Prime Time Monthly | Page 13
PRIME TIME
What’s In Your Garden?
April 2017
13
(continued from previous page)
provide enough growing area for an
average family,” she said. “Though
a well-maintained vegetable garden
can be a lot of work, the outdoor
exercise will mean better health for all
involved.”
Here is summary of NMSU’s
eight-step plan for a successful
vegetable garden, which can be seen
in its entirety at http://aces.nmsu.edu/
pubs/_circulars/CR457/:
1. Know Your Climate
The types of vegetables that can
be grown in home gardens in New
Mexico are generally determined by
the length of the growing season.
There are three major growing zones
in New Mexico—north, central and
south—based on the average number
of frost-free days. Growing periods
for individual gardens within a zone
may vary as much as 20 days due
to microenvironments—variations
in elevation, site exposure, soil type
and air drainage. Higher elevations
generally have a shorter growing
season. However, because cold air
is heavier than warm air, it can drain
into valley areas. Therefore, gardens
in a valley in the spring tend to be
colder than those on the upper slopes
of the valley. Gardens with a southern
exposure tend to warm up sooner in
the spring than those with a northern
exposure.
2. Plan Before You Plant
When selecting the site for your
garden, make sure the soil is deep and
well drained. Hardpans (compacted
layers of soil) and caliche (layers
of calcium carbonate) near the soil
surface can become major problems.
Raised beds may need to be used if
drainage problems cannot be solved.
Most vegetables, whether grown in
short or long growing season areas,
prefer full sun. Vegetable gardens
should be located away from trees
that may shade the garden. Tree roots
may also compete for water and
nutrients.
3. Prepare the Soil
The ideal soil should be deep,
well-drained and fertile, and should
contain plenty of organic matter
and retain moisture well. Most soils
in New Mexico are low in organic
matter, and adding organic matter to
your garden soil will help improve
its structure. Adding organic matter
to a sandy soil improves both its
water-holding capacity and its cation
exchange capacity, or the ability of
the soil to retain nutrients for plant
uptake. Adding organic matter to clay
soils aerates these soils and improves
their drainage.
4. Fertilize for Optimal Crop
Production
Most New Mexico soils contain
sufficient potassium for good
vegetable growth, although it’s wise
to have an analysis of your soil to
make sure. Nitrogen is important for
vegetative growth, particularly in
leafy salad crops and corn. A nitrogen
deficiency will appear as an overall
yellowing, or chlorosis, of the older
leaves because any nitrogen moves
first to younger leaves. Phosphorous
is important for fruit and root growth.
Phosphorous deficiency generally
appears as a purple coloration of the
leaves.
5. Plant Your Garden
Plants can be established in the
garden either by direct seeding or by
transplanting. Planting seeds directly
into the soil where they will grow is
the easiest and most basic method of
starting vegetables in a garden. It is
also less costly in terms of both time
and money. Transplants are often
used in cooler areas where growing
seasons are short so vegetables have
more time to mature before the first
frost.
6. Water Properly to Improve
Yields
Because of our dry climate,
irrigation is essential in New
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Mexico’s gardens. Too little water
can induce plant stress, reducing
both quality and yield. However,
overwatering can cause root rots or
may cause plants to remain overly
vegetative rather than producing fruit.
A careful balance of providing the
optimal irrigation to plants as they
grow will prevent plant stress from
either under- or overwatering and will
contribute to healthy, high-yielding
crops.
7. Control Pests and Weeds
Pests (insects, birds, rodents, etc.),
diseases and weeds interfere with
the optimal growing conditions for a
specific crop. Controlling weeds with
herbicides is discouraged unless you
have a very large garden. The key to
controlling insects and diseases in
the garden is proper identification.
Publications on identification and
control of these pests can be obtained
from your local county extension
agent or online at aces.nmsu.edu/
pubs. Where possible, plant resistant
varieties and use good cultural
techniques to control these pests.
Harvest at the Correct Time
Knowing when to harvest
vegetables will help you get the
best quality. Many gardeners allow
produce to pass their prime, when
vegetables are less tender and more
fibrous. Refer to the table at http://
aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/
CR457/ to determine the best time to
harvest vegetables.
For more information and
lists of resources, visit http://
bernalilloextension.nmsu.edu/or call
243-1386. The NMSU extension
services are at http://extension.nmsu.
edu/.
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