Gardening Challenges & Solutions

Gardening Briefs for Beginners Vol. 1

Electronic Perceptions

Tucson, Arizona

www.ElectronicPerceptions.com

©2012 Kathy Burns-Millyard

Table of Contents

Introduction

Gardening Challenges & Solutions

Diseases & Pests

Strategic Planting

Water Management

Rainwater

Gray Water

Runoff

About Vegetable Gardening 101

Introduction

This beginner gardening brief is an excerpt from Vegetable Gardening 101. In about 20 pages, we cover common problems that home gardeners face each year and we look at easy, inexpensive ways to solve those problems without using toxic chemicals and pesticides. Topics include:

Challenges

         Diseases

         Too much/little water

o        Drainage

o        Irrigation

         Bugs

         Critters

         Climate /temps

Solutions

         Water Harvesting

o        Rainwater

o        Gray Water

o        Runoff

         Strategic Planting

o        Companions

o        Intercropping

Gardening Challenges & Solutions

Diseases & Pests

Diseases and pests – insect pests as well as animals that want to eat your vegetables – can often be managed with similar techniques. I call it: Strategic Planting.

Strategic planting works in several different ways.

         Smell Confusion – Bugs and wild animals find plants primarily by smell. By strategically planting your vegetables, you can successfully mask smells from certain plants. You can also mingle multiple strong smells together to confuse the senses of the bugs and animals that are looking for your food.

         Pest repellent – In a similar way, many insects can be kept from causing damage to their favorite plants because a strong, objectionable smelling plant is growing next to it.

         Health Support – Every plant gives and takes from the soil it is growing in. Some plants have natural substances in their roots which will keep harmful bacteria away, for example. Other plants may add specific nutrients that keep its neighbors healthy. The healthier your vegetable plants are, the better able they are to fight off illness, disease and damage from pests.

Here are the two primary ways to use strategic planting techniques…

Strategic Planting

Companions

Companion planting is the practice of putting two or three types of plants together in the same garden bed. Generally the plants help each other in some way. Sometimes one plant will deter insect pests from another, and sometimes each of the plants will enhance the flavor of another.

Planting tomatoes and basil together is an excellent example of companion planting. Both plants grow faster and healthier when they are planted right next to each other.

Another traditional companion planting arrangement is known as the three sisters. Corn, beans and squash or pumpkin are planted in the same location for specific reasons.

         Corn grows tall. Some varieties get six to eight feet tall.

         Pole beans are climbers. They will climb up a corn stalk as if it were a trellis. This keeps the beans off the ground and leaves more space between the corn stalks.

         Squash or Pumpkins are creeping vines with thick, hairy and prickly leaves. They will spread around on the ground between the corn stalks. This keeps the soil cooler and retains moisture. The prickly leaves may also deter rabbits and moles from munching on the plants.

When beans die their roots leave extra nitrogen in the soil. Corn depletes soil of nitrogen more so than many other plants, thus it is called a heavy feeder. Growing the beans with the corn ensures that next year’s crop will have nitrogen available for the corn to feed on.

Intercropping

Intercropping is similar to companion planting in that multiple plants grow together. Intercropping is often used as a space saving technique but it can be used as a pest deterrent and nutrition booster as well.

For saving space, intercropping is the practice of planting fast growing vegetables with slower growing ones. This allows you to harvest the fast growing plants before the slower growing ones need the extra space.

If you plant a garden bed with corn for example, you will find that there is a lot of unused space for the first four to six weeks of the corn’s growth. You might decide to make use of that space by planting leaf lettuce or radish. These vegetables take up very little room and can generally be harvested in 20 to 30 days. So by the time your corn plants need the extra space, you’ve already harvested your lettuce or radish.

Intercropping is useful for growing a number of plants that take up little room. Garlic or green onions for example, send up slender stalks that can fit into little nooks and crannies all over the garden bed.

Intercropping is also an excellent way to deter insects, pests and diseases. When you have ten or twenty different things all growing like weeds in a small area, it’s difficult for pests to identify the one thing they want to munch on. They can’t smell the plant as easily because there are so many other plants growing nearby or around the one they want.

Water Management

You have probably heard of gardens that die due to not having enough water. What you may not know is that they can also die when there is too much. Plants can actually drown. That’s why we discussed the importance of well-draining soil earlier in this book. Too much water can also cause soil leaching. Leaching is when important nutrients are washed out by the application of too much water.

In this section we’ll talk more about easy ways to deal with a lack of water issue.

Rainwater

Rainwater is the most natural form of irrigation for plants that grow outdoors. Rain falls from the sky and is absorbed by plant leaves and stems, and the soil that the plants are growing in. When there is no rain for an extended period of time however, things can get a bit trickier. One way to negate this problem is to capture extra rainwater when it is falling.

Rain that falls onto the roof of your house for example, isn’t doing your garden much good. In fact, you may be losing all of that water because your house is probably designed to send the roof rain water into the nearest gutter.

You can optimize rainfall by capturing it to use later. Rainwater harvesting is the process of capturing roof runoff into a barrel, cistern or other storage container. Then when you’re in the midst of a dry spell you can use the stored rain water for your gardens. This allows you to make better use of all the rain that falls, prevents your local sewer systems from flooding during heavy rains, and prevents your household water bill from rising too high during your peak growing season.

A basic rain barrel capture system uses the gutters on your home and a barrel or other container. You can simply sit an open barrel under the downspout of your house gutters so that the rain is routed into the container as it flows off your roof. Elaborate – and expensive – systems exist but that is a more advanced topic that will be covered in another booklet.

When you use the simple system mentioned here, you can scoop out water with a coffee can or small bucket when it’s needed, and pour it onto your vegetable garden.

Gray Water

Anyone who has ever tried to keep a garden alive during a drought - or experienced the shock of high public water bills during a hot dry summer - needs to know about gray water.

Gray water is not actually gray in color. Instead, this is a term which refers to water which is able to be recycled for use in your lawn and garden. A lot of water used in a standard American home can be reused to water the grass, trees, and flowers in your yard. It's perfectly safe if done properly, and it makes an amazing difference in the health of your yard and garden - as well as your bank balance.

Generally, gray water comes from the bathtub, shower, bathroom sinks and washing machine. In some parts of the country you can also use water from the kitchen sink and dishwasher. Some parts of the country consider kitchen sink and dishwasher water to be part of the black water system instead, because it contains food particles and contaminants that may create a health hazard. In all areas of the United States, toilet water is black water and cannot be used to irrigate lawns or gardens.

Now there are different ordinances and laws for gray water usage across the country, so you'll need to consult with your local city before starting to use gray water in your own gardens.

Not everyone feels that using gray water on vegetables is safe, regardless of whether it is allowed by law. This is apparently because food particles can be in the water, and some people feel those contaminants create a risk of spreading sickness.

I use compost on my gardens and compost tea. Both of these items are made from food scraps. I see no harm in using gray water from the kitchen, but I also water the soil around my plants instead of pouring the water directly on the leaves and vegetables themselves.

If you do want to use gray water on a food garden, I suggest that you first make sure that you’re not using toxic chemicals inside your home. If you use harsh soaps in your washing machine for example, it may contain chemicals that you don’t not want on or around your food.

If you already use environmentally friendly soaps and cleansers then there should be no harm in using gray water for your vegetable garden. If you’re worried about it however, you can simply use water from only the washing machine or only the bathtub. Simply don’t use water from areas of the house that make you nervous.

When a house is set up to use gray water for the yard and garden, it is simply rerouting used water to those areas instead of letting it go down the drain into the sewage system. After taking a bath for instance, when the tub is drained of water, that water may go out a hose which leads to the garden area. Alternatively, the pipes which connect the bathtub to the sewage system may simply be rerouted to the garden areas instead.

In some communities, gray water is only allowed to be used with certain other conditions and restrictions. You may be required for instance, to make sure your gray water runoff is a minimum distance away from your neighbor's yard.

For the best results in your garden, when you use gray water be sure that it has cooled to a more moderate, lukewarm temperature before it is drained into your garden. Sending very hot water to your vegetable plants can shock and kill them. This is easiest to accomplish by washing your clothes with warm water instead of hot, and allowing your bath water to cool before draining it.

Runoff

Water that usually gets directed off of your property can be an excellent source of irrigation. In some parts of the country, runoff is created when the ground is not able to absorb all of the water that comes down during a rain shower. Many properties are purposely designed so that excess water will drain straight to the street or to a storm drain that is installed in the yard. This rain runoff is a source of extra water that you can use in your garden instead.

If runoff water collects in a low spot in your yard, you can take advantage of that by planting your garden in that spot. Assuming there is enough sunlight for your vegetables, and assuming the water sinks down into the ground at a reasonable rate, this low spot can be an ideal way to ensure your garden is continually supplied with water.

If the runoff section of your yard is not ideal for growing vegetables, you may be able to redirect the extra water towards your garden instead. You can dig a trench for example, that leads from the runoff spot to your garden bed.

Depending upon where you live, you may need a permit before you are allowed to dig a trench. You may also have to contact the gas or electric company to determine whether the area is safe for you to dig in.

A runoff trench does not need to be extremely deep if your yard is somewhat level. Simply dig the trench a few inches down and expand it from the runoff collection spot to your garden bed. Level the trench as needed until the water flows freely from one location to another. Once you have the water flowing correctly, line the trench with small decorative pebbles or woodchips to prevent debris build up.

Capturing extra rain water, re-directing excess water that usually leaves your property, and utilizing household water that normally gets wasted down the drain are all excellent ways to supply more water to your garden. Each way is either free or very inexpensive to implement, and each helps you maintain a reasonable water bill while still supplying plenty of water to your gardens during dry spells.

Learn more about the pros and cons of too much or too little water in the book: Vegetable Gardening 101.

About Vegetable Gardening 101

Imagine stepping out your kitchen door earlier on a summer morning. The sun is brilliant, the air is moist and fresh, and the heat hasn’t yet begun to build. You wander through your own special place… the garden. And what do your wondrous eyes behold? A fat, juicy, red tomato! Green beans, fruit that looks ready to burst and more.

For some of us, there is just nothing greater than growing food right outside the door.

Each year, thousands of people try their hand at growing food for the first time. Food that you grow at home is the freshest you can get. There is no time delay between picking it and eating it. The food is more nutritious because you harvest it right at the perfect time.

Growing your own food means that you can make sure there are no chemicals and harmful toxins making their way onto your plate, or the plates of your children.

Growing vegetables can be fun and rewarding, but it can be challenging too. When you’re not sure what you’re doing you may find that you have an 80 percent or higher failure rate the first time.

Practice and learning are part of the fun for adults and children alike. And the old saying rings very true here: Practice makes perfect.

This book is designed to help give you a beginner’s edge. If you’ve never grown vegetables before, you will welcome the wealth of information available here. Unlike many gardening books, this one focuses on explaining the basics. We keep everything as simple as we can so that you’re not feeling overwhelmed before you even put a seed in the ground.

I believe whole heartedly in experimenting and having fun with gardening. Some may argue that successful gardening is a science, but I firmly believe that you should be able to have fun and have success without having to first get a botany degree.

Here is the full list of topics covered in this user-friendly ebook:

Introduction

On Climates

On Perspective

Before You Grow…

Choose the Best Location

Play in the Dirt

Growing veggies

Pick Your Favorites

Plan Your Space

Seeds or Seedlings

How to Plant Starter Seedlings

How to Plant Seeds

Gardening Challenges & Solutions

Diseases & Pests

Strategic Planting

Water Management

Rainwater

Gray Water

Runoff

Pros & Cons of…

Weeds

Water

Mulch

Chemicals

10 Popular veggies

Tomatoes

Lettuce/Greens

Cucumber

Onions

Carrots

Squash

Melons

Corn

Beans

Potatoes

Others

Buy the Kindle version on Amazon

Other Books You’ll Enjoy Include:

         Raised Bed Gardening 101

         Scratch Breads: Easy Homemade Breads & Sweets

         Disaster Preparedness Basics: How to Prepare for Natural Disasters and Emergencies

         Other Titles…

Copyright

This electronic booklet is copyrighted ©2012 Kathy Burns-Millyard. All rights are reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, photos in this book are ©2006-2012, Kathy Burns-Millyard.

This book may not be disassembled, decompiled, changed, copied, or otherwise taken apart for other uses. The photos are for the editorial purposes of this publication only, and are not licensed for any other use online or off.

You may not give this book away, share it with others, sell it, or otherwise distribute it without the proper authorization. Authorization is only available directly from the author.

Small excerpts may be used for reviews and commentary.

This book is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing contained herein should be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathy Burns-Millyard

I'm a professional freelance writer, stock photographer, and online publisher who has an avid interest in gardening, photography and herbal remedies.

I've worked from home since 1997, and I've written thousands of articles, reports, guides, technical manuals, ebooks and more over the years. In late 2008 I decided to start putting some of my work into Amazon Kindle EBook form.

Hundreds of my articles can be found across the web, and several are in the archives of print magazines such as Wireless Week and Entrepreneur.

Topics I enjoy writing about include small business, online marketing, affiliate programs, technology, health and herbal remedies, hobbies and crafts, gardening, home decorating, and photography.

As of spring 2010, I live off the grid on seven acres of land not far from Tucson, Arizona.

You can find more of my work online at my main website: ElectronicPerceptions.com

Thank You...

Thank you for buying this Kindle EBook. It is one of several I've published in this format and I have many more available on Amazon. If you have a moment and found this guide useful, please take some time to leave your comments and reviews at the Amazon Kindle book website so that future buyers can benefit from your thoughts and opinions.

Also See:

         Raised Bed Gardening 101

         Digital Photography Basics: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Great Digital Photos

         DIY Home Decorating: Weekend projects, tips and tricks that fit your budget!

         Mother Nature is Pissed! How to Prepare for Natural Disasters and Emergencies

         Other Titles…

Table of Contents

Introduction

Gardening Challenges & Solutions

Diseases & Pests

Strategic Planting

Water Management

Rainwater

Gray Water

Runoff

About Vegetable Gardening 101

Copyright

About The Author

other books