This past Saturday was the start of the outdoor Corvallis Farmers Market for the season. I was fortunate enough to to volunteer at the community table this last weekend, a stand where farmers that have smaller amount of items, but don’t want to run their own stand, can consign their items with the booth and the booth will sell if for them throughout the day. The community table is a great concept that helps out the local busy farmers, small farmers and even some backyard growers.
I loved the atmosphere of the first outdoor Saturday Farmers’ Market! Everyone was in a great mood, it was such a refreshing environment to be in. Many community table customers chatted about the great weather we had and many people asking questions questions about their home gardening. I wanted to give some helpful vegetable garden tips to answer some common questions.
Q: What vegetables like the shade?
A: Here are a list of veggies that prefer shade:
Leaf lettuce, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, peas, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, collards and spinach
Q: In contrast, what vegetables like the sun?
A: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, corn, melons, summer squash and pumpkins
Q: What’s the deal with basil? What am I doing wrong?
A: Basil can sometimes be difficult. Here’s the run down: basil loves sun. Give it as much as possible, but according to the source it would be OK with 4 hours of sun. It doesn’t like to sit in water, so you need a pot that will drain well or a well draining soil. But it likes water, and it doesn’t do well with a lack of water.
Q: How do I keep away the deer in a natural and safe way?
A: Grow plants that deer don’t like–garlic, chives, mint, and lavender. Wind chimes or lights might make deer skiddish and keep them away as well.
I hope this information brings some value to your garden this year! See you at the Community Table next week!