Grow Fruits and Vegetables like a Pro

Between the convenience of fewer grocery trips and the satisfaction of enjoying the fruits of your labor — literally — many at-home fruit and veggie gardens have taken root during the pandemic, and budding gardeners continue to pack nurseries.

“It’s increased from last year. Last year was a banner year,” says Tom Dayton, president and owner of Dayton Nurseries in Norton. “It augments people’s pleasure in life with good eating, so it makes perfect sense,” he says. 

Maintaining a produce garden takes a lot of care and planning. Dayton offers a few tips on how to have a successful harvest. 

TRY IT OUT

• Work the Ground

Just like us, plants need to breathe. It’s best to plant fruits and veggies in raised beds with a depth of at least 1 foot for water and air flow. 

“Raised beds will produce more than a nonraised bed because of the extra drainage,” Dayton says. “Roots need air.”

Fill the beds with organic matter like compost, cow manure or nutrient-rich sweet peet, which is a composted horse manure. To apply, spread on a 2-inch layer and use a rototiller to work it 6 inches down. 

“That will provide a slow-release nitrogen. The plants will do exceptionally well,” Dayton says. 

Before planting, also spray around beds with a glyphosate fertilizer like Roundup to control weeds. 

When planting heat-seeking produce, like peppers and tomatoes, wait for temps above 50 at night. It might be later than you think. 

“Many people think Memorial Day is the last day to plant a garden — that’s not true,” Dayton says. 

Because some of those types of plants can be lost to diseases, he recommends planting some around Memorial Day and then more two to three weeks later up until the Fourth of July. If you plant earlier, cover them on chilly nights with a frost blanket.

Potted herbs, like cilantro or basil, can be taken in the house if it’s cold and can also be purchased into the summer. Make sure your pot has drainage, and consider a Smart Pot that’s made of cloth for better aeration.

“They work better than a pot because the sun does not heat up the root so much,” Dayton says. “It provides more oxygen … for better growth.” 

• Nourish It

Newbies might want to water constantly. But plants need the opposite: Dayton recommends about one watering a week — two if it’s extremely dry. Plants in beds need a total of 1 inch of water weekly, and watering in the morning is best.

“If the foliage is wet at night, fungus problems can develop,” Dayton says.

When you first move your produce from containers into beds, water them every other day for a week to get them established. Potted plants, however, need watering every day. Water with a watering can or wand attached to a hose for a gentler spray.

Many fruits, veggies and herbs, such as strawberries and rosemary, are prone to diseases like powdery mildew and gray mold that looks like a white coating. The solution is the organic fungicide calcium chloride, which makes up ice melters like Dowflake. Dayton advises mixing 2 1/2 tablespoons into 2 gallons of water and spraying it on susceptible plants twice a week.

If some plants are disease-ridden, pull them out, so it doesn’t spread. Also, as weeds sprout, regularly hand-pull them.

In addition, spray an organic fertilizer like Plant-tone once a month. For potted plants, Dayton recommends a liquid fertilizer like Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 at a rate of 1 tablespoon mixed into 1 gallon of water once a week. Fertilizers help plants get nutrients.

“You would need to supply them with a low-level fertilizer, or they won’t produce,” Dayton says. 

• Eat Up

After putting in an entire summer of work, harvesting is rewarding. Every plant is on a different harvest schedule according to its care tag, so write it down to keep track. Tomatoes and peppers are ready when they turn a ripe color. Watch squash, cucumbers and beans carefully, as they are by your preference.

“You can take it at different stages according to your liking,” Dayton says. And be sure to thoroughly wash everything. 

The first few seasons will be trial and error, but enjoying your harvest is enough to keep many gardening. Dayton likes taking that first bite of something you grew yourself.

“It’s amazing,” he says. “I grew a garden and provided vegetables for sale since I was 12. It provides great pleasure.”

TO THE TEST

•  Learn what’s in your soil to best treat it. 

With the science of soil testing, know exactly what your garden needs. In the fall, do a university soil test, like the $15 Penn State University one at Dayton Nurseries in which you mail the university a soil sample. 

“The university soil test has what’s called the lime test index — that is the ability of the soil to resist change or its buffer capacity. You cannot get that in a home test,” says Tom Dayton, president and owner of Dayton Nurseries.

It also determines your soil’s pH, which is ideally between 6 and 6.2, as well as other measurements like phosphorus and potassium levels and tips on how to bolster its health.