Home gardening continues to grow in popularity. Arkansas gardeners can produce tasty, nutritious vegetables year-round. To be a successful gardener you need to follow a few basic rules and make practical decisions. Now is a good time to plan your garden, order your vegetable seeds and have your soil tested. Remember, soil tests are still free at your local Cooperative Extension Office.
Garden site selection
Gardeners may have little choice in selecting a garden site, but the garden site is extremely important. Many garden sites do not have the deep, well-drained fertile soil that is ideal for growing vegetables. If yours is one of them, you will need to alter the soil to provide good drainage and aeration. If you modify certain cultural practices and select the right crops, almost any site can become a highly productive garden.
Arkansas soils range from coarse sands to heavy clays. Each presents a special situation to the gardener. The type of soil is an important consideration, if there is a choice. Sandy loam or loam soils are well adapted to vegetable production. Vegetables can be grown on heavier soils if they are well-drained.
Clay particles are smaller than sand and become quite hard when dry. They are usually productive if they can be managed properly. Material such as sand, finely ground bark, vermiculite or perlite can be added to clay soil to improve soil conditions and provide better air space for roots.
Composted organic matter and organic mulching materials also help. On the other hand, sandy soils are quite workable, but do not hold water or fertilizer nutrients as well as clay soils. Adding large amounts of organic matter, such as organic compost and manures, will greatly improve the nutrient and water holding ability of these soils. Organic matter that is not well-composted can be very harmful since the rotting materials will compete for nutrients with the growing plants.
Growing plants in raised beds is a logical choice for gardeners with heavy, poorly drained soils. Raised beds permit plant roots to develop in soil held above the water-logged or compacted zones. This provides a more optimum soil environment for root growth. As beds are built up, compost or other forms of organic matter may be incorporated, further improving soil structure, drainage and nutrient-holding capacity.
Crop selection
One of the first things you must do is decide what vegetables to grow. Plant the vegetables your family will enjoy most. You want to grow vegetables that return a good portion of nutritious food for the time and space they require. Vine crops, such as watermelons, cantaloupes, winter squash and cucumbers, need large amounts of space, but if you plant them near a fence or trellis, you may need less space for vine crops. Most crops require full sunlight or at least six hours. It is important to select the right variety of each vegetable. Between February and April, you can plant the following items: kale, leaf lettuce, mustard, peas, radish, spinach, turnips, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, endive, onions plants and sets, Swiss chard, and Irish potatoes.
If you plant the wrong variety for your area, you may not get a satisfactory yield no matter how much care you give the plants. Recommended varieties for Arkansas can be found at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension web site at http://www.uaex.edu under "Yard and Garden."
For more information on preparing your vegetable garden, call the Garland County Extension Office at 623-6841, email Allen at [email protected], or visit our website.
4-H
There are 4-H clubs for Garland County youth who are 5 to 19 years old. For information, call the Extension Office or email Linda Bates at [email protected].
EHC
Interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? For information, call the Cooperative Extension Office.
Master Gardeners
If interested in becoming a Master Gardener and would like information, the public is welcome to attend their meetings at 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Lake Valley Community Church; call the Extension office; or email [email protected].
Society on 01/22/2018