Transylvania County Successful home gardening Series Part 1: planning you home garden

What to expect from this series:

• Get you know your local Ag agent

• A focus on good healthy food for you and your family, and addressing the “food insecurity” situation in Transylvania County

• Sources for more information

• Become aware of the resources that are available to you locally

• Share and build on your experiences!

The hunger situation in Transylvania County

Today

• Why bother with a garden?

• Planning your garden

• Realistic expectations- how much to plant

• Soil tests

• Prepping your garden and sources of soil fertility

• Discussion and questions- Raised beds w/ treated wood? Row covers? Interpreting soil test results?

Planning your garden

• Make a map and consider the following:

• How annoying is it going to be to garden here?

• Walking distance, water, dogs, neighbors

• How much sunlight will it get (remember, Full sun means at least 6 hours of sun a day.)

• Slope? Soil type? Can you dig there???

Bart’s garden

Why raised beds?

• Much better control over soil fertility

• Dry out faster/ better drainage

• Less weed pressure

• Look better?

How much to grow?

Vegetable garden Guide: • Click here for the guide

Soil Tests

• Click here for info on soil testing

Image: Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M

How to do a soil test

• Rainy day? Watch Mr. Cliff Ruth do the hard work for us

Soil Fertility

Click here for information on fertilizing your garden to get ready for planting

Click here for more info on converting between chemical and organic fertilizer recommendations.

Interpreting your soil test results

• Remember that fertilizer recommendations are based on the crop that you submitted

Questions?

Contact the Cooperative Extension office at 884-3109 or email bart_renner@ncsu.edu