Vegetables
Soil Preparation • Turn over soil in fall • Add organic matter in fall • On sandy soils turn in spring • May need to remove sod • Don’t work soil if wet • Organic soil amendments – 25-50% • Add N if using a high C material
Fertilizers • Organic • Refer to handouts for N:P:K analysis • Improve soil texture • Add nutrients • Increases water retention in sandy soils • Increases drainage in clay • Tends to be heavy • Slow release of nutrients • Will rot away in 1-2 years
Fertilizers • Inorganic • Does not change soil texture • Nutrients are easily leached • Easy to ship and use • Less work • Can be expensive • If selling produce, you can’t get a premium price.
Planting Time • Plant very hardy veggies when soil can be worked (soil temp 40F) • Asparagus Turnip • Peas Broccoli Radish Brussels sprouts • Rhubarb cabbage • Rutabaga celery • Spinach Garlic
Hardy veggies 45-50F • Beets • Carrots • Cauliflower • Lettuce • Parsley • Parsnip • Swiss chard
Tender veggies 60-65F • Beans • Tomatoes • Cantaloupe • Watermelon • Corn, Cucumbers • Eggplant • Peppers • Pumpkin • squash
Small seed ( carrot) ¼-1/2 inch deep Large seed ( beans) 1-2 inches deep Seed planting depth
Conserves moisture Can increase soil temperatures Can reduce soil temp Stops weeds Reduce disease Keeps crops clean Adds organic mater to the soil Can be a great home for slugs Voles can live under or in it Don’t mulch tender crops until july Mulch
Mulch • Plastic • Clear plastic heats soil • Black plastic does not heat soil very much • Black plastic is usually paired with drip irrigation • It’s a lot of non-recyclable garbage at the end of the season • Organic • Insulates soil – don’t mulch too early • Use material that is weed free ( straw ok, hay has lots of seed) • When it rots it can steal N from crops. • Can be tilled in after the growing season • Be aware of C:N ratios
Mulch is best under: • Tomatoes –red or black plastic • Peppers – silver/reflective mulch • Eggplant • Sweet corn – let pumpkin leaves be the mulch Potatoes • Cucumbers • Melons/squash
Plastic mulch
DEER
Deer can wipe out a garden Protect your garden! • Fence ( electric or tall), Cage, visual • Repellants • Plantskydd • Rotten eggs, Bitters • Guard Dogs • Kill the deer
Weed Control • Vegetables yield best with no competition • Hoe/ till • Mulch • Fire • Vinegar (1gal vinegar +1qt lemon juice) • Herbicide
Apiaceae
Apiaceae • Carrots • Plant early • Seeds take 12 days to emerge • Can be gel seeded • Store in cool-cold place. Cut shoulders, don’t wash, separate layers with newspaper. Don’t let them dry out • Parsnip • Low seed germination • Plant seed and wait • Very sweet after frost • Fewer calories than carrots and sweeter • Store like carrots
Cabbage Family Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae • Broc/cauliflower • Start seeds indoors in March/April • Plant out mid May • Cover Broc with row cover to keep moths off • Side dress with N mid season • Cut crowns before they bloom • Raddish • Plant early and pull when big enough • can use there to space other seeded crops
Asteraceae\ Lettuce
Asteraceae\ Lettuce • Lettuce is a cool season crop that can be started ahead and planted by transplant or direct seeded • Several crops of lettuce can be grown in a summer • Mesclun – is a lettuce mix cut as seedlings. • Can be cut many times
Chenopodiaceae
Chenopodiaceae • Beets and Chard • Beets are planted in cool soil • Can be picked young and small or large • Know your cultivar • Root and leaf are eaten • Chard is a beet grown for the leaves • Usually started as a transplant • Give them room as each plant gets large • Very frost resistant so the fall leaves often have the best flavor
Poaceae • Plant corn in blocks • To prevent lodging • And insure pollination • Can be direct seeded • Corn can be transplanted • Best in peat pots • High N crop • side dress mid season
Onion Family Liliaceae
Liliaceae/ allium crops • Garlic • great for Duluth • Plant in Sept/Oct • Don’t let it have wet feet • Remove flower scapes • Pull when 50% of leaf is yellow ~Aug 1 • Dry bulbs in shade • Onions – seedlings or bulblets • Plant seeds Feb indoors • Or buy tiny bulbs and plant Apr-May – as soon as soil can be worked • Pull when tops fall, dry in shade, Store in cool place
Cucumber family Cucurbitaceae
Squash • When there is a choice…. • Grow bush types to save space • Mulch to keep clean • Mouse control
Solanaceae
Solanaceae • Tender plants (except spuds) • Start 12 weeks early & transplant • Look for cv with resistance to deseases • Determinate or indeterminate? • Even watering • Full sun • Self fertile But bees help
Fabaceae
Fabaceae • Peas are hardy so plant early • Fava beans can also be planted in cool soil • Green beans are tender and need warm soil • Self fertile • Use inoculants • Do not walk in them if leaves are wet • Beans can continue to bear if the beans are picked
Crop Rotation • Rotation by Plant Family • Solanaceae • Tomato, potato, eggplant, tomatillo, peppers • Apiaceae • Carrot, parsnip, parsley, celery, dill, lovage, celariac • Fabaceae • Beans, peas • Liliaceae • Onion, garlic , leek • Brassicaceae • Broccoli, Cauliflower, kohlrabi, radish, kale, cabbage • Chenopodiaceae • Beets, chard • Asteraceae • Lettuce • Poaceae • Corn • Cucurbitaceae • Squash, cucumber, melon
Crop rotation
Crop Rotation
Crop Rotation
Seed starting and Season Extend • Heated • Greenhouse • Hot bed • Under lights in your house • row cover • Clear plastic mulch • Cold frame • High tunnel
