Meloney Phillips
Staff Writer
Late into the heart of winter, while the trees and flowers are still sleeping and the northern winds bring with it a white blanket falling all around, my mind begins to mull over the possibilities of the approaching spring.
Spring is my favorite time of year. I love watching new buds and green leaves stretching out from their long winter’s nap, waking up to the cheerful melody of spring song birds chirping, and seeing all of nature coming back to life.
As I sit on the couch by the fire, curled up in a blanket while sipping hot chocolate, my mind is focused on an array of seeds and plants. Which ones do I want? When should I start each kind? Where do I need to plant them and with which companion crops to put them with?
For anyone new to gardening this can be an overwhelming task, even experienced gardeners contemplate the possibilities. Everyone has different needs, abilities, space allowances, etc., so every experience will be unique. I listed several tips on how to get a garden started in the January 18 edition of The Pocahontas Times.
Background
Granddaddy was the kind of old-time farmer who grew a garden to keep food on the table year-round.
We had three large garden plots in the back yard, two were about 25×75 foot and one was 50×100. The largest plot was for field crops like corn. One of the small plots, close to the house, would be the kitchen garden and the other small plot would be a combination, or overflow, for the other two but all three would be filled.
Granny kept the kitchen garden while granddaddy, always wanting to be outside, was inevitably back and forth between all three.
Granddaddy planted by the seasons and the moon. He didn’t have a book to go by; he merely stepped outside at night and looked up.
Above ground crops went into the ground in the light of the moon; from the new moon until the full moon as it’s getting “lighter.” Below ground crops were planted in the dark of the moon; from the full moon until the new moon as it was getting “darker.”
The Three Sisters
Although planting “the three sisters” is a practical and common method used in times past as well as today, based on native knowledge, our fields were never done this way.
The “three sisters” consists of corn, beans and squash, and are companion crops planted in succession to support one another. The corn stalks provide support for the pole beans, the beans provide much needed nitrogen for the corn, and the squash keep the weeds and critters at bay.
Corn is a field crop. This means it produces better in a large plot or field. Corn has male tassels containing the pollen and the female part produces silk to catch the pollen. Since wind pollination is not as concentrated around the perimeter, these rows generally have a smaller yield. Having a larger planted area helps insure better pollination. An old tradition says to leave the outside three or four rows, around all four sides, for the animals. Corn is also a heavy nitrogen feeder.
Beans are a nitrogen fixer, actually adding nitrogen to the soil. This makes it an excellent companion crop for corn and other heavy nitrogen feeders, such as tomatoes, broccoli and other cabbage family crops.
There are many types of weeds that grow in a garden that are edible, like Lamb’s Quarters, but most steal precious nutrients from the soil. Planting pumpkins and other large leaf squash throughout the garden helps reduce weeds by blocking sunlight.
Preparing
Our garden started in the early spring when a family friend, who owned a tractor, came over to turn the soil. Where we lived, everything was red clay. Turning this hardpan was necessary for the plants to grow. The tractor left rows of hard red clay lumps in its wake. Granny and I, using hands and hoes, set about pulling out rocks and breaking up each lump into something that vaguely resembled garden soil.
Our tools were simple. We used rakes, hoes, push plows and a mattock. These tools were constructed of heavy solid metal – which was built to last. Other than replacing the wooden handles, I was still using the same tools up until only a few years ago.
Planting
Potatoes and onion were among the first crops to be planted since they were more cold tolerant. Lettuce, turnips and peas also went in early. Granny always said that a little frost made the peas taste sweeter.
Corn and beans needed warmer soil for the seeds to germinate so they had to wait six or eight weeks after the peas went in before they were planted.
We did not have any form of greenhouse so they purchased tomato and pepper plants each spring for an earlier harvest. They would also buy onion sets for spring planting but everything else we planted started with seeds.
Working the Gardens
All three gardens were cared for full-time by Granny and Granddaddy. If I didn’t have homework or other pressing chores, I was expected to help, as well. I never thought about it being a chore or a burden; it was just a part of life and everyone helped where they could. The feelings wrapped around those childhood memories of growing a garden are still with me. I love getting my hands in the soil – no gloves – and seeing the things grow that I have planted. To have something you put energy and time into, flourish and give back, creates a sense of joy and accomplishment that you cannot get from picking up a piece of produce from a store.
After all the hard work of the fall harvest, everyone got together to monitor the burning of the fields. Burning the remnants of the year’s crops had several benefits. Burning off the gardens killed bacteria, fungus, weeds and other harmful microorganisms. It also helped prevent plant diseases from increasing and spreading from year to year. The ash returned trace minerals back into the soil while increasing the soil’s pH levels. Due to the poor quality of the soil where we lived, Granddaddy still added lime every fall.
Coming to a Close
The only freezer we had was the small one in the top of a 1970s refrigerator. It was not uncommon for the freezer to be less than half full. Very little of our preservation was done by freezing the produce. We did, however, enjoy homegrown vegetables throughout the winter months from the canning and other means of preserving that we accomplished during the growing season.
Then, the day comes when the golden glow of the orange and pink hues of the sunset amplify the leaves as they display their grand finale of the year and the winter wind lulls them back to sleep.
Now, it’s time to start thinking about spring once again.
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