By Sid Gillson, local Master Gardener
In the Gallup high plateau area, May is the time to finally plan and prepare for our home gardens. (If you would like to view a Gallup garden in August check out the four YouTube videos listed at the end of this article.) By the last week in May or the first week in June we should be ready to plant our garden seeds and potted plants, such as tomatoes. One could be tempted to plant during the first two weeks in May when the daytime temperatures are 80 degrees or higher; however it is better to wait until the soil temperature is suitable for planting. By the end of May the garden soil in the early morning should be from 55 to 70 degrees, which would be warm enough to assure good seed germination.
The instructions on the back of most seed packets indicate the ideal soil temperature for seed germination and the number of days for crop maturation. Select the garden seeds that will produce a mature crop in about 100 days. Check with gardening friends living near you to identify vegetable plants that will do well in your neighborhood.
Purchase small plants, such as tomatoes, at a local nursery, by the first week of May. After you buy your plants transplant them, using potting soil, into larger pots, at least 4 inches wide by 6 inches deep so the roots will have room to grow and expand. The resulting root growth will enable them to grow vigorously when they are planted in the garden soil in June. Keep the potted plants out of the wind, direct sun and 85-degree heat. However, keep them warm, 65 degrees or more, during the evening and through the night. Use rain or bottled water for watering the potted plants. Gallup water has a high pH alkali level (8.2-8.6) and is not recommended for potted plants because the potting soil dries out rapidly. The alkali from the tap water accumulates on the young roots and retards plant growth and root development.
By early May one should have identified the best soil on your property for your garden. Most garden soils will require several years of ongoing enrichment with organic materials and tilling to reach maximum plant productivity. Select a garden spot that is sheltered from the winds, if possible. A location with full sun is not necessary because of the intensity of the sun at our high altitude. Ignore the directions on seed packets and potted plants instructing you to plant them in the full sun. If possible, select a site where the rainwater will drain into your garden. Determine the length of planting rows for your vegetables in order to purchase the correct amount of seeds. Plan to plant one type of vegetable in each row because different vegetables require varying amounts of water. Space your rows about 2 feet apart to allow for a watering system and plant maintenance. If the rows are too wide the wind may dry the soil and mulch.
Determine how you are going to water your rows. Do not consider randomly sprinkling water from your hose all over your garden because city water will deposit alkali on the leaves, which will destroy plant health. Plan your garden so that the water hose goes directly to the beginning of your rows to avoid the need to drag the hose around the garden. There are many different ways to water a garden. One may water under ground through a pipe or hose that has 1/16-inch holes every six inches (see the YouTube video.) One may also water above ground using a soaker hose or an anchored PVC pipe with the holes pointing down toward the root zone of the plants. A 4-inch-deep level irrigation ditch can also be used to distribute the water throughout the row. Above ground watering, such as soaker hoses, should be covered with mulch to slow water evaporation.
Now you are ready to cultivate your planting rows. Tie a string to two stakes or metal rods to lay out your rows. Use a standard shovel to loosen and break up large and small chunks of dirt to a depth of about 10 inches along your proposed row. If the soil is extra dry deep down, water it heavily and let it soak all night. After the soil is damp 10 inches down, dig the row about 6 inches deep.
Purchase peat moss and ammonium sulfate for use in each row. Break up the hard peat moss into a fluffy consistency and sprinkle it into the bottom and sides of the 6-inch-deep row. Use a five-gallon bucket full of peat moss for a 30-foot row. Peat moss absorbs and retains the moisture in the soil and provides a stimulant for root growth. It also helps to neutralize the alkali in our city water. Then sprinkle a very light, even amount of ammonium sulfate over the peat moss. Ammonium sulfate is high in nitrogen, which our garden plants need and it is high in sulfate, which also neutralizes the alkali in our city water. Use one regular-size vegetable can full of ammonium sulfate for a 30-foot row. More ammonium sulfate is not better as too much will over stimulate the plant and it will grow too quickly and become weak. Next, water the peat moss and the ammonium sulfate and use a rake to mix them into the soil. Use a hoe to pull the soil over the peat moss and level the row. Dig the final seed-planting row to the proper depth, usually 2 to 3 inches; see the instructions on your seed packet for the correct depth. Plant your seeds and gently cover them with soil. The level of the planted seed row should be one inch deeper than the surrounding soil surface to enable the water to remain in the seedbed. Water again after planting to be sure the peat moss, soil and seeds are moist. Cover the rows with light mulch to retard rapid water evaporation.
It is important to water in the coolness of the late afternoon or evening, or in the early morning so the water will penetrate deeply and avoid rapid evaporation. This deep watering should only be necessary two or three times a week. The early July rains are usually not enough to penetrate the soil near the plants, so continue regular watering until the heavy rains in August.
When planting potted plants such as tomatoes, dig holes about one foot wide and 8 inches deep. Tomatoes should be planted about 2 feet apart. Mix peat moss and a small amount of long lasting fertilizer with the dirt to make a wet soil slurry. One can cut off the large lower branches of a tomato plant and place the roots and the stem deep into the slurry. Then cover the hole with several inches of dry soil to prevent evaporation. Tomato plants will sprout and grow new roots off stems that are covered by soil and kept moist. Plant tomatoes in 2-foot wide cages and cover the cage with clear plastic to limit evaporation and protect the plants from the drying wind. Tomatoes will grow only when the temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees. Cover the tops and one third of the sides of the cages with shade cloth if the plants are exposed to the direct sunshine and excessive heat for extended periods of time.
Many other garden plants may benefit from lite white row covers supported by hoop wire cages. The heavy wire mesh used for reinforcement in cement can be purchased in varying lengths and cut with a wire cutter to make hoop row covers and tomato plant cages.
It is always good to plant many native flowering plants, such as bee plant, to attract native bees, which pollinate many vegetable flowers to assure bountiful crops. The abundant winds will assist the self-pollinating flowering vegetable plants.
It is also wise to attract native birds to your garden with a periodic, small amount of wild birdseed so they will come in the cool of the early morning looking for seeds but will eat the emerging bugs and grasshoppers instead. If you do it right, the birds will be competing with each other for their own turf as bug eaters in your garden. Do not let your pets out into the garden until your real friends, the early birds, have done their job.
More information regarding maintaining and harvesting the garden may be considered later and is included in the YouTube videos described.
YouTube Videos
In August 2001, Curtis Smith with the New Mexico State University Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service (nmsuaces) came to our garden in Gallup and filmed for the Southwest Yard and Garden television program, which shows Saturday mornings on Channel 5. Two weekly episodes of this program included his interviews in our garden in Gallup. These episodes have been posted on YouTube by nmsuaces for your viewing. If you’re interested, search for “Sid Gillson garden” on the YouTube site. The source of the videos is listed as nmsuaces. The titles of the videos are:
“How to Maintain Tomatoes and Squash Plants”
*Note the native flowering bee plants by the straw bales.
*Note the black 50-gallon water barrels and cages for the tomatoes.
*The best method for controlling squash bugs is to place short, wide boards on the ground near the base of the squash plants. The bugs come off the plants in the evening and hang under the boards all night. After the sun goes down in the evening or early in the morning turn the boards over and kill the bugs clinging on the underside of the boards before they can climb out onto the plants and lay their eggs.
“How to Harvest Rain Water for the Garden”
“How to Conserve Water in the Garden”
“How to Build and Install Underground Irrigation”
After you view these videos you will understand that it is “easy” and productive to garden in the high plateau.
