I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

moya wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

Then mulch it with about 10 inches of straw!

"Prof.Zooks" wrote in message ...
moya wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

Then mulch it with about 10 inches of straw!


I mulched my garlic with seedy straw, and now it looks like I'm trying
to raise a bed of fescue instead.

Mark

Yep needs to be "clean" straw. No seeds. Our community garden got a seedy
delivery one year and we all had to do fast spring germination and weeding.
We covered the beds with plastic in order to sprout the weed seeds...then
tilled them under.

"Mark" wrote in message
om...
"Prof.Zooks" wrote in message
...
moya wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

Then mulch it with about 10 inches of straw!


I mulched my garlic with seedy straw, and now it looks like I'm trying
to raise a bed of fescue instead.

Mark

On 17 Mar 2003 19:57:04 -0800, (moya) wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

I was tempted to say "there ain't no such animal," but if by "low
maintainence" you don't mean "no work," meticulous preparation will
help. Prepare the soil; mulch for weed surpression; erect supports for
plants that need 'em; arrange for easy irrigation; fence against
rabbits and deer, and give everything enough room. Stock up on
controls for beetles, catepillars, fungus, mildew, and birds. And
you'll still have to weed (some always get through).

What did you have in mind?

(Frogleg) wrote in message ...
On 17 Mar 2003 19:57:04 -0800, (moya) wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

I was tempted to say "there ain't no such animal," but if by "low
maintainence" you don't mean "no work," meticulous preparation will
help. Prepare the soil; mulch for weed surpression; erect supports for
plants that need 'em; arrange for easy irrigation; fence against
rabbits and deer, and give everything enough room. Stock up on
controls for beetles, catepillars, fungus, mildew, and birds. And
you'll still have to weed (some always get through).

What did you have in mind?

1) emphasize "perennial" vegetables/herbs/berries
2) use long lasting, apply-once, weed-free mulch. Plant through mulch
3) one manuring a year, compost directly on beds, medium fertility
mulch (wood chips)
4) drip irrigation with possibility of making it automatic when on
vacation
5) grow only disease resistant veggies which grow well in your area
6) electric fence for most critters, predator urine for voles, nuclear
bombs for gophers

On 31 Mar 2003 08:01:30 -0800, (simy1) wrote:

(Frogleg) wrote in message ...
On 17 Mar 2003 19:57:04 -0800, (moya) wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

I was tempted to say "there ain't no such animal," but if by "low
maintainence" you don't mean "no work," meticulous preparation will
help. Prepare the soil; mulch for weed surpression; erect supports for
plants that need 'em; arrange for easy irrigation; fence against
rabbits and deer, and give everything enough room. Stock up on
controls for beetles, catepillars, fungus, mildew, and birds. And
you'll still have to weed (some always get through).

1) emphasize "perennial" vegetables/herbs/berries

*Are* there any perennial veg? Well, I'm sure there must be, but the
ones I'm familiar with are annuals. This is something I always mention
about herb gardens -- one doesn't want to plow up the perennials, nor
try and replant annuals within a perennial bed and disturb those good,
productive plants.

Sure there are--asparagus being the prime example. Also horseradish and
rhubarb. Jerusalem artichokes may as well be, since once you have them, you
have them forever, and they should grow in their own dedicated patch.

Plus, some of the plants we think of as annuals, because that's how we
harvest them, are actually biennials. Things like carrots and parsley will
flower in their second year, set seed, then die. I like to let a few go to
flower, because they are so popular with the tiny beneficial wasps.

Cheers,
Sue



"Frogleg" wrote in message
*Are* there any perennial veg? Well, I'm sure there must be, but the
ones I'm familiar with are annuals. This is something I always mention
about herb gardens -- one doesn't want to plow up the perennials, nor
try and replant annuals within a perennial bed and disturb those good,
productive plants.

(Frogleg) wrote in message ...
On 31 Mar 2003 08:01:30 -0800, (simy1) wrote:

(Frogleg) wrote in message ...
On 17 Mar 2003 19:57:04 -0800, (moya) wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

I was tempted to say "there ain't no such animal," but if by "low
maintainence" you don't mean "no work," meticulous preparation will
help. Prepare the soil; mulch for weed surpression; erect supports for
plants that need 'em; arrange for easy irrigation; fence against
rabbits and deer, and give everything enough room. Stock up on
controls for beetles, catepillars, fungus, mildew, and birds. And
you'll still have to weed (some always get through).

1) emphasize "perennial" vegetables/herbs/berries

*Are* there any perennial veg? Well, I'm sure there must be, but the
ones I'm familiar with are annuals. This is something I always mention
about herb gardens -- one doesn't want to plow up the perennials, nor
try and replant annuals within a perennial bed and disturb those good,
productive plants.

Yes. All herbs are perennial, and that takes already quite a way down
the road. You can have a herb pesto with your store bought potatoes
nine months a year.
Here is a short list of perennial veggies for, say, Zone 6,

- asparagus
- jerusalem
- perennial chard
- good king henry

There are also annuals that turn into perennials if you have the
space. Arugula, tatsoi and mache turn up everywhere in my beds,
specially mache which by now has its own bed (in shade, where other
veggies don't make it ). They reseed so profusely that weeds are
outcompeted. A neighbor has a spot along the fence where she harvests
lettuce and cherry tomatoes every year. She only does a bit of
weeding, but they come back naturally. If you have the space, you
could have a lot of vegetation come up year after year. But the
production per sqft is low.

On 1 Apr 2003 10:29:08 -0800, (simy1)
wrote:
s.

Yes. All herbs are perennial, and that takes already quite a way down
the road.

Basil? Not a perennial in my climate.

Pat


--
Pat Meadows
In one of the colder areas of Zone 5.

On Tue, 01 Apr 2003 15:09:59 GMT, "SugarChile"
wrote:

Sure there are--asparagus being the prime example. Also horseradish and
rhubarb. Jerusalem artichokes may as well be, since once you have them, you
have them forever, and they should grow in their own dedicated patch.

Plus, some of the plants we think of as annuals, because that's how we
harvest them, are actually biennials. Things like carrots and parsley will
flower in their second year, set seed, then die. I like to let a few go to
flower, because they are so popular with the tiny beneficial wasps.

"Frogleg" wrote in message
*Are* there any perennial veg? Well, I'm sure there must be, but the
ones I'm familiar with are annuals. This is something I always mention
about herb gardens -- one doesn't want to plow up the perennials, nor
try and replant annuals within a perennial bed and disturb those good,
productive plants.

Right. Asparagus, f'r sure. And since my horseradish-in-a-pot is
putting up new leaves, I should have thought about that. I know about
parsley & carrots, but the OP asked about low maintainence veg, so I
was thinking of some variation on tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc. [My
carrots never got to 'biennial' at all. In fact, none reached
maturity. I thinned and ate and thinned and ate some more until the
last remaining one was only about 3" long. And then I ate it.]

In article , simy1@my-
deja.com says...
Yes. All herbs are perennial, and that takes already quite a way down
the road. You can have a herb pesto with your store bought potatoes
nine months a year.

Well, not all herbs, but most.

Here is a short list of perennial veggies for, say, Zone 6,

- asparagus
- jerusalem
- perennial chard
- good king henry

Also sorrel, rhubarb, and strawberries. Nothing like a good strawberr-
rhubarb pie :-).

--
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president or that we
are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic
and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Teddy Roosevelt

Larry Blanchard wrote in message ...

Here is a short list of perennial veggies for, say, Zone 6,

- asparagus
- jerusalem
- perennial chard
- good king henry

Also sorrel, rhubarb, and strawberries. Nothing like a good strawberr-
rhubarb pie :-).

Sorrel, you know, is a herb and is a green. Too sharp for salads, we
use it only in soups, pesto, and omelettes. I could eat potato-sorrel
soup any night of the week, though.

Larry Blanchard wrote in message ...

Here is a short list of perennial veggies for, say, Zone 6,

- asparagus
- jerusalem
- perennial chard
- good king henry

Also sorrel, rhubarb, and strawberries. Nothing like a good strawberr-
rhubarb pie :-).

Sorrel, you know, is a herb and is a green. Too sharp for salads, we
use it only in soups, pesto, and omelettes. I could eat potato-sorrel
soup any night of the week, though.

Mulch, mulch, mulch and some more mulch. as long as the mulch is organic, you
will be weeding and feeding at the same time.

susan

Frogleg wrote:

On 17 Mar 2003 19:57:04 -0800, (moya) wrote:

I'm interested in a low maintainence vegi garden

I was tempted to say "there ain't no such animal," but if by "low
maintainence" you don't mean "no work," meticulous preparation will
help. Prepare the soil; mulch for weed surpression; erect supports for
plants that need 'em; arrange for easy irrigation; fence against
rabbits and deer, and give everything enough room. Stock up on
controls for beetles, catepillars, fungus, mildew, and birds. And
you'll still have to weed (some always get through).

What did you have in mind?