Ocean Shores Vegetables
Spring is on the way. Or at least it is supposed to be. Our weather here can be up and down, but it is definitely not too early to start planning for the new gardening season.
I just moved to a place away from the Jetty winds, and I will be building my garden from scratch. This season I will be focusing on soil building and discovering where the sun falls in the various garden areas. Because I’m anxious to plant, I’m also planning to rent a plot at Garden by The Sea. That way I can find out what will grow well.
The first thing I will do for my home garden is clean up the debris and clear out unwanted plants. I am gathering the driftwood, digging out dead and diseased bushes and putting all that yard waste into a pile until I can find some good way to get rid of it.
I have made a scaled diagram of my yard noting the placement of the house and surrounding vegetation that might cast shadows. Then I wait for sunny days and diagram the sunlight patterns at morning, noon, and evening, keeping track of dates and times. My goal is to find which areas have the most and least hours of sunlight and what kind of shade I must deal with.
The fun part will be taking place in my plot at Garden by The Sea. This is where I will test to see what grows well in our cool, damp, maritime climate. Later when my home garden is ready for plants, I will have a good idea of what to try.
Although my interest this season leans towards flowers, most people in the community garden grow vegetables. The Ocean Shores Food Bank even works several beds for fresh produce. Vegetables are divided into cool and warm season crops. Obviously, the first ones to try would be cool season varieties. Since the Garden has excellent, experienced gardeners, some planting here since the Garden’s inception in 2009, we have a great body of knowledge. After asking them for advice, the one-season veggies they tell me to try would be: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, cucumbers, leafy salad greens, parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, and zucchini.
The best way to know when to plant is by soil temperature, so I bought an inexpensive meat thermometer to test with. When the soil reaches 45 degrees, plant the earliest varieties: carrots, salad greens, peas, radishes, and spinach. When the soil warms up to 55 degrees, plant beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and turnips. Wait for 65 degrees to plant zucchini. I will focus on flowers next time.
Veteran gardeners note that the perennial vegetables, artichokes, asparagus, and rhubarb grow well here, but I am not ready to commit to more than one season yet. When the soil temperature finally gets to 70-75 degrees, try green beans and some cherry tomato or pepper plants. These warm season veggies can sometimes mature in our longer summers and would be worth the chance.
Come by the Garden and consider joining me with your own plot at Garden by the Sea, located behind the Galilean Retreat Center. Most raised beds rent for $25 a season plus a $25 refundable deposit. Plan to come to the Garden’s opening in April for more information. Register for a plot (appointments required) and get details on garden procedures, information on mulching, composting, preparing the beds, and using the greenhouse.
Visit us on Facebook for information or contact us via email at info@GardenByTheSeaOceanShores.org to request a plot. We hope to see you this spring!
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Dauna Koval is a WSU Master Gardener, class of 2016.
This article was originally printed in The Ocean Observer, March 2018.
