Q: We have just finished our vegetable garden base for our 7 yr old son. We have no experience with gardening, and would love to nurture the love of gardening in our son. Would you please help us with the following questions? Our garden will be based in a box made out of pressure treated wood about 3 feet high, and about 4ft long and 3 ft. long. Do you have any suggestions as to what to put for soil? What could we plant in order to get a product before winter? Is there anything that grows over winter or could be planted in fall and harvested in Spring? thanks for your time and website. Sincerely, Lina
A: Hi Lina. Good for you. You'll be racing the clock in your area to plant and harvest before winter but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Radishes are the fastest growing of vegetables from seed to harvest, taking only about a month for the entire cycle. That might work for you. Fast growing lettuce, spinach, kale and collards (leaf crops) and Brussels sprouts love the cold and can even take a frost or two. You can also extend the growing season on your planting box if you cover it with clear plastic to hold the heat in on those colder nights. Just be sure to remove the cover during the day since it can become too hot for plants to survive. Regarding the box, if you use pressure treated wood as you plan, you might want to line the interior with heavy plastic to reduce any potential leaching of chemicals from the wood, especially since this will be a food garden. As for the soil, look for good quality top soil, either in bagged or bulk. To that, add a healthy dose of compost if you have access to some (about 15%) and mix that into the soil. Any other organic matter such as decomposed leaves or composted cow manure is good. But, be sure the manure is composted first to eliminate the risk of bacteria. I don't know if it is sold in your area, but I like to use a bagged composted cow manure product by the name of Black Kow. I'm sure you can find a similar product there if not. Good luck!
-JL
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