vegetables

SiteRequirements• 8hoursfullsun

• Closetowater• Deep,welldrainedanduncontaminatedsoil

Newsiteprepara+on• Beginyearaheadifpossible• KillexisAngfoliage

• Glyphosates• Removesod• BlackplasAc

• Removedeadplants,weeds,androcks• Till2or3Ames• AddferAlizerbasedonsoiltest.

• Lime• OrganicmaLer

SoilpH• pHlevelformostvegetablesshouldbe6.5• Needtobedug12“deep• Claysoilsholdtoomuchwater• ModifiersforclaysoilpeatmosscompostorganicmaLercompostedmanures• Modifiersincreaseearthworms,airspaceandnutrientreserves

Fer+lizers• AddferAlizerbasedonsoiltesAng• Lime&organicmaLerbestaddedinfall• Useonlywellcompostedmanure.• DigorAllallferAlizesintotheturnedsoil.

FerAlizerComponents

Nitrogen-Helpsstemandleafgrowth.Deficiencyreducesgrowthandyellowstheleaves.

Phosphorus-Helpsseedlingsandflowering-shoots&roots.

Potassium-HelpswithfruitformaAonandphotosynthesis.Aidsindiseaseresistance.

ManureisbestusedassoilcondiAonernotastheonlysourceofferAlizer.

N:P:K

FerAlizersAmountofferAlizers•  Gardensoilhaslost1-3lbs.ofnitrogenpergrowingseason

•  Use1-2lbs.ofdryferAlizerforevery100[.ofrow

•  Leafyvegetablesbenefitfromasidedressingofabalanced(10-10-10)ferAlizer

•  Vegetablesgrownforfruit,roots,orbulbbenefitfromasidedressingofa5-10-5ferAlizer.

TimingofferAlizerapplicaAon•  FerAlizeseedlingsgrownindoorsa[erfirsttrueleavesappear.

•  TransplantsbenefitfromtheapplicaAonofastarterferAlizeratplanAng.

•  FerAlizercanbeappliedbysidedressingtoplants–  Applytoleafycropsa?ertheyarewellestablished.

–  Frui+ngcropsshouldbesidedresseda?erthefirstfruitisset.

CommercialNonOrganicFerAlizers

CropSelecAon

•  CheckseedcatalogsforcropinformaAon•  Daystomaturity•  Determinate/indeterminate•  Sun/shadetolerance•  Wateringpreference•  Diseaseresistance

HeirloomandAllAmericanSelecAons

NonhybridizedvarietyGrandma’stomatoes

Coolseasoncrops•  Thosethatgerminateatlowertemp.

•  Notinjuredbylightfrost•  PlanAngmidMarch-April

Peas,spinach,broccoli,onionsets,asparagus,celery,radish,spinach,turnips

•  Boltduringhottemperatures-Broccoli,LeafleLuce&othergreens

•  Useclochesorrowcovers•  Coldframes

WarmSeasonCrops•  Planta[erdangeroffrost,middleofMaytofirstofJune.

•  Cucumber,pumpkins,snapbeans,sweetscorn,sweetpotatoes,cantaloupeandsquashseedswillrotifplantedincold,dampsoil.

•  Eggplant,peppers,tomatoes,andbasilplantswillbekilledbyfrost

ReadingaSeedPacket

•  CheckplanAngdate.•  StarAngseedsindoors•  StarAngseedsingarden

•  Lengthofgrowingseason•  Sizeofplant•  V=resistanttoVerAcilliumwilt•  FF=resistanttoFusariumwilt•  N=nematoderesistance•  T=resistanttotobaccomosaic

CropRotaAon•  Toreducediseasepressure,rotatecropsasneeded

•  Plantsinthesamefamiliestendtohavethesamediseasesandpestproblems

•  RotaAonofvegetableplantsbenefitsthesoilbyvaryingnutrientdemands

•  ForeasycroprotaAon,groupingvegetablesbyfamiliesisagoodidea

Familiesofvegetables•  Nightshadefamily:eggplant,pepper,tomato,andpotato

•  Gourdfamily:pumpkin,squash,cucumberandmelons

•  Mustardfamily:cabbage,kale,broccoli,collardsandradish

•  GoosefootFamily:beets,Swisschard,spinach

•  ParsleyFamily:carrot,fennel,parsley,celery,parsnips

•  LegumeFamily:allbeansandpeas.

CulturalPracAcesStarAngseedsindoors•  TimingofseedstarAngiscriAcal.Seechartonpg.10-19ofMGbook.

•  Usepoingmixincleancontainers.Fillcontainersandplaceontrays.

•  Wetsoil,placeseedsonwetsoil,coverseedswithloosesoil.

•  CoverseedplanAngswithplasAcunAltheseedsgerminate,thenremoveplasAc.

•  Waterseedlingsfrombelow

Plantspacing

•  Square-Footgardening•  Dividedbystrings&posts.•  Markingof12”by12”squares•  ReducesthinningbyexactplanAng

•  Designedtogrowonlyasmanyplantsasapersonneeds.

•  CheckMelBartholomew’sbookSquareFootGardening

RaisedBedGardening

RaisedBeds

ReasonsforRaisedBeds:•  Poordrainagetoodifficulttoremedy

•  Soiltoosandyorclay•  Noavailablespaceexceptroo[oporpaAo

•  Handicappedaccessible

AdvantagesofRaisedBeds

•  Soilwarmsearlierinspring

•  Soilhasgooddrainage•  CulAvaAoneasierbecauseofloosesoil

•  HigheryieldthanintradiAonalgardenbed

VerAcalSpace

VerAcalspacescomesinmanyforms:trellises,cages,stakes,tepees,twine,andnearbyfences.

VerAcalgrowncropscanbeplacedclosertogether.

SpacingBeanseeds5”apartandtrainedupwardneedlessspacetogrowthanbushbeans.

MoreVerAcalSpaceTomatoesareusuallygrownincagesoronstakestokeepthefruitoffthegroundandenablemoreplantstobeplacedinanarea.ThiswillhelptokeepthefruitsolidandfirminsteadofroingonthegroundandlessdiseasepressurebecauseofthebeLeraircirculaAon.

PlanAngSeedsOutdoors• SeedpacketinformaAonwilldescribeproperdepthandspacingofseeds• Coverseedslightlywithsoil• Watersparinglybutkeepsoilmoist• Watchfortrueleavestoappear

• Watchtheseedlingsfortheappearanceoftrueleaves.• Whentrueleavesform,thinningofplantscanproceed• Transplantseedlingsonacloudydayorlateinthea[ernoon• TransplantsshouldbeplacedatthesameplanAngdepth• Watertransplantedseedlings

PlanAngvegetableplantsinthegarden

• Layoutyourgardenwithstringsandcagesbeforeyouplant• Iftomatoorbroccoliplantsarespindly,plantthemintrenchessothatonlythetopfewinchesoftheplantsareabovethesoil.

Watering

Whentowater•  Whenusingsoakerhoses,waterintheheatoftheday.

•  IfeveningistheonlypossibleAmetowater,avoidsplashingthefoliage

•  Avoidfrequentlightwatering,insteadthoroughlysoakthesoillessfrequently

•  FruitcropsshouldnotbeallowedtowiltbetweenfloweringandfruitproducAon.

Methodsofwatering•  Theidealwateringsystemdeliversthewatertothesoilwithoutgeingthefoliagewet

•  Soakerhosesorhandheldwateringwandsaretheidealwateringtools

•  Soakerhosescanbeburied2-4“deepbeforeplanAngorlaidontopofthesoilaroundtheplants

SanitaAon•  Removediseasedplantsfromthegardentopreventspreadofdisease

•  Diseasedplantmaterialshouldnotbecomposted

•  Removeweedsbecausetheycompetefornutrientsandwaterfromthesoil

•  Weedscanbecomposted•  Ifpossible,keeppetsoutofthegarden

Mulching•  Mulchingisanexcellentwaytocontrolweedsandretainmoisture

•  Mulchingmaterialsforvegetablegardensincludeherbicidefreegrassclippings,straw,newspaper,wellroLedcompostandleafhumus

•  Plantsshouldbemulchedrighta[erplanAng

Ques+ons