The Veggie-Bed’s 2019 Growing Season Overview

At the Veggie-Bed this 2019 growing season, we decided to group vegetables that have similar nutritional requirements in the same garden plots. The groups were designated to the following categories:

• Leaf Crops (utilizes nitrogen in the soil)
• Legume Crops (replenishes nitrogen in the soil)
• Root Crops (utilizes potassium in the soil)
• Fruit-vegetable Crops (utilizes phosphorus in the soil)

In the new raised rows, a mixture of manure and compost for increasing the nitrogen level, along with potash (potassium) and colloidal phosphate (phosphorus) was worked into the ground. Now since the growing season is over, pine needles are applied between the raised rows to control winter weeds. Organic compost will be worked into the raised rows throughout the winter.

At the beginning of the next growing season in 2020, we will test the soil and amend it as needed. The vegetable groups will rotate in the following order:

Leaf Crops → Legume Crops → Root Crops → Fruit-vegetables Crops → Leaf Crops

This creates a four-year crop rotation cycle that will help prevent the spread of plant diseases and reduce insect infestations.

Writer: Tom Myrick