1/12/2004

January is the month to start planning for the gardening season. The

new

plant and seed catalogues have arrived in the mail. And any seed

company

you haven’t heard from most likely has a website, too. If you have

seeds

left over from previous years, sort through them. Some seed, such as

corn and beans, remains viable for only a year or two. Others,

tomatoes,

peppers and lettuce for example can be kept for several years. If in

doubt, run a germination test on a small amount before saving the rest

to use in the garden this year. Any seed with less than a 75 %

germination rate should be thrown away.

Whether you buy new seeds from a local garden center or send away for

them from seed catalogues, do it early for the best selection. The

newest varieties for 2004 will sell out quickly.

Plan a layout of the vegetable garden now and make a list of new

varieties of vegetables and flowers. Rotate the placement of the

varieties of vegetables you plant each year. Don’t plant the same

vegetable in the same row or section of the garden year after year. It

can lead to a build up of disease pathogens and the depletion of

certain

nutrients.

If you have never kept a garden journal, try starting one this year.

There are journals available at bookstores specifically for gardeners.

Or you can put one together simply using a three ring binder. Pocket

folders can be included to hold plant labels from new purchases,

planting directions and equipment warranties. Graph paper for garden

plans and lined paper for notes should also be included.

The basic entries should include when, where and what has been planted.

Temperature and weather information is important to note as well. The

dates of the first and last frost of the season, weekly rainfall totals

and temperatures can be entered. Note when the first vegetable is

harvested or how early you picked the first tomato. When the season is

over, write down how well the plants faired. It can be as simple or as

detailed as you want.

Gardeners that have kept journals for many years are rewarded with a

wealth of information specific to their own plot. Correlations between

weather patterns and which plants succeed or fail become more apparent

over time. Prevention or early detection of insect or disease problems

will be easier when you refer to the notes from previous experiences.

The garden journal provides a history as well as a fined tuned

instruction manual to refer to year after year.

Beth Nardone, botanist, is a resident of Hillsborough and is the

Nursery

Manager at the Belle Mead Co-Op. Questions and comments can be sent to

bethtanical@patmedia.net