Vegetable Gardening

Home vegetable gardening

• Produce value of $14 billion per year (U.S.)

• 40% of families have vegetable gardens

Why grow vegetables?

• Taste• Saves money• Health

– Can be chemical-free– Exercise

• Attracts wildlife

Planning a garden

• Location– Water supply– Full sun– Well drained loam,

pH 6-6.5– Away from trees– Away from slopes

Planning a garden

• Size– Start small (25’ x 25’ or less)– Most seed packs plant a 15’ row

Garden layout

• Rows oriented east to west

• Taller & trellised plants on north side

• Shorter plants towards south side

• Plant perennials together

Block (bed) gardening

Vegetable garden design

• Rows• Beds• Mixed beds (flowers/vegetables)• Containers

– Window boxes

Planning a vegetable garden

• What uses?– Fresh, canning, freezing (p. 500)

• Climate assessment– Dates of avg. spring & fall killing

frosts• Frost free period = # days from last

spring frost to first fall frost (ranges from 60-250 days)

Planning a vegetable garden

• Vegetable characteristics– Days to maturity– Warm season vs. cool season

• Warm season – restricted to frost free period

• Cool season – can tolerate light frost– Start indoors & transplant for Spring crop– Plant as seed for late fall crop

Planning a vegetable garden

• Vegetable characteristics– Harvested crop and light

requirements• Fruit > 8 hours• Root > 6 hours• Leaf > 4 hours

– Harvested crop and nutrient requirements• Leaf crops – high N• Root crops – High K, lower N

Planning a vegetable garden

• Intercropping• Succession planting (double

cropping)• Relay planting• Crop rotation• Companion planting• Row to row distance

Intercropping

Succession planting

Relay planting

• Planting at intervals for continuous, extended harvest– Beans, sweet corn, lettuce– Sow when previous crop has emerged

(germinated)

Crop rotation

Companion planting• Some plants do better

next to certain types of plants– Some plants have insect

repellant properties– Some plants attract

beneficial insects– Example: corn/squash

canopy disorients squash vine borer

Companion planting for pest control

Beneficial insects

Poor plant combinations

• Plant antagonism – some plants secrete growth-suppressing chemicals– Beans do not follow onions well– Tomato/potato do not follow Brassicas

well

Plant spacing

• Can determine final size of plants• Equal access to water, nutrients, light• Canopy can suppress weeds

Planting a vegetable garden

• Seed– Viability & storage– Direct vs. indirect sowing– Prepared seed types

• Seed tapes, primed, pelleted, treated

– Pre-germinating seed (p. 493)

– Thinning

Growing vegetables from indirect seeding

• Warm for germination– Seedlings in good light, lower temp.

• Hardening off• Transplanting at proper depth

Vegetable garden cultivation

• Watering• Fertilizing• Weed control• Mulching• Pests

Garden watering

• Heavy & occasionally– Germinating seeds, seedlings,

transplants – frequent & light

• Critical watering periods• Water in evening• Soaker, drip irrigation

Garden fertilizing

• Vegetable plants vary in N-P-K needs• Annual application of compost (5-

11lbs./sq. yd.) or manure (12lb./sq. yd.)• Green manure crops (legumes, rye)

overwinter or intercropped• Granular N-fertilizers applied in Spring

(one month before planting)

Weed control

• Hand weeding• Hoe weeding• Mulch

– Plastic, organic, newspaper

• Proper plant spacing

Vegetable garden pests (p. 498)

• Animals– Birds, rabbits, deer, voles, insects

• Insects– Sucking insects, chewing insects– Moths/caterpillars; beetles/grubs

• Microorganisms– Bacteria, fungi, viruses

• Virginia Tech – Insect pests of vegetables

Training plants

• Optimize use of space

• Lessen contact of fruit with soil

Training plants

Cages

Home gardening resources

• NCSU Information leaflets