Growing a vegetable garden in North Carolina has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Most of North Carolina enjoys a lengthy growing season of around 200 days or more, allowing for two, or sometimes, three separate harvests. Much of the hard clay or sandy soil in this area needs to be built up---some areas have been stripped of nutrients because of intensive tobacco farming. But regardless of whether you live in the western mountains, the central piedmont or the eastern coastal area, you can grow vegetables successfully in North Carolina with these simple steps. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Pick a garden spot. Be sure that your garden will get a full six hours of sun per day---eight to 10 hours will be even better. If you choose your spot in the winter, check that nearby trees will not shade the garden when their leaves come back in the spring. Rain in North Carolina is sporadic, so make sure you have a water source convenient to your garden.
2. Prepare the soil. Whether you have light, sandy soil or heavy, clay soil, you will need to add organic matter to improve its quality. Most North Carolina soil is acidic, so you may need to add lime as well. Thanks to the numerous farms in North Carolina, you can often find a farmer happy to give you some horse, chicken or cow manure, free for the taking. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture will perform a free soil test to help you correct any problems in your area's soil (see Resources below). Use a tiller or shovel to work the soil, turning it over and working in the organic matter and other additives.
3. Plan your garden. Choose the vegetables you would like to grow. Most vegetables will grow in North Carolina, but the following perform especially well: tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash, pole beans, Swiss chard and okra. Cool weather crops, such as broccoli, beets and lettuce can do well in the western part of the state, if they are planted early in the spring. Draw a grid that shows where you will plant each type of vegetable, keeping in mind each plant's space requirement.
4. Plant seeds and seedlings in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. See Resources below for your area's frost dates. Frost dates in North Carolina generally range from mid-April in the spring to mid-October in the fall. Check the seed packets for specific planting instructions for each vegetable. Water seeds and seedlings daily until their roots are established.
5. Maintain your garden. It can be difficult to get motivated to work your garden during the hot, humid North Carolina summer. Work during the cooler early morning or evening hours. Don't let the weeds get ahead of you, or they will take over your garden very quickly. Make sure the garden receives a good inch of rain or water weekly---more often if the weather is especially hot. Add fertilizer regularly to the nutrient-poor North Carolina soil for best results.
Tags: North Carolina, your garden, Carolina soil, Most North, Most North Carolina, North Carolina soil
