101

Vegetable Garden
Tips and Techniques

Stephen Albert

Copyright 2020
 Welcome and Thanks

Welcome to 101 Vegetable Garden Tips and Techniques and thanks for
being a reader of Harvesttotable.com. Collected here are 101 tips and
techniques you can use to grow your best vegetable garden. Friends
and fellow gardeners are the best source of advice when it comes to
growing a bountiful garden and that’s where these tips and tech-
niques came from. After each tip you will find a link to a related post
at Harvesttotable.com; just click over if you’d like to learn more. And if
you have a question, a comment, or a tip or technique you’d like to pass
along check out the Index at Harvesttotable.com find a related article
and go to the comments section to share. Happy Gardening!
 Contents

Seed Starting / 4
Planting Time / 7
Growing Tips / 11
Harvest Time / 16
Pests, Diseases, and Weeds / 19
Soil and Compost / 21
Want to Learn More? / 23
Guides to Grow Your Garden / 24
 Seed Starting

Seed Starting Soil plants. Close, intense light will keep seedlings from
growing leggy. (Cool white tubes are rich in light
A sterile commercial seed starting mix is ideal for
from the blue end of the light spectrum—the light that
starting vegetable seeds. Seed starting mixes are for-
seedlings need for best growth. Warm white tubes
mulated to help seeds germinate. If you want to make
give off light from the red end of the light spectrum
your own seed starting mixture, try this 1/3 sphag-
which encourages flowering and bright colors.)
num moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 perlite. When the
■ Seed Starting in Three Steps
seedlings get their first set of true leaves, pot them up
into larger containers filled with regular potting soil.
■ Potting Mixes Warm Water Seed Soak
Soak seeds in warm water for 24 to 48 hours before
Saved Seed Test planting. Warm water will soften the seed coat of
most seeds and promote quicker sprouting. Soak
Seed left over from last season or the season before seeds in a wide-mouthed thermos bottle to keep
can be easily tested for viability. Pour the seeds into the water warm. The seeds will easily spill from the
a glass of water. The ones that sink are viable and wide-mouthed after soaking.
can be planted this year. The ones that float to the ■ Seed Starting Basics
top will not sprout and can be tossed into the com-
post pile. Only test as many seeds as you are willing
to sow right away; once seeds are soaked in water Steep Hard Seeds in Tea
they need to be planted. Seeds dunked in water will While warm water is good for preparing most seeds
sprout sooner than dry seeds. for sowing, seeds with hard coats such as beans, mel-
■ Seed Viability ons, and squash will benefit from being soaked in
strong tea overnight. The tannic acid in the tea works
to soften the outer covering of hard-coated seeds.
Light for Seed Starting Indoors
■ Pre-Sprouting Seeds
If you don’t have a sunny window, start seeds under
fluorescent lights. Place both a “cool white” and a
“warm white” fluorescent bulb in a shop light fixture. Water Before You Sow
Four-foot tubes will provide enough light for quite a When starting seeds indoors, first fill your con-
few seed starting trays or pots. Keep the lights on 12 tainers with loosely scooped seed starting mix. Fill
to 16 hours a day. Adjust the lights regularly so that each container nearly to the top. Gently shimmy
they are always about 3 inches from the tops of the and shake the container to settle the starting mix.

4
 SeeD STArTInG

Don’t pack it down. Water the container so that the

Speedy Bean Germination
starting mix is moist but not sopping wet before
you sow seeds. If you water after sowing, be careful To improve germination place bean seeds on a

not to wash the seeds to the corner of the container moist paper towel then fold the towel and place it
in a closed jar for a day or so. When the seeds are
or bury them too deeply to germinate.
just soft you can sow them; this will cut the ger-
■ Indoor Seed Starting
mination time in half. Another way to hasten bean
seed germination is to lightly rub each bean with a
Seed Planting Depth piece of sandpaper. This too will weaken the seed
coat and speed germination.
Plant a seed at a depth that is twice its diameter. Seeds
■ Bean Seed Sprouting
that fail to germinate are often planted too deep.
■ Seed Germination Requirements
Roll Your Beets
Citrus Seed Planters If you have trouble getting your beet seeds to ger-
minate, try spreading seeds on a piece of wax paper
Kids will enjoy starting seeds in citrus rinds. After
and rolling them gently with a rolling pin. This will
they’ve eaten or juiced half an organic orange, they
crush the outside husks, giving the seeds a head
can use the skin as a “pot” for germinating seed-
start on germination.
lings. Scoop out the remaining pulp, poke a few
■ Beet Seed Starting
holes in the bottom, and fill the half rind with soil
then sow the seeds. These citrus seed pots can be
“planted” in the ground seedling and all. The citrus Seedless Watermelon Seeds
will slowly decay, adding nutrients to the soil and Seeds that produce seedless watermelons can be dif-
the seedlings will grow on. ficult to germinate. Here’s how to get them started:
■ Container Gardening First, warm the soil to a minimum temperature of
80°F (as opposed to 55°F for seeded varieties). Then,
when you sow make sure the pointed tip of the seed
Prevent Damping-Off
faces upward—the seed coats of watermelon seedless
Seedlings that are growing fine one day and keel varieties tend to stick to the germinating plants, which
over the next are likely the victims of damping off. can kill the young seedlings. Seedless watermelon
Damping-off is a soil-borne fungus. To prevent varieties include ‘Crimson Sweet’, ‘Sweet Affirmed’,
damping-off make sure seed starting trays and pots ‘Harvest Moon’, and ‘Gurney’s Delight Improved’.
are clean and use a fresh, sterile medium for each ■ Watermelon Seed Starting
batch of seeds. Before sowing, soak used containers
in 1-part bleach to 8 parts hot water. Make sure con-
tainers have drainage holes. Fill soil nearly to the top Watering Seedlings
of each container. Be sure to avoid overwatering. Thin Let water warm to room temperature before
your seedlings so that they are not over-crowded and watering seedlings growing indoors. Avoid water
air can circulate between them. straight from the tap which is usually too cold and
■ Disease Problem Solver can chill seedling roots and slow growth. Also

5
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

avoid watering seedlings from overhead which can day increase the amount of time you set the young
leave seedlings chilly. Fill a saucer or tray half full plants outside. Be sure to bring them in at night. (Use
with water and set the seed starting containers in a garden wagon to make the journey indoors and out
the saucer or tray to wick up moisture from below. easier.) Plants will be “hardened off” and ready for
Seedlings will be watered from the bottom in about transplanting in a week to 10 days.
15 minutes. ■ Hardy, Half-Hardy, and Tender Vegetables
■ Watering Tips

No Need to Rush Spring Planting

Not So Tough Seedlings Seeds started in the garden too soon or seedlings set
in the garden too soon—when temperatures have
Some vegetables don’t like to be transplanted.
not warmed—will start the season in a slow-growth
They want to live where they sprout, no moving
mode. They may never recover. Before you sow
about. Veggies that prefer to be sown where they
seed or set out warm-season transplants such as
will grow include beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, corn, melons, cucumbers, and
dill, melons, okra, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, squash take the soil temperature. For optimal
rutabagas, and squash. If you need to start these growth, wait until the soil temperature is in the
crops indoors, sow them individually in 2½ inch 70°sF before sowing warm-season seeds or setting
pots. When they have two true leaves they can be out transplants. If you can’t wait, start these crops
carefully transplanted. Avoid disturbing the roots under the protection of a plastic tunnel. The tem-
and the soil around the roots as much as possible perature in a plastic tunnel will be 10 to 20 degrees
when transplanting. warmer than the outdoor temperature.
■ Seasonal Planting ■ Seed Starting Indoors and Out

Prepare Seedlings for Sowing Seed Outdoors

Transplanting When daffodils bloom, it’s safe to sow Swiss chard,
Prepare seedlings started indoors for the great out- spinach, beets, and onions in the garden. When the
doors. A week before transplanting, stop feeding petals of apple blossoms begin to drop, it’s safe to
seedlings started indoors and cut back on water; sow bush and pole beans outdoors. When peonies
water half as much as you have been. Set young plants flower, you can transplant tomatoes, peppers, and
outside in a sheltered, shady spot for an hour or two eggplants seedlings into the garden.
starting a week or more before transplanting. each ■ Nature Planting Signals

6
 Planting Time

Around the Seasons Planting bed will die and decompose and your mounded bed
will be ready for planting.
Get your crops in the garden at the right time of
2. Use stakes and string to lay out a raised bed; a bed
the year. In early spring and again in fall when
4 feet wide and 6 to 10 feet long is a common size.
the weather is cool, plant beets, broccoli, Brussels
Place 4 x 4-inch posts at each corner; the posts can
sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, kale, lettuce,
be 6, 8, 12 or more inches high. Attach cedar or
parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips. These
redwood boards to each post at the length you’ve
should be harvested in cool weather before tem-
decided forming an open-bottomed box. This is
peratures reach 75°F or greater. In late spring and
a raised bed. Turn the soil inside the box with a
summer plant beans, carrots, celery, Swiss chard, spade or tiller. Fill the box to the top with garden
corn, cucumbers, eggplant, leeks, melons, okra, soil or commercial organic planting soil. You are
onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, rhubarb, ready to plant.
squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. These crops When it’s time to plant, divide each bed into blocks
should come to harvest when the weather is warm. and space the plants in each crop equidistant from
■ Outdoor Seed Sowing one another instead of in rows. You can ignore
traditional spacings recommended on seed pack-
ets; space plants equidistant from one another one
Raised and Mounded Beds
or two inches closer than recommended on the
raised and mounded planting beds warm quicker seed packets.
in spring giving you several weeks head start on ■ Raised Beds
ground-level planting beds. raised and mounded
beds produce a more bountiful harvest when plants
are spaced equidistant across the planting bed Maximum Harvest from Minimum
rather than grown in rows of single plants. Here Space
are two quick methods for making mounded and Interplanting is a great way to get the most out of
raised beds: your garden space. Interplanting means planting
1. Mark off the area you want to plant. Lay plain more than one crop within a block of space. It com-
brown cardboard over the area and soak the card- monly means planting low growing plants with
board with water for several hours. Next, spread taller growing plants or a fast-maturing crop next
soil, aged compost, and aged manure atop the card- to a slower-maturing crop; either way the plants
board 6 inches deep or deeper. Rake the top of the do not compete for the same space, water, and soil
mound smooth and gently slope the edges. Within nutrients; they complement one another. Here are
a week or so, all the grass and weeds under the new a few interplanting suggestions.

7
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

• Lettuce with corn, peas, radishes, or tomatoes. stalks saving you the effort of staking or trellis-
• Bush beans with carrots, corn, cucumbers, onions, ing the beans. The “three sisters” are pole beans,
or squash. corn, and squash. Beans climb the corn stalks while
• Radishes with carrots, melons, onions or peas. squash vines run below.
■ Narrow Beds and Wide Rows ■ The Three Sisters

Quick Transplanting Beets and Carrots at Home

If you have lots of seedlings to transplant, use a Beets and carrots want to be free to grow deep
bub-planter to make your planting holes. Seedlings and wide. Prepare the planting bed for beets and
grown in small pots or plugs (individual plastic carrots by digging down 12 inches and turning
cells that allow seedlings to pop out easily) will fit
the soil until it’s fluffy. Remove any solid objects
especially well into these bulb-planter holes.
from the planting bed such as rocks and sticks.
■ Plan Your Garden
roots will grow odd or even split if they hit a solid
object. Sow seeds about a half inch deep. Thin the
Water Wisdom seedlings when they are about 2 inches tall to 3 or
4 inches or more apart depending on the variety
At planting time, group plants by size at maturity.
(large beets should be thinned to 6 inches apart).
Tall and spreading growers like sweet corn, toma-
toes, and melons, need a lot of water. Plant these in The main reason beets and carrots don’t grow full
one section of the garden. Small plants like lettuce, roots is that they have not been thinned.
beets, and carrots need less water. Plant these in ■ Growing Carrots
another section of the garden. Grouping plants by
their water needs will make irrigation much easier.
■ Watering Times
Lettuce and Spinach Germination
Trick
You can get greens such as lettuce and spinach up
Light Hoeing
and growing fast in cold soil. Here’s how: moisten
Avoid deep cultivation when weeding. Avoid dis- the planting bed, sow the seed, then cover the bed
turbing the soil deeper than 2 inches when remov- with clear plastic sheeting. If the soil temperature is
ing annual weeds. Most weed seeds in the top 2
only in the 40°s or 50°sF, the clear plastic will raise the
inches of soil will germinate. Most weed seeds
soil temperature by 20 degrees--close to the preferred
deeper than 2 inches will never germinate. Once
germination temperature for lettuce and spinach. In
all annual weeds have been eliminated few addi-
tional weeds will appear. Never let a weed flower as few as three days, the ground will be green with
and drop seed. The old farmers’ adage is “One year seedlings, and you can remove the plastic.
of seeds, seven years of weeds.” ■ Lettuce Seed Starting
■ Managing Weeds

Mightier Melons
Plant Beans Between Corn Rows Prep your soil to grow bigger muskmelons, canta-
Short on plant stakes? Plant pole beans between loupes, and watermelons. Plant an alfalfa cover crop
corn hills or rows. The beans will climb the corn across the melon patch in fall. Add aged cow manure

8
 PLAnTInG TIMe

to the soil after you turn under the alfalfa in spring. plants will bolt (send up flower stalks) as soon as there
The combination will produce more and larger mel- are 14 to 16 hours of daylight. Check the weather sta-
ons than any other fertilizers or soil amendments. tion or the newspaper for the number of hours of day-
■ Melon Success Tips light where you live; remember days grow longer by
a few minutes each day in spring. Plan planting and
harvest accordingly. You can plant bolt-resistant vari-
Pea Planting Time eties including ‘Melody’, ‘Bloomsdale Long Stand-
ing’, and ‘Sohshu’ but there’s no guarantee even those
Plant peas as soon as the soil temperature reaches
60°F in spring. Three weeks later, plant a second varieties will overcome the pull of Mother nature
crop that is heat tolerant. ‘Wando’ is a pea that is when days grow long.
both drought and heat tolerant. (The first crop will ■ Grow Spinach
come to harvest in mid-spring; the second crop will
come to harvest in late spring and early summer).
Eight to 10 weeks before the first frost in fall, plant
Strawberry Planting
peas again for an early-fall harvest. Plant fall peas in Strawberries can be ready for harvest as soon as 8
the shadows of taller summer crops. The taller crops weeks after setting out plants. Space plants 4 inches
will protect young peas from heat. The fall peas will apart in 12-inch-wide rows. Mulch plants and let
come to harvest after summer crops are out of the them flower. Carefully remove all runners so that
garden. If you live where winters are mild, plant plants direct their energy to fruit development. Straw-
peas in early winter for a late spring harvest. berries that have runners removed will produce for 3
■ Growing Peas to 5 years—longer than strawberries allowed to run.
Plants without runners will produce better formed
berries than plants with runners. The advantage of
More Potatoes Per Square Foot allowing strawberries to produce runners is that there
Want to get more potatoes per square foot of gar- will always be new strawberry plants to take the place
den space? Here’s how: keep potato plants growing of those that have quit fruiting.
upright; don’t let the plants flop over and sprawl. ■ Grow Strawberries
Plant seed potatoes in loamy, loose soil—a raised
bed is good. Place sturdy stakes at the corners of the
planting bed then run garden twine from stake to Squashes Love Warm Soil
stake and pull it taut. You can also place stakes in a Place black plastic over the squash planting bed
grid across the planting bed and run the twine back several weeks ahead of seed sowing. When the soil
and forth. Use the garden twine to train the potato temperature reaches 70°F remove the plastic and sow
plants up rather than allowing them to sprawl hor- seeds or set out transplants. Once the plants are well
izontally. Vertical growth will allow you to mound established spread an organic mulch to keep the soil
or “hill” up the soil around the plants more often cool as summer heats up. If you live where summers
which will, in turn, produce more tubers. stay cool leave the plastic in place. Cut slits in the plas-
■ Potato Growing tic where you want to sow seed or set in transplants.
Be sure the plastic is anchored so it doesn’t blow away
or shift in breezy weather. Summer squash is usu-
Spinach and Daylight ally ready for harvest 50 days after planting; winter
Spinach is sensitive to light. It’s best planted during squash will mature in 85 to 90 days.
the shorter days of early spring and fall. Spinach ■ Planting Squash and Melons Early

9
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Planting Swiss Chard Crop Drought Tolerance

Sow Swiss chard as soon as the soil is workable Melons, asparagus, and beets are deeply rooted
in spring. Keep sowing chard every two weeks and so are considered mostly tolerant of drought.
through the season. Chard will keep producing Deep watering once every 10 days should sustain
even in summer heat as long as you keep the soil these crops. Tomatoes and cabbage family crops are
moist. In mild climates a chard plant can keep pro- semi-drought tolerant; water these crops at least
ducing for several years; just keep the soil moist once a week. Celery, strawberries, lettuce, cucum-
and feed the plant. When leaves are a foot tall, cut bers, squash, and peppers are shallow rooted and
them back to just above the soil and they will grow not drought tolerant. The soil must be kept evenly
back for a second and third harvest. If stems crack, moist for these plants. When a plant is wilted in the
sprinkle a little born-rich borax along the row. morning, the soil is dry and it’s time to water.
■ Grow Swiss Chard ■ Weather and Watering

Tomatoes in the Trenches Water is Crucial

To give a tomato transplant a strong start especially Moisture is essential for seed germination and
in cool spring regions, dig a long trench several seedling growth. Before sowing seed or planting
inches deep, sprinkle in a handful of aged compost, out seedlings, moisten the soil the evening before.
lay the plant in horizontally, then bend back the Avoid planting in dry or very wet soil. Sow seed or
top so that only the top few branches or leaves are set young transplants in the garden on a cloudy day
above ground. The soil will be warmer the length or in the evening. Don’t plant in the middle of the
of the shallow trench than it would be if the plant day when the sun is bright and the temperature hot;
were set in a deeper hole vertically. The plant will many seedlings will not survive. Always remember
root quickly along the length of the buried stem. to water seedlings after you set them out.
■ Tomato Planting Tips ■ Vegetables and Water

10
 Growing Tips

Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes the vegetable garden to ensure vegetable crop polli-
nation and yield. Borage blossoms also are edible and
To reduce weeds in the asparagus patch, plant cherry
make a colorful garnish atop summer salads.
tomatoes between the asparagus rows. Low growing
■ Borage
and leafy cherry tomatoes will keep weeds from gain-
ing a foothold in the asparagus bed, and cherry toma-
toes self-sow so you only need to plant them once. Get Broccoli Right
You will have more cherry tomatoes next summer
Broccoli is temperature sensitive. Choose the right
without planting again. Frost will kill the tomatoes in
variety for the time of year you are growing. In
autumn at about the same time asparagus fronds die
spring plant fast growing varieties that can beat the
back. The fronds and tomato plants can be removed heat of summer; choose ‘Arcadia’ or ‘Green Comet’.
and replaced with a winter mulch of straw. In midsummer when you are planting for fall har-
■ Growing Asparagus vest, plant a cultivar that can make it through hot
and weather such as ‘Green Jewel’. As a rule, broccoli
■ Protecting Asparagus in Winter prefers cool nights and daytime temperatures in
the upper 60°sF. (But start broccoli seeds indoors at
about 75°F—seed should germinate in 3 to 6 days.)
Support Your Beans
■ Grow Broccoli
Sow beans where they will grow; they don’t like to
be moved. Sow bush and pole beans 1 inch deep.
Space bush and pole beans 2 to 3 inches apart. In Under the Brussels Sprouts
humid regions space beans 8 to 10 inches apart. Put Brussels sprouts have shallow roots and once
a pole, tripod, or trellis in place at the same time you loaded with sprouts can tip easily. Mound soil up
sow pole beans. Keep the soil just moist—especially around the base of the plant and firm it in with
from pod set to harvest. Feed beans compost tea the palm of your hand or the back of a hoe. Tall
or fish fertilizer every 2 weeks for the first 6 weeks types of Brussels sprouts can grow to 4 feet high;
after that feed them every 3 to 4 weeks. these plants require stakes to stay upright ahead
■ Vertical Gardening of harvest. Brussels sprouts need lots of room to
develop, leave at least 2 feet between plants. Below
Brussels sprouts plant radishes and lettuce so you
Starry Borage get ample production from the space underneath
The starry, blue blossoms of borage attract honeybees Brussels sprouts.
and more honeybees. Plant borage around the edge of ■ Growing Brussels Sprouts

11
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

dress cucumbers with a calcium source such as

Finicky Cabbage
bonemeal, gypsum, rock phosphate or dolomitic
Cabbage grows best when the soil is kept evenly limestone. Also, pick your cucumbers young—
moist. If heavy rain comes after a dry spell, cabbage mature cucumbers aren’t as crunchy.
heads can crack when roots take up too much water.
■ Cucumber Growing
To prevent cracking after heavy rain, put both hands
on the cabbage head and give it sharp quarter turn;
some of the roots will break and the head won’t be Train Your Horseradish
able to take up so much water. When heads are round
and the weather is dry, spread straw across the cab- To grow large, straight horseradish roots perfect for
bage patch to keep soil moisture from evaporating. shredding, push soil back from around the crown of
Harvest cabbage when hot weather comes; don’t wait. the plant early in the season (when leaves are about
Cabbage heads do not develop during hot weather. 12 inches tall). Then clip away all but one or two
■ How to Grow Cabbage of the sprouts and some of the small roots. Leave
larger roots in place and replace the soil. repeat
this culling about four weeks later. The roots that
Grow a Bouquet of Cauliflower remain will grow straight and large.
Want a classic white cauliflower? Grow ‘Snowball ■ Growing Horseradish
Self-Blanching’, ‘Amazing’ or ‘White rock’. Want to
add some color to your salads? Grow ‘Orange Bou-
quet’ cauliflower which has as much beta carotene Fast Kale
as a handful of carrots. ‘Violet Queen’ and ‘Purple To get a bumper kale crop with little flea bee-
Head’ are purple cauliflowers. ‘Alverda’ and ‘Char- tle damage, harvest every leaf as soon as it
treuse II” are green with cone-shaped heads. Time
reaches 8 inches long—or shorter if you like. This
your planting so that cauliflower comes to harvest
cut-and-come-again harvest seems to encourage
before hot summer weather sets in.
tall, upright plant growth. Young kale leaves are
■ Cauliflower: Kitchen Basics
tender and aren’t in the garden long enough for flea
beetles to riddle them with holes.
Leaning Corn ■ Grow Kale

Corn is shallow rooted. If cornstalks begin to lean,

pack soil around the base of the plant to give them Hot-Weather Lettuce
support. Because corn is shallow rooted, it cannot
draw up water from deep in the soil. Keep the soil Lettuce usually performs best in cool spring or fall
evenly moist; do not let it dry out. Do not water temperatures. But you can grow lettuce through the
corn from overhead, you will wash away pollen summer in the shade of taller plants. Prune away
and your harvest will be light. the lower branches of tomato plants to create a
■ Growing Corn green canopy under which you can grow lettuce.
Make successive summer sowings of slow-bolting
lettuce varieties in the shade of the taller plants.
Calcium for Cucumber Crunch Many red lettuce cultivars such as ‘red Sails’,
Calcium in the soil is essential for growing cucum- ‘ruby’, ‘Lolla rossa’, and ‘red Fire’ are slow to bolt.
bers with a crunch. expert cucumber growers side ■ Lettuce Heat Resistance

12
 GrOWInG TIPS

Easy Lettuce Five Tips for the Best Peppers

Leaf type lettuces are the easiest to grow; they don’t Here are five things you can do to grow the
form heads and they’re ready for harvest in as few best peppers:
as 30 days. Leaf lettuce has a tender, sweet taste; the 1. Grow peppers in raised beds. The soil in a raised
leaves can be lobed, curled, or frilly. Start harvest- bed warms earlier in spring and stays warm through
ing leaf lettuce as soon as the leaves are big enough the season. Add plenty of aged compost to the bed
to eat. Clip the outer leaves cut-and-come again to ensure good drainage.
and the plants will keep producing until a cen- 2. Plant peppers only after nighttime temperatures
tral stem forms—usually when the weather turns stay consistently warmer than 65°F. (Plant peppers
warm. ‘Black Seeded Simpson’, ‘royal Oak Leaf’, a week or two after you transplant your tomatoes.)
and ‘Salad Bowl’ are favorite leaf lettuce cultivars. 3. Space pepper plants at least 16 inches apart. Closer
■ Five Types of Lettuce spacing may increase your yield, but plants will be
crowded and fruits will be smaller.
4. Give peppers plenty of water and fertilizer, but not
Plastic Mulch for Melons too much nitrogen. The soil must stay evenly moist
Black plastic is an excellent mulch for melons. Black for quick, full growth of peppers. Use a 5-10-10 or-
plastic warms the soil which is essential for melons ganic fertilizer. Mulch with aged compost to keep
to do well. Lay black plastic across mounded plant- the soil moist, fight weeds, and feed plants.
ing beds or hills then transplant melons through the 5. Protect developing peppers from sunscald by cov-
plastic by cutting Xs or holes. Melons growing on ering plants with 30 to 40 percent shade cloth once
black plastic mulch yield earlier and more heavily peppers begin to develop, not before. Drape the
than those planted in bare soil. Black plastic absorbs shade cloth across a frame set over the plants.
heat from the sun, holds it in at night, keeps down ■ Pepper Success Tips
weeds, and helps retain soil moisture.
■ Melon Growing
Boost Peppers and Tomatoes
When peppers and tomatoes begin to bloom spray
Peas Are Like Beans them with one tablespoon of epsom salt mixed into
Peas are a lot like beans. Peas can be either bushy or one gallon of water. epsom salt contains magne-
climbers. Climbing peas need support. Put a trellis in sium. Magnesium is a nutrient boost that will help
place when you sow pole peas. Sow seeds on either plants produce larger fruits. Spray a second time
side of the trellis. Bush peas like support too. Sow 10 days later.
bush peas in the center of small tomato cages or drive ■ Epsom Salt
recently pruned forked branches into the soil near pea
plants; pea tendrils will cling to the branches and keep
pods from brushing again the soil. Peas, like beans,
Grow Potatoes in Straw, No Soil
also want the soil to stay moist, especially as pods Potato plants don’t have to grow in soil to produce
develop. Feed peas like beans with compost tea or fish tubers. Set your seed potatoes on the ground (not in a
fertilizer every 3 or so weeks. trench) then cover them with at least 8 inches of clean
■ Pea Growing Quick Tips straw (not hay). Water the straw and mat it down

13
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

with the back of a hoe or rake. Soon green potato into the garden when they’re three to four weeks
leaves will emerge from the straw. Apply another 8 old and temperatures are cooling daily.
inches of straw about halfway through the growing ■ Fall and Winter Planting
season and water it in again. After the plant flowers
and begins to die back, pull the straw back and har-
vest your potatoes. The straw can go in the compost
Strawberries and Spinach
pile or you can till it into the soil to decompose. Plant spinach with strawberries. Spinach releases a
■ Growing Organic Potatoes chemical compound called saponin. Saponin helps
strawberries grow big. Sow spinach in the straw-
berry patch every two weeks in spring until the
Perfect Pumpkins temperature reaches 75°F. Sow spinach again in
rotate pumpkins just slightly every 10 days to autumn when temperatures fall. A strawberry plant
keep them symmetrical (be careful not to break will stay productive in the patch for three years.
the vines). Place a board, a piece of plastic, or a ■ Planting Strawberries
tile under each pumpkin to protect it from bugs,
moisture, and rot. To grow the biggest pumpkins,
remove all but two fruits from each vine. Give
Squash Tips
pumpkins plenty of water; a pumpkin can grow as For a bountiful squash harvest follow these steps:
much as 8 inches in a day. 1. Mound soil to prepare hills then dig a hole 12 inches
■ Growing Pumpkins deep and 18 inches wide on the top of each mound.
2. Fill the holes with aged compost and com-
posted manure.
More Radishes 3. Cover each mound with compost-rich garden soil.
Get a fall crop of radishes by letting every fifth or 4. Plant a nitrogen-setting ground cover such as
sixth spring-planted radish go to seed. rather than hairy vetch around the perimeter of each hill (the
harvesting every spring radish you plant, let some vetch will feed the soil by setting nitrogen and con-
bloom and drop seed. Radishes allowed to flower trol weeds).
will not have roots worth eating, but the seeds 5. Sow seeds or set out transplants at the top of the
dropped can carpet a planting bed for a sizeable mound after the soil temperature has warmed to
fall crop. Allow rain or overhead irrigation to help 70°F; three plants per mound is good.
germinate dropped seeds. 6. Keep the soil evenly moist as plants grow.
■ Grow Radishes 7. Use a small artist’s brush to transfer pollen from
male to female flowers.
8. Once squash is big enough to eat begin harvesting
Fall Spinach Likes It Cool regularly; this will keep plants producing.
Sow seed for fall spinach only after the soil tem- ■ Grow Summer Squash
perature has begun to cool in autumn (70°F is the
optimum germination temperature.) If you live in
an area that is still scorching in late summer, start
Sweet Potatoes Up North
spinach seeds in peat pellets or pots in the shade You don’t have to live in the South to grow sweet
or a cool greenhouse. Transplant spinach seedlings potatoes. The key to sweet potato success in cooler

14
 GrOWInG TIPS

northern regions is variety selection. Choose a tomato hornworms, aphids, asparagus beetles, mos-
short-season variety such as ‘Beauregard’, ‘Cen- quitoes, and other insect pests.
tennial’, or ‘Georgia Jet’ which need just 90 sum- ■ Companion Planting
mer days from planting to harvest. Don’t forget
you need loamy, compost-rich, well-drained soil to
grow sweet potatoes, and an occasional dose of a
Turnip Tenderness
potassium-rich fertilizer will help. The secret to tasty, tender root crops is to grow them
■ Grow Sweet Potatoes fast. Plant your spring turnips when you plant your
first peas. Thin turnip plants to stand 3 inches apart
so the roots can fill out quickly. Harvest turnips
Basil Improves the Flavor of when the roots are no more than 1 to 2 inches in
Tomatoes diameter, before they become large and bitter tast-
Tomatoes and peppers are more flavorful when ing. By harvesting early, you may get three crops of
basil grows nearby. Basil will also repel houseflies, turnips in the time it takes to get one crop of carrots.
■ Growing Turnips

15
 Harvest Time

Pick Beans Early Fungus disease can start in open wounds. Harvest
broccoli before you see yellow; once the flowers
To make snap beans produce over a longer period,
begin to open broccoli will be bitter tasting. (After
pick the pods when they’re pencil-width and the
harvest, submerge broccoli florets in salty water
seeds are barely visible. If you let them get bigger,
with a dash of vinegar for 15 minutes; this will kill
the plants will put their energy into seed produc-
any bugs hiding in the flowers, and they will float
tion rather than more flower production. It’s the
to the top.)
flowers that give you more beans.
■ Harvest Broccoli
■ Bush Snap Beans

Bag Your Cauliflower

Beans in a Snap
An easy way to bleach cauliflower heads is to sim-
Snap beans will grow up to 10 inches long if you ply place a paper grocery bag over the plant. The
let them, but they are much more tender and have bag allows air to circulate around the heads and
few or no strings at 5 or 6 inches long. Harvest snap prevents rotting that often occurs when the leaves
beans when the pods are still pliable and make a are tied over the heads in wet weather. It’s easy to
“snap” when bent. Longer, older pods are tougher lift the bags to check for maturity. You will likely
and must be cut from the plant with a scissors need to replace the bags after a rainfall. ‘Snowball’
or pruner. is a classic heirloom cauliflower variety.
■ Snap Bean Harvest ■ Grow Cauliflower

Edible Bean Flowers Melons, Ready or Not?

If your bean plants are producing more pods than Here’s how to tell whether your melons are ready
you can eat, try eating the flowers. Most bean flow- to harvest:
ers are sweet. Just pinch them off and sprinkle them • Standard muskmelons and cantaloupes are ripe
on top of a salad after it’s been tossed. when fruits change from green to yellow, become
■ Beans in the Kitchen fragrant, and “slip” from the vine with a slight tug.
• Winter melons are ripe when the rind hardens, be-
gins to get waxy, and turns a light greenish-tan. The
Broccoli Harvest blossom end of mature Honeydews “give” slight-
Harvest broccoli with a sharp knife. Cut the stem at ly when pushed. The skin of Crenshaws take on a
an angle so that moisture doesn’t collect on the cut. glossy, waxy appearance when ripe.

16
 HArVeST TIMe

• Watermelons are ripe when you see a creamy up soil around your pepper plants and then flood
yellow ground spot and the tendrils wither and the soil; do this three or four days before harvest.
turn brown. Plant roots will be stressed, and peppers will be
■ Harvesting Melons hotter. Lack of water also stresses peppers. Stop
watering a week before harvest. Too little water will
increase pepper heat as well.
Muskmelon Flavor ■ Grow Hot Peppers
Muskmelons (what Americans call cantaloupes)
taste sweeter if you start to cut back on water a
week to 10 days before harvest.
Summer Squash Harvest
■ Growing Melons Harvest summer squashes when they are on the
small side. To avoid damaging the plant and thus
harming its productivity, use a very narrow-bladed
Remove Blossoms at End of sharp knife to make a clean cut across the stem. For
Season the tastiest summer squash, pick young fruits and
About 3 weeks before the first frost in fall, pinch off cook them right away with the flower still attached.
new blossoms on tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Slice both squashes and flowers lengthwise, then
This will direct the plants’ energy into maturing sauté them or dip them in tempura batter and fry.
fruit already hanging on the plant. ■ Summer Squash Harvest
■ Tomato Ripening and Frost Coming

Winter Squash Harvest

Peppers Harvest Pick winter squashes when they reach mature color
Peppers are ready to eat as soon as they are big and the skin is hard enough to resist denting by a
enough to eat. The flavor of a pepper does not thumbnail. Cut winter squash from the vine with a
change as it matures. However, as peppers mature long stem attached. Leaving the stem attached in stor-
their store of vitamins A and C increases. Most age will slow dehydration. Cure winter squash in the
peppers sweet or hot take at least 70 days from sun for five to seven days or indoors at 80° to 90°F for
transplanting until you can eat the first fruit. In two or three days before storing at 50° to 60°F.
another 3 to 4 weeks they will reach full maturity ■ Winter Squash Harvest
and full color. (The number of days to maturity on
seed packets are based on ideal conditions; if the
weather is overcast or cool, additional days should
Pickling Success
be added.) Pickling cucumbers can be harvested when they are
■ Harvesting Peppers 3 to 4 inches long. If you don’t have quite enough
cucumbers to pickle a batch right away, don’t
refrigerate them. Cucumbers are tropical fruits
Hotter Hot Peppers and are injured at temperatures below 50°F. Keep
If you want hotter peppers, stress the plants. Stress cucumbers in a cool basement where tempera-
causes hot pepper to “turn up the heat.” How do tures are between 50° and 60°F. (Dry soil can cause
you stress a pepper plant? Simulate a flood. Mound cucumbers to be hollow at the center; make sure

17
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

your cucumbers get enough moisture throughout other dishes. In fall, plant a few small garlic cloves
the growing season.) especially for use as greens the following spring.
■ Pickles Small cloves will never produce large heads of gar-
lic, so plant them for greens. You can snip shoots
from young garlic plants twice before slowing the
Save the Nicked Potatoes growth of the plant.
Potatoes are easily sliced and nicked during harvest. ■ Fall and Spring Garlic
These spuds won’t store well, but you don’t have to
throw them away. To keep them for serving, place
them in a clean wide-mouthed jar (a pickle or may-
Tomatoes Ripen from the Bottom
onnaise jar) filled to the brim with fresh water. Cap Tomatoes ripen from the bottom up. When the end
the jar tightly and place it in the refrigerator. Use of the tomato opposite the stem starts to color, the
these potatoes in the next few days for mashing, tomato is ripening. You can pick tomatoes when the
browning, boiling, or frying. Save the vitamin rich skin looks smooth and waxy—even if the top of the
water for stock. fruit has not turned its mature color yet. Tomatoes
■ Potato Harvesting can be picked when they are between firm and soft.
Tomatoes that have begun to color will ripen off the
vine; set them on the kitchen counter out of direct
Green Garlic Leaves sun to finish ripening. For best flavor, let tomatoes
The tender green leaves of young garlic plants can ripen on the vine.
be used like chives or green onions on salads and ■ Ripen Tomatoes on the Vine

18
 Pests, Diseases, and Weeds

Home Made Insecticides planting eggplants and tomatoes add lime, crushed
eggshells, or ground oyster shells to the planting
Make your own insecticidal soap to spray vegetable
hole. You can also let crushed eggshells soak in
pests. Mix one and a half tablespoons of unscented
your watering can for a day before watering. This
liquid hand soap into one gallon of warm water. For
brew also will give eggplants and tomatoes a boost.
fruit trees: mix 1 cup of vegetable oil with 1 table-
(Calcium helps build strong cell walls in plants.)
spoon of dish detergent—or larger amounts in the
■ Blossom End Rot
same ratio; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of this solution to 1
cup of water in a spray bottle. Shake well. Spray both
sides of leaves until the solution begins to run off. (Be Protect Ripening Tomatoes
sure to test your homemade spray on a small portion
Protect ripening tomatoes from hungry birds by
of the plant before spraying the whole plant. There
covering the fruit with small paper bags. Cut off
is a risk of injuring the plant if the mix is too strong.)
the corners of bags with scissors to allow for venti-
■ Insecticidal Soap
lation and keep fruit from rotting. Use a stapler or
clothes pin to fasten each bag around the fruit. You
Cabbage Butterflies Be Gone can also use paper bags to protect grapes, apples,
Cabbage butterflies bring cabbage loopers which peaches, and other fruits.
can devastate a head of cabbage. Keep cabbage ■ Tomato Ripening
moths from landing on cabbage heads by draping
bird netting over plants—double over the netting
Help Strawberries Survive Birds
for extra protection. The moths will find it difficult
to land. To further ward off cabbage moths steep 4 Strawberries worst enemies are often birds. To
cloves of garlic along with a handful of wild mus- shield your crop from birds, drive short pieces of
tard in a cup of boiling water; let the mix cool and re-bar rods or pipe into the ground at all four cor-
then spray. This will keep cabbage moths from lay- ners of the planting bed. Then stick the ends of two
ing eggs and chase away potato beetles as well. lengths of PVC pipe (at least 10 feet long) into those
■ Cabbage Loopers pieces to create two arches over the plants to sup-
port mesh bird netting. (Use flexible 5/8-inch PVC
pipe for arches; pipe slightly larger in diameter than
Eggplant End Rot the anchor rods.) Secure the bottom of the netting
If eggplants (and tomatoes) suffer blossom-end with lengths of board or rocks.
rot, there’s not enough calcium in the soil. When ■ Grow Strawberries

19
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

How to Control Damage from Homemade Rabbit and Rodent

Pests and Diseases Repellant
Here are five simple ways to keep plant pests and Try this brew to send pesky rabbits and rodents away:
diseases at bay: chop up several cloves of garlic, one onion, and three
1. Mulching around crops; this will keep fungus in hot peppers and toss them in the blender; add one
the soil from splashing onto plants when it rains or teaspoon of Tabasco sauce and puree the mixture.
Pour the mix into one quart of warm water and let it
when you water.
sit overnight. Strain away any solids and pour the mix
2. Avoid breaking branches, tearing leaves, or dam-
into a spray bottle. Spray around the edges of plant-
aging roots; diseases and pests often enter plants
ing beds. rabbits, rodents, dogs, cats, and even insects
through wounds.
will turn away. (Use gloves to protect your hands and
3. Buy disease-resistant plant cultivars and inspect
keep this brew away from your eyes.)
plants you buy at the garden center or plant sales;
■ Animal Pests
avoid bringing home pests and diseases.
4. Encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs and
green lacewings; beneficial insects can control Weeding Perennial Weeds
many pest insects; no pesticides needed. Most perennial weeds have fleshy taproots. If you
5. Walk the garden and inspect plants every few days leave any part of the root behind when weeding,
for pest and disease damage. Remove diseased a perennial weed can quickly regenerate. To stop
plants and go after pests right away. perennial weeds, remove them root and all. Do
■ Organic Pest and Disease Control your weeding after a good rain or water deeply
before you weed. Plunge a weeder, hand trowel,
or small garden fork into the moist soil next to the
Head Off Powdery and Downy weed. Use the trowel or fork as a lever to loosen the
Mildew soil. Pull upward from the base of the weed with
your free hand. The entire weed should come away.
Spray mildews with this anti-fungus home brew:
■ Weed Control
½ cup of baking soda, 2 drop of dishwashing soap,
and 1 quart of water; mix in a spray bottle and
spray plants lightly once a week. Orange Peels Help Kill Aphids and
■ Powdery Mildew Slugs
Use an empty half orange rind to kill aphids and
Cats Away slugs. Place the orange rind near the aphid infesta-
tion; you can poke two holes in the rind and pass
If your neighbor’s cat thinks your garden is her litter-
string through the holes then hang the rind from a
box, plant several catnip plants in a separate part of
branch or stems. Aphids will be overcome by the
the garden. The distraction will be too much for the citrus smell. To catch slugs, place a half rind, round
furry critter. Catnip is also a trap crop for whiteflies. side up, next to plants that slugs frequent. Slugs
You can also try orange, lemon, or lime peels; sprin- will crawl under the rind during the day seeking
kle these around the garden or plants you want to shelter from the sun. Lift the rind trap and drop
protect. The citrusy smell can be too intense for cats. slugs into a bucket of warm, soapy water.
■ Cats and Animal Pests ■ Aphids and ■ Slugs

20
 Soil and Compost

Compost in 14 Days To check garden soil moisture, scoop a handful of soil

and squeeze it into a ball. If it sticks together like mold-
You can make compost in just two weeks if you grind
ing clay, it’s too wet. Test again in a day or two. Soil is
or shred all materials going into the compost pile.
ready to work when it crumbles as it’s squeezed.
Shredding increases the surface area of material on
■ Improve Clay Soil
which composting microorganisms can multiply and
feed. It also improves moisture control and makes
turning the heap much easier. You don’t have to layer Fix Acid Soil
the material you’re composting using this method;
just heap up the material in a pile (not higher than 5 Wood ashes take just a few weeks to neutralize soil
feet) and turn the material every three days. After 12 acidity (limestone takes six months to a year). For
to 14 days, the heat of the pile should leave you with best results, thoroughly mix wood ashes into the
ready to use compost. This method will take longer in soil in the fall. repeat this application every three
winter when microorganisms are less active. or four years if soil tests indicate a need. As a rule
■ How to Compost Faster of thumb, use 1¼ pounds of wood ashes for each
pound of limestone recommended. Check soil acid-
ity and alkalinity before applying wood ashes or
Cool-Weather Compost other amendments. Use a soil pH test kit to know
the acidity or alkalinity of your soil.
Sheet composting is one way to keep composting
through the winter. In fall, after harvest is com- ■ Adjusting Soil pH
plete, shred garden residues—leaves, spent plants,
and grass clipping--and then spread them across
Oyster Shells
the garden like a sheet. Use a tiller or spade to turn
them under. If you have lots of autumn leaves (up to Ground oyster shells are a good substitute for lime-
6 inches thick), spread them over the garden surface stone. either amendment will raise your soil’s pH
then sprinkle with ground limestone and till them (make an acid soil more alkaline). The shells will
under. Tilling or spading will start the decomposi- contribute calcium and possibly a few other min-
tion process. Till or spade again in spring. (Don’t erals. (Don’t use either limestone or oyster shells if
use weeds or diseased plants for sheet composting.) your soil pH is already 7.0 or higher.)
■ Making Compost ■ Organic Fertilizers

Quick Test for Soil Wetness Sandy Soil in Reverse

Working the soil when it is wet can cause the soil to If your soil is naturally well drained and sandy, you
become compacted and less than ideal for planting. can build soil fertility and conserve soil moisture by

21
 101 VEGETABLE GARDEN TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

growing crops in recessed rather than raised beds. spinach. Spinach draws a full spectrum of nutrients
Recess beds 4 to 6 inches deep, then fill them almost from the soil. If spinach looks good, the soil is nutri-
to the top with aged or commercial organic planting ent balanced. If spinach grows small or stunted, the
mix compost. Water will drain through the beds, soil needs nitrogen. If spinach leaves are purplish or
but compost, mulch, and seedlings won’t drain out.
bronzed, the soil needs phosphorus. If spinach plants
■ Soil Making
look punk or sickly or stems are thin, the soil needs
potassium. If spinach leaves are yellow with green
Cover Crops to Break Up veins, the soil needs an all-purpose fertilizer; use a fer-
Compacted Soil tilizer that has iron, calcium, and magnesium added.
■ Grow Spinach
Hard and compacted soil can be improved by plant-
ing a cover crop. A cover crop is a plant that easily
roots in almost any soil; its roots grow deep into
How to Make Perfect Topsoil
the soil breaking up clay and hardpan. At the end
of its life a cover crop can be turned under to rot You can turn a weedy patch, or a section of lawn
and add organic matter to the soil. Plant cover crops into a perfect vegetable planting bed without roto-
in any section of the garden that is bare or plant tilling. Here’s how:
cover crops after harvest to cover and protect the 1. Select the spot where you want to establish a
soil through the winter. easy to grow cover crops new garden bed; make sure it gets plenty of sun
are alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, and winter rye. Turn
exposure.
cover crops under just before they flower.
2. Put down a layer of newspapers 10 sheets deep
■ Cover Crops and Green Manure
(don’t use color or glossy newsprint); just lay the
paper over weeds or lawn.
Cover Crops Good 3. Soak the newspapers with water and cover them
Cover crops are good. They can help eliminate weeds with a thick layer of compost or commercial organ-
by growing dense and smothering weeds. They can ic planting mix.
improve both sandy and clay soil by growing roots 4. Go away and let things sit for about six weeks (eight
deep and adding organic matter to the soil. Bean or twelve weeks is better).
family cover crops (legumes) feed the soil by fixing The newspaper will disintegrate, weeds or sod will
nitrogen in their roots. Four cover crops that can be die off, earthworms will start working the soil, and
planted almost anytime there’s a bare spot in the gar-
the bed will be ready to plant.
den are peas (plant in early spring or early fall), beans
■ Prepare a Planting Bed
(plant any time between the last frost in spring and
the first frost in fall), buckwheat (plant from spring to
fall), and annual ryegrass (plant midsummer to early
Protect Your Earthworms
fall or later in mild-winter regions).
■ Crop Rotation Digging in the garden can be hazardous to earth-
worms. To keep earthworms from harm:
• Dig or till in the middle of the day, that’s when
Spinach Soil Test worms burrow deep to avoid the heat.
You know your garden soil has a very good bal- • Use a digging fork instead of a spade or rototiller.
ance of nutrients if you can grow a healthy crop of • Dig shallowly, not deeper than 3 to 6 inches.

22
 WAnT TO LeArn MOre?

If you want to attract earthworms to the garden bury a a sack of finished compost or commercial organic
couple of pieces of bread or a lump of aged manure or planting mix into a large bucket filled with water
a piece of cardboard soaked in vegetable oil. Worms and cover it. Let it steep for a few days until the
will make their way to these tasty worm treats. water turns the color of weak tea. Your compost tea
■ Benefits of Earthworms is then ready to use and it won’t burn you plants.
(You can make manure tea the same way; use
aged manure.)
Compost Tea Brew ■ How to Make Compost Teas
Compost tea will give struggling plants a boost; it
can also improve the soil in any planting bed. Put

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