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Vegetable GardeningSheriden Hansen

Horticulture Assistant Professor

Davis County Extension

Utah State University

Vegetable Considerations

• Annuals (seed to seed in 1 year)• Beans• Radish• Corn

• Biennials (1st year vegetative – 2nd year flower)• Onion• Carrot• Celery

• Perennials (Grow each year from the same root system)• Asparagus• Artichoke• Rhubarb

Cool Season Crops

• Peas

• Onions

• Beets

• Salad Crops

Lettuce Spinach

Swiss Chard Kale

Cabbage Kohlrabi

Broccoli Cauliflower

Radishes Carrots

Warm Season Crops

• Tomatoes

• Peppers

• Corn

• Potatoes

• Beans

• Squash

• Melons

• Cucumbers

Choosing a Garden Site

• Full sun• 6-8 hours

• Soil • Well-draining

• Most vegetables root in the top 6-8”

• Good amount of organic matter

• Add 2-3” of good compost each year

• Access to quality water

Planning the Garden

• Measure your space and sketch it out on paper

• If starting seeds, pay attention to timing for sowing

• Tall crops placed on the north side of the garden to prevent shading

• Perennials placed where they won’t be disturbed

• Plan the garden for spring, summer, and fall • Interplanting and succession planting can maximize garden

space

• Plan appropriate space for plants to become full sized

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Row Planting

• Done to facilitate furrow watering

• Allows for equipment between rows

• Not always the most attractive or efficient for the home garden

• Works well for large spaces

Hill Planting

• Provides space for • Melons

• Squash

• Cucumbers

• Large plants

Alternative Planting

• Square-Foot Gardening

• Raised beds

• Interplanting in flower beds

Soil Preparation

• Good soil is built by adding organic matter and continually building the soil

• Soil Tests• Determine texture

• Organic matter levels

• Fertilizer needs

• Done BEFORE you plant

• Soil testing go to: • http://usual.usu.edu/index.html

Tilling

• Never till soil that is too wet

• Hand squeeze test• Crumbles easily, can be tilled

• Good time to incorporate organic matter

Fertilizers

• N-P-K• Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium

• Nitrogen – greening, pushes vegetative growth

• Phosphorus – supports fruit and flower formation

• Potassium – supports root growth

• Based on USU Soil Analysis• Complete Fertilizer 10-10-10, 15-7-7• Incomplete Fertilizer

• 21-0-0 (Ammonium Sulfate)• 43-0-0 (Urea)

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Applying Fertilizers• Broadcast – evenly distributed on

surface before planting• Weeds get fed too

• Banding – applied in a narrow band at the time of seeding or planting (or even later)

• Side dressing – supplemental fertilizer applied during the season• Plants that require high nitrogen• Plant deficiencies

Fertilizer Requirements For Vegetables• Low use: 1-2 lbs. N/1,000 ft2

• 1/4 cup 21-0-0 per 10 foot row• Peas and beans

• Moderate Use: 2-3 lbs. N/1,000 ft2

• 1/3 cup 21-0-0 per 10 foot row• Beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, melons, squash, tomatoes,

peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower

• High Use: 4-6 lbs N/1,000 ft2

• ½ cup 21-0-0 per 10 foot row• Corn, onion, potatoes

***Split the total N requirement into a few applications*** Never apply more than 1 ½ lbs. of N/1,000 ft2 at one time

Fertilizing in General• At Time of Seeding

• Make a 3-inch deep trench• ¼ to ½ cup fertilizer per 10 ft. row• Band fertilizer 2-inches deeper and 2-inches to the

side

• Using Transplants• 2-3 Tbsp fertilizer per plant• Place fertilizer 4 to 6-inches deeper and 2 to 3-

inches to the side

• Hill Planting• ¼ cup 3 to 4-inches deep and to the side

**Rates are based on 16-16-16 or 21-0-0**

Organic Material and Manures

• Good way to add nutrients to the soil

• Takes time for organic material to break down

• Green manures (cover crops)• Kill the cover crop before tilling under

• Decomposition of the matter provides nutrients

• Caution should be taken when incorporating animal manures into the soil. • Should be done with soil testing

• Can create weed problems

• “Hot” fertilizer

Planting Vegetables

From Seed• Seeding depth

• (3x rule)

• Seeding dates vary• Cool crops 55-75⁰F

• Warm crops 70-90⁰F

• Soil crusting• Add organic matter

Difficult to Establish Seeds

• Slow germination • Onions, beets, carrots

• Cannot allow soil to dry or crust

• Can improve success by soaking before sowing

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Planting Vegetables

From Transplants

• Plant Size• Dark green color• 50% rule• 4-6 leaflets

• Water Management• Young plants = frequent

watering• Frequency depends on

soil type and temperature

Planting Depth

• Depth varies with the variety• Tomatoes and plants that develop

adventitious roots on stems can be planted deeper• Can plant up to 10-inches deep

• Plant slightly deeper than the root ball to keep plants from drying out

Transplant Advantages

• Advantages to transplants• Better establishment

• Earlier plant growth and harvest

• More intensive production • Easier to space for intense production

and rotation

• Better uniformity

• Higher yields

Transplant Disadvantages

• Increased labor and time caring for plants

• Higher cost

• Delays in establishment, growth, and yield if plants struggle to establish

Difficult to Transplant Plants

• Root crops• Carrots

• Radish

• Parsnips

• Beets

• Turnips

• Potatoes

• Damages tap roots or deforms the plant

When to Plant in the Garden

• Cool Season Crops (55-75⁰F)• As soon as you can work the soil (mid-March to May)

• Warm Season Crops (70-90⁰F)• After the danger of frost is gone (May)

• General rule for frost dates for the Wasatch Front:• May 10th (Mother’s Day Weekend) – Last frost

• October 5th – First frost

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Irrigation

• Water needs depend on:• The type of vegetable

• The stage of growth

• Plant size

• The application method

• Irrigation frequency depends on:• Available water in the root zone

• Water use rate (Tied to temp.)

• Different Methods: • Furrow, sprinkler, drip

Raised Beds

• Raised Beds• Modify soil

• Improve drainage

• Easy to amend soils

• Soil should be amended with vermiculite, peat moss, perlite, compost to create a loose, fluffy, humus rich soil

Raised Beds

• Beds should be 3 to 4-feet wide • Work from sides of beds to reduce compaction

• Beds should be 8-inches deep

• Use decay resistant material for structure

• Pros:• Look good• Easy to keep clean • Vary the height to suit needs

• Cons:• Added expense

Vertical Gardening

• Uses trellises, nets, strings, cages, or poles to support plants

• Increases production in small gardens by maximizing space

• Some plants will twine onto supports where others need to be tied

• Works well for: Vining cucumbers Peas Tomatoes

Melons Pole beans Gourds

Vertical Gardening

• Vertical planting captures sun well

• Can also cast shadows• Be aware how close plants are on the North side• Plant vertical plants on the north side of the garden

• Strong materials should be used:

• Plants are more exposed when vertical• May need to be watered more frequently• Check often

Fencing material Lattice String

Cattle panels Rebar Bamboo

Succession Planting

• Schedule plantings• Early vegetable is harvested

• New crop is planted right after harvest

• Peas followed by corn

• Early cabbage followed by fall radishes or lettuce

• Keeps weeds from growing

• Maximizes space

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Container Gardening

• Great for small spaces or poor soils

• Need at least 8 hours of sun

• Works well with root and leaf crops

• Plants designed specifically for containers:• Tomatoes: Patio Princess, Mexican Midget,

Bushsteak, Sweetheart of the Patio, Marglobe, Baxter’s Bush Cherry, Sweet Baby Girl, Balcony, Stupice, Tumbling Tom Yellow

Container Gardening

• Larger plants need larger pots

• Large plants can be staked in pots (tomatoes)

• Many colorful plants that can contribute to the look of your patio (Bright Lights Chard, Lettuces, Beets, Lettuces, Herbs)

Watering

• Watering is critical for container gardening• Soil volume is small

• May require daily or twice daily watering

• Temperature

• Wind

• Clay pots allow for further water evaporation from the sides of the pot

• BUT… container plants are susceptible to root rot if overwatered

• Grouping containers can help shade and slow soil drying

• Automatic drip irrigation system

Fertilizing

• Artificial soil mixes have no nutrients in them

• Water-soluble or slow-release fertilizer

• Fertilize as often as needed

• Be careful not to over-fertilize

Weather

• Container plants are mobile

• Can move in extreme weather (hail, wind, freezes)

• Dolly is helpful

Season Extenders

• Hot Caps/Cloches

• Walls of water

• Row covers

• Mulches

• Floating Row Covers

• Low Tunnels

• Cold Frames/Hot Beds

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Wall of Water• Use water to absorb heat

throughout the day

• Temperature drops at night

• Water releases heat to keep plants warmer than surrounding environment

• Also help with wind

Row Covers

• Shelter plants from winds and cold air

• Keeps temperatures warmer by a few degrees

• Different materials to give different results

• Trap solar radiation and moisture

• Clear or opaque plastic covered tunnels

• Fiberglass or polyester panels bent over rows

Cold Frames and Hot Beds

• Can use old windows, heavy plastic, or plexi-glass

• Warm the soil, trap moisture and alter humidity

• Vent, check temperature on warm days

• Hot beds incorporate a layer of hot decomposing manure under the soil

Fall Vegetable Gardening

• Second or late planting of many vegetables for a fall harvest • Many cool season crops• Spinach • Turnips• Carrots• Broccoli• Cabbage• Cauliflower• Cole crops

• Can withstand cooler temperatures and often taste better when ripened in cool conditions

Fall Vegetable Gardening

• Count back from the last frost date –Wasatch Front is October 5th

• Determine number of days needed to harvest and add two weeks• Cool weather will slow plant development

• Choose early maturing varieties

• Use season extension as necessary

Pest Management

• Several approaches:• Cultural

• Mechanical

• Biological

• Chemical

• Best control information is found at: www.utahpests.usu.edu

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Cultural Controls

• Healthy plants

• Altering planting dates

• Early harvest

• Crop rotation

• Resistant varieties • Tomatoes

Resistant Tomatoes

• V Verticillium Wilt

• F Fusarium Wilt

• N Nematodes

• A Alternaria

• T Tobacco Mosaic Virus

• St Stemphylium (Gray leaf spot)

• TSWV Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

Mechanical Controls

• Removal of diseased plants

• Cleaning up beds – removing material that promotes disease

• Hand removal of insects and eggs

• Barriers

• Traps

• Screens

• Row covers

Biological Control

• Beneficial insects control pests • Vidalia beetle and cottony cushion

scale

• Ladybeetles and aphids

• Beneficial nematodes and grubs

• Parasitic wasps and other predatory insects

• Poultry can help control insects

Chemical Controls

• Should be used carefully

• Always follow the label

• If possible use less toxic solutions• Insecticidal soaps

Weed Control

• Exclusion/Suppression• Mulches

• Mechanical control is best in a home garden setting• Hoeing • Pulling

• As a general rule• Avoid pre-emergent herbicides in the garden• 2,4-D has a 2-3 week residual

• Volatilization (vaporizes) at 85-degrees• Glyphosate is inert when it hits the soil

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One year’s weed, seven years seed!

The Families “Simplified”

Salad Crops

Fruiting Crops

Legume Crops

Grass Crops

Salad Crops

• Lettuce, chard, spinach, kale, cabbage• Cool season:

• Hot weather makes them bitter

• “Bolting”

• Seed: shallow

• Transplant: 4-6 leaf

• Shallow rooted• Cannot handle water stress

• Harvest anytime

butter red oak leaf

cos or romaine

mixes

speckled

heirlooms

Salad “Toppers”

• Cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, cabbage, carrots• Cool season:

• Avoid hot weather

• Seed: shallow

• Better to transplant (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower)

• Shallow rooted• Cannot handle water stress

• Harvest when head is full size

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Onions & Garlic

• Cool season:• Good growth up to 90 degrees

• Seed: • Onion – shallow• Garlic – 3” deep (plant in fall) (5-9” apart)

• Transplant onions 6-8 leaves• Onions are shallow rooted (don’t drought

stress)• Harvest anytime

• Garlic – bottom few leaves start to turn yellow• Cure in shady, dry, and protected location

• Seed onions store better than sets

Hardneck: RocambolePurple stripesPorcelainAsiatic/Turban

Softneck:ArtichokeSilverskinCreole (but can bolt like a

hardneck)

Bunching onions

Shallots

Fruiting Crops

• Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant• Warm season:

• Avoid COLD weather (below 50 degrees)

• Seed or transplants• Sensitive to irregular watering

(tomatoes)• Cracked shoulder • Blossom end rot

• Split set when HOT (+95 degrees)• Fertilizer

• None after flower clusters form (July)

• Harvest when mature green to ripe

Blossom End Rot

• Calcium deficiency

• Calcium is immobile, will see symptoms on NEW growth

• Even watering will usually fix the problem, can add calcium nitrate

• Can occur with other vegetables

Tomato Terms

• Determinate varieties bear heavily once – usually paste tomatoes

• Indeterminate varieties bear continually – all purpose

• Too much nitrogen will force vegetative growth at the expense of the fruit.

HybridsBig Beef, Early Girl, Beefmaster, San Vincente, Better Bush, Big Brandy, Patio Princess, Celebrity, Celebration, etc.

HeirloomsUsually a variety that is 50-years-old or older. Some are hybridized.

Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, Green Zebra, Oxheart, Pink

German, Costuloto Genovese, San Marzano, etc. (Find in catalogs)

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Potatoes

• Cool season:• Avoid VERY COLD weather

• Seed potatoes• Large seed pieces (2 eyes)• Cut and allow to dry overnight

• Uniform water• Vegetative before July/tuber formation

after• “Hill” in the plant as it grows• NO fertilizer after July

• Harvest the plant after it starts to flower• “New” potatoes

Vine Crops

• Squash, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins• Warm season

• Avoid COLD weather planting

• Always use transplants

• Overwatering:• Cracks – pithy poor flavor

• Flavor is best when slightly drought stressed (melons and squash)

• Hot weather = bitter cucumbers

• Harvesting tips for melons…

cucamelon

Legume Crops

• Peas and Beans • Cool and Warm season

• PEAS:• Soak seeds before planting

• BEANS: • Bush or vine types

• Water is crucial when flowering

• Harvest pods when young OR leave pods to dry the seeds

• Fix their own nitrogen, require little to no fertilizer

Grass Crops

• Sweet Corn• WARM season • Always plant from seed• Kernel quality related to type

• su – sweet corn• se – sugar enhanced• sh2 – super sweet • Heirloom varieties

• Less sweet gene is dominant• Cross-pollination with field corn

• Water is critical at pollination• Don’t plant a single row

• Ear mature (15-25 days from silk)• Fertilizer: High nitrogen user

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Perennials - Asparagus

• Plant early – Watch your location• Trenches 8 inches deep: Cover with 2” soil

(repeat, until level)• 1-2 years to get plants established

• Water: Doesn’t like it wet• 1st after harvest • 1 x per month after

• Fertilizer: After harvest

• Mow fern in spring; mulch for weeds

• Harvest: Year 2 3 4 5

Weeks 2 4 6 8

Perennials - Rhubarb

• Ancient plant• 1-2 years to get plants established• Transplants / Divisions:

• Cover crown with 1-2” soil• Early spring

• Water: depends on soil• Don’t like it wet

• Fertilizer: After harvestHarvest: none the first year• 2 weeks the second year• 3 years on (only remove 1/3 of the stalks)

• Leaves are poisonous• Divide every 5 years

A Word About Rotation…

• Don’t try rotating perennials• Reduces pest and disease build-up• Most rotations are in 3-4 year increments• Rotate vegetables according to families…

Salad CropsFruit Crops

Legume CropsGrass Crops

Garden Rotation

Fruit Crop Grass Crop Legume Crop Salad CropTomatoes Corn Peas LettucePeppers Beans RadishesPotatoes Carrots

Squash / Melons Onions

More information:

garden.usu.edu

Questions?