A Detroiters’ guide to starting a Michigan vegetable garden

---

The pandemic touched off what some have referred to as a “global garden boom”with research finding gardeners often reported the activity was a good way to relieve stress, engage in physical activity and supplement their produce needs. Yet, the prospect of starting one’s own garden likely remains an intimidating proposition for many.

Residents of Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park have a big advantage when it comes to planning their gardens because the Garden Resource Program provides seeds and transplants (or starter plants) to those living in these cities and offers a number of classes for beginning gardeners and experienced growers.

What follows are some garden basics to help you start a vegetable garden and set yourself up for more harvests in the years to come.

How to start a garden in Michigan

Try to find the sunniest spot possible for your new garden. Most vegetable plants do best in eight to twelve hours of direct sunlight, although some leafy greens like lettuce and spinach can appreciate a bit less sun in midsummer.

You will also want to pay attention to the proper planting times for what are considered “cold crops” and “hot crops.” Cold crops include many plants grown from seed, like spinach, lettuce, and peas, while many hot crops, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, are grown from transplants. Transplanting is important in Michigan because our shorter seasons make it difficult or impossible to get a harvest if growing from seeds.

Many cool crops can withstand a frost or even a freeze. Gardeners should wait until there is no longer the possibility of frost in their area before planting hot crops. Detroiters are fortunate because the city’s frost-free date is May 12, the earliest date in the state. 

Preparing the soil 

Whether you’re starting a garden or have had one for years, compost is the organic gardener’s best friend. Rich in nutrients and microbes that can break down organic matter, it improves the structure and workability of the soil and acts as a sponge that holds onto crucial moisture for germinating seeds and growing plants. 

Producing your own usable compost can take several years. Beginning gardeners may instead look at their local garden center for bagged compost or get a yard or two of compost dropped in their driveway for larger gardens.

Unlike chemical fertilizers or even organic ones, it’s hard to overdo it with compost. A new vegetable garden in degraded soil can often benefit from several inches of compost laid on top of the soil or worked into the top few inches, but try and aim for at least an inch of compost for new and existing gardens.

To break ground for a new growing bed without a rototiller, cut the sod, ideally with a spade, and add the turf to the compost. Then use a spading fork to lift the soil gently and a claw tool to break up the top few inches, working in compost at this point if possible. You could also use an old-fashioned garden hoe to work the soil, or even a shovel, to lift the soil and break it up a bit, creating channels for water and roots. 

However, resist the urge to flip the soil, which can invert the layers of fungi and bacteria that prefer to live at specific depths. The most important thing is to break up the soil deep enough to put transplants in the ground or sow seeds. It’s easiest to do this when the soil is slightly moist but not wet.

One advantage to leaving a thin layer of compost on top of the dirt after working the soil is that it can serve as a sponge that helps direct-seeded crops germinate. 

In the absence of compost, plan on adding chicken manure or some other organic fertilizer after seeds have sprouted. Fish emulsion can help transplants establish themselves and may be used throughout the season if the soil seems especially poor. However, be careful about fertilizing fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers after June because too much nitrogen can cause them to continue to grow leaves when they should be setting fruit.

Also, if you’re concerned about soil contamination, you may want to have your soil tested for lead. The Garden Resource Program offers assistance with obtaining a soil test as well as a guide on how to collect a soil sample. 

Planning your vegetable garden

When planning a vegetable garden, consider what you and your family will actually eat. If you’re growing in a small space, you may want to look for crops that produce a lot of food in a small area or grow quickly.

Some crops like kale and collard greens can maximize available space by producing seasonal food with just one planting. They’re also versatile. Kale can be eaten raw in a salad, cooked with eggs, turned into kale chips, or frozen at the end of the season. 

Other vegetable crops like carrots and potatoes can take a long time to deliver, yet they produce an abundance of food that keeps in the refrigerator or root cellar for months. The same is true for cabbage, which needs time and space to mature but then can be stored or processed into sauerkraut for the winter. 

Lettuce, radishes, and brassica mix can be easily grown from seed and used to fill in between larger plants like tomatoes or cabbage, especially when these are still growing. 

To get the most out of the garden, think in terms of both space and time. Ask yourself, is there room for another crop? And can it be harvested before it’s crowded out? Radishes and arugula are useful in this situation because they can go from seed to harvest in as little as 21 days. 

Other good plants for beginning gardeners are zucchini and other summer squash. Sure, these need a lot of space, but they also grow a lot of food. 

In general, follow the spacing advice that comes on the seed packet or with your transplants. A kale or tomato transplant may look small now, but it will be a different story in late June when these plants start to take off. 

When sowing seeds, you may need to plant extra to ensure a decent number germinate. You can go back and thin them out later. This may waste a few seeds, but it is often better than waiting extra weeks to see if a planting worked out. 

Don’t forget to water

Vegetables need about an inch of water a week to do well, and if they’re not getting this from the sky, the gardener needs to supply it. 

Watering earlier in the day is often best from a water conservation standpoint because less will evaporate, although leafy greens appreciate the cooling action of an afternoon shower. 

As for recently seeded or transplanted crops, keep the soil moist for the first week or so until seeds have germinated or transplants have rooted out.

Harvesting your crop

Harvesting is often an afterthought for new gardeners, but when food is harvested has a big impact on the way it tastes and how long it lasts. 

For leafy greens and salad crops, the best time to harvest is in the morning before the heat of the day has set in. Lettuce especially can taste bitter when it’s cut later in the day. However, summer fruit like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant should be harvested in the afternoon.

One rule of thumb is to harvest when things are on the small side. Beans, zucchini, and salad mixes all taste their best before they get too big. Tomatoes, however, should be picked when they’re red and dead ripe. For a more complete list of how to harvest, check out this link. 

And try not to worry if this all seems a little overwhelming. Gardening is a process; a gardener can make many mistakes and still grow food. The important thing is to get started.

Source: planetdetroit.org