Sustainable, Organic

Vegetable Gardening

Presented by: Kent Phillips

kent.a.phillips@gmail.com

2

College of

Agriculture and Natural Resources

What is organic gardening?

• No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers – Only Organic Materials Review Institute

(OMRI) approved?

– https://www.omri.org/

• U of MD recommendations for home gardeners are organic

What is sustainable gardening?

• Mimic the natural ecosystem

– Good bugs eat bad bugs

• Use local resources

– Reduce purchased inputs

• Employs knowledge, planning and skill

• Apply NPK according to soil test recommendations

• Apply IPM principles

• Make optimal use of water

MGs teach a common-sense, ecological approach

• Rely on local materials and resources

– Compost neighbors leaves and your grass

– Local animal manure

– HC compost or Leafgro

• Maximize biological and genetic diversity to strengthen your garden eco-system.

– Example: Plant an assortment of annual flowers and herbs to attract and feed beneficial insects.

5

Unbordered raised beds

Ingredients to a Successful,

Organic Vegetable Garden

• Healthy soil • Lots of organic material

• Shooting for % OM in soil test > 4%

• Normal ranges from 1% to 3%

• Proper soil pH 6.2-6.8

• Proper nutrient levels • Soil test

• Follow NPK recommendations

• Secondary and micro nutrients

• Sufficient soil moisture

• Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Importance Of These Ingredients

• Healthy highly enriched organic soil with

proper moisture level creates healthy plants

which resist insect attack

• IPM • In nature, bad insects are predated by beneficials

• Use physical controls and erect barriers to pests

• Use targeted applications for specific pests

• Use broad spectrum organic insecticides only as a

last resort

What is Healthy Soil

• Soil rich in organic matter with lots of

invertebrates • Has lots of pores for air and water

• Six inches of OM for new gardens

• One inch for established gardens

• % OM of soil s/b > 4%

Healthy Soil (cont.) • Soil with proper pH and nutrient levels

• Do a soil test

• Follow recommendations

• University of MD. recommends .2# of N/100 sq. ft.

• 3-4-3 .2/.03=7 lbs./100 sq. ft.

• Blood meal 12-0-0 .2/.12=1.6 lbs./100 sq. ft.

• HC compost 1.41-0.6-1.36 rich in N

• 1 inch over 100 sq, ft. = 8 cu. ft. = 200 lbs.

• 200 X 0.0141= 2.82 lbs. N

• 15% available = .42 lbs.

Healthy soil (cont.)

• References at www.extension.umd.edu/hgic click on

“Soils” or click on “Information Library”,

“Publications” and “Soil, Mulch and Composting”

• HG11 Soil test basics

• HG110 Selecting and using a soil testing

laboratory

• HG 42 Soil amendments and fertilizers

• FS782 Basics of soil and plant fertility

• http://www.youtube.com/UMDHGIC to see video on

collecting a soil test sample

Soil Moisture

• On average plants require one inch of water a week

• On a 4 by 8 foot bed, that’s 20 gallons of water

• Moisture needs to be delivered to the plant roots

• Most efficient method of delivery is drip irrigation • http://www.youtube.com/UMDHGIC look or search for video on

“Drip Irrigation”

• Can also use soaker hoses

• Mulching plants helps conserve soil moisture – Organic (dried grass, newspaper, compost )

Intensive planting

• Assume a four foot wide bed

– In a 2 or 3 foot long area plant 5 broccoli plants in an x pattern

– Plant 4 lettuce plants between the broccoli plants

B L B

L B L

B L B

Intensive planting (cont.)

• Plant three rows of green beans in 2 X 4 square

– 36 plants lots of beans

• Four rows of beets, carrots or onions

– 48 beets, 48 carrots, 24 onions

• Plant tomatoes three feet apart on the north or west side of the garden

• Plant peppers and eggplants in the same pattern as broccoli above

• Vegetable spacing on Pub HG 16

– Plant Spacing – very important

– Row spacing – less important in raised beds

Succession Planting

• Use transplants when possible

– Cool weather crops (spring and fall)

• Broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, etc.

– Warm season crops (summer)

• Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, etc.

• Rotate crops

– Plant beans after broccoli (adds N to soil)

• Inoculate with rhizobium bacteria

– Don’t plant tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes where they have been before.

Cucurbit Tip

• Start 4 inch pot of cucurbits indoors 4/26

– 4 seeds per pot

– Cut off 2 weakest seedlings

• Transplant into garden on frost free date

– 5/17

• Cover with row cover

– Start new pot of seeds when male flowers appear

– Remove row cover when female flowers appear

• Repeat

Start early, end late

• Garden from 4/1 to 12/15

– See Pub. GE 007 or HG 16 for planting times

– Cool season crops (Mid March & April)

• Use low tunnels to extend season forward

– Warm season crops (mid-May & early June)

– Cool season crops (August & September)

• Use low tunnels to extend season

– Garlic (mid-October)

– Winter over spinach and kale for spring crop

Integrated Pest Management

• Simple steps and common sense

• Study

• Spy

• Squish

• An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure

• Companion planting

• A healthy garden with good soil, adequate

moisture and proper nutrition can withstand some

pest predation

Beneficial's v. Pests

• Attract predators and parasites by planting open

faced flowers which attract predators that require

nectar in their adult stage

• Ultimately, predators will increase as prey is

available

• Purchasing predators tends not to be effective

• Build a toad house

• Use broad spectrum insecticides only as a last

resort – they kill beneficals

Common Predators

Praying Mantid

Common Predators

Lady Bird Beetle and Larva

Common Predators Yellow Argiope

Jumping spider

Wolf Spider Orb Weaver

Wheel bug

Common Predators

Common Predators

Syrphid fly and larva: predator of aphids

Common Predators

Parasitized Tomato Hornworm

Common Vegetable Pests Mexican Bean Beetle

Adult Eggs & larvae

• Row cover

• Crush

• Neem, spinosad, Pyrethrum spray top and bottom of leaves

Common Vegetable Pests Cucumber Beetle

Stripped Spotted

Floating row cover

Neem oil, spinosad, Pyrethrum

Common Vegetable Pests Harlequin bug

Adult Eggs & nymphs

• Row cover

• Crush

• Insecticidal soap alone or with pyrethrum or neem for nymphs

• Use cleome as a trap crop

Common Vegetable Pests Flea Beetle

Adults

Floating row cover over hoops

Surround (kaolin clay) – reapply after rain

Neem oil, spinosad, Pyrethrum

Common Vegetable Pests Imported Cabbage Looper

Adult Larvae

• Floating row cover

• Bacillus Thuringensis (BT), insecticidal soap

• Neem oil, spinosad, pyrethrum – use with sticker spreader

Common Vegetable Pests Squash Bug

Adult Eggs & nymphs

• No organic pesticide for adults available to homeowners

• Floating row cover

• Hand pick tear out section of leaf with eggs

• Kill nymphs with neem or hort oil or insecticidal soap

Common Vegetable Pests Squash Vine Bore

Larvae

• Floating row cover

• Cut out borer and mound soil over wound

Common Vegetable Pests Stink Bugs

BMSB Adult Southern Green Stink Bug Brown

• True hard shell bugs like squash and stink bugs are hard to kill

• No organic pesticide available for homeowners to kill adults

• Use row cover where possible or netting

• Hand pick and destroy adults and eggs

• Insecticidal soap and botanicals can be used on 1st and 2nd instars (nymphs)

Targeted Applications for Specific Pests

• With all pesticides

– Always read the label

– Follow label instructions

• Bacillus Thuringiensis

– Cabbage looper and other caterpillars

• Horticultural oils

• Insecticidal soap

Broad Spectrum Killers

• With all pesticides

– Always read the label & follow label instructions

• Pyrethrums

– excites nervous system causing paralysis & death

• Spinosad

– affects the nervous system causing muscles to flex

• Neem oil – azadiractin

– Reduces feeding & acts as growth regulator

• http://npic.orst.edu/

Resources • Grow-It-Eat-It website

– http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit

– Access to valuable and practical gardening tips and information. Share your experiences in our blog

– Click on vegetables, common vegetable problems and vegetable insect pests

• Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC)

– http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic – Ask the Experts – Send questions and photos 24/7 through this web site for

a quick and thorough answer

• Maryland Master Gardener Program – https://extension.umd.edu/mg

This program was brought to you by

Maryland Master Gardener Program

Howard County

University of Maryland Extension