Garden Life Japan Getting Down and Dirty

Japanese vegetable gardens have different designs, techniques, and plants that make them unique.  Japanese gardens have evolved due to the environment and elements that surround them just like any other gardens would.  The plants they grow mix together to make the famous and extremely healthy Japanese cuisine that we all have grown to love.  The various techniques that they use not only allow them to get optimal results in their gardens, but can be used wherever your garden might be located.  And as you have seen in pictures and TV the design of Japanese gardens is amazing and highly sought after.  The design is the ultimate base and starting point for a successful Japanese vegetable garden or any garden for that matter.  Over the past 5 years I have lived and gardened in various locations in Japan and would like to share with you the fundamentals I have observed that go into making a successful Japanese style vegetable garden.

Like most gardens the design and location of the garden is of the utmost importance to get the most out of your plants.  Japanese gardens are positioned close to the house in area that gets the most sun.  I am very impressed with the way they have approached irrigation here in Japan.  Water is very abundant here in Japan running down from the melting snow on the mountains into the rivers.  Rivers are scattered all over Japan and one is not too far off no matter where you live.  Due to rice cultivation the Japanese have constructed a complex irrigation system that flows everywhere.  Gardens benefit from this as they are placed right next to irrigation canals for easy watering and great drainage in heavy rainfall.  Big stones and round rocks are used for pathways, separating areas, and terracing.  Most gardens are square and raised for deep soil and good drainage.  Various Japanese trees and bamboo are usually close by and help to support various insects and wildlife that are beneficial to the garden.

Japanese vegetable gardens incorporate many different techniques and vary from garden to garden but I will try and cover the ones that are most commonly used here.  Long ago Japanese families were self sufficient and relied solely on their gardens to provide sustenance.  Making gardening a vital part to surviving and this has been passed down through generations.  Gardening is a way of life and taken seriously and given the utmost respect.  The Japanese are very efficient and productive when it comes to using their available space.  Here in the countryside where I live gardens are literally everywhere.  When I walk around my little town the gardens are immaculate, organized, and full of clever ideas.  A combination of manure and green manuring is most commonly used in my area.  White clover and barley seem to be a popular and effective green manure and weed deterrent here.  Chemical fertilizers abound but are mostly used for the rice fields as importance is placed on fresh and natural vegetables!  Most Japanese households have three generations living under one roof making for a full house.  A full house creates lots of trash so trench composting is very common here with garden and kitchen leftovers.  Trellis for everything!  This does a few things: increases air circulation, sun exposure, and gives plants bigger and better harvest because the plant doesn’t have to worry about being strong to support itself.  This is where bamboo lends its helping hand in various types of trellises from tomatoes to pumpkins.  Trellising is just the beginning of bamboos uses here, but that is a whole other article.  Like other gardens companion planting and rotation are used.  But I think more importance is placed on these two things here than in other places.  I was scolded by a neighbor and told it was extremely bad not to rotate and to always make sure to put certain crops together.  Old carpet is used for weed cover and water retention.  Black plastic is also used A LOT for weed cover and increasing soil heat for the plants.  Due to the ample amount of water in and around the gardens weeds abound if left unchecked and here weeding and weedwacking are done religiously.  They even have days that the community as a whole goes out and does weeding!  And lastly, flowers are put in and around the garden for not only decoration but to attract bees to pollinate the various fruits and vegetables in the garden.

All year round Japanese vegetable gardens are in use and packed with goodies to eat.  They plant carrots, garlic, onion, and daikon to sit under the snow during winter.  Spring time is filled with a myriad of greens, summer is time to get all the staple foods taken care of, and fall brings fruits and a new round of greens.  Mizuna(水菜) which literally means water greens and in my opinion tastes like a bland arugula is used for a variety of traditional soups and salads here.  Shiso is a common herb used for decoration or ground up and used on top of a number of dishes.   Komatsuna(小松菜) which translates into `small pine tree greens` is a variant of the common turnip but used for its leaves in numerous soups and stews.  Then we get to the Japanese staple crops which are similar to anywhere in the world with tomato, potato, and onions leading the way but they also have a big white radish called daikon, leek, and edamame which are given big portions of the garden as well.  I have found some differences in the corn and watermelons from elsewhere in the world as they are smaller and sweeter than any other I have ever tried.

The Japanese have learned to live with their surroundings and do not fight it.  They don’t use the idea of an instant garden but see it as more of an investment that grows over time.  They use whatever is around that nature as given them to construct, maintain, and improve their vegetable gardens.  I have found using as much organic fertilizer as possible, bamboo, round rocks, trellising, and native plants to be very pleasing and productive for me.  My own Japanese vegetable garden has prospered by using some of their design, techniques, and plants.  I am not an expert by any means and strive to pay attention to detail so that I can learn as much as I can while I’m here.  I hope you can try out some of these new veggies and incorporate a few new ideas when it comes time to construct your very own Japanese vegetable garden.

As our plants take the vitamins and minerals out of the soil it is imperative we replace these much needed nutrients.  Fertilizer is an integral part to keep plants and gardens in tip top shape.  However replacing these nutrients with store bought fertilizer can take a chunk out of the wallet especially if you are dealing with bigger sized gardens.  That’s why I am always in search of new creative ways to keep my plants fed.  Here are some ways you can boost your soils health for my favorite price of FREE.

1.  Hair
Human and pet hair is extremely high in nitrogen.  If you have a family and/or pets you have quite a bit of supply already.  We do most of our own haircuts here which then gets thrown directly into the garden along with all the shedding from our dog.  You can also ask the local barber for an endless supply.  Most will give you a weird look but don’t have any trouble parting with their trash.  For those of you worried about the small amount of chemicals in the hair you can just throw it in the compost and once decomposed the chemicals are long gone.  My only problem with using hair is it breaks down very slowly so it’s more of a long term investment that you keep adding to.

2.  Ashes
Ashes are rich in potash which can also be used in reducing acidity like a liming agent.  Every spring, I make a huge bonfire in the middle of my garden with all my tree and bush trimmings and once finished I have a huge pile of ashes that is spread throughout the garden.  You may use ashes from the fireplace as well.  I don’t recommend using ashes often as it affects the pH of your soil but once or twice or year is perfectly fine.

3.  Seaweed
If fortunate enough to live by the ocean or even on ocean trip seaweed is a great source of potassium for your flowers and veggies.  Potassium lets your plants efficiently use the water they get to make strong roots and stems which translates into higher quality harvests.  Seaweed can be collected and thrown into the compost for good results too.  I like to take a big bag of seaweed and throw it into a bucket with some water and let it decompose.  Then throw the seaweed water all over the garden.  Strong roots make healthy plants which makes seaweed a great and abundant source of free fertilizer.

4.  Animal bones
Don’t throw away that T-bone steak or those buffalo wings.  Toss them in the grinder.  If you don’t have a grinder use a hammer on a clean hard surface.  Little rudimentary I know but they are a great source of phosphorous that helps in fruit and flower development.  Also they contain calcium which protects your plants from disease and keeps them strong.  Bones are a slow release fertilizer but the finer you grind or smash them the quicker they release their nutrients.

5. Anything fish
And I really do mean anything.  The juice from you tuna can, the leftovers from dinner, the bones and guts when you clean the fish, fish tank water, your pond water, and especially the sludge on the bottom of your tanks and ponds is a great source of high quality phosphorous and nitrogen.  What’s even better is it’s a fast release fertilizer so you don’t have to wait around for results.  Every time I clean out my ponds I pour the sludge everywhere and a week later my plants look like they were given steroids.  This stuff is pure gold!  Fish by products contain large amounts of both nitrogen and phosphorous making it a great all around fertilizer.  Just be careful to not put too much in one spot as it will burn the plants.

6.  Eggshells
My family goes through two cartons of eggs a week.  And little did I know that eggshells are composed of 98% calcium carbonate.  Needless to say all eggshells are saved and ground up for garden use now.  It is not only needed by humans for strong bones but calcium helps in photosynthesis, respiration, metabolism, and ultimately the cell growth of all plants.  Save your eggshells people and put them in the garden.

7.  Wildlife droppings
This one is a little harder for most people but if lucky enough to live in a place with an abundant wildlife it’s a great source of fertilizer.  Near our house the local deer and kamoshika conveniently leave the droppings in huge piles here and there in our woods.  Great source!  Also rabbits have great little poop that can be easily spread throughout the garden.  No rabbits?  Do you know anyone with rabbits?  Local pet shop?

8.  Kitchen Scraps
Banana and coffee are great scraps but most other scraps minus meat and oily things can be thrown into the compost or straight into the garden.  If you have read my blog you know you need to be careful burying food in the garden if wildlife is around.  Banana and coffee offer a good amount of both phosphorous and potassium.  Coffee has an added bonus of being great for acid loving plants like blueberries.  The other scraps if buried in the garden provide various nutrients and a source of moisture for existing plants.  If you are interested in this and don’t have very many kitchen scraps you can ask restaurants or your local grocery store for their organic waste.

9.  Worm Castings
If not buried or composted you can use those kitchen scraps along with some recycled paper products to make in my opinion the richest and most expensive fertilizer around.  I can go on all day about vermicomposting benefits but let’s just say that they are proven to work better than commercial fertilizers and are completely organic.  What’s better is you can make it yourself at home with very little effort.  I highly recommend giving this a shot.  Your plants will be in heaven.

10.  Urine
I saved the best for last.  Sounds nasty, but it works and works good.  Urine contains nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium all three essential nutrients for healthy plants.  So not only does it have everything your plants need it’s an almost an unlimited supply and the fastest acting fertilizer around.  Dilute urine 1:15-20 parts of water and put it in your garden.  That easy!  If you don’t want to deal with mixing it you can pour it on the compost pile or on a bale of hay and use like that.

If you are lucky to have all of these tips available to you and are willing to implement them you sitting pretty.  Some of these might seem a little over the top or too hard to do but if you try just a few of these options your garden and your plants will thank you!