Articles & Resources

Did you know…that with the right planning and effort, a 20 x 20 plot – which is 400 square feet – can potentially yield 600 pounds of produce in six months? That’s over $1,500 worth of food! With careful planning, seeds or starters, compost and the right amount of tending you could save money on fruits and vegetables for your family! 

Starting a garden can feel a bit overwhelming, so we have compiled a variety of resources and articles to help you get started, and in hopes to inspire your gardening efforts.

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General Tips

Planting & Harvesting

Composting

Water Conservation

Weeds, Pests & Disease Prevention

Mulch

Using a Garden Planting Calendar

Gardening Associations & Organizations

General Tips

These articles have some great tips on getting started!

Planting & Harvesting

You can plant your veggies one of two ways: by directly sowing seeds into the garden or by planting transplants. Below is a chart that shows which vegetables are best planted by seed and which you should plant by transplants purchased from a nursery or farmer’s market. 

  1. Companion Planting

Companion plants are plants that complement one another in terms of growth and production. For example, one plant may attract an insect that might protect a companion plant. Another plant may act as a repellent for a bug that might be harmful to the plant next to it.

Creating a companion vegetable garden will allow you to take advantage of these useful and beneficial relationships.

  1. Native Plants

New Jersey has hundreds of native plant species that are not only beautiful, but can also help to conserve our state’s natural landscape. They also may have a better chance of survival in your garden.. 

  1. Zone 7 Planting Tips

What is a Planting Zone?

A planting zone — or hardiness zone — is a categorization the USDA uses to divide the country into 13 sections based on the average coldest temperatures in the winter month, split into 10-degree increments. St. Francis Gardens is in Zone 7. 

Why Are Zones Important?

By understanding the zone you are in, you can find out which plants will have the best chance of survival in your area and which won’t. When deciding what to plant in each zone, the plant must be able to thrive in a climate with such low temperature, which for St. Francis Gardens is a low of between 0 – 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  Zone requirements are usually listed on seed packets, and local stores normally wouldn’t sell seeds that can’t grow in the area, but be sure to ask if you are unsure!

Water Conservation

Conserving water is a vital component of community gardening. Water in the early morning or late evening. Watering at these times helps avoid evaporation, so it conserves water, as does watering Plus, it will allow the water to soak in more deeply and minimize plant leaf burn water to soak in more deeply and minimize plant leaf burn. Be sure to water the roots rather than the top of the plants and check the weather report before watering – don’t water if rain is predicted!

Adding organic matter to the soil increases water holding capacity, so be sure to mulch well with leaves, grass clippings, woodchips, or hay to reduce water evaporation. See below for more information about mulch.

Composting

Composting is a natural process by which organic material, such as leaves, lawn trimmings and food scraps, is broken down by naturally occurring bacteria and fungus in the soil.  The resulting matter – compost – which is a nutrient rich soil amendment, that looks a lot like soil itself, and is a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants. 

Not only can compost increase the soil’s ability to retain moisture, it can also help prevent and suppress plant diseases and pests. Composting is also good for the environment! Studies have shown that plants grow more rapidly in soil supplemented with compost, which means they can pull more carbon dioxide out of the air and may help reduce greenhouse gasses.

Please be sure to review the Do’s and Don’ts below before composting in The Garden Patch.

DO’sDON’TS
Please DO put your compostable plant material in the “OPEN” compost bins only. Finished compost can be taken from the “COMPOST” bin. Please DO NOT put diseased plant material in the compost bins. Diseased plants should be disposed of in the trash cans. If you are in doubt, be safe throwing it in the trash can, not the compost bins.
Weeds that HAVE NOT flowered or gone to seed can be put in the compost bins. Please DO NOT put citrus fruit or tomatoes of any variety including tomatillos in the compost bins.
Weeds that HAVE flowered or gone to seed must be put in the organic material recycling area along the gravel path to the garden.Please DO NOT put large or thick stalks in the compost bins. Thick stalks (sunflowers, corn, etc.) should be put in the organic material recycling bin.
Please DO be sure to knock soil off the root ball before composting.
Please DO NOT put non plant material in the compost bins (i.e., plant pots, tags, twine, string, landscape cloth, animal feces, etc.).
  • State regulations strictly prohibit bringing any of your compostable household material (i.e., food scraps, grass clippings, leaves) to the garden compost bins. Please CLICK HERE for information about composting at home.

Weeds, Pests & Disease Prevention

Learn how to minimize weeds and eliminate plant diseases by understanding and managing the conditions that cause them. 

Mulch

Mulch is a secret weapon in the garden, with incredible benefits that can vastly improve your soil. Mulch is also a gardener’s best friend if you hate weeding. A thick layer of mulch will prevent weed seeds from germinating and growing to compete with your plants for water and nutrients. Mulch acts as an insulator, helping to regulate soil temperature to keep plant roots cooler on warm days and warmer on cold nights. Mulch is also water conserving as it prevents soil from drying out quickly resulting in less watering needed in your garden.

Planting Calendars

The other important component of your growing zone to consider is the frost dates. Frost dates are the days of the year when it is calculated to be 50% likely that the temperature will dip below freezing, resulting in frost on the ground. Planting Calendars calculate the best time to start seeds indoors, when to transplant young plants outside, and when to direct seed into the ground. Zone 7 has a medium to long growing season, with a frost-free period lasting from early May until late September.

ZONE 7 PLANTING SCHEDULE

Gardening Associations & Organizations

St. Francis Community Gardens
3074 N Route 9
Ocean View, NJ 08230
[email protected]