Transcript Starting a vegetable garden

Starting a vegetable garden
All you need to know to start your
backyard vegetable garden!
Find your climate zone
Duncan is Zone 3: at 3500
to 5000 feet elevation,
corresponds to USDA
zone 8b, Sunset National
Garden zone 10
www.gardeninginarizona.com
Questions to answer before you begin:
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Who will be doing the work?
What does your family like to eat?
How will you use the produce?
How much space is available?
Designing your garden
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It is best to begin with a drawing that shows
arrangement and spacing of crops.
Clemson spineless okra (56 days)
5 ft
Top crop green bush bean (50 days)
• place tall plants on North side
•Group plants by length of growing
period
•Plant where there is at least 6 hours
of sun
Crimson sweet watermelons (85 days)
Dixie summer squash (41 days)
Sweet slice cucumber (62 days)
5 ft
•Don’t plant vegetables of same
family near each other more often
than once every 3 years. This helps
prevent disease.
Vegetable groups according to family
Family
Vegetable
Amaryllidaceae
garlic, leek, onion
Chenopodiaceae
beet, spinach
Compositae
endive, lettuce, sunflower
Cruciferae
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
cauliflower, Chinese cabbage,
collards, kale kohlrabi, mustard,
radish, rutabaga, turnip
Cucurbitaceae
cucumber, muskmelon, pumpkin,
squash, watermelon
Gramineae
corn
Leguminosae
bean, pea, peanut
Liliaceae
asparagus
Malvaceae
okra
Solanaceae
eggplant, pepper, tomato
Umbelliferae
carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip
Preparing your soil
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Ideal soil is deep, well drained and has
high organic matter content
Soil testing can be helpful. In Arizona, it is
common that soils lack Nitrogen and
Phosphates.
Tillage equipment varies on the size of
your garden
Seed selection
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Purchase from dependable companies
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expensive but more variety
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Cheap and local
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Willhite, park seed, gurneys
Walmart, home-depot, safford builders
Saving your own seed
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Difficult for beginners
Be wary of cross-pollination!
not all plants produce seed the same way
Test for germination rate
Vegetable
Years
Vegetable
Years
Asparagus
3
Leek
1
Bean
3
Lettuce
5
Beet
4
Muskmelon
5
Broccoli
4
Mustard
4
Brussels sprouts
4
Okra
2
Cabbage
4
Onion
1
Carrot
3
Parsley
2
Cauliflower
4
Parsnip
1
Celery
5
Pea
3
Chinese cabbage
4
Pepper
3
Collard
4
Pumpkin
4
Corn, sweet
1
Radish
4
Cress, water
5
Rutabaga
4
Cucumber
5
Spinach
4
Eggplant
5
Squash
4
Endive
5
Tomato
3
Kale
4
Turnip
5
Kohlrabi
4
Watermelon
5
Starting seeds indoors
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Grow-light systems and grow mats
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Germination stations
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Greenhouse effect, seedlings emerge quickly
Various containers
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Warms roots, encourages efficient growth
Egg cartons, yogurt tubs, milk cartons, cans
Peat pots
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Can sow directly, doesn’t disturb roots
Starting seeds outdoors
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Depends on soil type
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Depends on type of seed
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Sandy soil: plant seed deeper
Silty/clay soil: cover seed only 2 -3 times diameter of seed
Carrots, beans and peas are best at broadcast seeding
Melons, squash, corn and cucumbers are best at hill planting
Depends on soil temperature
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Cold soil will often rot the seeds if planted to early
Optimum soil temperature chart on next page
MIN.
(°
F)
RANGE
(°F)
OPTIMUM
(°F)
MAX
(°
F)
BEANd
60°
60° - 85°
80°
95°
7 - 14
CABBAGEa, b
40°
45° - 95°
85°
100°
7 - 10
CARROTb
40°
45° - 85°
80°
95°
10 - 21
CORNd
50°
60° - 95°
95°
105°
7 - 10
CUCUMBERc, d
60°
75° - 95°
95°
105°
7 - 10
EGGPLANTc
60°
40° - 80°
85°
95°
7 - 12
MUSKMELONe
60°
75° - 95°
90°
100°
7 - 10
OKRAe
60°
70° - 95°
95°
105°
8 - 12
PEPPERc
60°
65° - 95°
85°
95°
14 - 21
PUMPKINd
60°
70° - 90°
95°
100°
7 - 10
RADISHb
40°
45° - 90°
95°
95°
3-7
SQUASHd
60°
70° - 95°
95°
100°
9 - 12
TOMATOc
59°
60° - 85°
85°
95°
5 - 14
WATERMELONe
60°
70° - 95°
95°
105°
7 - 10
VEGETABLE
DAYS TO
GERMINATION
Transplanting
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Prepare soil prior to planting
Disrupt roots as little as possible
Make sure plants are “hardened off”
Protect plants
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newspaper, boxes, jugs
Use a starter solution
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Manure tea, fish emulsion, purchased solution
Optimum transplanting temperatures and dates
Vegetable
Day2
(°F)
Night
(°F)
Time
(weeks)
Sweet Corn
70° - 75°
60° - 65°
3-4
Cucumber
70° - 75°
60° - 65°
3-4
Eggplant
70° - 80°
65° - 70°
6-8
Lettuce
70° - 80°
50° - 55°
5-7
Muskmelon
70° - 75°
60° - 65°
3-4
Onion
60° - 65°
55° - 60°
10 - 12
Pepper
65° - 75°
60° - 65°
6-8
Summer Squash
70° - 75°
60° - 65°
3-4
Tomato
70° - 75°
65° - 75°
5-7
Watermelon
70° - 80°
65° - 70°
3-4
Transplant Production Data
Easily Survive
Transplanting
Require Care in
the Operation
Not Successfully
Transplanted
by Usual Methods
Broccoli
Beets
Beans
Cabbage
Carrots (young)
Corn
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Chard
Peas
Lettuce
Melon (2 true leaves)
Okra
Chinese cabbage
Squash (2 true
leaves)
Sweet potato slips
Onion (tends to bolt)
Tomatoes
Pepper
Irrigation
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Soil moisture is imperative
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Depends on soil type
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mulching helps smother weeds, and hold soil for plants
Shading allows soil to retain moisture
Clayey soils hold water tightly
Sandy soils need additional organic matter to retain water
Various types of irrigation
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Water can
Soaker hose
flood
Drip irrigation
sprinkler
Fertilizing your garden
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How fertile is the soil naturally?
How much organic matter is present?
What kind of fertilizer is being applied?
What crops are being grown?
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some crops are “heavy feeders” while some
are “light feeders”
Heavy Feeders
Light Feeders
Asparagus
Lettuce
Carrot
Alfalfa
Beet
Okra
Garlic
Beans
Broccoli*
Parsley
Leek
Clover
Brussels sprouts* Pepper
Mustard Greens
Peas
Cabbage*
Potato
Onion
Peanut
Cantaloupe*
Pumpkin*
Parsnip
Soybean
s
Cauliflower
Radish
Rutabaga
Celery
Rhubarb
Shallot
Collard
Spinach
Sweet Potato
Corn, Sweet*
Squash,
Summer*
Swiss Chard
Eggplant*
Strawberry
Endive
Sunflower
Kalle
Tomato*
Kohlrabi
Watermelon*
Controlling weeds
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Cultivation
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Mulching
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Prevents weed seedlings from sunlight
Herbicides
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Organic mulch, black plastic, old carpet,
Close spacing
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Hand digging, hoes, roto-tiller
Must be used carefully, follow all directions!
Natural methods
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Cinnamon oil, thyme, dish detergent
Types of crops
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Cool-season vegetables include beet, broccoli,
cabbage, carrot, lettuce, onion, pea, potato, radish,
spinach and turnip. Because they are hardy or frost
tolerant and germinate in cold soil they can be planted in
winter or early spring depending on location. For best
quality these crops need to mature during cooler periods
rather than in the heat of the summer.
Warm-season vegetables include beans, cucumber,
eggplant, melons, pepper, pumpkin, squash, sweet corn,
sweet potato and tomato. These do not tolerate frost but
need warm temperatures to set and properly mature
fruit. However, temperatures too high reduce quality;
ex.- sunburn fruit, poor colored tomatoes and poor ear
fill in sweet corn.
Vegetable Yields
Vegetables
Average
Crop
Expected
Per 100 Feet
Fresh
Storage
Canning or
Freezing
Beans, Snap Bush
120 lb.
15 - 16 plants
15 - 20 feet
Beans, Snap Pole
150 lb.
5 - 6 feet
8 - 10 feet
Carrots
100 lb.
5 - 10 feet
10 - 15 feet
Corn, Sweet
10 dozen
10 - 15 feet
30 - 50 feet
Cucumbers
120 lb.
1 - 2 hills
3 - 5 hills
Okra
100 lb.
4 - 6 feet
6 - 10 feet
Onions (plants/sets)
100 lb.
3 - 5 feet
30 - 50 feet
Peppers
60 lb.
3 - 5 plants
3 - 5 plants
Pumpkins
100 lb.
1 - 2 hills
1 - 2 hills
Radishes
100 bunches
3 - 5 feet
Squash, Summer
150 lb.
2 - 3 hills
2 - 3 hills
Tomatoes
100 lb.
3 - 5 plants
5 - 10 plants
Watermelon
40 fruits
2-4 hills
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Planting Vegetables
Vegetables
Plants or Seed
per 100 feet
Spacing (Inches)
Rows
Number Days
Ready for
Use
Plants
Beans, snap bush
1/2 lb.
24-36
3-4
45-60
Beans, snap pole
1/2 lb.
36-48
4-6
60-70
Carrots
1/2 oz.
15-24
2
70-80
Corn, sweet
3-4 oz.
12-18
70-90
70-90
Cucumbers
1/2 oz.
48-72
24-48
50-70
Eggplant
1/8 oz.
24-36
18-24
80-90
Okra
2 oz.
36-24
12-24
55-65
Peppers
1/8 oz.
24-36
18-24
60-90
Pumpkins
1/2 oz.
60-96
36-48
75-100
Radishes
1 oz.
14-24
1
25-40
Squash, summer
1 oz.
36-60
18-36
50-60
Tomatoes
50 pl. or 1/8 oz.
24-48
18-36
70-90
Watermelon
1 oz.
72-96
36-72
80-120
Planting Dates
Vegetable
Region 3
2000 - 3000 feet
Elevation
Bean, bush
Mar. 1 - Apr. 1
July 15 - Aug. 15
Bean, pole
July 15 - Aug. 10
Cantaloupe
Mar. 15 - June 1
Carrot
Aug. 25 - Mar. 15
Corn, sweet
Mar. 15 - Apr. 1
July 15 - Aug. 15
Cucumber
Mar. 20 - May 15
Aug. 1 - Sept. 1
Eggplant
Apr. 1 - May 15
Muskmelon
Apr. 1 - July 15
Mustard
Sept. 1 - Feb. 1
Okra
Apr. 1 - June 15
Pepper (seed)
Feb. 15 - Mar. 15
Pumpkin
Apr. 1 - July 15
Radish
Aug. 5 - May 1
Squash, summer
Mar. 15 - July 15
Tomato (seed)
Jan. 10 - Feb. 15
Watermelon
Mar. 15 - June 1
Container Gardening
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Location
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Crops
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Package potting soil is best
Watering
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Good drainage, allows growth, clay, plastic, metal
Growing media
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Carrots, radishes, lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, peppers
Containers
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Window sill, patio, balcony, doorstep
Must be done regularly
Fertilizing
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14-14-14, occasional manure tea, occasional fish emulsion
activity
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What type of garden are you going to grow?
What 3 crops are you going to grow?
Draw your “plan”
Use the internet to navigate through the following sites:
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www.willhiteseed.com
www.parkseed.com
www.gurneys.com
Find prices, varieties of seed that grow best in your
zone, find our zone, days to harvest and any diseases
the plants are resistant too. Compare the 3 sites and
choose your favorite. Be sure to explain why (site is easy
to navigate, cheap prices, lots of information, ect.)
References
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Arizona master gardener
www.gardeninginarizona.com