Gardening

Hello gardeners! This weekend, our family at Oak Hill Farm & Stables started our annual garden. We planted a variety of vegetables, including pole beans, watermelons, lettuce, carrots, pumpkins, cucumbers, onions and bell peppers.

We purchased our seeds at Brawley Garden Center (https://www.brawleygardencenter.com/) in Mooresville, NC, which is a great old place to purchase seeds and plants. The weather was beautiful, and we are looking forward to watching our garden grow and enjoying the produce. To grow a successful garden, there are some important steps to remember.

1. Soil needs nutrient improvement

2. Till the ground

3. Make sure plant spacing is correct

4. Have a plan for weed prevention or reduction

5. Irrigation is a must

6. Plan the harvest date

7. Plan how to preserve your crop

Soil Improvement

We used horse manure and rabbit manure from the farm to supplement the soil- all organic.

Soil Compaction

We rented a tiller from Lowes for $60. ( https://www.lowes.com/l/shop/rental ) This is much cheaper than purchasing and maintaining a tiller. But, we are considering purchasing a used tiller if we can find one under $200.

Plant Spacing

I used this guide from UGA Extension (https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension-county-offices/forsyth-county/anr/vegetable_chart.pdf) to help with the row spacing, which was the main information we needed.

Weed prevention/reduction

We put down landscape fabric purchased from Lowes Home Improvement store to help with weed prevention. The cost was $30. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwest-Boulder-Stone-Commercial-Grade-Weed-Fabric-Professional-Landscape-Fabric-Common-3-ft-x-50-ft-Actual-x-50-ft/5013266349

Irrigation

We set a a sprinkler system with timer. The cost was $35 from Lowes for the timer- well worth the savings in labor!

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-1-Output-Port-Digital-Hose-End-Timer/50329571

Harvest Date

We used the vegetable chart from UGA Extension. Setting a reminder in your phone is also a good idea.

 (https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension-county-offices/forsyth-county/anr/vegetable_chart.pdf)

Preserving the Crop

The plan is to use the tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers to make pasta sauce and hot salsa, since our family eats these often during meal time.

Remember, gardening can be a fun and rewarding activity, but it requires proper planning and care. Happy gardening!