Tuesday, April 28, 2009

First what does a plant take from the soil

click to enlarge chart

I have a lot to share about gardening. It's hard to decide what will help the most. This is a bit of helpful information to get you ready for the longer posting I've been working on.

I loved Rebecca's garden, a TV show and web site all about gardening. It is gone now, who knows where Rebecca went and why she gave up passing along those wonderful gardening ideas but here is one of her great hints.

Everything you plant will take something from the soil and some plants will give back to the soil. If you know this chemical process for each plant you will help yourself grow the best food you can.

Study the chart and learn to what needs to be rotated

1) make a list of what you'd like to grow.

2) Put your list in their correct growing families

3) Keep the family groups together and rotate every year.

Remember each food family has different soil requirements which I will fully cover in the next posting. You must be sure to amend the soil to fulfill the needs of each kind of plant.

HINTS:

Nightshades heavy feeders: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes

Roots Light feeders: beets, onions, carrots, turnips, parsnips

Brassicas Heavy feeders: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts

Legumes Heavy givers: peas and beans

Vining crops heavy feeders: melon, squash, cucumbers

There are many other groups for vegetables see the chart below.

Rotating your crops will also cut down on bugs and disease

Compare your list of things to plant to the chart above.

How will you place your plants to make the best use of the soil?

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