Your next door neighbor's tomatoes are in. Your coworker's tomatoes are in. And all you can think about is why you didn't get a jump start on that empty space in your yard. Look at it — it's just dying to have a tomato plant or five right there. Think about all those luscious tomatoes ...
Let me stop you right there. Take a deep breath, and with that breath, ask your neighbor or coworker to share — because while we have a long growing season in the Lowcountry, the amount of work needed to get that empty space ready and planted before our season closes, is a Herculean effort. Plus, you'll have to fight all the diseases and bugs that tend to swoop in at the tail end of the season. If you're up for the challenge, go for it. But it's much easier to ask politely for a few tomatoes.
Now that we've settled your tomato craving, that space in your yard is still staring at you. You don't want to miss out on 2014 tomatoes, but you can push gardening until next spring, right? Wrong. The best time to get started is actually right now.
The first step you need to take is determining how much sun your yard gets. Tomatoes and other vegetables need a lot of sun — usually 6 hours of direct sunlight. Next, determine how much space do you want to grow.
If you are planning only for two and you don't want a bunch of vegetables, perhaps a 4-foot by 8-foot bed will be enough. But maybe you'll want to beds, or to extend that bed to 16 feet. Try to keep your beds no wider than 4 feet. This will help with weeding and planting.
The best way to grow and not deal with weeds and amending your current soil — and to help you not have to bend over — is to build a raised bed. This can be anywhere from 6 inches off the ground to 4 feet off the ground. You can make the structure out of wood, stone or whatever suits your backyard needs.
Then, add dirt and amend soil with compost.
Why not use those beds you constructed and get some food while you're waiting for tomato season to roll around again? You may have missed the tomatoes but you're just in time to start preparations for fall and winter gardening. Fall and winter are actually the best time to get into gardening. Very few diseases, very few weeds and very few bugs — it's perfect for folks without a lot of time on their hands.
Fall crops can be planted as early as August. Fall crops in the Lowcountry include: spinach, mustard greens, lettuces, collards, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, potatoes and more.
Happy gardening!
Want to Grow Your Own? Check out Charleston Homesteads to begin converting your ornamental landscaping into edible foodscaping!