Catherine WissnerCatherine Wissner

Laramie County Laramie County ExtensionExtension

Master Gardener Master Gardener CourseCourse

Gardening Gardening Fruits & VegetablesFruits & Vegetables

90 to 141 growing days per season. 90 to 141 growing days per season.

2002 serious drought, 2003 was 90 days.2002 serious drought, 2003 was 90 days.

2004 was cool.2004 was cool.

2005 was warm w/cool nights2005 was warm w/cool nights

Average highs:Average highs:May 65May 65°°

June 74June 74°° August 82August 82°°

July 84July 84°° Sept. 73Sept. 73°°

Growing Season in Cheyenne

Where to Plant a Garden

Site analysisSite analysisSunny location, 5Sunny location, 5--6 hours of sun per day. 6 hours of sun per day.

East sun is bestEast sun is best

Well drained Protected from the wind.Well drained Protected from the wind.

Is it a microclimate area.Is it a microclimate area.

Convenience of locationConvenience of locationSize of garden match your time.Size of garden match your time.

A Few Garden Rules

Sandy Loam Soil.Working the Soil.Warm Soil.Lower pH.Watering.Fertilizer.Weeds.Mulch.Sun.

Garden Rules

Fertilizer 10-10-10:Nitrogen N: • 10% N x 10 pd bag = 1 pd/1000 sq ft total N

Phosphorous P2O5: • 10% P2O5 x P(.44) x 10 pd bag = .44 pd/1000

sq ft total P

Potassium K2O:• 10% K2O x K (.83 ) x 10pd bag =.83 pd/1000

sq ft total K.

Fruit

Tropical. Subtropical. Temperate.

APPLESTwo pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie. It takes 36 apples to create one gallon of apple ciderApple blossom is the state flower of Michigan. 7500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world. 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States. 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States. Grown commercially in 36 states.

Apple tree Care

Fertilize in the Spring.10-20-20 or 10-20-10.Best time to prune: late winter.

Apple tree CareNitrogen is necessary for many tree functions including growth, fruit bud formation, fruit set and fruit size.Phosphorus is needed for root growth, flower and fruit set.Potassium is important for fruit color, winter hardiness, tree growth and disease resistance.

Apples tree - pruningPruning to: Remove dead, diseased, and dying wood, lower the height of the tree, reduce overcrowding

Apples- Codling MothCvdia pomonella L. Lepidopter : Torticidae

Females lay eggs singly on leaves and sometimes on fruit later in the season. Two to four generations of codling moth each year.Mating disruption is a preferred strategy.Trichogramma Wasps.pheromone lures in trees. remove damaged fruit.

Apples Varieties

Apple variety vigor ratings.High vigor Moderate vigor.Northern Spy Cortland

Jonagold.Jonathan.Liberty.

Apples Varieties

Apple varieties groupedby general time of bloom.

Early Blooms..Beacon. State Fair.Centennial. Wealthy.Duchess Red. Norland.Hazen. Mantet.Heyer #12.

Apples VarietiesApples that Bloom Midseason

Chestnut Connell RedCortland FiresideHoneycrisp HoneygoldMacoun Haralson

Jonathan WinesapMcIntosh Whitney Northwest GreeningSweet Sixteen

Apples Varieties

Apple variety disease resistance.Scab resistant Fire blight resistant.Freedom Fireside.Liberty Haralred.Red Baron Sweet Sixteen.Wealthy.

CherriesSour cherry varieties.Balaton.Montmorency.

From High Plains research station:Meteor.Mesati.North Star.Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa).

PearsPear varieties.

Golden Spice Parker.Luscious Summer Crisp.Karen Panter, PhD., Horticulture, U of Wyoming.

Plums

Adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions.Plums are the most tolerant of all stone fruits.Fertilizer 10-10-10 or 10-20-10.

PlumsVerities:

American, Blue Damson, Mt Royal, Emerald Beauty, Pipestone, Underwood.Honey bees are the major pollinator.

PlumsHybrids between plums and apricots: "Plumcot" = 50% plum, 50% apricot; "Aprium" = 75% apricot, 25% plum, "Pluot" = 75% plum, 25% apricot

Fruit Tree Pruning

During late winter.

Strawberries – 3 Types

Spring or June bearing.Everbearing. Day Neutral.

Strawberries

Fruits of day neutral plants and everbearers are usually smaller than June-bearers fruit.Everbearing strawberries produce three periods of flowers and fruit during the spring, summer and fall. Everbearers do not produce many runners.

Strawberries

Day neutral strawberries will produce fruit throughout the growing season. These strawberries produce just a few runners.

StrawberriesPlant strawberries as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. 6+ hours of sun.1 inch of water/week.10-10-10 fertilizer.

Strawberries

June-bearing strawberries set buds for the following year's fruit in the fall.Day-neutral strawberries set fruit buds throughout the growing season.

Strawberries

At peak in 2nd and 3rd years.Stagger planting years so always at the peak.Avoid areas where Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant or Peppers have grown within the last couple of growing seasons.Verities: Ft. Laramie, Ogallala, Ozark Beauty. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries/growing.html.

RaspberriesThere are probably 250 species occurring around the Northern HemisphereMostly trailing shrubs with thorny emergences along the stem and leaf axes. collectively referred to as brambles.Raspberries are generally propagated via suckers.Produce fruit in June and early July.

Raspberries

High concentrations of Vitamin C and are an excellent source of folic acid, niacin, and riboflavin.Rubus idaeus, normally red, can have white, purple, black, everbearing or yellow forms. Other fruits from this genus include black boysenberry, dewberry, wineberry, tayberry.

Raspberries

The canes of raspberries are biennial, they grow for one year and then produce flowers and fruits during the early summer of the second year. The second year canes die shortly after harvest, and should be pruned out as soon as harvest is over.

RaspberriesMost bear two crops, a summer crop and a fall crop. The first crop is in July and is borne on 2-year canes. The late or fall crop is borne on 1-year canes, and may come as early as August.

Raspberries

Plant:last spring frost date. Fertilizer : 10-10-10.Select a site where tomatoes, potatoes or eggplants have not been grown. Due to Verticillium, a type of root rot.

Raspberries

1 inch of water a week from bloom time to end of harvest. Water during prolonged dry periods after harvest as well. Wet the soil to a

depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Raspberries

Raspberries

All raspberries should be grown with some sort of a trellis. This will improve fruit quality, make harvesting easier and reduce disease problems.

Raspberries- only

Do not pinch or cut off tips of new shoots in summer or fall. Summer tipping encourages growth of side branches which are not desirable on red raspberry plants.

Currents and Gooseberries

Gooseberries : Pixwell, Welcome, Red Jacket.Currents: Red Lake, Crandall Black.

High Plains Research Station.

Currants and gooseberries

Are highly tolerant of less-than-perfect sites.Are susceptible to late-season freezes.Fertilizer 10-10-10.

Jostaberries

A hybrid between the gooseberry and the black current. Berries are two to three times the size of the red current, nearly the size of the common gooseberry. They are nearly black, although more reddish forms are available. Best fruit set occurs when both black and red jostaberries are grown.Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. 1995-2004.

GrapesPlant in the spring as soon

as the soil can be worked. Space the plants six to eight feet apart. Before planting the vine, remove all canes except the most vigorous one.Grapes need full sunlight and high temperatures to ripen.

GrapesDig a hole large enough so

you can spread the root system out without bending the roots.

Do not plant too deeply. After planting, shorten the remaining cane to two strong buds.Each bud will develop into a cane.

Grapes –Pruning

Before

After

Grapes –Varieties to growBlue/Black/Red

Valiant—red, South Dakota hybrid small berries, early season.

Reliance- red, early season, zone 5.Beta- blue, small berries, mid season.Swenson –red, Hardy to 30 below.

Grapes–Varieties to grow

White GrapesEdelweiss- early season, cool location,

may not be hardy.Himrod- early season, needs winter

cover.Kay Gray- early season, needs winter

cover.Seyval Blanc- sweet, wine or dessert.

Grapes -Tips

Grapes will not improve in quality once they are harvested.Grapes are extremely sensitive to the fumes of 2,4-D, which is widely used to control dandelions in the lawn.

Vegetables

What was paradise, but a garden full of vegetables

and herbs and pleasure? Nothing there but delights.

William Lawson

Why grow a vegetable garden

Satisfaction.Fresh food for the table.Winter use.To know where you food comes from.Chemical free.GMO free. 50 new biotech foods since 1996. monsanto 2005

Why grow a vegetable garden

Round up ready foods Lettuce, sugar beats, soy beans, canola, field corn. Peas, wheat, alfalfa

Bt Foods Sweet Corn (Attribute)

GMO foodsTomatoes, strawberries, sunflowers

Seed stockOpen Pollinated seeds

If pollinated by same species, should breed true.Can be cross pollinated by other plants.

Seed Stock

HybridsCross between two parents which give offspring with very uniform characteristics.Develop disease resistances. Increased earliness or yield, vigor.

Seed Stock

HeirloomsOld types of plants that haven’t undergone modern breeding work in a structured format.Grown and saved by the people who are using them.Uniqueness.

Seed stock

GMO’sGenetically Modified Organism• Artificially created in a lab.• Genetic material that many not have ever

come together.• Nature in a hurry.

Based on the moon governs the ocean tides so does it influence the movement of the fluids within plants.Plant crops that grow above the ground when the moon is Waxing.Plant roots and bulbs when the moon is Waning.When the moon is young between new and first quarter it is best to sow or transplant leafy plants and crops that bear their seeds on the outside of the fruit like corn and strawberries.

Gardening By the Moon

Gardening by the MoonWhen the moon is between first quarter and full plant crops that carry their seed inside the fruit, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas and beans.

From full moon to last quarter plant root crops

From last quarter to new moon do not plant anything instead weed the garden

Gardening by the Moon cont.

January = Wolf MoonFebruary = Snow MoonMarch = Worm MoonApril = Pink MoonMay = Flower MoonJune=Strawberry Moon

July = Buck MoonJuly = Buck Moon

August = Sturgeon MoonAugust = Sturgeon Moon

September = September = Barley MoonBarley Moon

October = Harvest MoonOctober = Harvest Moon

November = November = Hunters MoonHunters Moon

December = December = Cold MoonCold Moon

Over 200 types of vegetables have been categorized around the world.About 75 types growing throughout the United States. Where over 50 types are grown commercially.

Vegetables

The differences between vegetables and fruits are not well defined. Fruits, however, are generally considered to be an edible part of a plant that contains seeds.Vegetables may include stems, roots, tubers, leaves, and other plant parts.

1995-2004 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University.

Three different seasons

CoolHalf Hardy

Warm

Vegetables

Cool Season.Cool Season.Originated in Temperate Climates.Seeds germinate below 60° F; they don’t grow well above 75° F or below 45° F.They can be hardy and withstand a frost.They can be planted four weeks before the last expected frost about mid April.

Vegetables

Cool SeasonBroccoli Kale PeasBrussels Sprouts Kohlrabi RadishCabbage Leek RhubarbCollards Lettuce RutabagaGarlic Onion ShallotsParsley Spinach Turnips

Vegetables cont.

Half Hardy.Can be planted two to three weeks before the last frost in the early part of May.

Beets, Carrots, Celery, Parsnip, Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Chard, Rutabaga.

Vegetables cont.

Warm SeasonOriginated in Tropical or Subtropical areas.Seeds germinate poorly at temperatures below 60º.Not frost tolerant.Plant when temps are 70ºor more, after June 1st.

Vegetables cont

Warm SeasonCrops that will not grow well when temps are below 70 degrees.

Cucumber, Sweet Corn (?), Squash, Tomato,

Eggplant, Okra, Peppers,Pumpkin, Sweet Potato,

Watermelon,Muskmelon.

Vegetables in related groups or families

NightshadeFamily

Legumes Cucurbits Cole

EggplantPotatoPepperTomato

English peaLima beansPeanutsSnap beans

CantaloupeCucumberPumpkinsSquashWatermelon

BroccoliCabbageCollardsMustardTurnips

Low Light or Shade Tolerant Veggies

Low light, 4-5 hours of sunCool Season vegetables

Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Carrots, Beets, Cabbage, Chard, Herbs, Peas, Radishes

Estimated days to maturity

Tomatoes 45 to 120 days.Corn 70 days or less.Peppers 70 days or less.Winter Squash 80 days.Pumpkins 80 –120 days.

Root Crops

Carrots, beets, parsnips, radishes, turnips, and rutabagas.

They all have similar cultural requirements and grow best in cool weather. They are hardy, some may be planted early in the spring, and left in the garden until fall. Tops of beets and turnips are commonly used as cooked greens and can be harvested while the plants are young.

Root Crops

Potential Problems.Carrot root flies are maggots that feed on and destroy the roots of many root crops. Control by harvesting plants as soon as possible. Do not apply insecticides to plant parts that are to be eaten. Flea beetles chew small, round holes in leaves. They can spread disease and destroy the crop.

Root CropsForked roots may be due to rocky or stony soil or heavy soil. All tops with no roots or small roots is a condition usually caused by planting too close or by not thinning plants or excessive nitrogen fertilization.

Root CropsHot tasting/pithy radishes may result from hot weather and dry soil, or harvesting too late.Aster Yellows (carrots). Common symptoms of this disease are

hairy roots and yellow tops. The disease is spread by plant-sucking insects called aster leafhoppers.

University of MN, CES.

What to plantFrench garden (Haricot Vert Bean, Emerite Filet Pole Bean, Petit Pois, Rouge d’Hiver lettuce, Quatre Saisons Lettuce, Rouge d’Etampes Pumpkins)

Salad gardenMexican garden(Anaheim Pepper, Coriander, Mexican

Basil, Jalapeno Peppers, Tomatillos)Oriental garden (Chinese Cabbage, Pakchoi, Snow

Peas, Tat Soi Greens, Daikon Radishes)Italian garden (Roma Tomatoes, Vittoria Eggplant, Genovese Basil, Romano Beans, )

Victorian garden (Czar Runner Bean-white flower, Purple Podded Peas, Altringham Carrots, Rousham Park Hero Onions)

Kitchen Garden

www.kitchengardeners.orgClose to the house or kitchen door, Ease of access is important.Varity of Vegetables and Flowers.Can be more orientated toward heirloom vegetables.Informal to formal.

What to plant

What you will eatWhat is neededWhat you like What the family will eat“I do not like broccoli, and I haven’t liked it since I was a Little boy, and my mother made me eat it, ..I’m President of the United States, and I am not going to eat any more broccoli”. Former President George Bush.

Watermelon

WatermelonWatermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa.

The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Watermelons were often placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife. National Watermelon Promotion Board

WatermelonChina, is now the world's number one producer of watermelons.

The United States currently ranks fourthin worldwide production of watermelon.

There are about 100+ varieties of watermelon throughout the U.S., classified into four general categories: Allsweet, Ice-Box, Seedless and Yellow Flesh.

WatermelonAllSweet20-25 poundsRed FleshOblongDark green rind, with or w/out stripes

Ice-Box5-15 poundsRed or yellow fleshRoundDark or light green rind

WatermelonSeedless10-25 poundsRed or yellow fleshOval to roundLight green rind with dark green stripesOdd sets of chromosomesYellow Flesh10-30 poundsYellow to bright orange fleshOblong to longLight green rind with mottled stripes

Watermelon

85 to 90 days.5 to 50 pound fruit.Needs warm to hot soil to grow in (80-85F). Mulch with black plastic.Fertilize with 10-20-10.Watermelon vines require considerable space.Growth 6-8 feet/month.

Watermelon

poor quality of melons may result from:wilting vines, high rainfall, cool weather short growing season

Watermelon FestivalsLULING, TEXAS, WATERMELON THUMP Celebrating 51+ years of Thumpin' June of every year.

”It's nutritious, auspicious, and nothing says fun like WATERMELON

in the summer time in LULING, TEXAS!”

Asparagus

Need to wait 2-3 years after planting to harvest.

If it develops a crooked stem after it emerges from the soil, could be the asparagus beetle or slugs on one side of the stem, could be the wind blowing sand against the stems and rupturing the cells causing it to lean into the wind.Water after the harvest is over when the fernlike foliage is growing.

Asparagus

Asparagus Capital of the World, Stockton, California hosts an annual two-day festival in April.

The National Asparagus Festival is held annually in Hart and Shelby Michigan respectively. Oceana County, MI., is the Asparagus Capital of the World.California produces more than 70% of this country's 200,000 pounds of fresh asparagus in the San Joaquin/ Sacramento delta area.

Arugula

Easy to grow• Sow early – as soon as soil • can be worked• Can plant all summer• Great addition to the salad

BeetsDo best in well-drained soil with a pH of 7.0pH below 6 creates stunted growth.Fertilize with 5-10-10.

NeverNever use fresh manure.

Sow from the last week of April to mid-May.White and Gold Beets can be

sweeter or spicier then red Beets.

BeetsTo much nitrogen, seeding too thickly without thinning or planting late with too hot weather, will result in lush top growth and little root development. They are best when they grow quickly in constant cool conditions, hot spells and fluctuations is soil moisture will toughen the roots.Tops of Beets, harvested as

“greens”, throughout the season.

BeansOver 1,500 varieties, hard and snap.Beans are very sensitive to high salts.Beans have a shallow root system and are susceptible to drought.Excess water during flowering can also decrease pod set.Beans generally do not do well following cabbage and

related crops.

Beans

Needs potassium boost mid season.Hot dry or cool wet weather may cause beans to drop blossoms.Warm season crop; not frost hardy, Most desirable temperature for growth is 70 F.

Beans

Inoculation. Is a must.To be effective the inoculant must cling to the seed to ensure the rhizobia are close to developing roots.Getting the inoculant to stick, try: skim milk and/or corn syrup.This also serves to feed the rhizobia and protect them from drying on the seed.

BroccoliOver 10 Varieties. belonging to the cabbage or cole family.Needs cool soil, cool growing conditions.best when daytime temperatures are between 65 and 80 F.All cole crops are frost tolerant.best when set out as transplants rather than planted from seed.Fertilizer with 5-10-5.James D. Utzinger Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet.

Cabbage

Likes cool weather. Plant where it won’t have to take the full heat of the day.The head size of cabbage is determined by the variety, fertilizer and spacing between plants.Plant 12 to 15 inches apart.Fertilizer 10-20-10 before planting, then side dress with Ammonium Sulfate 4-6 weeks later at 1 pound per 100 feet.Over 20 varieties of Cabbage.

Carrots

Carrots

High nitrogen, heavy soils, rocky soils, low fertility and crowding can lead to stubby short root or split roots.Hot weather may stunt their growth.Knobby Roots indicate nematode problems.Water when the soil starts to dry out.Over 70 varieties.

Cauliflower

Too much light with growth slowed and a small head, tie leaves over the top to supply shade.Bitter flavor may be from low fertility or hot weather.Prefers cool temps of 60-65°.Set plant 18 inches apart.Fertilize with 5-10-10, three weeks later fertilize with Ammonium Sulfate.

CornOver 265 varieties of corn.Plant when soil temperatures

are between 50 and 85F.Sandy loam soil, pH 6-5.1-2 inches of water per week.Fertilizer 10-10-10 or 20-20-20.Why is it not wise to tell

secrets in a cornfield?There are too many ears.

Corn

LEAVE THE SUCKERS ON.Has a high water requirement.Roots are shallow. Is not very drought tolerant.

Hot dry weather may result in poor pollination and ears that do not fill out.Teaseling while the corn stalk is still very short is caused by lack of N or not enough water.

CornUnder good growing conditions, an ear of corn will form for harvest 20 days after silk is showing.Corn is wind pollinated, corn will cross-pollinate with field corn, popcorn, and your neighbor’s corn. Needs more water when tasselling

and as cobs develop.

Corn - Insect Pests.

Seed corn maggot.Rootworms.Cutworms.Aphids.Corn borer.Corn earworm.Skunks and Raccoons

First weekend of August

Cucumbers• Does not tolerate a frost.• Fertilizer of 5-10-5. One week after

blossoming begins, and again three weeks later, use a nitrogen (ammonium sulfate) fertilizer to side-dress the hills.

• Do not over fertilize as this encourages vine growth and retards fruiting.

• 50 to 70 days.• Over 100 varieties.

CucumberCan not cross-pollinate with squashwatermelon, muskmelon or pumpkins.

• Drought conditions, hot weather bacterial wilt or cucumber mosaic may lead to deformed fruit.

• Vines that suddenly wilt and die are caused by a bacterial usually introduced by a cucumber beetle.

• Needs warm soil 70° to germinate.• long warm days, plenty of sunshine

and balmy nights.

CucumberA bitter taste in cucumbers is the result of stress that can be caused by a number of factors including heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics and disease. Most often this occurs during the hot part of the summer or later in the growing season.

Eggplant• Are sensitive to temperature, cool

night temps early in the season prevent fruit set.

• Hot dry winds in midsummer may prevent pollination, low soil fertility can also reduce fruit set.

• Flea beetle damage results in stunted weak plants. Needs plenty of moisture, mulching is helpful.

• Over 118 varieties.

Garlic “So many garlics. . .So little time”

Over 240 varieties.Classified as: elephant, artichokes, silverskins, porcelains, turbans, purple stripes, rocamboles, asiaticsTwo main categories: Hardneck or Softneck. Allium family.

Research has shown that garlic has an effect on blood pressure, and cholesterol, and other risk factors.

insects and pets fromfleas and Mosquitoes.

Festivals.Herb of the year in 2004

Garlic two types

HARDNECK/ ROCAMBOLE GARLICS .

“This is where the real flavor is,” say garlic aficionados.

May have fewer cloves.The cloves are larger and easier to peel.The tall scapes, when cut, make a great stir fry.Planted bulbs can yield 5-8 times their weight in harvest. A half pound will provide cloves for between 15-20 plants.

Garlic two types

SOFTNECK GARLICS .Softneck garlic is sometimes called "common" garlic.Softneck varieties are easy to grow and tolerate a wide variety of climate conditions. Bulbs can be large.They can have a shelf life up to 9 months.Planted bulbs generally yield 5-8 times their weight at harvest. A half pound will provide cloves for 20-30 plants.

Garlic, Elephant The largest bulbs and cloves of them all the king of the roasters.The mildest of the garlics.It is closer to a leek than a garlic.They grow well in most

parts of the country.

Garlic

The hardneckgarlics especially do well in colder climates. Some

thrive on being in the ground during very cold winters.pH 6.2 to 6.8 range. Plant 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost. Average first frost Sept 25.

Garlic

You must crack (split) the wrapper and separate the individual cloves.It is best not to do this more than about 48 hours before actual planting, or they will begin to dry out and lose viability.

Garlic

Plant about 2 inches below the soil surface.

4 to 6 inches apart.Fertilize with 10-10-10.Mulch, a key element to real garlic success.Likes Moist soil.Stop watering in mid-June, to avoid fungus problems.

Garlic, When to Harvest

When the lower third to half of the leaves have turned brown, but there are still mostly green leaves higher on the plant, it's time to harvest.About the first week of July.Do Not Wait until until the garlic wrapper splits.

Garlic, curing The entire plant, leaves and all, should be dried out for about two to three weeks. The drier your storage area the faster the curing will go and the less chance you will have to deal with mold. Need a lot of air circulation for this step.About four weeks for a complete curing.Outer wrapper should be like paper. Do not store at high humidity or in the refrigerator.

TheGarlicStore.com46050 Weld County Road 13

Fort Collins, CO 80524

Garlic books Growing Great GarlicGarlic is LifeThe Stinking CookbookThe Garlic Lovers' Cookbook, Volume IThe Garlic Lovers' Cookbook, Volume IIGarlic Lovers' Greatest HitsTotally Garlic CookbookMad for Garlic: A Cookbook for Garlic LoversHow to Make a Garlic BraidThe Great GARLIC BookGarlic KissesMaking Great Garlic Powder

Leeks

Over 50 varieties.Is a member of the lily family.Temperature for growth 55 –75F.Fertilizer 10-20-10 or 10-10-10.Plant 4-6 inches deep 4-6 inches apart.Growing season of 120- 150 days.

LettuceLettuce has been grown and used by the Greeks and Persians since 500 B.C.381 Verities of lettuce.•40 to 70 days.•Cool Soil, Cool Temps. •Fertilizer 10-10-10.•Crowding, low fertility, late planting hot weather all stunt growth and cause lettuce to be bitter or tough.

Muskmelon Cucumis melo

Muskmelon will not cross with watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, or squash.

Muskmelon

Numerous botanical varieties of muskmelons including: netted melons, cantaloupe melons, (casaba) melons, snake or serpent melons, and mango or lemon melons. Technically, cantaloupes are only those muskmelons with a rough, warty surface and a hard rind.

Muskmelon

•Fertilize early in the season, but not when fruit development begins, too much fertilizer produces vines, leaves and no fruit.

•Black plastic mulch to get them going, Blue plastic mulch once plants start.

Muskmelon, when to pick

The slipping of the stem from the melon with slight finger pressure is an excellent indicator of melon ripeness. Those fruit that show a change of color from green or olive-grey to yellowish brown should be considered ready to harvest.

James D. Utzinger, William M. Brooks, and E.C. Wittmeyer, The Ohio State University, Department of Horticulture.

Onions

Top 10 vegetable produced in the U S. Day-length is necessary for bulb formation.Temperatures >75°C start bulb thickening.Can with stand temperatures as low as 20o F.Short-day, Intermediate-day and Long day verities.

OnionsFertilizer: 10-20-10,

2” below transplants.

Plant onions 4-5” apart.

3-weeks after planting add ammonium sulfate, 1 cup per 20 feet of row.

Tops of onion should fall over naturally to close the neck off.Information from Dixon-dale farms -onion.

Onions

Need micronutrients such as:Magnesium, zinc, boron, copper, iron,

manganese and molybdenum.

Without this they can have:Slow growth, tip yellowing, twisting of

the leaves and smaller yields.

Onions

The relative pungency of onions is affected by growing and storage environments. Pungency increases with higher average growth temperatures, lower soil moisture and more months in storage.

Onions -Varieties

Yellow Granex.Red or Burgundy.White Granex.Sweet.Italian.White Bermuda.Shallots.

Onion Types

Yellow Granex - Produces a thick, sometimes flat, sweet yellow onion.

Onions -VidaliaThe Vidalia onion, a yellow granex hybrid known for its sweet, mild flavor.Their mild flavor is due to the unique combination of soils and climate.Georgia's Official State Vegetable.Onion Festival held in April.

Onions – Texas Suppersweet

Slow maturing short day onion, the bigger it gets, the sweeter it is.As large as a softball.Introduced by the

South Texas onion industry in 1985 after 10 years of research.

Onions – Walla WallaStarted in the 1800's when a French soldier brought onion seeds over from France and planted it in

Walla Walla, Washington. Mild climate.Rich volcanic soil. can weigh up to 2 lbs.

Onion TypesWhite Granex - This variety has the same characteristics as the yellow granex but with pearly-white flesh..White Bermuda - An old variety, White Bermudas are also known as Crystal Wax and produce thick, flat bulbs that are extremely mild. However, they do not store well..Burgundy - A sweet variety for those who prefer a red-skinned onion.

Onions - Shallots

Considered to be the gourmet member of the onion family due to its mild, delicate flavor.

A shallot is a member of the multiplier-type onion family which lives for many years. It is made up of segments called cloves. The plants will grow to be about 18 inches tall and often bear white or violet flowers in early summer.

Onions – Bunching (Allium cepa Cepa)

Bunching onions are generally classed as multipliers because they propagate themselves.Also know as Scallions.They are cold resistant

and can be grown during winter. They will not bulb and are harvested as needed, using both the root and the tops.

Beltsville Bunching, Evergreen Bunching.

Onions - Harvest

Allow onions to fully mature in the garden before harvesting. Maturity is indicated by the fall of the top of the onion plant. After the tops have fallen, pull and dry the onions in the garden for several days. After drying, remove the roots and the top, leaving about 3/4 to 1 inch of the neck to seal and prevent entrance of decay organisms.

Onion Laws:

In Tamarack, Idaho, no one can buy onions after dark without a special permit from the sheriff.

In Rock Springs, Wyoming, a man isn't allowed to chew on chunks of a raw onion while driving a pickup down the street.http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/onions/onionlaws.html

PeasPeas are very sensitive to fertilizer injury.If previous crops were well-fertilized, it may not be necessary to fertilize.Peas should be grown only once every 4 to 5 years on the same land to avoid buildup of soil-borne pathogens.Flowers are typically self-pollinated.Plants are very sensitive to drought.Plant when the soil temp is around 45 degrees.

Peas

Frost-hardy, cool-season.Peas may be classified as garden peas (English peas), snap peas and snow peas (sugar peas).Garden pea varieties have smooth or wrinkled seeds.

PeasThe smooth-seeded varieties tend to have more starch than the wrinkled-seeded varieties. The wrinkled-seeded varieties are generally sweeter and usually preferred for home use.

Peas

Snap peas have been developed from garden peas to have low-fiber pods that can be snapped and eaten along with the immature peas inside. Snow peas are meant to be harvested as flat, tender pods before the peas inside develop at all.

Peas -Harvest

Garden Peas: when the pod is swollen, but still immature.Sugar Snap Peas: harvested every 1-3 days, do not let mature.Snow Peas: harvest

3 to 5 days after flowering.

PeppersOver 1,500 pepper

varieties available with some estimates close to 2,000 varieties.

Peppers are rich in Vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is the most abundant in fresh red peppers. More chilies or peppers are grown and

processed in Southern New Mexico than in any other area of the world.

PeppersAll peppers will change to RedRed as they

become mature. •Peppers are sensitive to low temperatures, low humidity and drying winds and will not set fruit as well.

•Will not with stand a frost.•Peppers will drop cold injured blossoms and revert to a vegetative growth state.

•Can be stunted by transplant shock.• Dr. Charles Marr, Horticulturist, K State.

Peppers

Soil Temperature of 80F.Fertilizer of 5-10-5 plus

0-20-0 during the growing season.self-pollinated.

Peppers -Types

BellPimentoSweet WaxAnaheim or Long GreenJalapeño types

Peppers -Types

AnaheimNamed after the California city, generally mild, is one of the most commonly available chiles in the United States.AnchoThe rich, slightly fruit-flavored ancho is the sweetest of the dried chiles.

Peppers - Types

HabaneroThis distinctively flavored, extremely hot chile is small and lantern-shaped.JalapenoThese smooth, dark green (scarlet red when ripe) chiles range from hot to very hot.

Peppers -Types

PoblanoA dark (sometimes almost black) green chile with a rich flavor that varies from mild to snappy.SerranoA small (about 1-1/12 inches long), slightly pointed chile that has a very hot, savory flavor.

Peppers

Hatch, NM. Farmers have been growing chilies in the Rio Grande valley for 400 years. More than a dozen varieties are grown near Hatch, renowned as the chili capital of the world.First weekend of Sept.

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

Native to South American.In cultivation for the last 7,000 years. Heirloom.Peruvian.European.Asian.Fingerlings.New Cultivars.

Potatoes

More potatoes are grown in Idaho than anywhere else in the world.In Idaho, law forbids a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds.

Potatoes

Season LengthEarly Season 65-80 daysMid Season 80-90 daysLate Season 90-110 days

100 varieties sold via growers4,000+ different species of potatoes world wide

PotatoesTypes of Potatoes

Skin Color Flesh ColorDark purple PurpleRed PinkTan YellowYellow WhiteBuff WhiteRose YellowBlue White

Potatoes

Types of Potatoes.Fingerling, Round, Long, Oblong, Oval, Oval Flat.

Potatoes, What to expect:An average yield is 10 pounds harvested for every one pound planted. 1 pound fresh potatoes equals:

about 3 medium potatoes. 3 cups peeled and sliced. 2-1/2 cups peeled and diced. 2 cups mashed. 2 cups French fries.

Potatoes

Use only certified seed, they will be free of disease.Planting too deep may cause them to rot.• Fresh manure will stunt the growth

and might cause scab.• Sandy to sandy loam soil.• PH between 5.0 and 7.0.

Potatoes

Plant no earlier then 2 weeks before your last frost with a soil temperature above 45° F. If the seed is egg-sized or smaller, you can plant it whole. If it is larger you can cut the potato into egg-sized pieces with one or more eyes on each piece.

Potatoes

Per Milk Ranch Potatoes, use a fertilizer that is 20-20-20.Use half the fertilizer when you prepare the soil. Then, halfway through the growing season, add the other half of the fertilizer through irrigation.

Potatoes

Potato Tubers generally form around and above the seed piece, not below. A deeper planted seed requires less hilling but maybe more digging during harvest.Hilling provides more space for tuber development, prevents the tubers from turning green from exposure to the sunlight, helps cool the soil, and provides a place between rows for the water to soak in.

Potatoes

Potatoes use 1 to 2 inches of water per week.Water the potatoes as evenly as possible. This helps the tubers to have uniform shape and helps make a better yield.Stop watering about 2 weeks before harvest or when the vines turn yellow and naturally die after 90 to 120 days. This helps cure the potatoes for harvest.

Potatoes

Potatoes….Barrel Method: Place your barrel or wire cage over a prepared bed of soil. Plant about 2 or 3 seed pieces and cover with 4 inches of soil. As the plants emerge and grow, continue covering with mulch or soil. The longer growth will produce more potatoes.

PumpkinsWarm-season vegetable. Vining or Bush type.80 to 140 days to maturity.Very tender, seeds do not germinate in cold soil, injured by frost.Bees, are necessary for pollinating.Need lots of room to grow A single vine can grow as long as 30 feet.

Rhubarb 2700 BC in China, was cultivated for medicinal purposes.Set out crowns in early spring so tops are covered with one inch of soil.Cool Season perennial.Fertilizer of 10-10-10.Flowering will reduce the vigor of the plant.Rhubarb is a vegetable.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Over 3,000 varieties.Red, Pink, White, Yellow, Green, Black.Heirloom or Hybrid.Cherry, Grape, Salad,

Sandwich, Paste, Beefsteak.

Tomatoes

The tomato is native to the Americas.Per the US Supreme Court near the end of the nineteenth century, the tomato

is legally a vegetable.Botanically, tomatoes are a fruit.

TomatoesIndeterminate or determinate.Growing season 50 to 100 days.warm-season plants.fertilizer, such as 5-10-10,

5-20-20, or 8-16-16 per 100 square feet of garden area.

Drip irrigationOhio State University Extension, James D. Utzinger.

Tomatoes

• Hybrid tomatoes are more disease resistances, more vigorous and improved fruit quality.

• Too much nitrogen produces leaves reduces fruit.

• Temperatures too high (>90) or too low (<60) will prevent fruit from developing or the flowers to drop off.

• Do not let them wilt.

Tomatoes

Blotchy uneven ripening, cracking of skin near stem. Blotchy green and yellow areas merging into general red color of surface. Potassium Deficiency

Tomatoes- TroubleshootingBlossom drop can occur in early spring when daytime temperatures are warm, but night temperatures fall below 55 degrees F as well as in summer, when days are above 90 degrees F and nights-above 76 degrees F.

Tomatoes-Troubleshooting

• Blossom end rot –.moisture fluctuation, especially low soil

moisture following abundant soil moisture, low calcium levels.

• Epsom salts is a good source of magnesiumessential to good plant growth.

• Gypsum is a good source of calcium, calcium sulfate.

• Calcium to magnesium should be 10 to 1.

Tomatoes -TroubleshootingOver-watering causing lower foliage yellowing and wilting – this can also cause flare-up of any of the many root-rotting diseases to which tomatoes are susceptible⇒ ⇒ SSalt damage from fresh manure ––symptoms include burned roots which can’t take up water or nutrients, wilting, yellowing,

and marginal leaf burn

Tomatoes- Troubleshooting⇒⇒ incomplete pollination on heirloom types – usually tomatoes are self-pollinated but for some reason the mechanism isn’t working in one particular case – we suggested using a blossom set application to see if that helps.Karen Panter, PhD, University of Wyoming.

TomatoesCarmel TomatoFest®

California, secondSunday Of September.

One of many.

Squash, two types

Summer and Winter.Over 300 + varieties of squash.

Squash

The trouble is, you cannot grow just one zucchini. Minutes after you plant a single

seed, hundreds of zucchini will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables. At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake

as more and more zucchinis erupt.- Dave Barry

Squash•Squash plants have male andfemale blossoms on the same plant (Monoecious).

•The male blossom is borne on a slender stalk.

•The female blossom has the swollen embryonic fruit attached at its base.

•The blossoms of both sexes are open and fertile only during the morning hours.

Squash•During this time pollen must be transferred by bees.

•The female blossom will close without being fertilized, the squash will not enlarge and in a few days it will drop from the plant to the ground.

•The male blossom, may open a second day but the pollen will no longer be fertile.

Summer Squash

Squash matures rapidly, requiring only 5 to 7 days from flowering to maturity in hot weather.• The key to high quality is timely harvest.• Good summer squash should be 1 to 2

inches in diameter at the base and pale yellow colored.

• If over-mature fruits are not removed, the plant will stop yielding.

Squash

•Will cross-pollinate with other types of squash, for example yellow squash with green squash.

•But will notnot cross-pollinate with cucumbers, watermelons or cantaloupes.

Squash•This cross-pollination will not result in off-flavored or off-colored fruit from this year’s garden.

•If seeds are saved for planting next year the result will be a combination.

Mid-Season - Garden

End of June, it is not too late to direct sow most salad greens, spinach, carrots, beets, sugar snap peas, turnips, winter squash and radishes for a late first crop or for a second crop.

Cold Frames

Allows you to get the garden started earlier Allows you to get the garden started earlier in the spring and prolong the harvest in the in the spring and prolong the harvest in the fall. Giving you a longer growing season.fall. Giving you a longer growing season.

A sturdy box like A sturdy box like

structure with a glass or structure with a glass or

plastic cover to let plastic cover to let

the sun light in.the sun light in.

Builds up heat warms the soil and plant, looses heat

slowly. Can plant directly into the soil or place potted plants in the cold frame. Cloche, miniature green house for one plant, clear glass or plastic.

Cold Frames, Mini Greenhouses

Hoop House

Hoop house

Hoop house

Hoop house

Irrigation

Know your soil type:Clay, SandLoam.

Where the water goes

Issued by Washington State University Cooperative Extension

Soaker Hose

Soaker Hose

Drip Tape

Irrigation set up

Irrigation Valve System

Valve System

Valve System

Timers

Have a Great Growing Season