4BC-07PA

4-H vegetable

projectgardening

2

Prepared by William M.Fountain, Extension Specialist

in Horticulture

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A vegetable garden canbe both enjoyable andproductive. Your goalmay be to raise someor all of the vegetablesfor your family, or youmay want to produceenough freshvegetables to sell.

Types of GardensYou do not have to live on a

farm to have a vegetablegarden. It is possible to have anattractive, productive garden atyour suburban or even urbanhome. The basic principles ofgardening are the same whetheryou have 1 acre or onecontainer.

Traditional garden: Thetraditional garden covers anarea of at least 100 square feet.

Mini garden: The mini gardenis grown in an area of less than100 square feet.

Market garden: The marketgarden is generally a quarter ofan acre or larger. This kind ofgarden can be a good way foryou as a 4-H’er to make extramoney from a project.

Bucket garden: The bucketgarden is produced entirely in

containers. This type ofgardening allows you to growvegetables in small spaces orplaces where it would otherwisebe impossible to grow them. Askyour leader about a 4-H bucketgarden project.

Choosing a SiteThe location that you choose

for your garden should have adeep, fertile, friable (crumbly),well-drained soil that is notshaded by buildings or trees.The most convenient area is byyour home, but you shouldlocate your garden where it willbe most productive. Considerthe possibility of working some

of your vegetables in front ofshrubbery. Many vegetableshave an attractive appearancethat will complement thelandscape. Certain varieties oflettuce, kale, and cabbage aregrown for ornamental purposes.

The type of soil (clay vs.sandy) is not as important asthat it be well drained, deep,and reasonably free of stones. Itis very difficult to develop ahigh-grade garden on ahardpan, rock ledge, or layer ofgravel or sand. On the otherhand, it is fairly easy to developan infertile soil that is friableinto an excellent garden site byadding lime, commercialfertilizer, and organic matter.

A garden must be welldrained and free of low placesthat hold water after a heavyrain. You may be able to removewater from low areas by digginga small ditch. Excessive watershould not drain onto thegarden from other locations.Likewise, do not plant inbottomland if there is anydanger of flooding. A gardenthat is flooded for only a fewhours can still be lost. If therunoff from the garden ismuddy, you have too mucherosion. Not only are you losingthe valuable topsoil, but a lot ofthe fertilizer may also bewashed away. It may take asmuch as 1,000 years to formthe soil lost off a slope in asingle rain.

4-H vegetable

projectgardening

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Planning theGarden

The planning of the garden isthe step most often neglected.This involves more than justordering some seed or going tothe store and buying a fewpackages of seeds. If this is yourfirst garden, make it simple andmake it fun. A 5-foot by 10-footgarden can produce more thanyou may think. The biggestgarden is not always the best.More often than not, the biggestgarden is the biggest mess.

The first thing to remember isthat there are two types ofvegetables—cool-season andwarm season. The cool-seasoncrops may be planted as soonas the danger of frost haspassed. They also make goodfall crops. Examples of cool-season vegetables are beets,cabbage, carrots, chives,kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, peas,parsley, turnips, and rutabagas.

On the other hand,vegetables such as beans,cucumbers, eggplants, melons,peppers, squash, and tomatoeslike warmer weather. This groupis called warm-seasonvegetables. Some of these, suchas peppers, eggplants, andtomatoes, are started indoorssix to eight weeks before theyare ready to be set out. You maystart your own plants or buyplants.

Some of the rows in yourgarden will be able to servedouble duty. Beets, carrots,kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, andturnips all mature early enoughso that the rows they wereplanted in can be replantedwith a late summer or fall crop.You can also double-crop byplanting low-growing plants,such as chives, onions, andradishes, between larger plants,such as tomatoes.

Sometimes, the only placeavailable for planting a garden

is shaded for part of the day.When you have this kind ofgarden site, you must choosevegetables that can growwithout full sunlight. The mostsuccess is usually obtained withleaf crops such as chard,endive, lettuce, mustard, orspinach. The edible part ofthese vegetables is the leaf. Lowlight is not as critical for thematuring of leaves as it is forfruits and roots.

When you plan how yourgarden will be laid out, it isimportant to prevent shading ofshort vegetables by tall ones.You should run the rows east-west. This method allows you toput tall vegetables, such ascorn, and those that climb on afence or trellis on the northside. This fence or trellis canalso be part of the protectivestructure around the garden.Sometimes, the only place for agarden is in a hilly area. Thesouth side of a hill is betterbecause it gets more sun. Thesoil on the south side alsowarms up earlier in spring. Youshould make the rows of a hillygarden run with the contour,which cuts down on erosion and

increases the amount of waterabsorbed into the ground.

Preparing theSoil

Even the best soils must beprepared if the garden is togrow and produce at its best.Plowing or tillage do notautomatically create a goodgarden soil. The purpose oftillage is to control weeds, tomix crop residues or organicmatter into the soil, and tobreak up heavy soils.

The first-time garden shouldbe tilled in the fall so that thegrass will have time to decaybefore the spring planting.Tillage may be done with aplow, a tiller, or a shovel,depending on the size of theplot. It will probably benecessary to till again in thespring before you plant. It is atthis time that you should ridgeup soil into rows or beds. Beds

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make better use of the area thatyou have, since less space iswasted between rows. However,beds must be watered andweeded by hand; rows can beweeded with a tiller. Yourgarden soil should be free ofweeds, which will compete withyour crops for water, nutrients,and sunlight. If the soil is hard,the vegetables will be slow ingetting started. The more friablethe soil, the deeper the rootswill go. The stronger the rootsystem, the better the plant cancompete for water andnutrients. However, too muchtillage can harm the soilstructure and cause a crust toform on its surface. If the soil istoo wet when you cultivate it,large clods will form, and thesoil will become compacted. Thecorrect time to cultivate is whenthe soil is moist enough so thata handful of it will form a ballwhen squeezed but it is dryenough to crumble easily.

The time of year and methodof preparing the soil varies. Ifthere is a heavy layer of sod, itwill be necessary for you toprepare the soil well in advance.Fall is the best time, since thiswill allow the grass severalmonths to break down. It is alsobest to work lime into the soil inthe fall. Nitrogen fertilizersshould not be added until thespring. Your county Extensionagent will be glad to have a soilsample tested. This test will tellyou how much fertilizer andlime to add.

Choosing SeedThe first rule to remember

about seeds is that they are notdead. They are very muchalive—just like the plant theycame from. If a plant is shut upin a hot car, it will die. Thesame is true of seeds. Keepthem cool and dry. If you collectyour own seed for use thefollowing year or are savingextra seed, put the seed inenvelopes, one for each type ofseed, and write the name anddate collected on each envelope.Put the envelopes in a jar thathas a tight-fitting lid, and storethe jar in the refrigerator (38° to42°F) until time for planting. Atablespoon of powdered milk inthe bottom of the jar will absorbmoisture and keep the seed dry.

When buying seed, look atthe package. There are severalthings that you should notice.First, there should be a date onthe package. It may read “plantby spring 2002,” or it may justread “spring 2002.” If this datehas passed, some or all of theseed will be dead and will notcome up. Do not buy old seed. Ifthe seeds were not storedproperly, they could still bedead even if the date has notpassed. (If you have old seedand have the space, experimentwith them. Count the numberyou plant and see whatpercentage comes up.)

The second thing you shouldnotice on the seed package isthe name of the vegetable.Usually, many differentvarieties of each type ofvegetable are available. Eachvariety has certaincharacteristics that make itdifferent from other varieties.These characteristics mayinclude the size or flavor of thevegetable, disease or insectresistance, and how early it isready to be eaten. Try growingseveral different varieties of thesame vegetable and make notesof all the differences you see.

Planting SeedSeed can be planted either

directly in the garden or startedin containers and transplantedto the garden.

Most seeds have plantinginstructions on the package,usually on the back. Thesuggested spacing is generallyfor gardens that are notirrigated. Vegetables planted inirrigated gardens can be a littlecloser (Table 1). However, if youhave too many plants, they maycompete against each other forlight, water, and nutrients. Youshould thin the plants after allthe seeds are up. Pinch off theweak and excess plants withyour thumb and index finger orremove them with a hoe orcultivator.

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Sowing Seed in theGarden

The ground has been tilled,and you are ready to plant.Many types of vegetables can besown directly into the garden. Aneat garden is more attractiveand easier to care for. Straight,neat rows can be made with theaid of a piece of string. Tie thestring to sticks at each end ofthe garden so that the string iswhere you want your first row.Take a sharp stick and run italong the string to make a nice,neat row to plant in. Measureoff the next row, then the next,etc.

How you sow seed dependson the size of the seed. Corn,squash, and beans are easy tosow because they are large. Youcan just pick them up and dropthem along the row. It is adifferent story with fine seed,such as that for spinach,turnips, and lettuce. Take apinch of seed between yourthumb and index finger.Carefully, with your palm facingdown, rub your two fingerstogether so that the seeds fallslowly. Be sure your hands aredry so the seed won’t stick tothem. Practice this severaltimes over a sheet of whitepaper. The practice will help youavoid wasting seed. Now you areready to plant your rows in the

soil. Start by moving your handslowly down the row about 3inches above the soil.

How deeply you cover theseed is important. Seeds thatare too deep will be smothered.Those that are too shallow willbegin to germinate, but if theydry out, they will die. A simplerule is that seed should beplanted four times as deep asthey are big. A 1/4-inch seedshould be planted about aninch deep. Planting depths forsome of the common vegetablesare listed in Table 2.

Sometimes the soil is dry andmust be watered after planting.If your garden is plowed intorows, plant seed on the “hills.”Put a shovelful of soil at the endof each “valley.” This soil willact as a dam. Lay a water hosein each valley until it has run 1minute for every 1 to 2 feet ofrow. The water should flowdown to the other end. If yourgarden is on a slope, you willneed to use an overheadsprinkler that puts out a fairlyfine spray. This care isnecessary until the seeds areestablished and have a goodfooting in the soil.

Starting Seed in aContainer

Seeds started in containersneed a pasteurized (sterile) soil(also called medium) that hasbeen amended. (Amended soil is

soil specially prepared forgrowing plants.) The soil thatgrows nice vegetables out in thegarden is not suitable for use incontainers. It will stay too wet,and the seed or plants are likelyto rot. You can use one of theprepared garden or potting soilssuch as Jiffy-Mix, Metro-Mix, orPro-Mix. These materials comeready to use and are free ofinsects, diseases, and weedseed.

If you wish, you can makeyour own soil mix. This may bedone by combining equal partsof soil, sand, and peat moss.The peat moss is sterile, but thesoil and sand are not. Theeasiest method to kill insects,diseases, and weed seeds iswith heat. Combine the threematerials and place a 2-inchlayer of the moist (not wet) soilin a pan and cover with metalfoil. Bake it in the oven for 45minutes to 1 hour at 180° to200°F. (Do not use microwaveovens.) Follow this time andtemperature guide carefully. Ifthe soil is heated too high or toolong, chemicals that arepoisonous to plants may bereleased. It is always best toallow the soil to sit for twoweeks before it is used.

Next, fill the container withthe prepared soil mix and plantthe seed. Leave at least 1 inchheadspace between the top ofthe soil and the rim of thecontainer. This space will makewatering easier.

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To water, place the containersin a pan of water. When thesurface of the soil is moist, takethe container out of the pan.The roots may rot if they staytoo wet.

Transplant the seedlings tosmall containers, such as eggcartons, after the first set oftrue leaves has come out.Gently remove the seedling fromits container. Do not hold theplant by the stem, as this willresult in damage to the softstem. Instead, hold the plant bya leaf. Use a pencil to make ahole and place the seedling inthe hole. Gently pat the soilaround the seedling.

Do not allow the seed orseedlings to dry out. It would behelpful to enclose thecontainers in a clear plasticbag. Place them in bright lightbut not in direct sunlight.

Transplanting to theGarden

Seeds that have been grownto several inches before beingplanted in the garden are calledtransplants. By usingtransplants, you have theadvantage of getting a plant tothe harvest stage three or fourweeks earlier than if you hadplanted seed in the garden.Some vegetables generallygrown as transplants aretomatoes, eggplants, peppers,broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage,brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi.

Transplants may be grown indrink cups, milk cartons, peatpellets, or peat pots. Plants thatare grown in containers made ofpaper, plastic, or plastic foammust be removed from thecontainer. Peat pots and peat

pellets may be planted in thesoil along with the plant. It isimportant to plant the top of thepeat pot or pellet below thesurface of the soil. Not doingthis can lead to drying out ofthe tender root system. You maybreak or peel back the lip of thepeat pot so that it will not beabove the surface of the soil.Plant tomatoes several inchesdeeper than they were originallygrown, since they will formadditional roots along the stem.Plant other types of vegetablesat about the same depth thatthey were originally grown.

Dig a small hole in the loosegarden soil, put in thetransplant, and cover the rootsystem with soil. It is importantthat the transplant be protectedif the sun is hot and bright. Youcan protect the plant with asheet of newspaper rolled up toform a cone or with a piece ofcardboard folded in half to forman upside-down “V.” A gallonmilk carton that has had thebottom cut out will also make agood protector for the plant.Once the transplants have beenplanted, it is important that thesoil be kept moist until thegarden is well established.Mulching will cut down on theamount of watering requiredand will keep the soil cooler.

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Protecting theGarden

You may have to protect yourgarden from dogs, cats, rabbits,or other animals. The moneyspent repairing the damagedone by stray animals could payfor a fence in only a season ortwo. A fence can also serve as atrellis for beans, peas,cucumbers, and other cropsthat need support. The fenceshould be closely woven andhigh enough to keep theproblem animal out. Moles maybe another kind of problem inthe garden. They burrow underplants, causing the soil to dryout. Since moles arecarnivorous (meat-eating)animals, the best way to controlthem is to control theunderground insects they feedon. Plants such as onions andmarigolds are said to be of somehelp in discouraging moles fromcoming into the garden.

MulchingMulching is one of those little

tricks that can save you a lot oftime and work. A good mulchwill do three things: keep thesoil cooler, conserve moisture,and more importantly, helpcontrol weeds. Weeds will robyour vegetables of water,sunlight, and fertilizer. Inaddition, weeds can be a hidingplace for insects and diseases.

There are many types ofmulch. Some are better thanothers. A lot depends on what isavailable to you.

Black plastic: Black plastic isgood for keeping weeds out andmoisture in; however, it can gethot if it is not mulched orshaded by taller-growingvegetables. This problem can besolved by mulching with a thinlayer of another mulch. Black

plastic is easy to transplantthrough (just cut a small X orO) but is harder to plant seedthrough it. You must cut a slitto plant seed.

Peat moss: Peat moss is not agood mulch. It blows away inthe wind and is expensive.

Bark: Bark is a good mulch butcan be expensive if bags arepurchased for a large garden. Itmay tend to float away on aslope.

Straw/hay/grass clippings:These clippings can be good ifdry when put on the garden.Green grass clippings will matdown and make a good hidingplace for some insects anddiseases. To avoid this problem,spread the clippings 1 inch deepand allow them to dry beforeusing them. Straw, hay, andgrass clippings must be free ofweed seeds. Any of these threematerials can make an excellentmulch in combination withblack plastic.

Dead leaves: Dead leaves makean excellent mulch for thegarden. They are even betterwhen composted. Ask yourleader about how to compostleaves.

Crop residue: Crop residue canmake a good mulch, dependingon what type of residue it is.Old corn stalks, tomato andbean vines are all good if theydon’t carry over diseases.Overripe vegetables withseeds (tomatoes,peppers, corn, etc.)should not beused, as the seedmay germinateand become aweed problem.

Mulch yourvegetables as soonas they are at least

a couple of inches tall.Remember, a mulch thatsmothers weeds can smothersmall vegetable plants, too.Even though you have a goodmulch, you may need to weedyour garden a few times. Youmay hoe the weeds or pull themby hand. Be sure to pull weedsup before they go to seed.

Controlling Insects& Diseases

A good gardener checks thegarden often. Keep a carefulwatch for harmful insects ordiseases. The best controlagainst pests is a neat andclean garden. Dead anddecaying plants are an excellentplace for diseases and insects togrow and hide.

Pick insects off your plantsand remove dead or diseasedparts of plants. If a problemcontinues, find out how tocontrol it from your countyExtension agent. If the use ofchemicals is necessary, ask anadult who knows how to usepesticides to put them on foryou. Remember, insecticidesand fungicides are poisons topeople, too! It is important tofollow all directions on thelabels.

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Fertilizing theGarden

It is important that yourvegetable garden have acontinuous supply of nutrients.A low level of nutrients will keepyou from producing high yieldsof quality vegetables. Thoughthis problem may be solved byadding fertilizer to the soil, toomuch fertilizer can damage oreven kill the plants.

You should take a soil samplein the fall (October orNovember) at least every threeyears. Take samples fromseveral different spots bymaking a small hole in theground about 6 inches deep.Then use a spade to take a 1-

inch slice from the back of thehole. Remove from the spade allbut a 1- to 2-inch-wide core ofsoil. Put this core in a bag withenough other samples to makeabout 1 pint of soil. Take thispint of soil to your countyExtension office for testing. Thefertilizer should be put on thegarden in the spring. Spreadthe fertilizer evenly over thegarden before spading or tilling.

All bags of fertilizer havethree numbers on the front thatshow how much of the threemajor nutrients are in the bag.A 5-10-10 fertilizer will have 5percent nitrogen, 10 percentphosphorus, and 10 percentpotassium. A good, generalfertilizer recommendation is to

add 21/2 pounds of a 5-10-10 or6-12-12 fertilizer per 100square feet.

Harvestingand Care ofthe Produce

Many vegetables, such astomatoes and cucumbers, havea stem that will break off fromthe plant. Harvest thesevegetables by breaking thestem. Any produce that doesnot come off easily should becut off to reduce damage to theplant. On vegetables such asbell peppers, tomatoes, corn,pumpkins, beans, andcucumbers leave a short pieceof stem attached to thevegetable. This will help yourproduce keep longer. Pick yourvegetables at the fully ripestage. Wash, dry, and storethem in the refrigerator as soonas possible. Washing helps keepthe vegetables from molding orrotting and extends theirstorage life. Vegetables are bestwhen they are garden fresh.Don’t hold on to them too longand let them go bad. Tryfreezing or canning somevegetables so you can enjoythem during the winter.

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Gardening Terms& Definitions

Banding—placing a small layerof fertilizer or other chemicalinside the row—generally justout from and below the seed orroots.

Bottomland—lowland along ariver, often in a floodplain.

Bucket garden—one or morevegetables raised in a container.

Clod—large chunk of clay soilthat does not break up easily.

Companion planting—growingtwo crops in the same locationat the same time (for example:growing onions around tomatoplants).

Contour planting—laying outthe rows of a garden on the sideof a hill so that the rows do nothave a change in elevation.Running the rows up and downthe hill will lead to heavyerosion.

Cool-season crop—anyvegetable that is planted orgrows best when thetemperature is below 60°F (seewarm-season crop). Examplesare beets, cabbage, lettuce,carrots, and cauliflower.

Double crop—growing twocrops in the same location in

the garden. This may be atseparate times (for example: aspring crop and a fall crop ofcauliflower).

Friable—a soil that crumbleseasily.

Furrow—a narrow, shallowtrench made in the soil. Plantsare usually grown on its hill.

Hardpan—a layer of hardsubsoil or clay that acts as abarrier to water and roots.

Headspace—the space betweenthe top of a container and thesoil surface that holds wateruntil it can soak in.

Market garden—a larger gardenwhere enough vegetables areplanted to be sold.

Mini garden—a garden smallerthan 100 square feet (10 feet by10 feet).

Mulch—any material spread onthe soil surface to controlweeds, conserve soil moisture,reduce runoff, keep the soilcooler, or improve the garden’sappearance.

Pasteurize—the heating of soilto 180°F for 30 to 45 minutes sothat weed seeds and most

diseases are killed. Sterilizingwill kill all diseases but resultsin the release of toxic chemicalsto the plant.

Sidedress—placing a layer offertilizer or other chemical onthe side of the row.

Soil—any material (natural orartificial) in which plants aregrown.

Tillage—any turning of the soilfor the purpose of controllingweeds, turning under cropresidue or sod, or making thesoil loose.

Transplants—plants grownindoors to be set out in thegarden. Transplants are used toget a head start as soon as it iswarm enough for the plant togrow or because some seeds donot germinate well in thegarden.

Trellis—a fence or otherstructure on which vegetablescan be grown.

Warm-season crop—anyvegetable that is planted orgrows best when thetemperature is above 60°F. (Seecool-season crop.) Examples areeggplants, corn, tomatoes, andpeppers.

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Some Seed Companies that HandleMail-Order Vegetable Seeds

Ball Seed CompanyBox 335West Chicago, IL 60185(630) 231-3500

Harris Seed Company60 Saginaw Dr. #1P.O. Box 22960Rochester, NY 14692-2960(800) 514-4441 or(716) 442-0410

Park Seed Company1 Parkton Ave.Greenwood, SC 29647-0001(800) 845-3369

Stokes Seeds, Inc.Box 548Buffalo, NY 14240-0548(800) 263-7233

Johnny's Selected Seeds1 Foss Hill Rd.Albion, ME 04910-9731(207) 437-4301

Some Kentucky Companies thatHandle Vegetable Seeds

Bunton Seed Company939 E. Jefferson StreetLouisville, KY 40206-1682(502) 584-0136

Fayette Seed731 Red Mile RoadLexington, KY 40504-1153(859) 255-3334

Premium Horticultural Supply915 E. Jefferson St.Louisville, KY 40206-1619(502) 582-3897

Southern States Co-ops(located throughout Kentucky)

Sphar Seed Company127 N. Main StreetWinchester, KY 40391(859) 744-1671

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Table 1.Suggested Vegetable Maturities, Planting Dates, Days to Maturity in Kentucky.

Vegetable & Variety Planting DateaTransplantDate

Days toMaturity Comments

Asparagus

Mary Washington March 15 2 years

Viking

Beans, snap (bush) April 25

Blue Lake 53 to 60

Astro 52

Tenderette 54

Tendercop 54 Good disease and virus resistance

Beans, snap (pole) April 25

White Kentucky Wonder 191 65

Kentucky Wonder 67

Beans, lima (bush) May 1

Fordhook 242 78 Large seed

Henderson Bush 65 Small seed

Beet March 15

Green Top Bunching 58 Good greens and roots

Detroit Dark Red 66 Good for containers

Broccoli Feb. 5 (indoors) March 20

Green Comet 55 Plant for spring crop

Waltham 29 75 Plant for fall crop

Premium Crop 80 Large heads

Brussels Sprouts Feb. 5 (indoors) March 10

Jade Cross 80

Cabbage Jan. 20 (indoors) March 15

Sunup 64

Head Start 67

Modern Dwarf 55 Very early, from Park

Cantaloupe (see muskmelon)

Carrots March 20

Lady Finger 65 4 inches long, good in containers

Short ‘N’ Sweet 68 Short and thick, from Burpee

Tiny Sweet 65 From Burgess

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Table 1 (continued)

Vegetable & Variety Planting DateaTransplantDate

Days toMaturity Comments

Cauliflower Jan. 25 (indoors) March 10

Snow Crown 50 Early

Snow King 55 Heat tolerant

Chives March 20 March 10 80

Corn April 20

Silver Queen 95 7 ft tall

Gold Cup 80 61/2 ft tall

Gold Midget 60 21/2 ft tall, 4-inch ears, good in containers, fromBurgess

Park’s Miniature Hybrid 66 3 ft tall, 5-inch ears, good in containers

Cucumber March 25(indoors)

May 1

Park’s Bush Whopper 55 Bush

Patio Pik 53 Bush

Bush Crop 65 Bush

Space Master 60 Bush, from Burpee

Eggplant March 10(indoors)

May 10

Black Beauty 73

Classic Hybrid 76

Morden Midget 65 Very early, from Park

Kale March 20 57

Kohlrabi March 20

Purple Vienna 60 Very high quality, from Burpee

Grand Duke Hybrid 50

Lettuce March 25

Kentucky Bibb 54

Grand Rapids 43

Stokes Evergreen 90

Black Seeded Simpson 45

Buttercrunch 75

Tom Thumb 65

Muskmelon May 10

Burpee Hybrid 82

Gold Star Hybrid 87

Ambrosia Hybrid 86

Musketeer April (indoors) May 10 90 Bush form, from Park

Mustard March 10

Tendergreen 35

Southern Giant Curled 45

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Table 1 (continued)

Vegetable & Variety Planting DateaTransplantDate

Days toMaturity Comments

Okra May 10

Emerald 55 Soak seeds in hot water for 24 hours beforeplanting

Clemson Spineless 56

Onion Seeds March 10 Sets March 10

Ebenezer 105 Grown from seed

Storage King 95 Stores well

Stuttgarten 95 Grown from seeds

30 Grown from sets

Parsnip March 20 100 Roots improve by being left in ground until following spring

Peas March 1

Sparkle 68 15-inch vine, small pod

Laxton’s Progress 62 16- to 18-inch vine, large pod

Peas, edible pod March 1 Use raw or cooked

Sugar Snap 68

Mammoth Melting Sugar 68

Dwarf Gray Sugar 65 Vines 2 to 21/2 ft, needs no staking

Peas, southern

Purple Hill

May 5

78

Peppers, green bell March 10(indoors)

May 10

Bell Boy 70

Lady Bell 75 Prolific

Hybelle 75 Prolific

Peppers, hot March 10(indoors)

May 10

Jalapeno 72

Potato, Irish March 15

Norchip Early

Superior Early

Kennebec Late

LaRouge Medium

Red Pontiac Early

Potato, sweet Centennial

May 10100

Varities grown from sets

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Table 1 (continued)

Vegetable & Variety Planting DateaTransplantDate

Days toMaturity Comments

Pumpkin May 5

Spirit Hybrid 100

Big Max 100 Potential for 100+ lb

Radish May 10

Cherry Belle 21 Red

Spinach March 1

Early Hybrid No. 7 40 Fall use

Bloomsdale Savoy 40

Squash, summer May 10

Baby Crookneck 30 to 50 From Park

Baby Straightneck 30 to 50 From Stokes

(Many other varieties)

Squash, winter May 10

Golden Nugget 90

Burpee’s Butter Bush 75 Bush form

(Many other varieties) 75 to 100

Swiss Chard March 20

Fordhook Giant 55

Tomato March 8 (indoors)

May 5

Patio 70 Small fruit, from Park

Pixie 70 Small fruit, from Burpee

Tiny Tim 50 Small fruit

Jet Star 75 Average fruit size

Floramerica 80 Average fruit size

Turnip March 10

Presto From Herbst Bros.

Seven Top 42 Good for greens

Purple Top Globe 55 Good for roots

Watermelon May 5

Crimson Sweet 80 Light, high quality melon

Sugar Baby Small, early, quality melon

Kengarden Bush varietyaPlanting date is the earliest planting date for Central Kentucky. Seeds may be planted seven to 10 days earlier in WesternKentucky and should be planted a week later in Eastern Kentucky.

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Table 2.Planting Depth for Seed Final Spacing, Minimum Soil Temperature for Planting,Estimated Yearly Amounts Used per Person.

Vegetable

PlantingDepth

(inches)

FinalSpacing(inches)

Minimum SoilTemperature (˚F) Amount per Person per Year

Asparagus–crown 6 15 – 10 plantsBeans, snap–bush 1 3 60 1/4 lb seedBeans, snap–pole 1 6 50 1/4 lb seedBeans, lima–bush 11/2 6 65 1/4 lb seedBeet 1/2 2 50 1/4 oz seedBroccoli 1/2 18 45 15 plantsBrussels sprouts 1/2 20 45 5 plantsCabbage 1/2 12 45 10 plantsCantaloupe or muskmelon 1 24 75 5 hillsCarrots 1/4 2 45 1/4 packetCauliflower 1/2 18 45 25 plantsChives 1/2 2 50 1/4 packetCollards 1/2 18 45 25 plantsCorn, sweet 11/2 12 60 1/4 lbCucumber 1 10 65 5 to 10 hillsEggplant 1/2 24 75 2 plantsKale 1/2 2 45 5 plantsKohlrabi 1/2 4 55 5 plantsLettuce, leaf 1/4 4 45 1/8 oz seedLettuce, head 1/4 10 45 5 plantsMuskmelon, see cantaloupeMustard 1/2 2 40 1/8 oz seedOkra 1 12 70 1/4 packetOnion 1/2 4 50 1/4 oz seed, 1/2 lb setsParsnip 1 6 50 1/4 packetPeas, garden 1 2 40 1/2 lb seedPeas, edible pod 1 2 40 1/2 lb seedPeas, southern 1 4 70 1/2 lb seedPepper, bell 1/2 12 70 4 plantsPepper, hot 1/2 12 70 1 plantPotato, Irish 5 10 40 10 lb “seed” potatoPotato, sweet -- 10 70 25 plantsPumpkin 1 36 70 2 hillsRadish 1/2 1 45 1/4 packetSpinach 1/2 6 45 1/4 packetSquash, summer 1 24 70 5 hillsSquash, winter 1 24 70 6 to 10 hillsSwiss Chard 1/2 6 50 1/4 packetTomato 1/2 18 60 5 plantsTurnip 1/2 2 60 1/16 to 1/32 oz seedWatermelon 1 36 70 2 to 3 hills

17

DemonstrationsA 4-H project provides

opportunities for you to developmany skills. One of these skillsis how to give a demonstration.Choose one of the followingtopics or another topic ofinterest to you. Plan ademonstration and give it toyour club or other group. Workwith your leader on how to givea demonstrations such as:

• How to make a compost pile.• How to preserve vegetables.• Growing transplants.• Mulching the garden to

control weeds and conservewater.

• How to fertilize the garden.• Controlling insects/diseases

in the vegetable garden.• Exhibiting vegetables in the

county fair.• Growing vegetables in

hanging baskets.

CitizenshipLearning to be a good citizen

is another important part of a4-H project. Working as part ofa group or on your own, do oneor more of the followingcitizenship activities:

• Collect leaves that wouldhave gone to the dump andcompost them for use aroundthe courthouse, a retirementhome, your school, etc.

• Give away transplants toothers.

• Grow some transplants for apublic demonstration garden.

• Start a public demonstrationgarden to show the differencein yield for different culturalmethods.

• Give vegetables to neighborsor to community kitchenorganizations.

18

4-H Vegetable Garden Record Sheet

Name ___________________________________________________ Age ________ Years in this project _________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________ Year _________

School ___________________________________________ Parents ___________________________________________

A. List new things you learned in this project or activity.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Production Costs: Record the costs of growing your garden project. If you spent no money for anitem, estimate the value.

1. Seed: ______________________ lb @ $ _______________________ per lb $ ______________________________

2. Plants: No. plants: ___________ @ $ ____________________ per plant $ ______________________________

3. Fertilizer: _______________ lb of ________________________ (analysis) $ ______________________________

Sidedressing: ___________ lb of ________________________ (analysis) $ ______________________________

(Did you have a soil test? _____yes _____ no)

4. Insecticide (list amount and value of each material): $ ______________________________

5. Fungicide (list amount and value of each material): $ ______________________________

6. Land rent: acres or square feet: ________________________________ $ ______________________________

7. Rent or expenses for tools: _____________________________________ $ ______________________________

8. Labor:

(a) Your own: ________________ hours @ ________________ per hour $ ______________________________

(b) Hired: ____________________ hours @ ________________ per hour $ ______________________________

(c) Given by others: __________ hours @ ________________ per hour $ ______________________________

9. Plowing and cultivation:

(a) Gasoline: ____________________________________________ gallons $ ______________________________

(b) Tiller rent:__________________________________________________ $ ______________________________

10. Other costs:

(a) _____________________________________________________________ $ ______________________________

(b) _____________________________________________________________ $ ______________________________

12. TOTAL EXPENSES $ ______________________________

19

Crop & VarietyDate

Planted

Date ofFirst

Harvest

AmountHarvested

(bu/lb)

Value of ProduceUsed atHome Sold Total

Total $ $ $

C. Production Results: Record the results of crop production in the spaces below.

D. List demonstrations, talks, exhibits, radio and television appearances, newspaper articles written,tours, workshops, camps, judging events, and field trips that you participated in throughout this projector activity.

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

E. List awards, trips, medals, plaques, trophies, ribbons, scholarships, and other recognition receivedin this project or activity.

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

F. List your leadership participation in this project or activity. Include things you have done byyourself and in cooperation with others in planning 4-H programs; leading discussions; helping youngermembers with demonstrations, talks, and exhibits; and assisting with camps, achievement shows, andworkshops. Indicate the number of 4-H members you have assisted and give your specificresponsibilities.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

G. List your citizenship and community service experiences in this project or activity; include thosethings that contributed to the welfare of your club or group, other individuals, or your community; giveyour specific responsibilities.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

H. Attach a short story in which you tell about things learned, satisfactions experienced, anddifficulties encountered this year in this project.

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in furtherance ofCooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, M. Scott Smith, Director of Cooperative Extension Service,University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2002 for materials developed by the University of Kentucky CooperativeExtension Service. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and includethis copyright notice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ca.uky.edu.

Issued 6-1983, Revised 12-2002, Last printed 12-2002, 1500 copies, 23000 copies to date.

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