Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener ... · Oklahoma Cooperative Extension...

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: stephanie.larimer@okstate.edu

On the web at: http://home.okstate.edu/Okstate/dasnr/hort/hortlahome.nsf/toc/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

• What‘s the garden for?

Fresh salad and vegetables

Processing — canning & freezing

Combination fresh & processing

Give away gardenwww.territorial-seed.com

www.cornichon.org

Vegetable Gardening

Garden Planning

• Who will be helping?

The obvious people

Me—Myself—I

Other household members

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

particleww.soilsensor.com

Vegetable Gardening

Soil Types

• Sandy

Leaching, drying

Easy to till, good rooting

Sandy-loam

www.cannonsturf.co.uk

Vegetable Gardening

Soil Types

• Loamy

Free movement of water and air

Good water retention

Fertile

Little resistance to tillage

www.oznet.ksu.edu

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

N

Taller plants at north end reduces shading

Group plants with

similar needs

Cole Crops

Corn & Tomatoes

North-south orientation

Reduces effect of westerly winds

Vegetable Gardening

Garden Layout

Traditional Rows

www.mobot.org

Vegetable Gardening

Garden Layout

Unconventional Design

www.sfpermaculture.com oblique.csail.mit.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

Mounded or Ridged Rows

www.geocities.com

Warm soil in spring

Improve Drainage

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

• Drainage

• Fertility

• Great for herb

and salad gardens

• Physical

disabilitiesRaised Beds

www.humeseeds.com

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

Containers

www.lollygirl.com

ripples.typepad.com

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

Vertical Gardening

Trellising Hanging Baskets

www.corporate_elite.infowww.burpee.com

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

Square-foot Gardening

members.aol.com

Vegetable Gardening

Alternatives to Row Plantings

Intercropping

www.agroecology.org

Vegetable Gardening

Getting Started

Vegetable Gardening

Pre-planting Preparation

Solarization

www.floridagardener.com

Crabgrass

Weeds!

Vegetable Gardening

Tilling

www.pdkinc.comwww.oznet.ksu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Double Digging

1 ft. wide

1 ft. deep

www.himalayanacademy.com www.okstate.edu

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

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Acid Alkaline

Neutral

Battery

acidVinegar Orange

juice

Pure

water

Baking

sodaAmmonia Bleach Lye

pH Scale

Vegetable Gardening

……takes the guesswork out of fertilization

• Correct nutrition imbalances

• Prevent over fertilization

• Adjust pH

• Test soil every 2-3 years www.plintestusa.com

Soil Analysis…..

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

• Chemical Fertilizers

Immediately available

Potential for root burn

Nutrient Availability

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Organic versus Non-organic

• Organic Fertilizers

Nutrients released slowly

Nutrients available for

longer duration

Nutrient Availability

www.dahlias.net

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

Compost

www.univers-nature.com

Free Sources

Manure

Vegetable Gardening

Make Your Own Compost

www.monkeyrivertown.com

Vegetable Gardening

Store-bought

Sources of Organic Matter

Vegetable Gardening

Green Manure Crops

Sources of Organic Matter

• Legumes – fix nitrogen

• Organic matter

• Weed retention

• Rye, clover, vetch

Clover

Vegetable Gardening

Calculating Fertilizer Needs

10’

40’My

Garden

1. Determine garden area Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.

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.

3. Calculate actual nitrogen needs 0.4 x 1.5 = 0.6 lbs N

1.5 lbs. N

1000 sqft.X 400 sqft. = 0.6 lbs. N

Rate X Area = Actual N

Calculating Fertilizer Needs

1. Determine garden area Area 10 x 40 = 400 sqft.

2. Recommended fertilizer 1.5 lbs of N/1000 sqft.

3. Calculate actual nitrogen needs 0.4 x 1.5 = 0.6 lbs N

4. Fertilizer Rate (R)• 46-0-0 fertilizer - 46% N = 0.46 lb. N/lb.

We need

0.46 lb. N

1 lb. fert.x R0.6 lb. N= = 1.3 lbs.

fert.

1 lb. fert.

0.46 lb. N0.6 lb.N x

Vegetable Culture

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

Warm-season cropsCool-season crops

• Asparagus

• Broccoli

• Cabbage

• Garlic

• Peas

• Onion

•Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Carrot

• Celery

• Potato

• Lettuce

• Beet

•Spinach

• Cucumber

• Snap bean

• Tomato

• Eggplant

• Melons

• Peppers

•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

Easy to grow

More difficult to grow

wikimedia.org

images.meredith.com

www.harrismoran.com

thinksmart.typepad.com hypertextbook.com

www.kyagr.com

Vegetable Gardening

Hybrid Cultivars

Variety 1 – Disease

Resistance

Hybrid

Variety 2 – Good

Color

X

Photos: Randolph G. Gardner

•High yielding

•Vigorous

•Uniform

•Hearty

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

Melon

Corn

Tomato

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.cornichon.org

www.mcohunts.com

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

Spinach

Carrots

Peas

Potatoes

Beans

Corn

• Transplanted

Cabbage

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Tomato

Eggplant

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

High-intensity lights

Fluorescent bulbs

cse.ssl.berkeley.eduwww.leevalley.com

12-14 hours per day

Vegetable Gardening

Containers

Egg carton

www.heyne.com.au

Expandable

pots and flats

Plastic seed flats

www.skynursery.com

www.humeseeds.com

Vegetable Gardening

Potting Soil

Sphagnum peatPerlite

Vermiculite

www.westcreekfarms.com

www.reptox.csst.qc.ca

www.cactuspro.com

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

Cold Frame

Row Cover

Hoop House

Vegetable Gardening

Modify Growing Environment

Regulate Temperatures

Capture Sunlight

Protection from Frost and Wind

Vegetable Gardening

Capturing Heat

Sunlight Warms the Soil by Day

Heat Released at Night

Sash Traps Heat

Vegetable Gardening

Buying Transplants

cbarc.aes.oregonstate.eduwww.colostate.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

Wall-O-Water

Cloches

www.cooksgarden.com

www.dkimages.com

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

Mulch

Kim Rebek

Kim Rebek

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

www.ipmthailand.org

i22.photobucket.com

www.wildernessnursery.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

TillingCobraHead

Vegetable Gardening

Common Weeds

• Bermudagrass

• Crabgrass

• Knotweed

• Pigweeds

• Spurge

• Prickly sida (Mexican tea weed)

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

Organic Mulches

www.ipmthailand.org

i22.photobucket.com

www.wildernessnursery.com

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

Straw Mulch

Kim Rebek

Lower soil temperature

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

i22.photobucket.com www.wildernessnursery.com

Grass Clippings Leaves

Avoid Herbicide Treated

Clippings!

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

Inorganic Mulches

www.wildernessnursery.comwww.hightunnels.org

Newspaper Plastic

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

White Plastic

www.usask.ca

Reflects light at plant for fruit production

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

Dispose of seed

heads

Cultural Practices

gaga.ncf.ca

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

Mechanical Methods

www.push-pull.net horticulture.unh.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

• Limit use

Plants sensitive to cultivation

Pre-emergent after germination

Chemical Control

www.kerrysgarden.uswww.jackburnslives.com

Carrot Seedling Onion Seedling

Vegetable Gardening

Weed Management

Quackgrasswww.agron.iastate.edu

Herbicide burn - cucumberwww.agf.gov.bc.ca

• Limit use

Perennial weeds prior to planting

Or try solarization

Chemical Control

Vegetable Gardening

Pest Management

If you plant it…

…they will come.

mtvernon.wsu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Insect Pests of Vegetables

Imported cabbage worm Tomato hornwormwww.urbanext.uiuc.edu

Direct Pests

Vegetable Gardening

Insect Pests of Vegetables

Aphids

Indirect Pests

Vegetable Gardening

Insect Pests of Vegetables

Squash vine borer

Larva Adultwww.uky.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• Monitoring

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• Monitoringwww.ipmthailand.org

Resistant Varieties – Rotation – Site Selection

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• Monitoringusers.ncable.net.au

Nutrition – Weed Management – Irrigation

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• Monitoringwww.colostate.edu

Sanitation

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• Monitoring

Caraway

Encourage Natural Pest Control

Vegetable Gardening

Integrated Pest Management

• Garden establishment

• Plant maintenance

• Pest avoidance

• MonitoringKim 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

Septoria leaf spot on tomato

garden.garden.org

pubs.caes.uga.edu

Keep Foliage Dry

Vegetable Gardening

Disease Management

Photos: Kim Rebek

Vegetable Gardening

Disease Management

mtvernon.wsu.edu

Kim Rebek

Sanitation

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

• Sanitation

Remove debris

Destroy diseased

tissue

Eliminate sources of

weed seed

www.monkeyrivertown.com

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

Seed Collection and Storage

members.aol.com

www.ourveggiegarden.com

www.liseed.org

Isolate flowers when necessary

Open pollinated & heirloom varieties only

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

Soil Preparation

www.oznet.ksu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

Plant Green Manures

Rye grass

• Reduce erosion

• Add nutrients to soil

www.dri.vic.gov.au

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

• Tillage in fall

Heavy soils

Winter freeze/thaw

breaks clods

Early spring planting

www.thewatershed.org

Vegetable Gardening

Postseason Duties

• 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

Record Keeping

Vegetable Gardening

Perennial Crops

Asparagus

Rhubarb

Horseradish

Jerusalem Artichoke

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

• Cool season crop

• Produces 15-25 years

• Site selection important

• Tolerate moderate

fertility, sodium, light

shade

Asparagus officinalis

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

Seed – cheaper, fewer

problems with fusarium

www.umassvegetable.org

Commonly planted as

1-year-old crowns

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

3-5 feet

between rows

Plant 12-18

inches apart

18 inches

deep

Planting Crowns

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

www.hort.cornell.eduwww.oznet.ksu.edu

Asparagus ferns Harvest small spears: 8-10

inches, 1 in. diameter

Harvest in third

season

Vegetable Gardening

Rhubarb

• Grown for stems/petioles

• Roots and leaves inedible

• Very large plant, needs

space

Rheum rhabarbarum

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Rhubarb

• Planting

Crowns

2-3 inches deep

Well drained soil

Tolerate partial shade

Water well until

establishedwww.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Jerusalem Artichoke

• Native perennial

sunflower

• Edible tubers – sweet

and nutty flavor

Helianthus tuberosus

Flowers

biology.clc.uc.edu

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

• 120 days to matureTubers

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 varietiesBolting broccoli

plant

www.oznet.ksu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Planting

www.avrdc.org

Bury to first set of leaves

Space 18-24 inches in rows

Protect plants from cutworms with

cardboard collar

members.aol.com

Vegetable Gardening

Broccoli Types

Head broccoli

Sprouting broccoli

outreach.missouri.edu

www.gardenaction.co.uk

Vegetable Gardening

Cabbage

Images: www.hort.purdue.edu

Loose- and hard-heading types

Many varieties: color, use, time to maturity

Vegetable Gardening

Cauliflower• Blanching

Tie leaves around developing curd

Preserves color and flavor

Blanch while head is dry

Check regularly – ripening varies

Self-blanching

www.hort.purdue.edu

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Harvest

Over-ripe floret

Harvest broccoli and

cauliflower by cutting

entire head

www.hort.cornell.edu

www.mariquita.com

Vegetable Gardening

Broccoli – Second Harvest

www.hort.cornell.edu

www.mariquita.com

Small heads form on side

shoots after initial harvest

Vegetable Gardening

Cabbage

www.yaguinalights.org

Twist heads

to harvest

Twist heads slightly or cut roots to delay head splitting

Vegetable Gardening

Brussels Sprouts

www.hort.cornell.edu

Break off lower,

yellowing leaves

Leave 2-inch stalk

for developing

sprouts

Sprouts form on lower stem first

Vegetable Gardening

Brussels Sprouts

• Harvest sprouts when 2-

inch diameter

• 60-100 per plant

• Flavor mellows with age

• Warm weather promotes

strong flavorwww.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Tips

• Plants need steady

moisture – drip irrigation

works well

• Cauliflower can be

challenging

• Brussels sprouts and

cauliflower have high

nutrient requirementswww.colostate.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Turnips

• Both root and leaves are edible

• Cool season crop

• Plant at 3 week intervals

• Harvest small roots: 2-3 inches

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Kale

‗Bicolor‘

Ornamental

& Edible

www.hort.cornell.edu

‗Scotch‘

Tightly curled

leaves

‗Siberian‘

Smooth leaf with

frilled edge

felcopruners.net www.veseys.com

Vegetable Gardening

Kale

• Spring – sow 6 weeks before last frost

• Fall – sow 10 weeks before first frost

• Hold fall crop in ground into winter

• Frost improves flavorwww.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Kale

www.hort.purdue.edu

Harvest individual

leaves or entire

plant

Young leaves – eat fresh

Older leaves – stews and soup

Vegetable Gardening

Mustard

www.hort.cornell.edu

www.all-creatures.org

Bok Choy (Pok Choi) or Chinese mustard cabbage

Curly leaf and smooth mustards are common to southern gardens

Vegetable Gardening

Mustard

• Cool-season plant

• Plants bolt in hot weather

• Mulch to keep roots cool

• Sow 2 to 4 weeks before

last frost

• Second planting for fall

harvest

Mustard

flowering

www.webindia123.com

Vegetable Gardening

Mustard

• Harvest plants all at

once or largest leaves

first

• Frost improves flavor

• Avoid flowering and

seeding weeds!

www.cookinglouisiana.com

Vegetable Gardening

Collards

• Non-heading cabbage

• Tolerates heat well

• Start seeds 10 weeks

before final frost

• Mulch base to prolong

harvest

Brassica oleracea

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Collards

• Harvest young, tender leaves

• Harvest lower leaves first, leave tip to prolong harvest

• Frost does notimprove flavor

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

The Legume Family

Beans and Peas

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

Phaseolus spp.

Lima beans

www.hort.purdue.edu

Snap beans

Wax beans

French beans

www.homestead.com

www.umassvegetable.orgwww.thegardennewsletter.com

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

Bush beans Pole beans: 5-8

foot support

www.VictorySeeds.comsmileycynic.net

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

• Sow beans after danger of

frost passes

• Plant at 2-week intervals

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

www.hort.cornell.edu

www.hort.purdue.edu

Snap beans: Do not let pods overfill & harvest young pods regularly

Vegetable Gardening

Peas

Pisum spp.

Snow peas

www.hort.cornell.edu

Sugar snap peas Garden pea

www.hort.purdue.edu www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Garden Pea Varietiesberkeley.edu

• Smooth vs. wrinkled seeds

Wrinkled - sweeter

Smooth – good for fall crop

Vegetable Gardening

Tall vs. short plants

www.bbc.co.uk

Garden Pea Varieties

www.hort.cornell.edu

Tall varieties need support

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

Mature sugar snap pea

Mature snow peawww.thecuttinggarden.com

www.seedsofchange.com

Vegetable Gardening

The Bulbs

Onion family: onion, garlic, and leeks

Vegetable Gardening

Onions

• Onion Classifications

Shape: globe, round, flat

Color: red, white, yellow

Pungency: sweet or

pungent

Day Length: short,

intermediate, long

***Short day for OK***

Allium cepa

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

Limited roots

1 inch/week until

bulbing

1 ½ inches/week

until tops fall over

www.hort.cornell.edu

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

Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu

Perennial grown as annual

Started from cloves

Vegetable Gardening

Garlic

• Planting

• Point up!

• 1 inch deep

• Sandy, rich soil

• Fall or spring

planting

This clove was planted

upside-down

www.extension.umn.edu

www.mytinyplot.co.uk

Vegetable Gardening

Garlic

www.hort.cornell.edu

www.mytinyplot.co.uk

Garlic can be hung to dry

Harvest when tops yellow

and droop

Control Weeds & Remove Flowers

Vegetable Gardening

Leeks

Allium ampeloprasum, Porrum group

www.hort.cornell.edu www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Leeks

• 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

www.hort.wisc.edu

www.hort.wisc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Leeks

• Harvest when 1 inch

diameter or larger

• Pull by hand or dig

• Can store fall crops in

garden over winter

Mulch heavily

www.hort.wisc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Nightshade

(Solanaceous) Family

Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant,

and Peppers

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato

• Classifications

Use: fresh, canning

Maturation: early, mid-

season, and late varieties

Lycopersicum esculentum

www.hort.purdue.edu

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

Heritage varietiesHybrid tomato

Randolph G. Gardner

www.pallensmith.com

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato

Black plastic

warms soil

Wall-o-water

www.hightunnels.org

www.cooksgarden.com

Very susceptible to frost, take precautions if starting plants early

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato

Trench

Method

Set transplants deep in soilourveggiegarden.com

www.slowgardening.com

Ideal transplants

More typically transplants are long and leggy

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato Supportswww.uwgb.edu

www.thewaterwisegarden.com

Tomato cage

Staked tomato

Not necessary, but…

• Keeps fruits off ground

• May reduce disease

• Saves space

Vegetable Gardening

Mulching

• Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes

• Maintain constant, even moisture (esp. fruiting)

• Moderate temperatures

• Manage weeds

• Limit spread of soil-born pathogens

• Once soils warm: mid-JuneKim Rebek

Vegetable Gardening

Eggplant

Solanum melongena var. esculentum

Photos: www.hort.purdue.edu

Star-shaped flowers Attractive fruit

Vegetable Gardening

Eggplant

• Warm soil a must

Plant 2-3 weeks after

last killing frost

Start plants indoors 8-

10 weeks before

transplanting

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Eggplant

Harvest

• Eggplant does

not store

• Extent season

Early harvest

(3-5 inch fruits)

Very tender

www.ars.usda.govwww.specialtycrops.colostate.edu

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

Associated with low

magnesium levels

www.umassvegetable.org

Sun Scald

Vegetable Gardening

Peppers

www.hort.purdue.edu

www.arcana.ws

www.plantations.cornell.edu

Harvest immature, green peppers or allow to color for sweeter flavor

Cut pods rather than pulling off plant

Vegetable Gardening

Potato

• Use certified, disease-

free seed pieces

• Select disease-resistant

varieties

• Late maturing varieties

for winter storage

Solanum tuberosum

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

www.gardenaction.co.uk

Seed pieces

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

Hollow heart Crackswww.coopext.colostste.edu edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Potato

clearwaterlandscapes.com

New potatoes – small, immature

potatoes

Harvest upper tubers carefully,

leaving deeper ones to maturewww.hort.cornell.edu

Harvest time varies, look for

indicators: vine death, tuber size,

skin set (does not peel easily)

Vegetable Gardening

Potato

• Storing potatoes

Harvest fully matured tubers

Harvest before severe frost

Store only undamaged, healthy tubers

Check weeklywww.claywestvirginia.com

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

• Grow disease-resistant varietieswww.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Cucurbits

• Plant from seed or

transplants

• Avoid disturbing roots

Planting and cultivation

• Good weed control is

essentialwww.prunus.net

Seedlings

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

Cucumbers, small melons,

gourds, and winter squash

www.hort.purdue.edu

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

Watermelon flowerwww.hort.cornell.edu

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.harrismoran.comwww.hort.cornell.edu

www.hort.cornell.edu

Cut stems and cure in field 2-3 weeks

Summer squash tender and immature

Winter squash has matured and stores well

Vegetable Gardening

Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Slicing cucumber Pickling cucumber

www.hort.cornell.edu www.hort.purdue.edu

Two Main Types

Vegetable Gardening

Cucumbers

• Harvest picklers daily

• Harvest slicers at

appropriate size

• Do not leave unwanted

fruit on vine

Will stop productionHarvested cucumbers

www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Melons

Cucumis melo

Watermelon

thinksmart.typepad.com

www.hort.purdue.edu

Netted Melon

(―Cantalope‖)

Honeydew melon

www.biology.iastate.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Melons

• Ripeness Indicators

Coloration

Tendril nearest fruit turns

brown

Rind touching ground turns

yellow

Dull, hollow thud when

tapped

Finger nail testwww.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Salad Crops and Potherbs

Vegetable Gardening

Lettuce

Lactuca sativa

Boston lettuce

Romaine

Head lettuce

Leaf lettucewww.hort.purdue.edu

www.hort.purdue.eduwww.csdl.tamu.edu

www.csdl.tamu.edu

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

Lettuce planted between

rows of beans moderates

temperature

• Prolongs production

• Prevents bitter taste

Photos: www.seedsofchange.com

Heat Sensitive

Vegetable Gardening

Lettuce

Harvest

Head and Romaine: Harvest at appropriate size, cut at crown

Loose leaf types: Cut outer leaves one-by-one, leaving inner leaves to mature

Vegetable Gardening

Endive

Cichorium intybus

www.hort.cornell.edu

Curly endive Escarolewww.vegiworks.com

Vegetable Gardening

Endive

Blanch leaves to

reduce bitterness

2-3 weeks before

harvest

Photos: www.rhs.org.uk

Heat causes

bitterness

Tie leaves or cover

plants with pot or

plates

Vegetable Gardening

Goosefoot Family

Spinach, Chard, and Beets

Vegetable Gardening

Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

Smooth-leaved spinachwww.hort.cornell.edu

Savoy spinach

www.specialtycrops.colostate.edu

Quick to mature, requires little space

Vegetable Gardening

Spinach

• 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

www.hort.wisc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Spinach

• Switch to chard

or New Zealand

spinach during

warmer weather

New Zealand

spinachSwiss chard

www.hort.wisc.edu www.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Swiss Chard

• Colorful, ornamental

and edible

• Tolerates heat

• Avoid drought stress

Induces flowering and

stops production

Beta vulgaris var. ciclawww.hort.purdue.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Spinach

• Keep plants productive

Pinch-off outer leaves

Keep 50% intact for further growth

Chard may produce up to 2 years!

www.hort.purdue.edu

Harvest

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

• Easy to grow

• Deep, loose, rich soil

• Rocky, hard soil

causes irregular

growth

Daucus carota var. sativus

www.ars.usda.gov

Vegetable Gardening

Carrots

• Carrot Shapes (left to right)

Chantenay Short, distinctively colored core

Nantes Medium length, blunt tip

Bunching, slicing, minis

Danvers 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

• Sweet, nutty flavor

• Good for stews and

soups

• Biennial plant grown

as annual

• Grow like carrots

Pastinaca sativa

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

• Very easy to grow

• Grow all season:

Spring, mid-season,

summer, late, and winter

varieties available

• Oblong, round, flat or

long roots

Raphanus sativus

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Radishes

• Low maintenance

• Irrigation important

1 inch / week

• Sow at intervals for

continued harvest

Probert Encyclopedia

Vegetable Gardening

Rutabaga

• Roots similar to

turnip

Longer to mature

Stores longer

• Tops also edible

Strong flavor

Good for soups/stews

Brassica napus

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Rutabaga

• Need room to grow

Space seedlings 8 inches apart

• Tolerate heavy soils

• Harvest when diameter about 5 inches

• Do not allow roots to freeze

www.hort.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Other Crops

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

Zea mays

Sweet

corn

Indian

corn

Popping

corn

Field

corn

www.urbanext.uiuc.edu

teachplants.okstate.edu

www.buddenbooks.com

www.cmsu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

www.mass.gov

www.gardenleisure.com

www.agron.missouri.edu

Modern Varieties – usually hybrid

Older Varieties –many colors, open pollinated

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

Pollen is produced

on the tassels

www.hort.purdue.edu

Pollen effects characteristics of the current crop (very unique):

• Flavor: starch or sweet

• Kernel color

• Isolate from field corn

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

• Cold soils can limit

germination

Plant late March to April

• Sow successive plantings

Every 3-4 weeks

Final planting July 15

Frost damage

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

www.hort.purdue.edu

Corn

Beans

Rotate

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 harvestwww.afcd.gov.hk

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

www.blueridgetexas.com

Allow dent, Indian, and

popcorn varieties to dry

on the stalk

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

Plants sensitive to root

disturbance

• Follow peas for good

resultswww.tinkersgarden.com

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

www.hort.cornell.edu

Protect your skin from

irritation

Vegetable Gardening

Sweet Potatoes

Ipomoea batatas

www.hort.purdue.eduwww.hort.cornell.edu

Need long season to mature: 90-160 days

Vegetable Gardening

Sweet Potatoes

• Grown from

slips

• Start your own

or purchase

Start ―slips‖ in

water or soil

www.onekama.k12.mi.us

photoalbum.datafox.org

Pointed end up!

Vegetable Gardening

Sweet Potatoes

• Plant slips May to early

June

• Space 3-4 feet apart

• Do not over fertilizewww.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

80-90 degrees for 2 weeks

www.oznet.ksu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable Pests

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

Larva Adult

Asparagus beetle Beetle damage to spears

Photos: www.vegedge.umn.edu

Hand remove & Harvest often

Vegetable Gardening

Asparagus

Asparagus rust

• Fungus on stems and leaves

• Manage with fungicides

• 7-10 day intervals

•Begin after harvest

•Sanitationwww.umass.vegetable.org

Vegetable Gardening

www.urbanex.uiuc.edu

Brassica Pests

Cabbage aphid

Rick Foster

Imported cabbage

worm

www.ent.csiro.au

Vegetable Gardening

Insect Pests

Cabbage looperwww.ent.uga.edu

Cabbage looper

damage

Susan Mahr

Use row covers (Reemay)

Vegetable Gardening

Diseases

Alternaria leaf spotBlack rot

Photos: www.nysaes.cornell.edu

Club root

www.umassvegetable.org

Manage with: resistant varieties, plant spacing, garden sanitation

Vegetable Gardening

Turnips

Flea beetlemuextension.missouri.edu

www.gardeners.com

Vegetable Gardening

Mustard

C. Welty

Aphids

W. Cranshaw

Cabbageworms

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

Cabbage looper

Green cloverworm Mexican bean beetle

European

corn borer

University of Florida

www.vegedge.umn.edu

www.ipm.uiuc.edu

www.cnr.berkley.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Beans

C.L. Harmon

edis.ifas.ufl.edu www,maes.msu.edu

Bacterial blight Bean mosaic virus

Common bean rust

Keep foliage dry!

Vegetable Gardening

Peas

Jim Dill

CutwormPea weevil

Pea aphid

info.ag.uidaho.edu www.ent.csiro.au

Vegetable Gardening

Peas

X.B. Yang

Damping off Powdery mildew

www.dpi.vic.gov.au

Peas usually problem free in home gardens

Vegetable Gardening

Bulb Pests

W. Cranshaw

Onion thrips

Michigan State University

Onion maggot damage

Vegetable Gardening

Garlic rot

www.garlicworld.co.uk

Bulb Pests

Botrytis leaf blight

Foliar symptoms of

fusarium rot

www.extension.umn.edu

cvp.cce.cornell.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato

Flea beetle damage

Tomato hornworm

Variegated Cutworm

pestdata.ncsu.edu

Purdue University

Vegetable Gardening

Tomato

Late blightTomato wilt

www.oznet.ksu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Spotted wilt virus

Tomato

www.nysaes.cornell.edu www.oznet.ksu.edu

Anthracnose

Vegetable Gardening

Potato

Adult

Colorado potato beetle

LarvaeEggs

University of Florida www.ars.usda.gov

Plants tolerate 25% leaf damage

Hand pick eggs and larvae or use Bacillus thuringiensis san diego (Bt)

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

Potato leafhopper

Virus leaf roll

www.gov.mb.ca

Foliage Problems

Vegetable Gardening

Potato

Scab

Potato virus Y

tuber necrosis

plantpath.wisc.edu

cvp.cce.cornell.edu

www.umassvegetable.org

Potato soft rot

Vegetable Gardening

Pumpkin and Squash

Cucumber beetles

Squash vine

borer

Squash

bugs

www.uky.edu

R. Bessin

www.uky.edu

P. Coin

R. Bessin

Vegetable Gardening

Pumpkin and Squash

Angular leaf spot

Gummy stem

blight

Black rot Bacterial

wilt

www.ag.ohio-state.edu

www.ag.ohio-state.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Lettuce

L.R. Nault

Aster yellows

Slug feeding

Bottom rot

www.fantasy-gardening.com

ag.arizona.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Spinach

Leaf Miner

The Ohio State University

Aphid

Downy

mildew

www.inra.fr

imagedb.calsnet.arizona.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Swiss Chard

Leaf spot

Leaf minermtvernon.wsu.edu

www.urbanext.uiuc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Carrots

Wireworms

Carrot Weevil

bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au

insects.tamu.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Carrots

Tom Isakeit

Alternaria leaf blight

Cercospora leaf spot

www.plantpath.wisc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Many Crops

muextension.missouri.edu

Flea beetle

Exclude beetles using

floating row covers

www.taunton.com

Vegetable Gardening

Radishes

Radish scab

Black root

www.semena.org

www.omafra.gov.on.ca

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

Corn earworm Wireworm

European

corn borer

ipcm.wisc.edu www.ento.psu.edu

www.ent.iastate.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Corn

Corn smut

Rustwww.nysaes.cornell.edu

www.plantpath.wisc.edu

Vegetable Gardening

Okra

entweb.clemson.edu

www.colostate.edu

Green stink bug

Kim Rebek

Corn earworms

Imported

cabbageworm