Why grow vegetables? Vegetable Gardening. Landscaping with vegetables. Where to Locate Garden? Planning Garden Layout 3/5/2009

Transcription

1 Why grow vegetables? Vegetable Gardening Master Gardener Training 2006 Taste better/fresher than store bought Good exercise/mental therapy! Perceived to be more nutritious Free from or controlled use of pesticides Fun Variety, hard-to-find crops Save money? Where to Locate Garden? Landscaping with vegetables Full Sun Well-Drained Soil Away from Trees & Shrubs Close to Source of Water Close to Home Suitable to Landscape Design Planning Garden Layout Tomatoes and Lettuce Interplanted Tall crops on north end Group perennial crops Rotate crops where possible Change families Group by growing season Succession planting Use vertical space 1

2 Raised Beds Succession planting cole crops Using vertical growing space Season Extenders Cold Frame/Hot Bed Cloches & Hot Caps Floating Row Covers Plastic Mulches Cold Frame Hardening Off 1-3 month season extension Year Round Use Spring start seedlings early crops (i.e. lettuce) hardening off Summer nursery bed for fall crops or perennials 2

3 Cold Frame/Hot Bed Cold Frame Year Round Use (cont.) Fall extend summer crops grow cool crops longer Winter force bulbs store root vegetables tree & shrub propagation Using a Cold Frame Glass or Plexiglass South Facing Location Good Drainage Thermometer open above degrees Cloches & Hot Caps Adds 3-4 weeks One to a Few Plants Types Glass Wall o Water Plastic Jugs Cylinders over Tomato Cages Remove on Sunny Days Floating Row Covers Spun Polyester of Polypropylene (Remay) 5-10 warmer; Frost protection to 28 Transmits light, air, water Other Benefits Slows water evaporation from soil Prevents wind & rain damage Insect Barrier Floating Row Cover Plastic Mulches Warm Soil Must touch soil Moisten soil before applying Colors Black warms 5-10 degrees decreases weeds Clear warms degrees weed growth is a problem 3

4 Plastic Mulches Multiple Modifications Soil Preparation The soil seed bed should be loose and friable Add organic matter Rake out large soil clods 4

5 Planting When to plant Very hardy as soon as ground can be worked Frost-tolerant tolerant 2-3 weeks before last average 32 F Tender at average last frost date Warm-loving after danger of frost Average last frost date 1st week of May in Kenosha/Racine Avoid compacting prepared soil. Create a shallow trench for seed. Sprinkle seeds in the prepared trench Thin seedlings to proper spacing Many vegetables benefit from an early start indoors with later transplanting in the garden Stocky transplants ready to set out 5

6 Transplants hardening off in a cold frame Most transplants are set at the same depth they were growing in their container Be sure to remove any peat pot that may stick up above the soil line and wick moisture away from the roots Gently firm the soil around the root zone A starter fertilizer solution high in phosphorus may be used Water thoroughly to remove any air pockets 6

7 Caring for the Garden Cultivation to control weeds Cultivate shallowly to avoid root damage Avoid working the soil when wet Hoeing, tilling or hand-pulling weeds Few herbicides for home vegetable gardens Caring for the Garden - Mulches To control weeds Affect soil temperature Organic mulches cool soil in summer Plastic mulches warm soil in summer clear - raises degrees black - raises 5-10 degrees Keep soil moisture more uniform Use only thin layers of grass mulch. Make certain it contains no herbicides. Caring for the Garden - Watering Drip irrigation more efficient use of water than overhead sprinklers Name three perennial vegetables we can grow in Wisconsin. Asparagus Rhubarb Horseradish 7

8 Asparagus Asparagus officinalis Family Liliaceae Native to the eastern Mediterranean. Cultivated for over 2000 years. Hardy, cool season perennial. Dioecious or all-male. Select rust resistant varieties Mary Washington All-male varieties Jersey Giant (male) Jersey Knight (male) Purple Passion (male) Asparagus Culture Plant crowns apart in a trench 8 deep. Gradually fill in as spears grow. Don t harvest the 1 st or 2 nd years. Fertilize at the end of the harvest season. Harvesting Asparagus Harvest season is about 8 weeks. Spears should be 8-10 long with tightly closed tips. ½-⅜ diameter. Snap or cut at the soil line. Stop harvest when spears smaller than a pencil. Remove fern in fall to reduce asparagus beetle and disease. Rhubarb Rheum rhabarbarum 8

9 Red petioles Canada Red Cherry Red Valentine Green petioles Victoria Rhubarb Culture Plant or divide in early spring (transplants only) Apply fertilizer in spring and side dress in early July Harvest 1 st year none 2 nd year for 2 weeks >2 years for 8-10 weeks Remove flowers and seed stalks Horseradish Armoracia rusticanna Very hardy Grown from crown divisions or root cuttings Best in deep, loose, fertile soil with adequate moisture Commercially grown as annual Solanaceae Nightshade Family Tomatoes Peppers Eggplants Potatoes Tomatoes Lycopersicon esculentum Native to the Andes of South America Introduced to Europe in 1500s Believed to be poisonous until 1700s Tomatine in green tissue Lycopene & beta carotene give tomatoes their color Tender, warm season annual 2 nd most popular vegetable behind potatoes Salsa is the most popular condiment, surpassing ketchup. Red, pink, yellow, orange, white, purple 9

10 Determinate vs. Indeterminate Determinate 3 to 4 ft tall Plant ends in flower bud Indeterminate 7 to 15 ft tall Plant never ends, remains vegetative Forms flowers in leaf axils 1 plant can produce lb fruit/season Cherry & Pear (L. cerasiforme-cherry & pyriforme-pear) Smaller (½ dia.), sweeter tomatoes Produce about 100 fruit/plant Super Sweet 100 Yellow Pear Sweet Million Roma Paste or processing tomatoes Roma VF Viva Italia Debarao Beefsteak Larger tomatoes for fresh slicing Higher ratio of cell wall to pulp & short, soft core Better Boy Big Beef Burpee Big Boy Early Girl Heirloom Older, open pollinated varieties Brandywine Black Krim Gardener s Delight Tomato Culture Staking or Trellising Self fertile, windpollinated flowers. Starts seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost Plant transplants inches apart in rows 3-4 feet apart and deeper than pot Night temperature critical: 60-70ºF Temps < 50 will cause blossom abortion, poor fruit set & cat-facing Harvesting Tomatoes Ripe, well-formed, blemish free Heirloom & beefsteak tomatoes will be irregular in shape Never refrigerate tomatoes won t fully develop flavor after harvest Ripen unripe fruit in a paper bag out of direct sunlight Freeze, dehydrate, or can to preserve the summer flavor Tomato Problems Fungal Leaf Diseases Early blight Septoria 10

11 Tomato Problems - Wilts Verticillium or Fusarium Tomato Problems - Tobacco Hornworm Parasitic Braconid wasp on hornworm Tomato Problems - Blossom End Rot Peppers Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens - Tabasco Originated in Central America Came to United States in 1700s Black & white pepper used as seasoning is Piper nigrum. Tender, herbaceous perennials grown as annuals. Lance-shaped leaves & perfect, white flowers. -Hot Scoville units Anaheim = 500-2,500 (mild, chile rellenos) Ancho/Poblano = 1,000-1,500 (mild, roasted, stuffed, mole) Cayenne = 30,000-50,000 (medium hot, Cajun & Indian food) Habaňero = 150, ,000 (hottest of all, salsas & hot sauces) Jalapeno = 2,500-5,000 (medium hot, salsas & salads) Pequin = 50, ,000 Serrano = 10,000-20,000 (fiercely hot, roasted for salsa) Thai = 30, ,000 (fiercely hot, Asian stir fry) 11

12 - Sweet Sweet Bell Blushing Beauty Gypsy Lilac Bell Valencia Banana Banana Supreme Bananarama Cherry Cherry Pick Cubanelle Key Largo Hungarian Pimiento Antohi Romanian Round of Hungary Red Ruffled Pimiento Tabasco Pepper Culture Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost Harden off transplants Plant inches apart Moist soil - mulch is beneficial. Pepper Culture Warm season Grow best F day & F night. Blossom abortion, poor fruit set, shortened fruit, lack of color. Capsanthin chemical that causes peppers to ripen <56 F inhibit capsanthin production. Harvesting Peppers Harvest immature or mature. Chili or cayenne peppers can be dried. Avoid harvesting peppers with sunken brown spots. Store fresh peppers in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator. Pepper Problems Blossom End Rot Eggplant Solanum melogena A.K.A. Aubergine Tender, warmseason perennial grown as an annual Native to India & China ancient Asian vegetable America: Introduced early as ornamental 12

13 Cultivar Selection Fruit may be oval, oblong, or round. Color ranges from purple-black, to green, pink, white, red or yellow. Asian Ichiban Orient Express American (oval) Black Beauty Purple Rain Eggplant Culture Indeterminate, erect bush Flowers borne singly or in clusters in leaf axils Start seed indoors weeks before last frost Very susceptible to chilling F day & F night Best if planted on black plastic mulch Harvesting Eggplant Other Solanaceous Vegetables Harvest eggplant approximately days after pollination. Fruit should be glossy and deeply colored and feel heavy for its size. Mature fruit will have a dull skin and flesh will be bitter. No such thing as male and female fruit! Fruit with oval dimples on the blossom end will have fewer seeds and are less meaty but this is not related to gender. Clip fruit from the plant to avoid damage Potato Solanum tuberosum Ground Cherry, Husk Tomato, Tomatillo Physalis s ixocarpa Gooseberry Physalis peruviana Huckleberry Solanum nigrum var. guineense Tree Tomato eggsize fruit with tomatolike flavor. Cucurbitaceae Cucurbit Family Cucumbers Melons Squash Pumpkins Gourds Male or Female? Cucurbit flowers may be perfect (have male and female parts) or imperfect (have only one or the other). Male flowers produced early in the season (daylength >14 hrs.) Female flowers begin to show up along with the males around the summer solstice And male flowers predominate in August until frost Genetics, day length, and temperature determine what gender of flowers are produced 13

14 Cucumber Cucumis sativus Native to India Warm season, herbaceous annual Determinate or indeterminate Leaves and stems spiny Leaves triangular with rounded lobes with middle lobe longer Self-pollinated Cucurbitacin causes people to have difficulty digesting cucumbers Gynoecious all female. Need 1 male plant to pollinate. Parthenocarpic selffertile & doesn t require pollination. Requires isolation from other fruit to avoid pollination to provide seedless fruit. Slicing (long and tapered with smooth, glossy green skin and few spines) Dasher II Marketmore Orient Express Sweet Success Tasty Green Salad Bush Spacemaster Pickling (blunt, angular, warty, light green, spiny) Homemade Pickles Pickalot Gherkin (small, oval, prickly) Cucumber Culture Plant seeds 1-1½ inches deep and 8-12 inches apart. Require soil temperatures of 60 F. Don t transplant well. Trellis on strong wire mesh to save space. Harvesting Cucumbers Harvest slicing types when 6-8 inches long (usually 12 days after pollination) Yellow (ripe) fruit left on the plant prevents further fruit from developing & will have large seeds. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and store uncut in the refrigerator. Striped or spotted cucumber beetlebacterial wilt Melon Cucumis melo Watermelon Citrullus lanatus Native to Africa Introduced to America in 1400s Warm season, herbaceous annual Determinate or indeterminate. Melon leaves are oval to kidney-shaped with 5-7 lobes. Only cross-pollinate with members of same species. Watermelon leaves are heart-shaped with 3-7 lobes. Monoecious (male and female plants) & can self or cross pollinate 14

15 Melon Culture Muskmelon Reticulatus group Magnifisweet Athena Super Sun Sweet & Early Honeydew Inodorus group Super Dew Early Crisp Venus Watermelon Yellow Doll Crimson Sweet Bush Sugar Baby Moon & Stars Require days to produce a crop Seed at ½ to 1 inch depth, 5 ft centers. Don t transplant well Chilling sensitive Require warm, sunny weather to produce sweet fruit Moist, well-drained soil Best grown on plastic mulch Bees essential for good fruit set Only allow 1-2 fruits to develop per plant Harvesting Melons Harvest at full-slip, days after pollination Cool immediately to prevent deterioration Harvest watermelon when ground patch on watermelon is white to creamy yellow Wipe watermelon clean with a damp cloth and store in a cool location. Summer Squash Cucurbita pepo Native - Americas Warm season, frost tender, herbaceous annual Determinate or indeterminate Leaves 3-lobed or entire Monoecious Thin-skinned, eaten when immature Edible blossoms Zucchini Aristocrat Spineless Beauty Roly Poly Straightneck Butterstick Gold Bar Sunray Saffron Crookneck Horn of Plenty Pic-n-Pic Early Golden Crookneck k Scallop or Patty Pan Scallopini Butter Scallop Peter Pan Winter Squash Cucurbita maxima, pepo, moschata Native to Americas Warm season, herbaceous annual Determinate or indeterminate Leaves are 3-lobed or entire Monoecious Cross pollinate with other cultivars of same species. s Hard rinds make for good storage 15

16 Squash Culture Acorn (C. pepo) Green or gold & deeply ribbed. Cream of the Crop Ebony Sweet Acorn Table Ace Table Queen Buttercup (C. maxima) Medium-dark green splotched with grey. Autumn Cup Butternut (C. moschata) Orange flesh, tan skin, bulbous base. Autumn Glow Early Butternut Waltham Delicata (C. pepo) Cornell s Bush Delicata Hubbard (C. maxima) Medium, blue-gray with bumpy skin. Blue Hubbard Kabocha (C. maxima) Ambercup Sweet Mama Spaghetti (C. maxima) Oval with golden yellow skin. Pasta Hybrid Vegetable Spaghetti Turk s Turban (C. maxima) Green, turban-shaped, striped with red, white, & orange. Seed early and plant 1 inch deep 4 feet apart Moist soil Warm season F Mulch Reflective mulch may repel insects. Bees essential Bush-type or vining plants Shallow roots irrigate. Harvesting Squash Cucurbit Taxonomy Summer Squash 7-8 weeks after seeding when fruit are 2-3 inches in diameter and 7 inches long. Handle gently - bruises easily Refrigerate up to 1 week Winter squash 3-4 months after planting before a hard frost Ready when outer skin resists fingernail pressure Cure by exposing to 80 F temps for 7-10 days. Store at F up to 2-3 months Cucurbita pepo Acorn Delicata Jack-o-lantern Pie pumpkins Patty pan squash Small gourds Summer squash Zucchini Cucurbita maxima Banana Buttercup Hubbard Kabocha Large gourds Turk s turban Huge pumpkins Cucurbita moschata ButterNUT Pumpkins Cucurbita pepo (Jack-O- Lantern & pie), maxima (giants) Native to Americas Warm season, frosttender, herbaceous annual Determinate or indeterminate Leaves 3-lobed and may be deeply indented Monoecious Cross pollinate with other cultivars of the same species Mammoth pumpkins related to Hubbard squash and pinkish-orange color. Based on Shape Size Color Flesh quality (pie) 16

17 Pumpkin Cultivars Miniature Baby Bear Baby Boo Jack-Be-Little Munchkin Spooktacular Small Mystic Plus New England Pie Schooltime Touch of Autumn Medium Autumn Gold Casper Gold Standard Ghostrider Lumina Magic Lantern Rouge Vif d Etampes Small Sugar Spirit Trick or Treat Large Atlantic Giant Connecticut Field Howden Prizewinner Pumpkin Culture Plant after May 20 in southern WI up to 2 weeks later in the north Plant 1-1 ½inches deep 3-5 feet apart in the row with rows 4-6 feet apart Moist soil Warm season F Mulch Bees essential Shallow roots irrigate Hand pollinate giant pumpkins so they set fruit early Only allow 2 fruit per plant to develop Harvesting Pumpkins Squash vine borer Harvest 3-4 months after planting Outer skin should resist fingernail pressure Leave a 3 handle Cure by exposing to 80 F temps for 7-10 days Store at F for up to 2-3 months Store better if not exposed to hard frost Squash bugs Powdery Mildew 17

18 Brassiceae (Cruciferae) Family Cole Crops Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts Kohlrabi Cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata, tuba, & sabauda Native to Europe & Asia. Hardy, cool season herbaceous biennial Heads may be pointed, conical, oblong, round, or flattened Leaves smooth or savoy green, red, or purple. Alaskan-grown kraut cabbage heads may be 60lbs each! Isothiocyanates give cole crops their distinct flavor Cultivars based on color and type Savoy Express (savoy) Red Danish (red) Jersey Wakefield (early green) Sanibel (late green) Select cultivars resistant to cabbage yellows Cabbage Culture Start seed indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost Slowly harden off transplants before setting outside permanently. For fall crop Sow seed directly weeks before killing frost Harvesting Cabbage Harvest when heads are firm and before they split Cut with sharp knife just above the root crown Don t wash prior to storage Store in refrigerator with or without plastic bag Broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica Native to Europe & Asia. Hardy, cool season, herbaceous annual Head comprised of functional flower buds Sprouting & heading varieties 18

19 Calabrese or Italian Green Packman Green Comet Purple Sprouting Romanesco forms spiral-shaped heads Minaret Broccoli Culture Relatively tolerant to environmental stress Temps below 40 F cause chilling injury Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost For fall crop sow seed directly weeks before killing frost Florets browning caused by boron deficiency Button heads caused by temps below 40 F or nitrogen deficiency Harvesting Broccoli Harvest when heads are firm and florets haven t begun to open Retain 2-4 inches of stem when cutting Cut sprouting broccoli just below the floret to stimulate new shoots Cool immediately after harvest Don t wash prior to refrigeration Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var. botrytis Native to Europe & Asia Hardy, cool season herbaceous biennial Curds of winter and late-season types consist of functional flower buds Purple cauliflower is a type of broccoli Cauliflower Culture Snowball types most common Snow Queen Early Glacier Snowball Snow Crown Specialty Violet Queen Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost Needs long, cool growing season Fall crop sow seed directly weeks before killing frost Prolonged temperatures below 50 F will induce bolting Hot summer temps cause poor curd quality Blanch curd by tying leaves together when heads are 2-3 Heads develop 3-14 days after tying depending temp so check every other day 19

20 Cauliflower Problems Brown curds boron deficiency or unavailability in high ph soils. Ricing velvety curds become Cause high nitrogen and temperatures that result in rapid head formation. Blindness (no curd is formed) poor fertility, insect damage, disease, heredity, or cold. Small, button heads stress Harvesting Cauliflower Curds compact and surrounded by leaves Retain enough wrapper leaves to hold heads intact Wrap in a damp cloth and refrigerate immediately Brussels Sprouts B. oleracae var. gemmifera Native to Europe & Asia Hardy, cool season herbaceous biennial Believed to be derived from savoy cabbage Sprouts form in the leaf axils beginning at the bottom of the plant. F1 Hybrids have good uniformity, vigor and disease resistance. Captain Marvel Oliver Jade Cross Brussels Sprouts Culture Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost Needs a long, cool growing season: days Fall crop sow seed directly for weeks before killing frost Bitter sprouts caused by heat or drought Harvesting Brussels Sprouts Best flavor after frost Sprouts harvested before frost are loose and bitter Top 3 weeks before harvest Don t have to remove lower leaves 20

21 Other Cole Crops Kale B. oleracae var. acephala Kohlrabi B. oleracea var. gongyloides Chinese Cabbage B. oleracea var. pekinensis Bok Choy B. rapa var. chinensis Caterpillars attack all cole crops imported cabbage worm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth Fabaceae (Legume) Family Beans Peas Beans Phaseolus vulgaris (green) & P. linensis (lima) Native to Central America Records of use as food date back to 5000 B.C Self-pollinated Warm season, herbaceous annual Bean Culture Bush Erect plant short season Blue Lake 274 Bush Romano Sequoia (purple) Goldmine (wax) Lima Climbing or bush forms Heat tolerant Pole Twining type matures later but longer harvest Kentucky Blue Kentucky Wonder Wax Trionfo Plant after the last frost in warm soil, 50ºF Soak seed for an hour before planting to help germination May need inoculum in new gardens Plant seed 1 to 2 inches deep Well-drained soils Fall crop - replant midsummer Little or no nitrogen fertilizer required Pole beans require staking or trellising 21

22 Harvesting Beans Harvest days after full bloom Should be sweet, tender and uniform size Store in refrigerator under high humidity Peas Pisum sativum Native to middle Asia. Field peas native to Africa Became popular as a vegetable in the 1700s Cool season, herbaceous annual Classified by growth habit, pod appearance, seed color, and starch/sugar content Snap or Edible Pod eaten when immature Sugar Snap Sugar Daddy Field Peas Black-eyed Clay grow well in clay soils Crowder crowd the peas in the pod Iron rusty red Pink-eyed pink central ring White Acre Zipper unzip themselves from pod Garden Peas Early Frosty Maestro Wando Garden Sweet Spring Snow Peas eaten when half mature Mammoth Melting Sugar Oregon Sugar Pod II Snowbird Pea Culture Plant after April 15 th in southern WI Prepare planting site in fall for quick spring start Prefer sandy, well-drained soils Soak seeds for 1 hour prior to planting to speed germination Space 1-2 inches apart in row Support with trellis or twine Harvesting Peas Harvest 3 weeks after full bloom Garden peas Pod should be plump enough to shell easily Don t allow to get over ripe Store at F under high humidity Liliaceae Family Garlic Onions Leeks 22

23 Garlic Allium sativum Native to Middle Asia. Cultivated 5,000 years Introduced to America in the 1700s Herbaceous, coolseason, perennial Comprised of multiple cloves Only hardneck varieties produce flowers Hardneck Rocambole German Red Killarney Red Russian Red Spanish Roja Purple Stripe Bogatyr Brown Rose Brown Tempest Chesnok Red Giant Siberian Persian Star Porcelain Music German Extra Hardy Georgial Crystal Georgian Fire Northern White Polish Hardneck Softneck Artichoke California White Inchelium Red Polish White Silverskin Silver Rose Silver White Elephant garlic is not a garlic but a form of leek! Allium ampeloprasum Garlic Culture Harvesting Garlic Plant cloves in early fall 6 weeks before ground freezes Larger cloves produce larger bulbs Well-drained soil Mulch with straw after ground freezes Remove flower stalk of hardneck garlic when it forms a circle Harvest 2/3 of the tops turn brown 9 months after planting Cure 30 days in warm, dry place Hardneck garlic lasts for 3-6 months Softneck garlic lasts for 6-9 months Onions Allium cepa Native to Southern Asia Introduced to America in the 1400s Herbaceous biennial i grown as an annual Bulb is comprised of fleshy basal leaves Contains glucose, fructose, & sucrose no starch Green onions (A. cepa) immature true onions harvest before bulbs form Scallions or bunching onions (A. cepa) never form a bulb. Multiplier onions form 4-5 bulbs enclosed in a single leaf sheath Shallots (A. cepa) develop a small cluster of bulbs more subtle in flavor. Pearl onions (A. ampeloprasum) form only one storage leaf Like leeks form small bulbs like garlic Cipollini onions small, sweet, early onions. 23

24 Onion Culture Harvesting Onions Plant seeds, sets, or transplants. Sets may flower if summer is cool. Transplant once frost is out of the ground about 4 weeks before the last spring frost Do not allow the soil to dry out Weeds can be a problem in onions and garlic Harvest green onions when the tops are > 6 and ½-1 in diameter. Harvest bulb onions ons when 50-75% of the tops fall over Cure bulb onions at F for 10 days Store at F for 3-4 months Leeks Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum Native to Mediterranean Herbaceous, cool-season biennial grown as an annual Non-bulbing unless daylength exceeds 19 hours Milder flavor than onions 2 nd year they will form underground bulbs like Elephant garlic Bred for size and shape of the stalk, hardiness, disease resistance, and early maturity American Flag Giant Musselburg King Richard Otina Leek Culture Plant seed indoors around Feb. 15 Transplant in mid-april or 4 weeks before the last frost date Plant in holes 5-6 inches deep and fill in holes to blanch Long season: require days to harvest. Harvesting Leeks Harvest when 1 ¼ - 3 inches thick May mulch heavily for winter harvest Trim roots, green leaves and wash before storing in refrigerator up to 2 months 24

25 Lettuce Lactuca sativa Family Asteraceae Native to Mediterranean Basin Herbaceous annual Cool season, long day plant Crisphead-iceberg (var. capitata) Large, heavy, brittle Latest to mature Loma Sierra Butterhead (Bibb) (var. capitata) Small, loosely filled head with creamy interior. Boston is day neutral Bibb is short-day Batavia is intermediate between crisphead & bibb Buttercrunch Esmeralda Lettuce Culture Looseleaf (var. crispa) Easiest to grow & 1 st to mature Salad Bowl Green Ice Prizehead Simpson Elite Royal Oakleaf Romaine (Cos) (var. longifolia) Torpedo-shaped heads Matures later than butterhead and leaf varieties Freckles Parris Island Cos Rosalita Rouge d Hiver Winter Density Seed at ¼ inch depth or use transplants Cool season temps above 70 and long days cause bolting Moist, well-drained soil Shallow rooted and drought susceptible Bitterness comes from high temperatures & mature plants. Harvest in ~50 days Harvesting Lettuce Spinach Spinacia oleracea Harvest individual leaves or bunches of leaves by cutting them with a sharp knife or shears Harvest heads by cutting with sharp knife below the lowest leaf and remove any damaged leaves Harvest Romaine when smaller to avoid bitterness Place in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate immediately Wash just prior to use Family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family) Native to Iran Spina means spiny in Latin to describe prickly seed Hardy, cool-season annual High in vitamins A & C, calcium, iron, & potassium 25

26 Based on leaf texture Savoy Avon Bloomsdale Long- Standing Melody Tyee Smooth Olympia Space Spinach Culture Temps of F Spring and fall crop Can sow seeds late in fall for fall & spring crop Direct seed in rows or broadcast. ¾ apart in rows 2-4 inches wide Plant ½-¾ inches deep Slow to emerge up to 3 weeks Clip to thin to 1 inch apart Harvesting Spinach days after planting 5-7 leaves per plant Remove outer leaves first Continued nued harvest until seed stalk forms Store at 32 F Swiss Chard Beta vulgaris var. cicla Grow in any soil or temperature Harvest When leaves just expand Break off stalk at base of plant Cultivars Bright Lights Lucullus Ruby Red Root Crops Carrots Beets Radishes Carrots Daucus carota var. sativus Family Apiaceae Originated in Afghanistan & possibly northern Iran & Pakistan Introduced d in America in the 1700s Biennial, grown as an annual White, purple, yellow, orange, and red varieties 26

27 Carrot Pigments Imperator More slender and slightly longer than Danvers type Deep orange cortex with lighter core Eaten fresh Danvers Medium to long with broad shoulders and sharp taper Orange tinged with green Processed into baby food Nantes Short, cylindrical with no taper, blunt, rounded tip Bright orange Primary home garden carrot Chantenay Medium to short with a slight taper and blunt end Grown for storage or processing Medium to light orange Carrot Culture Sow ¼ inch deep in loose soil free of debris & rocks Thin to 1-3 inches apart Well-drained soil Replant mid-summer for extra sweet fall carrots Will produce flower stalk if temps 50 F for 6-8 weeks Harvesting Carrots Before become woody Carrots with large shoulders are often woody Wash before storing in plastic bag in refrigerator Sugar content increases during cold storage Ethylene causes bitterness don t store with apples, melons, or bananas Radishes Raphanus sativus Family Brassicaceae Native to China Leaves deeply pinnate arising from a basal rosette. Edible. Can be round, oval, cylindrical, or icicleshaped Bolt under long day conditions Insect pollinated Bred for taste, bolt resistance, disease resistance & appearance. Cultivars based on season grown: Spring-type Cherry Belle Early Scarlet Globe French Breakfast Summer German Giant Parat Winter (var. longipinnatus) China Rose German Beer Round Black Spanish Daikons April Cross Spring Song 27

28 Radish Culture Harvesting Radishes Plant before last frost in spring Sow every days to extend harvest Plant 1 inch apart in the row with rows 1 foot apart for spring radishes and 2 inches apart in the row for winter radishes Interplant spring radishes with other, later maturing crops Spring radishes are harvested days after seeding when <¾ inch diameter. Winter radishes are harvested days after planting. Beets Beta vulgaris Family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family). Grown for roots and edible greens. Native western Europe & north Africa. Selected from ancient European species. Originally livestock feed Biennial i grown as an annual Contain betacyanin and betaxanthin High in carbohydrates Based on color, shape & use: Red, yellow, purple, white, striped. Top-shaped, globe-shaped, flattened, elongated. Slicing, i bunching, storage. Big Red Chioggia (striped) Cylindria Detroit Dark Red Golden Lutz - greens Ruby Queen (bunching type) Beet Culture Temps of F - rapid growth and good flavor Space seed 2-4 inches apart in double rows with rows inches apart Sow every 2-3 weeks apart to extend the season Harvesting Beets Harvest when round, tender, & 2 diameter. Old, large roots can be fibrous days after planting Store for 6 months in the refrigerator 28

29 Other Root Crops Turnip Brassica rapa subsp. rapifera Rutabaga Brassica napus var. napobrassica Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Celariac Apium graveolens var. rapaceum Sweet Corn Zea mays Family Poaceae (grass) Native Central America Warm season annual Wind pollinated Monecious Produce only 1-2 ears per stalk Sweet Corn Culture Cultivars based on sweetness and kernel color. Must isolate supersweets from cross pollination by other corn Bicolor Ambrosia Fantasy Honey N Pearl Trinity White How Sweet It Is Silver King Yellow Early Sunglow Golden Bantam Sugar Buns Plant when soil temp above 65 F Plant in blocks for better pollination Nitrogen fertilize At planting Plants 8 tall Plants 18 tall Harvesting Sweet Corn Kernels soft, plump with milky juice Cook before sugar changes to starch 29