Back to the Basics - Successful Backyard Vegetable Gardens

Begin with you!

Pamela J. Bennett

State Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator

Horticulture Educator, Clark County

Ohio State University Extension

Vegetable Gardening –

it's not going away!

– Increased requests for assistance

– Increase in vegetable sales

– Victory Gardens

• Save money

• Provide food

– Today

• Local foods

• Environmental

• Food safety

Vegetable Gardening

– your goal:

To be successful in your efforts – and

have fun!

Make it easy!

Vegetable gardens require

PLANNING

• Available time

• Available space

• Size of family

– Determine how much to grow

• Start small!

• Canning or freezing

Garden Size

Garden Location

–Sun

• Minimum 8 hours

• Remember structures, vines, trees,

etc.

–Water

• CLOSE TO THE FAUCET!

Other Considerations

• Nearby roads/driveways/

house/structures

• Wind direction

• Varmints

• Kids

• Underground Utility Lines

– (1-800-362-2764)

• Walnut trees

Site

• Soil

–Rich, loamy well

drained

–No contaminants

• Lead

–Raised bed, container option

Yea right!

New Site Preparation

• pH test

• Work soil when dry

– Avoid compaction

• Fall tilling is ideal

• Add organic matter

– 4" OM in 12" soil

• Containers

– "soilless mix"

HAVE A PLAN

Planning decisions

• Crop selection

– Preferences

– Size of family

• Choices

– Hybrids

– Open-pollination

– All-America Selections

– Heirlooms

– Seed Catalogs

Planning decisions

Cool season

Not injured by frost

Asparagus, broad bean,

broccoli, Brussels sprouts,

cabbage, collard, garlic,

horseradish, kale, kohlrabi,

leek, onion, pea, radish,

rhubarb, shallot, spinach,

turnip

Cool season

Injured by frost but

intolerant of temps

above 70F

Beets, carrot, cauliflower,

celery, chard, Chinese

cabbage, endive, lettuce,

mustard, parsnip, potato,

Swiss chard

Planning decisions

• Warm-season

– Cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, lima bean, New

Zealand spinach, pepper, pumpkin, snap bean,

squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomato,

watermelon

– Do not TOLERATE cold soils

Planning

• Succession planting

– Continuous harvest through season

• Warm-season followed by cool season

• 2nd crop of same plant

• Plant every 2 weeks, same species

• Plant different cultivars with varying maturity

dates

– More attention to watering in later plantings

Fall Crops Bush Beans – August 1

Beets

Broccoli

Chinese Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Endive

Kale - August 1-15

Kohlrabi

Radishes

Spinach - September 1

Turnips

Collards

Lettuce

Planning

• Plant spacing

–Traditional layout

• Row planting

• Hill planting

–Soil warms sooner

–Germination quicker

Planning

• Plant spacing

– Intensive planting

• Square foot – concentrated planting

• Space saving varieties

• Wide rows

Planning

• Raised beds

–Soil warms earlier

–Good drainage

–Easier cultivation

Planning

• Vertical space

– Watch shading other crops

• Interplanting

– Leeks with sweet potatoes

– Radishes and carrots

Seeds or plants???? • Depends on gardener

• Depends on crop

– Plants

• Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, pepper,

squash, lettuce, corn

• Almost anything goes for today's gardener!

Decisions

Planting the garden

• Prep the soil

– Work in organic matter

• Planting plants

– No flowers or fruits

– Cloudy day

– Proper depth

• Planting seeds

– Soil temperature

– Proper depth

Planting

• Fertilizing - average garden soil

– Loses per 1000 square foot : – 1-3# of nitrogen

– ½-1½ # of P

– 2-4# of K

– Add nutrients per soil test??????

– Or, use a garden purpose garden fertilizer

and follow directions!

• Watering

– 2010 dry spring

Cultural practices

• Watering

– 1" of water per week

– Water in the morning

– Keep foliage as dry as possible

• Methods

– Sprinkler

– Soaker hoses

– Drip irrigation

– Hand

Ear of corn - 70 percent water

Potato - 80 percent water

Tomato - 95 percent water

Cultural Practices

• Fertilizing

– Timing is important

• Methods

– Side dressing

– Broadcasting

– Row or banding

– Liquid

Fertilizing

• Beets – time of planting, 3" high

• Carrots – 5-10-10

– Seeding, 3-4" tall, 6-8" tall

• Eggplant – time of planting, N after fruit

set

• Peas – planting and after pods form

• Peppers- planting and after fruits set

• Containers- regular basis according to

label

Fertilizing

• Never fertilize when soil is dry

• Avoid contact with foliage

• Organic or synthetic

– Depends upon the individual gardener

• Manures

– Slower to break down

Cultural Practices

• Staking

Cultural Practices

• Sanitation

– Weed control

– Pest control

• Deadleafing

– Remove infected/affected leaves

Cultural

• Harvesting

Pest Management – Integrated (IPM)

Cultural Chemical Biological

Resistance

Sanitation

Rotation

Parasites

Botanicals

Pathogens

Desiccants

Soaps/Oils

Predators Traps

Synthetics

IPM

• Step 1 – know the plant

• Step 2 – know the problem

• Step 3 – determine the options

IPM Cultural Practices

• Resistant host plants

• Fall garden clean up

• Eliminate pest hiding places

• Eliminate weeds

• Rotate crops

• Hand-pick pests

• Tolerate some damage

• Plant earlier or later to avoid pest

• Plant/pest interactions

• Use traps, borders and barriers

IPM Biological Practices

• Predators

• Parasites

• Pathogens

• Provide habitat

• Provide food source

• Plant attractant plants

• Use "soft" pesticides

IPM Chemical Practices

• Last choice

• Target the pest

• Know the life cycle

• Use the least "toxic" for the pest

Pest management • Weeds

– Hand removal

– Herbicides

• Preen

– Active ingredient – trifluralin

– Avoid glyphosate in season

Perennial

Annual

Perennial

Annual

• BEFORE Seeding: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Collard, Black-Eyed Peas, Field Peas, Green Peas, Kale, Lentils, Lima Beans, Mustard Greens, Okra, Radish, Southern Peas (Cow Peas), Snap Beans, Turnip Greens.

• AFTER Seeding or Transplanting: Cantaloupes, Cucumbers, Watermelons. Apply after plants have developed 5 or more leaves.

• AFTER Planting: Potatoes - May be applied after planting, before or after emergence. Use care not to damage seed pieces in cultivating nor allow treated soil to contact emerged plant foliage.

• BEFORE Transplanting: Celery, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Peppers, Onions, Tomatoes.

• Perennial Vegetables: Asparagus - Apply prior to spear emergence of established plants.

Mulching

• Black plastic

• Landscape fabric

• Organic materials • Straw

• Grass clippings

• Compost

• Leaf humus

• Newspaper

Pest management

• Insects and diseases • Identify pest first and foremost

• Understand the life cycle

• Target controls

• Rodents • Exclusion, fencing

Fall Garden Clean Up

• Pull annual vegetables

– Compost or destroy

• Add amendments

• Put away staking material, fabric, plastic

• Put away soaker hoses, drip irrigation

• Prevents extra work for following season

• Tilling

• Note comments in journal

Fall Garden

• Plant a cover crop - green manure

– Winter rye, buckwheat, oats among many

choices

• Till under in spring, as soon as ground can be

worked (crumble test)

• Plant late season vegetables

Tools

• Be equipped with the right tools for

success

Help is available!

• County Educator

– extension.osu.edu

• Buckeye Yard and Garden Line

– bygl.osu.edu

– facebook

• Plantfacts

– plantfacts.osu.edu

• Ohioline

– ohioline.osu.edu

Summary – Develop a garden you can easily maintain

– Make choices and decisions ahead of time

– Start small and learn and gain confidence

– Think about future generations of gardeners

and get them excited