Episode 110 Garden Basics

Garden Basics.  To learn more visit cherokee.ces.ncsu.edu.

For Cherokee County residents with questions about gardening, farming, and other information visit go.ncsu.edu/agentassist. 

Transcript

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Douglas Clement 0:01

Welcome to the Grow and Graze podcast. I'm Doug Clement with NC Cooperative Extension in Cherokee County for some tips on gardening. So today we will be reminding you of the three basic needs to grow a garden and some tools you can use for success. One of those items is sunlight. Sunlight is necessary for the growing of the plant and for the growing of the fruit. So it is essential that you know how much sun you're getting and where that sun is at in the garden situation. So spend a day. Or even better, a few days observing how the sunlight falls across your potential garden area. Note the times when different parts of the garden are in direct sun, partial shade, and in full shade. Consider how shadows from the buildings, trees, and other structures move throughout the day and take something and mark those areas that are getting full sun and also partial shade. The other thing that you need to consider when you're looking at sunlight is the growing season. Remember that the angle and intensity of the sunlight change throughout the year. What might be full sun in the summer could be partial shade in the spring or fall due to the sun's lower angle or the leaf cover on the trees. The other thing you need to think about is to match plants to the light availability. Choose plants that match the specific light conditions of your garden. Different plants have different light requirements. So you need to look and see where you're getting full sun, which is usually about eight hours of direct sun per day. Partial shade, which is six to eight hours, and full shade, which is usually you are getting less than six hours of direct sun. Now if you want some tools that will help you determine these things, the best one you have is your eyes. It's the most crucial tool that you have and observe where the sun is located. Make notes, or even take some photos at different times during the day to track sunlight patterns. Another thing that you can use is a light meter. Some people call them luxe meters. They're not necessary for basic gardening, but the light meter can provide you some measurements of light intensity and they can be helpful for more precise planning, especially in those partially shaded areas. And finally, compass. Knowing the orientation of your garden, whether it's north, south, east, or west, can help you predict sunlight patterns. South facing areas generally receive the most sun. Another thing that is essential in growing a garden is water. And unless you are growing in an environment that allows you to control rainfall, such as a greenhouse or high tunnel. You need to monitor the moisture and add water during dry periods. Some ways to understand your soil water retention are things like a percolation test. You can simply dig a hole or a few holes in your garden about one foot wide and one foot deep, and fill them with water. Let it drain completely. And then refill them again and observe how long it takes the water to drain. If it drains very rapid. That indicates a sandy soil which may dry out too quickly. Slow drainage suggest a clay soil that can retain too much moisture. Moderately quick drainage is the ideal situation. Observe after rain. Notice how quickly puddles disappear after a rain event. Prolonged puddling indicates poor drainage. Consider rainfall patterns. Be aware of your local rainfall patterns throughout the year. The North Carolina Extension Handbook and local water resources can provide average rainfall data. And finally, look at the plant health. Wilting plants can indicate drainage problems, either too much or too little. Yellow or stunted growth can also be signs of improper watering. Some tools that you will need, of course, a shovel or a trout to dig those holes for the um, percolation test. Rain gauges would be really helpful in your garden. One rain gauge that would help you determine how much rain you're getting. Uh, will help you determine when supplemental watering is needed. And finally, one of the best ones that I like to use that is available is your hands get to know how your soil feels at different moisture levels. More soil should feel cool and slightly damp, but not soggy. And the last one that. Would like to mention is nutrients. Every garden needs to have the right amount of nutrients to be successful, and there's really no shortcuts on how to determine this. The best way to do it is by doing a soil test. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has a soil testing service in North Carolina. We have kits in our office that can be picked up along with instructions on the proper method in taking soil samples and understanding the results. This is your best and most accurate way to have the correct nutrients for a garden and observe plant health, just like we mentioned with water. This is not a substitute for soil testing, but plant health can offer clues about nutrient deficiencies or excesses. So the things that you need to determine nutrients are, of course, the soil test kit. Contact your local North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office for information on how to obtain a soil test kit and how to send those samples off to the lab. This is the most accurate and the recommended way to find out the nutrients in your soil. The observation skills is really important too. Uh, you can learn to recognize common nutrient deficiencies, uh, in plants, uh, but always confirm with a soil test before making any significant amendments. So if you'll think about those three things when you go to garden this year, if you'll think about sunlight, water, and nutrients that will help you be more successful in your gardening. I would like to thank you for listening to the Grow and Grays podcast. More in depth information on taking soil samples can be found at cherokee.ces.ncsu.edu. You can visit or call our local county center for more information and the Cherokee County residents can visit go.ncsu.edu/agent assist to learn more and to ask a question related to your garden situation. While you're at our website, sign up for our monthly newsletter. It's timely and comes out monthly. So thank you once again for being with us and we will catch you on the next podcast .