{"id":97,"date":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/garden\/"},"modified":"2023-04-02T03:00:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T03:00:47","slug":"garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\n

  Gardening     <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

Many of us
\nenjoy growing our own vegetables, Fruits, flowers, and herbs.
\nBy using the right gardening techniques, we can produce plants
\nwe can be proud of while preserving the soil and its fertility,
\nenhancing the absorption of rainfall, and protecting local streams
\nfrom sediments and chemicals. <\/font><\/p>\n

To get the
\nmost out of your garden, it is important to pick the right spot
\nfor planting. Choose a sunny location with good natural drainage.
\nPlant your garden on a fairly level site. Whenever possible, avoid
\nsloping areas and drainage channels which let topsoil wash away
\nduring heavy rains.<\/font><\/p>\n

If
\nyour garden is on a slope, use the same techniques that farmers
\nuse on hilly fields. Terrace the site or plant across the slope,
\nnot up and down the hill. Each terrace or row helps keep soil
\nand plants from washing down hill. On long slopes, it’s a good
\nidea to leave strips of groundcover or grass that also run perpendicular
\nto the slope. The groundcover or grass slows the flow of runoff,
\nallowing it to soak into the soil. Make your strips wide enough
\nto allow easy access to your plants and vegetables. <\/font><\/p>\n

Very steep
\nslopes require special considerations. On such sites, it is important
\nto maintain a permanent vegetative cover to minimize soil erosion.
\nOn longer slopes, the hillsides can be terraced by building retaining
\nwalls which can provide garden strips on the level areas. For
\nmore information, contact your county WSU Cooperative Extension
\nagent. <\/font><\/p>\n

   Mulching<\/font>

\nMulch
\nis a protective covering of compost, straw, grass clippings, or
\nleaves placed around plants. Mulching can add nutrients, make
\nthe soil more workable, aid rainwater penetration, help control
\nweeds, and improve the moisture retaining capacity of the soil
\nnear roots. <\/font><\/p>\n

Mulch also
\nminimizes bare, unexposed soil in your garden. Unprotected ground
\nloses nutrients and needed topsoil much more quickly than mulched
\nor planted soil. Bare soil places added stress on nearby plants
\nby expanding temperature extremes and reducing available soil
\nmoisture. You can also help minimize the loss of bare soil to
\nerosion by closer plantings of different but compatible, plant
\nspecies to make the most out of your working garden area. <\/font><\/p>\n

Winter cover
\ncrops are highly recommended for vegetable plots. A cover crop
\nholds the soil during the winter and adds organic matter to the
\nsoil when it is turned under the following spring. Rye, barley,
\nand wheat are suitable for fall planting at the rate of two to
\nthree pounds per 1,000 square feet of ground. <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

   Composting

\nCompost
\nis a dark, crumbly and earthy-smelling form of decomposing organic
\nmatter. Perfect for mulch, compost enriches soil and improves
\nplant growth. Composting is a practical way to transform yard
\nwastes into a resource. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Leaves,
\ncuttings and other yard wastes contribute some 20-25% of throw-aways.
\nThrowing yard wastes over the bank into streams and lakes, piling
\nthem on the beach below the high tide line for removal by tidal
\naction, or burning are not acceptable solutions for disposal.
\nThe process of breaking down plant materials competes with marine
\nanimals for the limited oxygen dissolved in our waters. Some plant
\nmaterials contain chemical components that can alter balance in
\nthe marine environment. These unsightly wastes can create obstructions
\nand dangers to boats, divers, and swimmers, and most often end
\nup on your neighbor’s beach. Finally, it is illegal! Regulations
\nforbid dumping anything into the Sound or any other body of water.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

With
\nmany landfills reaching capacity, composting lawn and garden wastes
\nmakes even more sense. Composting is also the answer for the 5
\n– 9% of your garbage represented by foodwastes other than meat,
\nbones, and fatty foods. <\/font><\/p>\n

A
\ncompost pile is really a teeming microbial farm breaking down
\nanything left over from your gardening activities. Great joy can
\nbe had from a properly working compost pile which produces wonderful
\nsoil conditioner from garden waste. In Seattle, call 684-7666
\nfor information and to receive a no-cost compost bin for your
\nhousehold. The King County Solid Waste Division can provide plans
\nfor all descriptions of composting bins by calling 296-6542. Local
\nrepresentatives of Master Gardeners, the Department of Ecology
\nat

\n1-800- 822-9933, and the Washington Energy Extension Service at
\n

\n1-800-962-9731 can also provide composting information. <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

Add yard
\nwastes to bin as they are generated. With no effort besides occasional
\nwatering, compost will be ready in 6 months to 2 years. Covering
\nwith heavy fabric to keep the heat and moisture in and occasional
\nturning decreases the time considerably.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nPest Management<\/a><\/font><\/font><\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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