Vegetable Gardening Vegetable gardening references Master Gardener Volunteer Level 1 Training By Sharon Morrisey Consumer Horticulture Agent Milwaukee County UW-Extension Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest by Voight and Vandermark (IL Cooperative Extension) The Midwest Fruit & Vegetable Book by Jim Fizzell (former IL Extension agent in Chgo.) Homegrown Harvest American Horticultural Society (new Nov. 2010) Fruit or Vegetable? What are we eating? Brassicaceae What are we eating? Solanaceae What are we eating? Apiaceae 1
What are we eating? Fabaceae What are we eating? Cucurbitaceae Asparagus (perennial) Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Kale Carrot (fall carrots taste better!) Lettuce Peas, English & Sugar Snap Potato Rhubarb (perennial) Rutabaga Spinach Swiss Chard Turnip Cool season crops Bean Cucumber Eggplant Okra Pepper Squash Sweet Corn Sweet Potato Tomato Watermelon (watch for days to harvest ) WARM SEASON CROPS Fruit set depends on pollination Diagram from Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon Pollination depends on all of the flower parts being present, receptive and compatible along with the appropriate pollinator. Plants that typically self-pollinate bean tomato pepper tomatillo eggplant 2
Pollination by wind Pollination by bees + + = + = Female Male Fruit Male Female Fruit Physical requirements of vegetables Sunlight Temperature (thermo classes) Soil Daylength (onions) Site requirements Light Soil Access Air drainage Proximity to trees & shrubs root competition Black walnut roots Planning the garden Crop rotation Garden layout Crop groups/ families Rotation Moving groups of crops to different locations in the garden every year on a 3 4 year cycle. Largely for pest management 3
Crop Groups Leafy greens Root crops Cole crops Legumes Vine crops Solanaceous crops Perennial crops Misc. Layout 1) Perennial crops 2) Rotation of annual crops Consider: Exposure Back of garden is north Tall crops to the back Row orientation north to south Space needed and spacing of plants When to plant what When to plant what Timing is everything! Frost free dates Thermo classification Direct seeding or Transplants Direct seeding or Transplants Seed starting Season extenders Cold frame/ hot bed Sequential planting Planting small amounts of the same crop every week or two to spread out the harvest. Planting a different second crop in an area vacated by an early, fast growing crop that has been harvested and removed. Interplanting Planting small, fast to mature crops between transplants of another longer season crop that gradually increases in size. The faster crop will be finished before the longer one gets large enough to need the space. 4
Late Planting Planting (again) in mid-season those early season crops that prefer cool temperatures when they are mature and producing in the fall. Season extenders Floating Row Covers Cold frames and hot beds Floating row covers Plastic films Soil mounds Individual plant covers Cloches Walls o water Seeds Follow seed packet directions Thinning later is critical Transplants Final spacing Same depth or a little deeper Tomatoes a lot deeper Planting 5
Watering Avoid overhead watering If overhead watering, then water early in the day Organic mulches Mulching Mulching Carpet as mulch Inorganic mulches 6
Vegetables for Wisconsin Gardens The Crop Groups Leafy Greens Root Crops Cole Crops Legumes Vine Crops Solanaceous Crops Sweet Corn & Sweet Potatoes Perennial Vegetables: Asparagus (family: Liliaceae) Beds produce for 15 20 years Male varieties are preferred females are weaker and weedy Jersey Giant Jersey King Jersey Knight Start with 1 yr. old crowns 8 deep trench including 2 compost Plants 9 12 apart Spread out roots Cover with 2 of soil Fill-trench gradually as plants grow Each year pull a little soil up over crowns First full harvest in 4 th yr. Stop when spears come up pencil thin Fertilize in spring the first 3years Then always after harvest Leave ferns all summer Cut down in fall when yellow Asparagus beetle Rust Weeds Perennial Vegetables: Rhubarb (family: Polygonaceae) Fruit or vegetable? Leaves are toxic (oxalic acid) Freezing moves it into stems Canada Red Cherry Red Crimson Red Ruby Valentine Remove flowers stalks as they appear Fertilize mid-season Divide every 3 5 years Harvest when 2 yr. old Not more than 1/3 per year Cercospora leaf spot 7
Swiss chard Mesclun Leafy Greens Spinach Head lettuce Leaf lettuce Leafy Greens: Lettuce (family: Asteraceae) 60 70 degrees Spring & fall Heat causes Bitterness Flowerstalk forms ( bolting ) Lightly shade Types: Leaf Cos or romaine Butterhead Crisphead Green leaf Blk. Seeded Simpson Deer tongue (heirloom) Oak leaf (slow to bolt) Salad Bowl Red leaf Lollo Rosso (bolt resist.) Red Sails (very heat tolerant) Butterhead Buttercrunch (heat resist.) Tom Thumb Crisphead Ithaca Montello Summertime Cultivation Direct seed or transplant Leaf lettuce 12 between plants to harvest individual leaves Closer for cut and come again Head lettuce 12 16 Cut head at base Keep cool Don t wash to store Leafy Greens: Spinach (family: Chenopodiaceae) Grow in spring or fall Fall tilled soil: sow over frozen ground in spring Cold frame Heat causes bolting Plant late fall, mulch to overwinter Varieties: Crinkled (savoyed) Bloomsdale Longstanding Melody Tyee Smooth Correnta 8
Alternatives: New Zealand spinach Heat tolerant; frost sensitive Harvest all summer Climbing spinach (Malabar spinach) (Rubella ) Thick, crunchy but creamy textured leaves all summer Spinach Thin to 1 2 apart to harvest entire plant Sow weekly to prolong harvest Or thin to 4 6 and harvest oldest leaves as plants grow New Zealand spinach Sow 12 apart and harvest leaves as they mature Climbing spinach same Leafy Greens: Swiss Chard Swiss Chard (family:) Plant in spring; grow all season Thick leaf stalks with large leaf blade Stalks and mid-ribs: white, red, pink, yellow chop like celery, steam Leaves: green, bronze, purple cook like spinach Varieties: Bright Lights Ruby Red Fordhook Giant Harvest outer leaves all season (family: Chenopodiaceae) Leafy Greens: Miscellaneous Swiss Chard (family:) Others Mesclun Definition: mixed leafy greens Packaged mixtures Mix your own Sow in blocks and cut and come again harvest Sow successive plantings if time allows Leafy Greens: Miscellaneous Swiss Chard (family:) Others Arugula=rocket=roquette Distinctly lobed leaves Fast growing Sow blocks ; cut and come again Pungent; spicy; nutty; peppery Cole crop Leafy Greens: Miscellaneous Swiss Chard (family:) Others Asian greens Mizuna Chrysanthemum 9
Root Crops Root Crops: Radishes (family: Brassicaceae) Very early, cold tolerant and fast growing (25 days) Sow asascbw and in fall Plant every 2 weeks Spring, winter, daikon Heat and long days cause bolting & no root French Breakfast and Icicle tol. heat better Sow winter and daikon in mid-summer to late fall Keep watered to keep growing fast Slow growth makes roots pithy, cracked and hot Thin to prevent crowding Crowding and heat cause no root to develop Flea beetle Root Crops: Beets (family: Chenopodiaceae) Early season, 55-65 days, tol. frosts & lt. freezes Every 3 4 weeks until mid-summer Varieties: Detroit Dk. Red Early Wonder Golden Little Ball di Chioggia - striped Seed is actually a fruit with several seeds; all may germinate Thinning is important but crowding is ok (2 ) Growing for greens, ½ apart and harvest all at once Water regularly Fertilize mid-season Harvest at 1 ½ 3 Mice/ voles Root Crops: Carrots (family: Apiaceae) Early season, @ 70 days Mid-season for fall Types: many colors Chantenay Broad shoulders, blunt tip Danvers & Nantes Uniform taper to blunt tip Half longs broader, shorter Imperator Very long (10 ) and thin Novelties Baby (finger) and small round, 10
Prepare soil deeply (10 plus) Remove pebbles & clods (forking) Avoid excess organic matter (forking & twisting) Sow thinly & shallowly Seed tapes are helpful Avoid washing away Prevent soil cracking 2 weeks to germinate Irregularly Successive sowings into mid-summer Mulch fall carrots to store in ground Thinning is critical Spacing according to variety Mound soil over shoulders if begin to show (turn green) Dig, don t pull to harvest Remove tops, store cool and moist Aster yellows (hairy) rabbits Root Crops: Onions (family: Allium) Cool season with some frost tolerance Varieties: long-day or intermediate for WI For dry bulbs or green bunching onions (scallions) 3 methods: Transplants Sets (small dry bulbs) Seed Onion maggots Onion thrips Leaf blight and neck rot (botrytis) Transplants: Plant at final spacing for size of bulb ½ as far and harvest every other one for green onions Close together for bunching 1-1 ½ deep Starter fertilizer Fertilize again mid-season Harvest when tops have fallen over Store Cure for 1 week at 80 90 Then cut back tops and store in a cool, dark place Sets: Planting Large ones touching and 2 deep for bunching Mound with soil to etiolate Too mature for bulbing; will bolt too soon Small ones, shallower and at final spacing or half that and harvest every other one for green onion Round ones produce flat onions Elongated ones produce round onions Early cold temperatures may cause bolting Seed indoors Mid-February; keep foliage cut to 4 until planting Then like transplants Seed outdoors At 3 4 tall, thin to 2 apart Or do not thin and harvest as bunching onions 11
Varieties: Bulbing Plants: Copra (pungent, yellow) Yellow Sweet Spanish Walla Walla (sweet white) Candy Cane (sweet red) Sets: Ebenezer Stuttgarter Reisengard Bunching scallions Evergreen White Bunching White Lisbon Root Crops: Garlic (family: Allium) Hard neck Hardier in cold climates Soft neck Can be braided Won t flower as readily Stores better Higher yield Fall planted large cloves produce the largest bulbs Separate cloves plant 2 deep and 6 apart Mulch after ground freezes Fertilize spring and June Cut off flowers Harvest when leaves start to yellow Cure in warm dry place while paper dries Root Crops: Leeks (family: Allium) Flat leaved, mild onion-garlic flavor; 120 days Sow seed indoors and transplant very early or purchase small plants Into a trench Begin mounding with soil when seedlings are diameter of a pencil Continue throughout season to blanch stems Harvest when useable diameter As needed Dig, never pull Cut off roots and all but 2 green portion of leaves Mulch and harvest until soil freezes or leave until spring, harvest before 2 nd years growth Root Crops: Potato (family: Solanaceae) Tubers produced on underground stems Produced in 60 70 degree soils Varieties: Early Norlund (red skin) Yukon Gold (yellow meat) Mid-season (can be planted until early July) Red Pontiac (deep eyes) Late (can be planted until early July; stores best) Kennebec (lt. brown skin) Plant all varieties early in spring; tol. frost Plant seed pieces Chunks with at least one eye or whole small potato Cut the day before Plant 4 deep and 12 apart Hill as they grow to cover stems to produce more tubers Green areas develop where tuber is exposed to sun Toxic alkaloid Cut off and use remainder Mulch in early summer to keep cool Flowers and fruits may form Harvest 2 weeks after vines dieback Earlier for new potatoes Cure in warm, dry conditions before storing in cool, moist. Early blight Late blight Rot Potato leafhopper Colorado potato beetle 12
Tub o Taters Large, deep container with drainage 2 4 soil in bottom Plant seed piece(s) Cover with 2 soil Add soil as plants grow until tub is full When vines dieback, 2 weeks later harvest by dumping tub Straw Potatoes Tire Taters Warm, very long season needed Intolerant of frost Same as ornamental sweet potato vine True root Not a yam Tropical spp. Varieties: Beauregard (100; lt. purple skin, dk. orange flesh) Georgia Jet (100; red skin, orange flesh) Vardaman (110; golden skin, orange flesh; compact bush; new foliage purple) Root Crops: Sweet Potato (family: Convolvulaceae) Mail-order slips Plant after last frost Warm soil with clear plastic first Use plastic or row cover hoop house to protect early 12 apart on an 8 ridge Warms and dries faster Keep watered in drought only Excess moisture causes long, skinny roots Do not water 3 4 weeks before harvest Harvest just before 1 st frost Or immediately after Cure in warm, dry for 2 wks. Store at 55 degrees Avoid bruising Cole Crops Cole Crops: Cabbage (family: Brassicaceae) Brassica oleracea var. capitata Many varieties: Different greens and purple Pointed, round or flat head Smooth leaves or savoyed Early or late (63 85 days) Late form large heads good for kraut Grow in spring or fall Transplant early spring or mid-summer Planting Early varieties 12 apart Late varieties 24 apart Mid-summer sow seed directly Fertilize Starter fertilizer at planting Side-dress when plants are half grown Provide ample water Harvest when mature and firm Excess moisture then can cause splitting To hold in garden once mature, pull to break some roots Leave lower leaves for axillary buds to form May be loose heads due to heat 13
Problems: Flowering Due to vernalization Transplants with stems as thick as pencils, set out too early, exposed to period of cold temperatures (35 45) Choose young, vigorously growing transplants Flea beetles Slugs Cabbage worm complex Cole Crops: Cauliflower (family: Brassicaceae) Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (undifferentiated flowers) Most demanding cole crop Heat and cold problems Plant only 2-3 weeks before ff; cold causes buttoning Heat causes leaves in heads and loose curds Needs blanching with outer leaves (even self-blanching ones) Becomes ricey No side shoots form Pull plants out after harvest Varieties: Snow Crown (heat & cold tol.) Snow Grace (even better) Snow King (50 days) White Corona (30 days; 3-4 heads) Cole Crops: Broccoli (family: Brassicaceae) Brassica oleracea var. italica (unopened flowers) Subject to buttoning Harvest main head Side shoots will form all season Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera (sprouts in leaf axils starting at base of stem) Hardy, long-season (100 days), Transplant in June (4-5 wk. old plants) Pinch 3 wks. before 1 st frost Bitter sprouts: Heat or drought Harvesting too early Varieties: Bubbles (82; tolerates warm) Jade Cross (90) Long Island Improved (90; OP; not uniform) Cole Crops: Brussels sprouts (family: Brassicaceae) Cole Crops: Collards (family: Brassicaceae) Brassica oleracea var. acephala (leaves) Plant early and grow all season Varieties: Georgia (75; wavy lvs.) Vates (75; low growing, smooth leaves) Direct seed early Thin to 18 ; eat thinnings Or transplant Harvest oldest leaves regularly 14
Cole Crops: Kohlrabi (family: Brassicaceae) Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes (enlarged stem) Sow seeds early spring every 2-3 weeks Transplants asascbwis Keep vigorously growing Harvest up to 3 (except giant varieties) Varieties: Early White Vienna (55) Grand Duke (50) Early Purple Vienna (62) Chinese Cabbage B. rapa subsp. pekinensis Pak Choi (=Bak Choy) B. rapa subsp. chinensis Oriental Greens B. rapa subsp. nipposinica Leafy greens or flower buds Cole Crops: Chinese Cabbage (family: Brassicaceae) Chinese Cabbage B. rapa subsp. pekinensis Forms: Pak Choi (=Bak Choy) nonheading, loose, upright like Swiss chard More likely to bolt Pe tsai heading type like Cos lettuce Michihili type tall, cylindrical, upright Napa type shorter, broader Napa Pak Choi Michihili Start seedlings in individual pots 4-5 weeks before transplanting Transplant 2 3 weeks before ff while still young Will vernalize/ bolt if freeze or a week of 50 degree nights Sow directly for fall crops Flea beetles Slugs Legumes Legumes: Peas (family: Fabaceae) Very early season and fall For fall add 10 days to days to harvest before first frost Types: Garden peas (English or shelling peas) Snap peas edible pod and full-sized seeds Snow peas pod only; flat Determinate bushy; mature all at once Indeterminate vining; harvest spread out; need support 15
Varieties: Garden peas Little Marvel (63; 18 ) Frosty (64; 28 ) Wando (70; 24-30 ; withstands some heat) Snap peas Sugar Snap (74; 5-6 ; original snap pea) Early Snap (60; 18-22 ) Snow peas Dwarf Gray Sugar (65; 24-30 ) Oregon Sugar Pod II (68; 24-30 ) Mammoth Melting Sugar (68; 4-5 ) Can plant in 45 degree soil Soak overnight to speed germination Innoculate with Rhizobium sp. bacteria which fix nitrogen in nodules on the roots Not needed if legumes have been grown there before Plant in single or double rows Self supporting No additional fertilizer is needed Legumes: Beans (family: Fabaceae) Tender, warm season Seeds rot if planted in cold soil Snap beans bred to be stringless Pods green, yellow (wax), purple, round, flat (Romano) Seeds white, speckled, pink, red, black, green Types: Bush beans Pole beans Dry beans Soybeans Bush Green Contender Blue Lake 274 Bush Kentucky Wonder Dandy (filet type) Roma II (flat) Yellow Yellow pencil pod Slenderwax Purple Royal Burgundy Pole Green Blue Lake Kentucky Wonder Scarlet runner type Scarlet Runner(heirloom) Red Knight Dwarf Bees Other: Soybeans (edamame) Garbanzo (chick peas) Fava (broad beans) Dry Lima (or immature) Cowpeas (Blk.eyed peas) Black Turtle Mung (sprouting) Adzuki Plant after ff date Can try 7-10 days earlier but only part of the crop Plant every 2 4 weeks until early August Not as necessary if kept harvested No fertilizer needed they fix their own on root nodules 16
Harvesting For green beans when pods are full sized but seeds inside are small For fresh beans like lima Seeds are full-sized but not starchy For dry beans leave until seeds are completely dry. Bean leaf beetles Mexican bean beetles Japanese beetles Vine Crops Vine Crops: Cucumbers (family: Cucurbitaceae) Warm season Low nutrition Types: Pickling Slicing Salad or European Burpless Vining or bush Flowering: Monoecious Male flowers first Dioecious All female with 10% male Stress reverts to male Pollination Self or insect Affected by temperature, wind, rain, pesticides, etc. Poor pollination causes misshapen fruit Cross pollination with other vine crops does NOT affect this year s fruit Fresh eating varieties: Burpless Marketmore 76 Straight 8 (AAS) Sweet Success (AAS) Female varieties: Dasher II Slice Master Calypso (pickling) Bush-types: Marketmore 86 Bush Crop Fanfare (AAS) Salad Bush Space Master Burpless Calypso Armenian Sow seed directly into warm soil OR Sow indoors 3-4 weeks before Use peat pots brittle roots Earlier if: pre-warmed soil with plastic use row cover Space Master 17
Plant 1 apart Provide support for straighter fruit Trellis Straight or angled Cage Keep well watered Shallow roots Fertilize when vining begins Low fertility can cause misshapen fruit Harvest Size appropriate for use before seeds harden fruit yellows Keep harvested to keep producing Replant mid-summer for fall Insects Cucumber beetle (carries bacterial wilt) Diseases Powdery mildew Bacterial wilt Angular leaf spot Downy mildew Cucumber mosaic virus Vine Crops: Summer Squash (family: Cucurbitaceae) Soft rind (harvested young) Warm season; frost sensitive Very productive (3-4 days after flowering) Bush-type vs. vining Types: (2 spp. C. pepo & C. maxima) Scallopini Flattened Constricted neck (narrower at stem end) Straight neck Crook neck Zucchini club shaped; Italian marrow Harvest young female flowers with unfertilized fruit for battering and frying (males OK) Varieties: Green zucchini Black Zucchini Black Beauty Cocozelle (striped) Eightball (round) Cocozelle Golden zucchini Gold Rush -Yellow Crookneck Early Yellow Summer Crookneck Yellow Straightneck Early Prolific Straightneck Straightneck Goldbar Scallop Peter Pan (AAS) Scallopini (AAS) Sunburst Peter Pan Eight Ball Crookneck Patty Pan Plant aadfhp by seed directly Again in mid-summer for fall 1 deep Hills of 3 Thin to 1-2 Rows of 2-3 seeds 2-3 apart; thin to 1 every 2-3 Do not overwater seeds Fruit not affected by crosspollination Harvest regularly Smaller the better Large Reduces production For baking Avoid bruising Cucumber beetles Squash bugs Squash vine borers Powdery mildew Hard rind (mature fruit) Stores well for winter Warm season, frost sensitive, long season crop For earlier crop, pre-warm the soil before seeding or transplanting Vining requires large amount of space. Crosses only affect seeds Vine Crops: Winter Squash (family: Cucurbitaceae) 18
Species: (cannot cross) C. pepo C. maxima C. moschata C. mixta Types: Acorn Delicata Spaghetti Butternut Pumpkin (several spp. & types) True Winter type Including Buttercup and Turk s Turban types Plant aadfhp and soil is warm Pre-warm Start indoors in peat pots 3-4 weeks early Protect with row cover Require 50 100 sq.ft. 1 deep in hills or rows 2-3 plants per hill 3 apart for bush-types 8 apart for semi-vining 12 apart for vining Do not overwater before germination Minimal care especially once vines have covered the ground Water during drought Only use insecticides late in the day to preserve bees Harvest Color is good Rind is hard & glossy Stem is hard Portion touching soil changes to cream to orange Avoid bruising Before frost if storing Growing Giant Pumpkins C. maxima seed required Start indoors Pre-warm soil Remove first few female blossoms Do not allow rooting at nodes Once set, high fertility and moisture Milk sprays to control powdery mildew Ornamental gourds 3 genera used C. pepo is the cucurbit Bitter tasting Cucumber beetle Squash vine borer Squash bug Powdery mildew Bacterial wilt Warm season, long season, frost sensitive Muskmelon=Cantaloupe (C. melo var. reticulatus) Netted rinds with deep sutures Orange flesh Musky aroma Winter melons (C. melo var. inodorus) Honeydew, Crenshaw, Casaba Smooth rind, longer season No musky aroma Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Vine Crops: Melons (family: Cucurbitaceae) Muskmelon Honeydew Casaba Crenshaw 19
Plant aadfhp ; soil is warm and dry Start indoors in peat pots 3-4 weeks before planting Pre-warm soil and leave plastic as mulch all season Seed 1 deep 1 per 2 Fertilize regularly Extra N when vining begins Water during drought Suffer from extremes Lower moisture just before harvest May be grown on fence or trellis and fruit supported in a sling Harvesting Rind between netting goes from green to tan or yellow muskmelon When stem slips easily from vine May be a crack at stem end Will not sweeten after harvest but will soften Honeydew, etc. Cut from vine Will sweeten and soften after harvest for a few days Blossom end soft when fully ripe Seedless watermelons Self-sterile hybrids Seeds for growing Result from crossing a normal diploid with a tetraploid Seed production is labor intensive so expensive Germination less vigorous so start indoors in peat pots Plant along with normal plants (that look very different) to pollinate seedless plants for fruit production Ultimately more vigorous vines & sweeter flesh Solanaceous Crops Favorite homegrown vegetable So. American perennial love apple Warm season, long season Prefers warm soil Hundreds of varieties All colors, shapes, sizes, dates to maturity Solanaceous Crops: Tomato (family: Solanaceae) Types: Determinate Indeterminate=vining Early sunburn ( Early Girl, Early Boy ) Medium early Main crop Extra large Beefsteak types Yellow or orange - Low acid Pink Paste Roma Small fruited Cherry, pear, grape, spoon, currant Dwarf for containers Patio Heirlooms ( Brandywine, High lycopene ( Health Kick ) Indeterminate Beefsteak Patio Determinate Yellow Pear Brandywine 20
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before planting outdoors Cool air temp; warm soil temp to develop stout stem Plant outdoors aadfhp = June 1 st Earlier if pre-warm soil & protect Floating row cover Walls o water cloches Plant in a trench Bury up to 1 st or 2 nd set of true leaves Roots form along stem Allow plenty of space between plants Set stake or cage at planting No N fertilizer until 1 st fruit is set Training methods: Stake Saves space More care - pruning Better air circulation Fewer fruit Fewer leaves Less photosynthesis May sunburn Cage Easier More fruit More leaves Less air circulation Harder to harvest Outgrow cage Cages fall over stake at planting Wire fencing very large openings Sprawl easiest Lots of space required Mulch to keep fruit off soil Slugs and mice Poor air circulation Mulch after soil has warmed completely Keeps down weeds Holds in moisture More even moisture Prevents splashing of spores Plastic warms soil Red plastic may improve harvest Water evenly Fertilize x3 Fruit set 3 & 6 weeks later About Topsy Turvys Roots know which way is up! Harvesting Fully colored leave 5-8 days longer Color starting finish indoors Store at room temperature Refrigerate only damaged ones Preserving Freezing Blanch and peel; dice Whole Canning Juice, diced, salsa, sauce Late season Protect from frost Cover before sunset Holds radiant heat from soil Remove clear plastic before sunrise Harvest mature sized Finish indoors Hold in ethylene to further ripening Check often to remove rotting ones Immature Chutney or relish Fried green tomatoes Problems Diseases Fusarium Verticillium Black walnut toxicity Septoria Early blight Late blight Anthracnose (post harvest) Viruses Bacterial speck and spot Insects Tomato hornworms Whiteflies slugs 21
Problems (cont d) Physiological Fruit not setting/ blossoms dropping Below 55 degrees Above 95 with dry winds Leaves pointed and stretched Vapor drift from phenoxy herbicide Blossom end rot Immobility of calcium Physiological leaf roll Cracking uneven moisture Catfacing- cold temperatures Sunburning- leaf loss Warm season, long season Prefers warm soil Pre-warm with plastic Season long warming Sets fruit between 60 86 degrees Below 55, flowers drop, leaves yellow, stunted Hot peppers due to capsaisin Hot dry conditions make hotter Solanaceous Crops: Pepper (family: Solanaceae) Types: Bell or sweet Many colors Bell shaped or elongated Sweet frying or salad types Sweet Banana Gypsy Hot (chile) Many colors and shapes Scoville Heat Units 0 300,000 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero one of the hottest Start indoors 7 10 weeks before setting out Large plants transplant better Plant outdoors June 1 st Earlier not advised Plant Same level as in pot 2 apart Starter fertilizer Fertilize after first flush of peppers set Moisture important Hot, dry may cause abortion of small immature fruits Harvesting any size Full sized, green, firm Fully ripen to colors Some varieties color while immature and turn red when mature Hot peppers Usually at red-ripe Green chiles are immature hot peppers Store Cool, moist Freeze stuffed Hot peppers Dry and crush Wear gloves 22
Very warm season, very frost sensitive Requires warm soil Plant late & pre-warm Protect if weather cools Start indoors 8-10 weeks before planting out Plant 2 apart Starter fertilizer Again when half grown & after harvest of first fruit Tolerates dry except drought Solanaceous Crops: Eggplant (family: Solanaceae) Types: Traditional large oval fruit Elongated Ichiban Slim Jim Hansel Gretel (white) Novelty Easter Egg white turning yellow at maturity Small orange like little pumpkins on a stick Bambino mini purple Harvest Watch carefully Deeply colored Glossy (not dull) Cut do not pull off Dull or brown are over-ripe Remove and discard to keep plants producing Store Use immediately if possible Store cool & moist Only for 10 days Dull or brown over-ripe Spongy, bitter Pests Verticillium Flea beetles especially young plants Solanaceous Crops: Sweet Corn (family: Poaceae) Warm season plant 55 degree soil for standard types 65 degree for supersweets Requires space Only 1-2 ears per plant Raccoons ALWAYS find it! Plant in blocks to aid pollination All silks must receive pollen High nitrogen feeder Pre-plant At 8 and 18 Types: white, yellow, bi-colored, colors Standard Sugary (su) gene inhibits sugar conversion to starch Conversion starts upon picking Super sweets Shrunken (sh2) gene Even slower sugar conversion» Used for shipping Lack su gene and so are more watery Pollen from su types turns these into starchy types Sugary enhanced (se) have su gene in addition so creamier texture Best for home gardens Keeps several days Cross pollination Any crossing lessens sweetness but sh2 with su is worst Isolate by space or time (14 days differenc in tasseling) Slower less uniform germination Plant just before or on ff date ½ deep if soil is cool; deeper if warm 9-12 apart in rows 2 ½ - 3 apart Extend harvest: Plant different varieties for early, mid and late season Plant same variety every 2 weeks until July 1 st. Fertilize pre-plant At 8 and 18 Water especially at tasseling Silking Maturation of ears Hot, dry conditions affect pollination 23
Harvest at milking stage Upon puncture with fingernail Drying and browning of silks Full kernels at tips Downward pull Store Refrigerate immediately Freeze ears Remove from ears, blanch, freeze Pests RACCOONS! Electric fence at 4 & 12 Corn earworms Corn rootworm beetles European corn borers Flea beetles Stewart s wilt smut 24