Growing a SelfSufficient Garden

1

• Chapter 4

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Growing a Self-Sufficient Garden
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Meeting the needs of the plants

• Ample air, sunlight, and room to grow
• Soil and air temp
• Enough water
• Right nutrients

4
Weed fighting strategies

• Weeds germinate faster
• Grow faster
• 1 cubic inch of soil can hold 5,000 weed seeds
• Deep wide-beds are best

5
Cold frame

• Give cole crops a head start by letting them get
  started

6
Hoes for weeding

• Swan hoe
• Colinear hoe
• Cape cod weeder
• Keep them sharp
• Stirrup or scuffle hoe

7
mulching

• Organic, straw, hay, grass clippings, pine
  needles, leaves or bark. Cardboard or non-colored
  newspaper
• Plastic- black, clear,
• Living- lettuce in among corn, carrots, beets

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Organic mulch

• Moisture conservation
• Soil temp
• Nutrient content
• Soil ph

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Fertilize

• Plants need constant nutrient supply
• Do not overfeed in the spring
• Balanced nutrition

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Compost Tea

• One bushel of finished compost into 20 gallons of
  water in a plastic garbage can. Let it brew for
  4 days, agitating 1/day.
• Can also use rotted manure

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Water friendly garden

• Loose soil
• Water permeable
• Soil dwelling organisms
• More water storage
• Transfer of nutrients

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Why mulch?

• Conservation of water
• Cool soil
• Soil warm
• Additional nutrients
• Living mulch

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Guidelines for watering

• Germinating seeds
• Seedlings
• Mature plants
• Time of day
• How to water

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Ways to water/tools

• Water can
• Watering wand
• Nozzles
• Water timer
• Rain gauge
• Moisture meter

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Irrigation systems

• Drip system
• Soaker hose

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conclusion

• Water, nutrients, mulch are very important to the
  health of your plants