February 2003

Ground Hog Day marks the mid-point of winter. Whether the large rodent saw his shadow or not, we can expect winter to continue for at least six more weeks. Now would be a good time to plan this year’s vegetable garden. I like to plot my garden on graph paper, making each square equal to one foot. Knowing exactly how many tomato or pepper plants can fit into the design keeps me from buying too many plants in the spring.
Leaving adequate space between plants is important. Overcrowded plants will tend to grow weak and spindly. Good air circulation around plants helps reduce disease during the cool damp weather of spring as well as the hot humid weather in the summer.
Most gardeners grow at least a couple of tomato plants every year. Tomatoes should be planted at least 2-2 1/2 feet apart if they will be staked or caged. If left to grow on the ground they will need 3-4 feet between plants. Squash is another vegetable that will need a large space, 3-4 feet. But the vine crops such as cucumbers, melons and pumpkins need even more room, 5-6 feet.
Peppers, eggplant, broccoli and cabbage can all be planted 18 inches apart. The leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach are direct seeded thinly in the garden and later thinned to stand 10-12 inches apart. Bush beans are also sowed directly in the ground about 2 inches apart and then thinned to 4 inches. Peas can be planted just an inch apart but will need some type of support to climb onto.
Corn is another popular vegetable grown in the home garden, but often the crop is poor usually as a result of incomplete pollination. Plant corn in a square block rather than in long rows. Corn is pollinated by wind. In a farm field the row planting works very well. But in the average backyard garden, with one or two short rows of corn, many of the ears aren’t pollinated. The result is ears with very few kernels. A space that is 4 feet x 4 feet with the corn planted a foot apart has room for 25 plants that should all ripen 1-2 ears.
When making your garden plan, place the taller vegetables to the north side so they will not shade the shorter plants. Rotate crops to a different spot in the garden each year. This is especially important for tomatoes because of their susceptibility to soil-born diseases. A three-year rotation is usually sufficient for the home garden.
Proper spacing is just as important in other areas of the landscape. Shade trees and large evergreen trees should be placed at least 20 feet from the house or other structure. Small ornamental trees can be placed closer, at least 10 feet away. Foundation plantings are best planted 3-4 feet away from the house to allow for future growth and routine maintenance. On average shrubs should be planted 3 feet apart from each other, 5 feet for larger species such as lilac or forsythia. Hedges can be planted with less spacing if the desired effect is a tight in- penetrable barrier.
It is important to give roses at least 3 feet between bushes for good air circulation. They are prone to many leaf diseases in our humid weather. Climbing roses should be planted a foot away from their support structure. The average spacing for perennials is 18 inches apart. This can look sparse the first year but in subsequent years they will fill in as they multiply. In the meantime annuals can be used to fill in the gaps, most of them need only 6-9 inches of space.
This should be a good year to try forcing some cuttings from spring blooming trees and shrubs. Many of our spring blooming trees, especially fruit trees, require a certain number of cold days to set flower buds. With this winter season’s cold temperatures that requirement has certainly been met! Forsythia is one of the easiest to bring into bloom indoors. But crabapples, cherries, apples and azalea can be forced to bloom easily. Cut some branches 3-4 feet long, making an angle cut for good water absorption. Soak the branches overnight. Then slit or peel the branch upward from the base 3-4 inches. Put the branches in a container with tepid water. Keep them in a cool room, changing the water frequently. Bright light during the day will maintain good flower color. In about 3 weeks you should be enjoying beautiful spring blossoms.

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@rcn.com