Growing Garlic, Onions & Alliums
Garlic and onions are often casually grouped with root vegetables — but that is botanically incorrect. Garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives all belong to the allium family: plants that grow as bulbs, which are modified stems surrounded by fleshy leaf bases.
When grown in loose, soil with modest fertility, alliums reward gardeners with large bulbs, excellent flavor, and long storage life. The best soil is a blend of low nutrient organic potting soil and our high nutrient compost. Gardeners buy the potting soil at a local vendor and we give them some PhoSul fertilizer to join our testing team.
What Are Alliums?
Garlic and onions are often casually grouped with root vegetables — but that is botanically incorrect. Garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives all belong to the allium family: plants that grow as bulbs, which are modified stems surrounded by fleshy leaf bases. The underground bulb we harvest is not a root at all, but a tightly layered structure formed from swollen leaf bases attached to a small root plate.
This distinction matters for how we grow them. Root crops expand underground storage roots, while alliums build layered bulbs in response to seasonal signals — a combination of cold exposure, soil conditions, and day length. Because allium roots stay shallow, they cannot forage for nutrients deeper down and depend entirely on whatever is in the top layer of soil. Good soil structure and a healthy microbial environment are therefore essential.
When grown in loose, somewhat fertile soil rich in organic matter, alliums reward gardeners with large bulbs, excellent flavor, and long storage life. In many ways, alliums are indicators of how well the underground ecosystem is functioning. Garlic and alliums thrive with less nutrients (especially nitrogen) than fruiting and leafy veggies above ground.
Garlic Planting & Care Calendar
Fall Planting: Garlic is one of the simplest and most rewarding crops to plant in fall. The goal is to give each clove time to root before the ground freezes, without encouraging much top growth before winter. Plant garlic about 3–4 weeks before the ground freezes, ideally after the first hard frost. In Zone 6a, this typically means mid-October to early November. The cold exposure triggers proper bulb formation. Plant cloves pointed-end up, about 2 inches deep and space them about 6 inches apart.
Hardneck garlic: For colder climates like Zones 5b–6a, hardneck garlic is usually the best choice. It handles winter well and produces the bold flavor many gardeners are looking for.
Soil blend: With garlic, more nutrients is not always better. A strong start, a light touch, and healthy soil do most of the work. Don’t add compost or worm castings into garlic planting holes as we do for leafy and fruiting veggies. Too much compost (above 40%) retains excess moisture and raises the risk of bulb rot. Very high nutrients keep garlic bulbs small. Soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best Mix 30% Deep Root high-nutrient compost with 70% low-nutrient organic potting soil. We don’t sell root veggie soil in the Deep Roots online store.
PhoSul fertilizer: We will give you a free small pouch of PhoSul fertilizer that works well with root veggies and alliums. The free PhoSul makes you part of our root veggie and allium testing team. Please report your harvest in weight and in photos. Add a small amount of PhoSul fertilizer – at most an 1/8 teaspoon – in the planting holes. Phosphorus supports early root development, and sulfur is especially valuable for alliums, helping build the flavor and natural protective compounds that make garlic such a standout crop. PhoSul is gentle, so even slightly more won’t matter.
Straw mulch: After planting, cover the bed with 2 to 4 inches of straw mulch to help regulate soil temperature, reduce frost heaving, and suppress early weeds.
Spring “top-dress” fertilizing: In spring, when garlic shoots reach about 4 to 6 inches tall, spread across the entire garlic bed surface a half inch layer of our high nutrient compost and worm castings. Garlic’s feeder roots spread outward not down, so a gentle bed-wide top-dress works better than fertilizing only at the stem.
June Garlic Scape Removal: Hardneck garlic sends up a curling flower stalk called a “scape” in early summer. Wait until the scape begins twisting and forms about one full curl, then snap or cut it off. At this stage, the scape is tender, flavorful, and mature enough to harvest. If left longer, it may eventually flower, which diverts energy away from the bulb. To remove the scape, use clean scissors or garden shears and cut the stalk as low as you can without damaging the surrounding leaves. The leaves are still feeding the bulb, so avoid crushing or cutting them. Removing the scape helps the plant send more energy into bulb growth and can noticeably increase bulb size. Scapes are also a delicious early garlic harvest, with a mild, sweet garlic flavor and tender-crisp texture. Use them sautéed, grilled, in stir-fries, or blended into pesto..
Spring and early summer watering: During spring and early summer, garlic benefits from consistent moisture while the bulbs are expanding. As harvest approaches, stop watering completely about two weeks before you plan to harvest. This allows the bulb’s outer wrapper layers to dry and paper over properly — essential for quality and long storage.
July Garlic Harvest: Harvest when one-third to one-half of the lower leaves have turned brown while the upper leaves are still green. Do not wait for full browning — by then the protective wrapper has often begun to deteriorate and cloves may be separating. Loosen bulbs gently with a garden fork rather than pulling by the stem. Brush off loose soil but do not wash.
After Harvest Curing Garlic: Hang bulbs or lay them in a single layer in a shaded, well-ventilated spot for 3–4 weeks. Proper curing converts fresh-dug garlic into shelf-stable bulbs that store for months. Once fully cured, trim the roots and stems and store in a cool, dry location with good air circulation — never in sealed plastic.
Onions and Other Alliums
Garlic shares its family with onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives. All share key characteristics: they grow from bulbs or bulb-like bases, have shallow root systems, and prefer loose, fertile soils rich in organic matter. Like garlic, they rely on temperature and day length to trigger bulb development. Well-prepared Deep Roots beds with 30% balanced high-nutrient compost and 70% low-nutrient root soil content serve all alliums well.
Like garlic, many edible and ornamental alliums are best planted in the fall (September through November) to allow roots to establish before winter, ensuring they bloom or harvest the following spring/summer. Key fall-planted alliums include shallots, leeks, perennial onions, and chives, .
Edible Alliums (Fall Planting):
Shallots: Planted in late September or October for early harvests.
Leeks: Hardy varieties can be planted to establish roots for spring growth.
Chives: Fall planting allows this perennial herb to return early, providing fresh leaves and purple flowers.
Perennial Onions (Potato/Multiplier Onions): Planted in September or October.
Fall Planting: The ideal time is after the first frost, but before the ground completely freezes. This usually falls between September and November depending on your hardiness zone. Plant in full sun (at least 6 hours) in well-drained soil to avoid bulb rot.
Companion Planting Garlic & Spinach
Garlic and spinach make excellent companions in fall-planted beds. Garlic’s scent deters pests like aphids that bother leafy greens, providing natural protection for the spinach in spring.
Plant garlic cloves and spinach seeds in the same bed in mid-October to early November.
Spinach sown in fall will overwinter under mulch or germinate early in spring, maturing well before garlic needs the full bed.
Inter-plant spinach between rows of garlic. Spinach can be harvested by May or early June — long before the July garlic harvest.
Use hardneck garlic varieties, which are better suited to Zone 5b and 6a winters.
Planting Calendar Climate Zone 6a
Most gardeners in the Chicago area are now considered Zone 6a, due in part to the warming effects of Lake Michigan and long-term climate change.
Most gardeners in the Chicago area are now considered Zone 6a, due in part to the warming effects of Lake Michigan and long-term climate change. The lake moderates temperatures, creating slightly warmer winters and cooler summers, especially in the city and nearby suburbs. This shift means that older planting calendars based strictly on Zone 5b are no longer fully accurate for many gardeners in our area. It’s time to Unleash Your Green Thumb.
Planting Calendars Zone 6a
A reliable way to decide when to plant
Checkout Our Calendars for each Plant Family Later in this Post!
The United States is divided into 13 plant hardiness zones based on average winter temperatures. These zones help gardeners understand what can survive in their region, but they don’t tell the whole story about when to plant. If you want a deeper explanation, see our blog post What Are Climate Zones?
Most gardeners in the Chicago area are now considered Zone 6a, due in part to the warming effects of Lake Michigan and long-term climate change. The lake moderates temperatures, creating slightly warmer winters and cooler summers, especially in the city and nearby suburbs. This shift means that older planting calendars based strictly on Zone 5b are no longer fully accurate for many gardeners in our area.
Frost dates alone are not reliable
For many years, planting calendars have been based on average frost dates. In northern Illinois, the last spring frost typically occurs in early to mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives in early to mid-October. These dates still provide a rough framework, but they are no longer reliable enough on their own. Weather patterns have become more unpredictable, and planting too early or too late based on calendar dates alone can lead to disappointing results.
Soil temperature is dependable.
Because of this, we are shifting to a more dependable approach: soil temperature. Soil temperature is one of the most important factors for seed germination and plant growth. Cool-season crops can be planted in cooler soil, while warm-season crops require much warmer conditions to grow successfully. In our updated planting calendars, we include both ideal soil temperatures (to help you decide when to plant) and temperature tolerances (to show what each crop can survive). This gives you a more flexible and accurate system that adapts to real conditions in your garden.
Planting dates are really planting windows
The planting dates in our charts should be viewed as planting windows, not exact deadlines. Beginners should plant toward the warmer end of each window to reduce risk. More experienced gardeners can take advantage of earlier or later planting by using simple tools like row covers and cold frames. Over time, you will learn how to adjust planting based on weather patterns, soil conditions, and experience.
Raised beds are especially helpful for managing these variables. They warm up faster in the spring, drain well, and can be easily covered during cold nights. Even a lightweight row cover can provide a few degrees of protection, while heavier covers can extend your season even further. These tools allow you to plant earlier in spring and continue harvesting later into fall.
Root veggies need their own soil
One of the most important things we’ve learned at Deep Roots is that not all vegetables should be grown in the same soil. Most crops thrive in our microbe-rich compost beds, but root crops and alliums—like carrots, beets, garlic, and onions—do not perform well in high-nutrient compost. Instead, they grow best in a more balanced mineral soil. This season, we are introducing a new root veggie soil system along with a phosphorus-based fertilizer (PhoSul), and we invite gardeners to test this approach with us. You can learn more in our Root Veggie Growing Method blog post.
Calendars for each Plant Family
To make everything easier to use, we’ve reorganized our planting calendars into separate plant families, each with its own page. This makes the information much easier to navigate and allows you to focus on one group of crops at a time. Each planting calendar includes two simple tables: one for planting and setup, and one for growing conditions. Together, they provide everything you need to get started.
The plant families are: Brassicas, Cucurbits, Fruiting Plants, Leafy Greens, Legumes, Root Crops, Herbs, Berries and Alliums.
These calendars are based on averages and general patterns, so always check your seed packets for specific details about each variety. Some crops can tolerate cold and be planted early, while others require warm soil to grow at all. Understanding the difference between what a plant can survive and what it needs to thrive is one of the most important skills you can develop as a gardener.
Deep Roots gardening is not about doing more—it’s about doing the right things at the right time. By paying attention to soil temperature, planting windows, and the specific needs of each crop, you can grow healthier plants, reduce risk, and enjoy more consistent harvests year after year.
Explore the Planting Calendars
Growing Root Vegetables - A New Method
Use a dedicated bed and a different soil to grow root vegetables - Deep Roots explains why.
If you’ve been growing tomatoes, greens, and herbs in 100% Deep Roots microbe-rich compost and loving the results — this post is not asking you to change a thing. Your compost method is exactly right for those above ground crops. This post is about one important exception – root vegetables which need low nutrient loose organic potting soil. We are giving a new roo veggie fertilizer to our gardeners who agree to test this new method by following our growing instructions and reporting their harvest with veggie weight and photos.
Why root crops need low nutrient soil
Root veggie rules: Carrots, beets, radishes, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, potatoes and rutabagas play by different rules than everything else in your garden. The very richness that makes Deep Roots 100% compost great soil for tomatoes and above ground veggies works against root crops. High nutrients grow tiny roots. The good news: the fix is simple, and Deep Roots has made it even simpler by doing most of the prep work for you. Our blog posts on growing carrits, sweet potatoes and potatoes is comig soon. Learn more in our blog post on Growing Garlic, Onions and Alliums.
Roots store energy. Root crops aren’t trying to grow fast — they’re trying to store energy underground. Carrots, beets, radishes and parsnips only do that when they receive a specific signal that says “nutrients are present, but limited.” When nitrogen is too high — as it often is in manure-based compost — that signal never comes. Instead, the plant keeps putting all its plentiful energy into leaves. This is why gardeners sometimes see beautiful, bushy tops and disappointingly small roots. The plant is doing exactly what the soil chemistry is telling it to do.
Loamy & well-drained soil. The ideal soil is low-nutrient, loose organic sandy loam or potting soil. The pure compost Deep Roots uses as soil for above ground veggies lacks the mineral structure that root crops evolved in and holds too much water, dries unevenly, and encourages shallow or forked rooting. Also, don’t mix sand with sticky clumpy clay soil. The tiny particles of sand and clay bind together and change the soft clumps into very hard clumps.
PhoSul root crop fertilizer. When you test our free root fertilizser you become a member of our new root veggie method testing team. Just keep track of how many crops planted and the amound of the harvest . Take photos and weigh the harvested veggies. More details on PhoSul is below.
The solution: one dedicated root veggie bed
Root vegetables evolved in mineral soils with only modest organic matter. You don’t need to change your existing beds at all. Simply set up one dedicated root vegetable bed or large container with a low-nutrient soil. We are now testing difference blends of potting soil and sandy loam that will give roots exactly the growing environment they need. Reserve a separate container or area in your root veggie bed for the sifted soil carrots need.
Low nitrogen — Nitrogen is the plant nutrient that encourages leafy green growth. Root vegetables need some nitrogen, but too much can cause big tops and small roots. This soil is kept low in nitrogen so carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips and other root crops are encouraged to put more energy into the part you harvest: the root.
Mineral structure — “Mineral structure” means the soil contains the small mineral particles that give soil body and shape. Root vegetables need soil that is firm enough to support them, but loose enough for roots to push through. This helps carrots, beets, parsnips and turnips grow deeper, straighter and more evenly.
Low soluble salts — “Soluble salts” are minerals and nutrients dissolved in soil water. A little is normal, but too much can make it harder for young roots to take up water. This soil is designed to be low in soluble salts so roots can drink water more easily and expand without stress.
Good drainage — “Drainage” means how well extra water moves out of the soil. Root vegetables like steady moisture, but they do not like sitting in soggy soil. Good drainage helps prevent rotting, shallow growth and forked or twisted roots.
PhoSul: your new root veggie fertilizer
PhoSul is an OMRI-certified organic fertilizer made from rock phosphate and elemental sulfur. It contains no nitrogen. Phosphorus is the nutrient most responsible for root development in carrots, beets, parsnips, and turnips. PhoSul also releases calcium and silica as it breaks down, which gradually improves soil structure season after season. PhoSul fertilizerpurposefully incorporates sulfur to assist with nutrient release.
Build-and-maintain amendment: The best part is that PhoSul doesn’t leach out or the soil with water. Unlike nitrogen, which washes below the root zone every time you water, phosphorus bonds to soil particles and stays put. This means it builds a slow-releasing reserve your root crops can draw on all season long — without constant reapplication. Think of PhoSul as a build-and-maintain amendment, not a seasonal fertilizer you must continually renew. Instead, top it up lightly once a year, and over two to three seasons the bed will develop a stable phosphorus bank that works quietly beneath your root crops all season long.
To apply PhoSul: Put a pinch (1/8 teaspoon) of PhoSul in your planting hole for seedlings and seeds. It is very gentle and a little extra will not matter. When you buy our root soil, we will give you a small ziplock bag of PhoSul to add in at planting.
Carrots need loose soil without obstructions
Carrots need soil that is deep, loose and obstruction free to allow them to grow straight, large, and dense roots. To prevent forked and misshapen carrots, sift out wood chips, sticks, pebbles and other obstructions. Reserve a separate container or area in your root veggie bed for the sifted soil carrots need. Contact Deep Roots customer support to borrow our easy-to-use soil sifting tool that our carpenter created. Learn more in our blog post “Growing Carrots” (coming soon).
Garlic and Onions are NOT root crops
Garlic, onions, chives, leeks, shallots are alliums. It’s ideal soil and fertilizer has similarities to BOTH root veggies and above ground (fruiting and leafy) veggies. Garlic and other alliums require some nutrient rich compost in their soil, generous organic matter, and good nitrogen levels in early spring to grow large bulbs. The Deep Roots compost-rich beds your tomatoes thrive in are too nutrient-rich for garlic and cause tiny under-developed bulbs. Learn the details in our blog post Planting Garlic, Onions and Alliums.
Alliums need a soil blend: The solution is growing garlic and other alliums in their own bed or container using a soil blend of 30% Deep Roots high nutrient compost and 70% low nutrient potting soil. We like “Back to the Roots Organic All Purpose Potting MixPremium Blend”. Plant garlic cloves 22 inches deep in fall (late-October to mid November), apply a pinch of PhoSul fertilizer next to the clove and mulch with 2–4 inches of straw. In spring when seedlings reach 4–6 inches tall, top-dress (spread on all soil growing alliums) about a half inch of our compost. Harvest garlic when one-third to half of the leaves have browned.
Soil Blends for Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Like Alliums potatoes and sweet potatoes prefer well-drained low-nutrient loose topsoil, and DO NOT require large quantities of organic matter. Again “Back to the Roots Organic All Purpose Potting Mix” is a reliable choice. Over-fertilization tends to produce foliage instead of roots. A leaner nutrient soil is best.
Regular Potato Soil Blend: Mix 50% high-quality low-nutrient potting soil, 30% Deep Roots high-nutrient compost, 20% Deep Roots dense leaf mulch and potassium fertilizer like “Kelp Meal” or “Sulfate of Potash” Blend thoroughly, then fill beds or containers with loose, well-drained soil. This gives regular potatoes enough fertility without making the mix overly heavy. Learn the details in our blog post “Growing Potatoes” (coming soon).
Sweet Potato Soil Blend: Mix 5 parts low nutrient potting soil with 1 part nutrient-rich compost. Keep the blend light and only moderately fertile, since sweet potatoes produce better roots in leaner soil and too much nutrient richness can lead to excess vine growth. Learn the details in our blog post “Growing Sweet Potatoes” (coming soon).
Starting and Transplanting Root Vegetable Seedlings
Root vegetables that can be started indoors and transplanted include leeks, onions, and specifically "Clancy" variety potatoes, as they are less sensitive to root disturbance than others. Beets can sometimes be started indoors if transplanted very early, but most root crops like carrots, radishes, and parsnips are best direct-sown outside.
Root Vegetables for Indoor Starting
Leeks: Start 8-10 weeks before the last frost, as they handle transplanting well.
Onions: Can be started indoors 8-10 weeks early, with tops trimmed to 3 inches for stronger, transplant-ready plants.
Potatoes ('Clancy' variety): These can be started from seed indoors.
Beets: Generally better direct-sown, but can be started indoors and carefully separated if moved while small.
Why Most Root Crops Dislike Transplanting
Root vegetables develop a single taproot that is very sensitive to disturbance. Transplanting them often causes stunted, misshapen, or split roots. Tips for Success: Use biodegradable pots (like peat pots) to minimize root disturbance during the move to the garden. Ensure all plants are properly hardened off before moving them outside. For root crops that must be direct-sown (carrots, radishes, turnips), it is best to do so as soon as the soil can be worked.
What to expect
Learning to grow root crops is not a complicated change. Use dedicated beds or containers, filled with organic potting soil or a blend of potting soil and our compost. Everything else about your gardening stays the same. Your compost beds keep doing what they do best for tomatoes and greens. Your root veggie bed gets the low nutirent environment that finally lets carrots be carrots and beets be beets.
Plant something. Feed something. Protect something.
Deep Roots Project is here for every step of the journey.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
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Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
Workshop - Edible Garden Planning
Here is the slideshow from the Deep Roots Project Edible Garden Planning interactive workshop held Sunday, March 8, 2026 at the Oak Park Main Library.
Here is the presentation from our Deep Roots Project Edible Garden Planning workshop held on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Oak Park Main Library.
This workshop from Deep Roots was designed to help gardeners prepare for successful growing season.
We are posting here the presentation we gave at our March 8th, 2026 workshop.
Participants had the opportunity to review and develop their garden layouts, explore plant selection strategies, and learn how to use compost and natural fertilizers such as worm castings and fish emulsion to build healthy soil and increase harvests. The workshop also covered best practices for preparing and cleaning up garden spaces in advance of planting.
Additional topics included identifying sunlight patterns to select the right plants for different areas, effective watering techniques, and planning gardens to suit varying conditions and spaces. Expert gardeners will be on hand throughout the event to answer questions and provide individualized guidance.
This workshop is ideal for new, experienced or novice gardeners, experienced growers, and community groups looking to start or strengthen shared garden spaces. Attendees were encouraged to bring garden plans, questions, or ideas they would like to discuss and review.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
Sign up for our newsletter
Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.
Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
Workshop - Food Gardening Using the Deep Roots Method
Here is the slideshow from the Deep Roots Project and BEAT Roots interactive workshop held Saturday, February 7, 2026 at the Oak Park Main Library.
Here is the presentation from our Deep Roots Project and BEAT Roots interactive workshop held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Oak Park Main Library.
This hands-on event features Deep Roots’ compost-based method, native plants, and simple “milk jug” winter sowing for bigger home harvests
We are posting here the presentation we gave at our Feb. 7th, 2026 workshop. Our presentation featured Deep Roots Project’s Transformational Gardening method—an innovative, science-based approach that uses 100% microbe- and nutrient-rich compost instead of traditional soil blends, enriched with worm castings and smart raised-bed design, to build living soil and significantly increase yields in small urban and suburban gardens.
The workshop ended with a “hands-on” demonstration of simple “milk jug” winter sowing to get a head start on a bigger home harvest this year.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
Sign up for our newsletter
Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.
Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
Your Garden Is a Bio-diverse Community Landscape
By combining native plants, ornamentals and flowers with a food garden, you can create a beautiful and productive outdoor space that will provide fresh produce, attract wildlife, and bring joy to your life. It is a wonderful way to bring beauty, sustainability, and fresh produce to your outdoor space. Create a unique & thriving edible landscape with natives, flowers, ornamentals & food crops.
What if we told you that your backyard could feed your family, shelter pollinators, clean the air, and look absolutely gorgeous — all at the same time? At Deep Roots Project, we believe that growing food and growing biodiversity aren't competing goals. They're the same goal. Let's dig in.
Edible Landscapes, Companion Planting,
and the Beauty of Biodiversity
This isn't garden fantasy. It's the quiet wisdom of edible landscaping: the art of weaving food-producing plants into a living, breathing ecosystem that works with nature rather than against it. When we stop thinking of our gardens as rows of crops to be managed and start thinking of them as communities of interdependent life, everything changes — the soil, the harvest, and even the way we see our relationship with the land.
Start Where Life Starts: The Soil
Before a single seed goes in the ground, the real work is already happening beneath your feet.
A single handful of healthy garden soil contains more microorganisms than there are people on Earth. Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, earthworms, and microscopic arthropods form a vast underground web — decomposing fallen leaves, breaking down organic matter, and converting it into exactly the nutrients your plants need. This isn't magic. It's microbiology, and it's extraordinary.
Healthy soil is the non-negotiable foundation of any edible landscape. Without it, you're not really gardening — you're just propping plants up with chemicals and hope. With it, your garden becomes self-sustaining, resilient, and generous.
How to nurture your soil:
Compost, compost, compost. Return organic matter to the earth. Kitchen scraps, fallen leaves, spent plants — they all have a second life as soil food.
Avoid tilling. Tilling disrupts the fungal networks (mycelium) that quietly shuttle nutrients between plant roots.
Mulch heavily. A thick layer of wood chips or straw mimics the forest floor, retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, and feeding the microbiome beneath.
Plant cover crops like clover or buckwheat in the off-season to protect and enrich bare soil.
The Power of Companion Planting:
Plants as Neighbors, Not Strangers
In nature, plants don't grow in monocultures. A forest isn't a field of oak trees. A prairie isn't wall-to-wall switchgrass. Diversity is nature's default — and there's a very good reason for that.
Companion planting is the practice of deliberately placing plants together so they support, protect, and nourish one another. It's one of the oldest agricultural techniques in the world, used for thousands of years by Indigenous farmers across the Americas, Asia, and Africa — and modern science is finally catching up to what those farmers always knew.
The Three Sisters: An Ancient Blueprint
Perhaps the most celebrated companion planting system is the Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash — grown together by many Indigenous peoples of North America for millennia. Each plant plays a distinct role:
Corn grows tall, providing a natural trellis for beans to climb.
Beans are nitrogen-fixers, pulling nitrogen from the air and depositing it into the soil where the corn and squash can use it.
Squash sprawls along the ground, its broad leaves shading the soil, locking in moisture, and crowding out weeds.
Three plants. Three roles. One thriving system. No synthetic fertilizer required.
Companion Planting Combinations to Try
Tomatoes + Basil: Basil is said to repel aphids, whiteflies, and tomato hornworms, while improving the flavor of the fruit growing beside it. Plus, you'll always have fresh basil for your Caprese salad.
Roses or fruit trees + Garlic/Chives: Alliums deter aphids and other soft-bodied pests and can help prevent fungal diseases in nearby plants.
Brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli) + Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums act as a "trap crop," luring aphids away from your brassicas. Bonus: nasturtium flowers are edible and add a peppery zip to salads.
Carrots + Rosemary or Sage: These aromatic herbs confuse and deter the carrot fly, one of the most common carrot pests.
Cucumbers + Dill: Dill attracts beneficial predatory wasps that feast on cucumber beetles and aphids.
Beans + Potatoes: Beans repel the Colorado potato beetle; potatoes repel the Mexican bean beetle. They look out for each other.
The principle underlying all of these is simple: diversity confuses pests, attracts predators, and builds resilience. A garden of many species is far harder for any single insect or disease to devastate than a mono-culture.
Invite the Good Bugs:
Beneficial Insects and Pollinator Habitat
Not all insects are enemies. In fact, most are either neutral or actively beneficial to your garden. The key is building habitat that attracts them.
Beneficial insects include ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and ground beetles — all of which prey on the aphids, whiteflies, and caterpillars that damage your plants. If you reach for a pesticide every time you see a bug, you're likely killing these allies along with the pests.
Instead, plant for them. A diverse edible landscape that includes flowering herbs, native perennials, and pollinator-friendly plants will draw beneficial insects naturally.
Plants that attract beneficial insects:
Sweet alyssum — a low-growing annual that blooms prolifically and attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps
Fennel and dill — umbellifers (flat-topped flower clusters) beloved by beneficial wasps
Borage — beautiful blue star-shaped flowers that attract bees and repel tomato hornworms
Phacelia (baby blue eyes) — one of the best insect plants you may never have heard of
Evening primrose — draws moths and beetles, which in turn attract birds
Yarrow — a tough native perennial that blooms in clusters and hosts dozens of beneficial species
Don't forget: pollinators need water too. A shallow dish of water with pebbles for landing gives bees and butterflies a welcome rest stop.
Native Plants: The Heart of a Bio-diverse Garden
Here's a truth that can transform your garden: native plants are not just "nice to have." They are the foundation of local biodiversity.
Native plants evolved alongside your local insects, birds, and soil microbes over thousands of years. They provide the exact nutritional profile, bloom timing, and habitat structure that native wildlife depends on. A non-native ornamental, however beautiful, often functions as an ecological dead zone — visiting insects may find its pollen indigestible, and native birds may find its berries lacking in the fats they need to survive.
Entomologist Doug Tallamy's research has shown that native oak trees alone support over 500 species of caterpillars — which are, in turn, the critical food source for nearly every songbird in North America. By contrast, a Callery pear or Bradford pear — ubiquitous in suburban landscaping — supports fewer than five.
The good news? Native plants are often lower maintenance, more drought-tolerant, and more beautiful than you might expect. Once established, they largely take care of themselves.
Native plants to weave into your edible landscape:
Native ferns for shaded, moist areas — they provide ground cover, habitat, and a lush aesthetic without requiring irrigation or fertilizer
Wild ginger as a shade-tolerant ground cover
Native coneflowers (Echinacea) — medicinal, beautiful, and beloved by goldfinches
Wild bergamot (Monarda) — a native mint relative that feeds bumblebees and makes excellent tea
Serviceberry (Amelanchier) — a native shrub or small tree producing edible berries in spring, beloved by over 40 species of birds
Pawpaw — the largest edible fruit native to North America, with rich, custardy flesh and striking large leaves
Native elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) — produces flowers for elderflower cordial and berries for elderberry syrup, while feeding dozens of bird species
Blend these with your vegetables and fruit trees. A pawpaw tree beside your tomatoes. Coneflowers along the border of your raised beds. Wild bergamot woven between your squash. This is what edible landscaping looks like when it grows up.
Perennials vs. Annuals: Planting for the Long Game
One of the biggest shifts you can make as a food gardener is reducing your reliance on annual vegetables — plants that must be replanted each year — and increasing your edible perennials: plants that return on their own, year after year, building deeper roots, richer soil relationships, and larger harvests over time.
Edible perennials to consider:
Asparagus — takes a couple years to establish, but then produces for 20+ years
Rhubarb — thrives in cold climates and returns faithfully every spring
Chives, sorrel, lovage — low-effort, high-reward culinary herbs that spread gently and never need replanting
Horseradish — plant it once and you'll be fighting to keep it contained (in a good way)
Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke) — a native sunflower relative that produces masses of edible tubers
Fruit trees and berry bushes — the ultimate perennial investment. A well-placed apple, pear, or fig tree can feed your family for generations.
A garden anchored by perennials requires less labor, produces more stable yields, and builds soil carbon year over year. It's the slow food of garden design.
Designing for Beauty and Function
Edible landscaping doesn't mean sacrificing aesthetics. In fact, some of the most stunning gardens in the world are food gardens. The goal is to think like a designer and a farmer simultaneously.
Think in Layers
A healthy natural ecosystem has vertical layers — canopy, understory, shrub layer, ground cover, and root zone. You can replicate this in your garden:
Canopy: Fruit and nut trees (apple, pear, pecan, persimmon)
Understory: Berry bushes and dwarf fruit trees (currant, gooseberry, dwarf plum)
Herbaceous layer: Vegetables, herbs, and perennial flowers
Ground cover: Strawberries, thyme, clover, native violets
Climbers: Grapes, kiwi, hardy climbing beans trained up trellises, fences, or arbors
This layered approach maximizes your growing space, creates visual depth, and provides habitat for a cascade of wildlife.
Color, Texture, and Flow
Use a color wheel to plan complementary plant combinations. Cool lavenders and blues look stunning against warm oranges and yellows.
Ornamental grasses add texture and movement and remain attractive even in winter when other plants have gone dormant.
Edible flowers — calendula, borage, nasturtium, viola — bridge the gap between beauty and utility. Plant them liberally throughout your beds.
Consider adding hardscape elements — stone paths, brick borders, wooden raised beds — to give your garden structure and make maintenance easier year-round.
Vertical Growing
Even a small yard has more growing space than you think when you look up. Trellises, fences, pergolas, and walls can support cucumbers, melons, squash, beans, peas, and climbing roses. A south-facing wall absorbs heat during the day and radiates it at night, creating a micro-climate that can allow you to grow plants slightly outside your usual range.
The Bigger Picture: Why This All Matters
Every edible landscape is a small act of ecological restoration.
When you plant a serviceberry instead of a Bradford pear, you're feeding birds. When you leave a patch of clover in your lawn, you're feeding bees. When you compost your kitchen scraps, you're closing a loop that industrial food systems have broken wide open. When you grow even a fraction of your own food, you're reducing demand on a supply chain that depletes soil, pollutes waterways, and contributes to climate change.
These aren't small things. Multiplied across neighborhoods, cities, and regions, they are transformative.
The edible landscape is, at its core, a philosophy: that beauty and utility are not opposites, that humans and ecosystems can thrive together, and that the best gardens give far more than they take.
Getting Started: Your First Steps
You don't need to overhaul everything at once. Start small and let your garden evolve.
Assess your light. Know which parts of your yard get full sun (6+ hours), part sun, and shade. This determines everything that follows.
Add one native plant this season. Just one. Notice what visits it.
Try one companion planting pairing. Tomatoes and basil. Squash and nasturtiums. See what happens.
Stop using broad-spectrum pesticides. Give beneficial insects a chance to find your garden and do their work.
Start composting. Even a simple bin in a corner will transform your soil within a year.
Plant something you've never grown before. The learning is part of the joy.
Your garden is waiting to become something more than a patch of vegetables. It's waiting to become a community — of plants that support each other, insects that protect each other, and humans who belong, however humbly, to the wider web of life.
Plant something. Feed something. Protect something.
Deep Roots Project is here for every step of the journey.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
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Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.
Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
The Soil Food Web
The Soil Food Web shows how soil life turns organic matter into plant nutrition. This is a natural and essential process that releases nutrients, builds soil structure, and supports healthier plants. Your garden soil is a kitchen, recycling center and immune system all in one.
The Soil Food Web shows how soil life turns organic matter into plant nutrition. The chart arrows represent who eats whom—an essential process that releases nutrients, builds soil structure, and supports healthier plants.
The Garden’s Underground “Ecosystem”
Your garden has an underground “ecosystem” that grows healthy plants. When gardeners talk about “good soil,” they’re usually talking about living things—not dirt. Under every raised bed, herb patch, and flower border is a busy community of tiny living creatures that:
recycle organic matter into plant food
build crumbly structure that holds water and air
help roots access nutrients
reduce pest & disease problems by balancing the system
Our Soil Food Web chart shows the living community as a simple map of who-s-who in that web and how energy and nutrients move through it. Your garden soil is a kitchen, recycling center and immune system all in one. Plants “feed” the soil life, the soil life transforms scraps into nutrients, and the whole system supports stronger plants. The arrows show who eats whom (and therefore who releases nutrients in plant-available forms). That “eating” is a good thing. Plants don’t do this alone. They’re partners with microbes and tiny animals that process food, store it, and deliver it back to roots.
The Main Characters in the Soil Food Web
Plants: the food-web “solar panels”: Plants capture sunlight and turn it into sugars. A surprising amount of that energy goes down into the soil through as “root exudates” (tiny releases of sugars and compounds). Those exudates are like snacks and signals that recruit helpful microbes. Healthy roots = more food for soil life = better nutrient cycling.
Organic matter: the pantry for the whole system
Our chart describes organic matter as waste, residue, and metabolites from plants, animals, and microbes. Organic matter is not “just debris.” It’s the raw ingredient that becomes fertility. Think of organic matter as:
- leaves and plant pieces
- old roots
- compost
- mulch that breaks down
- natural residues that soil life can digestBacteria: tiny fast recyclers
Bacteria are microscopic workhorses. They’re especially good at breaking down “easier” materials (many fresh residues and simple compounds). They multiply quickly when there’s food and moisture. What bacteria do for gardeners:
- help convert organic matter into nutrients
- support aggregation (better soil structure)
- form the base of many food chains in soilFungi: the thread-like builders and root partners
There are two important fungal roles. Mycorrhizal fungi connect with roots and extend the root system’s reach. Saprophytic fungi break down tougher materials (often woody or fibrous). Fungi are also famous for building soil structure. Their thread-like bodies help form stable crumbs (“aggregates”) that improve drainage and water-holding at the same time. A simple gardener translation is ”Fungi help soil hold together in the good way.”Protozoa: microscopic “grazers” that release nutrients
Protozoa (amoebae, flagellates, ciliates) eat bacteria and other microbes. This grazing matters because it causes nutrient “release” in forms that plants can use. Think of protozoa as the compost-turners of the microscopic world—digesting and “making nutrients available.”Nematodes: tiny worms with different jobs
Nematodes get a mixed reputation because some types harm plants. Root-feeding nematodes are the ones gardeners don’t want in high numbers. There are also bacterial-feeders and fungal-feeders. Predatory nematodes eat other nematodes and help balance the system. In a balanced soil food web, the helpful nematodes and predators keep the community from tipping out of proportion. The goal is not “no nematodes.” The goal is a balanced community.Arthropods: shredders and predators
“Arthropods” is a big category that includes many soil-dwellers (mites, springtails, beetle larvae, and more). Shredders chew and break organic matter into smaller pieces making it easier for microbes to finish the job. Predators:hunt other soil organisms, keeping populations balanced. Gardeners benefit because shredding speeds decomposition and predators reduce boom-and-bust outbreaks.Larger animals and birds: the top of the web
At the top of your chart are larger animals (and birds). These are the visible members of the system that feed on arthropods and other creatures. Their activity is often a sign of a living, functioning soil habitat.Better nutrient delivery without “force-feeding”
In a living soil, nutrients cycle through bodies—microbes eat, get eaten, and nutrients become available near roots. This is gentler and steadier than trying to force growth with quick, salt-based chemical fertilizers.
Stronger plants with fewer problems: A diverse soil community creates competition and balance. Many plant diseases struggle to dominate in a biologically active, diverse soil ecosystem.
Soil structure that makes gardening easier. When the soil food web is thriving, you tend to see more crumbly texture, better water infiltration, less crusting / compaction and improved root growth.
Feed the web with the right kind of fertility
The Deep Roots approach is feed the soil, and the soil feeds the plants. We focus on microbe- and nutrient-rich compost and high-quality worm castings because they don’t just “add nutrients”—they support the living system that manages nutrients.
Is compost enough? Quality matters. Compost that is rich in microbial life and made well can be a powerful foundation. Deep Roots emphasizes compost and castings because they support both nutrients and biology—and biology is what keeps the system resilient.
Keep the habitat friendly. Soil life needs:
oxygen (not compaction)
moisture (not constant drying and flooding cycles)
food (organic matter and root exudates)
protection (less disturbance)
Where fish emulsion fits: Worm castings are our steady, soil-building base. Fish emulsion is our targeted helper when plants need a quick, gentle boost—especially early growth, transplant recovery, or when a plant looks pale and needs nitrogen support. Used correctly, fish emulsion can complement the soil food web because it’s typically less harsh than many synthetic salts and works best as a support, not as the entire fertility plan. Use fish emulsion like a vitamin—helpful when needed—while compost and castings remain the daily food that keeps the whole system strong.
Avoid practices that wipe out your workforce
“Chemical fertilizers” can work short-term but weaken the system long-term. Many fast-release synthetic fertilizers are designed to feed the plant directly—often with a strong “salt” effect. That can lead to a cycle where plants grow quickly, but soil biology gets less support.
Here’s what commonly goes wrong:
The soil food web gets bypassed. Plants may send fewer root exudates (less “food” to microbes), which can reduce microbial diversity over time.
Salt stress can harm roots and microbes. High concentrations can burn roots, reduce microbial activity, and make watering harder to manage.
Growth can become soft and pest-prone. Fast nitrogen pushes lush foliage that is often more attractive to pests and more vulnerable to disease.
Soil doesn’t improve. Synthetic fertilizers don’t build organic matter or structure, so you can get growth without getting better soil.
This doesn’t mean a gardener is “bad” for ever using them—it just explains why Deep Roots focuses on building fertility through biology.
Healthier plants with fewer problems
Don’t just “feed the plant,” feed the living system underneath it that turns organic matter into abundance. The soil food web is the everyday story of how sunlight becomes food—not just for plants, but for everything that depends on plants (which is… all of us). It’s the living, underground network that connects roots, microbes, tiny soil animals, and the creatures above ground that depend on them.
…and a heathier planet
When the soil food web is healthy, it does far more than “grow bigger plants.” It helps restore soil health, increase biodiversity, build larger and more active microbe populations, store carbon underground, and improve the nutritional quality of the food we grow. Healthy soil is one of the strongest foundations we have for a stable garden—and a healthier planet.
Join the Deep Roots movement
We’re not just about gardening; we’re about changing the way people grow food. Whether you have a tiny balcony or a full backyard, we’ll help you grow like a pro.
Stay in the loop: Signup for our email newsletter. If you also provide your phone number you will get text message updates that link to our best blog posts.
Get involved: Attend a free workshop, become a volunteer, grab a raised bed, or simply follow along for expert tips. Contact our support team any time you have a question at 708-655-5299 and support@deep-roots-project.org.
Learn. Share. Grow. Volunteer: We invite you to be a part of our sustainable movement right here in our own backyards! We want all our volunteers to have fun and learn while they contribute to expanding the Deep Roots community. We can customize a volunteer assignment to your time, interests and skills. Learn more on our Volunteer page
Dive Deeper
Click on the Blog Posts below for more about our Innovative methods.
Beautify Your Garden with Our Cedar Raised Beds!
Our Deep Roots handcrafted cedar raised beds are designed to endure outdoors while adding a touch of style to your yard. As a bonus, they are the perfect depth to hold just the right amount of our nutrient-rich compost growing medium, which comes free with each bed.
Deep Roots Supports Gardeners
We provide our gardeners with the best products for success – like cedar raised beds, microbe-rich compost and microbe-rich worm castings.
Call our customer support team with any questions or help with calculations. Then place your order online. If you need help or have a question contact us at support[at]deep-roots-project.org and 708-655-5299.
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections
Signup for Our Newsletter
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Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.
Transformational Gardening Basics
Transformational Gardening is an innovative method used by Deep Roots Project to grow food in organic kitchen gardens with limited space and raised beds. We provide our gardeners with the best products for success – like cedar raised beds, microbe-rich compost and microbe-rich worm castings. Check our many tips and details in our blog posts from the links scattered throughout this post.
Transformational Gardening is an innovative method used by Deep Roots Project to grow food in organic kitchen gardens with limited space using cedar raised beds and the best products for success – like microbe-rich compost and microbe-rich worm castings. Learn to grow Abundant, Stress Free, Delicious and Nutritious Veggies. Check our many tips and details in our blog posts from the links scattered throughout this post. See all nine categories of our blog posts here. Unleash Your Green Thumb.
“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
See the full list posts at Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” displayed under the post title which go to a list of related posts. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
Scroll down to go to a topic in the list below:
Enjoy the grow your own journey
Nurturing soil health
Raised beds are best
Moisture and Mulch
Finding optimal sunlight
Setting up your food garden
Seeds and seedlings (transplants)
Hardening off seedlings
Biodiversity Planting
Pest management
Planting calendars & climate zones
Cover crops and more
Season Extension
Harvesting
Storing your harvest
Preparing your bed for winter
ALL “Grow Your Own Food” blog posts
Deep Roots Online Store
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1. Enjoy the grow your own journey
Gardening is an evolving and enjoyable learning experience. Learn to partner with nature and learn from your plants. Increase the enjoyment by gardening with neighbors, friends, family and kids.
Start small and learn at your own pace. Adjust your developing gardening habits, to fit the food you love and your available time.
Remember that many of the Deep Roots “Transformational Gardening” methods are different from what you will find in YouTube videos and articles about traditional organic gardening. Remember, follow our lead on soil, fertilizers, biodiversity planting and pests.
Go to a higher level any time. Learn gardening terminology in our extensive gardening glossary.
Contact us at any time - customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299. Contact Estelle by text message with urgent gardening questions at 708-616-6473.
2. Nurturing soil health
Transformational Gardening uses the latest soil science to build on the strengths of both organic farming and regenerative farming while adapting their practices to raised beds and limited space..
Nurture your soil and the soil microorganisms (microbes and fungi) which in turn nurture and feed your plants. Let your soil microorganisms do most of your plant maintenance for you. Read more about Microbes, Compost and Soil Science.
Plant and harvest carefully with minimal soil disturbance. Follow the No till, No dig, No pull rule which protects microbial and fungal soil structures. Cut down harvested crops at soil level. Don’t pull out the root except for root crops like beets and carrots. No till practices come from the regenerative farming movement.
Microbe and nutrient rich compost is your new “SOIL.” Fill raised beds and containers with 100% Microbe-Rich Compost from Deep Roots which is bursting with soil microorganisms and organic matter that microorganisms feast on. Your plants will love it. But use low nutrient organic potting soil for root vegetables, garlic, onions and other alliums
Find microbe rich compost locally. If you are not in the Chicago area, buy microbe-rich compost from certified vendors in other regions using the U.S. Composting Council (USCC) database that lists the compost ingredients AND if the thermophilic heat process was used. Make sure the vendors don't use wood chips or tree waste.
Don’t grow food with the soil from your yard which can have toxic substances and doesn’t contain the best nutrients and microorganisms for flourishing healthy, pest resistant plants. Amending soil in your yard is not worth the time or labor.
If your beds contain conventional soil. If your raised beds and containers are filled with conventional soil you can easily switch to our transformational gardening method in 2 ways: (1) Replace the top 4-6 inches of the old soil with our microbe-rich compost. OR (2) make larger than normal seedling holes and seed furrows and fill with a half-and-half mixture of microbe-rich compost and microbe-rich worm castings. Read more about planting seeds and seedlings for beginners and for next level gardening.
Fish emulsion fertilizer. Spray organic liquid fish emulsion fertilizer made from fish waste once a week or twice a month to add nutrients and microbes to your soil that support the soil microorganisms and your plants.
Place mulch around seedlings. When your seedlings are 4” tall protect the soil around thier stems from sunlight, weed seeds and evaporation. First spread a 1/2” to 1” layer of compost followed by a layer of chopped up straw. Don’t use hay that contains weed seeds. Buy straw in bags or grow your own straw by planting the beautiful perennial prairie plant “Miscanthus Grass.”
Enrich your beds with compost in fall and spring. Spread a 2-inch layer of microbe-rich compost over your raised beds and containers in fall after harvest and/or spring before planting starts. Read our blog post Putting Your Bed to Bed.
Use cover crops to protect bare soil and to add microbes and nutrients. See blog post: Cover Crops in Raised Beds.
3. Raised beds are best
More details are in our blog post Why Raised Beds Are Best
Raised beds allow you to grow a lot of food in a small space. We take advantage of the protected space that raised beds offer to substitute 100% microbe-rich compost for conventional soil for above ground veggies. For root veggies fill the bed or container with low nutrient potting soil
We offer the option to varnish your beds which retains their warm cedar colors longer.
We also build custom cedar planter boxes.
Grow in raised beds 15 inches tall to protect your soil and plants. The height provides extra space for moisture storage, habitat for microorganisms and space for roots to expand. Deep beds and larger containers allow your plants to grow bigger. More root space grows larger plants
Never walk on the soil in your raised beds so it stays loose and fluffy. This allows free flow of water and air that the microorganisms need to thrive and this also enables larger and healthier roots.
Cedar beds last many times longer than pine beds. Our custom-built cedar raised beds are made from extra thick cedar boards using a design that withstands the force of expanding soil when it freezes during our cold winters.
Never use treated wood since the “rot-resistant” chemicals are toxic to soil microorganisms.
We transport the cedar boards in our truck directly from the sawmill in Indiana to our Oak Park, Illinois workshop in order to control quality and costs.
It’s fine to use bricks and pavers to build your own raised beds. Recycled used bricks are cheaper and work great. You can even build beds with curves and unusual shapes in your edible landscape.
4. Moisture and Mulch
Proper watering is critical to success and is one of the major reasons for failed crops. Find more details in our Moisture and Mulch blog post.
Water deeply but don’t over water. Use the “finger moisture test” before and after watering. Push your finger 2-3 inches into the soil and press it between your fingers to judge moisture present. After you remove your fingers from moist soil particles should stick. This video demonstrates the finger test.
Younger plants need more frequent watering since their roots are still shallow.
Convenient access to water or a long hose is essential.
If possible collect water from your roof with rain barrels. A small pump can supply the water pressure you need for your hose.
Never use sprinklers or water the foliage in humid climates like the Chicago area. Water the soil instead.
If possible, water in the morning to let the garden dry out by evening, Humidity and wet plants breed fungal diseases.
We use both compost and chopped straw as a mulch to retain moisture and block ultraviolet sun rays from harming soil microbes near the surface. Add the 1/2 inch of compost first and the straw on top.
There are 2 ways to mulch your crops – (1) one inch of our dense leaf mulch or with 4 inches of organic straw. Don’t use the Dense Leaf Mulch sold in our online store on your crops. We sell it to use on your non-food garden beds.
A water filter for your hose is needed if you are using municipal water containing chlorine which kills beneficial microorganisms. Buy it at garden centers or online.
Drip Irrigation is great if you have many raised beds and/or are out of town often. A slow drip directly to each plant root is a healthier way to bring water to your plants and uses less water. Experiment to find the correct amount of time to irrigate. Ask our support team about our drip irrigation kits that have many tiny hoses attached to the main hose. Each small hose tip is staked next to a plant stem.
5. Finding optimal sunlight
Sunlight is a critical factor for plant growth. Read our blog post on finding optimal sunlight to learn tricks to explore the best sun exposure for a food garden, what to consider when choosing a location, and how to make the most of the sun in your garden.
Most veggies need 8 hours or more sun. Some crops can get by with less sun. Some veggies prefer partial shade The location of sunlight changes over the seasons.
Make sure that the southern sun is not blocked by nearby buildings or shady trees.
Put your bed in a sunny location near your house or garage. Consider your front yard, if your back yard is too shady. Check with your town or city if growing food in a front yard is permitted. View the photo gallery of the Deep Roots front yard garden.
6. Setting up your food garden
Instructions for setting up your food garden and where to buy supplies are in our blog post Setup Your New Food Garden.
We build raised beds in standard and custom sizes. We deliver and fill them with 100% microbe-rich compost (your new soil).
Talk to our support team before placing an order on our store. Contact orders[at]deep-roots-project.org and 708-655-5299.
When you need help with your gardening journey contact our support team for advice – support[at]deep-roots-project.org and 708-655-5299.
We do additional garden setup work besides delivering filled raised beds. See our store page about general garden labor and talk to our customer support team. We can also connect you with a landscape architect and a native plant installation specialist.
For more details view all our blog posts. Sign up for our e-newsletter to find out about our webinars during the growing season.
7. Seeds & seedlings (transplants)
We have 2 blog posts about planting – one for beginners and another for experienced gardeners.
Our microbe-rich worm castings replace organic fertilizers is our primary soil amendment. It is rich with microorganisms & nutrients and used when planting seeds and seedlings. Learn more about microbe-rich worm castings.
The top ten easiest plants to grow from seed are lettuce, radishes, green beans, cucumbers, peas, zucchini, carrots, beets, spinach, and swiss chard. View blog post Easiest Veggies From Seed.
Our favorite fast growing veggies: arugula, beets, broccolini, carrots, swiss chard, green onion, lettuce, mustard greens, pea, pea shoots, radish, spinach. Learn more in our Fast Growing Crops blog post.
Buying seedlings (transplants) at a garden center is the easiest and fastest solution for “first timers” growing great crops. But ask when the seedlings were delivered from the grower. Buy your seedlings on the day of delivery or the next day. If not planting the seedlngs immediately plant them in larger pots to wait until planting outside.
Best way for beginners to plant seeds. Plant easy-to-grow cool weather crops from seed outdoors in the spring or in your coolest season that gets the most rain. Read Seeds & Seedlings for Beginners.
Experienced gardeners can grow most crops from seeds. Our blog post Seeds & Seedlings: Next Level offers tips on growing seedlings indoors for transplanting later and planting seeds outdoors.
Plant garlic in fall October 15 to 30 for a bountiful harvest in July. It sprouts in spring and is harvested in July. Plant the biggest and healthiest organic garlic cloves you can find at a farmer market since the variety is best for our local climate. Learn more in our blog post Growing Garlic, Onions and Alliums blog post.
Plant spinach seeds between November 15 and 30 for an early spring crop after you apply the 2” of compost. But don’t cover with mulch or leaves that will block the tiny sprouts from emerging in the spring. Planting spinach blog post.
For correct seed depth and spacing check the seed package.
If planting in a bed filled with 100% compost add 1/2 to 1 cup of worm castings to each seedling hole or seed spot. Bigger adult plants get more worm castings when planting. Mix the worm castings with the surrounding compost. Push the seeds into the mixture.
If planting in a bed filled with conventional soil (not our microbe-rich compost) make the holes and furrows extra large. Plant with a mixture of half worm castings and half our compost.
8. Hardening off seedlings
Hardening off seedlings is the process of gradually exposing plants raised indoors or in a greenhouse to outdoor conditions before transplanting them.
This process helps seedlings adapt to the harsher outdoor conditions, such as lower humidity, increased air movement, and sunlight, wind, and rain.
Hardening off also encourages seedlings to grow firmer and harder, and reduces the chance of transplant shock. Begin hardening off seedlings 1–2 weeks before planting.
Place your seedlings outside for an hour or two in mid- to late-afternoon.
Lengthen outdoor time: Each day, leave your seedlings outside for an hour more than you did the previous one.
Avoid placing seedlings outdoors on windy days. Be prepared to bring the plants inside if temperatures will fall below 45°F.
Hardening off typically takes two to three weeks. Seedlings should be ready to transplant in seven to 14 days, and if possible, do so on a cloudy day. Water well after planting.
9. Biodiversity Planting
Healthy happy plants are more resistant to disease and insect pressures and produce larger harvests.
Harness the forces of nature to protect your garden from pests and diseases by using biodiversity planting and succession planting. Create a healthy ecosystem above and below ground.
Consider creating an edible landscape that includes crops, native plants, flowers and shrubs.
Avoid monocultures (filling a space with only one crop). Instead, create several small areas for tiny plants like carrots in a bed instead of one large area with all your carrots.
We use succession planting to grow more food in limited space. We fill any empty spaces with new seedlings or seeds. But make sure the space allows sun for the seedlings and space for the adult plant.
Planting a mix of crops can help improve soil health, prevent disease, and attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. Consider planting a mix of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers to create a diverse and beautiful garden. View our blog post about Biodiversity Planting.
Careful utilization of space: Be mindful of how much space and sun each plant needs to grow properly. Some crops, like tomatoes and squash, can take up a lot of room in your only raised bed and are best planted in large cloth containers. But cloth containers need lots more watering. Small plants like lettuce, radishes, beets and carrots can be planted in smaller spaces between medium-size plants like kale, collards, basil and swiss chard.
Consider using trellises, vertical gardening, and other space-saving techniques to maximize your growing area.
10. Pest and disease management
Healthy soil and healthy plants are more resistant to pests and diseases in general.
Biodiversity planting and nontoxic organic sprays are our other 3 main tools. Learn more how we use Environmental Pest Management (EPM) to prevent and reduce pests in harmony with healthy soil and a diverse ecosystem of insects, birds and other creatures.
Our favorite safe sprays are biofungicide, BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), Neem oil. pyrethrum, and nontoxic soap.
Use diatomaceous earth (powder from crushed rocks) to kill slugs. The gray garden slug, Peroceras reticulatum, is generally found in Illinois.
Sterilize your tools to avoid spreading diseases that can live on both foliage and the soil.
Observe your garden daily or as often as possible to catch pests and diseases early.
Get expert advice for pest problems and much more from your local botanic garden or state university agricultural extension. Email them photos of the problem. For the Chicago area, use Chicago Botanic Garden plant information service: plantinfo[at]chicagobotanic.org and (847) 835-0972.
Read about common pests and diseases that attack the popular vegetables listed in our Planting Calendar for northern IL.
11. Planting calendars & climate zones
What are climate zones? The U.S. is divided into 11 “climate zones” also called ”plant hardiness zones.” Each climate zone has an average first and last frost date which determines the length of the growing season.
Climate change makes safe planting dates unpredictable. Find your frost dates by zip code. Find your climate zone in a map of U.S. climate zones.
Follow a planting calendar for YOUR climate zone to know planting and harvest dates for each crop. The Deep Roots Planting Calendar Guide is for the greater Chicago area and is a combination of climate zones 5b and 6a. Find a reliable planting calendar for your area at state university agricultural extension office websites.
Know WHEN to plant & harvest. It’s important to understand how average temperatures shift through the seasons and the preferred temperature range for specific crops in your climate zone.
Know the crops that are cold tolerant for planting in spring and fall. Know the crops that need warmth to thrive and are planted in late spring, early summer and mid-August.
Know the highest and lowest safe temperatures for each crop. Some spring veggies survive only light frosts. Some veggie seeds need certain temperatures to germinate. Some plants like tomatoes, peppers and squash must be planted outside when all danger of frost has passed.
Spinach seeds can stay in the ground all winter and germinate in early spring, plus produce a bigger harvest.
Know the heat tolerance of your crops. With climate change temperature is unpredictable. For example, many tomato varieties react badly to temperatures above 90º and stop producing fruit. View our blog post Optimal Sunlight for details about heat reducing “shade cloth.”
Timing is key for August planting for a fall harvest. Some plants that you already harvested can be planted again in a second-round. Choose veggies that love both hot and cool weather. Plant more than one of each crop – so, if one doesn’t make it – you’ve got some others!
Weather is unpredictable in fall, especially now during climate change. Any plant that we suggest for August planting could be overwhelmed by an unexpected heat wave or cold snap. View our blog post about planning a fall harvest.
12. Cover crops and more
Soil health and fertility. Cover crops help improve soil structure, add organic matter to the soil, suppress weeds, reduce erosion, and provide essential nutrients to the soil. Find more in our post about cover crops
Cover crops are optional if using our method. It’s usually done by farmers to enrich their soil. Our method of adding 2” layer of compost in fall and spring and planting with worm castings keeps your soil bursting with microbes and nutrients all season long.
Cover your soil covered in the off season. Use cover crops, landscape fabric, leaves, straw or organic matter that does NOT contain seeds.
Common cover crops include mustard, buckwheat, clover, legumes, and cereal grains, such as wheat and oats. They can be grown between main crops, improving soil health and fertility for future crops.
They provide habitat for beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, which help to control pest populations.
Don’t till in the dead cover crop cuttings. We follow the ”no till, no dig, no pull” rule. Instead cut it down at soil level and use it as mulch.
Don't let the cover crop go to seed since you don’t want it to sprout when growing your main crop.
For more information see: Cover Crops in Raised Beds.
13. Season Extension
Local climates vary even in the same climate zone depending on growing season length, average temperature, amount of sunlight and wind exposure. See more details in our blog post Season Extension.
Raised beds can be protected with row covers, cold frames, hoop houses, and greenhouse tunnels. These covers help trap heat, protect plants from wind, cold temperatures, pests and diseases.
Floating row covers are lightweight fabrics that can be draped over the beds and secured with stakes or pins. Bury the ends of PVC plastic pipe or metal wire hoops in the soil. A lightweight row cover might provide 2ºF of frost protection, whereas a heavy-weight row cover might provide as much as 6ºF to 10ºF of frost protection. In the spring, when transplants are small, row cover can often be simply draped over plants without a frame. See our blog post Installing Hoops on Raised Beds.
Floating row cover allows sunlight, water, and air through. They protect crops from frost and pests. Remove them to allow pollination.
Cold frames are made from a wooden frame and a clear plastic or glass top. They store heat during the day and release it at night. They are ideal for early spring and late fall crops.
Hoop houses are larger than raised beds and more permanent and constructed of metal hoops covered with clear plastic. Use them through winter in mild climates.
14. Harvesting
Explore more details in our post Harvesting and Storing Food.
Avoid pulling out crops by the roots. Follow the “no till, no dig, no pull rule.” For non-root veggies, leave the roots in the soil and cut the stem close to the ground. Only pull out the roots of root crops.
Allow nature to improve the soil. Pulling a plant out by its roots interferes with bacterial colonies and fungal networks which are invisible sites that the fungi and bacteria build and live in.
Harvest from the same plant as long as it is producing. Don’t remove healthy prolific plants too soon.
Encourage growth by frequently picking salad greens, tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, squash, herbs, etc. Harvest frequently the large leaves from leafy green veggies like spinach, lettuce, kale and swiss chard so pests don’t damage them.
Harvest outer leaves of leafy greens to make room for airflow between neighboring plants and to encourage more foliage.
Learn to recognize when a plant is past its prime. Aging plants lose taste and take up precious space.
15. Storing your harvest
Explore more details in our post about storing food. Also more details are in our blog posts on crops groups and specific crops, with more to come.
Plan ahead for a large final harvest. Think about how you will cook, store or share the harvest – recipes, freezing, canning, fermenting, drying, storing in sand, storing in a basement, “vacuum sealing” before freezing, and more.
Many ways to use and store your harvest. The simplest is to buy an inexpensive chest-style freezer for your basement.
Store unharvested carrots and parsnips by leaving them in the ground over winter which makes them sweeter.
Store leafy greens for a few days in a tight closing plastic bag with all the air squeezed out. Or, chop the leaves before freezing in tightly closed plastic bags.
A “vacuum sealer” countertop appliance allows you to freeze your harvest in plastic bags for longer and also compresses the food into a smaller freezer bag.
16. Preparing your bed for winter
Find more details in our blog post Putting Your Bed to Bed for winter
Cover with 2” layer of compost. In cold climates like the Chicago after harvesting, re-charge your beds and containers with a 2-inch layer of microbe-rich compost. The microbes will have many months to enhance the soil. You can also add a second layer of compost in spring.
Plant spinach seeds and garlic cloves in fall. Get a bigger harvest by planting spinach seeds in November after you spread the 2” of compost. October is the best time to plant garlic for spring germination and harvest in July.
Avoid leaching of nutrients. Cover the bed with fallen leaves or landscape cloth to protect soil from snow and rain over the winter. But remove the leaf cover and cloth March 1 (or earlier) so spinach seeds can germinate and perennials like green onions can sprout.
Planting a cover is optional. Cover crops are an effective way to improve soil health, suppress weeds, and provide other benefits to a raised bed food garden. By choosing the right cover crop for your growing conditions, planting at the right time, and following good maintenance practices, you can enjoy a healthier and more productive garden. See our blog post: Cover Crops in Raised Beds.
17. "Grow Your Own Food" blog posts
See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.
18. Deep Roots online store
See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.
Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.
(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org
19. Sign up for our newsletter
Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.
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Co-directors of Deep Roots Estelle Carol and Will Schreiber say “Happy Gardening”. Please send us photos of your garden to support[at]deep-roots-project.org.