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March has been designated as National Health and Nutrition month by the American Dietetics Association. We at Project MANA are making an effort to get everyone in our community to focus on the link between nutrition and good health. Some of our activities for this month include fruit and veggie challenges, healthy articles for the local papers, laughter yoga, Kids Can Cook and a Health Day with a local school. For more information about these events you can call our office at (775) 298-0008.
One of my favorite programs is our Community Demonstration Gardens. We have gardens established in Incline Village (behind Sierra Nevada College), Kings Beach (behind Little Bear Cottages) and Truckee (in the Regional Park). Our gardens are small so we go for education not production. It's very rewarding to show kids where food comes from and then let them pick and eat a salad right in the garden.
Get an early start
Even though there's still snow on the ground, it's not too early to start planning your garden. Tomatoes, squash, spinach, onions, garlic, Swiss chard, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, oregano, sweet basil, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are a few of the vegetables and herbs that can be grown in the Tahoe Basin during the summer months.
High altitude gardening, although challenging, can be done and the challenge is part of the fun. It takes a little more planning, a little more perseverance and a lot of love for working outdoors with the soil. So if you possess these characteristics, and have a little space in your backyard then you can have your own garden.
Think carefully about where you would like your garden and, if possible, choose an area that you can use for several years or more. In the mountains, soils tend to be sandy, rocky and on the acidic side of the pH scale. You may have to throw out a few rocks and add some compost to improve the texture and quality of your soil, but it will work.
Check your location throughout the day for morning and evening sun. You will need at least six or more hours of sunlight for most plants. Shady spots in your garden can be used for some herbs and most lettuce. Easy access to water is important. The dry mountain air, the low water retention of sandy soil and the wind can dry the soil out quickly. There are irrigation systems that work well, but for me being in tune and knowing what's going on in my garden means getting out there every day with a garden hose.
The biggest challenge we face at high altitude is “critters.” Knowing what you're dealing with can help you plan your defense. The most common pests are rabbits, squirrels, voles and in some cases deer. It is a challenge to outsmart them but it's also part of the fun.
You will also need to have some common garden supplies including: a spading fork, spade shovel, steel rake, wheel barrow, a hoe for weeding and making your beds, a cultivator to keep the beds aerated, measuring tape, hammer, string and stakes for marking off your garden beds, a watering can and a garden hose.
Planning your garden
Once you've selected your site the next step is developing your garden plan. This is where you can be creative. Grow things that you like to eat. Planting your garden with a mix of vegetables, flowers and herbs will provide a healthy environment for plant growth. Landscaping with trees, boulders and native plants can be part of your design to add creativity and color to your garden.
You can make your own calendar and decide which crops can be started in-doors to take full advantage of our short growing season, or you can find a good nursery and buy your starters from them. Late and early frosts do happen but you can stretch the growing season at both ends of the calendar if you're careful to cover crops with an agro-fabric or plastic on cold nights.
Last but not least get yourself a note book and start a “garden journal.” Keeping good records can help you make decisions. Keep track of crop varieties, conditions, planting, germination and harvesting dates. Make a map of your garden so you remember what you planted, where, and how the plants did. If you need more help you can always pick up a Project MANA High Altitude Garden Manual from our Incline Village office. Happy Gardening!
—George LeBard is the executive director of Project MANA. He e-mailed this story to Community Editor Jean Eick at jeick@tahoebonanza.com.
One of my favorite programs is our Community Demonstration Gardens. We have gardens established in Incline Village (behind Sierra Nevada College), Kings Beach (behind Little Bear Cottages) and Truckee (in the Regional Park). Our gardens are small so we go for education not production. It's very rewarding to show kids where food comes from and then let them pick and eat a salad right in the garden.
Get an early start
Even though there's still snow on the ground, it's not too early to start planning your garden. Tomatoes, squash, spinach, onions, garlic, Swiss chard, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, oregano, sweet basil, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are a few of the vegetables and herbs that can be grown in the Tahoe Basin during the summer months.
High altitude gardening, although challenging, can be done and the challenge is part of the fun. It takes a little more planning, a little more perseverance and a lot of love for working outdoors with the soil. So if you possess these characteristics, and have a little space in your backyard then you can have your own garden.
Think carefully about where you would like your garden and, if possible, choose an area that you can use for several years or more. In the mountains, soils tend to be sandy, rocky and on the acidic side of the pH scale. You may have to throw out a few rocks and add some compost to improve the texture and quality of your soil, but it will work.
Check your location throughout the day for morning and evening sun. You will need at least six or more hours of sunlight for most plants. Shady spots in your garden can be used for some herbs and most lettuce. Easy access to water is important. The dry mountain air, the low water retention of sandy soil and the wind can dry the soil out quickly. There are irrigation systems that work well, but for me being in tune and knowing what's going on in my garden means getting out there every day with a garden hose.
The biggest challenge we face at high altitude is “critters.” Knowing what you're dealing with can help you plan your defense. The most common pests are rabbits, squirrels, voles and in some cases deer. It is a challenge to outsmart them but it's also part of the fun.
You will also need to have some common garden supplies including: a spading fork, spade shovel, steel rake, wheel barrow, a hoe for weeding and making your beds, a cultivator to keep the beds aerated, measuring tape, hammer, string and stakes for marking off your garden beds, a watering can and a garden hose.
Planning your garden
Once you've selected your site the next step is developing your garden plan. This is where you can be creative. Grow things that you like to eat. Planting your garden with a mix of vegetables, flowers and herbs will provide a healthy environment for plant growth. Landscaping with trees, boulders and native plants can be part of your design to add creativity and color to your garden.
You can make your own calendar and decide which crops can be started in-doors to take full advantage of our short growing season, or you can find a good nursery and buy your starters from them. Late and early frosts do happen but you can stretch the growing season at both ends of the calendar if you're careful to cover crops with an agro-fabric or plastic on cold nights.
Last but not least get yourself a note book and start a “garden journal.” Keeping good records can help you make decisions. Keep track of crop varieties, conditions, planting, germination and harvesting dates. Make a map of your garden so you remember what you planted, where, and how the plants did. If you need more help you can always pick up a Project MANA High Altitude Garden Manual from our Incline Village office. Happy Gardening!
—George LeBard is the executive director of Project MANA. He e-mailed this story to Community Editor Jean Eick at jeick@tahoebonanza.com.
