One of the most common mistakes of new gardeners is trying to cram too many plants into a given space. I know because I’ve made that mistake myself! Pay attention to the amount of space you’ll need between vegetable rows, and resist the temptation to add more.

Be sure to check out our other articles about grown vegetables.

Have fun!

- Tim

ds = direct sow, tr = transplant

1. Start with the basics. Don’t be tempted to spend an enormous amount of money on your first supplies, materials, and tools. There’s no such thing as a magic bullet, and you’ll only end up with very expensive vegetables. Organic gardening can actually be done much less expensively than conventional gardening. Compost, manure, and other soil additives replace expensive fertilizer, and natural control methods keep pest levels down.

2. Grow your plants in the right spot. Take the time to plan which vegetables you’ll be growing and find out what kind of sunlight requirements they have. Take the time to find an area of your yard that will provide the amount of light and the soil qualities that these plants need. The right conditions can help you avoid many problems before they even begin.

3. Prepare the soil correctly. Check the pH, moistness, and type of soil you have available, then add amendments to make it what you need. You might need to add in compost, animal manures, grass clippings, ashes, or other substances to improve the condition of your soil. This might seem like a lot of work to start with, but it will help your garden grow, and will keep on working for you down the line. Setup of an organic garden is the hardest part.

4. Start your own compost pile. Compost can be purchased cheaply, but you don’t know what goes into it. Composting your own kitchen scraps and yard waste can help you dispose of these substances cheaply and in an ecologically friendly way, plus you’ll get great free fertilizer that you know is organic. You’ll be amazed at the difference that a good compost pile can make for your garden. Composting might seem like it’s a complicated process, but it really isn’t. Almost anyone can do it.

5. Don’t ignore your garden. Once you’ve tilled and planted your organic garden, it can be extremely tempting to ignore it. This isn’t a good idea in conventional gardens, either, but it can be disastrous if you’re growing organic. A little daily weeding and pest removal, a careful check over all plants, and some regular attention will do more to help your garden than any product you can buy. If you take the time to love your garden, you’ll be rewarded with wonderful results.

By Whitney Segura

Whitney Segura is an expert in agriculture and specializes in greenhouses, hydroponics, and organic gardening. Whitney writes many home and garden articles which have been published all over the web.

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

In order to properly plan a bean garden, knowing the full cycle of bean plant growth can enable you to take full advantage of the volume of beans you get for the effort that you put in. All types of beans, ranging from the green bean to chickpeas, are a healthy addition to any diet. High in protein, the bean is one of the base parts in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as a great side dish for those with a liking for meat.

For those working a garden, the first stage of bean plant growth is the seed. High quality seeds have a much higher chance of the plant-taking root, which will result in a higher yield in your garden. While these seeds may be a bit more expensive, the increase of bean plant growth is worth the investment, especially if you intend on having a larger garden.

To maximize bean plant growth, planting should be done when the temperature drops no lower than 61 degrees F or 16 degrees C. If the temperature dips below this level, your plants may not take root, and may die.

Once your seeds are planted, the time it takes for the plant to reach the seedling stage ranges from three to approximately forty days, with the average being eleven days. A seedling is a very young plant that has just begun to break the surface of the soil. This phase of the bean plant growth cycle is important, as a healthy seedling will mature into a more robust plant. If your seedlings are dehydrated or over watered, your crops will suffer and the amount} of beans gathered later in the cycle will be smaller.

From the point that your plant has become a seedling, it takes an average of at least fifty days for your plant to produce pods and be ready for harvest. This means that there is likely only one grow cycle for these beans in a season. The sowing of beans should happen no earlier than March to ensure that your plants have had adequate time to mature during the season before fall frosts strike. Frost can seriously harm bean plant growth, and care should be taken to avoid this. In colder climates, this can be tricky, as the time required for bean plant growth is closely tied to when frosts end and begin.

The bean plant is an annual plant, which means that it can re-grow itself for at least three growing seasons. However, many gardeners will start from scratch, destroying the old bean crop and starting new each season.

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

There is no denying that eating fresh vegetables has many great health benefits. However, it can be inconvenient to run to the market every other day or store fresh vegetables in your refrigerator or pantry. A small garden would be a viable answer to this dilemma. Survey your yard and see if you have the space for a small garden. If so, it is fairly easy to start your first vegetable and soon you will have fresh, delicious vegetables to feed your family.

* Start small. Don’t attempt to make a huge garden with lots of different vegetables – at least not at first. Take it a few small steps at a time. A good beginner garden is 8 feet by 10 feet, no larger. If you decide that this endeavor is something that you can keep up, you can always expand your garden.

* Location is everything. Select a location that will receive a great deal of sun during the day. If you have a northern garden, then you should have full sun.

* Work up the earth. You need to work the soil to prepare it for the seeds and plants that you will put in your garden. You can rent or borrow a rear tine tiller and work the soil up, sod and all. Don’t remove the sod, you will need it to facilitate proper drainage.

* Know your soil. You want sandy loam as opposed to predominantly clay or sand. The way to test your soil to make sure it is good, sandy loam is to take a handful of the dirt and squeeze it. If it crumbles when you release it, then it is sandy loam.

* Test your soil. You may choose to have your soil tested to may sure that it has the proper pH levels. You may also want to have it tested for the three major nutrients which are nitrogen, potassium and potash.

* Add some topsoil. If you have sand or clay soil, you would benefit from adding some topsoil to even things out. Even compost can add the proper texture and consistency if topsoil is too expensive.

* You can also make a raised bed with topsoil. Use landscape timbers to accomplish this. Treated 2 X 12s are also effective for this. Stack about five high. A raised bed will be very easy and convenient because you can each it easier when you are planting and weeding.

* Plant! Once you have the bed of your garden set up, it is time to put some plants and seeds in it. Purchase seeds from stores or order them online or through catalogs. You can also pick up seedlings (baby plants) and plant them as well. Take some time to plan your garden, deciding where you will plant each vegetable.

* Watch your crops. Onions, peas, beets, zucchini squash and rutabaga are all easy to grow, as are tomatoes and peppers. Corn, squash and pumpkin can take up a lot of space so you may want to limit them or eliminate them altogether in your first garden.

Your first vegetable garden can be very rewarding, fun and even therapeutic. On top of that, you will be able to give your family the freshest possible vegetables.

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

August is the time to enjoy tasty homegrown vegetables and fruits, and take pleasure in the beauty of green plants, trees and flowering annuals. It’s also time to plan your fall and winter gardens.

Pick Your Summer Vegetables: Even with a modest garden, summer vegetables are in abundance and ripening continuously in August. You may have run out of recipes for all your zucchini and squash, but pick them regularly even if you don’t plan to use them immediately. This will stimulate new growth so that the plants continue to produce into fall.

Plant Your Fall and Winter Vegetables: Plant seeds or starter plants of fall and winter vegetables such as green onions, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, radishes and beets. The seeds and young plants will benefit from August’s warm soil. For seeds, the germination process greatly increases in warm soil, than in the cooler soil of fall and winter.

Plant Cool Season Annuals: You can also get a jump on your winter flower garden by planting seeds for cool season annuals. These annuals include calendula, delphiniums, pansies and snapdragon.

Garden Maintenance: To ensure your garden looks its best, set aside time each week to spruce up your garden by removing dead flowers from rose trees and other flowering plants. Keeping up on flower removal will help trees flower longer. Trim and shape fast growing trees and bushes. Pull weeds while they are small and before they have the opportunity to go to seed. If the seeds are allowed to germinate, you will be battling new weeds next year. Plus, weeds steal nutrients from plants and sometimes attract insects that can harm the garden.

Water Smart: Deep watering will help plant roots grow farther into the ground where there is more moisture than near the surface. A quick watering every few days is a waste of water as the water evaporates quickly before it can reach a plant’s roots. Make sure the soil is moist at least three to four inches below the surface.

Bill Camarillo is CEO of Agromin, an Oxnard, California-based manufacturer of premium soil products and the green materials recycler for communities throughout Southern California. Each month, Agromin receives and processes thousands of tons of urban wood and green waste. Agromin then uses a safe, organic and scientific system to formulate its soil products from the processed recycled green materials. http://www.agromin.com

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

As far as most gardeners are concerned, frost arrives too early in autumn and departs too late in spring. Most gardeners look for ways to start things growing outdoors in spring when the days turn warmer, even if temperatures dip below freezing at night. In autumn we try to find ways to keep things growing while the days are still warm, even as the nights become increasingly colder.

Here are 5 things you can do to extend your growing season in fall or spring:

1. Use so-called bell cloches. These are essentially any glass or plastic jar placed over an individual plant. It protects them from frost and if used properly during the day, can warm the air around the plant and the ground beneath it. Because the sun’s rays are magnified by the glass, it is very important to keep an eye on the daytime temperature. Cloches should be removed on sunny days when the air temperature warms up enough for condensation to form on the inside of the glass.
2. Cover an entire row of crops with floating row covers. Floating row covers are made from lightweight, non-woven fabric and they rest on top of the plants without crushing them. Secure the ends of the floating row covers to the ground with rocks or bury with soil. They offer a few degrees of protection against freezing temperatures.
3. Another type of row cover uses hoops that are placed over the row of vegetables with a protective covering placed over the hoops. You can use a fairly heavy fabric with this method because the hoops protect the plants from the weight of the cloth by holding it up above their tops. Secure the edges to the ground with rocks or bury with soil.
4. Another “cover up” method has been used by thrifty gardeners everywhere, particularly for covering tomatoes in the fall. Drape old linens over your plants and put rocks over the ends on the ground so the covers don’t blow off.
5. Use a cold frame. A cold frame is a bottomless box with a hinged glass top. You put it over your plants and unlike the other methods, you can leave it there day and night. If daytime temperatures get too warm, vent the box by opening the top but be sure to close it at night. Cold frames will keep many crops alive even if temperatures drop far below freezing. Cover the glass top with an insulating layer of blankets or hay for a few extra degrees of protection. Paint empty milk jugs black and fill them with water. Place several of them into the cold frame. During the day the sun will heat them up, then they will give off their heat at night, warming the interior of the cold frame.

Depending on the severity of your winter climate, you can keep many cold weather crops growing long past your first fall frost using some or all of these methods.

Copyright Sharon Sweeny, 2009. All rights reserved.

Sharon Sweeny is a creative copywriter, specializing in gardening and self-sufficient do-it-yourself lifestyles. She divides her free time among her garden in Minneapolis, alternately juggling half a dozen creative projects and blogging on gardening at http://moxiegardener.com while pondering the exact location of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.

Want to get the best writing for today’s Internet? Whatever niche or market you are in Sharon Sweeny will help get you noticed. Work with a professional who gets the job done right and on time with no excuses.

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

But have you ever wondered where your great-grandparents acquired the seeds for their gardens, before there were seed catalogs and fancy garden centers?

They saved seeds for the next year from their own gardens!

Saving seeds from your own flowers or vegetables is a wonderful way to fully experience the cycle of plant growth. It’s also much less expensive than buying seeds each spring, and seeds saved from your plants will be well suited to the peculiarities of your own garden’s growing conditions. Not only that, it’s also quite a simple process.

Save seeds only from vigorous, healthy plants. Some plant diseases may be harbored in the seed where it will then be passed on to the next generation of plants. So don’t save seeds from a plant that is obviously diseased or has struggled all season. Collect seeds from the plants that have the characteristics you desire, such as height, hardiness, early or late ripening, flavor or vigor.

It is not recommended to save seeds from hybrid plants. Hybrids are the result of crossing two genetically different parent plants, both of which have been severely inbred to concentrate the desirable characteristics. The first generation, referred to as an F1 hybrid, is superior to the parents. But succeeding generations of plants grown from seed saved from an F1 plant tend to randomly revert to the characteristics of the original inbred ancestor plants.

Plants that are not hybrids are referred to as open pollinated. Many seed catalogs will identify which of their seeds are hybrids or open pollinated. If you intend to save your own seed, always start with open pollinated seeds. Some of these may also be identified as heirloom seeds. These heirloom varieties have been passed down for generations, often saved within one family for many years before becoming available to the general public.

Cross pollination is another concern for the seed-saving gardener. Cross pollination often results in seeds which have a different genetic makeup than that of the parent plant. Pumpkins, squash and small gourds may cross pollinate with each other, resulting in seeds that will grow to produce rather picturesque fruit. Sweet corn will cross pollinate with field corn or popcorn, and your 6-inch marigolds will cross with your neighbor’s 18-inch pompon marigolds. However, crossing will only occur within a species. Cucumbers won’t cross with squash, and cosmos won’t cross with pansies.

To avoid cross pollination, keep two varieties of the same species separated by as much space as possible. Some species, such as corn, are wind-pollinated and the pollen can travel great distances. These plants must be pollinated by hand and kept isolated from other varieties of their species. This can be done with corn, for example, by tying a small paper bag over selected ears before the silk emerges, then once the silk has appeared it is hand pollinated with pollen from the same plant or its healthy neighbors.

Seeds should be collected on a dry, sunny day. Frost doesn’t hurt most seed as long as the seed remains dry. Vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes should be allowed to become slightly overripe before their seeds are collected. Flower seeds and vegetable seed such as lettuce should be collected after the seedheads have become dry, but don’t wait too long, as many will shatter, meaning they’ll be dropped from the seedpod or seedhead if they remain on the plant too long.

Cucumber, squash and tomato seeds need an additional step before they are ready for storage. First the seeds must be separated from the pulp, then dried. Scoop the seeds from these vegetables, pulp and all. Place the whole mess in a container of water and give it a good stir, then let it settle a bit. The pulp will rise to the top while the seeds will sink to the bottom. Carefully pour off the pulp, and repeat the process until most of the pulp has been poured off. Then strain out the seeds and set them on newspapers to dry.

Seeds should go into storage as dry as possible. Give all seed a post-harvest drying period of at least a week, just to be sure they’re dry. Spread them out on a paper plate or newspapers in a warm area out of the sun while they dry.

It’s very important to keep the seed dry during storage. Store your dry seeds in tightly sealed jars, metal film containers, or old vitamin bottles. To save space, smaller quantities of several varieties of seeds can be stored in separate envelopes inside a jar. A cool, but never freezing, garage, closed-off spare room or cool basement can all be good places for storing seeds. Or simply keep your sealed jars of seeds in the refrigerator. Temperatures between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal.Be sure to label your jars and envelopes so when spring comes around again you’ll know which flower seeds and vegetable seeds you’re planting, and include the date the seeds were collected. Some seeds will remain viable for several years, but most will grow best if planted right away the following spring.

Try saving some vegetable or flower seeds from your garden this year and grow them next season. This endless cycle can allow you to realize the endless joy of gardening through all the seasons and all the stages of a plant’s life.

This article was written by Kathy Anderson. Kathy has been an avid gardener for many years and has grown tomatoes by the acre, along with many other vegetables, flowers and landscape plants.  Kathy recommends www.freeplants.com as a great place to learn more about gardening.

Thank you for visiting NewGardener.com. Our goal is to provide you with helpful tips and information that will make your garden a great one. Whether you are a new gardener getting ready to start your first garden, or an veteran gardener starting a new garden and hoping to learn something new, we think gardening should be fun and personally rewarding.

If you have any comments or questions about NewGardener.com, I invite you to email me personally at grow@newgardener.com. And don’t forget — you can always follow us on Twitter.

Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor

Prepare the soil as described, adding a complete fertilizer or well rotted manure and bone meal or superphosphate. Plant the seed or set out young nursery plants. When the plants are a couple of inches tall, cover the ground immediately around the plants with a mulch to conserve moisture and stop weed growth. Feed leafy vegetables with a nitrogen fertilizer once or twice during the time it takes for them to reach full growth. 

If pests become a problem, go for control methods. Be sure that you never use an insecticide on vegetables that you plan to harvest within a week or so. Consult product labels for instructions on how long to wait between spraying and harvesting.

The edible leaves 
Under this heading are two very easy-to-grow and good- tasting vegetables (Swiss chard and leaf lettuce), and two others so challenging to grow (spinach and celery) that 99 out of 100 gardeners would rather buy them at the store.

Spinach
You can sow seeds from July to September so it can grow to maturity during fall, winter, and spring (depending on your climate). Long daylight hours of late spring and summer heat make it go to seed too fast. Spinach requires a rich soil that drains well. When seedlings get a good start, thin plants so the remaining ones are 4 inches apart. In summer, you can grow an unrelated (but similarly flavored) plant called New Zealand spinach.

Swiss chard
Ideal for any vegetable garden (even as your only crop), easy to grow, pretty, and it yields continually through the first summer without going to seed. Grow it in any sunny spot—among flowers or whatever. Young seedlings transplant easily. Space plants at least 12 inches apart. Rhubarb chard has red stems, attractive leaves, and is valued for floral arranging. Its taste is slightly sweet. Rhubarb chard may develop a fat root like its close relative the beet.Celery
Plant celery only if you’re looking for a horticultural challenge. It doesn’t tolerate very high or low temperatures, is a heavy user of water and nutrients, and needs sandy or silty soil. Can be planted in early spring in most regions. Seeds are slow to germinate, so it’s best to start them indoors 2 months ahead of planting time.

All the lettuces
The four kinds of lettuce include: 1) crisphead or heading; 2) butterhead; 3) a kind known variously as leaf, bunching, loose leafed, or loosehead; and 4) romaine. Crisphead is the trickiest to grow because to achieve a perfect shape requires a constant temperature of between 50 and 60 degrees. If it’s too hot, the central stalk elongates and loses quality. The other types of lettuce are easy to grow. Butterhead varieties are loosely folded with smooth yellow center leaves. Leaf lettuces are best for growing in a hot climate. Cut off leaves from outside the cluster as you need them. Plant rows of several different kinds of lettuce at intervals through the year to keep a continuous, varied supply coming on. Space leafy varieties 5 to 10 inches apart in the row, heading types 10 to 18 inches apart.  The cole crops
“Cole crops” is just another name for the cabbage family. A cole crop’s two worst enemies are hot days (which make them go to seed) and aphids. Where summers are cool and rainy, these crops do fairly well. And, if your winter is not too severe, you can plant in August, September, or October so the plants will mature (about 90 to 150 days) during the cool season, which is also the aphids’ off-season. Your best planting season locally for each of these crops is when the nurseries sell started plants. That, incidentally, is the best way for a beginning gardener to start any cole crop. Plant them in full sun. Water often; fertilize several times during growth period.

Brussels sprouts
Although many people tend to drop the final “s’ in pronouncing the first name of this vegetable, the correct term is Brussels sprouts (it was named after the capital of Belgium). As plants begin to grow, support the stems by mounding soil around them. When the big leaves begin to turn yellow, it’s time to start picking. Snap off the little sprouts from the bottom first—they’re best when slightly smaller than a golf ball. Leave the little immature sprouts on the stem to develop. Brussels sprouts continue to produce over a long period; a single plant will yield from 50 to 100 sprouts. 

Cauliflower
Of all the cole crops, cauliflower is the most difficult to grow successfully, but it is worth a try. It grows best in a cool, moist climate. Daily sprinkling is helpful, especially if a dry hot spell comes along. The curd (the white part that you eat) doesn’t form until towards the end of the growing season. When you see it, fold the outer leaves over the curd to protect it from the sun.

Cabbage
There are cabbage varieties that take 2 to 3 months to mature; these plants should be spaced 12 inches apart. Other varieties mature in 3 to 4 months and need to be spaced 18-inches apart. As plants grow, mound soil around stems to support the tops. Additional roots will grow from the covered stems. Pick cabbages when heads are round and firm. Try growing one cabbage in a small soy tub for a unique patio container plant.

Broccoli
This vegetable is very sensitive to heat, especially heat combined with good growing conditions. At first you might think it’s growing mightily (which it is), but too suddenly you find that the heat has forced it to flower—which means it’s too late for good eating. Pick broccoli while heads are tight. When heads start to spread, the skin on the stems will be thick and require peeling off. Pick off stems that you need from the base, leaving the less mature ones farther up the stem to develop.

Kale
Imaginative gardeners plant this vegetable in flower borders and in prominently displayed containers. Its pretty leaves (gray- green or blue-green) are curled and corrugated to the point that they look almost unreal. Cooked like spinach or shredded in salad, kale is delicious but strong in taste. Nurseries seldom sell started plants, so you’ll most likely have to buy the seed and sow it. Plants are easy to transplant. Kale can be grown into summer more easily than other cole crops; it doesn’t head and isn’t as inclined to go to seed in hot weather.

Kohlrabi
Like kale, kohlrabi must be grown from seed. The eating part is the swollen stem section above ground; it’s especially good sliced like a cucumber.  

The bulb crops
Bulb vegetables are easy to grow and they continue to grow for most of the year, constantly waiting to be harvested.

All the onions
Onions are especially easy to grow; they need only a fairly rich soil, and regular watering. Applications of fertilizer several times a year will make them grow faster. You can plant onion sets (baby onions from seed stores) all winter and up through April in mild climates; in harsh – winter climates, plant them in early spring. After three weeks, you can begin to pull them up, but they’ll be white, moist, and perishable at this stage. Seeds need about 5 months to mature; sets need 3 to 4 months. After tops die back, pull the onion bulbs out of the ground and let them cure on the surface for several days. The dry onions can be stored safely for considerable periods of time.

Garlic
Seed stores and some mail order seed houses sell “mother” bulbs for planting. They will look like garlic bulbs from the grocery, only firmer. Break them up into cloves and plant them with bases downward, 1 to 2 inches deep and 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. One or two dozen cloves will be plenty for an average crop. Culture is the same as for onions; harvest the same way as dry onions.

Leeks
An onion relative, a leek doesn’t form a bulb. Plant as seeds. As the plants grow, mound the soil around the fat, round stems to make the bottoms white, mild tasting.

Shallots
These mild, sweet onions are used in many gourmet recipes. They grow from sets like the dry onion. Plant in fall, placing each set 6 to 8 inches apart. Fertilize once or twice during the growing season. Dig up in spring. For white stems, ridge about 4 inches of soil up around the plants five weeks before harvest.

The vine crops
All vine crops originally came from the tropics and simply cannot stand a frost. Consequently, their growing season is limited to the time between the last frost and the first. In regions where there are only about four months between frosts, vine crop growers have to start early, often planting the seeds in paper cups or boxes a few weeks before the last frost date and then setting out the little seedlings when it’s safe. To grow well, all vine crops need nutrients. Before planting, add a shovelful of manure to the soil in each planting site. Then plant the seeds. Remove weeds as they appear; water often.

Squashes and pumpkins
Two basic types of squash are summer and winter squash. Summer squash (such as scallop or zucchini) takes only about two months to ripen from seed. Winter squashes have hard shells; they need three or four months to ripen, as do pumpkins, a close cousin to the squash family. Plant seeds in late spring, when weather is beginning to warm up. Give plants plenty of room to grow; water often. To avoid rot, make sure ripening fruit rests on dry ground.

Cucumbers
Owners of small gardens often have difficulty finding room for any of the vine crops because they need at least a 5 by 5- foot ground area. Because of their light weight, cucumbers adapt well to being trained up trellises, thereby saving space. Plant them 18 inches apart, train the center stem vertically up the trellis to the top, then pinch the top off and train the side branches sideways. Otherwise, grow in the same way as you would pumpkins, squash, and melons.

Melons
To ripen to full sweetness, melons need from 2 1/2 to 4 months of heat. They will tolerate foggy or cool summer days. You grow melons in the same way as other vine crops; however, they can’t develop the desired sweetness without the needed heat. Watermelons need more heat than other melons and more space than other vine crops (8 feet by 8 feet). Of all melons, cantaloupes are easiest to grow because they ripen the fastest.

The edible roots
The root crops listed here are not as closely related as you might think. Carrots and parsnips belong in the parsley family. Radishes and turnips are mustards. Salsify is one of the daisies or composites. Beets belong to the goosefoot family. Although different in most respects, all have certain requirements in common: Sow as early in spring as possible; they grow when it’s cool and, generally speaking, heat can reduce their quality. Manure blended into the soil before planting makes them grow well, as does a thin band of commercial fertilizer placed 2 inches out from the row. Seeds are often slow to germinate; give them continual moisture to make them sprout and grow vigorously.

Beets
Plant a 10-foot row in spring (or fall where winter is mild), mulch lightly so soil won’t crust, keep the bed moist, and in about 60 days it will yield 60 delicious, tender small beets (tenderest at 1½ to 2 inches in diameter). When foliage on plants reaches 5 inches high, begin pulling out excess so that by the time the remaining plants are 60 days old (harvest time) they will be 4 inches apart. The plants you removed (beets and tops) can be cooked and eaten.

Parsnips
These vegetables are related to the carrot, with culture quite similar, but growth much slower—four months from seed to harvest. In cold winter areas, it’s best to sow seed in late spring, let the plants grow through summer, harvest in fall, and leave the excess in the ground to be dug up as needed all winter. In milder climates, parsnips will rot if left in the ground; sow seed in fall and harvest in spring. You must have deep, loose soil for parsnips. In heavy soil, sow seed in holes or trenches filled with sand or with ¾ sand and 1/4 soil.

Radishes
You can harvest some kinds of radishes three weeks after you sow the seed. Speedy growth and relatively easy culture make this vegetable popular. They need continual moisture and some added nutrients to grow well. Supply the nutrients by blending rotted manure into the soil before planting or—about 10 days after planting—apply a fertilizer alongside the rows as for carrots, or feed with liquid fertilizer.

Carrots
Sow carrot seeds rather thickly (20 to 30 seeds per foot) because they germinate unevenly. Rocky or clay soil makes roots branch and grow crooked. Continual moisture and a non-crusted soil over the seed are needed to bring carrots up. When tops are 2 inches high, thin them out to leave 1 1/2 inches between each plant and, at the same time, apply a thin band of commercial fertilizer 2 inches out from the row.

Turnips and rutabagas
Even if you don’t like the taste of turnips, they are good to look at. Part of the fun of buying the vegetables is the choice of color and shape by variety. Colors are white, white topped with purple, and creamy yellow. Shapes are globular and flattened globular. Rutabaga is a tasty kind of turnip with large, yellowish roots. In cold winter areas, plant turnips or rutabagas in spring for early summer harvest or in July or August for fall harvest. In mild winter areas, grow as a winter crop by planting September through March.

Salsify
Salsify looks something like a parsnip and has a creamy white flesh that tastes a little like oysters. In fact, some people call it “oyster plant.” Culture is much the same as for parsnips: Plant in a rich, deep, sandy soil which has been deeply tilled or spaded up. It takes 150 days for salsify to grow to maturity. Cooked, mashed, and mixed with butter and beaten egg, salsify can be made into patties and sautéed until brown to make mock oysters.

The perennials
Perennial vegetables grow tall and come back year after year. Plant roots in late winter or early spring. Some nurseries grow plants in cans so they’re available all year.

Asparagus
Dig 12-inch trenches, work 6 inches of manure into the soil at the bottom and water thoroughly. Then wait two weeks before planting asparagus crowns. Set them 12 inches apart, gently spreading the roots apart. The crowns should be 6 inches below the top of the trench. Cover with 2 inches of soil; water well. As plants grow, add soil but never cover tips. Allow the plants to grow for a year before cutting off the spears.

Rhubarb
This vegetable is best planted in cooler sections, but you can grow it almost anywhere. Give it some shade in hot inland gardens. Plant at least 3 or 4 plants. Space the roots of each plant 2 to 4 feet apart, setting the bud top 4 inches deep. Water slowly and deeply. Let the plants grow through two seasons before harvesting. Be sure never to eat the leaves—they’re poisonous.

Artichokes
Artichokes like cool weather, but can’t take cold winters (they do best in the coastal belt of central California ). Divide plants in early spring and plant with the base of new leafy shoots just above ground. Plants mature in about 18 months.

The potatoes 
White (or Irish) potatoes are commonly grown in average- sized gardens, but sweet potatoes take up too much space for most gardens.

Yams and sweets
These vegetables are tropical and extremely tender. For summer growth in hot climates, they require rich and sandy soil and large growing spaces. Cut off and plant rooted shoots that grow from temporarily-planted tubers.

White potatoes
It takes a sandy, well-drained soil to grow white potatoes successfully. The subsoil should hold moisture well. Plant early in spring or in midwinter. Buy certified seed (they’re perfect specimens) at a seed store and cut into chunky pieces (1” inches square). Place the chunks (with eye facing up) 4 inches deep and 18 inches apart. Dig up early or new potatoes when tops begin to flower. Dig up mature potatoes after the tops die back.

The lone cereal
As you might expect for a vegetable in the same family as bamboo and lawn grass, sweet corn has to be cared for in special ways if you are going to get a good crop. It must be planted after the soil has warmed and frosts are past. It must be planted in a series of parallel rows so that wind can distribute pollen effectively— otherwise few or no kernels form in the ears. It needs lots of water after growth starts, and especially at tasseling and after silking stages. It thrives on heat. After ears form, the kernels can go from the watery- kernel stage (immature) to the milky stage (just right) to the tough stage (too starchy to be good) in just a day. But if the weather is cool at ripening time, this progression may take a week. The sugar in picked corn changes to starch very fast, faster than field-to-market shipment, so there’s nothing like the taste of sweet corn picked fresh and cooked immediately.

The solanaceous fruits
The solanaceous vegetables (or fruiting vegetables) have these traits in common: All are tender annuals and are widely sold as nursery plants in flats or pots at the right time for local planting. (You can also sow seed in flats about 6 weeks before the outdoor planting season.) Once these vegetables begin to produce fruits, they will continue to do so until frosts hit them.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are sometimes thought of as hard to grow—that a perfect climate is necessary to make them ripen, and that the work involved keeping them staked and protected from pests and bugs is much too hard. The fact is that the amateur gardener who is willing to follow a few simple rules can grow tomatoes with little if any trouble.Whether you buy seedlings from the nursery or plant seeds indoors following packet instructions, the ideal size for setting out plants is 2 to 3 inches tall. A dozen plants should supply enough tomatoes for any medium-sized family. Three to six plants may well be plenty. Plant seedlings at least 3 feet apart; dig holes deep enough to take all of the stems below the first leaves or branches—roots will form there. The wire cylinder is particularly efficient, but you can use stakes or a flat rectangular support. Tomatoes left on the ground may rot before they ripen.After the plants are settled, make a watering basin about a foot in diameter, enlarging it as the plant grows larger. Work a teaspoon of commercial fertilizer into the soil inside the basin. Water thoroughly. If cutworms are a local problem, put out bait immediately. Cultivate to keep weeds out but don’t hoe too deep— roots are shallow. Feed according to fertilizer’s label directions when immature fruits appear or after harvest. How to grow healthy tomatoes
Plant tomatoes deeply (you can bury half the stem).
Space plants that will be staked 12 to 18 inches apart. Use wire and stakes for support and to prevent tomato plants from rotting on the damp ground.

Eggplant
This vegetable is slow and balky ,o grow from seed so you’d be wise to buy nursery plants. Set out plants at the same depth they grew in the flats (not deeper as with tomatoes). Shade young eggplants from sun for a week or so after planting.

Peppers
Pretty leaves, white flowers, and shining green or red peppers on 2 to 2 1/2-foot plants make this vegetable very decorative. Plant in a sunny spot as you would a big annual or small shrub.

The legumes
Peas and beans are related in the botanical sense but have little else in common. Peas are a cool weather crop; beans require heat. Plant beans in late spring to mid-summer; plant peas in fall, winter, or early spring.

Peas and Chinese or snow peas
Plant in water-retentive but fast-draining soil. Add a little fertilizer when the plants are about 9 inches high. The edible pod or snow peas (commonly served in Chinese restaurants) are not stocked by most supermarkets. (They do not do well in warm-winter areas.)

Beans
This vegetable seed may not sprout if soil is too cold or too dense. Plant only when warm weather comes (April in many regions). Add amendments to heavy sail to make it workable. Pole beans, the kind you start twining up stakes or strings, mature 10 days to 2 weeks more slowly than bush beans, but yield more.

Burpee Big Boy Tomato – $ 9.95 The Tomato Burpee Big Boy, ‘Lycopersicon lycopersicum’, is a very vigerous plant with heavy foliage that produces large fruit. The Burpee Big Boy is a long time best seller with firm, smooth, red fruit, great flavor, and excellent quality. It is popular for plant or fruit sales at roadside markets and in garden centers. Burpee Boy was introduced 1949. It’s incredible productivity and gorgeous, perfect, large scarlet fruit made it an instant hit. Tomatoes need at least 1 inch of water a week. They need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.

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Thanks!
Tim Lundie, Editor