Looking ahead Ames-Hauger started prepping for 2021 before the holidays in 2020. She began by tracking her planting progress on a calendar. “By doing that, I was able to see where I needed to make adjustments, when to start things,” she said, adding that she began a few months earlier this time around. Fruit trees are in her future, as is drip irrigation—and a lid on how many crops she has going at once. “I think that I would just limit what I am going to plant and try to maybe, well, definitely do succession planting, so that I don’t have everything ready all at one time.” Through it all, Ames-Hauger gained not only food for her family, but also “incredible appreciation that I gained for farming and for farmers, and for people that grow our food.” “I think a lot of us take it for granted, right? That we just go to a grocery store and there’s food there, but the food has to come from somewhere and someone that knows what they’re doing,” she said.
Zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes are just some of the vegetables the family grows in their backyard.
Kevin Hecteman khecteman@californiabountiful.com
Here are some tips
always compost.” Raised beds are also a good idea, with no side being longer than 4 feet. “If you walk on your soil, you’re going to compact your soil,” she said. Krycia suggested starting with easy-to-grow crops such as carrots and tomatoes, especially the Early Girl tomato variety. Herbs such as parsley, rosemary and chives are also a good call, he added: “Those are simple, straightforward things, even for a small garden.” Don’t expect perfection, Krycia said. “Some of your tomatoes are going to have a little crackle on them, or maybe a little sun scald on them,” he said. “They’re still delicious. Just cut that part out, eat around it.” Water, Rubin said, is “the cause of a lot of problems in gardens—too much or too little.” Remember to water the roots, not the leaves, and aim to keep the soil moist but not soppy. “A lot of gardening is trial by fire,” she said. “That’s how you learn. You make mistakes.” Experienced gardeners can have terrible years, and beginners can have excellent years, she said. Rubin’s column on Pages 44-45 oers tips on how to start your garden with seeds or starter plants. The UC Master Gardener program oers information and support from master gardeners statewide at http://mg.ucanr.edu/.
Beginning gardeners will often be eager to get out there and plant—maybe too eager. Bill Krycia, a University of California Cooperative Extension master gardener in Sacramento, said one common rookie mistake is “being overzealous as to what you’re going to put in.” He recommends starting small and considering what you want to eat. “Try and limit yourself to half of your dreams the first year,” Krycia said. “You’re not going to start out with 5 acres.” Want to get started right about now? You’re in luck. “March is a fabulous time in most of the state, except the far northern state, to really get started on putting in a summer garden, and in some spots maybe a late-spring garden,” Krycia said. Where you place the garden is also crucial. Krycia said a garden plot will need at least 6 1/2 hours of good sunlight. Pat Rubin, California Bountiful gardening columnist, suggested location is crucial for another reason: “I’ve always maintained that you should put the garden where you can see it and where you’ll walk by it. Don’t tuck it in the back 40 where you’ll never see it, because you’ll never go out there.” Rubin also said soil is crucial; most locations in California have clay soil, which is rich in nutrients, but also dense. “It needs to be broken up a little bit,” she said. “The answer is
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