Garden tips for April Garden tips for April (April 22, 2005)

Gardening, like cooking, is a journey of the senses

By Jack McKinnon

I have been reading several cookbooks and cooking magazines lately and have found them really fun to learn from. This month I will give you some recipes for gardening, including techniques for mixing, buying, cooking (compost) and showing or serving your plants to your guests.

Much like good cooking, gardening is a journey of the senses. You need to touch, smell, see, hear and even taste well to be a good gardener. Let's explore the feast of horticulture.

1. Shop for the freshest ingredients for your garden project. Buy plants that are healthy, full and good color. Flowering plants may or may not be in bloom. If it looks healthy it will probably bloom well when its flowering season comes.

2. Check the roots if possible by lifting the plant carefully out of its container and looking for tangled masses indicating the plant is root-bound. If the roots just fill the pot that is fine, but if they are too tangled it means trouble.

3. Gather your ingredients before you start your project. Have on hand soil, compost, fertilizer, a watering can or hose, gloves, trowel or spade, plants and your hat.

4. Combine soil, compost and fertilizer (check the instructions for proportions) and mix well. Note that different kinds of plants require different mixtures. Cacti need more sand and less compost than house plants. Check garden books and encyclopedias for what the different needs are for your plants.

5. Arrange your soil/compost mixture so the planting area is dressed and ready for planting. The soil contours of your beds, planters, pots and hanging baskets is directly related to how the plants will shape up when they are growing. Be sure the depth is appropriate for the plants you are using.

6. Plant your plants, bulbs and seeds with the appropriate spacing. Again, consult your plant encyclopedia or the seed packet for spacing and depth of plantings. Nursery people are quite knowledgeable about the plants they sell. Feel free to ask.

7. Water before, during and after planting. This insures good contact between the soil and the roots of your plants. It also activates the fertilizer you mixed into the soil to release and make contact with the roots. Shock due to transplanting can be reduced by regular light watering for the first few weeks.

8. Chop up, grind, mix and otherwise homogenize organic matter for your compost bin. A mixture of half-green and half-dead plant material makes the ideal mix.

9. Moisten your compost just enough to not be dripping. Turn once or twice a week for one to three months until well composted. Sift and save for further usage.

10. Remember that presentation is paramount to having a healthy appetite. The same goes for you garden. Keep it tidy, fresh and with plenty of flowers for garnish and you will be that much happier when your are savoring your garden.

Good gardening. Jack McKinnon worked in the Sunset Magazine gardens for 12 years and has been a private garden coach for seven years. He can be reached at (650) 879-3261, or by e-mail at jcmckinnon@earthlink.net.

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