May 27, 2020  •  7pm  
Build a veggie garden:
The 2020 Victory Garden
viaZoom, for HWGC members
Backyard Gardeners lead us through the building of a veggie garden in the spirit of past wartime victory gardens:
What to plant, how to plant it and tips to make it a successful garden to provide lots of veggies in the summer months.

Included were tips and tricks for successfully growing your own food and thriving in unusual spaces and difficult times. This 1-hour Zoom session covered basic questions: How do you prepare a bed to grow vegetables? Which plants have the highest food yield? How do you efficiently organize a garden bed? How do you keep out unwanted critters? 
 
Our presenter was Lara Lepionka, Founder and Executive Director of Backyard Growers. Based in Gloucester, Backyard Growers provides resources and support to establish vegetable gardens at homes, housing communities, non-profit organizations, and public schools, and offers accompanying programs and initiatives that promote a love of fresh, local produce.

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backyardgrowers.org
squarefootgardening.org

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Quick notes from Backyard growers presentation:  
Why a raised bed? 

• ground soil has contamination with lead sometimes 
• soil in a raised bed is new material and safe 
• easier on the back, 
• warm earlier and later, 
• no soil compaction, 
• put it where you want it, 
• weed control, 

Constructing the bed:

• make the bed out of untreated Spruce or Cedar, 
• 4 feet at the widest so that it is accessible all around
• use landscape fabric at the bottom, 
• place it in a place where it gets full sun 6 to 8 hours, or shade for leafy vegetables and brassicas, 
• proximity to water is simple and not a barrier

 Soil:

• ask at Brick Ends for the appropriate soil for veggies -  super loom mix with compost is best as straight compost is too rich with phosphorus 
• maintain soil health by topping 1 - 2 inches with compost each year
• mulch for water retention 
• plan to cover crop in September, 
• water at the base of the plant and a gentle flow, put finger in and if wet up to knuckle is OK, 
• when watering, don’t get leaves wet as it promotes sunburn and mildew

Planting:

• Plant in squares instead of rows: see ​square foot garden cheat sheets for planting guides 
• create a grid, 8X4 equals 32 ft.², 
• list veggies you want to eat, 
• place tallest plants on the north side or in the back, 
• trellis to the back and use for pole beans, peas and cucumbers,
• Place plants in several areas so if one gets eaten, you have another
• Insects will come if a plant is stressed; water and mulch help

For maximum yield:

• do succession planting, 
• April leafy cool season cut & come 
• carpet seeds, 
• tomatoes need 2 x 2‘ square, 
• lettuce first then insert tomatoes into lettuce till it’s too warm for the lettuce, 
• stagger planting, 
• harvest in waves, 
• choose cost-effective choices which allows you to grow more efficiently, 
• avoid crops with vines or things that take up a lot of space,
• plant nutrient dense foods like dark leafy greens, kale, potatoes with high carbs, squash not so much,

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