T’aachil Growth Of Early Plant Life Nicole A. Benally

T’aachil

Growth of Early Plant Life

By Nicole A. Benally

How is it already April? Although time seems to be flying by and there are tons of things that are out of our control, I always find that my Navajo culture and gardening always bring me back to peace and balance. The Navajo word for “April” is “T’aachil” meaning the Growth of Early Plant Life. So this article will hopefully serve as a quick general guide for you to begin your garden journey this year. Earlier I came across one of New Mexico State University’s Extension HowTo Publications called “Home Vegetable Gardening in New Mexico” by Stephanie Walker. Stephanie structured gardening into eight simple steps which I will be sharing with you and then relating them to the areas of McKinley and San Juan Counties for example.

Step #1: Know your climate.

In New Mexico, there are three major growing zones (north, central, and south) which are all based on the average number of frost free days. McKinley and San Juan counties are in the northern zone which has about 150 frost free days. Usually the

last frost occurs mid-May and the first frost occurs mid-October. Elevations can range from 7,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level and receive about 12 to 13 inches of rainfall each year. The driest year on record was in 2018.

Step #2: Plan before you plant.

In other words “grow what you will eat.” This step is very broad in my opinion but it is important that you choose to plant vegetable/fruits that you know you and your family will enjoy. You will also have to do some research on what plants are realistic for you to take care of and what the plants need i.e. sunlight, temperature, water, etc. This is a great time to decide what style you are going to garden i.e. are you going to plant straight in the ground, use the dryland or waffle gardening method, use garden beds, or make use of a greenhouse. With our area only having 150 days of frost free days, I recommend starting your seeds indoors and then transplanting the plants outdoors after the last frost day.

Step #3: Prepare the soil.

Testing your soil is a great way to determine what your soil already has and will need for your plants during the growing season. The key to soil sampling is to get a representative sample. You will need a shovel, spade, or soil probe, and a bucket or bowl. For fields you want to take up to 15 different samples and for garden beds about 5 to 6 different samples. A typical depth to sample is 8 to 12 inches. Each sample should be collected and put into the bucket or bowl, mixed well, and about 3 cups of the soil should be sent to your nearest soil testing site.

Step #4: Fertilize for optimal crop production.

After you receive your results from your soil testing, you can begin to shop for essential nutrients that is needed for the plants you are growing in your garden. To reduce the amount of fertilizer that you apply/buy you can plant vegetable and fruits together that benefit from one another, such as corn, squash, and beans a.k.a the three sisters. On each bag of fertilizer, there are three numbers that follow this sequence, 00-00-00. The first number represents the percent of nitrogen, the second number is the percent of phosphorus, and the last number is the percent of potassium. It is important to know what your plants need that your soil doesn’t have to decide what fertilizer to purchase and apply.

Step #5: Plant your garden.

Yay! It is finally time to plant or if you started your seeds indoors, it’s time to transplant. Like I mentioned before, I recommend starting your seeds indoors then transplant them outdoors to optimize the amount of frost free days in our area. Most seeds come with planting depth and spacing directions on the package, if not you can simply look them up.

Step #6: Water properly to improve yields.

Living in the southwest, we are quite familiar with the heat and appreciating every drop of rain or water. In general you should water your plants in the evenings because water is lost due to evaporation if you water plants midday and water left on leaves in the morning can encourage the sun to burn the leaves of your plant throughout the day.

Step #7: Control pests.

Pests include insects, birds, rodents, and other wildlife. Pests along with diseases and weeds can interfere with the growth of vegetables/fruits that we are growing in our gardens. Cultivation and mulches or keeping the soil covered helps prevent weeds, a.k.a. unwanted plants, from growing in your garden. The key on controlling unwanted pests and weeds is to identify them correctly. I encourage you to learn Integrated Pest Management (a.k.a. IPM) skills and techniques. IPM is an approach to manage pests by minimizing potential harmful effects on human health and the environment.

Step #8: Harvest at the correct time.

One of the huge misconceptions is that our vegetables and fruits that we grow in our garden should look exactly like the ones we buy at the grocery store. This is not true. It’s actually pretty common for the fruit and vegetables in our gardens to have their own unique size, shape, and color. Another misconception is that harvesting occurs or should occur all at once. This is also not true. Depending on how you planned your garden or the plant itself, harvesting can vary. For example, waiting too long to harvest lettuce causes a more bitter taste. Most of the time, a plant will have one fruit that will be ready to harvest while the rest could use more time. Some plants can also continue to produce if you harvest them correctly. Also keep in mind that harvesting can impact the taste of your fruit and/or vegetables.

I hope that this article gave you some inspiration and guidance to begin your own garden at home and with your family. There is no such thing as knowing it all, even successful gardeners learn techniques every day. If you have any questions, there is plenty of information available in the New Mexico State University How-To Publications at https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/ howto/howto.html.