Transcript Vegetable Gardening - Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service

Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable Gardening
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program
Vegetable Gardening
Excellent Resource
• Oklahoman’s Guide to Growing Fruits,
Nuts, and Vegetables, Ext. Pub E-995
• Cost $10
• Available by contacting



Stephanie Larimer at 405-744-5404
E-mail: [email protected]
On the web at:
http://home.okstate.edu/Okstate/dasnr/hort/hortlahome.nsf/t
oc/handbook
Vegetable Gardening
Gardening, Why Go To All The Effort?
• Well, there are lots of reasons

Obviously, fresh food


Know where it came from
How it was grown

Food for preservation

Recreation-exercise

Education


Children, Grandchildren, Schools
Even experienced gardeners
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
• Basic questions to ask

What’s the garden for?

What will you grow?

Who will be helping?

Where will it be located?
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
www.cornichon.org
• What’s the garden for?

Fresh salad and vegetables

Processing — canning & freezing

Combination fresh & processing

Give away garden
www.territorial-seed.com
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
• Who will be helping?

The obvious people


Other household members


Me—Myself—I
Adults, Children
Other folks


Neighbors
Friends
horticulture.unh.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
• What will you grow?

What do household
members like?



Poll everyone and get an
idea
Provide a list
Try something new and
different each year
Whole Foods Market
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
• How much should you grow?

Know your garden goals:

Food-Recreation-Education-Exercise

How much space is available?

How much help will be available?

What type of equipment do you
have?
www.pdkinc.com
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning
• Where will it be
located?

Accessibility

Available water

Control of site
Avoid Walnut
Trees
Vegetable Gardening
Site Selection
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Soil texture
Soil depth
Drainage
Fertility
Sun exposure
Slope
Air movement
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Texture
• Soil Particles


Sand, silt, and clay
Course  Fine
• Soil Texture

Describes relative
amounts of each
particle
ww.soilsensor.com
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Types
www.cannonsturf.co.uk
• Sandy


Leaching, drying
Easy to till, good
rooting
Sandy-loam
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Types
• Loamy



www.oznet.ksu.edu

Free movement of
water and air
Good water
retention
Fertile
Little resistance to
tillage
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Types
• Clay




Poor drainage
Difficult to till
Poor rooting
Fertile
www.rhs.org.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Depth
• Combination

Topsoil and subsoil
• Total of 4-6 feet is desirable
• Minimum of 10 in. of topsoil
Vegetable Gardening
Adding Topsoil
Till First!
Vegetable Gardening
Drainage
• Soil needs good drainage

Prevent root rots and other
disease

Good aeration to meet
oxygen needs
cbarc.aes.oregonstate.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Slope
• >10% Offers problems

Excessive runoff

Erosion

Special management
required
• South facing slopes

Earlier plantings
Vegetable Gardening
Air Movement
• Pest considerations
• Damage to seedlings &
transplants
• Drift from adjacent
properties
• Adjustments



Barriers
Fencing
Thinning
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Design and Layout
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Layout
Corn &
Tomatoes
North-south orientation

Cole Crops
Reduces effect of
westerly winds
Group plants with
similar needs
Taller plants
at north end
reduces
shading
N
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Layout
www.mobot.org
Traditional Rows
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Layout
www.sfpermaculture.com
oblique.csail.mit.edu
Unconventional Design
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
Improve
Drainage
Warm soil
in spring
www.geocities.com
Mounded or Ridged Rows
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
• Drainage
• Fertility
• Great for herb
and salad gardens
www.humeseeds.com
Raised Beds
• Physical
disabilities
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
www.lollygirl.com
ripples.typepad.com
Containers
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
www.burpee.com
Trellising
www.corporate_elite.info
Hanging Baskets
Vertical Gardening
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
members.aol.com
Square-foot Gardening
Vegetable Gardening
Alternatives to Row Plantings
www.agroecology.org
Intercropping
Vegetable Gardening
Getting Started
Vegetable Gardening
Pre-planting Preparation
www.floridagardener.com
Solarization
Crabgrass
Weeds!
Vegetable Gardening
Tilling
www.oznet.ksu.edu
www.pdkinc.com
Vegetable Gardening
Double Digging
www.himalayanacademy.com
www.okstate.edu
1 ft. wide
1 ft. deep
Dig trench
Loosen subsoil
Vegetable Gardening
Double Digging
10-12”
Vegetable Gardening
Double Digging
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Fertility
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Nutrition
• Macronutrients

Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K)
• Secondary Nutrients

Ca, Mg, S
• Micronutrients

Fe, Mn, Co, Zn, Bo, Cl, Mo
Vegetable Gardening
pH Scale
Neutral
Acid
Alkaline
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Battery Vinegar Orange
acid
juice
Pure Baking
water soda
Ammonia Bleach Lye
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Analysis…..
……takes the guesswork out of fertilization
• Correct nutrition imbalances
• Prevent over fertilization
• Adjust pH
• Test soil every 2-3 years
www.plintestusa.com
Vegetable Gardening
Soil Test
Results
Vegetable Gardening
Soil PH
• Adjusting pH

Too acidic - add lime

Too alkaline - add
sulfur
Vegetable Gardening
Understanding Fertilizer Analysis
• What do those 3 numbers
mean?
• % of N-P-K
• Example: 18% N-24% P-6% K
• Sources can include:
• Organic
• Inorganic
Vegetable Gardening
Organic Versus Non-organic
Fertilizers
Vegetable Gardening
Organic versus Non-organic
Nutrient Availability
• Chemical Fertilizers

Immediately available

Potential for root burn
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Organic versus Non-organic
Nutrient Availability
• Organic Fertilizers
www.dahlias.net

Nutrients released slowly

Nutrients available for
longer duration
Vegetable Gardening
Organic versus Non-organic
• Organic Advantages

Wider assemblage of nutrients

Carries beneficial bacteria and fungi

Addition of organic matter
Vegetable Gardening
Organic versus Non-organic
• Organic Disadvantages

Handling - large quantity required

Weed seeds in some sources

High soluble salt levels in fresh manures
Vegetable Gardening
Organic Matter
• The Magic Elixir!

Loosen heavy clays




Increases pore spaces
Improve water/nutrient holding capacity of
sands
Release nutrients as it decomposes
Fosters good microbial health of soil
Vegetable Gardening
Sources of Organic Matter
Free Sources
www.univers-nature.com
Compost
Manure
Vegetable Gardening
Make Your Own Compost
www.monkeyrivertown.com
Vegetable Gardening
Sources of Organic Matter
Store-bought
Vegetable Gardening
Sources of Organic Matter
Green Manure Crops
• Legumes – fix nitrogen
• Organic matter
• Weed retention
• Rye, clover, vetch
Clover
Vegetable Gardening
Calculating Fertilizer Needs
1. Determine garden area

Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.
My
Garden
10’
40’
Vegetable Gardening
Calculating Fertilizer Needs
1. Determine garden area

Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.
2. Fertilizer recommendations

1.5 lbs of N/1000 sqft.
From Soil Test
Vegetable Gardening
Calculating Fertilizer Needs
1. Determine garden area

Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.
2. Recommended fertilizer

1.5 lbs of N/1000 sqft.

0.4 x 1.5 = 0.6 lbs N
3. Calculate actual nitrogen needs
Rate
1.5 lbs. N
1000 sqft.
X
Area
= Actual N
X 400 sqft. = 0.6 lbs. N
Vegetable Culture
Calculating Fertilizer Needs
1. Determine garden area

Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.
2. Recommended fertilizer

1.5 lbs of N/1000 sqft.

0.4 x 1.5 = 0.6 lbs N  We need
•
46-0-0 fertilizer - 46% N = 0.46 lb. N/lb.
3. Calculate actual nitrogen needs
4. Fertilizer Rate (R)
0.46 lb. N
x R 0.6 lb.N x
0.6 lb. N=
1 lb. fert.
1 lb. fert.
= 1.3 lbs.
0.46 lb. N
fert.
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Fertility
• Work nutrients into soil 7-10 days before
planting

Withhold 1/3 required nitrogen

Incorporate last 1/3 of nitrogen into soil 6-8
weeks later
Vegetable Gardening
Applying Fertilizer
Spreader
Hand Apply
Vegetable Gardening
Planting and Maintenance
Vegetable Gardening
Cool- versus warm-season crops
Cool-season crops
Warm-season crops
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Snap bean
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Tomato
• Garlic
• Potato
• Eggplant
• Peas
• Lettuce
• Melons
• Onion
• Beet
• Peppers
•Cabbage
•Spinach
•Sweet Potato
•Okra
Vegetable Gardening
Successive Planting
• Cool-season crops


Spring planting: February – March
Fall planting: July – October
• Warm-season crops


Summer planting: April – May
Fall planting: July – August
• Late Fall: prepare soil
Vegetable Gardening
Crops and Cultivars
thinksmart.typepad.com
hypertextbook.com
www.kyagr.com
images.meredith.com
wikimedia.org
www.harrismoran.com
Easy to grow
More difficult to grow
Vegetable Gardening
Hybrid Cultivars
X
Variety 1 – Disease
Resistance
Variety 2 – Good
Color
•High yielding
•Uniform
•Vigorous
•Hearty
Photos: Randolph G. Gardner
Hybrid
Vegetable Gardening
Heirloom Varieties
• Open-pollinated
• Handed down for generations
• Seed is true to type

Can collect seeds for next season
• Diversity: genetic, flavor, color
Vegetable Gardening
Early-maturing Cultivars
Tomato
Melon
Corn
Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Disease Resistant Cultivars
www.sbceo.k12.ca.us
Corky root disease:
resistant variety at left
Vegetable Gardening
Intended Use of Produce
www.territorial-seed.com
www.mcohunts.com
www.cornichon.org
Vegetable Gardening
Cultivar Selection
• Unique climate & soils
• Heat tolerance, drought stress
• See Fact Sheet HLA-6032 for OSU
recommended varieties
Vegetable Gardening
Seed vs. Transplants
• Direct Seeded
• Transplanted

Spinach

Cabbage

Carrots

Broccoli

Peas

Cauliflower

Potatoes

Tomato

Beans

Eggplant

Corn

Pepper
Vegetable Gardening
Starting Seeds at Home
• Advantages

Wider selection of plant varieties

Can control plant availability/timing

Earlier harvest possible
• Indoor or Outdoor
Vegetable Gardening
When to Seed
• Weeks before transplanting

Cole crops – 4-6 weeks

Onions – 10-12 weeks

Lettuce – 4-6 weeks

Peppers – 8-10 weeks

Tomato & Eggplant – 6-8 weeks

Melons & Cucumbers – 4 weeks

Flowers – read label
Vegetable Gardening
Starting Seeds Indoors
cse.ssl.berkeley.edu
www.leevalley.com
Fluorescent bulbs
High-intensity lights
12-14 hours per day
Vegetable Gardening
Containers
www.humeseeds.com
www.heyne.com.au
Expandable
pots and flats
Egg carton
Plastic seed flats
www.skynursery.com
Vegetable Gardening
Potting Soil
www.westcreekfarms.com
www.cactuspro.com
www.reptox.csst.qc.ca
Perlite
Sphagnum peat
Vermiculite
Pasteurize: 180 degrees for 30 minutes
Vegetable Gardening
Plant Growing Carts
Built-in Florescent
Lights
www.hort.wisc.edu
Leek
Seedlings
Vegetable Gardening
Fertilizer
• Keep soil moist, not wet
• Liquid fertilizer at 2 to 3 week intervals
• Reduce applications when outdoor
planting approaches
Vegetable Gardening
Starting Seeds Outdoors
Hoop House
Cold Frame
Row Cover
Vegetable Gardening
Modify Growing Environment
Capture Sunlight
Regulate
Temperatures
Protection from
Frost and Wind
Vegetable Gardening
Capturing Heat
Heat Released
at Night
Sunlight
Warms the
Soil by Day
Sash Traps
Heat
Vegetable Gardening
Buying Transplants
www.colostate.edu
cbarc.aes.oregonstate.edu
Examine the roots: healthy roots are white,
diseased roots are brown or black
Vegetable Gardening
Harden-off Seedlings
www.rhs.org.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Transplanting
• Plant in morning or evening
• Or on a cloudy (even rainy!) day
• Do not pull on stem or leaves
• Spread and unwrap curled roots
• Water well, fertilize
Vegetable Gardening
Transplanting
Cardboard collars can
be made from toilet
paper tubes
members.aol.com
Vegetable Gardening
Frost Protection
Agribon, Reemay, Interfacing
Vegetable Gardening
Insect Protection, Too!
www.gardenaction.co.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Frost Protection
Cloches
www.dkimages.com
www.cooksgarden.com
Wall-O-Water
www.bellsofsuffolk.com
Vegetable Gardening
Plastic Mulches
• Warm soil
• Stimulate germination
• Promote early growth
• Plastic with micropores
www.hightunnels.org
Vegetable Gardening
Watering
• One inch weekly
• Irrigation


Conserves water
Targets root zone
• Keep foliage dry
• Water in morning
• Water needs vary with
plant stage
www.colostate.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Water Conservation
• Reduce evaporation
• Reduces fluctuations

Split tomatoes

Blossom end rot of
squash
Kim Rebek
Kim Rebek
Mulch
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
www.ipmthailand.org
www.wildernessnursery.com
i22.photobucket.com
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Control Options
• Use of mulches

Organic and Inorganic
• Plant spacing
• Hand labor for weeding
• Control prior to planting


Round-up herbicide
Tilling
CobraHead
Vegetable Gardening
Common Weeds
• Bermudagrass
• Crabgrass
• Knotweed
• Pigweeds
• Spurge
• Prickly sida (Mexican tea weed)
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
www.ipmthailand.org
www.wildernessnursery.com
i22.photobucket.com
Organic Mulches
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
Lower soil
temperature
Kim Rebek
Straw Mulch
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
Avoid
Herbicide
Treated
Clippings!
www.wildernessnursery.com
Grass Clippings
i22.photobucket.com
Leaves
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
www.wildernessnursery.com
www.hightunnels.org
Newspaper
Plastic
Inorganic Mulches
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
Reflects light at
plant for fruit
production
www.usask.ca
White Plastic
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
• Make sure water can
pass through
Fiber Mulches
David Beaulieu
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
• Alter plant spacing
• Remove early/small
• Sanitation

gaga.ncf.ca
Cultural Practices
Dispose of seed
heads
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
www.push-pull.net
horticulture.unh.edu
Mechanical Methods
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
Onion Seedling
Carrot Seedling
www.kerrysgarden.us
www.jackburnslives.com
Chemical Control
• Limit use


Plants sensitive to cultivation
Pre-emergent after germination
Vegetable Gardening
Weed Management
Quackgrass
Herbicide burn - cucumber
www.agf.gov.bc.ca
www.agron.iastate.edu
Chemical Control
• Limit use


Perennial weeds prior to planting
Or try solarization
Vegetable Gardening
Pest Management
If you plant it…
…they will come.
mtvernon.wsu.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Insect Pests of Vegetables
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu
Imported cabbage worm
Tomato hornworm
Direct Pests
Vegetable Gardening
Insect Pests of Vegetables
Indirect Pests
Aphids
Vegetable Gardening
Insect Pests of Vegetables
Larva
www.uky.edu
Squash vine borer
Adult
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
www.ipmthailand.org
Resistant Varieties – Rotation – Site Selection
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
users.ncable.net.au
Nutrition – Weed Management – Irrigation
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
www.colostate.edu
Sanitation
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
Encourage Natural Pest Control
Caraway
Vegetable Gardening
Integrated Pest Management
• Garden establishment
• Plant maintenance
• Pest avoidance
• Monitoring
Kim Rebek
Vegetable Gardening
Crop Rotation
• Rotate Plant Families

Curcurbits

Crucifers

Solanaceous

Legumes
www.letsgogardening.co.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Crop Rotation
• Manage insect pests
• Reduce disease
• Avoid nutrient
depletion
www.organicgardening.org.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Disease Management
• Resistant varieties
• Sanitation
• Cultural practices
• Rotation
Vegetable Gardening
Disease Management
Keep Foliage Dry
pubs.caes.uga.edu
Septoria leaf spot on tomato
garden.garden.org
Vegetable Gardening
Disease Management
Photos: Kim Rebek
Vegetable Gardening
Disease Management
Sanitation
mtvernon.wsu.edu
Kim Rebek
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
• Sanitation
www.monkeyrivertown.com

Remove debris

Destroy diseased
tissue

Eliminate sources of
weed seed
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
Seed Collection and Storage
www.ourveggiegarden.com
members.aol.com
Isolate flowers when
necessary
www.liseed.org
Open pollinated &
heirloom varieties only
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Soil Preparation
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
Plant Green Manures
• Reduce erosion
• Add nutrients to soil
www.dri.vic.gov.au
Rye grass
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
• Tillage in fall
www.thewatershed.org

Heavy soils

Winter freeze/thaw
breaks clods

Early spring planting
Vegetable Gardening
Postseason Duties
Record Keeping
• Planting map, varieties planted, planting dates
• Weather conditions, frost dates
• Seed sowing and transplanting times
• Pest problems: types of pests, extent of damage, yield
losses
• Management strategies taken and effectiveness
• Harvest dates, yields and quality
Vegetable Gardening
Perennial Crops
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Horseradish
Jerusalem Artichoke
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
• Cool season crop
• Produces 15-25 years
• Site selection important
www.hort.purdue.edu
• Tolerate moderate
fertility, sodium, light
shade
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
www.umassvegetable.org
Seed – cheaper, fewer
problems with fusarium
Commonly planted as
1-year-old crowns
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
Planting Crowns
18 inches
deep
3-5 feet
between rows
Plant 12-18
inches apart
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
Harvest in
third
season
www.hort.cornell.edu
Asparagus ferns
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Harvest small spears: 8-10
inches, 1 in. diameter
Vegetable Gardening
Rhubarb
Rheum rhabarbarum
• Grown for stems/petioles
• Roots and leaves inedible
• Very large plant, needs
space
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Rhubarb
• Planting
www.hort.purdue.edu

Crowns

2-3 inches deep

Well drained soil

Tolerate partial shade

Water well until
established
Vegetable Gardening
Jerusalem Artichoke
Helianthus tuberosus
• Native perennial
sunflower
• Edible tubers – sweet
and nutty flavor
biology.clc.uc.edu
Flowers
Vegetable Gardening
Jerusalem Artichoke
• Plant tubers 6 in. deep
• Well drained soil
• Plant 4-6 weeks before
last spring frost
• Cut like potatoes, one
“eye” per section
Tubers
• 120 days to mature
Vegetable Gardening
Jerusalem Artichoke
• No serious pests
• Harvest after tops die
back
• Can be very invasive
www.nbbd.com
Vegetable Gardening
Cole Crops
Brassica (Crucifer) Family :
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi,
Turnips, Mustard, and Collards
Vegetable Gardening
Planting
• Short spring and fall seasons
• Cool season plants, do not
tolerate heat – bolting
• Grow broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
from transplants
• Early maturing varieties
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Bolting broccoli
plant
Vegetable Gardening
Planting
Protect plants from
cutworms with
cardboard collar
www.avrdc.org
Bury to first set of leaves
Space 18-24 inches in rows
members.aol.com
Vegetable Gardening
Broccoli Types
outreach.missouri.edu
www.gardenaction.co.uk
Sprouting broccoli
Head broccoli
Vegetable Gardening
Cabbage
Loose- and hard-heading
types
Many varieties: color,
use, time to maturity
Images: www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Cauliflower
• Blanching




Tie leaves around developing curd
Preserves color and flavor
Blanch while head is dry
Check regularly – ripening varies
www.hort.purdue.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
Self-blanching
Vegetable Gardening
Harvest
www.mariquita.com
Harvest broccoli and
cauliflower by cutting
entire head
www.hort.cornell.edu
Over-ripe floret
Vegetable Gardening
Broccoli – Second Harvest
Small heads form on side
shoots after initial harvest
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.mariquita.com
Vegetable Gardening
Cabbage
Twist heads
to harvest
Twist heads slightly
or cut roots to delay
head splitting
www.yaguinalights.org
Vegetable Gardening
Brussels Sprouts
Sprouts form on lower
stem first
Break off lower,
yellowing leaves
Leave 2-inch stalk
for developing
sprouts
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Brussels Sprouts
• Harvest sprouts when 2inch diameter
• 60-100 per plant
• Flavor mellows with age
• Warm weather promotes
strong flavor
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Tips
• Plants need steady
moisture – drip irrigation
works well
• Cauliflower can be
challenging
www.colostate.edu
• Brussels sprouts and
cauliflower have high
nutrient requirements
Vegetable Gardening
Turnips
• Both root and leaves
are edible
• Cool season crop
• Plant at 3 week
intervals
www.hort.cornell.edu
• Harvest small roots:
2-3 inches
Vegetable Gardening
Kale
www.veseys.com
‘Scotch’
Tightly curled
leaves
felcopruners.net
‘Siberian’
Smooth leaf with
frilled edge
www.hort.cornell.edu
‘Bicolor’
Ornamental
& Edible
Vegetable Gardening
Kale
• Spring – sow 6 weeks
before last frost
• Fall – sow 10 weeks
before first frost
• Hold fall crop in ground
into winter
www.hort.purdue.edu
• Frost improves flavor
Vegetable Gardening
Kale
Harvest individual
leaves or entire
plant
Young leaves – eat fresh
Older leaves – stews and
soup
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Mustard
www.all-creatures.org
Bok Choy (Pok Choi) or Chinese
mustard cabbage
www.hort.cornell.edu
Curly leaf and smooth mustards
are common to southern gardens
Vegetable Gardening
Mustard
www.webindia123.com
• Cool-season plant
• Plants bolt in hot weather
• Mulch to keep roots cool
Mustard
flowering
• Sow 2 to 4 weeks before
last frost
• Second planting for fall
harvest
Vegetable Gardening
Mustard
www.cookinglouisiana.com
• Harvest plants all at
once or largest leaves
first
• Frost improves flavor
• Avoid flowering and
seeding  weeds!
Vegetable Gardening
Collards
Brassica oleracea
• Non-heading cabbage
• Tolerates heat well
• Start seeds 10 weeks
before final frost
• Mulch base to prolong
harvest
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Collards
• Harvest young, tender
leaves
• Harvest lower leaves
first, leave tip to
prolong harvest
• Frost does not
improve flavor
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
The Legume Family
Beans and Peas
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
Phaseolus spp.
French beans
Snap beans
www.homestead.com
Wax beans
www.thegardennewsletter.com
www.hort.purdue.edu
Lima beans
www.umassvegetable.org
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
smileycynic.net
www.VictorySeeds.com
Bush beans
Pole beans: 5-8
foot support
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
• Sow beans after danger of
frost passes
• Plant at 2-week intervals
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
www.hort.purdue.edu
Snap beans: Do not let pods overfill
& harvest young pods regularly
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
Pisum spp.
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
Sugar snap peas
Snow peas
www.hort.purdue.edu
Garden pea
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Pea Varieties
berkeley.edu
• Smooth vs. wrinkled seeds

Wrinkled - sweeter

Smooth – good for fall crop
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Pea Varieties
www.bbc.co.uk
www.hort.cornell.edu
Tall varieties need support
Tall vs. short plants
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
• Sow when soil reaches 40oF
• Plant fall crop in August
• Soak seeds 24 hrs. before planting
www.uky.edu
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
• Mature garden pea

Pod full, but not
deteriorating

Approx. 3 weeks after
flower

Process or eat
immediately
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
Overripe peas
•Dry pods on vine
•Shell and dry peas 3
weeks
www.liseed.org
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
www.seedsofchange.com
Mature snow pea
www.thecuttinggarden.com
Mature sugar snap pea
Vegetable Gardening
The Bulbs
Onion family: onion, garlic, and leeks
Vegetable Gardening
Onions
Allium cepa
• Onion Classifications

Shape: globe, round, flat

Color: red, white, yellow

Pungency: sweet or
pungent

Day Length: short,
intermediate, long
***Short day for OK***
Photos: National Garden Bureau
Vegetable Gardening
Onions
• Bunching Onions

Scallions

Any type of onion

Harvested immature
Vegetable Gardening
Onions
• Grown from seed,
transplants, or sets
• Sets and transplants
planted Feb- March
• Fall planting (sets,
seed, or plants) for
late spring harvest
Vegetable Gardening
Harvesting Onions
• Constant water
supply
www.hort.cornell.edu

Limited roots

1 inch/week until
bulbing

1 ½ inches/week
until tops fall over
Vegetable Gardening
Harvesting Onions
• Leave in ground 1-2
weeks after tops fall
over

Skins thicken

Leaves dry
• Dry harvested bulbs in
sun 3-7 days
www.vidaliaonion.com
Vegetable Gardening
Garlic
Allium sativum
 Perennial grown as annual
 Started from cloves
Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Garlic
www.extension.umn.edu
• Planting
• Point up!
• 1 inch deep
• Sandy, rich soil
• Fall or spring
planting
This clove was planted
upside-down
www.mytinyplot.co.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Garlic
www.mytinyplot.co.uk
Control Weeds &
Remove Flowers
Garlic can be hung to dry
www.hort.cornell.edu
Harvest when tops yellow
and droop
Vegetable Gardening
Leeks
Allium ampeloprasum, Porrum group
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Leeks
www.hort.wisc.edu
www.hort.wisc.edu
• Plant seedlings in
trenches
• Set 6-8 inches deep
• Cover stem one inch at
a time as plants grow
• Spring planting – 3-4
wks. Before last frost
• Fall planting – Sept. 1
Vegetable Gardening
Leeks
www.hort.wisc.edu
• Harvest when 1 inch
diameter or larger
• Pull by hand or dig
• Can store fall crops in
garden over winter

Mulch heavily
Vegetable Gardening
Nightshade
(Solanaceous) Family
Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant,
and Peppers
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
Lycopersicum esculentum
• Classifications


www.hort.purdue.edu
Use: fresh, canning
Maturation: early, midseason, and late varieties
Some types
suitable for
hanging baskets
www.corporate-elite.info
Vegetable Gardening
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
• Determinate
 Finite bearing season


Harvest will peak then decrease
Compact plant size
• Indeterminate
 Will bear until frost

Continues to grow, flower & fruit until frost
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
Randolph G. Gardner
www.pallensmith.com
Hybrid tomato
Heritage varieties
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
www.cooksgarden.com
Very susceptible to frost, take
precautions if starting plants early
www.hightunnels.org
Wall-o-water
Black plastic
warms soil
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
www.slowgardening.com
Trench
Method
ourveggiegarden.com
Ideal transplants
More typically transplants are long
and leggy
Set transplants deep in soil
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato Supports
Tomato cage
www.uwgb.edu
Not necessary, but…
www.thewaterwisegarden.com
Staked tomato
• Keeps fruits off ground
• May reduce disease
• Saves space
Vegetable Gardening
Mulching
Kim Rebek
• Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,
potatoes
• Maintain constant, even
moisture (esp. fruiting)
• Moderate temperatures
• Manage weeds
• Limit spread of soil-born
pathogens
• Once soils warm: mid-June
Vegetable Gardening
Eggplant
Solanum melongena var. esculentum
Star-shaped flowers
Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu
Attractive fruit
Vegetable Gardening
Eggplant
• Warm soil a must
www.hort.purdue.edu

Plant 2-3 weeks after
last killing frost

Start plants indoors 810 weeks before
transplanting
Vegetable Gardening
Eggplant
Harvest
• Eggplant does
not store
• Extent season

Early harvest
(3-5 inch fruits)

Very tender
www.specialtycrops.colostate.edu
www.ars.usda.gov
www.infinitegardenfarm.com
Vegetable Gardening
Peppers
Capsicum annuum var. annuum
Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Peppers
• Sandy soil ideal
• Protect plants from
wind and frost
• Sun scald

www.umassvegetable.org
Sun Scald
Associated with low
magnesium levels
Vegetable Gardening
Peppers
Harvest immature, green
peppers or allow to color
for sweeter flavor
www.plantations.cornell.edu
www.arcana.ws
www.hort.purdue.edu
Cut pods rather than pulling off plant
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
Solanum tuberosum
• Use certified, diseasefree seed pieces
• Select disease-resistant
varieties
• Late maturing varieties
for winter storage
www.robinsons.pe.ca
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
• Loam and sandy
loam ideal
• Misshapen tubers
may develop in
heavy soil
www.coopext.colostate.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
pubs.caes.uga.edu
Seed pieces
www.gardenaction.co.uk
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
• Potatoes are heavy
feeders

Take soil sample
• Hill soil when plants
reach 8-12 inches,
and as needed
pubs.caes.uga.edu
Hilling
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
• Constant moisture is a must – 1 inch/week
• Alternating wet-dry cycles causes cracks, hollow
heart, and knobs
www.coopext.colostste.edu
Hollow heart
edis.ifas.ufl.edu
Cracks
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
Harvest time varies, look for
indicators: vine death, tuber size,
skin set (does not peel easily)
clearwaterlandscapes.com
New potatoes – small, immature
potatoes
www.hort.cornell.edu
Harvest upper tubers carefully,
leaving deeper ones to mature
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
• Storing potatoes



www.claywestvirginia.com

Harvest fully matured
tubers
Harvest before severe
frost
Store only undamaged,
healthy tubers
Check weekly
Vegetable Gardening
The Cucurbits
Cucumbers, melons, summer
and winter squash, pumpkins,
and gourds
Vegetable Gardening
Cucurbits
• Warm soils up with black
plastic mulch or landscape
fabric


Can double yields!
Do not tolerate cold soils
• Plant early to beat pests
www.hort.cornell.edu
• Grow disease-resistant
varieties
Vegetable Gardening
Cucurbits
• Plant from seed or
transplants
• Avoid disturbing roots

www.prunus.net
Seedlings
Planting and cultivation
• Good weed control is
essential
Mulch plants: maintain moisture, control weeds, and warm soils
Vegetable Gardening
Cucurbits
• Vines can reach 20 feet
• Cut back to contain
• Save space – grow on
sturdy trellis or arbor

www.hort.purdue.edu
Cucumbers, small melons,
gourds, and winter squash
Vegetable Gardening
Cucurbits
• Plants are monoecious

Separate male and female
flowers

Insect pollinated


Protect and encourage honeybees
Readily cross-pollinate

No effect on fruit, but seed is
hybrid, not true to parent
www.hort.cornell.edu
Watermelon flower
Vegetable Gardening
Cucurbits
• Large quantities of water

Cucumber, melons, summer
squash

Especially during fruit
production

Demand tapers as fruit ripens

Keep soil moist
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Pumpkin and Squash
Cucurbita spp.
www.hort.cornell.edu
Cut stems and cure in
field 2-3 weeks
www.harrismoran.com
www.hort.cornell.edu
Summer squash tender and immature
Winter squash has matured and stores well
Vegetable Gardening
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
Slicing cucumber
Pickling cucumber
Two Main Types
Vegetable Gardening
Cucumbers
• Harvest picklers daily
• Harvest slicers at
appropriate size
• Do not leave unwanted
fruit on vine

Will stop production
www.hort.purdue.edu
Harvested cucumbers
Vegetable Gardening
Melons
Cucumis melo
thinksmart.typepad.com
www.hort.purdue.edu
Netted Melon
(“Cantalope”)
www.biology.iastate.edu
Honeydew melon
Watermelon
Vegetable Gardening
Melons
• Ripeness Indicators
www.hort.cornell.edu

Coloration

Tendril nearest fruit turns
brown

Rind touching ground turns
yellow

Dull, hollow thud when
tapped

Finger nail test
Vegetable Gardening
Salad Crops and Potherbs
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
www.csdl.tamu.edu
Leaf lettuce
www.hort.purdue.edu
Romaine
www.csdl.tamu.edu
Boston lettuce
www.hort.purdue.edu
Head lettuce
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce
• Cool-season crop

Best to grow quickly

Provide plenty of water early on
• Sow mid February to mid-March
• Sow leaf lettuce again early
August
Mixed lettuce planting
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce
Heat Sensitive
Lettuce planted between
rows of beans moderates
temperature
• Prolongs production
• Prevents bitter taste
Photos: www.seedsofchange.com
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce
Harvest
Loose leaf types: Cut outer
leaves one-by-one, leaving
inner leaves to mature
Head and Romaine:
Harvest at appropriate
size, cut at crown
Vegetable Gardening
Endive
Cichorium intybus
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.vegiworks.com
Curly endive
Escarole
Vegetable Gardening
Endive
Heat causes
bitterness
Blanch leaves to
reduce bitterness
2-3 weeks before
harvest
Photos: www.rhs.org.uk
Tie leaves or cover
plants with pot or
plates
Vegetable Gardening
Goosefoot Family
Spinach, Chard, and Beets
Vegetable Gardening
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
www.specialtycrops.colostate.edu
www.hort.cornell.edu
Smooth-leaved spinach
Savoy spinach
Quick to mature, requires little space
Vegetable Gardening
Spinach
www.hort.wisc.edu
• Summer heat causes plants
to bolt
• Plant early spring
• Plant between taller crops
to cool, tolerates part shade
• Sow fall crop mid-September
Spinach bolting
Vegetable Gardening
Spinach
www.hort.wisc.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
• Switch to chard
or New Zealand
spinach during
warmer weather
New Zealand
spinach
Swiss chard
Vegetable Gardening
Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris var. cicla
• Colorful, ornamental
and edible
• Tolerates heat
• Avoid drought stress

Induces flowering and
stops production
www.hort.purdue.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Spinach
Harvest
• Keep plants productive



www.hort.purdue.edu
Pinch-off outer leaves
Keep 50% intact for
further growth
Chard may produce up to
2 years!
Vegetable Gardening
Beets
• Sow seeds March and
August
• Irrigation important
during establishment
• Not tolerant of wet soil
• Bolting may occur in
heat
Vegetable Gardening
Root Crops
Vegetable Gardening
Carrots
Daucus carota var. sativus
• Easy to grow
• Deep, loose, rich soil
• Rocky, hard soil
causes irregular
growth
www.ars.usda.gov
Vegetable Gardening
Carrots
• Carrot Shapes (left to right)

Chantenay


Nantes



Medium length, blunt tip
Bunching, slicing, minis
Danvers


Short, distinctively colored core
Large, good for processing
Imperator

Long, tapered, eaten fresh
oregonstate.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Carrots
• Harvest when 1 to
1 ½ inch diameter
• Fall crop – harvest
after first frost
www.pbs.org
Vegetable Gardening
Parsnips
Pastinaca sativa
• Sweet, nutty flavor
• Good for stews and
soups
• Biennial plant grown
as annual
• Grow like carrots
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Parsnips
• Requires warm soil to
germinate


Sow when soil warms
Fall crop – late July
• Harvest when 1 inch
• Flavor enhanced by
frost
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Radishes
Raphanus sativus
• Very easy to grow
• Grow all season:

www.hort.cornell.edu
Spring, mid-season,
summer, late, and winter
varieties available
• Oblong, round, flat or
long roots
Vegetable Gardening
Radishes
• Low maintenance
• Irrigation important

1 inch / week
• Sow at intervals for
continued harvest
Probert Encyclopedia
Vegetable Gardening
Rutabaga
Brassica napus
• Roots similar to
turnip

Longer to mature

Stores longer
• Tops also edible
www.hort.cornell.edu

Strong flavor

Good for soups/stews
Vegetable Gardening
Rutabaga
www.hort.cornell.edu
• Need room to grow

Space seedlings 8 inches
apart
• Tolerate heavy soils
• Harvest when diameter
about 5 inches
• Do not allow roots to
freeze
Vegetable Gardening
Other Crops
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
Zea mays
www.buddenbooks.com
Popping
corn
Sweet
corn
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu
www.cmsu.edu
Indian
corn
teachplants.okstate.edu
Field
corn
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
www.gardenleisure.com
Older Varieties –
many colors,
open pollinated
Modern Varieties
– usually hybrid
www.agron.missouri.edu
www.mass.gov
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
Pollen effects characteristics of
the current crop (very unique):
• Flavor: starch or sweet
• Kernel color
• Isolate from field corn
www.hort.purdue.edu
Pollen is produced
on the tassels
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
• Cold soils can limit
germination

Plant late March to April
• Sow successive plantings
Frost damage

Every 3-4 weeks

Final planting July 15
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
Rotate
Beans
www.hort.purdue.edu
Corn
Rotation replenishes soil nutrients
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
Increase water
when plants start
to silk
Sensitive to soil moisture
• 1 inch / week
• 1 ½ in./ week when ear filling
• Mulch plants
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
• Strip back leaves to test
kernels for ripeness
• Look for dark, damp silks
• Twist ear and pull
downward to harvest
www.afcd.gov.hk
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
Allow dent, Indian, and
popcorn varieties to dry
on the stalk
www.blueridgetexas.com
Vegetable Gardening
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
Photos: www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Okra
• Plant April 10 or later

Warm season crop

Very tender
• Best to seed

www.tinkersgarden.com
Plants sensitive to root
disturbance
• Follow peas for good
results
Vegetable Gardening
Okra
• Pick pods when small and
tender (2-3 inches long)
• Harvest every 3 days
• Use okra immediately,
does not keep
www.technisem.com
Vegetable Gardening
Okra
Protect your skin from
irritation
www.hort.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Sweet Potatoes
Ipomoea batatas
www.hort.cornell.edu
www.hort.purdue.edu
Need long season to mature: 90-160 days
Vegetable Gardening
Sweet Potatoes
• Grown from
slips
• Start your own
or purchase
photoalbum.datafox.org
Start “slips” in
water or soil
www.onekama.k12.mi.us
Pointed end up!
Vegetable Gardening
Sweet Potatoes
• Plant slips May to early
June
• Space 3-4 feet apart
• Do not over fertilize
www.nri.org
Vegetable Gardening
Sweet Potatoes
• Harvest when tubers
reach 5-6 inches long and
2 inch diameter
• Harvest before first frost
• Cure for storage

www.oznet.ksu.edu
80-90 degrees for 2 weeks
Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable Pests
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
Asparagus beetle
Larva
Beetle damage to spears
Adult
Hand remove & Harvest often
Photos: www.vegedge.umn.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Asparagus
Asparagus rust
• Fungus on stems and leaves
www.umass.vegetable.org
• Manage with fungicides
• 7-10 day intervals
•Begin after harvest
•Sanitation
Vegetable Gardening
Brassica Pests
Imported cabbage
worm
Rick Foster
www.ent.csiro.au
Cabbage aphid
www.urbanex.uiuc.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Insect Pests
Use row covers (Reemay)
Susan Mahr
Cabbage looper
damage
www.ent.uga.edu
Cabbage looper
Vegetable Gardening
Diseases
Alternaria leaf spot
Club root
Black rot
www.umassvegetable.org
Manage with: resistant varieties, plant
spacing, garden sanitation
Photos: www.nysaes.cornell.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Turnips
muextension.missouri.edu
Flea beetle
www.gardeners.com
Vegetable Gardening
Mustard
C. Welty
Cabbageworms
Aphids
W. Cranshaw
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
www.cnr.berkley.edu
Cabbage looper
www.ipm.uiuc.edu
Green cloverworm
www.vegedge.umn.edu
University of Florida
Mexican bean beetle
European
corn borer
Vegetable Gardening
Beans
C.L. Harmon
Common bean rust
www,maes.msu.edu
edis.ifas.ufl.edu
Bacterial blight
Bean mosaic virus
Keep foliage dry!
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
www.ent.csiro.au
Jim Dill
Cutworm
info.ag.uidaho.edu
Pea weevil
Pea aphid
Vegetable Gardening
Peas
X.B. Yang
www.dpi.vic.gov.au
Damping off
Powdery mildew
Peas usually problem free in home gardens
Vegetable Gardening
Bulb Pests
Michigan State University
W. Cranshaw
Onion maggot damage
Onion thrips
Vegetable Gardening
Bulb Pests
www.extension.umn.edu
www.garlicworld.co.uk
cvp.cce.cornell.edu
Foliar symptoms of
fusarium rot
Garlic rot
Botrytis leaf blight
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
Tomato hornworm
Purdue University
Variegated Cutworm
pestdata.ncsu.edu
Flea beetle damage
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Tomato wilt
Late blight
Vegetable Gardening
Tomato
www.nysaes.cornell.edu
www.oznet.ksu.edu
Anthracnose
Spotted wilt virus
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
Colorado potato beetle
University of Florida
Eggs
www.ars.usda.gov
Larvae
Adult
Hand pick eggs and larvae or use Bacillus thuringiensis san diego (Bt)
Plants tolerate 25% leaf damage
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
Potato Late Blight
www.scri.sari.ac.uk
www1.sac.ac.uk
Rotation, resistant varieties, and certified disease free
seed all help in management
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
Foliage Problems
www.gov.mb.ca
Virus leaf roll
Potato leafhopper
Vegetable Gardening
Potato
plantpath.wisc.edu
www.umassvegetable.org
Scab
Potato soft rot
cvp.cce.cornell.edu
Potato virus Y
tuber necrosis
Vegetable Gardening
Pumpkin and Squash
Squash vine
borer
Squash
bugs
R. Bessin
www.uky.edu
Cucumber beetles
P. Coin
R. Bessin
www.uky.edu
Vegetable Gardening
Pumpkin and Squash
Black rot
Bacterial
wilt
www.ag.ohio-state.edu
Gummy stem
blight
www.ag.ohio-state.edu
Angular leaf spot
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce
ag.arizona.edu
L.R. Nault
www.fantasy-gardening.com
Bottom rot
Aster yellows
Slug feeding
Vegetable Gardening
Spinach
The Ohio State University
imagedb.calsnet.arizona.edu
Aphid
Leaf Miner
www.inra.fr
Downy
mildew
Vegetable Gardening
Swiss Chard
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu
Leaf miner
mtvernon.wsu.edu
Leaf spot
Vegetable Gardening
Carrots
insects.tamu.edu
Carrot Weevil
bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au
Wireworms
Vegetable Gardening
Carrots
www.plantpath.wisc.edu
Cercospora leaf spot
Tom Isakeit
Alternaria leaf blight
Vegetable Gardening
Many Crops
www.taunton.com
Exclude beetles using
floating row covers
muextension.missouri.edu
Flea beetle
Vegetable Gardening
Radishes
www.omafra.gov.on.ca
Black root
www.semena.org
Radish scab
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
www.ento.psu.edu
ipcm.wisc.edu
Corn earworm
European
corn borer
www.ent.iastate.edu
Wireworm
Vegetable Gardening
Corn
www.plantpath.wisc.edu
www.nysaes.cornell.edu
Corn smut
Rust
Vegetable Gardening
Okra
www.colostate.edu
Kim Rebek
entweb.clemson.edu
Green stink bug
Imported
cabbageworm
Corn earworms