Providing information to help you live a Simple Country Life and be as self-sufficient as possible.
Planning your Vegetable Garden
I promise it is worth every ounce of the work nothing feels better than walking barefoot through freshly tilled soil that has been warmed by the sun or eating a tomato straight off the vine. You can almost taste the sunshine and rain it took to make it grow! My favorite part of raising a garden when my boys were little was having them there with me. They would love to watch the plants growing. I can still hear them running to tell me “Mom the green beans grew up last night”. It is a wonderful family project and I can tell you from experience the memories you make are treasures.
When I was growing up we used the horses to plow and till the garden. Our rototiller consisted of our two arms and a hoe. We spent the days working the garden and our mornings and evenings harvesting baskets of food. I can’t tell you how blessed I feel that we were taught that we could provide our own food and you will feel it too when you start planning your vegetable garden.
Things to consider when planning your Vegetable Garden
Sunlight --- When planning your vegetable garden remember your plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Good Soil – make sure the soil is Loamy (doesn’t have too much sand or too much clay allowing the water to not drain too slow or too rapid) A trick we used in land judging in the FFA to check clay content was to wet a handful of the soil and squeeze it and press it out into a ribbon with your finger and thumb it should ribbon out slightly then break. If it ribbons out easily it could contain a larger amount of clay and you may have drainage problems or it may become very hard and the roots of your plants will not be able to penetrate it and spread out or grow. Clay is very common in West Virginia. You can add organic material to help even out the consistency.
Example of loamy soil
- You can have the soil tested at your local Extension Agency to check the PH and fertilizer requirements
- Preparing your soil is so important. You need to clear away rocks and brush and then till the soil. Joe was telling me how his dad and him would take a shovel (spade) and turn the soil by hand. We have learned that if at all possible have the soil plowed in the fall. After plowing in the fall cover the garden with compost or manure. Then in the spring when you till the soil and prepare for your garden you have a nutrient rich soil ready to grow those tomatoes the size of a slice of bread.
How large do want your garden to be? - Remember it takes time and work to make your garden grow. You may want to start small and increase in size next year.
Deciding what to plant and when - We plant things we like to eat but it’s always fun to try something new. Just remember I would only try a small amount of the new plants it takes a lot of work and care to raise a garden so you don’t want to invest a lot in something and find you don’t like. Also, you can check with you local Extension Service to find out when to plant and what to plant in your area. WVU Extension office link for their planting calendar.
Are you going to use mulch or black plastic around your plants to help control the weeds or do it the old fashion way and pull or chop the weeds out with a hoe? You will have weeds, trust me, everything your vegetables need to grow will make the weeds grow also. Remember don’t use hay if possible use straw. I have learned the hard way you probably will introduce new weeds to your garden through the hay you use as mulch. Two layers of old newspaper is an economical way to mulch. I’ve done this and it works. You will need to place grass clippings or compost on top to keep the wind from blowing it away and it from drying out.
I think we are going to try black plastic this year. You prepare the garden roll out the plastic cut holes and place your plants. This method doesn't require hoeing, I am not lazy but was told to work smarter not harder, and requires less watering. Several people we know use this method and swear by it.
my cup runneth over.....Psalm 23:4-6
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Health benefits of going barefoot...
*** Just a little footnote… I am barefoot as much as possible and over the years I have been called a hillbilly, country girl and several other things because of it. Did you know that going barefoot is beneficial to your health? This is a link to the latest article I have read. I have read a lot about it over the years but to me it just keeps me “grounded” ha ha. I feel relaxed and comfortable with my feet planted firmly on the West Virginia soil. It is more of a spiritual therapy to me.
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This is a do it yourself soil tester.
