GROW YOUR OWN FOOD

1. GROW YOUR OWN FOOD A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTORY COURSE December 7, 2013 Raluca Mocanu & Edward Wazer Shundahai Farm

2. Agenda Starting Requirements for Successful Growing 9:05-9:30 Sun Exposure (Ed) 9:30-9:55 Soil Fertility (Raluca) 9:55-10:15 Animal Management – Fencing & Rodent Problems (Ed) Preparing the Growing Area 10:15-10:40 Soil Preparation (Ed) 10:40-10:50 Break 10:50-11:30 Plant/Seed Selection, Planting Times, Spacing, Methods (Raluca) Ongoing Maintenance 11:30-11:45 Weeds (Raluca) 11:45-12:00 Insects (Raluca) 12:00-12:45 Lunch 12:45-1:00 Common Diseases (Raluca) 1:00-1:30 Water (Ed) The Harvest, Putting Garden to Rest, Resources, and Field Walk 1:30-1:45 Harvest Frequency & Storage Information (Raluca) 1:45-1:55 Putting garden to rest for the year (Raluca) 1:55-2:00 Resources (Raluca) 2:00-4:00 Field Walk – Tools, row covers, mulch, covercrops, seed spacing, etc.

3. Starting Requirements • Sun • Soil • Water • Animal Protection

4. Sun Exposure Help you Determine • Hours of sun your site will receive • Influence of time of year Questions to ask Yourself • What do I want to grow? • What time of year do I expect to grow? • Will I Cut Trees?

5. Sun Exposure N Understand Your Site • Where is North? • Are there trees around your garden site? • What will their impact be? • Are you on a slope? Assessing Garden Placement • Determine what your plants will experience • Face the sun at noon • Fall backwards • Stretch arms to side • E/W Sunrise at equinox E W S

6. Sun Exposure We’ll Look at arc and sun angle for: • June 21 – longest day of the year • April 21/Aug 21 – 2 months earlier/later • Feb 21/Oct 21 – 2 months earlier/later • Dec 21 – 2 months earlier/late – shortest day of the year

7. E N June 21st Summer Solstice Sun Exposure June & July • Sun swings a large arc • 15 hours of sun, 5:15am-8:30pm • Sun is almost directly overhead (72o) at mid-day • Trees East & West will have the greatest impact on your planting Growing Info • Most crops love June, but some crops won’t like the heat of July E W S

8. N Apr 21st / Aug 21st Sun Exposure April→May & Aug→Sept • Sun swings a large arc • 13.5 hours of sun • Sun is relatively high (61o) in the sky at noon • Again, trees East & West will likely have the greatest impact on your planting Growing Info • Excellent time of year to grow • Be careful of frosts through mid-May E W S

9. N Feb 21st / Oct 21st Sun Exposure Feb→Mar & Oct-Nov • 11 hours of sun • Trees in the arc from SE to SW will have the greatest impact on your growing • Sun low in the sky (38o) Growing Info • Slow growth, but can get a jump in the spring, and crops in the fall will hold on • Spring and fall will require plastic E W S

10. N December 21st Winter Solstice Sun Exposure December→ January • Only a small arc around due South is critical • 9 hours of sun • The sun is very low (25o) in the sky and trees to the South must be far away from the planting area Growing Info • Only a few plants will grow at this time of year; minimal growth occurs • Plastic covers required E W S

11. Sun Exposure Hours of Sunlight at different times of the year and different distances from a tree line

12. Sun Exposure Solar Radiation • Day length & angle of incidence impact • ⅓ to ½ energy available cold months relative to summer • Note that March & April are better than October High Growth Months Slow Growth Months

13. Sun Exposure Take home messages • If trees surround your garden and are 50 feet away or less – hot weather crops will not thrive • For late spring / summer season, focus on cutting trees East and West of garden • If you want to extend season into the fall, cut trees to the south • March and especially April get plenty of sun – plant early! • If shade is a fact of life: • check out Mother Earth News – Best Shade-Tolerant Vegetables By Colleen Vanderlinden http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/shade-tolerant-vegetables-zm0z11zsto.aspx

14. Sun Exposure Questions?

15. SOIL FERTILITY • What good soil looks like: • granulation (crumbly, stable), aeration (porous), water infiltration • Organic Matter, soil cover, soil biology are key • Soil tests: why, when, how to take? • Why: mineral levels, humus, indicative of biological activity • Soil contamination – Lead, Arsenic, other heavy metals? Test if suspected.

16. SOIL FERTILITY • Soil tests: why, when, how to take? • When: fall, before ground is frozen • Consistency is very important • How: Soil probe and follow instructions • Where we go: Crop Services International (CSI) • How often: yearly for first 3 years, then every other year

17. SOIL FERTILITY • Interpreting soil test results • Sample soil test report • Recommendations & consultation with CSI • Follow-up: • Order soil amendments from Fedco • Plan and follow a basic fertility program

18. SOIL FERTILITY Basic fertility program: what to apply, when • Broadcast rock powders to balance minerals • Compost for organic matter and to sustain biological activity • Liquid fertilizers: fish and seaweed to sustain biology

19. SOIL FERTILITY • Compost: important for organic matter and to stimulate biology • On new ground, start with ~1in. • Decrease in future years as humus level increases • Too little or too much compost can be problematic • Blue Slope 860 642 7084 – pick up with your own vehicle or small deliveries possible (delivery ~ $50 for 4yard truck) • Beltane Farm 860 208 2887 / Kato Corner 860 537 3884

20. SAMPLE SOIL TEST REPORT

21. SAMPLE SOIL TEST REPORT

22. SAMPLE SOIL TEST REPORT

23. SAMPLE SOIL TEST RECOMMENDATIONS

24. SAMPLE SOIL TEST RECOMMENDATIONS

25. SAMPLE SOIL TEST RECOMMENDATIONS

26. SOIL FERTILITY Questions?

27. Animal Management Fencing needed for… • Deer • Woodchucks • Rabbits • Raccoons Other furry pests… • Rodents: mice, moles, voles, shrews

28. Animal Management Deer – What you need • 8 feet fence recommended • 6-7 feet may work for small garden • Posts • Cedar • or Metal • Fencing • Plastic • or Metal • Gate

29. Animal Management Cedar Posts • buried 2½-3ft • (need 11ft pole) • Space 25ft apart • Posthole digger & metal bar best for digging hole • Time: ½ hour per hole • Cost: $15-25 per post • Where: Lou Chilly, Chaplin 377-0066, or craigslist

30. Animal Management Metal Posts • likely need two poles bolted together • bolt together after pounding in the ground • Support is needed, rope or cable to the ground to a metal bar • These supports are annoying (trip over, mow around)

31. Animal Management Metal Posts (continued) • Post pounder needed • sledge hammer destroys the post for bolting together • Space 10-15ft part • Time: 5 minutes per post • Cost: $8 per section (two metal posts) • Where: Mansfield Supply, Willard's, Thompsons, Mackeys, John’s scrap metal

32. Animal Management Fencing • Plastic (available from Mansfield Supply, Thompsons) • Advantages: • very inexpensive ($30 for 100ft X 7ft) • Fairly easy to install • Disadvantages: • deer may rip through it, can’t see it at night • Buttons of shirts always getting hung up on it

33. Animal Management Fencing (continued) • Metal – chicken wire or other metal fence (available from Thompsons) • Advantages: • Deer won’t get through • Keeps out woodchucks (if buried) • Disadvantages: • More expensive and harder to install

34. Animal Management Gate – Options • Make out of wood • Use chicken wire or finer mesh • Wood available from Willards, Mansfield Supply • Chicken wire or mesh from Mansfield Supply, Willards • or Chain link • Buy used from John’s scrap metal, off of Rt. 6 (Columbia) • No gaps at bottom, keep out woodchucks • Sill to prevent from going under

35. Animal Management Woodchucks, Rabbits, Raccoons • Woodchucks – Can be devastating to a garden • Rabbits – moderate pest, much less than woodchuck • Raccoons – known for eating corn (and killing chickens)

36. Animal Management Woodchucks, Rabbits, Raccoons • Keeping them out • Woodchucks will dig under fences • Need to bury chicken wire 1 ft deep around garden • Woodchucks and Raccoons will climb over • Wire should extend at least a few feet above ground and “sewn” with upper fence • Chicken wire from Mansfield Supply or Thompsons • Other Options for Woodchucks • Flush them out of their hole, deluge of water • Have-a-Heart traps • Easy to shoot with a .22 rifle

37. Animal Management Rodents: Mice, Moles, Voles, Shrews • Can be devastating to roots, tubers and even spinach • Solutions • Cats - we have little to no damage since getting cats • They must have access to the garden • Snap traps at rodent hole entrances • Dig a small trench at entrance holes • Use wooden traps with yellow “cheese” • Bait with peanut butter, re-bait every few days

38. Animal Management Questions?

39. Soil Preparation From Sod to Garden Soil • Goals • Kill sod, including quackgrass • Eliminate thick fibrous roots • Loosen subsoil • Different Methods • Double-digging • Mulch Coverage • Clear Plastic Burn • Mechanical Tillage • Raised Beds

40. Soil Preparation Double-digging • Process • Dig a trench the width of the garden, one foot deep, placing soil on surface or in wheelbarrow • Loosen soil at bottom of trench using spading fork • Expand the 1 foot deep trench, putting the new soil from the top 1 foot into the previous trench • Flop over sod, putting at bottom of 1 foot trench • Mix in compost at the same time • Continue for the entire garden area

41. Soil Preparation Double-digging (cont) • Pros • Best method for the long-term success of your garden • Can plant soon after • Con • A lot of work • Sources: John Jeavons: How to Grow More Vegetables

42. Soil Preparation Mulch Coverage • Process • Put 1 inch layer of manure or compost over garden area • Put 12 inches of mulch: leaves, hay or straw over garden area • Weed whenever something starts growing through mulch • Wait one year • Remove mulch and plant (do not incorporate mulch!) • Pros: • Very healthy for the soil • Minimal effort • Cons: • Takes one year • Sub-soil not loosened

43. Soil Preparation Clear Plastic Burn • Process • Lay clear plastic over garden area • Weigh down edges, tighter the better • Wait months • Loosen using a shovel, till lightly or mulch over winter • Pros: • Easy • Kills quackgrass • Cons: • Need to do at the hottest time of the year • Sub-soil not loosened

44. Soil Preparation Mechanical Tillage • Process • Put 1 inch layer of manure or compost over garden area • Till garden with roto-tiller • Wait 4 weeks, depending on soil structure, till again • Loosen soil with rake and Plant • Pros • Its fast and easy • Good growth first year • Breaks up sod • Cons • Causes soil compaction and damages soil structure • Sub-soil not loosened • Need to rent or buy tiller, or hire someone

45. Soil Preparation Raised Beds • Process • Build raised bed structure to desired height (8 to 12 inches) • Width of 3’ reasonable, length as much as desired • Bring in quality soil: mix of fill, topsoil and compost/manure • Pros • Excellent for wet soils, raised beds will stay drier • Can plant immediately • Weeds won’t encroach • Slightly less bending • Cons • A lot of work • Need to find uncontaminated soil • Bed barriers will rot, or you’ll need to use pressure treated wood

46. Soil Preparation Questions?

47. PLANT AND SEED SELECTION • How many plants and of what type? • consider growing area • yields • planting & harvest schedules • crop needs (trellising, picking, covering) • pests & disease • Make a week-by-week planting schedule • Plan to feed your family year-round from your garden

48. Week-by-week planting schedule (field and soil blocks) Field Map (bed ID, crop, dates)

49. PLANT AND SEED SELECTION • Sequential plantings for continual harvest • Hybrid vs. Heirloom: taste, productivity, vigor, seed saving • Seed Suppliers (none of these carry GM) • Johnny’s Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com) • Fedco (fedcoseeds.com) • High Mowing Organic Seeds (highmowingseeds.com)

50. PLANT AND SEED SELECTION • Seed Storage/Life • Cool, dry place (freezer) • Onions, parsley, parsnip – 1 year; 3 years for most other crops • When in doubt, use new seed • Inoculate seeds for improved plant health & yields: • Myco Seed Treatment (mychorrhizal fungi-covers for veggies and legumes; Fedco $50) • Garden Combination Legume Inoculant $5 (Rhizobium bacteria - Johnny’s and Fedco)