden landscape! A garden should be a place where you can spend time with your friends and family, a safe haven from harmful chemicals. Organic vegetable gardening is an activity that the whole family can be involved in. No pesticide residues in your food Food that comes from an organic garden wont have any pesticide residues. A 2006 study by a research team from Emory University in Atlanta found that children who ate only organic foods had urine samples that contained nearly no byproducts of two regularly used pesticides (malathion and chlorpyrifos). When the children began eating conventionally grown foods, the quantity of these byproducts rose rapidly to as much as 263 parts per billion. Another study done at the University of Washington (2003) found that children who ate organic fruits and vegetables had on average 9 times less pesticide concentration than children consuming conventional produce. Better Nutrition, Better Health As soon as you harvest a tomato from the vine, the nutritional value of the fruit begins to decline. Since organic gardeners can pick and eat in the same day, this means the produce can be eaten at its nutritional peak! As well, since the introduction of synthetic chemical-based agriculture in the 1930s, the nutritional content of our food has steadily declined. The breeding of modern plants for quick growth, high yields, and long shelf life rather than for nutrient density is partly to blame; but perhaps the greater problem lies in the use of synthetic chemicals in intensive farming systems. Agricultural systems that rely on synthetic chemicals for their primary nutrient input dont replace minerals, trace elements and other compounds that crops take up from the soil as they grow. As the soil becomes depleted, the nutrient density of the harvest declines. Lack of good nutrition is a major factor in the occurrence of many diseases including cancer. The organic vegetable gardener adds lots of organic matter back to the soil, which helps to balance out what is lost from the harvest. A 2001 report by the British Soil Association reviewed 400 different nutritional studies and concluded that foods grown organically definitively have more vitamins and minerals.

A recent article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition compared nutritional content of organic vs. conventionally grown produce, and found: 63% more calcium, which helps to prevent osteoporosis, and is key in aiding contraction and relaxation of body muscle tissue. 138% more magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, prevents muscle spasms, and eases the symptoms of PMS. 390% more selenium, an antioxidant that protects humans from environmental chemicals, cancers, and heart disease. 70% more boron, which prevents osteoporosis 78% more chromium, a micronutrient that prevents adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). 9 times more salicylic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps prevent colon cancer and atherosclerosis. 15.1% less nitrates, which are thought to elevate the risk of cancer, in organic produce than their conventional counterparts.

Better taste Organic gardeners can enjoy the benefits of harvesting and eating in the same day. Most conventional produce found at the grocery store has traveled an average of 1400 miles and changed hands at least 5 times between the farmer and the consumer. This forces farmers to prefer varieties that ship well, over those with abundant flavor, or nutritional qualities. The organic gardener can choose varieties that are well adapted to their site, and that have exceptional flavor too! Better garden performance Organic gardens are generally better adapted to climatic stress than their conventional counterparts. Soils with high levels of organic matter (the organic gardeners favorite soil amendment) can help to moderate soil moisture fluctuations, and can improve overall plant health. Soil organic matter also increases beneficial soil microorganisms that play a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and suppressing harmful pests. Commonly used herbicides and insecticides kill these microorganisms, reducing your gardens productivity potential, and also its ability to weather environmental stresses. Less environmental impact Organic gardening minimizes the impact on air, water, and soil by avoiding the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. The organic gardener embraces the concept of interdependence of the garden landscape with the rest of the planet and practices the ecological paradigm that Waste Must Equal Food. Less dependency on nonrenewable resources = Food Security Organic gardening relies primarily on local renewable resources such as; neighbors horses and autumn leaves as inputs. The social impacts of going organic can also include decreased reliance on global corporations and increased strength of local and bioregional resource networks.

It All Starts with the Soil

Soil Health Healthy soil provides an ideal growing environment for your garden plants. Soil provides the physical structure in which plant roots grow; a supply of nutrients upon which plants feed; and a home to a variety of organisms like worms, insects and beneficial bacteria. Soil is made up of four general parts: Water (also called soil solution) contains dissolved nutrients and is the main source of water for plants. Air provides roots with oxygen and helps to remove excess carbon dioxide from root respiration. Minerals composed of three sizes of particles, sand, silt and clay. Organic Matter is made up of living organisms, fresh residues, and well decomposed residues. Air 25% Minerals 45% Water 25% Figure 1 Ideal Garden Soil Composition

Organic Matter 5% Soil Texture Soil texture is a term commonly used to designate the distribution of the different sizes of mineral particles in a soil. This does not include organic matter. The mineral particles vary in proportion from sand to silt to clay. Sand particles are relatively large, forming large pores with little capacity to hold water and plant nutrients. Silt particles are smaller than sand and have a better capacity to hold water. Clay particles are extremely small and tend to cause soils to harden when dry and to become sticky when wet. Clay soils hold large amounts of water and plant nutrients, but allow less movement of water and air through the soil into the root zone. Most soil is a mixture of various mineral sizes known as loam. An ideal soil contains sufficient sand to keep the soil porous and sufficient clay to hold nutrients and water for plant growth needs. Thus, the ideal soil texture for a garden is a clay loam or a silt loam. Good soil makes gardening easier and produces higher yields. Yet, many gardens are located on less than ideal soil. This is especially true if a garden is located near a house where construction of the house resulted in removal of the topsoil. How to Test Soil Texture at Home To determine the percentage of sand, silt, and clay perform this simple jar test. Compare results to the texture class triangle in Appendix A. Materials: Jar (a mayonnaise jar is perfect) Half that jars worth of soil from your garden area Half that jars worth of water Tablespoon of liquid soap

First add the water to the jar. Next, add the soil. Finally add the tablespoon of liquid detergent. Screw the cap on tight and shake vigorously for a minute (or until the soil is completely in suspension). Set the jar in a place it can remain undisturbed for 48 hours. Once the soil has settled out of the water, examine the particle distribution of each texture size to determine percentile. Sand, the largest particles, will settle to the bottom first. Indicate the level of sand with a piece of tape or a marker. Silt will be the next to settle. Mark the top of the silt level the same way. Clay, the smallest particles, will be the last to settle. Mark the clay level. Organic matter will float to the top; just ignore it when equating soil texture. Now measure the base of the jar to the top of the clay level; this is equivalent to one hundred percent. Then measure each section: sand, silt, and clay and compare to the total to obtain each individual percentile. For example: If you have a total of 8 inches of soil from the base to the top level of clay, that equals 100%. The sand is then measured and found to be 2.5 inches. To find the percentile you would divide 2.5 inches by 8 inches and then multiply that number by 100. The final number is the percent sand: 2.5 sand / 8 total soil = 0.3125 0.3125 x 100 = 31.25% Sand The ideal soil texture composition is 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and 20 percent clay. This is classified as loam and is considered the ideal garden soil. Refurbishing Soil Texture If your soil is too sandy, you can add silt and clay soil particles to improve the soil texture. If the soil has too much clay or silt, add sand to improve the soil texture. The addition of soil material can be expensive, especially if the garden is large. Several pounds of material must be added to adequately change the soil texture. For every three square feet of garden add one pound of the needed soil texture, mix and test again! Test your soil texture each year as it will change over time. Topsoil Topsoil is the surface layer of soil and can contain abundant organic matter. Topsoil is the portion of the soil in which plants and other forms of life are most abundant. As these organisms live and die, they add organic matter to soil. Organic matter is very important in maintaining the health of your soil. Organic matter improves soil tilth, water holding capacity, promotes the movement of water and air, and supplies plant nutrients. You can use animal manures, green plant materials, compost, peat moss, and other organic materials to add organic matter to your soils. If it is not practical to add sand to clayey soils or silt and clay to sandy soils, you can add large amounts of organic matter to the soil instead with much the same effect. However, if you choose to just add organic matter to the soil, you will probably need to replenish that organic matter each year. Keep in mind that topsoil takes many years to form, so don't expect organic matter to immediately correct any problems. It probably will be necessary to repeat the application of organic material for several years in a row before a poor soil will be greatly improved. Some organic materials, such as animal manure and green plant materials, supply plant nutrients to the soil. Green plant materials decompose or rot much more rapidly than materials such as straw, bark, or sawdust. Compost is an excellent organic material that can be used with great results in the garden. See our publication entitled Composting: A Beginners Guide for more information on how to make your own compost.

Plant Nutrients In addition to water, air, and sunshine, plants need nutrients. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) are often needed in large amounts. Other elements are needed in small amounts, but are still very important for good plant growth. The nutrients needed in trace amounts are zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), boron (B), iron (Fe), chlorine (Cl), molybdenum (Mo), and manganese (Mn). The fact that all these nutrients are needed does not mean that you must add them to the soil each year. The soil has the capacity to store and release most of these nutrients as they are needed by the plants. Therefore, you will typically need to apply only the most heavily used nutrients N, P, K, and S. You can do this by adding one pound of an organic plant fertilizer for each six square feet of soil. You could also judge your fertilizer needs on a soil test. Soil Testing You can use a soil test to evaluate the nutrient levels in your soil, soil pH, and organic matter content. You can have a test done by a commercial soil testing laboratory (your county Extension office has a list of labs). Cost varies depending on the number of elements you choose to test for. There are also small soil test kits available online or from your local garden supply store at a modest price. For small-scale gardens a soil test kit will probably be accurate enough. If your potential garden site is now supporting healthy weeds, chances are it will do well to support garden vegetables too. If your garden is going to be located adjacent to an older house (or in a dense urban environment), sending a soil sample to a laboratory for lead testing is advisable. Guidelines for taking a soil sample: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The best time to take a soil sample is in the summer or fall. Take 8 to 10 random core samples from your garden or lawn area. Sample only areas that are representative of the entire space, excluding problem areas or deep furrows. Take samples from 2-inch to 4-inch soil depths. Collect the samples in a clean container. Mix the core samples, allow to air dry and remove roots and stones.

Soil pH: Measuring soil pH may be the most beneficial test for the home gardener. Soil pH is an expression of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Most plants grow best at a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. A pH below 5.5 is too acidic, and a pH above 8.2 is too alkaline for most garden plants. Table 1 lists the pH preference of a selection of common vegetables. You can correct a pH that is too acidic (5.5 and below) by adding lime. Mix the lime well into the top 6 to 9 inches of soil. The lime may take a year or more to react with the soil and correct the acidity problem. To correct a pH that is too alkaline (8.2 and above) you can add sulfur. Mix the sulfur well into the top 6 to 9 inches of soil. Sulfur will react quickly with the soil particles and may only take a few months to see results.

Table 1: pH Preference of Common Vegetables Vegetable

Asparagus Basil Beans, lima Beans, snap Beets, Sugar Beets, Table Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cantaloupe, muskmelons Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chives Corn Cucumber Eggplant Garlic Kale Leek Lettuce Mustard Onion Parsley Parsnip Peas Potato Sweet potato Pumpkin Radish Rhubarb Spinach Squash, Crookneck Swiss Chard Tomato Turnip Watermelon

Latin Name
Asparagus officinalis Ocimum basilicum Phaseolus limensis Phaseolus vulgaris Beta vulgaris Beta vulgaris Brassica oleracea Brassica oleracea Brassica oleracea Cucumis mela Dausus carota var. sativus Brassica oleraccea Apium graveoleus var dulce Allium schoenoprasum Zea mays Cucumis sativus Solanum melougena var. esculentum Allium sativum Brassica oleracea Allium ampeloprasium Lactuca sativa Brassica juncea Allium cepa Betroselium crispum Pastinaca sativa Pisum sativum Solanum tuberosum Ipomoea batatas Cucurbita pepo Raphanus sativus Rheum x cultorum Spinacia oleracea Cucurbita pepo Beta vulgaris Lycopersicum esculentum Brassica rapa Citrullus lanatus

Preferred pH
6.0 - 8.0 5.5 - 6.5 6.0 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.5 6.5 - 8.0 6.5 - 8.0 6.0 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.5 5.5 - 7.0 5.5 - 7.5 5.8 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.0 5.5 - 7.5 5.5 - 7.0 5.5 - 6.5 5.5 - 8.0 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 8.0 6.0 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.0 5.0 - 7.0 5.5 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.5 4.8 - 6.5 5.2 - 6.0 5.5 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.0 5.5 - 7.0 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.5 6.0 - 7.5 5.5 - 7.5 5.5 - 6.8 5.5 - 6.5

Sustainable Garden Design

A sustainable garden is a garden that is designed for a specific place. It takes maximum advantage of the characteristics of a particular location to help you grow healthy, nutritious plants. If you carefully consider the needs of your plants and the uniqueness of your garden landscape; then design a thoughtful relationship between the two, you can reduce your labor, save time and money too! Plant Selection When planning your garden, the first question you need to ask is What do I want to grow? The answer to this question will influence all the other decisions you make when designing your garden. Sit down and make a list of all the plants you are considering growing. Here is where you have to do a little research for each plant, write down the following information: Could it use support? How big does it get? What is its final spacing? Solar preferences (full sun to full shade) Planting time (when to start your seeds, when to transplant your seedlings) Planting type (direct seed, transplant) How much should I plant? (how much will I eat?) What are its companion plants? You should also find out: Family name (what other plants is it related to?) Is it perennial, annual or biennial? Soil preferences (pH, fertility) Any special water or maintenance needs? Choosing a Location / Getting to know your Site When choosing a location for a vegetable garden, you should consider: soil type, solar access, windbreaks, slope, water movement, proximity to the home kitchen, circulation routes, tool storage, and water. Soil Type The ideal garden soil is a rich loam with good drainage. Loamy soil contains a range of particle sizes ranging from microscopic clay to grains of sand, and retains moisture without becoming waterlogged. Heavy clay soils drain poorly, warm up slowly in the spring, and are prone to compaction. Light sandy soils, on the other hand, drain too rapidly and retain few nutrients. (See the previous section on soil management.) Solar Access At 40 degrees north latitude, most annual vegetables require full sun. Plants grown for their fruits, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, need the most sun; leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and chard can tolerate some light shade during part of the day. Wind Breaks If possible, choose a garden site sheltered from cold northerly and prevailing winds. The south side of a south facing wall is ideal and will provide some protection from frost. Consider planting a windbreak, but ensure that the vegetation will not reduce solar access. Depending on the amount of space, consider a windbreak of full sized trees, a

hedgerow or simply rows of tall crops such as sunflowers and corn. In addition to sheltering plants, windbreaks can also possibly yield mulch, compost, animal forages, nitrogen fixation, edible crops and habitat for insectivorous birds and beneficial insects. Slope Given good solar access, soil drainage, and wind protection, generally a flat area is better than a slope for a garden site. Slopes are more susceptible to erosion. If a flat area cannot be found, a gentle south facing slope is ideal. Consider terracing or installing permanent garden bed frames. Avoid an unprotected hill top ridge or a low area with poor drainage. Water Movement Right after or during a heavy rain, walk your property. Observe the hydrology of the site. Where is the water flowing? Where does water puddle? These are important aspects to consider when choosing a garden location. Avoid water channels and places where water drains slowly. Proximity Issues Efficient energy, resource, and economic planning involves placing elements according to how much theyre used or how often they need service. Areas that must be visited every day are located nearby, while places visited less frequently are located further away. Consider the distance between your garden and kitchen. Do you sometimes find yourself neglecting to do something because of its distance? The same will go for your garden. The closer it is to your home, daily circulation routes, and kitchen, the more likely you are to tend it, harvest, and eat its bounty. In order to save time and energy, plant the herbs, vegetables, and fruits you use daily closest to the kitchen. Plant the extensive, one-time harvest crops farther from the house. For example, plant culinary herbs and leafy greens closest to the kitchen and potatoes and winter squash farther away. Plant vegetables and soft fruits that come into season quickly or briefly along circulation routes that youll naturally check daily and harvest readily. For example, you could plant summer squash, strawberries, and low bush blueberries along the path from the garage to the front door. Basic Design Elements Garden Beds Garden beds should be sized to accommodate a comfortable working reach for planting, weeding, and harvesting. Beds that are too wide are difficult to maintain, while beds that are very narrow are not as space efficient. To determine a good spacing for you, kneel down and measure the distance from your knees to the farthest distance you can reach forward comfortably. Eighteen inches is a common reach. If we account for access to a garden bed from both sides, (18 x 2) a 3 foot wide bed would be preferred. Throughout the world, especially in Asia where raised garden beds are a necessity and space is limited, garden beds are traditionally measured 4 ft. wide. Given that the maximum reach of the average person is 2 ft., the entire surface of a 4 ft. garden bed can be reached without stepping on the bed. Therefore, its the most efficient use of space. However, this may be an uncomfortable width for many people. Personally, measure a comfortable reach and double that length to determine the width of your ideal garden bed.

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Paths Just like garden beds, paths should be sized to their use. If you plan to kneel and weed, your path width should probably be at least 2 feet wide. This allows you to kneel between beds without touching the growing area (which can compact the soil). A 2 foot width also accommodates a wheelbarrow, but not a garden cart. Consider placing wider paths near garden entrances and common circulation routes, such as to the compost pile to facilitate easy use. Fencing It is quite possible that you may not need a fence around your garden. See the section on pest management - other critters for information on choosing a fence type. Before placing your fence, consider the following: Locate fence gates in strategic locations, and make sure they are wide enough to easily bring your garden cart, wheelbarrow or other equipment through. A fence placed directly adjacent to a garden bed can act as a trellis, but you may wish to make the bed narrow (18-24) to facilitate working from only one side. Fences with broad, round corners are easier to mow around with a riding lawn mower than fences with odd angles. One way to keep your fence free of weeds is to install a permanent mulch strip around the fence. To do this, remove a 18-24 inch wide strip of sod (about 3 deep) around the perimeter of where the fence will go. Lay down a weed barrier like landscape fabric or cardboard in this shallow trench. Install your fence posts and fence. Then backfill the trench with a permanent mulch like crushed rock or chipped bark. Water Although you can depend on a fair amount of rainfall to feed your growing gardens needs, chances are you will have to supplement this rainfall with another water source. Some consideration of where your water will come from can help you plan a more sustainable garden landscape. Rain barrels installed under the gutter downspouts of your roof can go a long way towards meeting your supplemental water needs. Consider where these barrels are placed relative to the garden, and try to locate them nearby. If you plan to water your garden from a hose bib on the house, think about where these are located in relationship to the garden landscape. Will you carry a watering-can from the spigot or rain barrel to the garden? Or will you use a hose and hand sprinkler or overhead sprinkler? Know the answers to these questions before your plants are withering and crying for water. Compost Pile Some gardeners like to place the compost pile in a location adjacent to or on top of where they plan to garden when the compost is finished. This way, the finished material can be spread out right in place with little effort. This takes a little forethought, but can save labor in the long run. Other gardeners like to have the compost pile away from the garden to have lots of room for turning the materials. Also, depending on the system, you may consider placing the compost bin in a shady spot in the summer so it doesnt dry out too quickly. Either way, consider how you are going to travel to the compost pile from the garden and vice versa.

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Tool Storage Having your garden tools stored far away from the garden can begin to get annoying after your 4th trip to the basement after another tool you forgot to bring with you. Consider where you will store your growing supply of garden tools, and what relationship this has with the garden. A Place in the Garden At times, working in the garden (especially pulling weeds) can be hard work. Consider leaving a bit of space within your garden to sit down and relax. You might use this spot to sort your seeds, to write in your garden journal, or to take a welldeserved nap. Being inside the garden landscape should be an enjoyable experience, and having a place to sit and admire your handiwork can rejuvenate what might be flagging gardening passion!

Keeping a Garden Journal Drawing a Garden Plan Once you have begun to reason out the best location for your garden, it is time to draw a preliminary garden plan. Draw the outlines of major landscape features that will influence the proposed garden area including buildings, trees, and other major landscape elements. Some gardeners like to use graph paper to make it easier to draw to scale. inch graph paper squares can represent 1 foot squares in the garden. A 3 foot wide garden bed that was 8 feet long would be drawn as a rectangle that is 3 squares wide by 8 squares long. Sketch some ideas of what you might like your garden beds to be shaped like. Remember to include paths between your garden beds. Your garden can be just about any shape you can think of, including triangular and even round! One word of caution: planting crops in garden beds of non-rectilinear shapes may be more difficult to trellis, overlay with row cover, move a wheelbarrow through, etc Take care to think of how you are going to use the garden, and plan accordingly. Once you have a preliminary garden plan, begin to divide the garden based on your spatial needs for your different crops. Group the crops together according to their plant families when possible (see appendix for information on crop rotation and companion planting). Consider the different requirements of each of the plants and place them accordingly. You will probably draw several different versions until you get one that satisfies you. Now its time to get out and build garden beds! After your garden beds have been constructed, inevitably you will have made some changes to your plan. Revise your plan to reflect the changes you have made. As you direct seed or transplant seedlings into your garden beds, record their location on your revised garden plan. This way, if you later forget what you planted in a particular area, you will have something to remind you! Keeping Yearly Records This can be as simple as saving your garden plans or using a calendar to record garden and weather information. The important thing is to find a system that works best for you.

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Garden Preparation
Prepare the Site After determining the location of your garden, prepare the site for constructing beds and delineating pathways. Remember to compost any sod or plant materials removed from the garden site. What style of garden beds and pathways do you intend to build? There are many choices, each with pros and cons: First, decide if your beds and pathways will be permanent or annual. Permanent Beds and Pathways Pros: Clear delineation of growing area; Concentrates soil building activities and materials; Better drainage; Warms earlier in spring; Provides some frost protection as heavy, cold air settles on the lower paths Cons: Requires more water during hot, dry summers; More initial labor to establish Annual Beds and Pathways Pros: Accommodates use of mechanized tillage (Tractor or Rototiller); Easier to change layout of garden from year to year Cons: Pathways may be difficult to maintain (Weed pressure, Mud); Slower drainage and warming in spring Next, decide if your beds will be flat, contained raised, or freestanding raised. Flat Beds Pros: Less work initially; Require less water during hot, dry summers; Easier to redesign from year to year Cons: Slower to warm and drain in spring Contained Raised Beds Have permanent walls made from wood, brick, stone, or almost any building material. Pros: Clear delineation of growing area; Concentrates soil building activities and materials; Better drainage; Warms earlier in spring; Provides some frost protection as heavy, cold air settles on the lower paths; Can easily be fitted with clear tops to serve as cold frames; Arguably more aesthetic Cons: Initial labor and resource investment; Requires more water during hot, dry summers; Relatively permanent garden design Freestanding Raised Beds Made from soil in the garden usually by scraping the soil from pathways and adding it to the bed. Pros: Clear delineation of growing area; Better drainage; Warms earlier in spring; Provides some frost protection as heavy, cold air settles on the lower paths; Good flexibility with changing garden designs and crop rotations Cons: Annual labor; Erosion

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Your next step is to decide if your pathways will be constructed with exposed soil, mulch, or sod. Exposed Soil Pathways Pros: Does not require outside inputs; Easy to harvest soil and add to garden beds as needed Cons: Mud; Weed pressure; Compaction Mulched Pathways Pros: Clean, weed free pathways Cons: Annual addition of woody organic matter; Difficult to harvest soil to add to garden beds Sod Pathways Pros: Provides nitrogen rich grass clippings; Clean pathways Cons: Requires regular mowing; Weed pressure

Cultivation Methods for Pennsylvania Because of Pennsylvanias particular soils and climate, there are several cultivation methods that may be best employed here, including Standard European-American Vegetable Garden, Mulch Garden, Sheet Mulch Garden, Biointensive, and Animal Tractor Systems. As with beds and pathways, there are advantages and disadvantages to each method. Standard European-American Vegetable Garden Cultivation of garden by hand or mechanically to prepare seed bed. Re-cultivate to kill weeds. Pros: Can be mechanized; Apparent increase in fertility (temporary due to increased oxidation of organic matter); Less work and fewer inputs (initially) than other methods Cons: Destruction of soil structure; Destruction of soil micro-organisms; Destruction of earthworms; Creation of hard pan; Brings new weed seeds to the surface with each cultivation Mulch Garden In the 1960s, Ruth Stout popularized mulch gardening as a polemic to the traditional European-American garden. As opposed to bare soil cultivation, mulch covers exposed soil. Pros: Mulch inhibits weed seed germination and suppresses weeds; Mulch protects the soil from erosion, compaction, and oxidation; Mulch limits evaporation, retaining soil moisture; As organic mulch decomposes, it adds valuable organic matter to the soil Cons: Organic mulch is in short supply; Mulch can harbor some pests, namely slugs; Mulch doesnt control perennial weeds Sheet Mulch Garden (aka: Lasagna Garden) Sheet mulching creates a weed free garden by growing above a weed barrier Pros: Relatively quick and easy to establish; Can be used on poor and weedy soils; No disruption of soil organisms; Controls weeds; Soil protected from erosion, compaction, and oxidation; As organic mulch decomposes, it adds valuable organic matter to the soil Cons: Organic compost is expensive; Mulch can harbor some pests, namely slugs; Plants initially unstable; Cannot grow root crops the first year

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Biointensive Features permanent double-dug beds and intensive planting Pros: Good aeration of soil; Breaks hardpan; Allows deep crop root penetration; Reduces water use through increased capillary rise Cons: One time substantial disruption of soil organisms; One time substantial input of manual labor; Not easily suited to heavy clay soils Animal Tractor System Can be used in combination with other methods. Pros: Animals clear garden beds of weeds and insects; Animals fertilize garden without human labor or double handling of manure Cons: Soil compaction; Under the National Organic Program (NOP), raw manure requires an interval of 120 days between application and crop harvest when the edible portion of the crops destined for human consumption are in contact with soil, and 90 days for crops whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles

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Selecting and Buying Seeds and Transplants

Local Seed and Transplant Sources: The Macoskey Center at SRU 247 Harmony Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 16057 724-738-4050 724-794-4050 macoskey.center@sru.edu Three Sisters Farm Three Sisters Farm Darrel Frey Darrel Frey 134 Obitz Rd. 134 Orbitz Road Sandy Lake, PA 16145 Sandy Lake, PA 16145 724-376-2797 724-376-2797 defrey@bioshelter.com defray@bioshelter.com www.bioshelter.com www.bioshelter.com Wolf Creek Farm Wolf Creek Farm Susan Biberich JohnJohn and and Susan Biberich 3175 Scrubgrass Rd. 3175 Scrubgrass Road Grove City, PA 16127 Grove City, PA 16127 Phone (814) 786-7675 814-786-7675

Mail Order Seed Distributors (check the Internet for dozens of online sources) Commercial Growers * Johnnys Selected Seeds * FEDCO Seeds F Seeds Heirloom Seeds Organic Biodynamic Heirloom Seeds: Organic: Biodynamic: * Seed Savers Exchange * Seeds of Change * Turtle Tree Seeds Seed Savers Seeds of Change Turtle Tree Seeds * Heirloom Seed Co. * High Mowing Seeds Exchange High Mowing Seeds Burpee Seeds Heirloom Seeds Heirloom vs. Hybrid Seed Prior to the 1930s, commercial hybrid seeds were largely non-existent. All of the seed a farmer or gardener used was open pollinated, came from the previous years crop, and would grow true to type. After 1930, hybrids began to take hold and new varieties began to appear in the seed catalogs. Hybrid seed is produced by artificially cross-pollinated plants. Hybrids are bred to improve the characteristics of the resulting plants, such as better yield, greater uniformity, disease resistance, longer shelf-life, and so forth. However, hybrids will not reproduce true to form. Since hybrid seed cannot be saved with certainty, farmers and gardeners using hybrid seed are dependent on seed companies to supply their seed. Seed Saving Seed saving is the practice of saving seeds from open-pollinated vegetables and flowers for use from year to year. This is the traditional way farms and gardens are maintained. Seed saving requires time and energy for gathering and organizing seeds, and extensive garden planning. A common objection to the use of seed saving is the possibility that plant diseases from one year may transfer to the next year. However, seed saving is cost effective and resource efficient, and provides an excellent educational opportunity within the garden. Buying Seed When buying seed, try to purchase seed varieties developed or specified for your geographic region. Penn State Cooperative Extension provides a list of proven commercial, hybrid varieties for Pennsylvania soils (for more information go to http://hortweb.cas.psu.edu/pubs/pdfs/veggies/variety_recommendations.pdf ) Consider purchasing from seed suppliers in the Northeast region. When buying seed from a smaller seed company or retail store, check the date and germination rate on the seed package. Ensure that the seed was grown out last season for distribution this season. Consider the germination rate when sowing.

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Buying Transplants Only purchase healthy transplants. Do not purchase seedlings that show signs of nutrient deficiency or stunted growth. The first weeks of a seedlings life determines its potential as a mature plant. Dont spend the time, money, and garden space on mediocre transplants. Look for stocky plants with dark green foliage and strong, thick stems. Tall, leggy, pale-green or yellow plants grow more slowly and will not mature as readily. Avoid diseased or damaged plants and those with open flowers or developing fruits. Examine the undersides of the leaves for insects and insect eggs. Pull the plant gently but firmly out of the pot. The white roots should hold the potting soil together without a tight mass of dying roots at the bottom. If there is a tight mass of dying, yellow roots they will have to be removed before transplanting.

Starting Seeds
Plant Hardiness Generally, annual vegetables can be divided into two groups, cool-season and warm-season. Cool-season Vegetables These vegetables thrive in cool weather and tolerate varying levels of frost. Examples of cool-season vegetables are beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, collards, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, onion, Asian greens, peas, radish, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnip. Warm-season Vegetables These vegetables are less hardy than cool-season vegetables. They thrive in warm weather, and are generally frost intolerant. Examples of warm-season vegetables include beans, corn, cucumber, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, pumpkin, squash, sunflower, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Direct-seeding vs. Transplanting Direct-seeding establishes plants by sowing seed directly in the soil, while transplanting involves starting seed indoors and then replanting young seedlings into the garden. Direct-seeding Direct-seeding is resource-efficient, as it does not require indoor growing space, potting mix or greenhouse supplies such as plug trays or pots. This method usually does not require daily watering as potted seedlings do. Structurally, direct-seeded plants have a better change of developing strong, undisturbed root systems. The direct-seeding method is employed outside, and therefore the gardener has less control over spacing of the plants. Directly-seeded plants often require thinning, and are subject to more competition from weeds. Also, this method relies on the natural growing season, which may vary from year to year. Transplanting Starting plants indoors requires indoor growing space with lights or adequate solar access. You must have adequate supplies for seedling care, such as potting mix, trays, plug trays, and pots. This method requires daily watering of plants, and plant root systems can be compromised by their containers. Transplanting allows for a longer growing season, as you can easily start seeds inside before outside conditions are favorable. When transplanting, the gardener has more control over plant spacing and mulching, and the plants experience less competition from weeds.

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Recommendations Some gardeners prefer to direct-seed most root crops, including turnip, radish, beetroot, potato, carrots, and parsnips. It is also the preferred method for growing garlic, Swiss chard, spinach, peas, beans, corn, and okra. Transplanting is the preferred method for leeks, onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, Asian greens, head lettuce, melons, cucumber, squash, pepper, tomato, eggplant, sweet potato, and basil.

Reading a Seed Packet There are several key pieces of information on a seed packet that will help you decide what seeds to buy and plant: days, germination rate, and cultural recommendations. Days: indicates the number of days typically needed after germination for a plant to reach maturity Germination Rate: indicates what percentage of seeds germinated under ideal conditions before seed was sold Cultural Recommendations: may include information such as when to plant, soil temperature required for germination, planting depth and spacing Rules of Thumb There are several general rules to follow when starting seeds. First, determine if the plant is tolerant of frost (see Plant Hardiness). This will determine the appropriate time of year to direct-seed or transplant. Consider whether the plant thrives in cool or warm weather; this will indicate the soil temperature required for germination. Remember that appropriate planting depth is 2-3 times the width of the seed. Finally, keep spacing in mind when direct-seeding or transplanting. Follow spacing recommendations on the seed packet, and try to visualize how much space each plant will need when full-grown. Planting guide for Slippery Rock Average Last Frost: May 8 with latest being June 12, 1972 Average First Frost: October 12 with earliest being August 28, 1982

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Starting Seed Indoors

Indoor Seed Starting Supplies For the beginner gardener, hard plastic plug trays and 4 pots are easiest to use when starting seeds indoors. Plug trays use less potting mix than flats and can be easier to manage. Hard plastic pots are sturdy, reliable, and can be used year after year. However, purchasing plug trays and plastic pots is not necessary to start seed indoors. Used containers (such as from yogurt) with drainage holes punched in the bottom can be used as pots to start seeds. You can also make your own pots from yesterdays newspaper. Making Newspaper Pots 1. Find a can or jar roughly the size you would like your pot to be. 2. Cut newspaper strips to an appropriate size. The width of the strips should be the desired height of the pot plus an additional 1-2 inches. The length of the strips determines how permanent the pot will be. 3. For example, a 15.5 oz can will make a pot about 3 inches across. Take a strip of newspaper 6-8 inches wide and 20-22 inches long and roll it around the can with two inches hanging off one end of the can. 4. Fold the protruding newspaper over the bottom of the can, folding in the edges to overlap. 5. Place the can and newspaper down on the folded paper end on a hard table or countertop. 6. Press hard while turning so that the folded edges press together tightly. Some people choose to use tape to hold the folded edges together, but the pots should hold together well without the extra support. You may choose to fold the top edges of the paper down into the pot for added sturdiness. 7. Remove the paper pot from the can and use as you would any other transplant pot, but be very careful when moving them so as not to tear the paper. 8. Remember to store your pots on a waterproof surface since some water will leak when you water your seeds and plants. 9. When you plant them in the ground, pierce and tear the pot as much as youd like to encourage its decomposition Try different paper thicknesses and see what works best for you and your plants. You may need to make especially thick pots for large plants or for plants spending longer than average in the paper pots before being transplanted. Also, wooden newspaper pot makers are commercially available. Now thats putting bad news to good use!

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Making Soil Blocks

What is a soil block? A soil block is a block of growing medium that has been lightly compressed and shaped by a form. A soil block serves as both a container and the soil for starting and growing seedlings, eliminating the need for plastic pots and trays for transplanted seedlings. Seedlings grown in soil blocks form stronger root systems than those grown in containers due to increased oxygen to the roots and the soil blocks natural tendency to prune roots. This creates a substantial advantage when seedlings are transplanted into the field, because plants establish themselves more quickly and, because of lessened root disruption, they are less prone to transplant shock. The key to making good soil blocks is to use a mix containing the correct proportions of peat, compost, soil, and sand or perlite. A blocking mix needs extra fibrous material - peat - to bind the material together and help the block retain moisture. Some commercially available peat-lite mixes may work, but often contain wetting agents and/or fertilizers that make it unsuitable for organic use. Soil Block Mix Recipe* A standard 10-quart bucket is the unit of measurement for the bulk ingredients. A standard cup measure is used for the supplementary ingredients. This recipe makes approximately 2 bushels of mix. Follow the steps in the order given: 3 buckets brown peat (standard peat moss, use a premium grade) cup lime. Mix ingredients together thoroughly. 2 buckets coarse sand or perlite 3 cups base fertilizer (equal part mix blood meal, colloidal phosphate, and greensand). Mix. 1 bucket garden soil 2 buckets well-decomposed compost. Mix ingredients together thoroughly. * From The New Organic Grower, by Eliot Coleman (JSS part #9899). Moisten the mix thoroughly using one part warm water for every three parts blocking mix. Successful soil block making depends on the mix being wet enough, rather than wet like soil mix in traditional flats. The mix should have the consistency of soft putty or wet cement, so that a small amount of water oozes through small openings in the blocker as the blocks are made, and that the individual soil blocks cling to the blocker without falling out prematurely. How to use the Soil Block Maker Blockers can be used on any flat work surface. Push the prepared soil mix into a mound that is 1 to 1 times deeper than the height of the soil blocker. Push the blocker into the mix until it strikes the work surface. Twist the blocker a quarter-turn and lift. Set the blocker where you plan to grow your seedlings such as a wooden or plastic tray, push down on the handle while raising the blocker. Rinse the blocker in warm water before making the next set of blocks. Place the seed into the indentation of each block, and cover according to the culture information on your seed packet. Prevent drying by covering blocks with clear plastic until the seeds have germinated. *From Johnnys Selected Seeds: What you should know about Johnnys Soil Block Maker. Alternative Soil Block Mix Recipe 1 part peat moss/Coir 1 part compost 1 part seed starting potting mix

For instructions on making your own Soil Block mold, please visit the following website: www.toppers-place.com/soil_blocks.htm

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Potting Mix There are as many potting mix recipes as there are gardeners. As with plug trays and plastic pots, you can purchase commercial potting mix, make your own fancy mix, or like the paper pots, you can use ingredients found around your home. Nonetheless, all good potting media must meet the needs of plant roots for air, water, nutrients, and support. The trick is finding the right balance between nutrients, water retention, and water drainage. Dark topsoil, compost, and organic fertilizers can provide nutrients. Peat, coir (coconut fiber), vermicompost, and clay topsoil generally retain moisture. Vermiculite, perlite, and sand improve drainage. The following is a traditional potting mix: 1/3 mature compost or leaf mold, screened 1/3 garden topsoil (fine loam preferred) 1/3 sharp sand In How to Grow More Vegetables, John Jeavons's recommends a simple potting mix of equal parts by volume of compost and bed soil (saved from a biointensive production bed during the double-digging process). If nothing else, use your darkest, most humus rich topsoil from your garden or woods. If youre already composting, start with your compost and work from there. Try a 50/50 soil and compost mix. Add fine river sand to improve drainage. If you water in the morning and it dries out by the end of the day, add materials that retain water. If your mix holds moisture for more than a couple of days or grows algae, you probably want to improve drainage. Do not allow your homemade potting mix to dry out. Your compost-topsoil potting mix is home to innumerable soil microorganisms that depend on moisture to live. Keep it slightly moist but not damp.

Steps to a Successful Start Instructions on starting seed indoors are usually given on seed packages, in seed catalogs, or in gardening books. The following are the steps youll likely take when starting seeds indoors. 1. Determine when you intend to transplant. This is determined by the frost sensitivity of the plant. Generally, warm season vegetables are transplanted after the last frost while cool season vegetables can be transplanted a week or two before the last frost. 2. Determine the number of weeks required before transplanting outside. This in turn, is determined by the usual amount of time a particular vegetable needs to mature before it can be transplanted, as well as the size of its container. A plants root system will fill a small container and need to be transplanted before it can fill a large container. 3. Once youve determined when you intend to transplant and the number of weeks a particular vegetable requires to mature before transplanting, count backwards to determine your seed starting date. 4. Determine what containers youll use to start your seeds. 5. Fill containers just below the top with potting mix.

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6. Sow seed 7. Either press in the seed to the recommended depth or sift a thin layer of loose potting mix over the top. 8. Consider lighting. Some seeds require light to germinate while others prefer total darkness. The seed packet or catalogue should specify if a seed has particular requirements. 9. Water from the bottom, top, or both. Consider using a soaker pan to water from the bottom. The water will rise through the container by capillary rise. Watering from the bottom encourages proper root growth and minimizes damping off. When watering from the top, use a spray bottle or watering can with a fine overhead spray. A strong stream of water can wash away seeds and topple seedlings. 10. Do not allow the seed container to dry out. Keep potting mix moist through regular watering, but not waterlogged or the seeds may rot before germinating. 11. Watch for signs of germination. The first thing you'll see will be a set of what appear to be small leaves. These are actually food storage cells called cotyledons. (Germination times vary greatly; again, your seed packet will tell you when to expect the first signs of life.) Continue to water so that the soil stays evenly moist. 12. Put the container(s) in full sun. 13. Prick out or thin seedlings when appropriate. Pricking out is transplanting a young seedling into a larger indoor container. When a seedling has outgrown its container or has too much competition from other seedlings, it can be pricked out and transplanted into a larger container. When pricking out, use a fork to gently dig out the seedling. Use a fork handle to make a hole in a new container for transplanting. After the seedling is transplanted to the new container, press lightly around its base to ensure good root to soil contact. 14. Hardening off: Before transplanting your seedlings outside, they must be hardened off, that is, acclimated to the outside. Transplanting is a shock to a plant. Changing environments is shocking to a plant. Rather than hit a seedling with two shocks at once, gardeners want to transplant in stages. Hardening off can take up to a week depending on the weather. Begin by bringing your seedlings outside on a calm, warm, sunny day. Remember to take them back in at night.

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Preparing a Seed Bed and Sowing or Transplanting

Step 1: Remove large weeds from the garden bed. Step 2: Turn under the residue. Step 3: Break up large clumps of soil with a hoe or digging fork. Step 4: Rake out the remaining clumps of soil and stones leaving a fine tilth. Step 5: Mark planting rows Direct-Seeding: Using a string as a guide or by just eyeballing it, make a shallow furrow in the soil using the handle of a tool or a dibble stick. The depth of the furrow depends on the size of the seed. Transplanting: Using a string, dibble stick, or good judgment. Step 6: Plant Seed or Transplant Direct-Seeding: Generally the depth a seed should be planted is 2-3 times its width. Transplanting: Bury the seedling up to its first true leaves, the adult leaves above the cotyledons. With some plants, be sure not to cover its growing point. Step 7: Ensure good soil contact Direct-Seeding: Cover seed and apply light pressure to ensure good seed to soil contact. Transplanting: Press around the base of the seedling to eliminate air pockets around seedling roots which may cause the roots to dry out. Step 8: Water Direct-Seeding: Maintain a moist seed bed until the seeds have germinated. Transplanting: Thoroughly water seedlings. Check daily to ensure seedlings have taken and water if needed.

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Garden Maintenance
Weed Management
Every organic garden has its share of weeds. Fertile soil with lots of organic matter that is suited to your vegetables will also be attractive to uninvited guests as well. A good garden grows great weeds. Not all weeds are a plague on the garden, and the organic gardener will learn to value the helpful ones. The others can be dealt with using simple, low-tech tools and well-timed action. Mulch, mulch, and more mulch Weeds (just like your vegetables) need air and light to survive and thrive. Using 2 - 4 of mulch to cover the soil in your garden will help to prevent weeds from getting started. Reasons to Mulch Mulch control weeds efficiently and safely. Organic mulch improves the soil as it decomposes. Using mulch makes your garden more water efficient as well as more drought tolerant. The insulating properties of mulch can prevent the ground from frost-heaving in the winter. Mulching helps to prevent soil compaction due to crusting caused by rainfall impact. Mulch timing Wait to mulch heat loving plants (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, etc) until after the weather warms up. Your cool weather plants (broccoli, kale, etc..) will produce longer if you mulch them while the soil is still cool. Choosing a Mulch The best mulch is whatever you happen to have available straw, newspaper, leaves, grass clippings, etc. It should be free of synthetic chemicals, and be able to be incorporated into the garden bed or the compost pile at the end of its useful life. See the chart on the next page for more details on selecting a mulch. A note on plastic mulches: Plastic mulches suppress weeds and increase the soil temperature faster than most other mulches. Heat loving plants will thrive using plastic mulches. Special consideration has to be made for watering the roots of plants under the plastic mulch. Plastic mulch is made from non-renewable resources and cannot be tilled into the soil at the end of the year unless it is made from a biodegradable cornstarch-based material. (Google Garden Bio-Film for more details)

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Table 2: Types and Properties of Common Garden Mulches

Type

Features

Best Uses

Sources

Tips

Aged Sawdust (partially rotted)

Decomposes quickly; acidic; good conditioner Pathways; around when worked into soil; vegetables, but requires can temporarily deplete nitrogen supplement nitrogen at soil surface; flammable

Local Sawmills

Be careful not to use sawdust from plywood, or from treated lumber as these contain harmful chemicals.

Wood chips

Slow to decompose; stays in place

Pathways

Lay at least 10 layers of Tree Service; yard wood newspaper or one layer chipper of cardboard down first.

Straw

Good insulator; lightweight; flammable; Lasts one season

Around vegetables after soil has warmed; over garden beds in winter (remove in spring)

Local farm

Make sure the straw doesnt have seed heads in it, otherwise you are planting grass!

Grass clippings

Readily available; decomposes quickly; could temporarily deplete nitrogen at soil surface; could contain herbicides; lasts one season or less

Around vegetables; possibly better used in compost piles

Your yard

Let your clippings dry out before you use them, or else they can be slimy.

Leaves

Good insulator; lightweight; most are acidic; can blow away if Winter cover; cools soil not shredded or in summer composted; slugs love to hide here; lasts one season

Your yard, your neighbors yard (ask first!)

Stockpile leaves in the fall for use in the spring.

Compost

Dark color can help to heat soil; if not well composted, could be weedy; will increase soil organic matter

Around vegetables

Your compost pile; landscape and garden centers

Make your own compost. Its good for you and your garden.

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Hoeing An annual weed will die if you sever its stem from the root just below the soil surface. Your hoe should be sharp, otherwise hoeing is more work than its worth. Look for a collinear hoe, a swan neck hoe, or an oscillating hoe as they are better adapted to weeding than a traditional square-headed garden hoe. Dont bend over to hoe and your back will thank you. Instead, hold the hoe with your thumbs pointed up, as you would a broom. Use a pulling or drawing motion with the head of the hoe cutting through the top half inch of the soil. Avoid hoeing too deeply around plants with shallow root systems like squash, cucumbers, and melons. Its easy to damage these plants, so consider using mulch instead. Hand Pulling Pulling those pesky buggers from the soil can be a chore, but may be necessary to remove weeds that are in spots too small for a hoe. Weeding is easier when the soil is damp, so wait until after a rain, or after you water the garden. One trick to comfortable weed pulling: Put your hands in front of you, thumbs up with palms facing you, one in front of the other. Rolling your hands one over the other, pinch your thumb and forefinger together on the weed as you reach the outermost edge of your reach and pull backwards coming underneath the now forward-moving other hand. As you pull back, fold your arms to the side, not down. Weeds with a deep taproot (dandelion, canada thistle, etc..) can be removed easier with the use of a weed knife as follows: Grasp the plant foliage near the base of the plant. With your other hand, insert the weed knife into the soil alongside the root of the plant. Rotate the weed knife to loosen the soil around the root. Lever the tool partially out of the soil to lift the root and pull the weed free. Come to know your weeds Learning what weeds are common in your garden may help you to decide not to pull them in the first place. Some common garden weeds are edible: Amaranth - Nutritious with many vitamins and minerals Burdock - Healthful root, grown as a vegetable in Japan Dock - Root considered a tonic Chicory - Similar to dandelion Chickweed - Rich in iron and vitamin C Dandelion - Rich in vitamin C and high in calcium. Widely used for diuretic properties, dandelion consumption is also said to reduce serum cholesterol and uric acid. Lambs quarters - High in vitamin C, vitamin A, iron Purslane - Contain alpha-linolenic acid, one of the highly sought-after Omega-3 fatty acids Shepherds purse - Packed with vitamin A, C & K, calcium, sodium and sulphur A Gentle Caution: As with any wild plant, make sure you know what it is, and how to use it before you eat it!

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Water Management
Plants are sensitive to changes in soil moisture. Too much water in the soil can cause an oxygen deficiency, which will result in root damage. Too little water in the soil wont allow the plant to carry out its essential biological functions. Mulching is a good way to conserve water and keep the garden beds evenly moist, especially during the summer months. Adding organic matter (compost, manure, green manures) to your soil will increase the capacity of the soil to hold moisture. Water consistency is most critical: when germinating seeds when plants are young seedlings immediately after transplanting seedlings when forming and ripening fruits Tomatoes are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in soil moisture. Not enough water or irregular watering can cause underdeveloped fruit, fruit cracking, and blossom end rot. Know when to water Watering the garden in the morning is your best bet. If you arent able to water in the morning, water in the early evening. Watering during the heat of the day is wasteful as most of the water will evaporate before the plants have a chance to take it up. Dont water your garden late in the evening. The plants will probably remain wet through the night, encouraging mold and fungus growth. Know where to water Water the roots of the plants, not the leaves and stems. This can be difficult to accomplish with a hose and sprayer, or a conventional overhead sprinkler system. A watering can with a fine rose is easier to control than the hose, but can be tedious when watering the whole garden. Using a soaker hose (or drip irrigation) laid under 2 of mulch is ideal. A soaker hose sweats water from tiny holes along the length of the hose. It emits water slowly and continuously along the hose length, and can be woven around plantings in various shapes. Know how to water Dont water lightly and daily. Water weekly and heavily. You want the soil to become wet to a depth of 5 to 6 inches. The soil will also be able to retain this moisture for several days. Heavily moisten the soil each time you water, and allow the plants to take up most of that moisture from the soil before watering again. As a rough guideline, your garden will need 1 of water (rainfall + irrigation) every week.

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Look for signs of water stress in plants Signs of water stress in plants include: droopy plants in the morning or late evening brown edged leaves undersized or misshaped fruit smaller than normal leaves

Pest Management - Insects

Much like weeds, there are both good and bad insects to have in the garden. The key to insect management in the organic garden is observation and appropriate response to pest damage. Observe the suspects It is important to identify the insects in your garden that may be causing your problems. Collect a few in a jar and get a close look at them. Observe what they are doing in the garden. Are they eating your plants, or are they eating other bugs? Do some research and understand the lifecycle of the suspect. Good pest managers think like an insect, and look for ways to interrupt their lifecycle. Grow a diverse garden Having biodiversity in your garden will ensure that a particular pest wont decimate an entire section of your garden. It will also discourage an insect population explosion at the expense of your harvest. Multiple plantings of the same crop in different locations may also ensure some of your harvest remains intact. Grow healthy plants Frequently, insects attack those plants that are weak and/or stressed in some way. Are you providing the correct environment for your crops to grow in? Are your crops well suited to the site? Growing healthy plants will go a long way towards fighting pest pressure. Encourage beneficial predators (good bugs) Include plants in your garden that attract and feed beneficial insects. These include: marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, yarrow, fennel, dill, tansy, daisies and nasturtiums. The beneficial insects will predate on the bad bugs. Attract birds (insect predators) to the garden by including hedgerows, berried ornamental plants, a water source and bird feeders. Use barriers To combat flying insects such as flea beetles, use row covers such as Reemay or Agribon. Secure the edges carefully. Take care to remove the cover for at least 3 hours every day if blossoming plants require pollination. Once plants are well established, (6-10 weeks) the cover may be removed completely. Dust barriers (on the ground around plants) made from wood ashes or diatomaceous earth are effective against cabbage root maggots, slugs and snails; but need to be reapplied after a rain. Cutworm collars made from newspaper that extend 1 below the surface of the soil will deter cutworm caterpillars from attacking newly transplanted seedlings.

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Hand Removal In smaller gardens, its a simple matter to find and remove pest insects and drop them in a container of soapy water. Check the underside of leaves and stems for egg masses as well as mature insects. Catching the pests early in their development can go a long way toward avoiding a much bigger problem down the line. Organic Sprays When insect pests are beyond what is reasonable for hand removal, consider an organic spray such as a horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, and garlic/hot pepper sprays. Some work by smothering the pests, others make the plants unpalatable to the insects. Choose a product specific to the insect pest you have. Continued application may be necessary after plants are exposed to rainfall.

Pest Management - Other Critters

As mentioned previously, the key to insect management in the organic garden is observation and appropriate response to pest damage. This same idea holds true for other critters as well. Pest pressure can be particularly high early in the season, when wild food plants may be scarce. Be vigilant, and you can outwit the critters and keep your harvest. Identify the suspects It is important to identify the critters in your garden that may be causing your problems. Try to observe who is causing the damage, and you can select a countermeasure that has a good chance of working. Develop an understanding what your particular pest may be after, then try the following tactics. Change the habitat If you can remove the food source, or other things that may be attracting the critter in the first place, they will probably find someplace else to hang out. Create animal anxiety Just like most people, critters dont like being nervous. Introduce things into the garden landscape that will create tension in their lives. Try keeping a dog, cat, or a small flock of chickens near or around the garden to keep the critters on their toes. Predator imitations (fake snakes, owls), shiny objects (i.e. aluminum pie plates blowing in the wind), or odd sounds may also prove to be successful. Use barriers Most critters can be discouraged through the use of row covers such as Reemay or Agribon. As plants get bigger, you may need to support the row cover on wire hoops. Secure the edges carefully. Take care to remove the cover for at least 3 hours every day if blossoming plants require pollination. Rabbits and groundhogs can be discouraged fairly well with a low (1-2 tall) fence made from inexpensive chicken wire. Bury the fencing a few inches below the soil to discourage animals pushing under the fence.

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Particularly stubborn animals that burrow under your fence can most likely be caught in a live trap and relocated. If your neighbor has dogs (or you have sheep or goats) and you want to keep them out of the garden, something taller will be necessary (3-4). If its cats, put your fence posts on the inside of the fence, and use thin wood posts (2 or less), or metal T posts as they will have difficulty climbing them. Deer are difficult to control via standard fencing, and have been known to clear up to 6 tall obstructions with little difficulty. Consider other management strategies before investing in an expensive deer fencing system. Repel with smell Deer and other mammals are sensitive to unusual scents, so try hanging a few mesh bags with fragrant soap, dog or human hair, or even dirty socks around the garden perimeter. Garlic and/or hot pepper spray is also a possible deterrent. Remember to reapply after a rain, or if the scent is beginning to wear thin!

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Reference Resources
Baker, Jerry. Jerry Bakers Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems. Jerry Baker Publishing. 2004. Bartholomew, Mel. Square Foot Gardening: A new way to garden in Less Space with Less Work. Rodale, Inc. 2005. Beck, Malcolm & Walters, Charles.The Secret Life of Compost: A How-to & Why Guide to CompostingLawn, Garden, Feedlot, or Farm. Acres U.S.A. 1997. Bucks, Christine. Great Garden Fix-Its: Organic Remedies for Everything from Aphids to Weeds. Rodale Inc. 2001. Campbell, Stu. Let It Rot: The Gardeners Guide to Composting. Storey Books. 1998. Coleman, Eliot. Four-Seasons Harvest: Organic Vegetables from your Home Garden all year long. Chelsea Green Publishing Company. 1999. Coleman, Eliot. The New Organic Grower: A Masters Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener. Chelsea Green Publishing Company. 1995. Cunningham, Sally. Great Garden Companions. Rodale Press, Inc. 2000. Ebeling, Eric. Basic Composting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started. Stackpole Books. 2003. Epstein, Eliot. The Science of Composting. CRC. 1996 Fedco Seeds. Seed Saving for Beginners. http://fedcoseeds.com/seeds/seed_saving.htm. 2006. Fedco Seeds. Vegetable Planting Guide. http://fedcoseeds.com/seeds/veggie_chart.htm. 2007. Fedor, John. Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers. Readers Digest. 2001. Jason, Dan. Greening the Garden: A guide to sustainable growing. New Society Publishers. 1991. Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables*. Ten Speed Press. 2002. Kaufman, Eli Rogosa. From Generation to Generation: An activity guidebook in the living tradition of seed saving. www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/seedschool.pdf. 2001.

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Larkcom, Joy. The Organic Salad Garden. Frances Lincoln Publishing. 2002. Rodale, Inc. Organic Gardening Magazine Online. www.organicgardening.com. 2006 Schwenke, Karl. Successful Small-scale Farming: An Organic Approach. Storey Books. 2003. Toppers Place. Making Soil Block Molds. http://www.toppers-place.com/soil_blocks.htm. 2008. Witman, Ann. Organic Gardening for Dummies. IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 2001.

32

Appendix
Soil Texture Classification Chart Penn State Crop Rotation Document Penn State Companion Plants Document Seed Saving for Beginners Vegetable Families Vegetable Planting Guide
(NOTE: Planting dates for the Slippery Rock area are approx. a week earlier then listed.)

33

Soil Texture Classification Chart

34 Reprinted with permission, 2006

HEALTHY PLANTS START HERE

Crop Rotation
What is crop rotation, and why is it important? Crop rotation is an easy way to control diseases and insects at no cost. For example, tomatoes, cauliflower or cabbage planted in the same location each year will actually encourage buildup of certain diseases in the soil. By rotating crops, you are removing the host plant and preventing the spread of disease. Also, as overwintering insects emerge from the soil in the spring, they expect to find the same plant in the same place. By moving garden plants around, insect pests will have a harder time finding their target. How does crop rotation affect the soil? Each crop has different fertilizer requirements. By changing the location of your crops you can avoid the risk of depleting the soil of specific nutrients. Some crops will actually add essential elements to the soil. By using crop rotation, you can actually build up the soil over the years. How do I do this? Its easy! Plants are often grouped by families that share similar growth habits and cultural requirements. By knowing your plant families (and their garden companions) you can create a plan for your own garden rotation. The following example divides the garden into four sections. As you can see, each year, the vegetable groups are planted in a different section of the garden.
Tomato/Potato Peppers, Tomato Eggplant, Potato Greens Cauliflower Cabbage, Broccoli Lettuces Legumes Peas Beans Pole beans Squash/Corn Cucumbers Squash, Corn Pumpkins

Year 1

Year 2

Squash/Corn Cucumbers Squash, Corn Pumpkins

Tomato/Potato Peppers, Tomato Eggplant, Potato

Greens Cauliflower Cabbage, Broccoli Lettuces

Legumes Peas Beans Pole beans

35

Year 3

Legumes Peas Beans Pole beans

Squash/Corn Cucumbers Squash, Corn Pumpkins

Tomato/Potato Peppers, Tomato Eggplant, Potato

Greens Cauliflower Cabbage, Broccoli Lettuces

Year 4

Greens Cauliflower Cabbage, Broccoli Lettuces

Legumes Peas Beans Pole beans

Squash/Corn Cucumbers Squash, Corn Pumpkins

Tomato/Potato Peppers, Tomato Eggplant, Potato

There are a few simple rules for crop rotation: Dont follow tomato, peppers or eggplant with potatoes, or each other. Allow 3 years before replanting the same group in any given bed. Onions may be planted throughout all groups. Beets, carrots and radishes may be planted among any group, and replanted as early crops are removed. Dont forget to interplant with companion plants to minimize pesticide use. See the Companion Plants handout for some ideas on this practice. Keep good notes so you can duplicate successes. Another interesting idea-Green Manure To help build organic matter, you might also consider using a green manure sometimes called a cover crop. There are both summer and winter cover crops. Buckwheat makes a great summer cover, and would be used in conjunction with your garden rotation plan. Cereal rye is a good choice for fall planting. Sow it after your fall garden cleanup and then till it under in the spring. By adding organic matter in this way, you will increase aeration and water holding capacity of your soil, prevent weed growth and soil erosion, and support the beneficial organisms necessary for a healthy, living soil. Where can I get more information? Weve only touched on the basics of crop rotation, but as you can see, it is a great way to reduce, or even eliminate the use of extra fertilizers in your garden. In addition, you are also building the soil. It is a proven, no cost method of vegetable production. Organic gardeners have been using these practices for years. Check your local library, the internet or organic gardening books and magazines for more information. Your local cooperative extension office is also a great resource.
This publication was made possible by funding from the U.S EPA, PA Dept. of Ag. Penn State, IPM, Penn State Cooperative Extension.

36 Reprinted with permission, 2006

HEALTHY PLANTS START HERE

Companion Plants
What is a companion plant? Companion plants help other plants grow. Companion plants may enrich the soil by providing nutrients or organic matter. They may provide shade or mulch for shorter plants or bare soil. They may prevent pest problems by repelling unwanted bugs, or by attracting beneficial insects. Companion plantings combine more than one crop in a given area, so garden space is used efficiently. What kind of plants makes good companions? Many herbs and flowers make good companions for vegetable crops. The best companion gardens are a diverse mixture of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Some companions actually add nutrients to the soil. This reduces the need to apply additional fertilizer. What are some examples? Plants with cup-shaped or open flowers are great for attracting beneficial insects. Borage is a great choice for attracting these garden friends. Dahlias and marigolds will repel nematodes in the soil and nasturtiums will deter pests that attack the curcurbit (cucumber) family. Beans will actually fix nitrogen from the air into the soil. Often strongly scented plants will confuse insect pests as they are looking for vegetables. What are some good garden companions? One of the original companion gardens is the Three Sisters Garden, which has been used by Native Americans for generations. They plant corn with pole beans and then underplant with pumpkins or squash. The corn provides a structure for the beans to grow, the beans add nitrogen for heavy feeding corn, and the squash leaves act as mulch by shading plant roots, reducing water evaporation and preventing weed growth.

37

corn with pole beans and then underplant with pumpkins or squash. The corn provides a structure for the beans to grow, the beans add nitrogen for heavy feeding corn, and the squash leaves act as mulch by shading plant roots, reducing water evaporation and preventing weed growth. Other Examples include: Sweet alyssum planted under broccoli or among potatoes will attract beneficial insects and prevent weeds from growing. Potatoes and beans make a great combination. They both tend to confuse each others insect pests. Tall flowers provide needed shade to lettuce as the weather gets hot. Heavily scented plants such as marigolds, basil and artemesia can be used to confuse pests. Plant crops to trap unwanted insects. Potato Beetles love eggplant and flea beetles love radishes. You can use these plants to monitor insect levels and, as plants become infested, they can be simply destroyed, bug and all! Yarrow has insect-repelling abilities too, plus its leaves make a great addition to compost. Many herbs will attract the beneficial insects you want into the garden. Use flowers from the aster family like sunflowers, coneflowers, Blackeyed Susans and daisies to attract these good guys. Plants from the parsley family (parsley, corriander, and dill) are also good attractors. Experiment and see what works for you. Dont forget to keep a record. Youll want to duplicate your successes next year. As you can see, the key to a good companion garden is diversity! Where can I get more information? Weve only touched on the basics of companion planting, but as you can see, it is a great way to reduce, or even eliminate the use of pesticides in your yard. It is a proven, no cost method of vegetable production. Organic gardeners have been using these practices for years. Check your local library, the internet or organic gardening books and magazines for more information. Your local cooperative extension is also a great resource.
This publication was made possible by funding from the U.S EPA, PA Dept. of Ag. Penn State, IPM, Penn State Cooperative Extension.

38

Seed Saving for Beginners

Vegetable Bean Soybean Beet/Chard Broccoli/Kale/ Cauliflower Carrot Celery Corn Cucumber Eggplant Leek Onion Lettuce Melon Mustard Pea Pepper Radish Spinach Squash/ Pumpkin

Reprinted with permission 2008

Seed Longevity 2-3 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs 3-5 yrs 2-3 yrs 2-3 yrs 2-3 yrs 5-10 yrs 2-3 yrs 2 yrs 1 yr 2-3 yrs 5-10 yrs 3-5 yrs 2-3 yrs 2-3 yrs 3-5 yrs 2-3 yrs 2-5 yrs moschata 2-3 yrs, pepo & maxima 3-5 yrs. These three species generally do not cross. Potato-leaf types need the greater isolation distance. Start indoors, need long season for seed. Muskmelons will not cross with watermelons. Crosses with wild species. Do not save seed from diseased plants. Some varieties cross more readily than others. Adequate population essential. Harvest at yellow blimp stage. Notes Lose vigor rapidly. Space farther apart than for market crops. Beets cross with chards. Hot-water treated seeds last only 1 yr. Crossing among brassica species is complex, consult a good reference book. Crosses with wild species.

Cycle
A A B

Pollination Self Self Cross Cross Cross Cross Cross Cross Self Cross Cross Self Cross Cross Self both Cross Cross Cross

Pollinator

Isolation Distance 100' 100'

Wind Insects Insects Insects Wind Insects

1/2 mi 1/2 mi 1500' 1500' 1/2 mi 1500' 150'

B B A A A B B A A A A A A A A

Insects Insects

1500' 1500' 50'

Insects Insects

1500' 1/2 mi 50'

Insects Insects Wind Insects

500' 1500' 1/2 mi 1500'

Tomato

Self

25'-100'

5-10 yrs

39

Cycle: A=annual, B=biennial. Pollination: Self=self-pollinated, Cross=outcrossed, pollinated by another plant. Isolation Distance: recommended distance by which different varieties must be separated to prevent unwanted cross pollination. Seed Longevity: Averages, not guarantees. Seed longevity depends on the conditions under which the crop was grown and how the seeds have been stored. Minimum Populations: Crossers require minimum populations to maintain vigor and avoid inbreeding depression. Recommended minimum number of plants: 25 cucumbers, squash, melons; 50-100 radishes, brassicas, mustards; 200 sweet corn.

Basic Definitions
Open-pollinated varieties will grow true to type when randomly mated within their own variety. Seed saved from these plants will breed true, provided the plants have been properly isolated from different varieties of the same species. Hybrid varieties are those produced from the crossing of two different inbred lines. Seed saved from hybrid varieties will not breed true in the next generation. Amongst open-pollinated plants, self-pollinated (selfers) usually reproduce by using their own pollen. Crossers usually reproduce through the transfer of pollen from one plant to a different plant of the same species. Plants are classified into kinds by genus, general kind, and species, specific kind within the genus. For example, some squashes are Cucurbita pepo. Cucurbita is the genus and pepo is the species. A variety is a particular named kind. In Cucurbita pepo Sweet Dumpling, Sweet Dumpling is the variety.

Seed Storage
Keep your seed alive by storing it properly! Humidity and heat are the enemies of seed longevity. Humidity causes the quickest deterioration. Ideal moisture content for most seed is no more than 10-12% so store at low relative humidity. Optimum storage is in a sealed jar in a freezer or refrigerator. Failing that, the sum of temperature plus relative humidity where seed is kept should never exceed 100. Never store seed in a humid, warm or sunny spot. Dont ever leave it in a greenhouse or hoophouse for even a few hours. Most seed stored properly will last for several years. A few seeds are good for one year only, such as onions, parsnips, parsley, chives, shiso, scorzonera, Batavian endive, licorice, pennyroyal, St Johnswort, liatris, delphinium, larkspur, perennial phlox, and any seed that has been pelleted or hot-water treated. If in doubt, try germinating a sample of old seed in moist paper towels.

40

Vegetable Families
Apiaceae: Asteraceae: Umbrella-like flower head - Celery, Caraway, Dill & Carrots Lettuce, Sunflower, Marigold, Chamomile, Zinnia, Chicory, Endive, Salsify, Dandelion, Endive, Jerusalem & Globe Artichokes Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radish, Turnip, Cress, Mustard, Bok Choy, Broccoli & Cauliflower

Brassicaceae:

Chenopodiaceae: known as the goosefoot family for their characteristic leaf-shape - Beet, Chard & Spinach Cucurbitaceae: Febaceae: Gramineae: Lamiaceae: Cucumbers, Gourds, Pumpkins, Melons & Squash All Peas & Beans Grasses, Rye, Oats, Rice, Wheat & Corn Identified by a stem that is a square in cross-section - Sage, Basil, Catnip, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano & mints Garlic, Onions, Leeks & Shallots Eggplant, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers & Nightshades

Liliaceae: Solanaceae:

41

42

VEGETABLE PLANTING GUIDE (Reprinted with permission 2008)

Vegeta- sds/100' ble
Amaranth Artichoke Arugula Basil Bean, Bush, Dry Bean, Fava Bean, Lima Bean, Pole Bean, Soy Beet

Pkt plants 100' 10 pl 60' 10-80' 25' 12' 40-60' 10 pl/oz 10' 20' .5g=10' .5g=10' .5g=10'

distance thin to apart 3" 3' 1" 1/2" 3" 4-6" 4-6" 6/pole 3" 1" 1" 1" 1" 6" No 4" 4" No No No 3/pole No 2-4" 24-30" 24-30" 24-30" 1" 30" No 3" No 12-18" 1' 1' 4" 4" No 8"

row spacing 18" 2' 18" 18" 2-3' 2-3' 3' 3-4' 3' 12-18" 30" 24-30" 24-30" 16-24" 30-36" 2-3' 18-24" 2' 24-30" 3' 3' 18" 4' 30-36" 18-24"

seed depth 1/8" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4" 1" 1" 1" 1" 1" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4" 1/4" 1/2" 1/4" 1/8" 1/2" 1/8" 1/4" 1" 1" 1/4" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4"

min soil ideal soil harditemp F temp ness 60 60 50 65 60 50 75 60 60 50 50 50 50 50 55 50 50 50 50 60 60 50 60 68 50 70-85 65-85 65-85 70-85 70-85 60-80 70-85 70-85 70-90 65-85 65-85 65-85 65-85 65-85 65-85 55-70 65-85 60-85 70-95 70-95 70-95 65-85 75-95 75-85 60-85 T MH MH VT T H VT T T H MH H MH H MH T H H MH T T MH VT VT H

planting date June 1 tp late May 1/Aug 1 June 1 late May April late May late May June 1 Apr-July tp May/June tp May/June tp May/June Apr-July tp May/June tp June 1 ASAP tp late June late May late May late May May 1 June 1 tp early Jun Apr-July

1/16oz T 3g 5g 8 oz 1# 1# 6 oz 5 oz 1/2 oz 5g 5g 5g 10g 4g T 11/2 oz T 1/4 oz 4 oz 4 oz 3g 1/2 oz T 5g

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrot Cauliflower Celery/ Celeriac Chard Chicory Chinese Cabbage Corn, OP Corn, SE Cress Cucumber Eggplant Endive

1/8oz=35' 1/4"-1/2" .5g=12' 500 5-13' 300 pl 25' 50' 50' 50-70' 11' 40 pl 40' 1" 8" 1" 1' 1/2" 2-3" 2-3" 1" 2" 20-30" 1"

43
Gourds, large Gourds, small Kale/Collards Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce

T 1/5 oz 5g 4g T 4g T 1/8 oz T T 1/4 oz 1/4 oz 1/2 oz 8 oz 8 oz T

20 pl 10 hills 40' 50' 600 pl 1g=25' 14-20 hills 40' 30 pl 450 pl 30' 25' 25' 25' 25'

6/hill 6/hill 1" 1" 8" 1/3" 3/pot 1" 12" 4" 1/2" 1/4" 1/2" 11/2" 11/2"

2-3/hill 3/hill 12" 24" No 1' 2/hill 4-6" No No 6-12" 1" 2-3" No No No 3/hill 8-10" 2" 3-4" No 2" 2" 3/hill 3/hill 3/hill No 2/hill 3/hill

6' 4-6' 2' 24" 2' 12-18" 5' 2' 2-3' 12-18" 2' 12-18" 12-18" 3-5' 3-5' 2-3' 6' 18" 18" 18" 12-18" 12-18" 12-18" 4' 4-6' 4' 3' 5' 4'

1/2" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4" 1/2" 1/8" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4" 1/2" 1/4" 1/4" 1/2" 3/4" 3/4" 1/4" 1" 1/8" 1/2" 1/4" 1/2" 1/2" 1/2" 1" 1" 1" 1/4" 1/2" 1"

60 60 50 50 50 40 68 50 65 50 50 50 52 48

70-90 70-90 65-85 65-85 60-80 50-75 80-95 65-85 70-95 60-85 70-95 50-85 60-77 65-85

T T VH MH MH H VT MH VT MH MH VH VH plants H

tp early Jun late May ASAP-July tp May/June tp May 1 ASAP-Aug tp early Jun Apr-Aug tp early Jun tp May 1 May Apr-Aug Apr-July ASAP July tp early Jun late May late June Apr-Aug Apr-July tp May 1 ASAP Aug late May late May late May tp June 1-10 tp early Jun late May

Melon, musk

Mustard Okra Onion/shallots Pac Choi Parsley Parsnip Pea/snow, snap Pea/snow, snap for fall crop Pepper Pumpkin Radicchio Radish Rutabaga/Turnip Scallion Spinach Spinach, fall crop Squash, patty pan Squash, winter Squash, summer Tomato

blossoms,pods T 68 60 50 50 50 50 42 42 60 60 60 60 68 60 75-85 70-90 60-85 60-85 60-95 65-85 60-80 60-80 70-90 70-90 70-90 68-80 80-95 70-90 VT T H H H MH VH VH T T T T VT T

10-50 pl 12-18" 5/hill 1" 1/2" 1/2" 4" 1" 1" 5/hill

1/-12 oz 3-8 hills 1/2 oz 1 oz 1/4 oz T 1/2 oz 1/2 oz .6 oz 30' 15' 40' 400pl 40' 40' 5-8 hills

1/2-2 oz 3-15 hills 5/hill 1/2 oz 5-8 hills T T 1 oz 50-125pl 5/hill 3'

Watermelon

7-14 hills 3/pot 4-6 hills 5/hill

Zucchini

44

Abbreviations Pkt plants = how many row feet or hills our smallest packet will plant T = transplanted only, in our climate. tp = transplant pl = plants g=grams (28.4g=1oz.) No = not necessary to thin Hardiness rating VT = very tender: will not survive frost, can be damaged by temperatures under 40 T = tender: will not survive frost MH = moderately hardy: survives light frosts H = hardy: survives frost generally to the low twenties VH = very hardy: will winter over if protected Approximate planting date ASAP=as soon as ground can be worked, does not thrive in heat Approximate planting dates are for our Central Maine climate. Please make appropriate adjustments for your climate, using hardiness as a guide. Notes Seed counts are provided as a guide, not a guarantee. They vary from cultivar to cultivar. Planting rates will vary if intensive methods such as beds are used. Minimum soil temperatures are the lowest we can recommend if you want a good stand. Planting under slightly colder conditions is possible but germination will be slow and spotty. If you have specific cultural questions, consult more detailed resources or get in touch with us. A few seeds with unusually thick or hard coatings may benefit from scarification just before sowing. This is accomplished by nicking them with a knife, a pinpoint or lightly scratching them with sandpaper. Some seeds need to be stratified before sowing. This tricks the seed by thinking it has gone through winter followed by the gradual warm-up of spring. It is accomplished by first moistening and then chilling the seed for a specified period of time.

Fedco Seeds, PO Box 520, Water ville, ME 04903 (207) 873 -7333 www.fedcoseeds.com

45

About the Center

The Macoskey Center at SRU was created in 1990 to promote a shift at SRU and in the local community towards a regenerative partnership with ecological systems. The Center is located on 83 acres of the university campus and enacts its mission in three ways: Education about sustainability through events, workshops and programs; Physical demonstration of sustainable technologies and systems; and Supporting sustainability-focused academic initiatives and research.

Directions The Macoskey Center at SRU 247 Harmony Road Slippery Rock, PA 16057 (724) 738-4050 macoskey.center@sru.edu www.sru.edu/ramc
From PA Interstate 79, take exit 105 (Slippery Rock). Travel east on route 108 to the first light in Slippery Rock. Turn right onto route 173 south (Main Street). Travel to the second light and turn left onto Keister Road. Turn left at next four-way intersection onto Harmony Road. The Macoskey Center is approximately 1/4 mile on the right, over the hill and across the road from the SRU football stadium.

258 to I-79

Grove City Road

173
Branchton Road Harmony Road

www.sru.edu
Slippery Rock University is an equal opportunity /affirmative action institution A member of Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education

108 to I-79

SRU Campus

Keister Road

173

Route 8

Macoskey Center

in S Ma t tree