This post is to help me (and all you readers out there) remember the recommended spacings for various types of vegetables in each square foot patch of land. In general, the following amounts of each vegetable will maximize (but not overcrowd) your use of a well fertilized one square-foot patch of ground:

Baits/Traps

The use of baits and traps will probably be somewhat pointless, and possibly detrimental in the city. In a dense urban area there’s likely to be a somewhat unlimited supply of the critters, and setting out baits may only encourage them to congregate in my yard instead of my neighbors. There’s a thought…maybe I should put some baits in my neighbors’ yards when they aren’t looking!

Repellents

There are a number of sonic noise generating devices and scent-based (think garlic and fox urine) repellents on the market that claim to work wonders for getting rid of rodents. However, I can’t seem to find any evidence that these are really working for anyone. In fact, the UC Davis website has the following to say about these methods:

Rats are wary animals, easily frightened by unfamiliar or strange noises. However, they quickly become accustomed to repeated sounds, making the use of frightening sounds, including high frequency and ultrasonic sounds, ineffective for controlling rats in home and garden situations.

and:

Rats have an initial aversion to some odors and tastes, but no repellents have been found to solve a rat problem for more than a very short time. There are no truly effective rat repellents registered for use in California.

If I get desperate I might try some “Shake Away” rodent repellent powder anyway, but I won’t have high hopes for it based on the reviews that I’ve managed to track down. Do any of you readers have any good or bad experiences to report with these types of products?

Sealing Cracks/Holes

This is going to be my first line of defense. In order to be effective against ground-based rats, any crack through walls, fences, etc. that is more than 1/4″ needs to be sealed in order to keep them out. I plan on using some chicken wire or a sturdy screen buried 8 inches into the ground and extending up to the underside of the solid fence that surrounds my yard. Unfortunately this won’t do much to guard against roof rats or squirrels, but if nothing else it should give me some piece of mind until the first day that I walk out back and find some tomatoes that have been munched on.

Pepper Spray

Conventional wisdom (Where does that come from anyway? And why do we trust it?) seems to say that mixing some habanero with some water and spraying it onto fruits will keep the critters from eating them. I think I’ll give it a shot if my fence and some Shake Away don’t seem to do the trick.

Anything Else

If there’s any other tips and tricks that people out there know of I’d love to hear it…please post a comment with your favorite rodent remedies!

Don’t Over-Crowd

The first rule is to be realistic about what you are putting in your space. It may be unrealistic to think that you can fit a large seating area, a vegetable garden, an herb garden, a rose garden, 5 peony plants, a water feature and a couple nice shade trees all in a 200 square foot patio. The first step in planning should be to prioritize what the things are that you would like in your outdoor space, then work out a plan for getting them in there. Start out with your top priorities and then expand if you find you have the room, that’s a lot better than putting too many things in place only to have them fight each other for the available sunlight and soil.

Measure Your Sunlight

Before planting anything, make sure you have a good idea of how much sunlight each corner of your garden will get during the summer. My approach for doing this is to start with a plan drawing of my space. Then on a Saturday I can draw a contour on my map once an hour indicating where the sun falls; at the end of the day I’ll know how many hours of sunlight each patch of ground receives and have a nice sketch to help me lay out my plants. Remember that if you do this in the Summer you will get less light per day in the other seasons (and vice versa).

Also, remember to consider the impact of tall plants on sunlight. Trees and large shrubs/flowers that cast a shadow should be placed in a way that doesn’t block light to other plants that need it. Try putting these on the north side of the garden as much as possible in order to minimize the amount of sunlight that they block.

Consider Plants’ Special Needs

Some plants have special needs that should be accounted for. For example, tomatoes should never be planted in the same place two years in a row to avoid soil-born diseases, so the garden should be planned in a way that allows them to be in one place the first year and somewhere else the next. On the other hand, asparagus take several years to become productive, so they should be put in an area where they will be undisturbed for a decade or so.

Use Vertical Space

If you’ve got walls around your garden, then by all means use them! There are a wide variety of flowers, fruits and vegetables that can grow up a wall and need minimal ground-space to thrive. I’m planning on growing seedless grapes, sugar snap peas, climbing roses and honeysuckle on my walls.

Lighting

A little bit of inexpensive lighting can turn your garden into a great area for entertaining at night, giving you an extra room during the warmer months. Try pointing small spotlights upwards towards interesting trees/shrubs/walls or other pretty features, particularly near seating areas. Choose lights with a soft warm glow rather than a penetrating white light to provide a more pleasant night-time dining atmosphere and to avoid annoying your neighbors with bright lights pointed up towards their windows.

If you choose to install solar lights, try to find a variety that has a separate solar panel with wires leading to the individual light fixtures. This will allow you to get your power from a nice sunny spot while placing your lights among your plants where they will have the most pleasing affect.

Consider the Long Term

Remember that trees and shrubs will grow over time! When I moved into my house the previous owner had planted four Leland Cyprus trees in an area that was about 50 square feet where there were power lines just 15 feet above. Needless to say that within a few years of being planted they had completely filled the entire area, were overshadowing the adjacent seating area, blocking all light to the house and were dangerously close to taking down the overhead power lines.

For small spaces be sure to pay attention to the longer-term size of whatever you are planting to avoid this kind of situation. Instead, choose naturally smaller plants or use dwarf varieties when possible. At most, one larger tree/shrub should be more than enough for most small gardens.

These types of fertilizers are sometimes referred to as N-P-K fertilizers, where the N-P-K stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium.  There is a much more detailed chemical analysis of this at wikipedia, but the important things to know for most small gardens are:

• Most city soil is probably lacking in a lot of nutrients, so something should probably be done to amend it a bit before planting.
• If a plant calls for a “nitrogen” fertilizer you want something of the N-P-K variety where the “N” is the largest percentage (i.e. 50-10-10).
• These types of fertilizers are a no-no if you want your produce to be “organic”.  Heavy use can also degrade your soil quality over time, so don’t go overboard with these in a small garden.

Personally, I try to stick with more organic soil ammendments like coffee grinds and composted remains of vegetable waste, with the occasional batch of wood ashes from my charcoal grill.  Not only does this reduce the amount of waste that I’m throwing out in the garbage, but it can be better in the long-term for my limited supply of soil.  It also means that I don’t have to keep several different types of fertilizer on-hand in the very limited outdoor storage space that I have.  There are some disadvantages of this method too though:

• the nutrients in these organic fertilizers are more dilute than the inorganic variety, meaning a lower yield of produce unless I really pile a lot on.
• my piles of coffee grounds and composted veggies is very inconsistent, so there is no way for me to match up plants with their ideal soil conditions.

One of these days I’d like to start a real composting system, or even a vermicomposting system so that I can get a nice rich consistent organic compost to fertilize with.  But, that’s another topic for another day!

Climbing plants use different ways to grow vertically, including:

• Stem Tendrils
• Leaf Tendrils
• Twining Leaves
• Twining Stems
• Scramblers
• Adhesive Pads
• Clinging Stem Roots

Depending on which type of plant you are trying to grow you will want to use different types of support.  Here’s some more details on each of these categories:

Tendrils

Tendrils are skinny structures along the plant’s stem that reach in the air until they find something to curl around.  These tendrils can be stem-like (such as grapes and passionflowers) or leaf-like (as with sweat peas).  The best method for supporting these types of plants is to use horizontal supports with small diameters (such as wires or twine but not 1/2-inch pieces of wood).  Ideally the supports will be spaced not much more than 4 inches apart vertically so that each new set of tendrils has a place to attach as the plant grows.

Twiners

“Twiners” are different than tendrils in that the actual stems or leaves do the attaching, as opposed to small tendril shoots that act as anchors.  So, in a sense, the body of the plant itself integrates itself into the support system by rotating around it.  Some twiner’s use their leaves to attach (Clematis and nasturtium) whereas others use there stems (such as pole beans, morning glory, wisteria and honey suckle).

Twining leaves should be supported with a structure that is not wider than the actual leaves…so if the leaf is 2 inches long it won’t be able to wrap around a 3-inch post.  Twining stems on the other hand will generally wrap themselves around whatever is available.  If you have prolific plants like wisteria make sure that whatever is supporting them is pretty sturdy, as these can quickly become quite heavy.

Scramblers

Scramblers are plants with long stems that wouldn’t necessarily climb on their own, but do well vertically if given support.  These are plants such as rambling roses and bougainvilla.  To grow these up a trellice you’ll need to tie the stems at intervals to keep them supported.

Adhesive Pads

These are plants such as Boston Ivy and Virginia Creepers that have stem tendrils with touch-sensitive pads that allow them to stick to just about anything.  These will grow up a tree, brick wall, fence, or pretty much anything else that they come across.

Clinging Stem Roots

These types of plants create tendrils that grow small root systems, anchoring them into walls or other available vertical surfaces.  English Ivy is a good example of this type of plant.  Personally I avoid these in my gardens as the root systems could damage the brick walls of my house.

The endless summer is a breed of Hydrangea that is able to bloom on new growth (typical hydrangeas bloom only on the growth from the year before), making for more flowers over the course of the year.  In addition, the endless summer is resistant to powdery mildew, which can be a big problem in my area where the summers are quite humid.  The standard “Endless Summer” hydrangea will grow from 4 to 5 feet tall and flowers in pink, blue or shades in between depending on the soil chemistry.

Several varieties of “Endless Summer” are available, including Penny Mac, Oak Hill, Decatur Blue and Blushing Bride.  There is also a dwarf re-blooming variety called the “Mini Penny” which is what I am planning on trying out as a space saving measure.

The hydrangeas are distributed by McCorkle Nurseries; you can go to their website to find a distributer near you.  They are also carried at most Home Depot and Lowes Garden Centers, and will most likely be available in September and October, which is the proper time to plant them on the east coast.

The hydrangeas are hardy in zones 4-9 and prefer partial shade with moist (but not wet) soil.  Blooms will generally be pink in alkaline soil and blue in acidic soil.  Removal of spent flowers will encourage reblooming of the plant with this variety of hydrangea.

One of the most outstanding perennial flowers that is grown in the garden is the peony. Even though this plant seems to have been grown forever, it still remains very popular today. Of course, there are reasons for this and even though there are those gardeners who do not use this plant in their gardens, they certainly should. There are few perennials that can offer beautiful flowers in the spring and provide good foliage throughout the summer.

The peony is a hardy perennial that, once it becomes established, will flower for many years with little care. They are extremely hardy and easily withstand the winter conditions in Vermont. Peonies are considered by many gardeners to be the backbone of any perennial border because they do produce good foliage and flowers. The plants have long supplied cut flowers for use in the home or on cemetery plots.

The plants are either planted as single specimens mixed among other plants or in clumps or masses. They may be planted in rows forming a background for smaller plants. There are basically two forms of peonies: Herbaceous (Paeonia officinalis), and Bush or Tree (Paeonia suffruticosa). The herbaceous type grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet and the tree form reaches a height of 4 to 6 feet. Most gardeners seem to have much greater success with growing the herbaceous forms rather than the tree form. There is nothing more spectacular, however, than a mature tree peony
in full bloom, and if the plant hasn’t been used in the landscape, it should be given a try.

The herbaceous peonies are grouped into five types–based on the shape of the petals: single, semi-double, double, Japanese, and anemone. The single (or Chinese type) is characterized by one row of broad petals that surround a cluster of yellow pollen-bearing stamens. Some of the other flower types have central petals in the place of stamens.  The semi-double peonies have broad central petals. The double peonies have central petals that are as wide as the outer ones. Japanese peonies have long, thin, central petals, while the anemone type have broad central petals.

Tree peonies produce many flowers on single, shrub-like plants. The centers of the flowers are yellow, pink, or red with the petals mottled at the base. Contrary to the herbaceous peonies, which die down in the fall when freezing weather arrives, the stems of the tree peony remain alive all winter.

There are many different cultivars (varieties) available within the various types of peonies. By careful selection, the flowering period can be spaced out over a longer period of time. Colors available for herbaceous peonies are white, yellow, cream, pink, rose, and deep red. Tree peonies come in colors such as yellow, pink, white, rose, crimson, scarlet, purple, and deep purple.

Peonies, as previously mentioned, are relatively easy to grow. As with most perennial flowers, the one prime prerequisite for good growth and flowering is a well-drained soil. This may require adding organic matter–such as coarse sphagnum peat moss, well-rotted manure, or similar material–to the soil before planting. A good soil mixture might be three shovels of soil, one shovel of organic matter, and a source of phosphorus, such as a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate.

Light is another very important factor on which the successful growing of peonies depends. The plants will grow and produce good foliage in shady locations, but the flowering will be sparse or non-existent. Select an area that receives sunlight at least 6 to 8 hours per day. Planting where there is good air movement will also reduce the chances of having disease problems.

Once the planting site has been selected and the soil prepared, the plants can be planted. Peonies are generally planted in the fall, but they may also be available in spring as potted plants. For those herbaceous peonies obtained in the fall, be sure the tuber has three to five buds or “eyes” present. They will be bright red in color. Tree peonies are grown either from seed or grafts, with the more desirable way for the home gardener being grafted plants. Herbaceous peonies with three to five “eyes” will generally flower the second year after planting, while it will take three years for a
grafted tree peony.

Set the tuber of the herbaceous peony so that the buds or “eyes” will be between 1 and 2 inches below the surface of the soil. This is most important because if the plants are planted too deep, beautiful foliage will be produced but few, if any, flowers. Tree peony tubers should be planted so that four or five inches of soil covers the graft. The graft can be determined by the ridging on the stem and the different texture of the bark. By planting deep, the grafted section will establish its own roots in the soil.

After planting, the soil around the plants should be thoroughly watered. If the planting is done in the fall, it would be a good idea to mulch the plants with some organic material, such as straw, coarse sphagnum peat moss, shredded bark, wood chips, or something similar. Apply 2 to 3 inches of material.

In the spring when the plants start to grow and the shoots are three to four inches high, apply a complete, dry synthetic fertilizer such as 5-10-5 or 10-10-10, or organic fertilizer such as 5-5-5, at the rate of 3 to 4 pounds per 100 square feet of bed area. Water the fertilizer into the soil immediately afterwards. High-analysis soluble fertilizers may also be used; apply them at the rate given on the container. One application of fertilizer per year is generally adequate to maintain good plant growth and flowering.

Peonies–like many garden perennials–are easy to propagate, so if additional plants are desired or if the clump has become crowded, division of the clump is recommended. Dig the plant and separate the tubers being sure each one has three to five buds or “eyes.” Any damaged tubers, or those showing signs of disease, should be removed and the good tubers planted the same way as described earlier for new plants. In general, peonies usually do not need to be divided for 10 to 15 years.

As stated above, this article is not written by me, but by Leonard Perry, who indicates that he adapted it from information by James L. Caldwell.

• Asparagus can be grown in most parts of the United States
• They take about 3 years to begin yielding a crop
• Although they prefer full sun, they will tolerate partial shade

From what I can gather based on my research (haven’t tried it yet), here are the steps for planting asparagus:

• Prepare a bed in a sunny spot by digging up the soil, removing any weeds, and mixing in some compost or manure.
• Dig a trench about 6 inches deep and set the asparagus crowns (which you can buy from a garden store…don’t try these from seed) about a foot apart from each other.  Cover the crowns with about 2 inches of soil.
• As the plants begin to grow gradually work more soil in the trench until it is level with the ground around it, being careful not to smother the plants completely or cover the leaves.
• Water weekly if it does not rain.

Now here is where it gets a little tricky…you have to resist the urge to pick any of the asparagus in the first year!  They need this first year to grow out their roots, so let the plants grow unharvested the first summer.  They will eventually sprout foliage, which in time will yellow and die.  At the end of the first winter you should cut away the foliage and throw it away; don’t use it for compost because it may harbor asparagus beetle eggs.

During the second year you can cut a few asaparagus stalks when they reach finger size, but you should let most of them grow and sprout foliage.  Keep the plants watered, mulched and fertilized.

Year three is when you actually get to harvest a reasonable amount of asparagus.  At this point the roots should be well established and it should be safe to harvest most of them when they are 6 inches or so tall.  Do make sure to leave a few spears on each plant so that they can feed themselves and remain in condition for the next year though!

In general, each mature asparagus plant (3 years or older) should send up between 15 and 20 spears per year, and can keep producing at this rate for 10 to 20 years.

 Tips for Small Spaces:

This is not a plant that I would attempt to grow in a container, unless it was a very large one and I was planning on keeping it for many years. 

I do plan on doing my best to squeeze the most out of my space though.  Although the ideal spacing seems to be 1 foot between plants, I will be trying to fit 8 plants evenly spaced in a plot of land that is about 4 square feet in the hopes that I can get enough asparagus to last two people through the summer.  I’ll report back here in a few years to see how my space-saving experiment goes!

Here are a few tips that I learned over the last few years with my container gardening:

• If you are on a balcony, mix a good amount of peat into your potting soil to reduce the weight of your container garden.
• Dirt in containers will warm up more quickly than the ground in the spring and will cool down much more quickly in the winter.  If you have perrenial plants in containers year round it is a good idea to find them a sheltered place out of the wind during the winter time so that they will be as warm as possible.
• Plants in containers will tend to dry out more quickly than those planted in the ground.  During hot weather you may have to water quite often.  To encourage the containers to hold water try mixing in some soil additives that retain water and use a layer of mulch on top.
• When potting a plant consider putting a couple inches of small stones in the bottom of the container to promote good drainage (and make sure there is a hole in the bottom of the container).  Standing water can be very bad for most plants and should be avoided.

I’ve had excellent results growing the following vegetables in containers: tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, thai peppers, lettuce and other greens, carrots and a large variety of herbs.  One experiment that did not go quite as well in a container was potatoes…they did not take well to being packed into a small space and I probably wound up planting them a little too shallow.

The map of zones is divided into regions determined by their average low temperatures.  Within the lower 48 states we generally have zones 3 - 10, which are defined as follows:

• Zone 10 - Low temps 30 to 40F
• Zone 9   - Low temps 20 to 30F
• Zone 8   - Low temps 10 to 20F
• Zone 7   - Low temps 0 to 10F
• Zone 6   - Low temps -10 to 0F
• Zone 5   - Low temps -20 to -10F
• Zone 4   - Low temps -30 to -20F
• Zone 3   - Low temps -40 to -30F