V is for Vermont Victory Gardens

By Anita Kelman

Gardening has become a very popular hobby in the United States in recent years. Although some people who garden plan on providing their family with food year-round from their venture, most do so to enjoy the freshest produce available as a supplement to what they purchase at stores or Farmers' Markets. In general however, gardens, beyond a small ornamental planting, tend to be restricted to more suburban locations with larger lots. Exceptions to this have of course been found in community urban gardens, located in places such as New York City and Washington D.C. In truth however, gardens are a viable option even on a small city lot such as can be found in Burlington or Montpelier.

There is a good deal of history to be found in urban gardens. Back in the days of WW II, the US government urged citizens to plant “victory gardens” in order to provide fresh food locally to their family and community, allowing for more food to be sent to feed the troops fighting the war. Americans responded to this, producing up to 40% of the food consumed in the country in home gardens.

More recently, the combination of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the continuing US trade embargo led to a severe reduction in imported food, oil, and fertilizers in Cuba. To ward off starvation, the Cuban government urged citizens to plant gardens and raise livestock. This effort has been greatly supported by the Cuban government, which provides extension specialists in urban ag, information, and sales of gardening supplies. In Havana, Cuba's largest city, approximately 90% of its produce is grown locally in small gardens and urban “farms.” In 1997, this also included 7.5 million eggs and over 3,600 tons of meat!

Why should we concern ourselves with growing food at home when it is so readily available for sale at stores? Well, a number of reasons come to mind. An obvious one of course is that nothing tastes better, or is more nutritious, than just picked produce; strawberries and tomatoes still warm from the sun, crispy lettuce, sweet peas and more.

Food security is another issue. The oil crisis has garnered much attention recently. Currently, much of our food comes with “frequent flier” baggage, traveling an average of 1,500 miles before it lands on our plate. It is estimated that every calorie of food takes 10 calories to produce and transport. This does not appear to be sustainable over the long term. At the very least, increasing costs for fuel will be passed on to consumers, causing food prices to rise. From an energy use standpoint, importing food that can be grown locally, using precious fuel and adding to greenhouse gas emissions in the process, is clearly a losing proposition.

As well, what if production or transportation of food were to be hindered, either by fuel shortages, severe weather, a disease pandemic, terrorist actions, or other events? Wouldn't you feel a greater sense of security if you were able to feed your family a significant portion of its diet from food you grew at home or nearby?

If you've got access to any land at all, either in your own yard, a vacant piece nearby, or at a friend's house, you can grow a significant amount of food. Even if all you've got is a condo with a patio or balcony, if it gets a reasonable amount of sun, you can grow some food.

Now for the basics. Start by accessing the land you've got available. If your land is growing grass, marigolds or whatever, it can grow food. If you're looking at planting in a small urban space, it's important to abandon the headset of a garden that consists of long rows of vegetables separated by wide strips of tilled soil. Edible plants can be grown wherever there is soil, water and light. Your land can be steeply sloping, border your driveway or occupy your front lawn; it doesn't matter, as long as those three prerequisites – soil, water and light - are met.

Soil fertility is a must: the higher the level of fertility, the better the crop. It is good to ascertain the pH of your soil; other than a few crops such as blueberries, most prefer a somewhat neutral pH. This can be tested either with a low cost kit or through UVM. It is important to adjust the pH to the proper level however, in order for nutrients to be adequately available. In this area, the usual problem is a low pH, easily remedied with applications of wood ash or lime.

If you've got the space, I would recommend raised beds. These can either be framed or unframed. Mark out an area approximately four feet wide by however long you desire. Turn over the soil, remove weeds and grass add compost and other fertilizer, and then plant. The advantage of growing in beds is that it allows for a greater density of planting and doesn't waste precious space with wide rows, important in an urban garden. Additionally, once it is developed, it can be tended from the sides, preventing needless compaction. If you want to frame your beds, anything that is non-toxic can be used. I suggest avoiding all treated lumber. I have used slab wood, obtained from sawmills, and nailed the ends together. This provides a very cheap yet serviceable framing material. Although there are fans of “double dug” beds out there, I personally don't think it's worth the time and energy. Regular applications of compost and other organic material will produce a well-drained and loose soil.

Speaking of compost; you do compost, of course? This too can be done anywhere. There are some nice composters available, made of plastic, that are attractive enough for any city lot. More rustic ones can be constructed by tying four pallets together forming an upright square. Chicken wire stretched around tomato stakes hammered into the ground will also work. The general concept is to contain the material to be composted while keeping out the neighborhood dogs. What materials can be composted? All of your kitchen scraps, weeds, grass and leaves are suitable. Although there are complicated ways of composting, involving layers, and all sorts of admonishments on what not to compost, I use it all. I follow the static pile method, which basically means that eventually it will all rot - producing organic compost! If you have access to animal manure(not cat or dog however), add that as well.

What to grow? Well the first rule would be to grow what you like. If you don't eat it, why waste space growing it? Keep your space in mind, however. Without a good deal of land, crops such as pumpkins or corn are usually not advised. Grow vertical whenever possible, using trellises.

One mistake home gardeners often make is to plant the garden on Memorial Day weekend, and that's that! In Vermont, you can plant some crops as early as April, such as peas, spinach, broccoli, radishes and many greens. Think succession planting. Don't leave any space bare. As the early spinach bolts, replace it with beans or carrots, for instance. Aim for a variety of maturity dates. Season extension materials such as Remay will protect your crops from mild early or late frosts. Think winter storage crops, as well. Many such as potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, garlic, beets, and winter squash will keep nicely in a cool spot, perhaps a back bedroom or basement. Read up on techniques for preserving the harvest. Information is widely available in numerous publications.

Fruit can also be successfully grown in small spaces. Blueberry bushes make wonderful ornamental plantings and can be used instead of common foundation bushes. Plant varieties that will grow well in Vermont include Patriot, Blue Ray, and Blue Crop. Plant a minimum of two kinds for pollination. Dwarf varieties can be grown in patio pots.

Strawberries can be grown in planters if space is at a premium. Raspberries can be grown in a trellised row. Grapes will happily exist anywhere they can climb, up a porch support or against a shed in a sunny spot. If you've got room for a tree or two, why not plant an apple or pie cherry tree instead of an ornamental that doesn't bear fruit?

For those with no land, or only shady growing spaces, container gardening is a worthwhile option. There are many possible types of containers, including purchased plastic or clay pots, half-whiskey barrels, food-grade plastic buckets obtained from a bakery or deli, and even a child's wading pool. Fill them with a mix of soil and compost and don't forget drainage holes. Place them wherever they will have sun. Water often as they will have a tendency to dry out easily.

Perhaps there is a vacant piece of land in the area? This could become a community garden. There are community gardens currently operating throughout Vermont, which charge minimal plot rental fees, providing camaraderie as well as gardening advice, shared seeds and supplies and community. The Vermont Community Garden Network, newly formed in 2005 under the auspices of the Friends of Burlington Gardens, just hosted more than 100 people from 50 communities in Vermont at a one-day conference held at Gardener's Supply. Jim Flint, coordinator of the network, is rather excited at the groundswell of interest he is seeing in community gardening here in Vermont. He attributes this to many factors, among them a desire to lower food bills by growing one's own produce. To further assist Vermont community gardens, “mini-grant” awards and technical assistance for community garden projects are now being offered.

So, this spring, just grow where you're planted! Remember, when it comes to Green Mountain independence, V is for “Vermont Victory” garden!

Readers: E-mail us your favorite gardening resource at editor@vtcommons.org – book, web site, etc. – and we'll host it at our blog!