Selecting planting sites

Basics of plants and planting

• Sunlight – some plants prefer total sunlight, while others prefer total shade. Assess the amount of sunlight you site has before choosing seeds.
• Water – soil that contains a lot of organic matter (compost) will retain water.
• Soil – provides nutrients, water, air.
• Space – seeds are more likely to grow if the soil around them is loose, so the roots can spread out.
• Other plants –
• Time to grow – most small plants only take a week or two to sprout; larger plants can take 2 to 3 months to reach their peak.

Without enough sun, water, and space, a plant will grow slowly and have a higher risk of getting a disease and dying.

Things to consider

2.a Seasons: what to plant when

Spring: smaller, non-fruit-bearing plants that grow quickly; flowers (wildflowers) and some vegetables (peas, lettuce, kale).

Summer: most plants! Early summer, from May to July, is the best time to plant most seeds. Plant the seeds for larger plants, like fruits and vegetables, before late June as they can take 2 months to reach maturity.

Autumn: In late autumn, plant similar crops to early spring because of the cooler weather. Bulbs that will wait underground and bloom in early spring; flowers (hyacinth, tulips, daffodil, crocus); vegetables (garlic).

Winter: to save a plant that will die in frost, dig up the soil and roots at the base of the plant and keep it in a pot inside.

2.b Soil types

Different soil types need different remediation (correction) techniques to encourage better plant growth.

Clay: compacts easily; prone to being water-logged; alkaline; insulating; can lead to bulb-rot in winter. Layer it with organic matter to balance. Beans and plants with tap roots grow well in clay.

Sand: dry, loose; lacking nutrients; layer with lots of organic matter to re-balance soils. Small trees, shrubs, rosemary, thyme, sage, tulips, and flax grow well.

Silt: compacting; soft; erodes; prone to being water-logged. Plants with tap roots grow well.

Loam (grainy mix): mixture of clay and sand. Everything grows well.

2.c Cultivating the site

Lots that have been vacant for a while are prone to being very dry, dense, and poor in nutrients.

Once the soil has been disturbed (i.e. the top soil dug up), a cover crop of nitrogen-accumulating plants like clover should be planted. Sunflowers can be inter-cropped into the lot to create a combination of soil remediation plants.

A rain garden

Any spot where concrete meets soil is a possible rain garden. Rain gardens are nothing more than collection pools designed with plants, not only to slow the flow of water to sewers, but to use as much of it as we can creatively. Concrete and asphalt are impermeable surfaces, what rain water lands on them is quickly routed to the sewer system and ultimately to the rivers or sea. Rain gardens stand in the way of this persistent flow, giving it time to collect and be absorbed by the earth and plant roots.

Maintenance

After remediation, dig over the earth and plant the crops. At the end of the season, cut down the plants and let them lie – the smaller the pieces, the quicker they will break down. Any opportunity to acquire organic material should be taken: leaves, grass clippings, and wood chips are available for free if you keep your eyes open for them. Given the fact that most landscapers have to pay to get rid of this debris, you are usually doing them a favour by taking it.