Rooting for You—Tips and Tales for Great Gardens

Quick Fixes for Veggie Garden Goofs

Vegetable gardens are popping up everywhere—from the White House to neighborhood front lawns. But if enthusiastic gardeners experience failure, this heightened green interest could go the way of pet rocks. So I turned to my friend, Rose Marie Nichols McGee, owner/ president of Nichols Garden Nursery in Albany, Oregon—and a seasoned gardener for almost forty year—to help me nail the most common vegetable garden mistakes. Rose Marie, who blogs at nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com\, named these top three errors with edibles.

1.Putting warm-season vegetables in cold soil. While peas, broccoli, cauliflower or greens are happy growing in cool conditions, the traditional summer plants—beans, corn, squash, peppers and tomatoes—need to be kept in your greenhouse or under lights until the soil warms up. Even with a run of mild temperatures, soil warmth lags behind. My favorite tool for knowing the exact moment to plant out heat lovers—a soil thermometer. And then watch out—all the neighbors will want to borrow it.

2.Sowing seeds too deeply. The rule here is that the soil should not cover the seed deeper than the width of the seed itself. Large seeds like corn or peas can be gently pressed into the soil to the depth of their size. Small seeds like carrots or beets should be dusted with a fine sprinkling of soil. To retain water for germination, Rose Marie creates trenches with her fingers—bigger rills for corn, or small depressions a half-inch deep for carrots. When the first green shoots appear, you can backfill the depressions, tucking soil up around the burgeoning plants.

3.Not thinning plantings. Pulling up hopeful plants can feel like murder—or just plain tedious. However, whether it's trees or beets, no plant grows well fighting for nutrients, light and air. Rose Marie says even cut-and-come-again greens should be at least an inch apart. Trust the spacing suggestions on the seed packet or plant encyclopedia. Use thinnings for stir-fry, or as green material in your compost.

Disappointments in the garden are part of the green process, Rose Marie assures me. "That's why there are so many seeds in the pack," she says. "You can always go back and sow again." Also, follow nature's lead and diversify your plantings. If the corn doesn't produce, you've always got squash. Above all, don't stress when plants go south. As Rose Marie points out, "Vegetable gardening should always have a fun-factor."

RECIPE FROM ROSE MARIE: When bok choy, broccoli, kale and mustard produce flowers, pick the blooms, wash and chop them, and pop into a hot skillet with olive oil and garlic—a yummy stir fry in a few minutes.

MK'S TIP: When moving out greenhouse veggie starts, take the time to harden them off. Bring them out in the day, and return them to protection at night. A few days of back-and-forthing, and they'll hit the ground running.

Mary-Kate Mackey writes and gardens in Eugene, Oregon.

To Know more about Greenhouses and Tips and Tales for Great Gardens and Greenhouse visit: http://hartley-greenhouses.com