From early spring to fall's first frost, Martha's vegetable garden yields not only delicious crops but also clever and innovative techniques. Take a peek at Martha's garden in all its glory.
Here, Martha shows off her summer bounty in her vegetable garden at Cantitoe Corners.
Martha's vegetable garden was laid out with rigorous geometry to yield maximum results and easy access. The major cross-axial paths are 10 feet wide and can accommodate a garden cart or a pickup truck. Each row of vegetables is 30 inches wide, and the paths between them are 12 inches wide, which makes it simple to hoe and weed from both sides. To minimize weeds and retain moisture, each row is mulched with salt hay, a grass harvested in marshes along the East Coast that contains no weed seeds.
Each year, the vegetables are planted in different beds to lessen disease problems and interrupt the life cycle of pests that are attracted to a particular plant. Crop rotation also allows the soil to replenish after hosting heavy feeders, and alternating deep-rooted and fibrous-rooted crops from year to year improves soil structure. Marigolds are interspersed amid the vegetables because they are believed to repel insects, and calendula is planted for its edible petals, which add color to salads.
This tomato-staking method consists of white nylon twine supported by bamboo tripods. The vines are attached to the twine with trellis clips. Staking tomatoes allows for a clean, disease- and pest-free crop and even ripening of the fruit, and the clips can be reused each year.
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