B E AT R I C E G U E R R I , M I C H E L A B O C C H E T T I ,

M A S C I A F A R S I

T H I S Y E A R W I T H T H E T E A C H E R A L E S R O B E R T O W E H A V ES T A R T E D A N E W P R O J E C T “ T H E V E G E T A B L E G A R D E N ” .

W E L E A R N E D T H E V A R I O U S S T E P S T O B E C A R R I E D O U T F O RT H E P L A N T I N G O F O U R G A R D E N . T H I S P R O J E C T I S A B O U TG R O W I N G V E G E T A B L E S A N D P R O C E S S I N G T H E M .

:

Before you can

see the various

steps in more

detail…

→Where is your vegetable garden situated? MyV.G is in Centoia.

→Why did you decide to grow a V.G? I decided to grow a V.G because I want fresh

vegetables without pesticides.

→What are the positive points of growing a

V.G?

The positive points are: the vegetables are fresh and

without pesticides. And I don’t go to the

supermarket to buy them.

→What machines do you usually use and

what for?

I usually use a tractor, a plow and different tools.

→Do you prefer the vegetables you buy at

the supermarket or those you grow? why?

I prefer my vegetables of course because they are

fresher and more geuine than the supermarket

vegetables.

→What is the dimension of yourV.G ? My vegetable garden is 2 hectares

→How much time do you spend in your

V.G?

I spend there about 3 hours a day.

Grandad’s

continued

→How often do you take care of your

vegetable garden?I take care of myV.G every day.

→Which vegetables do you plant in winter

/summer ?In winter I grow all types of salad and

cabbage, In summer tomatoes, peaches,

strawberries and potatoes.

→How long do vegetables take to be eaten? My vegetables grow in about five months

but it depends on the variety of course

→What are the difficulties of planting a V.G? The difficulties are you spend a lot of

time for planting them. They need a lot

of water and a good season.

→What are the risks for a V.G to grow well? The main risk to grow a V.G is: a bad

season.

→What do you wear when you work in your

V.G?I wear old clohtes and rubber boots .

→Is your garden organic or conventional? My V.G is organic, I don’t use any

chemicals. I use just water and natural

manure ( beep poop).

1 . Advantages of planting a vegetable garden

With a vegetable garden at home you can save money. You can have fresh vegetables every day . Your vegetables are without pesticides.

2 . Decision to take before planting a vegetable garden

Deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden ( types of vegetables and their yield).

Determining how much space you need ( you can grow vegetables in a field or containers)

3 . Basic requirements for success

- Full sun ( vegetables need sun to grow up)

- plenty of water

- good soil ( soil must be rich in organic matter

4/5 . The layout of a vegetable garden

- Plants can be planted in a single file in rows with a walking path between each row. In an intensive chopping method: you reduce the space between files, so you have to work by hand. It can be exploited to grow vegetables and ornamental plants in the front yard.

A specialized version is the square foot method:

You divide the garden into small sunken beds (4*4 feet), that are subdivided into 1 foot square, whereyou can plant from one to 16 plants, depending on the size of the plant when it matures.

6. Steps in planting a vegetables garden.

How to prepare your beds:

-loosen soil with tiller or by hand.

-spread out soil and don’t step on

-smooth the surface with a rake and leave to rest a few days.

-test soil temperature.

7. How to choose varieties

There are thousands of vegetables varieties. Some produce smaller plants ( they are ideal

for small gardens), others offer great disease resistance.

You can choose them in catalogs.

You can buy seeds or plants to be transplanted.

8. How to take care of your vegetable garden.

Vegetables need water once-twice a week in winter, every day in summer.

Use a hoe or hand fork to remove the suck.

Fertilize vegetables to maximizing yields. You can use a vertical space if you plant vining

crops.

9. Harvesting

Many vegetables can be harvested at several stages. For example squash and cucumber

can be harvested when the fruit is few inches long, or it can be allowed to grow to

full-size.

Deer an rabbits Remedies.

Extend about 6 inches under the soil the

bottom fence (rabbit) , 8 feet above the ground

(deer)

Spring insects Light weight sheet of translucent plastic.

Fungal diseases Wet the soil, not the vegetables leaves. Remove

sick plants grow varieties that are listed as

disease-resistant. Change the location of plants

each year.

Summer insects Pick off larger insects and caterpillars by hand.

Use insecticide

1) First of all, we located the place where to make our vegetable garden,

near a water source, with fertile and well-drained soil. We planted in the

sunniest spots to make the vegetables grow better, we tilled the soil, we

loosened and aerated it.

2) As second step, we looked for a flat plot af land, we drew the rows and

we squared the plot.

3) As a third step, we divided the plot into parcels and among these parcels, we

made paths to walk, we built raised beds above the surrounding ground level.

4) As a fourth step, we cleaned up weeds and other debris.

5) As fifth step, we drilled holes and planted the seedlings. Then we put a

substance into the soil to make plants grow better , the seedlings were planted

in the square plots.

6) As sixth step, we applied an insecticide and spread compost to feed the plants

7) As seventh step, we watered the veggies with a hose.

8) As eighth step, we turned the soil over, using a hoe and raked to remove

leaves from the ground to keep it in good shape and clean.

10) As tenth step, we’ll dig vegetables or other plants out of the ground

and after that we’ll harvest the vegetables, when they are ready.

9) As ninth step, we applied a protective covering against, frost or very low

temperature, we placed several wooden stakes into the ground around the

vegetables and sheets over the plants and stakes.

THE ENDAfter collecting the vegetables, we will deliver them to the

school mates of the hotel school.

They are going to use the vegetables that we grew to cook

some dishes like:

- Bread vegetable soup - Mixed salads

AGRONOMIC PRINCIPLES

Common name There are many varieties of lettuces, in

fact there are plants that resist more to

frost and others that need milder

climates.

There are two groups of lettuces:

Head lettuce: with a head, it tends to

form a compact head; without head, it

doesn’t form a compact head.

Cut lettuce: it doesn’t have a head

and allows more collections during

the year.

Botanical name Lactuca Sativa.

Family Asteraceae.

Origin and diffusion Originating in the temperate zones of

Asia, it’s spread almost everywhere.

Italian areas in which it is

produced

Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Pimonte,

Veneto, Abruzzo, Lombardia.

Parts of the plant used Leaves.

utilization Raw or in salads.

Climatic needs - Herbaceous plant with biennial

biological cycle.

- Fairly cool temperatures.

Temperatures For its growth: 14-18°C

Minimum: -2°C

water It needs constant irrigation all year long:

- In the early stages, it should be

irrigated frequently.

- Afterwards, irrigation must be kept

constant.

Pedological needs It prefers loose soils but produces in any

type of soil if well drained.

Diseases and parasites Cryptogamic diseases: avoid water stagnation

and apply multi-year rotations.

Animal parasites: cause damage to the roots

and can be controlled with products based

on:

- Bacillus ThuringiensisVar Kurstaki

- Bacillus ThuringiensisVar Tenebronis

Snails: they eat leaves and should be checked

by placing bait traps.

Harvest It’s harvested by cutting the entire head.

It’s harvested within 80-100 days of culture.

For head lettuce, the whole head is cut.

CULTIVATION PERIOD IN ITALY

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Sowing

X

X X X X

Transplant X X X X X X X

Harvest X X X X X X X