Techniques for vegetable production in the home garden

1. Vegetable Gardening
Master Gardener Training

2. ⬜ Start with a good site!
◼ Full Sun
◼ Well drained soil (water does not stand after
rainfall)
◼ Water source close by!
⬜ Add amendments based on soil test results
(pH, nutrients)
⬜ Mix compost into the soil to increase
organic matter
Growing
Vegetables:
Site Selection

3. ● Optimal Conditions for Growth:
● Sun: Full Sun for best results
● Full Sun = at least 6-8 hours per day
● Good drainage
● Well prepared soil
● pH ~ 6.0 – 6.5
● Adequate nutrients
● Consistent water supply
Growing Vegetables:
Site Selection

4. Choose the
growing
system that
fits your
space and
needs!
● Traditional
rows
● Raised beds
● Containers
Growing
Vegetables:
Growing Systems

5. ● Traditional method
● Easy but not very
efficient
● Need large area – lots
of land
● Best when planning to
grow large volumes of
produce
Growing Systems: Rows

6. ● Rows made with plow
or mounded with shovel
● Mounded rows =
improved drainage
● Rows can be wide
enough for single line
of crops or can be wide
beds (2’-3’)
● Generally need 1’-2’
between rows
Growing Systems: Rows
Wide rows (beds)

7. • Can be
constructed from
wide variety of
materials
• Improves
drainage
• Can be made
high enough to
provide easy
access
• Weed control
easier
Growing Systems:
Raised Beds

8. ● Eliminate weeds before
building beds!
● When building, till soil
underneath before filling
if beds - 1’ deep or less
● If making over hard
surface, (loosen at least
1’ deep)
● Fill with mix of soil and
compost (50% to 75%
soil)
Growing Systems:
Raised Beds

9. Raised Bed Options

10. Raised Bed Options

11. Raised Bed Options

12. Raised Bed Options

13. ● Vegetables
actually grown
in bales of straw
● Must prepare
bales first
● Add soil
● Fertilize, water,
allow to ‘rot’ for
2-4 weeks
Straw Bale
Gardening

14. Double Digging
This is a system that lends itself to the no-till approach of growing plants.

15. ● Great if have limited space –
on patios
● Larger plants need larger
containers!
● For best results use potting
soil (not garden soil)
● Slow release fertilizers work
well (do not soil test)
● Water daily, especially in
summer
Growing Systems:
Containers

16. Garden in a container

17. ▪ Test before you plant and then every 2-3 years after that
▪ Accuracy of report depends on quality of sample
▪ Separate sample for each area
▪ Veg. Garden
▪ Lawn
▪ Flower beds
▪ Take 5-8 sample cores from area roughly 6 to 8 inches
deep
▪ Mix in bucket
▪ Remove trash and non soil
Soil Testing

18. ▪ Measure of H ion activity of soil solution
▪ 7.0 = neutral
▪ Less than 7 = acidic
▪ Greater than 7 = alkaline
▪ Logarithmic scale
▪ pH 4 is 100 x more acidic than pH 6
▪ Influenced by
▪ Organic matter, soil depth, rainfall, crops grown, native
vegetation fertilizer
▪ pH extremes cause nutrients to be unavailable and may
increase concentration of toxic elements
▪ Low pH reduces activity of soil organisms
pH

20. ▪ Adding lime increases soil pH
▪ The finer the particle, the sooner it becomes effective
▪ Moves very slowly
▪ Best to incorporate
▪ Max. application of 50 lbs./1000 ft2 per application, if you
need more wait several months and then apply the rest
▪ Two types
▪ Calcitic
▪ Dolomitic
▪ To lower pH
▪ Add organic matter, pine bark, peat moss
▪ Or elemental sulfur (use caution, too much can harm plants)
Liming Soils

21. Nutrients

22. ● Good soil is the backbone of a
healthy, productive vegetable
gardening
● Good soil = drains well but also
can hold water and nutrients and
support beneficial microorganisms
● Sand = cannot not hold water or
nutrients!
● What’s missing? ORGANIC
MATTER!
Growing Vegetables:
It’s all about the soil!

23. ● Organic matter improves all soils!
● Cultivate at least 6”- 8” deep with
a tiller or just a shovel.
● Add each year
● 25%-50% by volume
● Example: if tilling 8” deep, 2”-4”
of compost should be
incorporated into soil
Growing Vegetables:
Soil Preparation

24. ● Green Manures
● Grown on site and tilled in green
(mow first)
● E.g. Cowpeas, soybeans, millet –
summer; oats, hairy vetch,
crimson clover – fall & winter
● Till in before seed set!
Grow Your Own
Organic Matter (OM)
Crimson Clover

25. ● Cover Crops
● Grown in empty spaces to prevent
soil erosion and keep nutrients in
soil
● Very similar to green manures –
not incorporated green
● Sometimes not incorporated at all
– cover crop is killed and
vegetables are planted into debris
● Want to grow cover crop or green
manure in each area of garden at
least once per year
Grow Your Own
Organic Matter (OM)
Millet

26. Mycorrhizae live in a symbiotic
relationship with plants

27. Organic Matter supports
Mycorrhizae in the soil.

28. 97% of all plants have mycorrhizae
associated with their roots.

29. Innoculants may be used to
encourage growth of mycorrhizae
fungi.

30. ● What to grow and how
much
● When to plant
● Crop rotation
Growing Vegetables:
Planning

31. ● What will grow in our climate
● What you will use/need (eat
fresh, can/pickle, sale, share)
● How much will you use?
● Use yield information and
personal needs to decide
how much to plant
● Always better to start small!
Deciding What to Grow

32. ● Seed
● Some vegetables are sown directly
into the garden to grow in place
● These typically grow from large
seed and fast to grow (eg.
cucumbers), or do not like to be
transplanted (root crops)
● Transplants
● Other vegetables are planted in the
garden as small plants, called
transplants
● Slower growing plants or plants with
smaller seed
Starting Vegetables

33. How Vegetables are Typically
Planted
● Seed Sown Direct
● Radish
● Rutabaga
● Turnips
● Mustard
● Carrots
● Garden Peas
● Beans and Field Peas
● Peanuts
● Sweet Corn
● Potatoes
● As Transplants
● Tomatoes
● Peppers
● Eggplants
● Broccoli
● Cauliflower
● Cabbage
● Collards
● Kale
● Sweet Potatoes
● Okra

34. ● Lettuce and Spinach
● Can be planted as single plants or
sown direct as ‘bed’ – common
method for Mesclun mixes
● Cucumbers, Squash, Zucchini,
Pumpkins, Melons
● Large, fast growing seed, easy to
start in small pots, ready to transplant
in 2-3 weeks
● Onion and Garlic
● Planted from ‘cloves’ and ‘sets’ =
small bulbs. Onion can also be
grown from seed.
Some can be planted
either way:

35. ● Open Pollinated
● ‘Heirloom’ varieties – can save own seed and
varieties will come true to type
● Hybrid
● Result of a cross between 2 or more parents –
saved seed do not come true
● Usually more uniform, more vigorous, more
disease resistant
● F1 Hybrid
● Specific type of hybrid – first generation
● Usually much more expensive!
Types of Vegetable Varieties

36. When to plant depends
on what you are growing:
● Cool Season crops
● grow fall – spring
● e.g. lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, onions
● Warm Season crops
● grow spring (after frost) – fall
● e.g. corn, melons, squash, peppers,
tomatoes
Planting Times

37. ● Problem: plant all plants at one time = all are ready
for harvest at the same time!
● Solution: Successive Plantings
● Stagger plantings so have new plants coming into
production every couple of weeks
● Extends harvest season
Planting Times

38. How often to plant depends on
how quickly crops grow:
● Quick maturing crops
● Mature in 30-60 days
● Make successive plantings every 7-14 days for
continuous harvest
● Lettuce, radish, mustard
● Moderate and Long season crops
● Mature in 60 – 100 days
● Make successive plantings 2-3 weeks apart
● Melons, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, collards
Planting
Times

39. ● Early Spring: Feb, Early March
● Plant cool season crops outside to
harvest through early summer (June)
● Spring: April, May
● Plant warm season crops
outside to produce through summer
(usually finish by August)
● Late Summer: Aug, Sept
● Plant quick maturing warm season crops to harvest
through first frost
● Plant cool season crops
● Quick maturing, half hardy – harvest in fall through Dec.
● Long season, hardy – stand through winter
Vegetable Garden Calendar

40. ● Do not grow same crop or crop
from same family in same spot
year after year
● Rotate areas crops are grown
● Reduces pest problems
● Insects, diseases, and weeds
● Must know which plants are
related to plan rotation
Planning:
Crop Rotation

41. ● Brassicas (Mustard Family):
● Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower,
Cabbage, Collards, Kale, Mustard,
Radish, Turnips, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi
● Cucurbits (Squash Family):
● Cucumbers, Squash, Zucchini,
Winter Squash, Pumpkins, Cantaloupe,
Watermelons
Crop Rotation

42. ● Solanaceous (Nightshade Family)
● Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant,
Potatoes
● Legumes (Bean Family)
● Garden peas, peanuts, green beans,
lima beans, southern peas
● Alliums (Onion Family)
● Onions, garlic, leeks, scallions
Crop
Rotation

43. ● Vegetables with no
close relatives:
● Lettuce, endive
● Sweet Corn
● Sweet Potato
● Okra
● Carrots (related to dill, fennel,
parsley)
● Spinach
● Swiss Chard and Beets
Crop Rotation

44. ● Divide growing area into separate spaces
● Example, if have 4 raised beds, come up with
a 4 year plan
● Must consider different seasons
● Designate cool season and warm season
crops for each bed
Crop Rotation

45. Crop Rotation
● Year 1 ● Year 2
Tomatoes,
Peppers,
Egglplants -
summer
Potatoes -
winter
Tomatoes,
Peppers,
Egglplants -
summer
Potatoes -
winter
Squash,
Cucumbers,
Melons -
summer
Green manure
- winter
Squash,
Cucumbers,
Melons –
summer
Green Manure
- Winter
Corn –
summer
Spinach,
Lettuce -
Fall
Corn –
summer
Spinach,
Lettuce -
Fall
Beans –
summer
Brassicas
– fall and
winter
Beans –
summer
Brassicas
– fall and
winter
1 2 1
23 34
4

46. ●Let’s Discuss:
Nutrition, Watering
and Fertilization
Growing Vegetables

47. ● Always start with soil
sampling!
● Base rates on soil test results and
recommendations for crop
● Terms:
● Pre-plant – incorporated into soil
before planting
● Side-dress – applied to
surface of soil after
crops planted
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

48. • Most vegetables grow best at a
pH of 6.0 to 6.5
• IF pH is lower than 6.0, Lime
should be tilled into the soil
• Dolomitic lime supplies Calcium
and Magnesium, and raises pH
• Blossom End Rot: melons,
peppers, tomatoes =
low calcium
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

49. ● Fertilizers are usually needed to supply some
of the nutrients plants need
● Both organic and synthetic fertilizers are
available
● Synthetic fertilizers usually have higher
concentrations of nutrients
● Organic fertilizers are better for the soil
(encourage microorganisms) and are less likely
to cause water pollution
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

50. ● Slow release fertilizers
● Release nutrients over an extended period of time
● Work great but are more expensive
● Highly recommended in sandy soils
● Coated fertilizers like Osmocote and organic fertilizers
● Soluble Fertilizers
● Applied as granules but dissolve readily in water
● 10-10-10
● Liquid Fertilizers
● e.g. Manure Tea, Fish Emulsion, Miracle Grow
● Only provide a quick feed, only good for a fast boost
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

51. ● For both organic and synthetic
fertilizers, analysis (nutrient
content) must be stated on bag.
● E.g. 32-10-10
● Numbers are percentages
(32%)
● Always represent Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Potassium,
always in that order
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

52. ● Nitrogen (N) 10 – 10 - 10
● Green leafy growth
● Quick growing, leafy crops need more
● Lettuce, spinach, cabbage
● Too much can cause plants to shed
flowers and not set fruit (tomatoes, beans
especially)
● Leaches readily – slow release forms
better
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

53. ● Nitrogen (N) 10 – 10 - 10
● Deficiency symptom: yellowing,
starts on lower leaves and works
way up the plant
● Plants stunted, fail to grow
● If soil is well prepared and plants
are watered but fail to grow,
Nitrogen deficiency is a likely
cause
● Apply soluble form of N for quick
boost= manure tea, fish
emulsion, Miracle Grow type
synthetic fertilizers
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

54. ● Phosphorous (P) 10 – 10 - 10
● Root, Flower and Seed/Fruit
development
● Apply ONLY if soil test indicates
need!
● Should be tilled in – not water
soluble
● Need soil test results before
prepare soil, to know if you need to
till Phosphorous and lime into the
soil
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

55. ● Potassium (K) 10 – 10 - 10
● Increases disease resistance,
cold hardiness, and drought tolerance
● Also known as Potash
● Improves flavor of many crops
(tomatoes, melons)
● Leaches at a moderate rate
● Most sandy soils need annual
application
Growing Vegetables:
Nutrients

56. ● Compost = provides some nutrients
but usually does not meet crop needs
● Compost = soil amendment (organic
matter), helps soil hold water and
nutrients and improves soil condition,
but should not be considered a
complete fertilizer!
Compost and
Fertilizing

58. Successful Composting Requires :
1.The realization that no matter what you do
you are still probably going to come up with
reasonably good compost.
2.A basic understanding of the life forms and
processes that operate within a compost
pile.
3.A willingness to experiment.
4.A little effort.
5.A little artistry.

59. ● Oxygen is required for microbes to efficiently
decompose the organic wastes.
● Anaerobic….some decomposition will occur.
● Mixing adds oxygen…..without 4X slower.
● Well mixed compost will reach higher
temperatures that destroys weeds.
Aeration

60. ● Most vegetables require ~ 1” water
per week from rain or irrigation
● Keep top 1’ of soil consistently moist
● Soaker hoses work well
● Do not wet foliage = Reduces
disease problems
● Less water lost through evaporation
● Place close to base of plants
● Mulch will help conserve moisture
Growing Vegetables:
Water

61. ● Beneficial!
● Any biodegradable matter,
2”-4”
● Grass clippings (aged): No
Herbicides!
● Newspaper
● Straw
● Till in at end of season
Mulching Vegetable Gardens

62. ● The growing season can be extended by using the
following techniques:
● plastic mulches that warm up the ground;
● row covers to protect the plants from freezing;
● or structures placed around plants to keep them warm
when it is cold
● such as 'Wall O Water,' hot caps, cold frames or hoop
houses.
● Shading for cooling and growing cool season during a
warm season
Extending the growing season:

63. ● Thin, light, spun-
bonded synthetic
fiber used for frost
protection and as a
barrier to keep out
insects
● Re-may is a common
brand
● Must take off for
pollination!!!
Floating Row Cover

64. • Plastic mulches warm up the soil in early spring,
giving vegetable gardeners the opportunity to plant
in early spring or in the fall when it is cooler.
• This gives a head start to warm-loving plants such
as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and melons.
• Plastic mulches conserve moisture and control
weeds during the growing season.
• Plastic mulches also keep edible portions of
vegetables off the ground.
• Colors like white can give a cooling affect.
Plastic Mulches to extend season

65. ● The other type of row cover is made of slotted or
perforated clear plastic, which is heavier.
● It is supported with wire hoops when laid over the
plants.
● The holes on clear plastic allow excess heat to
escape, and the temperature underneath needs to be
monitored carefully to avoid overheating on sunny
days.
Row covers to extend the season

66. Row covers to extend the season

67. Row covers to extend the season

68. Row covers to extend season

69. ● A cold frame is a bottomless structure put over
plants with a glass or clear plastic on top or sides,
and it can be opened during the daytime to allow
ventilation.
● The glass or clear plastic is placed facing south or
southwest so that it can let in and trap more heat
from the sun. They protect plants from frost, but the
temperatures need to be monitored in order to avoid
overheating particularly on sunny days.
Cold Frames to extend the season

70. Cold Frames to extend the season

71. Cold frames to extend the season

72. ● A hoop house or hi-tunnel is a greenhouse frame
covered with one layer of clear plastic.
● The ground is tilled and leveled, then metal frames
are anchored into the ground and covered with clear
plastic.
● The clear plastic cover on the sides can be rolled up
to enable excess heat to escape during the daytime
and rolled down at night to trap heat so that the
environment around the plants is kept warmer.
Hoophouse or Hi-tunnel
to extend the season

73. Hoophouse or Hi-tunnel to extend
the season

74. Hoophouse or Hi-tunnel to extend
the season

75. Other techniques to extend season

76. ‘Wall of Water’ season extender

77. ‘Wall of Water’ season extender

78. You can combine methods

79. ● Cool Season Crops
● Fast maturing for spring and
fall
● Long season, winter hardy
● Moderate season for spring
and fall
● Spring only crops
● Warm Season Crops
● Summer
● Long & Short Season
Vegetables for NC

80. Cool Season Vegetables

81. ● Prefer to grow during cooler times of the year: Fall
and Spring
● Tolerate some level of frost
● Half-hardy: tolerate light frost, usually productive
through December
● Hardy: tolerate heavy frost, can produce through
winter
Cool Season Vegetables

82. Successive sowings for
continuous harvest:
● Radish – 30 days
● Mustard – 30 days
● Lettuce (leaf) and mesclun –
30-50 days
● Spinach – 50-60 days (hardy)
● Green Onions (Scallions) – 30 days
Cool Season: Fast Maturing, Half
Hardy Crops for Spring and Fall

83. ● Mature in 25 – 30 days, sow Sept. 1
through Nov. 1, and Feb. 1 – April 1
● Hot temps, water stress can cause
strong flavor and woody texture
● Harvest when 1” in diameter
● Daikon: long white radish, mild flavor
● Grow like radish but takes longer to
mature
Radish

84. ● Only moderately frost tolerant – extend
harvest by using row cover in winter
● Seed need light to germinate –
pelleted/primed seed are easier to grow
● Likes constant supply of Nitrogen
and soils with good organic matter content
● Grows well in containers
● If bitter, store in refrigerator a
few days
Lettuce

85. ● Mature in 30-50 days, sow late
Aug. – mid Sept. and Feb -
March
● Do not form dense heads
● Easiest – seed mixes available
● Many color variations, leaf
shapes
● Can plant in rows or ‘patch’
● Make successive sowings
every 2 weeks for extended
harvest
Leaf Lettuce

86. ● Romaine/Cos and
Buttercrunch/Bibb do well
● Romaine mature in 50-60 days,
sow late August and Feb
● Bibb types mature in 40-50
days, sow late August
● Iceberg is finicky in our area
Head
Lettuce

87. ● Arugula/Roquette
● Matures in 50 days, sow direct in
garden late Aug – late Sept., Feb -
April
● Pungent, spicy taste
● Mesclun Mixes
● Seed mixes of several types of
salad greens, may include lettuce
● Grow in patches like leaf lettuce
Other
Salad Greens

88. ● Mature in 35-50 days, sow
direct in patches late August –
mid Oct., Feb - March
● Sow new patch every couple
of weeks for extended harvest
● Can be grown mixed together
or separate
● Some turnip varieties only
produce greens – no roots
Mustard and
Turnip Greens
Mustard leaves
have curly edges
Turnip greens are
slightly prickly

89. ● Matures 30-40 days, sow
mid Sept through early
Nov., Feb - March
● Very cold hardy
● Need fresh seed
● Grow in rows or 12” wide
beds – sow new rows every
couple of weeks
Spinach

90. ● Broccoli – 70 – 80 days
● Cauliflower (better in Fall) – 60
days
● Turnips – 60 days for roots
● Kohlrabi – 60 days
● Look out for loopers on all
Brassicas
● DiPel (B.t.) = natural
disease that only kills
caterpillars
Half Hardy Crops for Spring and
Fall: Brassicas

91. ● Matures in 50-70 days, start seed
in early August, set out
homegrown or purchased
transplants mid August – mid
September
● Half hardy – harvest through Dec.
● Heavy feeder – needs consistent
nitrogen
● Plant in rows, every 2 weeks
● After harvest main head, side
shoots will develop
Broccoli

92. ● Matures in 55-65 days, start
seed in early August, set
out homegrown or
purchased transplants late
Aug – mid Sept.
● Fall is the best time to grow
cauliflower! Heads are frost
sensitive
● Stress will cause ‘buttoning’
● Remove after harvesting
Cauliflower

93. • Rutabaga: Mature in 90
days, sow in early to late
August
• Harvest when size of a
softball
• Kohlrabi: Mature in 45 days,
sow mid August through mid
Oct.
• Edible part is swollen stem
above soil level
Rutabaga and
Kohlrabi

94. ● Mature in 40-50 days, sow
late Aug. through mid Oct.
● Harvest when size of
tennis ball
● Can also harvest greens –
over harvest of greens
reduces root size
Turnips Roots

95. Plant late summer,
stand through winter
● Brussel Sprouts – 100 days
● Collards – 100 days
● Kale - 50 days
● Can have separate
spring and fall crops
● Cabbage – 70 – 80 days
● Can have separate
spring and fall crops
Long Season, Hardy Brassicas

96. ● Mature in 65-90 days, sow in early
Aug. or set out transplants in late
Aug. – early Sept. Spring crop set
out Feb – early March
● Consistent moisture and nutrients
results in high quality heads
● Most varieties very hardy, can stay
in garden through winter
● Chinese cabbage do well in fall –
less frost hardy
Cabbage

97. ● Mature in 55-75 days,
sow in early Aug. or set
out transplants in early
Sept. – early Oct. Spring
crop set out mid Feb -
March
● Plant in rows, every few
weeks
● Very cold hardy will
produce through winter
Collards and
Kale

98. ● Mature in 85-110 days,
sow seed in early-mid
Aug., plant homegrown
or purchased transplants
in early – mid Sept.
● Harvest in spring
● Very cold hardy
Brussel Sprouts

99. ● Many are small and green! Be on the lookout!
● All become moths
● Organic Control
● B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis)= natural bacterial disease
that only kills caterpillars
● Dipel, Worm Whipper
● Spinosad – another bacterial disease
● Several brands
● Neem and Pyrellin – plant based
● Chemical pesticides: Sevin (carbaryl),
esfenvalerate, malathion
Brassica Problems:
Caterpillars

100. • Mature in 60-90 days, can
leave fall crops in ground
through winter
• Best in well amended, sandy
soils
• Sow in place, slow to germinate
• August for fall crops
• Feb/March for spring crops
• Sow shallow, keep moist
• Pelleted seed are easier
• Shorter varieties easier
Half Hardy for Spring and Fall
Crops: Carrots

101. ● Mature in 30 days, but
can stay in garden all
winter
● Sow seed in late August
or plant transplants in
Oct.
● Can have second spring
crop, sow/plant in March
● Harvest by picking leaves
● Varieties with colorful mid
ribs available
Half Hardy for Fall and Spring:
Swiss Chard

102. ● Mature in 45 – 55
days, sow early –
late August for fall,
mid Feb – mid March
for spring crops
● Can also harvest
greens
Half Hardy for Fall and Spring:
Beets

103. ● Onions, Garlic, Leeks
● Some do best in our area when fall planted!
● Harvested in spring
● Heavy feeders – like lots of organic matter
and consistent moisture and nutrients
● Need good drainage
Cool Season Vegetables: Onions
and Their Relatives

104. ▪ Sow seed directly into garden
from early to late October to
harvest in April-May
▪ Short Day varieties: ‘Grano’,
‘Granex’, ‘Texas Super
Sweet’
▪ Seed are usually more
successful and cost less than
growing from sets
▪ Thin in Jan to 4” apart for
larger bulbs
▪ Need lots of Nitrogen in
spring, but no sulfur
Onions Onion Sets

105. ● Plant in Sept/Oct to harvest
in late spring
● Grown from cloves
● Soft Neck varieties grow
best in the south – have
stronger flavor
● Elephant garlic also does
well – very large
with mild flavor
Garlic

106. ● Sow direct in
garden or start
transplants late
August – Sept.
● Plant in a shallow
trench
● Fill soil in around
as leeks grow
up to produce long
white shanks
● Stays in ground all
winter, harvest late
winter-spring
Leeks

107. ● Garden and Snap Peas
● 60 days
● Sow lt. Jan - early Feb.
● Powdery Mildew a problem on later
crops
● Vine support, grow 3’-4’
● Potatoes – 90 – 120 days
● Start with certified seed potatoes,
Feb.
● Mound soil around plants through the
growing season for more production
Spring Only
Crops

108. ● Mound soil – all potatoes develop between ‘seed’
and soil level
Growing Irish Potatoes

109. Warm Season Crops
From last frost
until first frost

110. ● Cannot tolerate frost
● Need warm (70’s – 80’s) temps to grow well,
and warm soil temperatures
● Soil warms up slower than air
● Hot temperatures will reduce production (mid
90’s and above)
● Will usually see drop in production after a
heat wave
Warm Season Crops

111. ● Cucumbers – 40-50 days
● Summer Squash and Zucchini
– 40 - 50 days
● Very productive – 1-2 plants
enough!
● Plant up to cotyledons or sow
direct
Quick Maturing for Summer and Fall
Crops

112. ● Seed leaves, first
leaves to emerge
● Look different than
‘true’ leaves
● Turn yellow and shrivel
up a few weeks after
coming up
● Plant cukes, squash,
melons, pumpkins up
to the cotyledons for
healthier plants
Cotyledons
www.istockphoto.com
Cotyledon
True Leaf
Plant up to
here

113. ● Downy Mildew –
cucumbers
● Effects pickling
cucumbers worse
● Late crops often
wiped out – very
prevalent by mid
summer
● No way for
homeowners to treat
Cucurbit Problems

114. ● Squash Vine Borer
– squash and
zucchini
● Plant as early as
possible
● Rotate!!!
● Cover plants with row
cover when adults
active
Cucurbit
Problems

115. ● Plant April – May
● Need lots of space
● In blocks of at least 3-4
rows
● Wind pollinated
● Each silk = kernel
● Lots of Nitrogen (slow
release)
● Stagger plantings every 2
weeks
Sweet Corn
Tassels
Silks

116. ● Sugary Varieties (SU1)
● Traditional – sugars break down
quickly
● Silver Queen, Seneca Chief
● Sugary Enhanced (Se)
● Higher levels of sugar
● Bodacious, Legend
● Super-sweet Varieties (sh2)
● More sugar than SU1 and does
not break down rapidly
● Serendipity
Sweet Corn

117. ● Beans - Lima, Butter, Green
● Inoculate seed with nitrogen
fixing bacteria
● Butter/Lima beans don’t
produce in hot weather
● Bush and pole varieties
● Southern Peas
● Field Peas, Black Eye Peas
● Need warm soils
● Peanuts
Legumes Peanut Plant

118. ● Disease problems are
challenging
● Disease resistance
● V - Verticillium
● F - Fusarium
● N - Nematodes
● TSW – Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
● Many foliar diseases
● Follow good cultural practices – fungicides may
be necessary, especially by mid-late summer
● Other diseases are soil born – live in soil
● Rotate crops
● Consider growing in large containers
Tomatoes

119. ● Determinate – mature crop all at
once
● Indeterminate – successive crops
● Large Fruited
● ‘Better Boy’ – V,F,N, indeterminate
● ‘Celebrity’ – V,F,N
● Paste Tomatoes (Roma or Pear)
● For cooking and canning
● Cherry Tomatoes
● Easiest!, most are indeterminate
● Best type for beginners!
Tomatoes

120. ● Heirlooms
● Flavor but no disease
resistance
● Open pollinated
● ‘German Johnson’,
‘Brandywine’, ‘Cherokee
Purple’, ‘Mortgage Saver’
Tomatoes

121. ● Bell Peppers and Hot
Peppers
● Generally easy
● Hot peppers have good
drought resistance
● Very productive when
fertilized
● Eggplant
● Wait to plant when really
warm
● Fall crops do well, plant mid
summer
Eggplant and Peppers

122. ● Need lots of space
● Buy certified slips (cuttings)
● Keep watered first few days
● Mulch well
● ‘Beauregard’, ‘Jewell’, ‘Puerto Rico’
● Cure to increase sugar content
● Harvest (don’t wash), store in garage or
shed (80°) with damp burlap over top
● Deer love sweet potato vines!
Sweet Potatoes

123. • Wait till really
warm to plant
• Nematodes
common problem
• Rotate crops
• Incorporate
organic matter
• Tall plants with
spines, related to
cotton
Okra
Root Knot Nematodes

124. ● Wait until really warm to plant
● N-P-K important
● Cantaloupe
● Prefer drier conditions
● Watermelons
● Consistent moisture
● Seedless varieties are more finicky
● ‘Crimson Sweet’, ‘Jubilee’ - reliable
Melons

125. ● Heavy Feeders
● Start early to avoid vine
borer
● But soil needs to be warm
● Gourds (ornamental) are
easiest
● Pumpkin and winter squash
often require fungicide
sprays to control foliar
diseases
Winter Squash, Pumpkins and
Gourds

126. • Asparagus
• Need soil high in organic
matter
• Mulch with compost
• Plant crowns in early spring
• Wait 2 years to harvest
• Keep moist, afternoon
shade okay
• Harvest spears in spring
• Male varieties more
productive
Perennial Crops