What you need to start growing vegetables

So you decided to try your hand at growing a garden this year, but you don’t know where to start. Here is a list of the things you will need:

Garden tools that are greatly useful:

-          Shovel for moving compost, digging holes… Any shovel will do as long as it’s not too heavy for you.

-          Hand trowel for transplanting/weeding large weeds

-          Rake for smoothing the soil surface

-          Wheelbarrow or cart/bucket for moving things around

-          Garden fork for breaking up clumps of soil and harvesting root vegetables and garlic

-          Hoe for weeding, which is easier to do when they’re young. Collinear and oscillating hoes are the best, can find them at Lee Valleys

Other things you will need:

-          String and sticks if you want to seed in straight lines

-          Labels to help you remember where you planted what

-          Seeds

-          Mulch and compost

-          Pots and trays for starting seeds indoor (a sunny window is helpful as well). You can also upcycle plastic trays that were used to hold fruits and vegetables

-          Hose and/or watering can (don’t need an expensive irrigation system, especially in Cape Breton)

-          Scissors or knife for harvesting

Let’s talk about greenhouses!

The good, The Bad, and The Ugly

There’s a common belief that a greenhouse is the solution to your gardening problems. The truth is if you don’t know how to garden, a greenhouse is only going to increase your problems!

It is true that a greenhouse, even unheated, creates a more controlled environment and it does get warmer when the sun is out. It is nice to have things growing faster in the Spring and last longer in the Fall. But most things grow fairly well outside in the summer time too!

There are a few things that are not so charming about greenhouses that you might not know about yet, and I compiled them here just for you:

-  You have to shovel the snow off of them all winter long. We didn’t know that our first winter and of course it snowed a couple of feet that winter and we lost a few greenhouses.

-  The wind will take it away if it’s not anchored properly.

-  The warmer temperature inside will attract pests while their predators are still sound asleep outside.

-  It can get really hot inside so you need an automatic vent opener if you don’t want to check on it morning and night, and halfway through the day… and anytime the sun comes out lol…

-  Things get dry quickly, so watering can become a chore.

-  In the summer you need a shade clothe if you don’t want it to get too hot in there

-  The lack of airflow can create the perfect conditions for growing mold.

So, before you invest money into a greenhouse, it’s important to understand what the drawbacks are and how much time and resources you are willing to put into it.

What types of soil do you have and how to improve it?

Soils have many different parts working together: mineral material, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. They differ from region to region and can even be different within your own yard.

Most of Nova Scotia’s soils are naturally acidic, low in organic matter (hello rocks!) and are relatively infertile (I think we all knew that, bummer!) but the good news is you can improve it and still grow lots of veggies!

There are six main soil groups: clay, sandy, silty, peaty, chalky and loamy. They all have different properties, and most soils are a combination of some of these types. It can be really hard to know what type of soil you have, but a soil test (contact your department of agriculture) will tell you what is your soil pH and what nutrients are missing.  

Even without a soil test, there’s a lot you can do to improve your soil. Here are some ideas:

-          Add organic matter in the way of manure, compost, grass clippings, leaves, wood mulch… Adding some every year (even in small amounts) is a good way to make sure your veggies grow well. It will pay off over time by building your soil.

-          Spread lime – Most soils are acidic so it’s a good idea to spread some lime at least every couple of years. A soil test will tell you what your soil pH is. You want it to be around 7, so if it’s below 7, you should add lime. Wood ashes from your wood stove also have the same effect while adding nutrients as well.

-          Avoid tilling every year – tilling can be necessary when you first start your garden, but it should be used sparingly. You can fluff up your soil using a broadfork that doesn’t destroy the soil structure like tilling does.

-          Mulch the surface of the soil – It will add organic matter (if you use wood mulch, leaves or straw) and limit water evaporation, which means less watering required! And it will also suppress weed germination.

-          Raised beds are also an easy way to build up your soil and will avoid compaction since you’re not stepping on it. Check out the Hugelkultur method (fill out the bottom of the bed with rotten wood) for a cheaper way to create soil.

Hugelkultur: The Ultimate Raised Bed

Hugelkultur is a centuries-old, traditional way of building a garden bed from rotten logs and plant debris. The beauty of it is that it can be built on top of very rocky soil, and gets better over the years.

Downed trees, fallen branches headed for the brush pile, and rough lumber can all be used; you are essentially taking rotting wood and allowing it to compost in place for a superfertile, moisture-retaining garden bed.

These mounds can be 5 to 6 feet high (although starting with 2 feet is a good idea) - massive heaps of logs, branches, leaves, straw, cardboard, grass clippings, and manure or compost mounded to be wider at the bottom than at the top. As the wood shrinks and breaks down, a hügelbed sinks.

How to Build a Hugelkultur Bed:

   - First, select a sunny spot that’s roughly 8x4 feet. (A bed built parallel to a slope is a good idea, as it will catch water.) If there is grass or the site is weedy, you’ll need to clear it down to bare soil. Just mow and cover the area with cardboard or wood chips to suppress weed growth.

    - Now dig out shallow pits, retaining the turf or topsoil for the top of your mounds. (If you don’t have any top soil, you don’t have to dig but you might need extra compost to put back on top). Make the pit or trench 12 to 18 inches deep, keeping the same depth the full length of the bed. For easier access to your future crop, beds need to be narrow enough that you can reach to the center – 4 feet wide is usually a good ergonomic measure.

    - Next, lay the woody material into the dug-out area, starting with large logs or downed trees. Add a layer of branches and twigs. A mix of hard and softwoods is recommended. Avoid using woods that are slow to rot such as locust, cedar, or redwood or any that release toxins that inhibit plant growth such as black walnut.

     - Like building a lasagna garden on top of wood, top it with grass and grass clippings - nearly any kind of organic material - and pack firmly. If you have excavated turf, place it root side up on the wood.

- Continue to arrange the wood longitudinally and as tightly as possible. The pile can be as long and high as you like but a 2- to 3-foot high bed is easier to work with.

   - Then, water the layers well. Fill in any cracks or spaces with grass, leaf litter, and manure. The tighter the better (also time will do that for you!). You don’t have to do it all in one day.

  - Finally, top off the bed with 2 to 3 inches of topsoil and a layer of mulch.

The evolution of the Hugelkultur raised bed