Bend Urban Gardens offers help to aspiring vegetable gardeners

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The 2020 growing season saw a boom in new gardeners, across the nation and locally, as COVID-19 forced us to stay home.

Bend’s population also continued to grow as more folks shifted to working remotely during the pandemic and moved to Bend for its many attractive attributes.

But most people aren’t moving here because it’s an easy place to grow a backyard urban garden or transform a front yard into a high desert edible landscape.

However, those who are empowered to supplement their meals with fresh, home-grown food can set themselves up for success by installing raised garden beds filled with high quality soil, topped with season extenders, like mini hoophouses.

A soil thermometer is a great tool to use regularly to become more familiar with a property’s unique microclimate. Avoiding crops that take longer than 75-85 days to mature (according to the seed packet), and installing drip irrigation to get water most efficiently to plants are also excellent investments in increasing the chance of a meaningful harvest. 

For a site assessment, a personalized crop plan, or the installation of restoration juniper raised garden beds and options for frost and pest protection, reach out to Bend Urban Gardens.

Register for garden lessons tailored to your needs and interests and have Bend Urban Gardens supply you with the seeds and locally grown and hardened off plant starts to bring your crop plan to life.