Grow Your Own: Suburban Gardening: What Is Companion Planting?

Sunday, May 12, 2019

What Is Companion Planting?

Garden Members, even if you did not plan it that way, you are involved in a companion planting activity.

Raised bed gardening is "Companion Planting"

"WHAT IS COMPANION PLANTING?

1. How many days from planting to germination? This varies from plant to plant and the information is on the back of the seed packet. If you have purchased young plants, google it. Some plants may be planted in succession throughout the summer as long as you do the Math and allow enough days before frost.

2. Make sure that you are being realistic in your planting choices.

a.  How many days to you have from planting to harvest?

b. Is there enough time for the plants to produce before frost?c. How tall will the plant grow?
d. How much space will each plant require?e. Is it too late in the season to plant cold crop vegetables like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, etc.? According to the Farmer's Almanac, this planting season has 201 days. The season started April 10, 2019 and frost is expected October 29, 2019. The Almanac is generally on target with the frost dates.

3. How much space does a watermelon require to produce? How many days from planting to harvest? (Watermelons need at least 80-100 consecutive days of very warm summer temperatures, at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit.)  If you have 1 or more watermelon plants in 2 square feet, you are not being realistic. The same goes for cucumbers, squash/zucchini, cantaloupes, pumpkins. These plants grow on runners and require a lot of space


4. Are you planting tomatoes in with cucumbers? Have you read up on the care and culture of strawberries?

Do remove any weeds growing outside of your box.
Do participate in helping to spread the wood chips and mulch throughout the garden.
Do use the garbage receptacles provided in the garden. The blue is for recyclables, not plant refuse.
Do pick up and discard any garbage dropped by passersby and put in the recycling bin.
Do help us keep the entire area clean and groomed.

Do remember that when the gray cans are filled, they must be placed on the curb in the 50 feet of space where motorists are not allowed to park near the stop sign on the corner of Lafayette Place and Genesee Ave.

DPW will pick up the Garden debris on Fridays unless they are called for "Special Pickup". DPW Workers will not enter the Garden to remove the garbage bins.

The Garden is under 24 hour camera surveillance.

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Original Garden Committee Members

The Louie Bacoat Historic Community Garden was made possible by many different groups of individuals who worked hard, who donated money for materials that made the vision possible. The County Personnel was very responsive in the donation of soil, large machinery and labor. The Garden is sustained the same way. We are a group of lifelong learners. Left to Right: Betty Griffin, Esther Babb, Curtis Caviness, Kevin Lake, Richard Stanard, Wayne Hamer, Valerie Hamer, Lucy D. Walker, Crystal Brown, The Gainey Family

Teamwork = School and Community Together

This group of teenagers pitched in at a moments notice. Community donors and volunteers supplied all of the lumber and other materials needed to build the garden. City Council Members, A School Board Member, Members of the Environmental Commission and Families pitched in to build the garden. A construction firm noticed our dilemma and volunteered to build the first 25 boxes. Volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contributed time and Carpenters to assist in building the remaining beds.

Gardening is the most rewarding manual labor on the planet

In July of 1990, I received a call informing me that my Mom had passed. It was raining. I went outside anyway. It was very warm and the smell of the warm earth was very soothing. I weeded my flower beds and thought about my Mother. She had left the hospital against Dr's orders. She wanted to die at home. She worried about her cabbage, beans, tomatoes and the various other vegetables that she was growing. Her physicians agreed that work in her gardens kept her spirits up. She was in her massive garden sitting on her little cart rolling herself up and down the row as she picked green beans and other vegetables daily for 3 weeks. She passed quietly late one night in the arms of her companion. She wrote her will on the back of an old envelope giving her small farm to whomever would live in the house and care for the land.

The Louie Bacoat Historic Community Garden

The Teaching Garden at The Louie Bacoat Historic Community Garden is dedicated to contributing to the sustainability of life within Englewood and beyond. There is NO PLANET B. Our children must teach their children to preserve the one we have.

The Louie Bacoat Historic Community Garden is supported and maintained by a Village of Lifelong Learners who have volunteered to aid in the STEAM Education at a Community level of the children in Englewood. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) We support the concept of creating and maintaining a year round School Garden at each School in Englewood and work towards that end in a partnership with the School System.

Pre K and beyond are welcome as we share this journey of moving towards bringing residents closer to nature while incorporating elements that will help them succeed in school. We partner with the Schools and members of the Community to help children understand the value of;

- working together as a community,

- preserving the Environment while

- growing their own food,

- eating healthy

- fighting obesity

- malnutrition and

- giving to those less fortunate.

Everything that we are depends on maintaining a healthy planet. All life depends on the capacity of humans to grow and maintain the land in a clean and healthy way.

We are on a quest to improve the Environmental conditions on our School grounds and in our City. We hope to be instrumental in the formation of a sustainable NJ School System . We are encouraging EPSD to take constructive steps towards becoming a United States Department of Education Green Ribbon School District.

Cabbage: Another of the World's Healthiest Foods

Protection Outside

Be careful of the natural elements and other living things when working, entertaining, or playing in the yard. Chemicals & poison end up in the ground water. They kill the good bees, bugs and helpful garden life. use organic solutions and try not to change your ecosystem. Those same chemicals get back into your tap water.They may cause potential harm to you, your children, your pets and other wildlife. Protect your eyes, skin and hands while you work. Put "off" on your clothes, not your skin. If you have a small yard, use a manual mower.