Whether you finally have that outdoor space you’ve always coveted or you’re ready to make use of a bare garden or deck, we know planting can be a tough proposition. Between the crappy soil and the lack of general, urban gardening understanding, we often don’t know the difference between what we’d like to grow and what’s possible.
To help you with this (not so small) endeavor, our very own Michele Paladino, owner of the Gowanus Nursery at 45 Summitt Street, is giving us a Spring primer on the edible garden. Her beautiful nursery reminds us that living things can survive in the noxious city soil. And just visiting the nursery can be a fun, family affair. So here’s some expert advice for those of you ready to take the leap. Read on for some great tips of the trade.

The Spring Edible Garden:
Playing it safe: the urban dirt on soil
We live in a polluted city and the very same soot that materializes on your windowsill has been seeping in to the soil for decades. So best to start with a soil test from our local Brooklyn College.
In general, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans and berries are safer than salad greens or carrots, which are closer in proximity to the potentially toxic soil. The leaves also absorb more lead than the ‘fruits’. If you have lasting concerns about the proximity of industry to your garden, or neighbor the BQE forget about root crops (carrots, beets etc. directly in your garden soil), since they absorb the mother load of soil toxins.
However, there are some safe options: A raised bed will alleviate most toxic soil concerns since water leaches them down and away. Recipes for the perfect soil abound, with typical ingredients of compost, sand, peat moss or coir, vermiculite, and perlite. For simplicities sake, you could just use a potting soil with compost and sand. Remember, soil is organic by nature but wetting agents are the biggest foes in the organic-ness of potting soil–although just about everything industry wide is grown in them. Usually I don’t bother too much about the classifications, just the quality of soil (a function of its water holding and draining properties). And this is something you will deduce over time depending on your containers and watering habits.
Containers are a space saving and easy alternative to schlepping cubic yards of soil that raised beds require. Although with planted pots, maintaining a regular watering agenda will be more demanding towards mid-summer; and going away for the weekend will take a little bit of planning. There are many new cultivars and hybrids that have been specifically selected for life in a pot so make sure you take this into consideration, if, like most of us, you are cramped for space and sun.

And remember, you may want to grow it all but there are crops that are easier, take less space, and are monetarily smarter to attempt. Tomatoes and salad greens are productive and will save you money over the long run. You may want to reproduce the prairie heartland of your childhood for sentimental reasons, but corn, pumpkins and other large crops don’t have the same payback on the smaller urban scale.

SEEDS
Direct sowing & starting inside
Luckily, most crop seeds are fairly easy to start directly in the ground–the only thing that holds them back is soil temperature. The advantage of ‘doing it direct’ is letting Mother Nature have her way with things, and seeds ‘know how’ to germinate at the right time. You won’t have to coddle seedlings as much as you would inside, although you will invariably use more seed. That said, it’s worth trying to start a few varieties inside though most will need supplemental UV lighting to grow properly. While a wonderful and fulfilling effort, perfect for the winter weary gardener, seed starting inside is mostly for the hobbyist with more time and space on his or her hands than the average Brooklynite will readily admit to.
Crops breakdown into cool and warm season germinators, with a few straddling the in-between. Here is a simplified breakdown for when to get your packets out and how to beat those indoor starting recommendations:

Cool season:
Seed now – through April
beets/parsnips/peas/lettuce/spinach/arugula/broccoli raab/baby cabbage/bok choy/mustard

Seed late March – early April
Carrots/turnips/radishes/celery
Don’t panic if you don’t get them in on time, most cool season crops have shorter yield times and there is more wiggle room with start dates. Warm soil temperatures (and sudden warm spells) are what bring these crops to a close. Tip: Kids love to water, make sure you are equipped with a shower nozzle that emits a gentle stream, and put them to work after sowing.

Warm season:
Seed mid April
Cucumbers/beans/squash/cilantro/dill/parsley/fennel (most herbs)
Open soil is a real boon for our four footed friends. A real part of the vegetable experience is diverting the ‘beasties’, and countless theories abound on how to deter urban pilferers. Likely you will have squirrel mining and cat misuse of your garden bed and for that we suggest: cat scat found at gardeners.com, copious amounts of hot pepper, and chicken wire. There are numerous ready to use applications that can be sprayed onto crops and soil up to a day before harvest. If all else fails, for humors sake there’s: deadsquirrel.com

–May 10th – May 30th
Transplant seedlings tomatoes/peppers/eggplant/basil
Most people suggest planting inside 6 weeks before the last frost for best crop. Since we are probably not trying to emulate a farmstand in terms of efficiency and maximum yield of crops there is a lot more leeway. Our seasons are long enough to plant later anyway. Ignore the packet – plant inside slightly after the last frost date of April 10th, and then wait until you have 2-3 week old seedlings to plant out. This way you avoid overstretched plants (looking for light). Acclimating seedlings to outside temperatures and direct sunlight is important. If you don’t want to spend the night outside in only a cotton sweater neither will those baby tomatoes. Ditto for the sun. We’re able to slather spf 24 on our winter white skin, but the plants aren’t, so shield them from direct sun for the first couple of days.
Hint: A perfect kid task is to pet the seedlings; the touching will simulate wind, which makes the plant grow stronger roots and stems. If you have a long viney plant on your hands – plant it deeply when transplanting. The stem will create roots along the stem and you will have a stronger plant. Note: this is damaging to most other things.
Another tip for sowing inside is to cover seeds with 1/16 – 1/8” of grit or perlite. This cuts down on soil born pathogens that infect the stems that have soil contact.

STARTS AND SHRUBS:
Lastly, if you don’t get around to seed starting directly or inside, your local nursery will surely have starts to transplant. They will also have a host of other things that are difficult to start on your own: woody herbs – sage, thyme, rosemary, bay, oregano and lavender are all reasonably difficult from seed. Sage , thyme and oregano are regular perennials here so you’ll only have to plant them once. Rosemary and lavender and are less hardy, but if you can find a protected and well draining spot you might get lucky. There is a wonderful 3’ rosemary bush in the Summit street community garden, but I also know a grower who cautions “you aren’t a gardener until you’ve killed at least 3 lavender.” Consider yourself lucky if either one makes it over the winter outside or in. Bay-leaf plants make the best herb houseplants of the bunch.
Not to be forgotten: Blueberries, grapes and figs are long-lived (& urban scaled) woody plants that blend into any ornamental scheme with little effort. Raspberries and blackberries live in barrels without much complaint for years. You can start planting these woody perennials as soon as the soil is workable.