Neighbors Helping Neighbors

What inspired you to start gardening?

My desire to grow, eat and share organic food is the reason why I have so much passion to find a way to be getting my hands in the dirt, feel connected to the earth, teach others how to experience the joy of gardening and produce food to give back to the local community food banks. I live in an apartment in a big house in Croton and am lucky to get the most out of a small garden space using containers and vertical gardening practices and an indoor garden with grow lights in the Winter. I also have a small plot at the Croton Community Garden. I was lucky to get a larger space at the Yorktown Garden of Hope and produce food for the Croton Food Bank and Fred’s Pantry in Peekskill. During the pandemic last year I found out that Mariandale had a vegetable garden that was shut down and covered in 6 foot weeds and they let me renew the space with Covid19 restrictions, of course. We produced so much there as well that got donated to local food banks.

When did you first start gardening?

I first learned the joy of gardening as a small child. My Father was raised on organic food his Father grew for their family. My Father, Paul Morra, included me in the garden and handed down his skills to me. We grew organic food on a one acre plot that provided food for our family of 7, year round. We learned to can and freeze our harvest. My Mother, Dorothy, was a master flower gardener and I learned so much from her about creating a beautiful native, perennial garden that attracted pollinators.

What’s the most common question you get about gardening from friends or family?

“How to grow food in small spaces?” is among the most common questions I am asked. Vertical gardening is a good solution for small spaces. I use the 3 sisters indigenous method of planting 3 corn stalks in a triangle and grow pole beans next to each corn stalk. The pole beans climb the corn and bring nitrogen to the soil to feed the corn. One squash plant is grown in a slight mound in the center of the corn stalk triangle and keeps down the weeds.

How did you go about researching your approach to gardening? Or how do you currently search for gardening tips?
I constantly listen to interesting organic gardeners and learn from their years of trial and error. Charles Dowding, Back to Eden Garden/Paul Gautschi, Epic Gardening are all on YouTube. I search for subjects like composting, no till, container gardening, vertical gardening, creating food forests, permaculture, companion planting and interplanting.

What do you grow in your garden?

I plant Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter gardens so that I always produce for a long growing season. I plant perennial herbs amongst my vegetables to attract pollinators and repel predators.
Collard, mustard, Asian, turnip, beet greens and rainbow chard
Yams, red, blue, Yukon gold potatoes.

Parsley, sage, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, oregano, mint Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale.
Carrots, parsnips, turnips
Golden, chiogga and red beets

Snow peas
Chocolate cherry tomatoes
Onion, scallions, chive, leeks
Romaine, red leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, Bok Choy Butternut, zucchini, yellow squash
Habanero, jalapeño, cayenne, bell, poblano peppers Watermelon, cantaloupe
Corn
Daikon and English Breakfast radishes
Garlic
Celery
Strawberries, blueberries

If you were advising a new gardener, what would you tell them to start with?

For a new gardener, I would suggest container gardening first. It’s easy to do and you can see results soon if you plant greens, patio tomatoes, herbs, celery, yams, peppers.
You can move your plants, if you find they need more or less sun. If you place them by the door you usually go in through, you will notice if they need watering and can pinch off what you need to add to your dinner that night.

Do they need to purchase anything? Would you recommend gardening, and any particular products?

Get large pots 12” in diameter and 9-12” deep with holes on the bottom and a dish below. Put cut up sponges in the bottom or rocks to help with drainage. Fill with organic soil (Kellogg’s has a great organic potting soil mix with worm castings)
Buy organic seeds

(Hudson Valley Seed Co. available at Rosendale Nursery or Botanical Gardens, available at Hilltop Nursery) Or use organic plants
(Bedford Hills Nursery, Hilltop Nursery in Croton, Green’s Natural Food, Briarcliff, Gilbertie’s in Ct.)
Make sure you have good gardening gloves, a trowel, a shovel, bucket, and a water wand

What did you wish you knew before getting started gardening?

I wished that I had known more about permaculture and creating food forests

Anything else you’d tell a person considering gardening?

Google Farmer’s Almanac Calendar, enter your zip code and you will get a schedule of what to plant, when, in your growing zone. Croton is in zone 6b/7a. Also google companion planting to help plan your garden. I have a YouTube Channel (Garden Time With Janet) that you can get info on rock gardens, flower and bulb planting, indoor winter gardening and community gardening.

For more information on Janet Morra’s experience, email her at crotonjanet@gmail.com or find her YouTubeGarden Time with Janet