Plan ahead for bounty of summer produce in base garden plots

  • Published
  • By Catherine McNally
  • Hilltop Times staff
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Despite the recent relapse of snow and cold weather in Utah, it's about time to sharpen your garden tools, grab some fertilizer and seeds, and get dirty.

"I feel that the more you know about gardening the more you know about life," said Brock Lenox, base garden plot manager and an Operational Point of Responsibility assistant for the Facilities and Equipment Management Services of the 75th Air Base Wing.

If you're craving the juicy taste of homegrown vegetables but lack a place to till and plant seeds at home, there are 154 base garden plots available to anyone with access to the base.

"The whole concept is designed around providing a place for the Airmen and Airwomen ... to have a place that they can garden," Lenox said.

Each garden plot measures 60 feet by 40 feet, and if that seems like too much, gardeners can share plots. If it seems too small of an area, gardeners are also able to have as many plots as they want on a space available basis, Lenox added. So far only around 40 percent of the plots have been claimed, with those who had a garden plot last year getting first pick.

The plots, which will be tilled on April 15 of this year, also have access to water lines from April 15 through Oct. 15, so gardeners don't have to worry about trucking in their own. The water costs $10 per plot each year, and gardeners can use it for sprinklers, filling up watering cans or whatever is necessary to keep their gardens green and fresh.

For the most part, gardeners are allowed to grow any type of vegetable or plant. However, invasive plant species are not allowed, and gardeners should check with the Utah Department of Agriculture for more information, Lenox said.

Gardeners should also try to stay away from planting trees, Lenox warned, as the shading they provide can destroy a garden plot being used to grow veggies or other plants.

"Because it's a transient community you don't always have your garden for the rest of your life," Lenox added, describing how planting an orchard in one plot would cause more work for the next family who just wants a vegetable garden.

"There's too many problems with elms and things out there," Lenox added. "We are going to try to clean some of those up this year and get some of the trees out of there."

Lenox also cautions against growing corn on the plots, mainly because of deer that live on the base.

Lenox himself has seven garden plots on base and tends a seed bank of "over 200 different varieties of edible food throughout the year."

"My primary goal is to establish a rotating seed bank -- collect the seeds and try to use it the next year," Lenox described. "I'm not a typical example of what people are doing (with the garden plots)."

Lenox recommends local home supply stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot as resources for seeds.

There has been an increase in gardening in the past two years and such home supply stores have responded well in stocking more heirloom varieties, Lenox said. "The prices are better than I can get on the Net," he added.

For beginning gardeners, Lenox recommends to start out with easy-to-grow vegetables. "If you stay in the zucchini and the squash area -- tomatoes are, of course, the No. 1 garden plant in America -- that's because they're easy to grow," he explained. "After that it just depends on what your likes are."

Lenox also described how growing your own food has more benefits than just the lower cost and avoiding the check-out line at the grocery store.

"Most of the things that we eat out of the Wal-Mart produce department you can grow here and they'll be more nutritious and you'll feel there's a better investment ... because you'll be putting your life into the process," he said.

As for other tips on gardening, Lenox recommends using a mild fertilizer every couple of weeks and watering at least two to three times a week, though more or less may be needed depending on the type of plants growing in your garden.

"With every gardener ... everybody has a different approach," Lenox added as he gave out his tips.

A good garden will always see its share of bugs, too, and the plots saw squash bugs and grasshoppers last year, Lenox said. If needed, any approved pesticide can be used in the garden plots, but gardeners should be sure to follow the directions provided with the fertilizer.

The best thing about a garden, aside from fresh veggies, is being able to share the experience with friends and family. Lenox strongly encourages families to involve their children in the gardening process.

"I think it's really valuable for children to raise plants and see how life grows," he said.

If you are interested in signing up for a garden plot or learning more, please contact Brock Lenox at brock.lenox@hill.af.mil.