Let's talk manure, 100 square feet of it

The following are a few pointers to get you started.

Where to plant?

Set dixie cups in various places on your property where you think you may want to plant. Check the location of the sun every hour by putting a rock in the cups that have sun shining on them. At the end of an eight-hour-period of time, whichever cups have the most rocks in them is where you should plant to make the most of Maine daylight hours. Sweet fruit comes from lots of sunshine.
You should be tripping over the spot you choose. It should be visible to you every day, as to not forget and ignore it.
Be sure to have proper drainage. Dig a hole approximately eight inches deep. Pour two pails of water in and an hour later check to see if the water drained. If it didn't, you need to find a different place.
If you're considering planting on your lawn and you don't want to wait a year to properly kill the grass, map out your spot with newspapers and/or cardboard to ready the ground. Then, from a reliable loam dealer, purchase fill to place eight to 10 inches of soil over the top for a raised bed.

What do you want to plant?

Take a few minutes to figure out what your family will eat and how much of it they will eat in one weeks' time.
Think about sharing the space with a friend and planting adequately to feed more than one family or consider donating harvest items to hungry families in your community.
Figuring out what you want to plant and how many people you want to feed will be the rule to follow in deciding what size garden spot you need to construct.

How big should your garden be?

A 100-square-foot rectangular-shaped garden will give you adequate space to sufficiently feed a family of four.
You want to be able to allow space for your plants to grow, for you to weed and harvest. By constructing a rectangular garden you will have enough room to plant, tend and harvest your fruits.
If you spend summers at camp, your garden should be at camp. Don't start something at home that you won't be around to care for.

When should you start planting seedlings?

April 1 is the magic date to ensure that your seedlings will be ready to transplant outside when the soil is warm enough.

What should start from seedling/seed?

Seeds

Beans
Radishes
Summer Squash
Peas
Cucumbers

Seedlings

Peppers
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Cabbage

Where should I purchase my seedlings/seed?

Barbara Murphy noted, “Invest in your garden by investing in your seedlings.”
There are three grades of seeds; Grade A, Grade B, Grade C; the lower the grade, the lower the yield of fruit and most likely the least expensive to buy.
Johnny's Selected Seeds of Maine has the best reputation for quality seedlings and seed.

Do I need a soil test?

Instructions and packaging on where to send a soil test can be picked up at River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition at 94 River St. in Rumford.

MEXICO- Now that I have your attention, won't you join me and many others in our communities in making a plan for how you can cut down on your grocery bill, increase your health and teach your family how to become more self-sufficient, all while helping feed local hungry families.

Last week 20-plus participants attended the first of a two class instructional on how to plant a 100-square-foot garden, offered through Region 9 Adult Education and taught by master gardener Sandra Witas of River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition and extension educator Barbara Murphy of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Oxford County.

Each year, you may have noticed volunteers out in the garden next to Hosmer Field Complex watering, weeding and harvesting the fruits of their labor. That Harvest for Hunger garden is part of a state-wide initiative to help teach families how to plant and successfully harvest their crops. The hope is to reduce dependency on aid, feed local families who may not be able to provide sufficient means of nourishment due to loss of employment or disability and enforce a self-reliant community.

One of the first questions you may be asking yourself is how can you help feed hungry families. In the first 15 minutes of this class we all learned that most people bite off a little more than they can chew when planting a garden.

Did you know that you can feed a family of four by planting just one tomato plant? If cared for correctly, that one plant will reap 30 – 50 pounds of fruit before the end of harvest. How many of you plant all six plants that come in the container that you purchased at your greenhouse? What do you do with the extras?

Witas and Murphy are just a phone call or email away to help you find homes for all that extra fruit you don't know what to do with each year. And, with their instruction and guidance, there are more than 20 citizens in our surrounding communities that will have a successful harvest this year.

For more information on planning or planting a garden visit, www.umaine.edu.

For more information on Harvest for Hunger, visit http://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/.

The above link will help you learn how to donate the extra or unwanted produce you harvest to area agencies who are in need or if you would like to volunteer your time in helping maintain one of the many gardens in Oxford County.
Local businesses are also welcome to help by donating things like eggs, breads, and of course monetary donations are always welcome.

As you begin the process of starting your own garden or helping with someone else's, you may consider keeping a journal of your progress from start to finish to allow a look back next year of how you did things.

I would enjoy hearing from you with your tips, successes and anything you would like to share with other interested readers as the summer months carry you through your gardening experience. Email me at ccrockett@rumfordfallstimes.com if you would like your garden experience featured.

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Let's talk manure, 100 square feet of it