Spring Vegetable Gardening Patty Glenn Leander Texas Gardener Magazine 1. Getting Started What do you like to eat? How much space do you have? How much time do you have? Observe your surroundings o Where is sun/shade? o Do you need a fence? o Do you have good drainage? 2. Seek Local Advice Regional Books o The Southern Kitchen Garden by William D. Adams and Tom LeRoy o The Vegetable Book by Sam Cotner o Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening by Howard Garrett and Malcolm Beck Central Texas Horticulture: http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/travis/index.htm Aggie website: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu 3. Location 6-8 hours of sun Close and convenient to kitchen 4. Garden Design/Layout Containers Raised beds Traditional rows Square foot garden 5. Adequate Moisture & Drainage Locate garden near a source of water Raised beds for rocky or heavy clay soils Drip or soaker hoses Water deeply, 1-1½ per week Monitor your equipment for leaks 6. Good Soil A Healthy Foundation 8-12 loose, friable soil is ideal Remove weeds, rocks, debris Amend with organic matter Ideal ph is 6.5-7.0 Do not work when wet May take 3-5 years to build good soil 7. Soil Test/Fertility A&M routine soil test = $10 o http://soiltesting.tamu.edu Nitrogen often low Phosphorus often high General fertilizer recommendation: o ½ - 1 cup fertilizer (like 15-5-10) per 20-25 feet of row or 1½ -3 cups of organic fertilizer (like 8-2-4) Sidedress at first fruit set; 4-6 weeks later 8. Principles of Organic Gardening Holistic approach-look at big picture Biodiversity mix it up Build soil over time (compost, cover crops) Learn to identify pests and beneficials Limit use of pesticides, use least toxic Support and encourage beneficial insects Tolerate some damage/imperfections 9. Make your own Compost Layers of green and brown with a shovelful of soil/compost o Green = nitrogen Grass clippings, kitchen waste, coffee grounds, manure o Brown = carbon Leaves, newspaper, straw Make it big 3 x 3 Mix it in before planting 10. The Compost Bucket Do Use: o Vegetable and fruit peels, trimmings 1
o Coffee grounds and coffee filters o Tea bags o Eggshells o Cooking liquid Do NOT Use: o Meat, fat, bones 11. Mulch Adds organic matter over time Regulates soil temperature Helps retain moisture Controls weeds Use compost, leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, paper, alfalfa hay 12. The Right Plant at the Right Time Vegetables for Travis County Vegetable Garden Planting Guide Last frost: mid-march First freeze: mid-november 13. Transplants vs Direct Seeding Better to direct seed: Beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumber, melons, okra, peas, radish, squash, turnip Better to transplant Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, pepper, tomatoes 14. Seed Viability Short term 1-2 years: o corn, okra, onion, parsley Medium term 3-4 years: o beans/peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, pepper, spinach, carrot Long term 5+ years: o beets, collards, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, melons, pumpkin, radish, squash, Swiss chard, tomato, turnips 15. Maturity Rate Quick Growing (30-60 days) Beets, bush beans, lettuce, mustard, radish, spinach, summer squash, turnips Moderate (60-80 days) Broccoli, carrots, cucumber, green onion, kohlrabi, lima beans, pole beans, okra, peppers, tomatoes Slow (80+ days) Asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, garlic, Irish potatoes, melons, onions, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash 16. Planting the seed Use viable seed Plant in moist soil Proper spacing/thinning Good soil to seed contact Gradually harden off transplants 17. Crop Rotation Rotate crop families to avoid recurring diseases and pests Cucurbit (cucumber, melon, squash) Grass (corn) Legumes (beans) Mallow (okra) Morning glory (sweet potato) Nightshade (tomato, potato, eggplant, peppers) 18. Tomatoes Transplants in March/April Plant in late July for fall harvest Look for resistant varieties VFNT Transplanting tip remove lower leaves and plant sideways in soil Protect from freeze Spray weekly with water soluble fertilizer Work in 2-3 Tbsp fertilizer at 1 st fruit set Wrap cages with row cover o gives 2-4 degrees of frost protection o protects plants from wind, insects o remove when plants begin to flower 19. Tomato Types Determinate: Bush type, 60-75 days to harvest, most fruit matures all at once Indeterminate: Vining plants, 75-80+ days to harvest, produces fruit over a longer period 20. Tomato Trials/Favorites Standard Slicer Big Beef Celebrity Champion First Lady New Girl Sunmaster Grape/Cherry Juliet Sweet Baby Girl Sugary Sweet Chelsea 2
Sun Gold Yellow Pear Heirloom Brandywine **Cherokee Purple German Johnson Black Cherry Juanne Flammé 21. Blossom End Rot Too much or too little water Mulch to conserve moisture Remove infected fruit 22. Early Blight Alternaria fungus Found in soil, plant debris Rotate crops, good air circulation, avoid overhead watering, mulch soil, remove infected leaves, fungicide 23. Nematodes Plant resistant varieties Remove and discard infected plants Solarize soil 4-6 weeks in summer Plant Elbon rye in fall Incorporate organic matter 24. Green Beans Plant Mar/April and Aug/Sept 55-70 days to harvest Harvest frequently when young and tender Bush beans mature faster than pole Mom s Old-fashioned, Southern-Style Green Beans and New Potatoes Simmer 2T bacon fat and 2 tsp sugar in 2-3 cups water for 15 minutes. Add 2 lb flat green beans and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add 4 small new potatoes, quartered. Simmer gently 20-30 minutes, until done. Season generously with salt and pepper. 25. Butterbeans (Limas) Plant 1-2 weeks after green beans 65-85 days to harvest 26. Sweet Corn Plant in early spring (mid-march) Harvest in 70-95 days Plant in wide rows or blocks Use fresh seed Isolate normal (su) and sugary enhanced (se) sweet corn from Super Sweet (sh2) varieties by 100 or by planting dates (so they mature 10-14 days apart) 27. Tips for Corn Cultivation When 6 tall thin to 12 spacing Sidedress (1½-3 cups organic fertilizer) and dirt plants when 1 tall, feed again when tassels appear Monitor regularly and treat for pests 28. Corn Earworm Hard to avoid this pest Spray or dust with Bt when young 29. Cucumbers Harvest in 55-75 days Pick frequently, before they turn yellow Grow upright on a trellis or a cage Mini-cucumbers: Cucino, Rocky, Green Fingers, Picklers: Calypso, Diamant, Homemade Pickles 30. Eggplant Grow from transplants, plant in April Harvest 60-80 days from transplanting Harvest when skin is still shiny Established plants produce well in fall 31. Melons Plant in warm weather, April-June 80-110 days to harvest Plant 3-5 seeds in hills 4-6 feet apart Go vertical with small melons Fertilize lightly and mulch well before plants begin to run Harvest cantaloupe when fruit slips Harvest watermelon when underside is creamy white and tendril is dry and brown 32. Okra Takes the heat, plant April - July Harvest in 50-60 days Space at least 2 between plants Harvest daily, 3-5 pods Wear gloves and long sleeves to harvest 33. Peppers Grow from transplants, plant in April Harvest 70-90 days from transplanting Produce best in fall 3
34. Sweet Peppers Bells o Big Bertha o Jupiter o California Wonder Non-Bells o Gypsy o Lipstick o Red Cheese Pimento 35. Hot Peppers Poblano (500-2500) Jalapeño (3500-8000) Serrano (8000-22,000) Tabasco (30,000-50,000) Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Caribbean Red (100,000-350,000+) 36. Potatoes Plant in mid-february 2-3 oz pieces, certified seed potatoes Plant 4-6 deep, 12 apart Pull soil up around stems when 6-8 high Dig in 90-100 days 37. Southern Peas Plant when warm, April-July Harvest for fresh eating in 65-90 days, or allow to dry on vine Provide adequate moisture during bloom Excess fertilizer = more vine, fewer pods Yard long beans: Red Noodle, Liana 38. Summer Squash Sow in spring and fall Harvest in 50-60 days Leave 2-3 feet between plants Eight Ball, Zephyr, Freckles, President Beware squash vine borer Use row cover until blooms appear Spray or dust stems with Bt 39. Winter Squash/Pumpkin Plant squash April-June Sow pumpkin seed in June Harvest in 3-4 months Give space to vine Harvest when rind is hard 40. Powdery Mildew Causes: o Hot, dry days and cool nights o Poor air circulation o Excess fertilizer Treatment o Remove infected leaves o Wettable sulfur o Potassium bicarbonate o Neem oil o Serenade 41. Sweet Potatoes Plant April June Plant slips 1 apart Spreading growth habit Harvest before first frost (Sept/Oct) 42. Swiss Chard Plant 8-12 apart Use tender leaves in salad or sauté Give afternoon shade in summer Bright Lights, Rhubarb Red, Pink Lipstick 43. Warm Season Greens Malabar spinach, molokhia, amaranth Takes the heat 44. Harvest at the right time Harvest in the morning Harvest at peak size for best flavor Quick rinse, wrap loosely in plastic Pick frequently to encourage more blooms If you use pesticide read the label for Days to Harvest 45. Controlling Pests and Disease Row cover Diverse plantings Resistant varieties Rotate crop families Plant in the right season Proper watering techniques Tolerate some insect damage Proper spacing air circulation Sanitation-remove diseased plant material 46. Low Toxicity insect and disease controls Insecticidal soap aphids, spider mites, stink bugs 4
Copper soap fungicide downy mildew, powdery mildew Potassium bicarbonate powdery mildew Serenade downy mildew, powdery mildew, early blight Spinosad stink bugs, spider mites, beetles, caterpillars, thrips Neem oil aphids, beetles, squash bugs, powdery mildew Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) caterpillars 47. Bonus Tips Think ahead/plan ahead Keep records, make notes Eat what you grow! Spring 2011 5