Home Vegetable Gardening Notes

Vegetable Gardening:

As with so many other topics, there are so many differences between the crops and their problems, planting time and depth, harvesting, etc, that we are mostly going to talk in general terms. I will, talk about some of the more common vegetables, though.

USU Extension Pub. HG313-Home Vegetable Garden: Variety Recommendations for Utah: –Gives information about what to look for in the varieties you select
–Table of Recommended Varieties
–List of Sources for seeds
–Vegetable Planting Chart: when, how and how much for a family of 4-6 people

Where? Choose the sunniest location in your yard, with the best soil.

When? Spring and fall are the best time to grow cool-season crops. Summer is the best time for warm-season crops.

How much? The amount of each depends on what you want to do with the vegetables. If you love vegetables and like to eat them fresh as well as preserved, you’ll want to grow more. Use a chart to learn what is recommended.

What to do?

Before–planning, soil preparation, variety selection, seed or transplants

Plant rows running east to west, to avoid shading other rows as the sun moves across the sky. Taller crops, including those that will be trellised or staked, should be in the north side of the garden & shorter crops to the south, also to avoid shading. Medium-sized crops should be planted in the middle of the garden.
Short: radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, onions
Medium: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkins
Tall: peas, beans, corn

Soil preparation–add generous amounts of organic humus to the soil and work it in thoroughly.

Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, cabbage, tomatoes & peppers can be bought as transplants. This can help with germination as well as giving a head start in a cold climate. Most things in a vegetable garden can be grown from seed.
Remember, that collecting seed at the end of the season only works well with open-pollinated seed. If you reuse seed from hybrids, you will rarely get the same result the next season.

During–weeding, watering, mulching, protection from cold, watering, fertilizing, training/staking

After–harvesting, composting, cover crops
Cover crops can be used to maintain fertility and keep weeds out in an established garden. A crop is planted in the fall after the main crop has been harvested. It is grown through the fall and winter. In the spring, it is turned under to provide organic matter to the soil as it decays. A process called green manuring is used in a similar way, but is intended for soil that has started out poor in fertility. A crop can be grown on it at anytime, raised to about half maturity and then turned under. This process is repeated until the soil is acceptable. Alfalfa, clover, cowpeas, soybeans, and some vetch cultivars are the best cover and green manure crops. These members of the pea family can add nitrogen back into the soil as they decay. Winter crops include wheat, rye, ryegrass, and buckwheat (buckwheat is especially good, since it can tolerate poor soils and aids those soils greatly).

Varieties

Companion Plants–Some vegetables can help or harm each other if they are grown close to each other. Carrots–leaf lettuce, radish, onions and tomatoes. Keep dill at the opposite end of the garden. Tomatoes–carrots, parsley and onions, but keep cabbage and cauliflower away from them. Corn–pumpkins, peas, beans and potatoes are good around them, but tomatoes should be far away from them.

Types of Gardens–Traditional raised beds, containers, tire, trellis, greenhouse

Raised beds–21 inches to 4 feet wide–you need to be able to reach across them. The soil should be 8 to 12 inches above ground level. You can simply mound the earth up, or hold it up in large frames. The soil can get warmer, faster than traditional gardens and can stay warmer for longer. Raised beds also provide better drainage.

Containers–Anything that you can put soil in, you can plant in. Some types of containers may produce healthier plants than others.

Container varieties

Depending on the size of your containers, you can grow:

Chives, green onions, summer radishes, various lettuces, hot peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes, eggplant, cucumber, squash, beans and peas.

Upside-down tomato plants.

If you have 30 to 55 gallon containers, you can grow anything you want in containers.

Tires–Another type of container is a tire. Tires can be turned inside-out and used as large pots. The various sizes offer large variety in what can be planted.

Trellises–Some plants grow best on trellises and some can be made to grow that way if you have a small space and need to go up rather than across. Containers, including tires can be used to grow plants on trellises.

Greenhouses–If you need the added warmth, you can at least start some plants in a greenhouse.

Incorporated–Sometimes, people will grow their fruits, vegetables and especially herb along with the flowers and other landscape plants that they grow.

Herbs–generally herbs need full sun and well-drained soil. Indoors, herbs need 5 hours of sunlight or 12-14 hours of artificial light everyday.
Harvest just before plants flower. Clip in the morning. Cut about 1/3 each time, to encourage new growth. Younger leaves have more flavor and are less bitter than older leaves.
Seeds need to picked when the seed heads change color–usually dark. Cut on a hot, dry day and then dry out for two weeks. Store in an air-tight container.
Can be dried in the air, oven or microwave. Herbs can also be frozen and thawed to use as fresh.
Store herbs in air-tight containers, preferably glass, for up to a year for best potency.
Knot gardens–herbs woven around each other to be a decorative, fragrant garden

Companion Herbs–Many herbs do better if they are grown together. They can also provide various benefits to fruits and vegetables grown in your garden.

Most plants can do just fine from seed, but if you want a little bonus time, you can buy transplants for some plants. Seeds are cheaper than transplants.

Crop rotation–This is the process of changing which crops are planted where in the garden each year. It isn’t essential, but it is a good way to avoid problems in the soil associated with specific crops. As long as the shading issues are taken into consideration, the rotation can be easily accomplished.

Weed and insect control–make sure to read labels and only use chemicals labeled for use in edible crops. Herbs can also be used to keep pests away from your garden.

Specific Plants:

Asparagus–sandy soil that is high in fertility is best, but asparagus can do well in any soil; grow 8-12 inches apart; harvest when spears are 6-8 inches tall

Beans–any well drained soil; plant after frost; plant 1 inch deep and 2-3 inches apart

Carrots–cool season crop, grown in the summer in cold regions; deep loose soils with good drainage; carrot seedlings need to be thinned to give enough room for growth; harvest when carrots are between 1 & 2 inches in diameter

Corn–warm-season crop that needs to be planted after the danger of frost is gone; wide range of well-drained soils is acceptable; 1-2 inches deep & 8-10 inches apart; popcorn or field corn shouldn’t be grown within 100 feet of sweet corn to prevent cross-pollination and poor kernel development; harvest when silk turns dark brown and kernels are plump and have a milky sap inside; cook immediately after harvest

Eggplant–grown from transplants; harvest before skin has lost it’s sheen and appropriate size for cultivar is reached; a long period of warmth is needed, so an appropriate cultivar for your region; store at 50-55 degrees and preferably not in the refrigerator

Onions–best in humus-rich, sandy soil; tolerant of a large range of temperatures; photoperiod is very important and therefore, so is choosing a cultivar that works well in the region; harvest at most times during development, depending on desired size

Peas–cool temperatures & lots of moisture are needed; seed 1 inch apart; can sew seeds in double rows, 8 inches apart & trained on the same trellis; harvest when the peas start to fill out the pod and are not yet tough; use immediately if possible

Peppers–growing sweet and hot peppers together usually allows for cross-pollination, the vegetables will not be affected, but the seeds will have the qualities of both parents and will be hot, remove before eating sweet peppers; same cultural requirements as eggplant

Tomatoes–range of soils with good drainage; don’t plant in the same place year after year; need warm temperatures for fruit to set; usually grown from transplants; determinate plants will have a more bush shape, while indeterminate plants will vine; fertilize prior to planting and with a nitrogen side-dressing a month after planting; harvest when fully red, unless you like green tomatoes