Tips to Growing a Great Vegetable Garden in Tulsa

Growing a veggie garden in Tulsa this year? A trend among Tulsa gardeners is centered around organic gardens. Organic gardening has become a popular feature of landscape design in recent years with many homeowners looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a more sustainable landscape design.

The American Society of Landscape Architects’ annual survey noted: “Slightly more than three quarters of respondents noted food and vegetable gardens, including orchards and vineyards, will be in demand this year.” The ASLA said that growing food gardens can be a low maintenance, sustainable alternative to growing turf in your yard.

Even if you’re a beginner, you can have a successful organic garden. Here’s some tips…

Make sure you have healthy soil. The soil in your garden must be healthy and have enough nutrients to sustain vegetables growth. Compost can support with the soil, but it’s also good to do a test of the soil’s pH levels. Leaves remaining from the fall can be used as mulch, the ASLA said, and grass clippings make a superb weed suppressant.

Start with a small garden. Often new gardeners will plant more than they can really maintain or even eat. It's good to plan out where in your landscape you will plant your garden, whether you want an in-ground garden, container garden or a raised garden bed. Vegetables need a great deal of sunlight, at 6 or more hours a day, so thoughtfully plan the location of your garden. Gardens located too close to a tree may lose too many nutrients to the tree while also getting too much shade, The Old Farmer’s Almanac noted.

Choose hardy plants. Perennial plants that return yearly are frequently low-maintenance, the ASLA said. They suggest perennials like asparagus (purple-passion variety), rhubarb, blueberry bushes, and blackberries. Herbs, the ASLA also reported, can be very sustainable in even dry and hot regions with tarragon, sage, and chives returning year after year.

“A great idea is to explore the many varieties of mint like chocolate, marshmallow, and fruit salad, which carry flavors that match their names,” ASLA noted.

Be sure to check the Tulsa frost dates to find out when the ideal times to plant different seeds are.

Water, water, water. Vegetables will need lots of water, at least one inch a week, The Old Farmer’s Almanac said. There is a helpful vegetable watering table on the Almanac website that tells how much water is needed for different vegetables and when.

For more tips to planting a successful veggie garden, contact the Tulsa landscaping and gardening specialists at Oklahoma Landscape.