what to plant now and how to grow it
TRANSCRIPT
What to Plant Now and How to Grow It
Impatient Gardener Series, March 3rd
Amanda SearsHorticulture Agent
Madison County Cooperative Extension Office
Today’s Topics
• Gardening in three seasons• Spring
• Tips for growing
• Updated Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky Guide
Crop Rotation
PumpkinsSquash
WatermelonsCucumbers
Cantaloupes
ChivesGarlicLeeks
OnionsShallots
PotatoesTomatoesEggplantTobacco
CabbageCauliflower
KaleBroccoliTurnips
PeasBroad beansSnap beansLima beans
Cool Season vs Warm Season
• Cool Season• Grow in cooler temperatures 60
to 65F• Tolerate light frosts• Ideal for spring and fall• Kale, spinach, broccoli
• Warm Season• After threat of frost (~May 10th)• Warm soils and air temperature• Summer• Tomatoes, peppers, corn
Vegetable Earliest Planting Date
Beets March 15
Broccoli (plants) April 5
Brussel sprouts April 5
Cabbage March 25
Carrots March 20
Cauliflower (plants) April 5
Collards March 10
Kale March 20
Lettuce March 25
Onion sets March 10
Peas March 1
Potatoes March 15
Radishes March 10
Spinach March 1
Turnip March 10
Do I need to plant seeds or transplants?
• Some plants take so long to mature it makes sense to start them earlier and then plant in the garden when the time is right• What is a transplant?
• Just a fancy name for a “baby” plant
• Many plants can be started successfully from seed
Hardening Off (if you started your own plants)
• Two weeks prior to transplanting:• Reduce the amount of water
• Slowly acclimate them to direct sunlight and outside conditions
Transplant to Outside
• Give good soaking prior to setting out
• Weather• Calm winds
• Overcast
• Spacing and Depth
• Plant at correct time
Soil Bed Prep
• Remove any existing plants such as turf and weeds
• Work down 6-10 inches deep
• Add organic matter
• Rake surface until it is smooth and free of large clumps
• Do not work in wet soil, can cause compaction
Organic Matter
• Soil organic matter (OM) is made up of living, dead, and decomposing plants, small animals, and microorganisms.
• 1 to 2 inches before planting and work into top 6 to 8 inches, can use as side dressing• Slow release fertilize
• Loosens and improves drainage
• Adds nitrogen and other nutrients as it decays
• Sources:• Aged manure• Composted leaves
Mulch
• Lawn clippings, sawdust, newspaper, straw, compost
• Prevents• Soil from drying out
• Disease problems
• Weeds
• Prevent weeds from going to seed
Pests
Insects• Only 10% of insects are pests!
• Hand pick• Put in soapy water
• Squish
• Careful if using broad spectrum pesticides
Diseases• Cultural
• Good soil drainage
• Proper soil pH
• Rotation
Check garden often, before small problems explode into something huge.
Tips for Growing the Plants in the Spring Garden
Beets and Radishes
• Successive planting
• Do not plant too closely together
• Radishes become woody in hot weather
Carrots
• Grows best in porous soils, try a raised bed
• Seed is slow to germinate, often mixed with radish seeds• Radishes mark the row and
help break the soil crust for the carrots
Turnips
• Some varieties grown for greens, some for root
• Seed is often broadcast seeded and then thinned
• Large turnips become woody
Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cabbage
• Closely related
• A few insects may be a problem
• Because most pests of these plants are the larva of butterflies and moths, you can use Bt
Broccoli
• The top part of broccoli is a mass of flower buds. We just pick them before they open.
• There will be a central “head” with side “heads”
Cauliflower
• The elusive white curd!• Must blanch at first
sign of head
• Curds will mature 1 -2 weeks after tying• Heads will be 6-9
inches in diameter
Potatoes
• Potato seeds are pieces of potatoes that have been cut up
• Each piece has a bud, also called an eye
• Plant • 4 or 5” deep at least a foot apart
• Hill
Potatoes
• New potatoes vs. mature• New ready when plant
flowers appear
• Matured two weeks after vines die or after being nipped by frost
Leafy Vegetables
• Usually planted by seed• Thinning• Can use transplants
• Plant successively for longer harvest
• Cut when suitable size• Varies according to variety,
some must form head
• Harvest when dry
• Plants will turn bitter in hot weather• bolting
Bolting
Peas
• Plant as soon as ground is workable• Will tolerate light freezes
• Succession planting
• Eaten in pod or shelled• Harvest when pods have filled
• Some varieties will need a trellis
Onions
• Sold in “sets” which are small bulbs
• Green onions• Tops should be 6” tall
• Bulb onions• Harvest when 2/3 of tops have
fallen over
Sources
• Soil Organic Matter, Cornell
• http://franklin.cce.cornell.edu/resources/soil-organic-matter-fact-sheet\
• Composting Made Easy, Cornell
• http://rocklandcce.org/resources/composting-made-easy
• Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky
• http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf
Sources
• Cool Season Vegetable Crops, University of Arkansas
• https://www.uaex.edu/counties/miller/Cool%20Season%20Vegetable%20crops.pdf
• Vegetable Gardening Guide, University of Illinois
• https://web.extension.illinois.edu/vegguide/default.cfm
• Center Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky
• https://www.uky.edu/ccd/
