IT AINT OVER TILL ITS OVER Fall and late Summer Gardening

Filling garden space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall, and even winter.

LYNN KARLIN


Right now, before you forget, put a rubber band around your wrist to remind you of one gardening task that cannot be postponed: Planting seeds for your fall garden. As summer draws to a close, gardens everywhere can morph into a tapestry of delicious greens, from tender lettuce to frost-proof spinach, with a sprinkling of red mustard added for spice. In North America’s southern half, as long as seeds germinate in late July or early August, fall gardens can grow the best cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower you’ve ever tasted. In colder climates it’s prime time to sow carrots, rutabagas and turnips to harvest in the fall. Filling space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall, and even winter.

Granted, the height of summer is not the best time to start tender seedlings of anything. Hot days, sparse rain and heavy pest pressure must be factored into a sound planting plan, and then there’s the challenge of keeping fall plantings on schedule. But you can meet all of the basic requirements for a successful, surprisingly low-maintenance fall garden by following the steps outlined below. The time you invest now will pay off big time as you continue to harvest fresh veggies from your garden long after frost has killed your tomatoes and blackened your beans.
1. Starting Seeds
If you’re already running late, you can try direct-seeding fast-growing varieties of broccoli, kale or kohlrabi. Sow the seeds in shallow furrows covered with half an inch of potting soil. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings germinate, then thin them. The important thing is to get the plants up and growing in time to catch the last waves of summer he

When is too late? The end of July marks the close of planting season for cabbage family crops in northern areas (USDA Zones 6 and lower); August is perfect in warmer climates. Be forewarned: If cabbage family crops are set out after temperatures have cooled, they grow so slowly that they may not make a crop. Fortunately, leafy greens (keep reading) do not have this problem.
2. Think Soil First
You can also use vigorous leafy greens to "mop up" excess nitrogen left behind by spring crops (the organic matter in soil can hold quite a bit of nitrogen, but some leaches away during winter). Space that has recently been vacated by snap beans or garden peas is often a great place to grow heavy feeders such as spinach and cabbage family crops. When sown into corn stubble, comparatively easy-to-please leafy greens such as lettuce and mustard are great at finding hidden caches of nitrogen.
3. Try New Crops
As you consider the possibilities, veer toward open-pollinated varieties for leafy greens, which are usually as good as — or better than — hybrids when grown in home gardens. The unopened flower buds of collards and kale pass for the gourmet vegetable called broccolini, and the young green seed pods of immature turnips and all types of mustard are great in stir-fries and salads. Allow your strongest plants to produce mature seeds. Collect some of the seeds for replanting, and scatter others where you want future greens to grow. In my garden, arugula, mizuna and turnips naturalize themselves with very little help from me, as long as I leave a few plants to flower and set seed each year.

With broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and their close cousins, hybrid varieties generally excel in terms of fast, uniform growth, so this is one veggie group for which the hybrid edge is a huge asset. Breeding work is underway to develop better open-pollinated varieties for organic growers, but for now, trusted hybrids such as ‘Belstar’ broccoli, ‘Gonzales’ cabbage or ‘Snow Crown’ cauliflower are usually the best choices.
　
Finally, be sure to leave ample space for garlic, which is planted later on, when you can smell winter in the air. Shallots, multiplying onions and perennial "nest" onions are also best planted in mid-fall, after the soil has cooled. In short-season areas these alliums are planted in September; elsewhere they are planted in October.
4. Watering Fall Garden Plants: Keep ’Em Soaked
Keeping newly planted beds moist long enough for seeds to germinate is easy with leafy greens such as arugula, Chinese cabbage, collards, mizuna or turnips, because the seeds naturally germinate quickly, in five days or less. But beets, carrots, lettuce and spinach are often slower to appear, which means you must keep the seeded bed moist longer. Simple shade covers made from boards held above the bed by bricks do a great job of shielding the germination zone from drying sunshine, or you can shade seeded soil with cloth held aloft with stakes or hoops. You may still need to water by hand to make sure conditions stay moist, but shade covers can make the difference between watering once a day or four times as often.
Finally, be sure to leave ample space for garlic, which is planted later on, when you can smell winter in the air. Shallots, multiplying onions and perennial "nest" onions are also best planted in mid-fall, after the soil has cooled. In short-season areas these alliums are planted in September; elsewhere they are planted in October.
4. Watering Fall Garden Plants: Keep ’Em Soaked
Keeping newly planted beds moist long enough for seeds to germinate is easy with leafy greens such as arugula, Chinese cabbage, collards, mizuna or turnips, because the seeds naturally germinate quickly, in five days or less. But beets, carrots, lettuce and spinach are often slower to appear, which means you must keep the seeded bed moist longer. Simple shade covers made from boards held above the bed by bricks do a great job of shielding the germination zone from drying sunshine, or you can shade seeded soil with cloth held aloft with stakes or hoops. You may still need to water by hand to make sure conditions stay moist, but shade covers can make the difference between watering once a day or four times as often.
5. Go Mad for Mulch
Mulching can have one drawback in that organic mulches are ideal nighttime hide-outs for slugs and snails, which come out at night and chew holes in the leaves of dozens of plants, and may ruin mature green tomatoes, too. Watch for mollusk outbreaks, and use iron phosphate baits or beer-baited traps, if needed, to bring problem populations under control. Visit the "garden slugs" search page to find our recent slug control update, which includes readers’ reports of slug-slaying methods that really work


6. Deploy Your Defenses Against Garden Pests
Summer sun can be your seedlings’ best friend or worst enemy. Always allow at least a week of adjustment time for seedlings started indoors, gradually exposing them to more direct sunlight. Even transplants that are given a week to get used to strong sun appreciate a few days of shade after they are set out, which can be easily provided by placing an old sheet over the row cover. Or, you can simply pop flower pots over the seedlings for a couple of days after transplanting. In most areas, insect pressures ease as nights become chilly in mid-fall, but you might want to keep your row covers on a little longer if your garden is visited by deer, which tend to become more troublesome as summer turns to fall.
　
Fall Garden Planting ScheduleThere is no time to waste getting your fall garden crops into the ground, but exactly when should you plant them? Exact dates vary with location, and we have two online tools to help you find the best planting times for your garden. See Know When to Plant What: Find Your Average First Fall Frost Date to find an article that includes a link to tables showing average frost dates for cities in your state. For fall gardens, we suggest using the date given for a 50 percent chance of having a 28-degree night — what gardeners call a killing frost. (Keep in mind that cold temperatures may come and go for several weeks in late fall. In most areas, you can easily stretch your fall season by covering plants with old blankets on subfreezing nights.) Also check out our What to Plant Now pages for monthly planting checklists of vegetables and kitchen herbs for your region.


12 to 14 weeks before your first killing frost
Direct-sow last plantings of fast-maturing, warm-season vegetables such as snap beans, cucumbers and summer squash. Also sow parsnips and rutabagas, and begin planting cilantro, lettuce and radishes.
Start cabbage family seedlings indoors, and set out the seedlings as promptly as possible.
In climates with long autumns, plant celery, bulb fennel and parsley in the fall.Luscious little seedlings attract a long list of aggressive pests, including cabbageworms, army worms, and ever-voracious grasshoppers. Damage from all of these pests (and more) can be prevented by covering seedlings with row covers the day they go into the garden. Use a "summer-weight" insect barrier row cover that retains little heat, or make your own by sewing or pinning two pieces of wedding net (tulle) into a long, wide shroud. Hold the row cover above the plants with stakes or hoops, and be prepared to raise its height as the plants grow. See The No-spray Way to Protect Plants for more details on using row covers in your garden.Whether you use fresh green grass clippings, last year’s almost-rotted leaves, spoiled hay or another great mulch you have on hand, place it over sheets of newspaper between plants. The newspaper will block light, which will prevent weed growth, help keep the soil cool and moist, and attract night crawlers and other earthworms. To get the best coverage, lay down the double-mulch and wet it thoroughly before you plant your seedlingsEven short periods of drought stress can put a nasty kink in the growth curve of most fall crops. Dry soil can be murder on slow-growing beets and carrots, and any type of setback can devastate temperamental cauliflower. Your best defense is to install a soaker hose before you set out plants or sow seeds. Try laying out the hose in various patterns and turning it on to get a good look at its coverage first. If the hose won’t stay where you put it, use short stakes or wire staples to hold it in place.Even short periods of drought stress can put a nasty kink in the growth curve of most fall crops. Dry soil can be murder on slow-growing beets and carrots, and any type of setback can devastate temperamental cauliflower. Your best defense is to install a soaker hose before you set out plants or sow seeds. Try laying out the hose in various patterns and turning it on to get a good look at its coverage first. If the hose won’t stay where you put it, use short stakes or wire staples to hold it in place.Several of the best crops for your fall garden may not only be new to your garden, but new to your kitchen, too. Set aside small spaces to experiment with nutty arugula, crunchy Chinese cabbage, and super-cold-hardy mâche (corn salad). Definitely put rutabaga on your "gotta try it" list: Dense and nutty "Swede turnips" are really good (and easy!) when grown in the fall. Many Asian greens have been specially selected for growing in fall, too. Examples include ‘Vitamin Green’ spinach-mustard, supervigorous mizuna and glossy green tatsoi (also spelled tah tsai), which is beautiful enough to use as flower bed edging.In addition to putting plenty of supernutritious food on your table, your fall garden provides an opportunity to manage soil fertility, and even control weeds. Rustic greens including arugula, mustard and turnips make great triple-use fall garden crops. They taste great, their broad leaves shade out weeds, and nutrients they take up in fall are cycled back into the soil as the winter-killed residue rots. If you have time, enrich the soil with compost or aged manure to replenish micronutrients and give the plants a strong start.Count back 12 to 14 weeks from your average first fall frost date (see "Fall Garden Planting Schedule" below) to plan your first task: starting seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale indoors, where germination conditions are better than they are in the garden. Some garden centers carry a few cabbage family seedlings for fall planting, but don’t expect a good selection. The only sure way to have vigorous young seedlings is to grow your own, using the same procedures you would use in spring (see Start Your Own Seeds). As soon as the seedlings are three weeks old, be ready to set them out during a period of cloudy weather.


10 to 12 weeks before your first killing frost
8 to 10 weeks before your first killing frost
6 to 8 weeks before first killing frost
On or around your first killing frost date
Getting the Most from Your Fall GardenHigh-density planting in double or triple rows can increase your per-square-foot return by 40 percent with broccoli, or up to 70 percent with cabbage. Use a zigzag planting pattern to fit more plants into less space while allowing 18 inches between plants. Use dwarf varieties when spacing plants closer together, because too much crowding can lead to delayed maturation and low yields.
Cut-and-come-again harvesting can prolong the productive lives of heading crops such as spring-planted cabbage and Chinese cabbage. As long as the primary head is cut high, leaving a stout stub behind, small secondary heads often will develop within a few weeks. Many varieties of broccoli are enthusiastic cut-and-come-again vegetables, too. After the main head has been harvested (taking only 3 inches or so of stem), varieties such as ‘Belstar,’ ‘Green Goliath’ and many others produce numerous tender side shoots. The harvest will continue until temperatures drop into the teens, which seriously damages broccoli plants. In much of Zone 7 and 8, healthy broccoli plants will keep spewing out shoots for months, and sometimes all winter.
　
Transplant the untransplantable if that’s what it takes to get a good stand. For example, most gardeners have read that beets, carrots and rutabagas should be sown directly in the garden, but I often get better filled, more uniform rows in late summer by starting seeds indoors and setting out seedlings when they show their first true leaf. If the seedlings are kept moist and shaded for a few days after transplanting, about 75 percent of them survive.Remember Gardening doesnt stop at the end of Summer ,Now we reap the greatest reward of our endeaver.Every fall garden should include garlic and shallots. If you love onions, be sure to try multiplying onions and perennial "nest" onions.
　Make a final sowing of spinach along with mâche, which matches spinach for super winter-hardiness. (In most regions, you can expect to enjoy these crops in your Christmas salads!)
Make a final sowing of lettuce beneath a protective tunnel or frame.Direct-sow arugula, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, turnips, spinach, mustard, pac choi, tatsoi and other Asian greens.
Sow more lettuce and radishes, including daikons.Set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi and cauliflower seedlings, along with celery, bulb fennel and parsley.
Direct-sow beets, carrots, collards, leeks and scallions, along with more lettuce and radishes. In some areas, even fast-maturing peas and potatoes will do well in the fall garden.

Prepairing for the fall season

Prepairing for the fall season

You should fertilize now to keep plants healthy through to fall

By SUSAN RICHARDS

Although you may be like me, not through the spring garden list yet, now is a good time to help prepare your lawn, gardens, containers, etc ... for the stress of summer heat. Plants that are well nourished have a much easier time performing right through to fall. Here are a few tips.

* Feed your lawn with a good quality organic fertilizer. Water it in well so moisture goes deep into the soil. We've had plenty of rain this spring, so lawns should be healthy and grass roots should be deep into the soil. Make sure you water well when we get a dry spell. A deep thorough soaking once a week is much better for all plants than frequent, shallow watering. Consider raising your lawn mower up so that more of the grass blade is left. This will prevent burning when days do get hot.
* If you like to use granular fertilizer in your shrub and perennial beds, now is the time for a second application. Choose a good quality organic food, spread it according to package directions and water well. The extra nutrients will help plants thrive this summer.
* If you prefer using water soluble fertilizer, make an application now and repeat in four weeks. Fertilizer dissolved in water is instantly taken in by the roots. The disadvantage is that the fertilizer not absorbed immediately can often get washed away with the next rain. Be sure to choose a type appropriate for the plants you plan to feed.
* If you have a tree that is struggling, consider doing a deep root feed. Shallow grass roots quickly grab nutrients. There may not be much reaching the deeper tree roots. There is a tool for this job called a Ross Root Feeder. It attaches to the garden hose and has a section that holds a fertilizer cartridge. You push the spike deep into the ground, turn on the hose and water flows through, dissolving the fertilizer and delivering it to the roots. The feeding roots for a mature tree start about 18" out from the trunk and extend to the drip line of the farthest branches. Concentrate your effort in this area.
* Keep containers and hanging baskets fed often. I like to use water-soluble fertilizer 20-20-20 one-quarter strength every week. This balanced formula feeds all parts of the plant: leaves, roots and flowers. If I have company coming, I will give plants a hit of 15-30-15 a week ahead of time. This will stimulate the plant to put out lots of blooms.
* An easy care option for flowers is slow release pellet-type food. Use according to package directions, sprinkling pellets directly on the soil sur- face in pots, baskets and gardens. Every time you water, a bit of food is released.
* We've had a cold start for the vegetable garden. Now that some heat has arrived, plants will need a good boost of fertilizer to get them growing. I use a specially formulated tomato food to get the best performance from my tomato plants. It has all the micro-nutrients they need as well as calcium to help prevent blossom end rot. The rest of my garden gets a top-dress of compost. This helps hold moisture in the soil and slowly feeds the veggies.
* My roses have developed big fat buds that will burst into bloom soon. To keep them blooming, I use an organic roses food. Once again, I trust the experts who have developed the right nutrient balance to keep the roses healthy. I have a beautiful hybrid lily beside a shrub rose bush in my sunniest garden. The lily doesn't mind sharing food with the rose. Its buds are developing well too. Just like humans, all plants need regular fuel to stay healthy. Just be sure to read package directs carefully. Twice the food doesn't produce twice the growth. Too much fertilizer can damage plant stems and roots.

June gardening calendar

First week

Don't fertilize tomatoes until the first fruit has set. Too much nitrogen will cause leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. Most other plants benefit from a starter fertilizer when transplanted.
If you fertilized earlier this spring, wait until Labor Day or Halloween to do it again. However, if you collect your clippings all summer long, another light application may be needed in early July.
It is too late for broadleaf weed-control products or combination weed and feeds. Summer's heat will cause the weed killer to vaporize and drift, damaging other flowers and vegetables. Total vegetation killers such as glyphosate can be used all season but will kill everything, so don't use them in your lawn or allow overspray onto desirable plants.
Fertilize bulbs and most perennial flowers now. Bulbs are forming next year's flowers inside, and perennials are actively growing and producing flowers.
Prune, transplant and up-pot houseplants, since they will be growing most vigorously now because of the longer days, higher light and higher temperatures. Move up to a pot only 1 or 2 inches larger at a time. Fertilize monthly.
Prune out and destroy webs of Eastern tent caterpillar found wrapped around branches of fruit trees including crabapples. The biological control sold as Dipel, Bactur or Thuricide is only effective while the caterpillars are still small. Soon they will move off the trees to pupate. Destroy these pale yellow, loosely constructed cocoons. In August, look for shiny brown egg masses on tree branches. Prune them out or scrape them off.
Examine honey locust and ash foliage for plant bugs. Control with insecticidal soap sprays as needed.
Preventive insect control for fruit-bearing trees should have been started at petal fall. Continue every 10 to14 days until autumn leaf drop.
Preventive treatment for apple scab and rust diseases should have been started before bloom started. For crabapples, collecting and destroying fallen leaves all season combined with proper watering and a fall fertilizer application may be all that is really necessary, since these diseases are not life-threatening.
There are many insect pests to watch for in the vegetable garden now. The flea beetle chews many small holes in the leaves of a wide range of vegetable crops, especially young transplants of the cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts). Cover with floating row cover to exclude these tiny hopping bugs before they begin feeding. This covering can be left in place day and night since it is permeable to light and moisture. It also "breathes" so that heat does not build up underneath. Be sure to seal the lower edges with soil or stones. Allow ample room underneath for plant growth.
Covering cole crop plants with floating row cover will also exclude egg laying by the cabbage moths.
Potato leafhoppers are wedge-shaped, bright green insects that cause "hopperburn" on plant leaves beginning in early June. Spray once with carbaryl or malathion and cover the entire crop with row cover to prevent invasion.
Colorado potato beetle adults and larvae can be hand-picked to remove or sprayed with M-Trak, a biological control product. Adults are yellow-and-black-striped beetles, and the larvae are humpbacked and red. Look for them on the stem tips. They are present almost all season.
Striped and spotted cucumber beetles transmit a bacterial wilt to cucumbers, squashes and melons. Adults and eggs can be hand-picked throughout the season, or begin preventive sprays or dusts with rotenone or carbaryl as soon as seedlings emerge. Leaves of infected plants wilt only during the day, but the leaf stems remain erect. Eventually the entire plant wilts and dies.
Watch for the Mexican bean beetle, which descended on vegetable gardens a couple of years ago but has since subsided. To be on the safe side, you can cover the entire crop with floating row cover as soon as seedlings emerge. Spray with carbaryl or rotenone at the first sign of beetles or their distinctive feeding damage.
No further pruning should be done on trees or shrubs, since the new growth this stimulates will not mature sufficiently before the cold days of winter are again upon us.

Five Tips to Getting Your Garden off to a Good Start

This year, with increased gas and food prices expected, many Utah residents will rely on home gardens to provide their families with delicious homegrown fruits and vegetables. While the key to successful gardening is appropriately preparing your garden ahead of time, Oakdell Organic Compost experts provide five essential spring gardening tips to ensuring a productive and successful vegetable garden.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or tilling your soil for the first time, these spring tips will help ensure your garden reaches its full potential.
Essential tips for early spring gardening:

1. Don’t plant outdoors too soon: Wait until the last projected frost before transferring plants outside. In Utah, the last frost date is typically around Mother’s Day. Some cool season plants like peas and lettuce can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked.

2. Start your gardening indoors: Depending on the type of vegetables you are growing, an indoor start enables the germination process to begin early resulting in an early and bountiful harvest. Leaf crops, including spinach, lettuce, chard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes and others can be started indoors now.

3. Provide your soil with necessary nutrients now: Premium organic compost provides essential nutrients to improve the most stubborn of Utah soil types, from clay to sand and can help your plants grow better. Compost also helps soil retain moisture and improve aeration to allow plan roots to receive necessary oxygen. Make sure the correct amount of compost is applied. Evenly mix one inch of compost into four inches of soil.

4. Don’t plant your vegetables to close to each other: If vegetables are planted too close together they can’t reach their full growth potential, resulting in a much smaller yield. Just like people, plants need their space too! Some vegetables can be grown closer together, including lettuce and green leafies, but should be thinned before they reach full size, or while you eat them. Adhere to the spacing recommendations provided on the back of your seed packets.

5. Water your vegetables responsibly: The weather, growing conditions and time of year all affect how often your garden should be watered. Use the one-inch rule when watering. If you dig out an inch or two of dirt and find no moisture it is time to water deeply. If the soil is still moist, even after several days, check it the next day. Vegetable roots reach deeper than the roots of your grass. Therefore, they can and should go longer in between watering. An over watered garden is more susceptible to disease and bugs.

Simple Composting Yields Big Results

Simple Composting Yields Big Results

With the onset of spring comes the perfect opportunity to start making natural fertilizer for your summer garden.

Spring has finally arrived, and although it's colder than normal this week, I'm really glad it's here.
Soon we'll be basking in the warm summer sunshine and sipping sun-brewed iced tea on our porches. But for now, take time to enjoy the little nuances that make Clevelanders so happy like trading in our scarves for sunglasses, the colorful crocuses popping out of the newly-thawed ground, the tiny buds forming on the ends of branches and the sound of robins chirping in the morning.
Now is the perfect time to consider a compost heap for the garden. Composting cuts down on what we put into landfills and puts many of our edibles and other organic materials back to good use in the gardens, providing much-needed nutrients to our plants. Best of all, compost fertilizer is completely free and natural, making it an excellent choice for sustainable gardens.
Beginning a compost heap in your own backyard is a relatively simple procedure that involves minimal upkeep and yields excellent results when used on a home garden or landscaping foliage. Now is the time to start your compost if you want to be able to use it on your summertime garden.
To begin a compost pile, simply place a plastic garbage can in the rear corner of your backyard, away from common areas. Drill lots of dime-sized holes into the sides of the can (I usually do about 40 holes total for a large plastic can), as well as several holes in the lid. I recommend using the lid only if you must to prevent offensive odors and during heavy downpours. Letting enough air into the bin helps to mature the compost faster.
Begin to pour all of your plant and animal-based scraps into the can: grass clippings, leaves, apple cores, cherry pits, lettuce hearts, tomato stems, potato skins, chicken bones, discarded pieces of meat, eggshells, banana skins, nut shells--even saw dust and newspaper. Add these items into the bin every day instead of throwing them away. You’ll be amazed at how much compost your everyday waste will make (and how much it cuts down on your use of trash bags).
Aerate the pile every couple of days by using a small rake or shovel to mix and turn the items in the bin so that no item ever gets too “comfy” in its placement. Aerating the compost helps it to break down faster.

Continue to put new items into the bin and aerate several times per week and within a matter of just a couple of months, you’ll have usable, nutrient-rich compost when it comes time to fertilize your summer garden. It’s really that simple! 

Tip: To make your compost mature even faster, try heading to a local bait shop or pet supply store to purchase a handful or two of earthworms to live in your composting bin. Earthworms work to coninuously aearate the compost and add precious nitrogen throughout the pile, which helps the compost to break down more quickly.

10-step recipe to get your garden ready

1. Clean up. Remove and compost any dead annuals that remained over winter. If you’ve got perennials that weren’t pruned in the fall, cut them back to ground level once new growth begins at the base of the plant.

2. Cut back flowering perennials like artemisia and lavender because they’ll only bloom on new branches.

3. Trim back tattered foliage on evergreen and semi-evergreen perennials.

4. Cut back ornamental grasses to within a few inches of the ground.

5. If you’ve got evergreens, spring is a good time to fertilize them because they’re already actively growing.

6. Weed. The damp soil makes it easy to pull them from a bare garden. Put down a topcoat of bark or rocks for weed control.

7. Check your soil. If it’s already rich and healthy, just add some compost, manure or slow-release organic fertilizer. If it needs more nutrients, add fertilizer once plants show signs of new growth.

8. If you want to divide or transplant, this is a good time to do it so they can recover quickly once the growing season kicks in.

9. Stake. It’s easier to stake a bare garden so the plants can grow into them rather than forcing stakes into a busy garden.

10. Mulch, but wait until the soil has warmed up and dried out a bit. Keep it away from the stems and crowns of existing plants.

When should I start my spring garden?”

Published March 16, 2011

“When should I start my spring garden?” “Which varieties of vegetables should I plant?” These are two of the most commonly asked questions by home vegetable gardeners when the spring growing season arrives.

The answer to the first question is fairly straightforward — it depends primarily on the specific vegetable in question. The answer to the second question is not as simple — it depends on several factors.

Variety selection sometimes depends upon the intended use of the crop. For example, some of the newly released tomato varieties that produce a crop in a relatively short period of time are ideal for canning purposes. Varieties of tomatoes that mature over an extended period of time are better suited for the dinner table. Small-fruited tomatoes are best used in salads, while the larger ones are better for slicing.

Numerous vegetable varieties are released every year, and many offer improvements such as increased yields, disease resistance and uniformity. Seed catalogs offer hundreds of selections, each with an appealing description and attractive photograph to make decisions even more difficult. Quite often the new varieties are highly desirable, but sometimes the old standards prove to be more reliable — and even better — in their performance during many growing seasons.

The home gardener can best answer the question of which vegetable varieties to plant. The best approach is to select varieties that are recommended for Galveston County based on several years of proven performance. Both old and new varieties should be tried and compared for yield and performance. Give new, unproven varieties a chance if space is not a limiting factor, but remember they might perform well in one year but be quite disappointing in others. That’s why you should plant most of your garden with tried and recommended varieties that have proven to be reliable over several years under different growing conditions.

The high temperatures of summer will be advancing upon us in a few weeks. Each vegetable performs best if planted within recommended planting dates, which are based on results from years of field trials. The earlier you can get your vegetables started within these recommended dates, the better. However, even if you plant after the recommended cutoff planting date, it only means you might have to water more often (if late spring weather conditions are on the dry side) and yields might not be as great but something is better than nothing, especially if freshly harvested.

The following information describes some vegetables and vegetable varieties recommended by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service for spring planting in the Galveston County area. The recommended planting dates for each vegetable are given immediately after each vegetable listed.

• Cucumbers (March 1 to May 1) are best grown on a trellis or fence to save space. Use of some type of trellis also will significantly improve the quality of cucumbers produced.

If you love cucumbers but they don’t agree with your tummy, then definitely try one of the “burpless” hybrids such as Sweet Success (an All-America Winner) or Green Knight.

Cucumber plants should be spaced 24 to 48 inches apart, and if planted on the ground, rows should be 48 to 72 inches apart. This is a giant of a cucumber, 12 to 18 inches long, and it needs to be grown on a fence or trellis.

Other varieties include: slicing types — Poinsett 76, Sweet Slice, and most of the new hybrids; and pickling types — Carolina, National and Patio Pik (Dwarf).

• Tomatoes (March 10 to April 10) rank as America’s most-favored vegetable for the home garden (although botanically speaking it is a fruit but the focus here is growing tomatoes and not passing Botany 101). Sound hopeless? It isn’t. It just demands following a few rules.

They will not set fruit when night temperatures dip below 60 degrees, nor when day temperatures exceed 93 degrees. Don’t overfertilize with nitrogen (the first number on a fertilizer bag analysis is the percentage of nitrogen). Otherwise, you’ll get a big bush and no fruit.

Plant the wrong varieties and no matter what you do chances are you’ll have a crop failure. Plant recommended varieties like Better Boy, Carnival, Celebrity, Champion and Dona.

For a canning variety, try Roma. For salads, try one of the cherry tomatoes.

Begin controlling pests soon after planting, and before long, you’ll be eating tomatoes.

While March 10 was the recommended starting date for transplanting tomatoes, some seasoned gardeners start setting a few plants out during mid-February. However, they also were prepared to provide some type of cold protection to transplants should a late cold spell occur.

Are pumpkins, watermelons, turnips, lettuce, or other vegetables on your planting list for the 2011 spring season? Then, contact the Galveston County Extension Office to obtain a free publication titled “Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Galveston County,” which contains pertinent planting information on a wide array of vegetables. This publication also is available as a free download from my website given at the end of this column.

If your planting finger is itching, don’t wait a minute longer.

Dr. William Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, The Texas A&M System. Visit his website at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston.

Welcome spring in the garden

• Originally published March 10, 2011 at midnight, updated March 10, 2011 at midnight

By Laurie Garretson

Every year at this time, I so much enjoy the company of other gardeners.

Not that I don't like being with other gardeners the rest of the year, but spring is different. Especially after this past winter.

There's just something about this season that invigorates us.

Non-gardeners just don't get it. They think all the raking, weeding, digging and planting is work. But we know better.

We have discovered the benefits of gardening. We know how therapeutic it is to spend time in our gardens.

Working in the soil and helping beautiful plants and delicious vegetables grow is what helps us make sense of this chaotic world we live in. Gardening is how we relieve stress. We call gardening relaxation.

After the cold winter, many of us discovered that many of our existing plants where not happy. Many gardeners report losing some plants along with many plants that just froze back or just don't look good.

If you're not sure what to do about a certain plant, get some advise from another gardener who's better able to guide you. So, many times, well-meaning gardeners pull up plants that they believe to be dead, when that isn't the case.

Already, I'm seeing lots of new growth sprouting out on many types of plants all around the area.

This is a great time to evaluate plans for this year's gardening. Whenever possible, think about planting native and adapted plants in your landscape. These plants will be better able to thrive in our area. They will require less maintenance and less water once established.

My advice to someone planting their first vegetable garden is to think small. It's so easy to get excited about all the different types of things you could grow. Many new gardeners make the mistake of planting big gardens and soon get discouraged by all the work it requires.

You will find that down sizing a garden can still provide you with all the vegetables you can handle. Plus, you will have less maintenance to tend to and will enjoy the garden a lot more.

No matter what type of soil you have in your landscape, it would benefit from the addition of a lot of good compost. Flowerbeds, lawns, vegetable gardens, orchards and vineyards all need the benefits of compost.

I was excited to see our Martin scouts had arrived a couple of weeks ago. These birds are such an enjoyment to have around. Every year, I anticipate their arrival.

All gardeners should incorporate wildlife habitats into their landscapes. Large or small areas can attract many forms of wildlife. Many of our native plants will bring in lots of butterflies and hummers. Having diversity in your landscape, as nature does, will help to bring you all kinds of wildlife.

The diversity of a landscape can determine the success and beauty of it.

Until next time, let's try to garden with nature, not against it, and maybe all our weeds will become wildflowers.

Laurie Garretson is a Victoria gardener and nursery owner. Send your gardening questions to laurie@vicad.com or in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77902.

 

Start your own vegetable garden

                                                                                                                                          

Growing your own vegetables ensures they are fresh, have not been sprayed with chemicals and it allows you to choose what to grow.

It easy to grow vegetables from seed. All you need to ensure is that you sow at the correct time of year, and give the seeds a good start with composted soil, plenty of sunshine and access to water.

It’s all there on the seed packet the time to plant, the depth and spacing. Seed companies want your dream gardens to become real gardens so they place easy-to-follow instructions on the packets.

Choose a place where vegetables will receive five hours of sun a day.

Fence the vegetable garden if you have pets - you can also use the fence to grow climbing peas and beans.

If you live in an area with monkeys, enclose the area with netting-wire.

A metre-width is practical for beds so that there is access from both sides for sowing, weeding and harvesting.

Prepare the ground by forking over the area, removing weeds and stones and breaking up any lumps.

Add half a bag of compost and a handful of a general fertiliser per square metre, rake the surface as evenly as possible, and water well the day before planting.

Root crops and legumes (beans, peas) grow better when seed is sown directly into their permanent position. Planting in single or wide rows makes identifying weeds easier. Mark rows with stretched string, then make a furrow on this line to the correct depth recommended on the seed packet.

Sow seed sparingly, then cover with a thin layer of soil, and press down firmly before watering. It helps to sow fine seed more evenly if a teaspoon of the seed is mixed with a cup of sand or maize meal.

Thin out seedlings to allow those left to develop into strong, healthy plants. To avoid washing away seed, use a watering can with a fine rose.

Protect seeds by covering with bird-proof netting, and keep soil moist but not wet.

It makes sense to sow seed at intervals, rather than have too many vegetables maturing at the same time.

Save ground space by growing climbing vegetables such as cucumbers, courgettes (baby marrows) and runner beans vertically on wigwams and trellis.

Mulch between rows to conserve water and reduce weeds.

On hot days, prevent vegetables from wilting by watering early in the morning, and if necessary, again in the late afternoon.

* For more information see www.lifeisagarden.co.za

Plant this month…

Beetroot, broccoli, carrots, celery, brinjal (frost-free areas), lettuce (choose heat tolerant varieties), peppers (frost-free areas), spinach, Swiss chard, a first sowing of peas, and in cold gardens a final sowing of beans.

Extend the season for harvesting cabbage and cauliflower by growing varieties that mature at different times.

Design by colour

In frost-free and coastal gardens there is still time to plant colourful and tasty red and yellow tomatoes, as well as sweet peppers in red, yellow and green.

Lettuce with leaves that are frilly or plain, and green, rose or deep red in colour are a winner in all areas throughout the year.

Swiss chard has a milder flavour than spinach; “Ruby” has red stems and “Bright Lights” has coloured stems of yellow, apricot, pink and red that are so decorative that they are often grown in the flower garden.

Make vegetable gardening more interesting by growing Asian greens. Their delicate and spicy flavours and interesting textures are becoming increasingly popular in modern cuisine. Among the most popular are pak choi (bok choi), Chinese kale, Chinese cabbage, daikon (Japanese radish) and Chinese mustard. - Daily News

Soil testing and amending

If you're concerned about the soil quality in your landscape -- whether turfgrass, ornamentals or vegetable garden -- a soil test can give you basic information to help you improve it. Soil testing isn't very expensive or difficult and can be done anytime the soil is not frozen.

Decide how many soil samples are necessary for your landscape. One sample usually is sufficient for most landscapes unless there are obvious soil differences; then each unique area should be sampled separately. It also can be beneficial to sample areas separately based on their usage, so that samples are submitted individually for turf, ornamentals and vegetable gardens.

Create your soil sample by taking 10-15 soil cores from random locations in the sampling area. If you don't have a soil probe, use a shovel to collect samples at a 5- to 6-inch depth. Remove any vegetation or thatch from the cores and combine them into one container. This aggregate collection is your sample. Place 1 to 2 cups of well-mixed soil in a plastic bag or the sample container provided by the lab.
Choose a test that will give results for residual nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil pH. Your soil test results usually will arrive in about two weeks, along with recommendations for soil amendments based on the plant types you indicated on the submittal form.
If you have questions about reading the soil test results or potential soil amendments for your garden, call your Local County Extension office.

Tips for Soil Amending

* Soil amending can be done in spring, but don't work the soil when it is wet to avoid soil compaction and the creation of hard clods. Fall is an excellent time for soil amending, because it allows time for the soil structure or chemistry to change before a new growing season begins.

* Organic matter breaks down over time, so raising and maintaining your soil's organic matter content will require repeated amendment.

* Keep in mind that Nebraska's clay soils have a high buffering capacity -- or the ability to revert to the original pH level after amendment with sulfur. Maintaining a lower soil pH will require repeated amendment.

Another great resource is the publication "Fertilizers for Vegetables in Home Gardens," which contains detailed information on adjusting soil pH, amending with organic matter and adding fertilizer. It's available at www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g945.pdf or from your Local Extension office.

Feeding Your Vegetable Garden

By Shara JJ Cooper, eHow Contributor

updated: February 26, 2011

 

Creating a healthy vegetable garden means giving your plants all the nutrients they need to thrive. Each year the vegetable plants deplete nutrients from the soil; annual fertilizer applications are needed so the soil can remain productive. Some fertilizers, such as compost, can be made at home, and many others are available for purchase at your local garden center. Two applications a year keep the garden soil nutrient rich.

1. Choose a fertilizer for use in your garden. Chemical and organic fertilizers are available. Chemical fertilizers are simple to use and come in different formulations so you can easily add specific nutrients to the soil. However, many gardeners prefer an organic option. Organic fertilizers are available in several forms but aren't always as easy to apply. Organic fertilizers include manure, seaweed and compost.
2. 2
   Fertilize your vegetable garden in the fall after you have harvested all the vegetables. Add 3 inches of organic fertilizer to the top of the garden soil, and then till it into the soil. The organic fertilizer breaks down and settles during the winter months, so it becomes part of the soil, and the nutrients are easy for the plants to access. If you are using a commercial, chemical fertilizer, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
3. 3
   Add compost to the garden after it is well established in the spring when you can see several leaves on each plant and easily identify the plants. Add 2 inches of compost on top of the soil to act as mulch. The nutrients will leach down into the soil when the garden is watered, and the mulch will protect the soil from temperature extremes and slow the growth of weeds.

The Root of it All: Rotating vegetable crops every spring

We try to rotate our plants in our vegetable garden each spring. Is there a preferred method for this? For example: is it best to plant a certain vegetable where the tomatoes were growing the previous summer? What is the best way to rotate vegetables in a small garden?

Although there are plants that can be antagonistic towards other plants because they excrete toxins from their roots, such as black walnut, Jerusalem artichoke and sunflower, what is commonly referred to as "companion planting" is based more on anecdotal evidence rather than research. So it may be that basil and tomatoes really love each other in spaghetti sauce, but there is no research showing that they benefit each other in the garden. Crop rotation and crop succession are best decided by the plant families.

Tomatoes are in the Solanaceae family along with eggplant, pepper, potato and petunia, so don't rotate those plants with each other. They are practically the same plant when it comes to nutrient use, diseases and insects. Something from the Fabaceae, or bean family is a good crop to rotate with tomatoes. There are other crops that can be rotated with tomatoes also.
Cucumbers, melons, squash and gourds are all in the Cucurbitaceae family, so they can also be rotated with either tomatoes, beans or a cool season crop such as broccoli.

Broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower and collards are all in the Brassicaceae family. These are commonly referred to as cole crops, and prefer to be grown in the spring and fall. Their flavors will be much sweeter if developed in the coolness of those seasons, and these plants can handle a hard frost.

Consider doing succession planting in small areas also, to make the most of your space. That is when you start with a cool season vegetable like lettuce, radish, or broccoli, and follow with a warm season vegetable like bush beans. Then, when the weather starts to cool again and the beans are harvested, plant another cool season vegetable such as English peas or carrots.

And to keep your soil as healthy as possible, remember to add good quality compost each year. Think about growing a cover crop such as oats and peas also. After just a few weeks of growth you can turn that cover crop into the soil for many healthful benefits. The peas will provide a substantial nitrogen source and both will increase the organic matter.

Rotation is a good thing to do each season in the vegetable garden, even if your garden area is small. Alternating crop types helps keep nutrients balanced in the soil and can help control the insect and disease population. To do this successfully, it is helpful to know a little about which vegetables are related to one another.

If you want to learn more about growing vegetables and other beautiful plants in your yard and gardens, keep following us here at Backyard Vegatable Gardening

Home gardeners should make a plan first

In the case of home gardens, planning may not guarantee a more fruitful plot, but it will surely make the process run smoothly with less pests and errors.

Susan Hyland, Master Gardener coordinator for the county's Penn State Cooperative Extension, said anyone considering home gardening should first create a garden layout, choosing the location, the type of garden and the fruit and vegetables to plant.

"Planning will keep you from making errors that can lead to much disappointment and low production," Hyland said, adding that improper planning can "invite a pest and disease problem" if vegetables are planted too close together.

Planning begins with knowing what you want to plant, Hyland said.

"Decide what you're going to eat, what your family is going to eat," Hyland said.

A North Carolina State University extension horticulturist, Larry Bass, warned that it is easy to bite off more than you can chew as a first-time gardener, and suggests that the typical family need only a 25-square-foot plot for a home garden.

The garden should be placed in an area that gets "six to eight hours or better" of direct sunlight a day, Hyland said.
"This is a great time to (pick a spot for a garden) because there are no leaves on the trees, so you can see where the sun is at 8 o'clock in the morning or in the afternoon," Hyland said.
Hyland said it is essential to consider the space required by each plant and what plants "play well with others."
"Some plants just don't do well next to each other," Hyland said.
Incompatible plants placed near each other tend to produce less and often have more disease and insect problems. Some examples include cabbage and tomatoes; beans or peas and onions; potatoes and tomatoes or squash; and peppers and fennel.
Beginning a home garden with a proper plan will also make it easier to keep records to pinpoint success and failure and prepare each successive season's rotation of crops.
"If you at least keep a running record by date or write it on a calendar, you can better plan. In your second year and beyond, crop rotation is essential so that plants can get the required nutrients and to avoid soil-born diseases," Hyland said.
Proper planning can also make the home garden easier to maintain.
"You can make sure you have easy access to water, it's easier to maintain and groom and, of course, pick your fruits to enjoy," Hyland said.
Hyland said cooperative extension staff and other master gardeners can assist those interested in starting a home garden with planning and record keeping. Also, there are many resources available online, although Hyland said sources that end in .gov, .edu or .org are often better than those ending in .com.
"These sites are organizations, government institutions or education institutions, and we hope, we assume, the information is balanced. If you go to a commercial site, they want to sell you something, so they will be

slightly slanted in their recommendations often," Hyland said.
The best place for resources for those new to home gardening, Hyland said, may be the local library.
"Because a lot of people who get into home gardening are looking not to spend money, go to the library. Crop rotation, guides for vegetable gardening, these are as old as man himself. It's all there," Hyland said.
Finally, Hyland said plan for the unexpected guest.
"Plant what you think you'll eat, then plant one more plant in the ground for the rabbits and the deer," Hyland said.
INFOBOX
Susan Hyland, the county's Penn State Cooperative Extension master gardener coordinator, said those planning a home garden should have the following when starting the process:
- Some information on gardening
- Seed packet or information on plant requirements such as light, water, soil depth and spacing
- Graph paper and a pencil
- Calendar with big boxes you can write planting times, varieties and the outcome of that plant
- Measuring tape to find dimensions of planting area
- Compass if you don't know the cardinal directions of your property
- Sun gauge or time to watch the proposed garden area for a few days to determine how much sun falls in that area each day