Growing vegetables naturally

Sunset, Spring-Summer, 1998 by Sharon Cohoon

Loren Nancarrow, you could argue, became an organic farmer because he always wanted to be a cowboy. "Growing up in Connecticut, being a cowboy seemed like the most exotic life imaginable," says the San Diego County resident. But when Nancarrow got the opportunity to observe ranching firsthand while attending college in New Mexico during the '70s, he was appalled at the amount of chemicals used to sustain that lifestyle. "Basically, they treated everything as a pest. I found it very troubling," he says.

Surely the self-sustaining lifestyle didn't require annihilating so many other living things. But it wasn't until 1991, when Nancarrow took the position of broadcaster of weather, wildlife, and gardening news on KFMB-TV Channel 8 and bought a 3-acre property in the still predominantly agrarian community of Olivenhain, California, that he was able to put that theory to the test.

He put in a 1,000-square-foot vegetable and herb garden to supply the Nancarrow table with everything from asparagus to zucchini. He planted an orchard of avocados, citrus, and stone fruits. He brought in chickens to provide fresh eggs. Turkeys and either a cow or a pig are usually on hand, too. With all the animals on the premises - and access to neighbors' horse stables - Nancarrow has no shortage of manure. He also maintains a huge compost pile and encourages private tree trimmers to deposit trimmings, which he uses for mulch on his property. Naturally, his soil is wonderful.

Pest management is Nancarrow's biggest problem. Aphids, cucumber beetles, gophers, rabbits, snails, and tomato hornworms all like his crops. "Being an organic gardener is a lot like being a hunter," says Nancarrow. "You learn your prey's life cycles, habits, and needs. Then you use that knowledge to do them in."

* We asked organic gardeners to share their most important techniques. They recommended seven methods to help a garden grow naturally Among the experts we consulted were Kelly McCombs and Saint Elmo Newton, who practice these techniques in their Seattle garden.

1 Pick a garden-friendly site. That means a location in full sun and sheltered from constant winds, which stunt plants. McCombs and Newton planted their garden on an unused sunny lot.

2 Build or bring in good soil. Ideal soil is deep, loose, and fertile, and contains plenty of organic matter, which in turn holds water, nutrients, and abundant beneficial life. Many organic gardeners observe that as soil health improves, plant disease problems decline.

For instant results in rocky or otherwise unusable native soil, build raised beds. McCombs and Newton filled theirs with topsoil enriched with organic fertilizer (3-2-1).

3 Kill the competition. If you're gardening in soil that's laced with weed seeds (any native soil, for example), do this: After beds are prepared, water every couple of days for two weeks; your goal is to germinate as many weed seedlings as possible. Hoe them off lightly as they appear (if you disturb the soil deeper than 2 inches, you'll just bring more weed seeds to the surface). Then plant.

You can also mulch to keep more weeds from germinating. McCombs and Newton layered each of their raised beds with 3 inches of straw after vegetable seedlings were established, and they had no weed problems at all.

If weeds do appear in your garden, pull or hoe them well before they flower and reproduce. Be especially vigilant for grasses, since they're among the most difficult weeds to control and the fastest to spread.

4 Plant the right varieties at the right times. Choose varieties with disease resistance bred in and with successful track records in your area. County extension offices often have lists of recommended varieties and suggested planting dates. Plant seedlings close enough together so that as they mature, they'll shade out any weeds that emerge beneath them.

5 Interplant flowers and vegetables. Harmful insects usually prefer environments in which only one type of plant is grown. Beneficial insects - which feed on insect pests - thrive on diversity. McCombs and Newton include annual flowers, perennials, roses, and strawberries in their planting scheme to provide cover, food, and water for beneficial insects. When allowed to flower, bronze fennel, carrots, celery, and parsley attract lacewings and syrphid flies. Yarrow and pink clover attract other beneficial insects, and they keep honeybees in the garden to promote pollination. However, some crops - corn for example - have to be planted alone to ensure pollination and to avoid cross-pollination with other corn varieties.

6 Keep things growing. There's U nothing like vigorous growth to help plants overcome insects and diseases and to guarantee abundant harvests. Never let plants dry out completely before watering, and feed plants regularly.

7 Be there. Walk through the garden every morning and evening to check for plant problems before they get out of hand. Pests, diseases, and weeds are easier to control when they're caught early.

Nancarrow's organic gardening tips