Home Gardening / Home Vegetable Gardening - General Rules Of Thumb And Special Veggie Gardening Tips

Home Vegetable Gardening - General Rules Of Thumb And Special Veggie Gardening Tips

Which Garden Vegetables To Plant And Why

When contemplating what and why, where and when to plant, there are THREE classes of fruit and veggies to consider. They are:
Root crops (carrots, potatoes, beets)
Leaf-type veggies (lettuce, cabbage, spinach)
Fruits and Berries (tomatoes, melons)

There are different considerations for each of these. We will look briefly at some characteristics and requirements of/for each:

General planting tips for root vegetables would include:

Typically these seeds are best sown in April
12-18” apart from one another
Rich and fine soil is a requirement for optimal growing environments
Hand-weeding is quite common and these patches of your vegetable garden will need cleaning and frequent cultivation
Some will recommend a top dressing of nitrate of soda
Light soil, started under glass and inside, early will give them a better fighting chance.
For later crops sow beets and carrots for example in June
Leeks are best started in seedbed, indoors, in April. For when moving or transplanting outside, cardboard collars may be used for support
Onions are best sowed directly into the soil, not started in flat trays.
Parsnips want deep, rich soil and are typically slow germinators and do best in a fine seedbed.
Potatoes are best planted in early March in sandy, well-drained soil
Radishes and turnips are robust and need rich, good soil, but are typically good and easy growers too.

General planting tips for leaf-type vegetables:

Characterized by stalks or flower-heads mostly
Rapid growth, sown directly into a flat, started indoors, and later transplanted, they are good growers, from garden to table with ease.
They need lots of nitrogen permanent positions. Manure is considered good soil feed for all cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and sprouts.
Hilling them up, helps to protect, hand weeding required.
Dangers and enemies of these plants will include the flea beetle, cabbageworm, cabbage-maggot (root) and “club-root”. Reading up on how best to battle these critters and infestations are recommended.
Asparagus is easy to grow and experiment with in early spring with best-draining, lift soil required for optimal growing environment.
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are all easily grown at home, started from seed, inside do very well.
Lettuce and celery are planted level, well-drained soil, kept moist. Seeds are sown and started indoors late February, early May and transplanting should be done with the utmost care. Cutting back the roots and thinning may be required too.
Mushrooms, parsley and spinach are other popular starters for young and novice gardeners that grow easily.

General planting tips for fruit-type ‘vegetables’:

Soil should not be too rich and warm weather, sun exposure makes them do better.
Wait until all risk of frost has passed before considering planting Peas and early beans can be done earlier
They need lots of room to spread out and distances between plants should be ample.
Light and fine sandy soil required with some organic-naturally manure worked into the surrounding soil, close to roots, make a great combination recipe for results and success.
Hills and slopes enable their growth and ensure good crop yield
Insects are notorious for these, start working on your strategy early. Some examples of the dangers and infestations are:
striped beetle
the borer
the flat, black “stink-bug”

As becomes clear pretty quickly, paying special care to the types, planting and care of the particular sub-class and type of veggies/fruits that you are planting can make all the difference in the world.

Increase your odds of good crop yield and a thriving garden, by studying their nature, needs, dangers, enemies and maintenance closely and you will have lots to teach and pass on from season to season and to others venturing down this path as well.
Planning and preparation, careful planting, feeding and cultivating all work together to get your garden in tip-top shape, rewarding your with crops that exceed your expectations.

When To Pick And What To Do With Vegetables From Your Garden

For many a backyard garden there are lots of surplus vegetables and fruits that can result, especially if you have a good season and crop yields that exceed your expectation.

Knowing when to pick , pack, store and preserve them can go a long way in keeping the bounty giving way into the winter months!
A cooler-room in the basement can help you store vegetables as well. For rot/waste composting or burying it in the ground are alos viable options. Feeding the soil and replenishing lost nutrients are always good practises.

Ensure that it is in a spot where there is suffiecient drainage. Pick the size, shape, depth and widthcover with straw, mulch, b est done in the fall-season as things start winding down in the vegetable garden outside.

Secrets and Tips for storing vegetables:

Ensure that the space is clean and dry
Fruits/vegetables must not be bruised or damaged, with no visible signs of rot or decay – also watch for mold or sprouting
Temperature should be regulated, even and steady (33-38 degrees) with no fluctuations
Ventilation and smell-control (lime or whitewash) ensured
No rodents or other pests

Here are some more great suggestions, past jams, jellies, pickling and freezing:

Canning or preserving are also always viable options to consider to make your produce and crop last way into the winter.
Dried beans are excellent in soups and stews place, dry and/or shell them
Beets can be buried and stored in dry sand indoors
Best frozen, Brussels sproutscan easily last until around December. Store onions in barrels, dry and ventilated space best
Parsley can be kept in a flower or window-sill planter in a sunny window
Parsnips can be left in the ground. Potatoes are typcially stored in a cool, dry cellar when taken out.Light will make them bitter. Tomatoes – place on window sill to ripen.

Other gardening priorities in the ‘quiet seasons’

Weeding should remain a priority for the vegetable gardner well into the fall and winter. Weeds and seeds all continue their lifecycles, so do not make your spring even harder on yourself!

Keep your garden clean and neat at all times, to avoid making more and unneccessary work for yourself.

Composting can be a great way to feed your garden. Cover and feed your soil before ‘putting it to bed for the season’ so to speak.

Pack away all garden tools, remove and cover stakes, store in dry placee. Burn all weeds (ensure a permit is not required and if so, get one prior to lighting up!)

Winter is a time for reflection and staring the cycle all over again. Learn from mistakes and successes and implement these in your plans for the following season!

Fruits and Other Berries in Your Backyard

Think of the various pleasures and tastes that small fruits and berries have to offer and bring to you. They do not take up a lot of room in the garden and can form part of your repertoire for yourself, family and friends to partake, admire and enjoy!

Cultivation is still extremely important, as it soil feeding, preparation and all other steps associated and discussed to this point for vegetables.

Getting them started is often the biggest challenge and no expertise or specialist gardening knowledge or skills are required to grow berries and fruits.

You might have varying success with these, at first, but these days, you can buy from the field plants that are up to 2 yrs old and settled and established pretty well to increase your odds of success.

How deep, where and the care of the plants seem to take precedence and concern for most gardeners contemplating these as part of their plantings and offerings.

Two requirements for fruit and berries are rich soil that drains well. Potash, ,fertilizer or manure can be used to feed the plants.

Transplanting them and ensuring good root depth and securing them properly are all key to their optimal growth. Some sunny exposure is recommended.

There are TWO basic ways to plant strawberries for example if you are setting out with something easier in this category.

(i) They can be planted directly in the soil, allowed to root
(ii0 They can also be planted in containers or layered in pots

When the risk of frost has passed, early spring plantings are best and most successful. A well –prepared planting or transplanting environment is essential.
Most gardeners will tell you that there are THREE possible ways to get the most from fruit and berry planting

hilly slope location in single rows or beddings with 3-4 rows (1-2 ft apart, with every plant kept separately

matted row with plants placed in single rows, runners set in the bed about 1 ft apart.

A pot-layering system where a good annual crop is almost secured and guaranteed with this method. Therefore, it is very popular indeed. Some plants are selected to be ‘runners’ . in-between the space occupied by these berries and fruits can be utilized by some other veggies, like lettuce for example.

Tips for growing berries successfully

Keep it clean and weed free
Cut off all runner and allow the core to grow strong and deliver the best.
Air and cultivate often
Winter-mulching is recommended
Dangers include white-grub, cut-worm and rust
Pay attention to the leaves as the first telltale signs will often be visible here.

There are lots of types to choose from to plant when you want to experiment with strawberries specifically. Here are some examples of varietals available in the market today:
Early Season : Michel’s Early, Haverland, Climax;
Mid-season: Bubach No. 5, Brandywine, Marshall, Nic. Ohmer, Wm. Belt, Glen Mary, Sharplesss;
Late Season: Gandy, Sample, Lester Lovett.

For most of the other berry varietals, including blackberry, dewberry and raspberry, the processes and care are pretty much the same.

Here are some growing tips for fruits and berries that can make all the difference for your crop of backyard fruits:

Well-tilled soil, rich and cultivated is a pre-requisite.
Early spring planting is best.
Plant and set the plants 3 to 6 feet apart
Secure and plant firmly in the soil, so roots can take
Clean and weed frequently
soil mulch and water retention is very important to give the plants a fighting chance, keeping the roots cool and the plants fed and hydrated essential for optimal growth
Cultivation should give plants a great start.
Stakes can be used as support (also canes and string wire)
Pruning has a role to play to optimize the yield and crop from season to season. (You will be well served to read up a little more about this topic)
Winter protection and minimized exposure is very important in colder areas
Mulch can and must be removed in/by early spring.

Blackberries

Staking and pruning are the most important aspects involved in successfully growing and cultivating this fruit.
Good clearances between these plants are essential to allow room to grow.
Supports can be used to establish them early on.
A little dry-type soil is considered ideal for this fruit
Pruned back to about four feet in the spring will yield better crops

There are a couple of dangers/things to watch out for when growing blackberries (again looking at the leaves and condition of the plant, for telltale signs and signals of problems):

(i)rust or blight
(ii)the bush borer
(iii)bramble flea-louse

NOTE: In all these infestations getting rid of the plants and actually burning them is the only way to get rid of it effectively and not put the rest of your garden or plants at risk.

TYPES OF BLACKBERRIES

Here are some of the examples of early season blackberries that are quite popular for backyard gardeners: Early King, Early Harvest, Wilson Junior, Kittatinny, Rathburn, Snyder, Erie varietals. Even dewberries (a special kid of blackberry).

Raspberries

There are both black and red types available of this delicious fruit. Staking, supporting and pruning, cultivating and regular watering are all considered essential for their best care.
Adequate spacing when planting them is required to encourage spread and growth. Clay-type soils do best for these fruits/berries.

Care should be taken against pests and infestations, like:

(i)orange rust
(ii)cutworm; and
(iii)borer beetle

NOTE: In all these infestations getting rid of the plants and actually burning them is the only way to get rid of it effectively and not put the rest of your garden or plants at risk.

TYPES OF RASPBERRIES

Black-type varietals: Gregg, McCormick, Munger, Cumberland, Columbian, Palmer (very early), and Eureka (late)
Red-type varietals: Cuthbert, Cardinal (new), Turner, Reliance, The King (extra early), Loudon (late)
Yellow-type varietals: Golden Queen

Fruits Of The Vine: Grapes

They are typically very easy to grow in rich soil.
Ensuring proper drainage is important
Supports and pruning again are paramount for bearing large crops of fruit.
1-2 year old plants will typically fare a little better.
Early spring planting is recommended
Firm planting and rooting is essential
Training or climbing the vines until they reach maturity can affect the yield as well. number of bunches it can properly mature

Grapes take time, patience and persistence to perfect over time. Reading and experimenting are great ways to hone your skills with this precious fruit.

There are various ways to support the grape vines and enable climbing, trellises, arbors, walls—almost anything may be used.

Problems and infestations might include black rot , which again will have you eliminating the whole plant to get rid of it effectively.

For novices and seasoned veterans, the pleasure and treasure of having ‘fruits’ (pardon the pun) of their labor, thriving and to be enjoyed, outweighs the input and efforts to get it off the ground.

Currently Online :

7 member(s), 19 guest(s):
CherryBerry, cherryred, Dex, Discodancer, Snowflake, Splishsplash, thruthelookingglass, Crawler, Google, MSN.com, Cobion.com, Slurp, Speedy Spider

Search :

No comments yet

© Copyright Which Garden Vegetables To Plant And WhyWhen contemplating what and why, where and when to plant, there are THREE classes of fruit and veggies to consider. They are: Root crops (carrots, potatoes, bee | Contact Us | Terms Of Service | Privacy Policy

Categories: Growing Flowers for a Profit Gardening Made Easy Fountains Garden Furniture Woodworking Lawn Greenhouse Hydroponics Landscaping For Wildlife Barbecues Wind Chimes Natural Fertilizer Canopy Fountains Fruit Trees How To Build A Fence Bonsai Worm Farming Mosquitos Horticulture Garden Furniture Barbecue Butterflies Insecticide Flowers Water Gardening Vegetable Gardening Gardening Tips Gardening Supplies Rose Gardening Organic Gardening Landscape Gardening Indoor Gardening Home Gardening Gardening Information Flower Gardening Container Gardening Gardening Tools

Latest Gardening Forum Topics:

Home Vegetable Gardening - General Rules Of Thumb And Special Veggie Gardening Tips

Sponsored Ads:

Related Articles:

Also In This Category:

Currently Online :

Search :