A master gardener's tips
The word “organic” gets thrown around a lot these days. Products labeled as organic crowd shelves in every store, from clothes and shampoo to chicken and vegetables. But what does it mean to have an organic garden? Does it mean using only compost as mulch and eschewing all store-bought pesticides? What about fertilizers and weed barriers? The United States Department of Agriculture has a lengthy definition of organic agriculture that focuses largely on enhancing biodiversity and ecological harmony while limiting “off-farm inputs” and “optimizing the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.”
Master Gardeners of Summit County know a thing or two about the best ways to grow beautiful, healthy plants without destroying the environment. They are a non-profit affiliated with Ohio State University Extension in Stow promoting research-based horticultural practices for home gardeners. Jacqueline Kowalski, Extension Educator of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has great advice and strategies for maximizing your garden’s output while embracing nature’s imperfections.
“ We will never win against nature,” Kowalski says. “Even when we do help to control diseases and insects with pesticides, there still is a level of damage that we just need to embrace.”
Keeping in mind the inherent flaws of the natural world, Kowalski suggests that some forethought and focused attention can help you get the most out of your little patch of Eden.
Start with a good game plan
“ First of all, make sure your garden is in the right place,” Kowalski says. “Make sure it is in a spot that has all the characteristics vegetables need to grow without stress.” That means it must get full sun at least six to ten hours per day and have a soil bed that is loose, fluffy and able to drain as you apply water.
Then you’ll want to be thoughtful in selecting your plants, looking for what are called resistant varieties. “They tend to be more resistant than others to particular problems and diseases,” Kowalski says. Hybrid plants often fit the bill here. “Vegetable hybrids are not genetically modified,” she reassures, “[but] often are bred through traditional breeding to have resistance to certain diseases.” One example Kowalski cites is heirloom tomatoes (not a resistant variety) vs. celebrity tomatoes (resistant variety). “Celebrity tomatoes are easily found in [retail], and they tend to be resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, verticillium wilt, and some types of nematodes.” So if you’ve had those problems in the past, celebrity tomatoes would be a good choice for you.
Next, you need to consider proper spacing of your carefully selected plants. “Oftentimes, we try to put more plant in a space than is healthy for the plant,” Kowalski says. The moist, humid weather we typically get in Ohio creates an environment conducive to disease development. “By spacing them properly, more wind and more light gets into the plant canopy. The plant has less competition for water and nutrients.” Be aware that spacing correctly won’t completely eliminate diseases, but it can certainly help to slow down their development.
Finally, some type of mulch must be included in your garden plan. Kowalski suggests mulching with things like weed barrier, black plastic, straw, newspaper, or cardboard. “The advantage of those types of material is they’re creating a barrier between the soil and the leaves.” Some diseases and pests occur naturally in the soil. Rain or watering can splash spores from the soil up onto the leaves and spread the pathogens through the leaves. There’s no way to completely avoid these problems, but as Kowalski says, “by having that barrier, you can help delay the onset of certain diseases.”
Keep your head in the game
Once your garden is planned and planted, a few simple strategies can help keep it on track throughout the season, and for many seasons to come. Watering correctly is of utmost concern. “The best practice is to water in the morning, and at root level if at all possible,” Kowalski says. That pretty much means using drip irrigation, something Kowalski doesn’t see as often as she’d like in this area. “By using drip irrigation, you’re applying water directly to the root where the plant takes it up, and you’re keeping the foliage dry.” Moisture on the leaves of plants creates an environment that is conducive to disease. Watering at the root avoids that problem.
Next, Kowalski suggests rotating crop families to lessen or delay potential issues. “Plants in the same family tend to be affected by the same insects and diseases.” Learn which plants are most closely related, then aim for a four-year rotation to make it harder for insects to find their plant of choice and to avoid pathogen build-up in soil.
Finally, put some effort into end-of-season clean-up to ensure another great growing season. “A lot of people clean up their garden for aesthetics,” Kowalski says. “But the most important reason is to get rid of the plant material that could cause you problems into the next growing season.” Insects and diseases can remain in plant debris through the winter, so removing or tilling under unharvested fruit and spent plants is important for the future of your garden.
What bugs you?
Bugs might be the peskiest bane of a gardener’s work. Kowalski suggests three simple actions to help you manage your many-legged visitors and possibly coexist peacefully with them.
First, scout. “You have to get down to ground level,” she says. “You can’t just walk through and look at everything from the top because a lot of insects can kind of hide underneath the leaves.”
Next, think about it. “Once you start noticing harmful insects, you have to make a decision. You can pick them off, crush them, [or] you might use an organic or synthetic control.”
Finally, keep them out. Use something like a row cover—a spun cotton material—to exclude insects from your garden. This can limit damage from pests like cucumber beetles, for example, but it is not a perfect system. “The problem is when you take that cover off to harvest or to weed, they can still fly in there anyway, and sometimes they’ll multiply inside the cover,” Kowalski says.
Another good strategy is to know your “good” bugs—like ladybugs—from the “bad” bugs, like aphids. “You always need to have some of the bad insects present for the good bugs to eat, or the good insect will leave.”
Kowalski suggests placing plants or herbs that have small flowers in or near your garden to provide a habitat for those good bugs. Some examples are basil, thyme, sage and marigolds. “It’s not the smell of the flower, but they’re providing harborage for the good bugs to hang out and eat the bad bugs.”
More than anything, Kowalski stresses the importance of embracing the beautiful imperfections of nature and natural gardening. “Remember when your grandmother had an ear of corn, and if there was a bad edge she just cut it off and you ate it anyway? You’re going to have that.”
For more details on what “organic” means and how to transition to organic gardening, visit http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6220. And find great information on organic insect and disease control, as well as some non-synthetically derived products with insecticidal properties, at http://hortupdate.unl.edu/OrganicPestControl.
Keep it in the Family
Here are some of the more common families of plants that should be rotated every season.
Family name Members
Solanaceae Tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers
Brassicaceae Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, turnips, watercress
Cucurbitaceae Cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkins
Rosaceae Strawberries, raspberries
Ericaceae Cranberries, blueberries
Fabaceae Beans, peas, lentils, alfalfa, clovers
Liliaceae Asparagus, onions, leeks, chives, shallots
Lamiaceae Basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, mint
Chenopodiaceae Spinach, beets, chard
Apiaceae Carrots, parsnip, celery, cilantro, parsley, fennel
Asteraceae Lettuce, endive, artichoke, echinacea, sunflowers
Find more about plant families and rotating crops at
https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2906/2906-1393/2906-1393.html.