First Spring Session: Vegetable Gardening in Raised Beds
March 21, 2014 - After a snowy winter season, there was a refreshing break in the weather for the first session of spring Garden Club. The gardeners enjoyed snack and playtime together in the warm sunshine. They next turned their attention to the raised garden beds, where Mrs. Regina gave them a refresher lesson in transplanting: dig a hole to fit the roots and potting soil, gently remove the plant from its container, tickle the roots, place the plant in the hole, and tuck it in by firming the soil around the roots. The gardeners transplanted strawberry plants, as well as cabbages, and after a quick lesson in how deeply to plant seeds, planted beet and spinach seeds.
Three Seeds DeepMost vegetable seeds will grow in soil, but how deeply should seeds be planted? Mrs. Regina shared that the rule of thumb is to plant three seed-widths deep. She also explained how to check seed packets for suggested placement, spacing, and sun and water requirements.
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Tickle the RootsA plant that has spent its early days in a container will grow roots to the shape of that container. By gently tickling the roots after removing the plant from its container, a gardener can encourage the plant's roots to spread out once planted in the garden. Tucking in the plants by gently pressing on the soil helps get rid of air pockets that lead to destruction of the root hairs.
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