docgardening basics - Pima County Food Alliance
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gardening basics - Pima County Food Alliance
Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona Community Food Resource Center Youth Farm Project: School Garden Curriculum Planting a Healthy Garden Workshop Drip Irrigation Basics Why Drip? The obvious reason to install a drip irrigation system for a school garden is to ensure that the plants get watered on a regular basis, even when people aren’t around on the weekends. Drip irrigation systems give us the ability to water plants at the root zone, where they like it, and water is emitted at a low rate over a period of time. This means that we get a deep watering and have to use less water because we’re not losing it to evaporation. It is very easy to install and cheap. Next time you’re at a big box store walk down the irrigation aisle and you’ll see massive amounts of products for various watering applications. It can be intimidating and confusing; standing there trying to figure out what materials would best meet the needs of a food production garden. We’re going to walk you through a list of common materials used in school garden drip irrigation systems. Tools of the Trade 1. Pipe cutter: Used to cut poly tubing 2. Wire cutter: Used to cut bailing wire, so we can make our own stakes for the ¼ in poly tubing 3. Channel lock: Used to fasten timer and metal wye connector (to split water flow) 4. Microdrip puncher: Used to make ¼ in holes into mainline tubing in order to connect micro tubing 5. Teflon tape: Used on any threads in our system to keep water from leaking through the threads 6. Trenching shovel: Used to excavate a trench for our mainline Starting from the Spigot 1. Timer: We always connect our irrigation systems to a spigot and we never try to tie into existing landscape irrigation systems. The reason for this is simple, by connecting directly to a spigot; we have total control of our watering system. It’s also cheaper. You first want to put teflon tape on the spigot and tighten the metal wye connector to it. Now add teflon tape to both spigots on the wye connector, install your garden hose, and fasten you’re timer. 2. Gard’n’Gro Dechlorinator: At this point the next step is to connect your dechlorinator to the system if you’re going to add this component. Just simply put teflon on the timer ¾ in outlet and fasten the dechlorinator to it. This helps keep our lines clean from chlorine build up, which extends the life of our irrigation system, and it also will help microbial activity thrive in our garden beds. 3. Pressure regulator: The pressure regulator is used, so we don’t blow out our irrigation lines, they’re designed to work with very little water pressure. It’s important that you get a pressure regulator that has ¾ in hose threads, since that’s what we need to connect to our spigots. Add teflon to the threads on the pressure regulator and connect it to the dechlorinator. 4. Swivel compression fitting: Used to connect to the pressure regulator. This is where we make the transition into our mainline poly tubing. Add teflon tape to the threads on the compression fitting and thread into pressure regulator. 5. ½ in mainline: To install the mainline into the compression fittings, wiggle the poly tube from side to side, and push the tubing into the fitting. We’re looking to push the poly tube about ½ in or a little less into our compression fittings. Do not crimp the poly tubing or do anything that will make it “easier” to get into the compression fitting. This will result in a leak prone seal. The tubing has to be compressed by hand into the smaller entry holes of the fitting, in order for it to create a water tight seal. 6. ½ in compression fittings as needed: The layout of your irrigation grid depends on how your garden is set up. The following is a list of compression fittings that are used to layout an irrigation grid. a. Ell: Used to turn corners on our irrigation grid. b. Tee: Used to split flow into two directions and to stub out a line from the main irrigation grid into our garden beds for micro drip tubing. c. Coupling: Used to connect two mainlines together or repair lines that have been damaged. d. End Cap: Used at the end of the mainline, and in the lines that get stubbed out to the garden beds, to stop the water from flowing. e. Shut off valve: We like to install ½ in shut off valves for each garden bed, so we can shut the water off to it, if it’s lying fallow. We also like to install ¼ in shut off valves on each micro drip emitter line, so we can shut the water off to a specific row if we need to. This compression fitting is the critical component in your irrigation grid, which gives you the ability to manage and conserve your water. 7. ¼ in poly with emitters every 6 inches: This line slowly emits water, which infiltrates deep into the soil. The ¼ in shut off valves are used to connect this line to the mainline in our irrigation grid. 8. ¼ in poly goof plugs: Used at the end of the ¼ in micro drip line to keep the water from flowing out the end of the line. 9. Bailing Wire: Used to stake down micro drip line. You can also use more expensive readymade stakes for holding down the micro tubing. Designing a Drip System Now that we know the basic materials that are used & why their used, we need to cover some rules of thumb to follow when designing a drip system. The first thing is to keep it simple! Since poly tubing will last longer in our climate buried, think about the trenching that’s going to be installed, and we’re shooting for a straight forward grid type layout. You do not want to dig a meandering trench & then try to make the poly fit into it. We’ve done installations where it’s just a simple straight line with compression tees that stub out into a garden bed. We want each garden bed to have its own shut off valve, to save water when its fallow and we also want each ¼ in poly emitter line to have its own shut off valve. This gives us maximum control for conserving and managing our water. The entire garden bed can be cut off or just a row of garlic to dry in the field. Bury all tubing in the trench, but make sure that you install the shut off valves in the actual garden bed, so that they’re accessible & not in a pathway. You want to install the ¼ in poly emitter lines about 6 in apart from each other to get maximum coverage in our garden bed. Stake everything down & see how it works. Companion Planting Background Some plants have substances in their roots, flowers, and leaves that can repel or attract insects. In certain situations plants can enhance the growth rate and flavor of other plants. By having a plethora of plants in our garden and landscape it helps us with pest management. In many ways companion planting is mimicking balanced ecosystems where nature integrates a diversity of plants, insects, animals, and other organisms. Companion planting goes farther than the garden too. There are tons of native plants that attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Water harvesting basins that utilize these plants near our garden is an easy way to incorporate organic pest management solutions. The following is a list to help you incorporate companion planting into your garden: Amaranth A very hardy grain. Grow with corn, potato, eggplant, huazontle, and beans/legumes. Anise Tastes like licorice! Attracts predatory insects that eat aphids and it’s also believed that it repels aphids. Used to camouflage the odor of brassicas and will actually improve their growth. Very commonly grown alongside cilantro as its companion plant. Chrysanthemums Kills non-beneficial root nematodes, repels beetles, and attracts beneficial insects. Collards Grow with beans/legumes, dill, garlic, lettuce, onion, radish, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Kohlrabi Grow with onion, oregano, sage, chives, thyme, and beets. AVOID beans/legumes, pepper, and strawberry. Okra Grow with peppers, eggplants, basil, cucumber, melons, and beans/legumes. Peppers Grow with tomato, basil, geraniums, lovage, petunia, okra, cucumbers, eggplant, and oregano. Petunias General garden work horse that should be planted liberally. Repels asparagus beetle, leafhoppers, aphids, tomato hornworms, Mexican bean beetle, and general garden pests. Leaves can be made into a tea that is an effective bug spray. Rhubarb Grow with cabbage, broccoli, beans/legumes, garlic, onion, roses, and brassicas. Can make a foliar spray from leaves to prevent blackspot in plants and as a aphicide. Sweet Potatoes Grow with summer savory, bush beans, potatoes, and alyssum. AVOID squash and other sprawling vines. Sweet Alyssum General garden work horse that should be planted liberally. This is a pollinator and beneficial insect attracting plant that can help deter against aphids. Tarragon General garden work horse that should be planted liberally. It is said to enhance the growth and flavor of vegetables. It is a pest deterrent much like marigolds. Turnip Grow with beans/legumes and cabbage. AVOID radishes and other root crops. Watermelon Grow with corn, nasturtiums, beans/legumes, sunflowers, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, and radishes. Apricot Asparagus Basil Beans Broad Beans Bush Beans Climbing Beans Beets Borage Cabbages Carrots Celery Cherry Chervil Chives Coriander Corn Cucumber Dill Eggplant Fennel Marigold Fruit Trees Garlic Gooseberry Grape Vine Grass Horseradish Lavender Leeks Lemon Balm Lettuce Marjoram Mints Mustard Nasturtiums Onions Parsley Parsnip Potato Pumpkin Radish Raspberry Rosemary Roses Rue Sage Shallots Silverbeet Spinach Strawberries Sunflower Tansy Thyme Tomato Yarrow Zucchini � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Zucchini Yarrow Tomato Sunflower Stinging Nettle Strawberry Squash Spinach Silverbeet Savory Sage Rue Roses Radish Pumpkin Potatoes Pennyroyal Rosemary � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Peas Parsley Nasturtium Mulberry Marjoram Onions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Lettuce � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Grape Vine � � � � � Garlic Fruit Trees Marigold Fennel Cucumber Corn Coriander/Dill Chives Chervil Cherry Celery Cauliflower Carrots Chamomile Cabbages Brussell Sprouts Broccoli Borage Beets Climbing Beans Bush Beans Broad Beans Beans Basil Asparagus Apricot panion J= com istic gon X = anta Apple i t n n g a l C P h n a o i r n t a p m o A C In � � � � � � � � Som e N at u ra l sec t Re p e l l a n t T i p s Ants Mint • Catmint • Tansy • Garlic • Pennyroyal • Spearmint • • Aphids Orange Nasturtiams • Tomato leaves • Basil • Spearmint • Onions • Stinging Nettle • Garlic • • Cabbage Butterfly Rosemary • Mint • Dill • Sage • Hyssop Garlic • Oregano • Spearmint • Tansy • Thyme • Chamomile • • Caterpillars Garlic • Tomato Leaves • Pepper on plant’s leaves • • Fleas Tansy • Pennyroyal • Wormwood • Spearmint • Fennel • • Flies Tansy • Rue • Wormwood • Eau de Cologne • Mint • Basil • • Fruit Fly Tans • Basil • • Fungus Stinging Nettle • Sage • Horseradish • Mice Wormwood • Spearmint • Mint Mildew Chives • Dried Sage • Nettle • • Mosquitoes Tansy • Pennyroyal • Garlic • Wormwood • Sassafras: Place near windows & doors or rub on your skin • Moths Sage • Mint • Rosemary • Thyme • Pennyroyal • Wormwood • Lavender • Spearmint • • Red Spider Onion • • Slugs Oak leaf mulch • Dry Rosemary • Wormwood • • Snails Garlic: Collect w/cabbage leaves or inverted citrus peel cups • Thrips Pyrethrum • • Tomato Worm Garlic • • Weevils Garlic • • White Fly Nasturtiums • Basil: Use as spray D e s i g n e d by Yaya s a n I D E P F o u n d a t i o n • w w w. i d e p f o u n nnial Products NSW dation.org • Based on the Companion Planting Chart © Pere Youth Farm Project School Garden Integrated Pest Management Resources 1. BIODOME GARDEN Chapter 8: Staying in Control Save master copies; print and place in a binder for record keeping. Youth Farm Project School Garden Planting Logs 1. Our Garden 2. Planting Guide 3. Seedlings 4. Planting: Direct Seed & Transplanting 5. Integrated Pest Management 6. Year Garden Calendar Save master copies; print and place in a binder for record keeping. Our Garden Use the grid below to create a map of your garden and develop a scale in order to plan out the season. NOTES: Youth Farm Project PLANTINGGUIDE Date: Garden Beds: Plant Spacing: Plant Spacing: Companions: Companions: Day’s to Maturity: Day’s to Maturity: Will Harvest: Will Harvest: Plant Spacing: Plant Spacing: Companions: Companions: Day’s to Maturity: Day’s to Maturity: Will Harvest: Will Harvest: Youth Farm Project SEEDLINGS Season:____________________ SEEDLING TRAY SEEDLING TRAY SEEDLING TRAY SEEDLING TRAY _________ __________ __________ _________ Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Seed Source: Seed Source: Seed Source: Seed Source: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Date Planted: Date Planted: Date Planted: Date Planted: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Date Germinated: Date Germinated: Date Germinated: Date Germinated: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Total Day’s Indoors: Total Day’s Indoors: Total Day’s Indoors: Total Day’s Indoors: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Date Transplanted: Date Transplanted: Date Transplanted: Date Transplanted: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Youth Farm Project PLANTING Season:____________________ GARDENBED GARDENBED __________________ __________________ Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Seed/Seedling Source: Seed/Seedling Source: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Date Planted: Day’s to Maturity: Date Planted: Day’s to Maturity: ___________ ________________ ___________ ________________ Actual Harvest Date: Produced Un l: Actual Harvest Date: Produced Un l: _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ Date & Weight of Harvest(s): Date & Weight of Harvest(s): 1)__/__/___ & ______ 2)__/__/___& _____ 1)__/__/___ & ______ 2)__/__/___& _____ 3)__/__/___ & ______ 4)__/__/___& _____ 3)__/__/___ & ______ 4)__/__/___& _____ 5)__/__/___ & ______ 6)__/__/___& _____ 5)__/__/___ & ______ 6)__/__/___& _____ 7)__/__/___ & ______ 8)__/__/___& _____ 7)__/__/___ & ______ 8)__/__/___& _____ Youth Farm Project INTEGRATEDPESTMANAGEMENT Season:____________________ GARDEN BED GARDEN BED GARDEN BED GARDEN BED _________ _________ _________ _________ Date:____________ Date:____________ Date:____________ Date:____________ Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: Vegetable Variety: __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ Pest/Problem: Pest/Problem: Pest/Problem: Pest/Problem: Solu on: Solu on: Solu on: Solu on: Did it Work?: Did it Work?: Did it Work?: Did it Work?: For Next Year: Do’s and Don’ts 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 13 To Do This Month: January 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 14 To Do This Month: February 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 15 To Do This Month: March 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 16 To Do This Month: April 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 17 To Do This Month: May 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 18 To Do This Month: June 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 19 To Do This Month: July 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 20 To Do This Month: August 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 21 To Do This Month: September 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 22 To Do This Month: October 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 23 To Do This Month: November 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 24 To Do This Month: December 800-827-2847 • www.arbico-organics.com 25
