- NONPROFIT SEED BANK FOR THE OZARKS-

Basic Gardening In the Ozarks

By Andy Read MU Extension, Phelps County

and Daniel Roth Director, Ozark Seed Bank

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Ozark Seed Bank Saving and Sharing Ozark Seeds

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If you are a beginning gardener, or if you are planting your first garden in the Ozarks, this guide is intended to help you. Here are some basic tips on the essential parts of gardening in the Ozarks such as soil, compost, mulch and the decision of what to plant and when.

Whether you consider yourself to have a “green thumb” or not, this guide should help you grow your own fresh food. One of the wonders of life is that with a little effort and patience, it is possible for anyone to grow their own vegetables.

Soil To a gardener, there is more to garden soil than meets the eye.

Soil is a complex “living” system made up of minerals, living organisms and organic matter. The mineral components of soils include gravel, sand, silt and clay. The living organisms in soil include thousands of living micro-organisms and larger life forms, such as worms and insects. Organic matter in soil is the decomposed and partially decomposed waste products or remains of plants or animals. Garden soil with lots of or-ganisms and organic matter will produce stonger, healthier plants.

Plant roots grow in the air spaces between soil particles. Soil with good “texture” will have a balance of coarse and fine particles to allow enough air spaces for root growth and water drainage. Gravelly soil has too MUCH air space and will dry out quickly. Because Clay soils are dense and compact easily, soils that are too high in clay will not allow for proper water infiltration and do not contain enough air space for plant roots and for soil micro-organisms to get the oxygen they need.

sandy soil

clay soil

gravel soil

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What Is Soil pH?

PH is a measure of soil chemistry. It indicates whether soil is “acidic” or “alkaline”. Soils with low pH levels are considered acidic. Soils with high pH levels are considered alka-line. Different plants thrive in different soil pH levels. Most vegetables grow best in a soil with a pH of about 6.5. Ozark soils (especially those in forest areas) are typically acidic. Agricul-tural lime should be applied to raise the soil pH.

“Store-Bought” Soil

In a garden supply store, you will see many types of soil and materials which look like soil. Here are some examples and their attributes:

Potting soil – used for house plants and seedlingsTopsoil- Adds nutrients and can improve texture of soilCompost – Adds nutrients and improves texture of soil

Peat moss- Improves texture of soil but contains no nutrients

Adding compost to the soil is the most important thing gardeners can do to improve the texture of native Ozark soils. Compost improves soil texture and provides lots of organic matter which plants need in order to be healthy and productive.

With a little effort, you can make your own compost. for more information see page 14

Choose a garden site that is well drained. Vegetable plants will not grow properly in waterlogged soils. Most Ozark soils should be amended with compost and lime prior to planting. A soil test is the only way to accurately determine The soil pH and nutrient content. Knowing the pH and nutrient content of a soil takes the guesswork out of applying the proper amount of soil amendments and diagnosing plant growth problems. Soil samples can be taken to a local University Extension office –located in every county- for a test.

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Start with Seeds or Start with Plants ?A vegetable garden can be planted using seeds or seedlings (often called “transplants”) started in a greenhouse. Each method has its benefits but in most cases gardeners will be more successful using transplants.

Transplants have a head start on weeds and will be more likely to out-compete weeds for light, water and nutrients. Mulch can be placed around plants at the time of transplanting which will greatly reduce the amount of hand weeding in the garden.

Germinating seeds and very young plants are more tender than transplants. Transplants are less likely to suffer from water stress due to their estab-lished root system. Germinating seeds and young plants are likely to die if the soil is allowed to dry out for even a brief period of time. Transplants become even more important for fall gardens because it is difficult to get seeds to germinate during the hot dry weather of the summer.

Using transplants is an economical way to extend the vegetable growing season. Many crops can be harvested as much as two months earlier by using transplants.

If you choose to start your own transplants start with a soilless planting mix. Soilless planting mixes are free of diseases and weed seeds and will not compact like garden soil. Plants should be kept moist but not water-logged. Young plants will need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. If necessary a fluorescent light placed six to ten inches over the plants will provide enough light for plant growth. Blow air across the plants using a fan set to a low speed. Air movement from a fan will reduce diseases and strengthen plant stems.

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MulchMulch is material placed on the earth around a plant to prevent the growth of weeds and to keep the soil from drying out. Materials com-monly used as mulch include: straw, leaves, grass clippings, and wood chips. Using mulch in the garden will save time spent weeding, con-serve water and reduce pests. A two to four inch layer of straw or grass mulch will hold in soil moisture and prevent the growth of many weed seeds. Organic mulches such as straw or wood chips improve the soil texture by adding or-ganic matter as they break down. Straw or lawn clippings make the best mulch for vegetable gardens that are tilled annually. Many garden-ers use straw and lawn clippings for mulch, and then mix them into their garden soil in the fall. Straw and lawn clippings will break down quickly when incorporated into the soil.

Wood chips or sawdust mulches work well for perennials like asparagus, rhubarb and brambles. Wood mulches will break down more slowly, and are not a good addition to garden soil, unless they are left on the soil surface. When wood mulches are left on the top of the soil they won’t compete with plants for soil nutrients as they break down.

grass clippings

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Irrigation

Using irrigation will significantly increase the amount of summer veg-etables produced in Ozark gardens. An irrigation system does not have to be complicated. Drip irrigation will lead to fewer diseases and maximize water usage compared to overhead watering from sprinklers or a hose. Soaker hoses are available at most garden centers. Purchase hose that is at least the length of your garden. You can then water one bed or row at a time and move the hose when needed. It is best to water in the afternoon when watering with a drip irrigation system like soaker hoses. Afternoon watering will reduce the amount of water lost by evaporation. Overhead watering should be completed in the morning so plant foliage dries quickly. If plants leaves stay wet for an extended period of time, they are more likely to be harmed by disease.Plants should receive about one inch of water weekly. The most impor-tant times for plants to have water is when they are first planted, when they are flowering and when they are just beginning to set fruit.

Rotation and Succession Planting

When deciding where to place crops in your garden, consider what was planted in each part of your garden the previous year. By planting each crop in a new location in your garden every year, you can prevent nutri-ent deficiencies in the soil and avoid some of the worst insect and disease problems. Planting your crop in a new part of your garden each year is called “crop rotaion”. Making smaller plantings of crops a week or two apart, rather than plant-ing everything at one time, is called “succession planting”. Succession planting will make a longer harvest time and decrease the chance of los-ing all of a crop to disease or insects.

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Container Gardening

Container gardens are an excellent way to produce food with limited space or when a gardening plot is not available. Nearly any type of container can be used to grow plants. Whatever type of container is used it must provide for drainage through holes in the bot-tom. If using a container without drainage holes, drill four to six ¼” holes in the bottom side of the container. Most vegetables will require at least a 6-8 inch deep container for proper root growth. Garden soil should not be used for growing plants in containers. Instead “soilless growing media” should be used. Soilless media is lightweight and will not compact like garden soil when used in a container.Soilless growing media is made up of three main components; sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Most soilless mixes also contain a wet-ting agent to insure even moisture levels. Most soilless mixes contain no nutrients although some mixes are available with nutrients already added. Be aware that heavy feeding plants such as vegetables will require addi-tional nutrients to remain healthy. Vegetables grow best in full sunlight. Heat loving crops like tomato, eggplant and cucumber require the most sunlight. Cool season crops like lettuce and spinach require less sunlight. All plants should receive at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Container grown plants will require frequent watering. Plants may require daily watering depending on temperature, wind and container size. Never allow containers to completely dry out. Fruiting plants such as tomatoes may abort their fruit and flowers when under water stress. Fertilization is best done with a water soluble fertilizer. Water soluble fertilizers can be dissolved in water and applied weekly when watering plants. Use a complete fertilizer such as 10-20-10 or 12-24-12. You can also use orgnaic soluble fertilizers like fish emulsion and kelp. Phosphorus is very important for proper fruit formation in vegetables so be sure to supply plenty of phosphorus.

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Crop Guide and CalendarAll crops have a time of year when they grow best. To get the best results, it helps to know when to plant your seeds or seedlings. The crop guide on the following pages includes several crops and the best time to plant them.

PeasSpring planting dates – Northern AR- 2/25-3/25, Southern MO 3/1-30, Central MO – 3/15-4/10

Peas are one of the earliest crops that can be planted in the garden. Plant peas in double rows spaced 12 inches apart. Plant seeds 1-2 inches apart and 1 inch deep in the ground. Peas require a trellis for support as they grow. Place the trellis between the two rows of peas and train both rows onto the trellis. Snap peas are the kind with edible pods. Snap peas should be har-vested when the pods are plump but before they become tough. Harvest garden peas when the pods are full but before the seeds completely mature.

RadishesSpring planting dates- Northern AR- 3/5-5/10Southern MO- 3/10-5/10, Central MO- 3/15-5/1 Fall planting dates- Northern AR- 8/1-9/5Southern MO- 8/1-30, Central MO- 8/1-25Radishes grow best in cool weather and are one of the easiest crops to grow. Radish seed should be planted ½ inch deep in rows that are 6-9 inches apart. As many as 18 plants per foot of row is acceptable. Harvest radishes when they are ¾-1½ inches in diameter.

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LettuceSpring planting dates- Northern AR- 3/5-4/25,

Southern MO- 3/10-5/1, Central MO- 3/15-5/10 Fall planting dates- Northern AR- 8/1-9/5, Southern MO- 8/1-30, Central MO- 8/1-20

Lettuce seed should be planted ½ inch deep in the soil. Leaf lettuce plants should be spaced 3-12 inches apart within the rows with 10-18 inches between rows. Head lettuce plants should be spaced 12-18 inches apart within rows with 18-24 inches between rows. Leaf lettuce is much easier to grow and slower to bolt than head lettuce. Head lettuce should be planted on the earliest planting dates for each region and will not perform reliably as a fall crop. Leaf lettuce when grown at closer spacing can be harvested several times throughout the spring or fall. Harvest individual leaves from the outside edge of the plant by making cuts near the base of the plant. When using the “cut and come again” harvest technique, pick leaves when they are young and tender ranging from 4-8 inches in length. Leaf lettuce grown at wider spacing can be harvested at a larger size.

TomatoesSpring planting dates (plants) - Northern AR- 4/15-5/5,

Southern MO- 4/20-5/10, Central MO- 5/10-20Tomatoes thrive in warm weather and will not tolerate frost. Direct seeding of tomatoes is difficult so transplants should be used. Tomato plants must be supported for best yields of high quality fruit. Caging tomato plants results in the most productive plants and is the preferred method where space is limited. Cages can be purchased or made from concrete reinforcing wire with 4x4 inch holes to allow for picking. Space caged plants 3-4 feet apart.Tomatoes can also be supported by a trellis. Drive wooden stakes into the ground between every other plant. Space plants two feet apart within the row. When plants are 6-12 inches tall attach a line of nylon string to the posts on both sides of the tomato plants. Continue this process every 6-12 inches up the posts as the tomato plants grow. Tomatoes can be harvested when they are just beginning to show color and allowed to finish ripening indoors without a reduction in quality. Harvesting before the fruit is completely ripe will reduce losses due to diseases and insects.

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BeansSpring Planting Dates- Northern AR- 4/1-5/5,

Southern MO- 4/5-5/10, Central MO- 4/15-5/20, Fall Planting Dates- Northern AR- 8/5-8/25,

Southern MO- 8/1-20, Central MO- 7/25-8/10Bush beans and pole beans are the two main types of beans for the garden. Bush beans are low growing and produce most of their crop in a couple of weeks. Pole beans require a trellis for support and produce a crop over a longer period of time. For a continual harvest of bush beans plant a new crop every two to three weeks. Plant bush bean seeds 1 inch deep and 2-4 inches apart in rows 2-3 feet apart. Pole beans should be planted 1 inch deep in rows or hills. For rows plants should be spaced 6-10 inches apart in rows 3-4 feet apart. Hills should be spaced 3 feet apart.Beans are shallow rooted so use a shallow stroke when hoeing around plants. Also be sure that they have ad-equate moisture during dry times.

CucumbersSpring planting dates-Northern AR-4/20-5/30 Southern MO- 4/25-5/30, Central MO- 5/5-30Cucumbers are a warm season crop that will not toler-ate frost. Planted seeds must be kept moist for first 5 days. Cucumbers seed should be planted 1-2 inches deep in rows or hills. Plants in rows should be spaced 2-3 feet apart with rows 5 feet apart. Hills should be spaced 3-4 feet apart with 4 or 5 plants per hill. Cucumbers can be trained onto a trellis where space is limited. Harvest before cucumbers begin to turn yellow. Cu-cumbers will turn bitter if allowed to grow too large.

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CornSpring planting dates- Northern AR- 4/10-8/15, Southern MO- 4/15-8/15, Central MO- 4/25-8/1

Early maturing varieties of sweet corn should be planted 8 inches apart in the row. Later maturing varieties should be planted 9-12 inches apart in the row. All sweet corn should be planted 1 inch deep in rows 14-24 inches apart. Sweet corn can also be planted in hills that are 3 feet apart with 3-5 plants per hill. Planting corn in several short rows rather than one long row will ensure proper pollination. Improperly pollinated ears of corn will have spaces on the cob where kernels are missing. Worms in the tips of the ears will cause damage during most growing seasons. Corn earworms can be controlled using an appropriately labeled insecticide. Damaged tips of ears can be cut off and discarded with little waste if growers wish to avoid using pesticides.Take note of the half silk date to predict a harvest time for sweet corn. The half silk date is the date that half of the ears of corn in a patch are showing silk. Corn should be ready to pick 18-22 days after the half silk date.

Winter SquashSpring planting dates-Northern AR-4/20-5/30 Southern MO- 4/25-5/30, Central MO- 5/5-30Squash are a warm season crop that will not tolerate frost. Planted seeds must be kept moist for first 5 days. Squash seed should be planted 1-2 inches deep in rows or hills. Plants in rows should be spaced 2 feet apart with rows 6 feet apart. Hills should be spaced 3-4 feet apart with 4 or 5 plants per hill. Squash must be left in the sun or a warm place for 3 weeks to “cure” them, which allows them to keep fresh in storage for months (if kept at a constant temperature of 50 degrees F). Harvest before first frost in fall.

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14Compost

Compost can easily be made by any gardener. Adding compost to the gar-den is the least expensive way to have the greatest positive impact on your garden. In addition to improving your garden soil, composting will also reduce the amount of waste that goes into the landfill and or waste disposal. Properly made compost does not give off a foul odor. Compost should be dark colored and crumbly with an earthy aroma.

Many types of materials can be used to make compost. Grass clippings, leaves, straw, manure, weeds, sawdust, shredded newspaper, wood ashes and most garden refuse can all be added to the compost pile.

Kitchen scraps can be used but avoid adding meat or grease to the pile. Meat and grease are more likely to attract dogs, cats and wild animals to the pile. These materials may also cause the pile to give off an offensive odor. Place the compost pile or bin in a well drained location.

Build the pile by layering the various ingredients on top of each other, alter-nating between layers of high carbon and high nitrogen material. The pile will decompose more quickly if the pile is turned or mixed several times as it breaks down. Water the pile whenever necessary to maintain the moisture level of a well wrung sponge.

Do not add diseased plants or weeds that are heavily laden with seeds to the compost pile. While some diseases and weed seeds may be killed during the composting process, some will survive and return to your garden.

Smaller particles will break down faster than larger pieces of raw material. Chopping or shredding bigger materials, like corn stalks or whole plants, will speed up the decomposition process.

Producing healthy compost depends largely on the ratio of carbon to ni-trogen in the compost pile. This ratio is manipulated by the types of raw ingredients added to the pile. Too much carbon (found in dry leaves, for example) in the pile can lead to a slow decomposition process. Too much nitrogen (found in chicken manure, for example) can kill beneficial mi-crobes and lead to a foul smell. A perfect compost pile will have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 30:1.

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Insects

When a garden is planted, the gardener is not the only one who takes an interest in it... Insects are bound to become a presence in the garden. Some of them will directly benefit the plants by pollinating flowers or feeding on problem insects, while others will prey on the plants and harm them. Some insects are a predictable presence, and will very likely appear in a garden that grows the crop they are attracted to. Here is a list of the most common insects which appear in many Ozark gardens.

Preventing insect damage is sometimes possible by removing insects and insect eggs when they are first noticed. Some gardeners also use “trap crops” by swiftly removing plants which are infested with problem insects.Remove the plants and the insects from the garden area immediately.

Ladybugs - Beneficial Insect -generally con-sidered a friendly presence in most gardens. They often feed on other, more damaging insects, like aphids.

Aphids - Problem Insect -feed on plants and breed prolifically. In infestations, mature and young aphids can cover leaves and stems.

Cucumber Beetles - Problem Insect - prey on stems of melons, squash, and cucumbers, and cause vines to shrivel and die within a matter of hours.

Squash Bugs - Problem Insect -eat vines and leaves and damage plants before they reach maturity.

Blister Beetles - Problem Insect -eat leaves and of tomato, pepper, and potato plants. Can cause a small blister on human skin.

squashbug eggs

ladybug eggs

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Ozark Seed Bank Programs

Saving Ozark SeedsThrough seed trials and member input,

selecting seed varieties that grow best and have historical meaning for the Ozark region.

Sharing Ozark Seeds

and seedlings to community gardens and gardeners throughout the Ozarks.. Food can also be a byproduct

of seed growing, and Ozark Seed Bank donates this produce to regional food banks.

Education & Outreachproviding educational information and presentaitons

on seed saving and sustainability in the Ozarks.

Ozark Seed Bank HC1 Box 1 Brixey, MO 65618 (417) 679 - 1003 www.ozarkseedbank.org one garden

Ozark Seed Bank is a project of One Garden, Inc., a not for profit organizationdedicated to sharing information about native and non-native plants in the Ozarks

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