Cathy Isom has planting tips and reviews a couple of things you can do in March to get ready for your Spring garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
While it may be too early to prune the roses, uncover the perennials or plant the tomatoes, there are still some things we can do now to fulfill the gardening need. One example, is planning the garden bed. Another is planting one particular vegetable in just a week, or three.
Gardening in raised bed has become both popular and commonly recognized. For several reasons. Urban gardening is bigger than ever before, and it is a safer way to grow food. Not to mention being easier on the back and knees. You might think about an elevated but not enclosed bed. I recommend 3-foot-wide rows with 18-inch paths between, elevated at least 5 inches above the surrounding paths or ground. These have advantages over flat gardens because the gardener is less likely to step on the soil, and these beds drain and dry out quicker than flat gardens.
The enclosed or frame raised bed is another option and can be built using hardwood, rocks, cement blocks, straw bales, or heavy plastic products. Many kits are in the marketplace, so look around. If you’re using found planks or purchased hardwood, be sure it’s untreated wood. Whatever your framing material, I suggest a raised bed 12 to 15 inches deep, or higher if the ground below it is truly impenetrable or damaged.
St. Patrick’s Day could be the day to plant peas, or at least Easter. It all depends on your soil and how the weather develops.
I’m Cathy Isom…