A Time to Grow
By: Scott Welborn
Something is going on in our country to make us think seriously about being self reliant. Now I could speculate on the political and economical aspects causing this phenomenon but I will leave that to others. The cause is truly irrelevant but I've seen the effect of it in a profound way. I recently held a vegetable gardening workshop that was so popular that nearly 100 or your fellow citizens attended. These folks have taken the first step to being able to provide food for their families right from their back yards. The tools and techniques that they have learned will get them off to a great start and make their gardens extremely productive.
Vegetable gardens have long been a staple in American life. It's only since the end of WWII that people began to rely more on imported food to grocery stores than on their own supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. This trend has led us to a point where we are vulnerable to any disruption of this supply. It is truly refreshing to see the resurgence of those wanting to start their own small backyard vegetable garden. A small garden can produce more food than one might think and it is worth the time and effort to establish and maintain.
The key to growing quality produce is good soil. Now, I know virtually none of us have excellent soil but that is something that we can fix. Soils come in several forms but most of us in this county have clay. Clay can be hard to work with and it should absolutely not be worked when it is wetbut it holds a vast amount of nutrients ready for exploitation by our crop's roots. The trick is getting the soil to give up the nutrients, and the way we do that is to adjust our Ph level. Ph is the measure of the acidity that is in our soil. In Davidson County, our soils are inherently acid. That means that on a Ph scale of 1-14 where 1 is extremely acid and 14 is extremely alkaline, we are in the 4-5 range. In general, garden plants grow best when the Ph range is between 5.5 and 7. When the Ph is in the proper range, the plants in our garden can gain maximum use of the soil's available nutrients. When planning a garden, assuming you have decent drainage, obtaining the proper Ph is one of the most important steps to take in order to be successful.
If you have ever considered starting a backyard garden, now is a great time to start. With external factors making our continued food safety uncertain, it's time to assess your ability to sustain your own fresh food supply. As I've stated before, begin with the soil and work your way up. By preparing your soil in the proper way, you can prevent 80% of your future problems. Do something great for yourself, your family and your community. Grow a vegetable garden.
For more information on vegetable gardening please contact Scott Welborn with Davidson County Cooperative Extension 336-242-2087or by email .