Program Contact: Loren Imes
360-639-6059 • loren.imes@wsu.edu
The Vegetable Garden shows how different structures can be used to grow a variety of edibles. Creative vertical structures allow for efficient use of space while adding visual interest. Pumpkins, beans, cucumbers, and small squash varieties are well-suited for growing vertically. Raised beds provide ease of accessibility and can be built in a variety of ways.
Deer, bunnies, snails, and slugs are common predators in Island County vegetable gardens. We use different techniques to control these pests. Odorous herbs around and in garden beds can serve as a deterrent. Plastic containers at the base of plants allow them to grow above snail, slug and bunny access points.
We use companion planting to enhance the growth of each vegetable. The idea is to create a mixed plant community whose diversity provides complementary benefits. A classic example is planting corn, beans, and squash together. Corn provides a trellis for the beans while beans provide nitrogen to the soil and squash leaves suppress weeds.
For useful, and free, resources on vegetable gardening, please visit the WSU Extension Gardening in Washington State website.
Sub-Irrigated Planters (SIP)
The two raised beds east of the pollinator garden were built using the sub-irrigated planting (SIP) technique, where moisture is wicked from a reservoir in the bottom of the planter and plants receive constant moisture through capillary activity. This technique helps conserve water as well as avoid the burden of constantly monitoring watering needs.
We constructed our SIP beds by placing a plastic liner in the base of each bed to serve as the water reservoir. Perforated pipes provide the flow of water, and a fill tube of PVC pipe is used to fill the reservoir. The beds are filled with a planting mix of porous media, consisting of peat moss, compost, and potting soil.
Resources on sub-irrigated planters:
- Raised Wicking Beds (pdf), by Steve Higgins, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, AEN-158, Issued 1-2021.
- Self-Watering Wicking Container (pdf), by Steve Higgins, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, AEN-157, Issued 10-2020.
- Subirrigated Containers for the Mississippi Gardener (pdf), by Gary R. Bachman and Christine E.H. Coker, Mississippi State University Extension, Publication 2971 (POD-06-19), Copyright 2019.