Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ings. Traditionally, seed packages suggest spacing for row gardening as “plant in row, thin to 2 inches
between plants.” With intensive gardening, you'll plant the seeds where you want them to go in the first
place, and thinning is not required.
Seed Spacing for Intensive Gardening
SPRING—PLANTING THE GARDEN
At the beginning of the season (for Chicago this means mid-April) we have a series of workshops in
each of the gardens for new gardeners. These one-hour sessions are meant only to get their 4-by-8 plot
planted with confidence. They're very basic, but they're enough to get new gardeners settled. Dispense
information as it is needed throughout the season to make the learning relevant and “sticky.”
Spring Education Topics
Understanding Healthy Soil and Organic Gardening
Seeds and How to Plant Them
Choosing Seeds vs. Seedlings
How to Plant a Tomato Seedling
How to Plant Other Seedlings
How to Water Properly
THINK ABOUT THE KITCHEN WHEN YOU'RE THINKING
ABOUT THE GARDEN
Picking what to grow can be intimidating and overwhelming, with the seed catalogs full of so many op-
tions. I encourage first-year gardeners to grow what they want to eat. Sure, they might want to experi-
ment with something exotic, but I suggest that they start with the basics, branching out to new things
once the first year is under their belt. This doesn't mean they can't get creative! We had a new gardener
one season who loved the color purple. She picked her favorite foods, choosing varieties that bore
purple produce—beans, tomatoes, eggplant—for a lovely garden!
