THE ORGANIC GARDENER’S COMPLETE GUIDE

TO VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

FROM THE EDITORS OF RODALE PRESS

RODALE PRESS                 1982

PART I

Introduction

Where does the motivation come from to lug countless shovels full of manure, to endure the ache of winter-lazy muscles called upon to till soil in the spring, to patiently pick cabbage loopers from each broccoli plant in a 10-foot row? Ask one person why he gardens, and he may tell you he does it for the pleasure of plucking warm, vine-ripened tomatoes bursting with juice as he needs them, and for the almost sinful pleasure of sinking his teeth into hot, succulent kernels of corn that just ten minutes before were still out on the stalk. Pose the question to another person, and she’ll tell you in dollars-and-cents terms that gardening is an effective way to shave money off the family food bill. Ask a third person, and she will stress her concern about a consumer’s dependence on chemically treated produce shipped from miles away, and tell you how she is seeking to break away from this precarious, wasteful system of food distribution to become more self-reliant. And then there are those who will tell you that they garden as a form of relaxation and recreation. All these reasons underscore the fact that home gardening is becoming an increasingly popular and increasingly important activity.

And, as people become increasingly aware of the ramifications the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have on the environment as well as on the food they eat, the more organic gardening methods appear as a gentle and sane approach to safeguarding diminishing resources, the earth’s water supply, the health of the soil, and ultimately, the health of people themselves.

Between the covers of this book, you will find all the information you need to grow a wide range of vegetable and fruit crops by tried and true organic methods in your home garden. To help you make the best use of this book, here is a brief description of how the information is presented and how you can find exactly what you need to know.

The book is divided into two main sections, one dealing with vegetables, the other with fruits. Each of these sections is broken down into several chapters providing general information on such topics as garden planning, basic planting methods, and basic cultural techniques. If you’re new to organic gardening, you’ll probably want to read through the chapters in their entirety. If you’ve got some experience under your belt, you can skip the basic chapters on planning and zero in on intensive gardening, espalier and cordon training, and other techniques which may be new to you.

The heart of the book is its detailed coverage of 57 vegetable and 45 fruit crops. These are gathered together under the headings “A Guide to Vegetables for the Home Garden,” and “A Guide to Fruits for the Home Garden,” which follow the general chapters in their respective sections. In these Guides you’ll find specific advice on soil needs, spacing and planting methods, culture through the season, potential pest and disease problems, harvest and storage. To aid you further in your gardening endeavors, many of the fruits and vegetables discussed have an accompanying chart giving recommended varieties and their pertinent characteristics.

• This book was designed so that the general chapters would supplement the information given under the individual vegetable and fruit listings.

Your main concern as an organic gardener should be to continually work organic matter into the soil so that it can be broken down by soil microorganisms into a crumbly, dark substance known as humus. For a soil to be considered in prime condition, it should have a humus content of at least 5%. Humus is a critical ingredient in your soil because it combats leaching by holding nutrients in the root zone, counteracts the effects of a drought by holding water where plant roots can get to it, and keeps the soil well aerated. A soil rich in humus is the best possible medium for plant roots, and the most hospitable environment for the beneficial soil microorganisms and earthworms. A humusy, well-nourished soil encourages large numbers of these microorganisms to become active, which in turn helps control and ultimately eliminate soilborne diseases caused by fungi and other pathogens. Organic matter also has been found to act as a buffer between these helpful soil microorganisms and any toxic chemicals which may be present in your soil, as well as reducing the activity and movement of pesticides that may have seeped into your soil from elsewhere. And finally, humus encourages healthy plant growth, which keeps insect damage down.

Organic matter, referred to as the storehouse of the soil’s nutrients, also benefits the soil’s fertility level as it is broken down by microorganisms. One of the end products of decomposition is nitrogen in a form that can be used by plants. Organic matter also plays a key role in keeping phosphorus and potassium available in the soil in forms that can be used for plant growth. In this way, crops get the proper nutrients in the forms they can absorb, as they are needed. With a careful soil maintenance program, there is no feast-or-famine cycle of nutrients – they are always present, being released gradually.

As you can see, organic matter plays the starring role in maintaining a healthy, fertile growing medium for your fruit and vegetable crops. And healthy, abundant crops are nothing more than an extension of soil in good condition. Highlighted in the following pages are several aspects of a long-range soil management program that you should become familiar with. Once you understand these basic concepts or techniques, you’re well on your way to growing fruits or vegetables successfully the organic way.

Determining your soil type

The first step in managing your soil is understanding its basic character, and where it falls among the four main soil types: clay, loam, muck, and sand. All soil is made up of four main ingredients, and the actual mix of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter determines the water- and nutrient-holding capacity of the soil, and whether it is a well-structured growing medium for plant roots. A lab analysis can give you the exact proportions of these ingredients and pinpoint your soil type, but you don’t actually need to be that precise. You can find out all you need to know about your soil’s basic identity by bending over and picking up a handful. Rub it between your fingers and compare its texture with the descriptions given in the chart on Getting to Know Your Soil. Once you’ve identified your soil type, you can read about its basic characteristics, both good and bad, and what you can do to improve or maintain it.

Checking your soil’s pH

You can work copious amounts of organic matter into your garden and add appropriate amounts of rock powders in the belief that you are bringing your soil to the peak of fertility and good structure, but end up sabotaging your own efforts by a simple omission – failure to test your soil’s pH.

Soil pH is the term used to express the degree of acidity or alkalinity, and it is based on a scale of 0 (acid) to 14 (alkaline) with the midpoint of 7 indicating a neutral soil condition. The pH is an important element in the overall health and well-being of your garden, for it influences bacterial action, soil structure, nutrient availability and leaching, and the toxicity of certain elements.

In very acid soils (below pH 5), phosphorus becomes locked up in a form that is very unavailable to plants. Nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium have an increased tendency to leach out of overly acid soils. In addition, beneficial bacteria begin to slow down their work of turning organic matter into humus, adversely affecting soil structure. An acid condition can even prompt earthworms to move out of your garden to more hospitable ground. The incidence of the disease clubroot, which often strikes brassicas, increases in acid soils.

An overly alkaline soil (above pH 7.5) is no better. A high degree of alkalinity causes most of the trace elements, which are necessary for good plant growth, to be locked up and made unavailable to plants. An alkaline condition also breaks apart humus and in some cases causes a concentration of salts to build up to such levels that they become toxic to plants.

To find out where your soil stands along the pH scale, you must test it. There are a number of ways you can do this, ranging from commercially available do-it-yourself test-kits to sophisticated test meters. For a fee you can send soil samples to an agricultural experiment station (through your local extension agent) or to a private soil laboratory for a complete analysis.

• Your soil pH can change from season to season, and vary from one place to another in the garden.
• To safeguard the health of your garden soil, it is wise to test the pH three times a year – before planting, midway through the season, and after harvest.
• When you are collecting a soil sample, take small amounts from at least three or four locations in the garden so you get a good representation of your garden’s current pH status.
• Most vegetables and fruits grow best in soils with a pH between 6 and 7 (see the vegetable Guide and the Guide to Fruits for specific crop preferences).
• You can either grow those crops that are suited to that particular pH, or incorporate certain materials to change the pH to bring it to a level that accommodates a wider range of fruits and vegetables.

 

Composting