FAQ

KEEPING
FOCUSED
To help focus your strawberry plants' energy, keep a keen eye out for your plants’
attempts to clone themselves. When they put out runners, use your ngernails,
scissors, or pruning shears to snip o the runners as soon as they can be identied.
TIPS, HEALTH
& ALL AROUND
INFORMATION
ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE
COMMON VEGETABLES
2322
DR. EARTH® GARDENING GUIDE DR. EARTH® GARDENING GUIDE
How to Grow:
Peas are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables. Eating them
fresh, right after picking, makes a big difference in flavor. Peas
do not need much done to the soil for healthy growth. They
produce their own nitrogen and need very little fertilizer. Peas
are frost hardy, but do not deal well with heat. They slow down
when temperatures go above 70˚F and stop growing above
75˚F. Early varieties will do well in sandier loam that warms up
quickly. Later varieties may benefit from heavier soil to keep
them cool. Pick a sunny spot for early varieties and part shade
for later varieties. Make sure soil is well drained. Sow seeds
outdoors in early spring and also in fall for mild climates. Make
successive sowings to get a continuous yield. Seeds should be
planted in drills 2 inches deep and roughly 2 inches apart. If
planting a vine type, plant in double rows spaced 6-8 inches
apart with roughly 3 feet between each double row. Support
each plant with a stick roughly 4-5 feet long. Keep soil moist,
but make sure not to over water. Harvest (2-3 weeks after
blossoming) as close to cooking as possible.
Insect Control:
Common pea pests are birds, pea moths, mice, pea and bean
weevils and aphids. To deter birds, install netting around the
crop. (If you don’t mind, sacrifice a little bit of the yield.) Pea
moths lay larvae (maggots) on plants during flowering. If
attack is severe, dust with rotenone. Use this as a last resort,
as rotenone kills beneficial insects. See your local nursery for
pheromone traps. Mice are not usually a big problem, but cats
are great to have around if they are. Pea and bean weevils are
not a problem unless they attack seedlings. Dust sparingly with
rotenone. Spray aphids with strong stream of water or plant
marigolds to attract ladybugs.
Tips:
Mulching between rows with well-aged compost or manure
helps hold moisture, deter weeds and nourish the plant,
especially if soil is depleted. Pea vines are very sensitive, so
handpick weeds if needed.
How to Grow:
Strawberries are a great addition to the garden, easy on the
eyes and taste buds with great health benefits. Four different
types of strawberries bear fruit at different times: June bearers,
Ever-bearers, Day-Neutrals and Alpine. June bearers yield all
fruit within a month, depending on climate variation. Ever-
bearers offer a good amount at the beginning of summer,
scattered in the middle and a small spread in late summer. Day-
Neutrals bear fruit throughout the season between frostings.
They are sensitive to extremes and require babysitting. Buy at
your local nursery, but ensure they are certified disease-free.
Strawberries do well in both pots and garden rows. They like
a soil pH just below neutral (7). They also need good drainage
and moisture-retentive soil. Pick a site with plenty of sun and
good airflow. If drainage is poor, you can increase it by tilling
and raising your bed. Work in a couple handfuls of planting
mix per square yard or a few inches of compost. Plant them 2
feet apart in rows separated by 1.5 feet. You can also lay down
polypropylene and plant them in slits. This warms the soil and
protects from weeds, but is not a requirement. Dig holes deep
enough that the soil will come up to where the leaves begin
on the shoots. In the bottom of the hole, form a small cone and
set the plant over it, arranging the roots around it. Fill in with
the amended soil. If you trim back most of the runners sent
out during the growing season, the plant will dedicate more
energy to growing large fruits. Water them thoroughly with
about one inch of water a week (more in warmer climates).
Avoid water logging, as strawberries can mildew. Harvest
berries when they are a nice red. Freeze if necessary.
Insect Control:
Pests include birds, slugs, snails, aphids and red spider mite.
Stop slugs and snails with a beer trap implanted in soil. A
scarecrow might work for some birds but not many. Only row
covers effectively stop birds. Stop aphids by planting marigolds
to attract their predators (ladybugs and hover flies). Spider
mites, most active on dry days, cause leaves to mottle yellow
and fall off. Spray regularly with water. If the attack is bad, use
rotenone as a last resort.
Tips:
Weeding is a must to produce healthy strawberries. Lay down
a layer of straw mulch around plants during growing season to
separate the strawberries from soil and help keep them weed
free. Harvest ripe berries as soon as they are ready. Immediately
discard any that are malformed or mildewing. Rotate crops
every three seasons to maintain healthy soil and good yields.
Create new plants for the next season by collecting runners
in pots. Choose disease-resistant cultivars adapted to your
temperatures and day length. To avoid mildew and viruses, do
not over water, and keep air circulating well.
Human Health
Green peas promote overall health with seven vitamins,
eight minerals and other phytonutrients. Vitamin K, crucial
for bone health, is most abundant in peas. Some of it
converts to vitamin K2 and is part of bone mineralization.
Deficiency in K2 hinders mineralization and makes
osteoporosis more likely. Incompletely researched, folate
and vitamin B6 may contribute to bone health by blocking
the buildup of homocysteine, a molecule that interrupts
proper bone matrix formation. Vitamin K and folate also help
the cardiovascular system. Vitamin K is essential for blood
clotting, while folate and vitamin B6 lower homocysteine,
which may reduce damage to arterial walls and reduce
the risk of cardiovascular disease. Green peas also contain
B vitamins that help break down carbohydrates, fats and
proteins for energy. Iron is crucial for blood cell formation
and oxygen delivery to muscles. Vitamins C and A protect
many types of cells in the eye, liver, immune system, adrenal
glands, connective tissue and the circulatory system.
Human Health
Loaded with Vitamin C. (A single berry can have up to
20 percent of the RDA.) This antioxidant combined with
ellagic acid and anthocyanin helps heal wounds faster,
strengthens the immune system and helps delay age-
related memory loss. The folate in one serving helps reduce
neural tube birth defects and damage to arteries. The fiber
helps prevent constipation.
How To Grow PeasHow To Grow Strawberries