Vegetable Garden
A kitchen gardencan be a definite asset to any family that hasland available and an interest in working withplants. With proper planning it can be a verysatisfying addition to the home plantings. It can provide recreation and a relaxing change fromthe normal work-a-day responsibilities. Thereis a definite satisfaction in the growing andharvesting of garden-fresh produce plus theadditional value that fresh vegetables have inthe diet as sources of essential minerals andvitamins. This garden can also be of realeconomic value in helping to reduce the familyfood bill at the retail food store.
The size of the garden will depend on manyfactors but basically it should not require moretime in its care than can readily be given by themembers of the family. Its operation should bean enjoyable pastime and not a menial task.
A garden of -coat sq. ft. which is well plannedand cared for should supply an adequate supplyof a variety of fresh vegetables for an averagefamily, and perhaps leave a surplus for the homefreezer.
Planning the Garden
Otis very desirable to make a definite plan ofthe garden on a piece of paper well in advanceof the growing season. Such a plan should listthe crops to be grOwn, where each should belocated, their spacing and the dates of seedingor the setting of plants. This information willprovide an orderly basis for the various opera-tions during the entire year and an accuratecheck listing of the various materials, supplies,and tools that will be needed such as seeds,plants, fertilizers, spray and dust materials, etc.In planning the garden there are several basicconsiderations. The amount of daily or weeklytime that can readily be allotted to the care ofthe garden. The likes and dislikes of the familyneed to be checked it selecting the kinds andvarieties of vegetables. The type and conditionof the soil will not only modify the kind ofvegetable that will flourish, but also modify the. time needed for good gardening care. Climaticconditions and length of frost-free growingperiods must also be considered in selecting thecrops to be grown.
The small plot (15.-3000 sq. ft.) shouldcontain only a few kinds to be used as fresh orgreen vegetables such as tomatoes, snap beans,carrots, Cabbage, Chard, Spinach, Radish andLettuce. These normally provide the greatervalue and yield in food units for the time andcare necessary in their production. In largergardens it may be desirable to include sweetcorn, peppers, peat, cucumbers, squash, turnips,parsnips and even a few hills of Asparagus andRhubarb. On a basis of yield per sq. ft. andcost, it is questionable to include winter squashand potatoes in the average home garden.In planning the cropping program, plantsmall amounts at frequent intervals in orderthat the supply of well-matured produce will beenough for immediate needs. For example, 4 or5 plantings of 15 ft. of beans is preferable toplanting too ft. at one tirne. A spread inmaturity will provide better eating and lessspoilage.
The proper arrangement of crops requiresgood judgment and consideration of the numberof days to maturity and spacing needed topermit sufficient room for the full developmentof each plant.
Making the rows run according to the con, pass is of questionable importance in the aver-age garden. In general planning, the followingpoints should be given consideration:
1.Perennial crops such as Rhubarb andAsparagus that will remain in t place forseveral years should be planted at one end orone side of the garden, so that they will notinterfere with plowing and cultivation.
2.Tall crops and those that spread out suchas sweet corn, pole beans, staked tomatoes,cucumbers and squash should be plantedtoward one side of the garden.
3.Many quick-growing crops such as Radish,Lettuce and Spinach can be planted betweenrows of slower-growing crops such as Celery,tornatoes, or even sweet corn. This is known ascompanion cropping.
4.As soon as each crop is harvested theplan should indicate another crop that can beplanted and matured before the end of thegrowing season. Early Lettuce may be followedby beans, Spinach by Celery, peas by lateCabbage. This is known as successive cropping.
Quantity of” Seed and Number of Plants
Check the Table which lists the quantity ofseed or the number of plants required for too-ft.row, average planting distances, days to matur-ity and hardiness for the various crops as aguide in the development of a plan of operation The garden plan should also include a generalwork program, noting for each month the basicthings that need to be done. This will serve as acheck in having seeds, plants, supplies andmaterials available prior to the time that theywill actually be needed.
Suggested Varieties of Vegetables
With many kinds of vegetables there are anumber of very excellent varieties which mayvary in days to maturity, resistance to disease,size of plant, fruit or pod and even color as wellas eating quality. The selection of the rightvariety for a particular purpose means athorough and careful study of at least severalcatalogues of reputable seed companies. It mayalso be advisable to check with the extensionservice of the gate university for a listing ofrecommended varieties.
During the past decade ma, of the old, so-called standard varieties have been replacedby hybrids in an effort to provide more vigorousgrowth, higher yields and better quality. This
is particularly true with sweet corn, tomatoesand cucumbers.
The following listing is simply a suggestedguide of some of the more common kinds andvarieties of vegetables:
Asparagus—Mary Washington
Beans—Green Bush, Tendercrop, Tendergreen,Contender, Harvester
Wax Bush, Surecrop, Pencil Pod Wax,Cherokee, Pole. Kentucky Wonder types,Blue Lake, Romano
Bush Lima—Fordhook 242, Henderson Bush(small seeded)
Pole Lima‚ÄîKing of the Garden, Burpee’sBest, Sieva or Carolina
Shell—French Horticultural
Beets—Crosby or Wonder types, Detroit DarkRed, Half Long Blood
Broccoli—Green Sprouting, De Cicco, Cala-brese, Green Comet Hybrid
Brussels Sprouts—Catskill, Jade
Cabbage, Green—Jersey Wakefield, GoldenAcre, Copenhagen, Danish Ballhead type
Red—Red Acre
Savoy—Chieftan
Chinese Cabbage—MichikliCarrots—Chantenay, Gold Pak, Long Imper-ator, Nantes Half LongCauliflower—Snowball types
Celery—Golden Self Blanching, Pascal, UtahCucumber Pickling—National Pickling, OhioMR 17
Slicing—Marketmorc 7o, Burpee HybridEggplant—Black Beauty, Black Magic HybridEndive—Green Curled, Broad Leaved BatavianKale—Blue Curled, Siberian
Kohlrabi—Early Purple Vienna, Early WhiteVienna
Lettuce Crisphead—Pennlake, Great LakesButterhead—Bibb, White Boston
Loose Leaf—Salad Bowl, Slobolt, GrandRapids
Cos—White Paris
Leek—American Flag
Mustard—Green Wave, Giant CurledMuskmelon—Cantaloupe—Hearts of Gold,Hales, Maineyrock HybridStandard—Delicious, Harper HybridWinter—Honey Dew, CranshawOkra—Perkins Mammoth Long Green, EarlyDwarf
Onions, Bunching—Japanese Green, LongWhite
Mature Bulbs—Ebenezer (sets) Yellow andRed Globe types, Bermuda types, SweetSpanish types, White Portugal (pickling)Parsnip—Hollow Crown, Guernsey, ModelPeas, Dwarf—Little Marvel, Laxtonian, Pro-gress
Tall—Freezonian, Alderman, Imp. TelephoneEdible Pod—Mammoth Melting SugarPeppers, Mild—California Wonder, WorldBeauty, Ruby King, Pimiento; Hot—Hun-garian Wax, Long Red CayennePumpkin—Small Sugar, Mammoth, Cushaw,Winter Luxury
Radish—Scarlet Globe, Cherry Belk, WhiteIcicle, White Chinese (winter type)Rhubarb—McDonald, VictoriaRutabaga—American Purple TopSpinach—Dark Green Bloomsdale, AmericanSavoy, Nobel, New Zealand
Squash, Summer—Early Prolific Straightneck,Caserta, Zucchini, Bush Scallop
Fall and Winter—Table Queen, Buttercup,Butternut, Blue Hubbard
Sweet Corn—Each seed company lists manyvarieties, therefore it is difficult to suggestvarieties available in all sections such as NorthStar, Sugar and Gold, Butter and Sugar,Golden Cross Bantam, Jubilee, lochief, andthe standard variety Golden Bantam
Swiss Chard—Fordhook Giant, Rhubarb
Tomatoes—Early Hybrid, Marglobe, Valiant,Morton Hybrid, Rutgers, Big Boy, Super-sonic, Ponderosa (pink), Jubilee (orange),San Marzano (Italian)
Turnip—Purple Top White Globe, EarlySnowball
Watermelon—Kleakley Sweet, Klondike, NewHampshire Midget
Soil Preparation
It is seldom that the land available for thekitchen garden is entirely satisfactory foroptimum plant growth. It may be of a “fill”type with only a shallow coating of good loam,a heavy day with poor drainage, a very light,sandy soil having excessive drainage, or carry aheavy sod made up largely of quack grass andweeds. Each of these conditions will need adifferent treatment in developing a basic soil ofa proper acidity, fertility and water holdingcapacity.
The preparation of the soil is an importantand sometimes difficult job. No amount of carewill result in a satisfactory crop in a so-calledpoor soil. The ultimate aim in building a goodsoil base is one having a high fertility, testslightly acid, contain a good supply of organicmatter, be well drained and, of course, freefrom weeds. Proper root development for mostvegetable crops will require a good loam topsoilof at least 8 to to in.
Heavy soils such as those containing a highpercentage of clay can be improved by theaddition of humus-forming materials such asanimal manures, peat, compost or, in largegardens where conditions permit, the use ofcover crops and green manures. The samematerials will improve the texture and water-holding capacity of the lighter sandy-type soils.All organic materials should be applied beforespading or plowing the garden so that they maybe thoroughly incorporated into the top 6 to 8in. of soil.
Proper soil preparation prior to planting willhelp to keep it mellow during the entire growingseason, make more food available, improve airdrainage and promote a deeper rooting ofplants. A small garden of say 25 ft. x 5o ft. isusually spaded by hand and that smoothedwith a stout iron rake. In large plots plowingand harrowing by machine is a distinct laborsaver. A rototiller will do a very excellent job.These machines are for hit., by many gardensupply stores, landscape gardeners and nursery-men.
In plowing or spading turn the soil over to adepth of at least 6 in., but care should be thatnot to dig up more than an inch of subsoil inany one year.
Soil Fertility
Animal manures are preferred when availablebecause they supply both humus and plantfood. Their value will vary depending on amountof litter, age and exposure to the air. Fresh cowor horse manure will vary with the rate ofapplication from 20-50 bu. per l000 sq. ft.,depending on the general type and fertility ofthe soil. The same rates hold for dry cow orsheep manure. Poultry manure, because of itshigher fertility value, should not be used inquantities of more than to to 20 bu. per too()sq. ft.
Peat of any kind can be used to build up theorganic content of the soil. These materialscontain little plant food and tend to be acid and,therefore, limestone should be applied at therate of to lb. per cu. yd. or 5 lb. per bale beforethe peat is worked into the soil.
Compost made from leaves, grass clippings orgarden refuse will make very desirable artificialmanure and an excellent source of humus. Ingeneral, it is advisable to apply 5 to to lbs. of anitrogen fertilizer per tom sq. ft. where a rawcompost is used in order to feed the bacteriathat cause proper decomposition.
In addition to the soil-improving crops, it isadvisable to use a complete commercial fertil-izer as a supplement and more readily availableplant nutrient. Where a good application ofCOW Or horse manure has been used apply 30to 40 lbs. of a 5-to-5 or a 5-to-to fertilizer per 1000 sq. ft. If no mannure was used increase thecommercial fertilizer application to 40 or 5o lb.per tow sq. ft. An analysis of 5-10-5 representsthe percentage of available nitrogen, phos-phorus and potash.
The most satisfactory method of applyingfertilizer is to broadcast it over the soil afterspading or plowing and then work it into thetop 2 to 3 in. by raking or with a harrow. Againa rotary tractor does an excellent job in a smallor large garden in preparing an ideal seed bed.In soils having a relatively low, fertility levelit may be advisable to apply some of thefertilizer in the row in addition to the broadcastapplication. The proper placement is at the sideof the seed or plant, not on top or below. Makea furrow 2 to 3 in. deep and spaced 2 in. on eachside of the row. If the overall application ofcommercial fertilizer is 40 to 50 lb. per woo sq.ft., one-half may be broadcast and the otherhalf applied in the row. This means approxi-mately 5 oz. per to ft. of row when the rows are8 in. apart and to oz. per to ft. where the rowspacing is 3 ft. Two level tablespoonsfuls equaloz. of fertilizer.
Where transplants are used a “starter solu-tion” may be used with good results. This is a water solution of a fertilizer applied at the rateof f cupful to the transplant at the time ofplanting. Starter solutions consist of readilysoluble chemicals such as ammonium phosphatepotassium nitrate, urea, etc. Various mixturesare available at garden supply centers.
Most vegetables do best in a soil that is slight.ly acid (pH 6.0-6.5). Lime is used to correct soilacidity, but garden soils should not be limedunless they have been tested to show whetheror not lime is needed. Tests will also indicatethe amount of limestone that should be applied.A good rule-of-thumb practice is to apply 5o lb.of ground limestone or 35 lb. of hydrated limeper woo sq. ft. every 3 or 5 years. Wood ashesare also a good substitute for lime but shouldbe used at the rate of 3 times the quantity ofI imestone.
During the growing season it is frequentlyadvisable to top dress (fertilize) certain of thecrops, such as sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers,late cabbage, etc. to provide an extra boost toplant growth. Use a complete fertilizer broadcastbetween the rows at the rate of about to-15 lb.per moo sq. ft., and then rake or cultivate it intothe topsoil. This practice is also recommendedwhere 2 or 3 crops are grown on the same areaor after a prolonged rainy spell which can resultin a definite depletion of nitrogen. Under thislatter situation the use of a straight nitrogenfertilizer such as nitrate of soda or sulfate ofammonia might be used at the rate of 5 lb. fort 000 sq. ft.
Tools and Equipment
Relatively few tools are needed for theaverage garden. A spade, digging fork, iron rake(14 to 16 teeth), t or 2 narrow-bladed hand hoes,several trowels, a 3- Or 4-pronged hand weeder,a wheelbarrow or garden cart, a hose andsprinkler, and a garden line are basic tools. Awheel hoe or a hand cultivator with differentattachments (teeth, shovels and blades) willsave much hand labor. Also, as basic equip-ment, hand dusters or sprayers are recom-mended for the small garden and the knapsackor small power types for the larger projects.There are a number of small, rototiller-typetractors on the market which can be effectivelyused in even the smaller gardens. These machinescan save much time and labor in not onlypreparing the seedbed, but also in cultivatingthe garden during the cropping season.
Growing Plants for Transplanting
Early plants may be started in window-boxes,hotbeds, cold frames or greenhouses. This isdone either to obtain a crop earlier than ispossible by direct seeding in the garden, or to properly mature certain crops that require along frost-free period to develop a full crop.Growing early plants successfully requires agood soil, to reasonably uniform temperatureand soil moisture and at least 6 to 7 hours ofnormal daylight.
sot.. An ideal soil is loose and friable with apH 6.o to 6.8, holds moisture yet is not wet, andit should not cake or crust. There are a numberof soil mixtures that are satisfactory, but thefollowing formula has given very good results:For seeding soil, 0 parts of a sandy loan, 1part fine peat moss and 1 part sand. Add oz.of superphosphate and o oz. of ground lime-stone per bu. of soil. Mix thoroughly.
For transplanting and potting soils, 7 partsof sandy loam, 3 parts peal MOSS, 2 parts sand.Add 2 oz. of a 5-10-5′ fertilizer and a oz. ofground limestone per bu. of soil and mixthoroughly.
CONTAINERS
Shallow wooden boxes are pre-ferred, but any container that will hold soil to adepth of at least 2-3 in. may be used. A numberof plastic-type trays are available at most gardencentres, hardware stores or from seed companies.In sowing the seed, plant only a few inches ofrow for each kind. This will provide a fairlylarge nurnber of seedlings. Sow the seed in rowsspaced a few inches apart and at a depth ofto in. depending on the size of the seed.Cover the seed with soil, press the soil firmlywith a flat board and then water.
In watering use a fine spray to prevent wash-ing the seeds out. Too much water may cause”damping off” of the seedlings and a soil thatis too dry will prevent germination. During thegermination period a pane of glass, a pieto ofcardboard or a sheet of cellophane placed overthe seed flat will prevent rapid drying of thetop layer of soil. These covers should beremoved as soon as the seeds germinate.An ideal temperature for normal germinationof most vegetable seed is 70′ to 80. F.
As soon as the seedlings have developed theirfirst true leaves, they should be carefully re-moved from the seed flat and transplanted intocontainers filled with the potting soil mixture.Transplants are usually spaced from 3 oreven 4 in. apart. For example, Celery is spa.d at 1 to 11 in. osdtoslotoos3tso3is.oe4itl.o4in. apart. The use of plant bands is recommend-ed for Celery, Cabbage, Broccoli and Lettuceand where space permits use clay, plastic orpeat pots for Eggplant, Pepper, Tomato, melons,cucumbers and >quash. Beets and onions arenot transplanted before planting into thegarden.
Transplants must have as much direct sun-light as possible. Subdued light causes long,spindly, weak plants. Artificial light, either
incandescent or fluorescent, may be used tosupplement daylight.
Do not water until the surface of the soilstarts to dry. Growing temperatures should bebetween 60-65¬∞ F. at night to 75¬∞ or 85′ F. inthe daytime.
It is not possible to specify actual dams atwhich seed should be planted to start earlyplants. In general, the time allowed in weeksfrom the date of seeding to transplanting intothe garden plot is approximately 4 to 5 formelons, squash and cucumbers, 6 to 7 for beets,Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce,7 to 8 for onions, 8 to to for Eggplant, Pepperand Tomato.
Hardy plants may beplanted into the garden weeks prior to theaverage date of the last killing frost, half hardyabout the date of the average last frost and fortender plants the delay should be to days toweeks after possibility of a frost.
Planting and Care of the Garden
The time for planting seeds and setting plantsin the garden depends largely on the last date offrost in the spring and the first killing frost inthe fall. Some crops must be planted early toavoid hot weather, others thrive best in warmweather. Some plants are frost hardy and othersare very readily injured by temperatures in thelower thirties.
Hardy tops can be planted as soon as thefrost is out of the ground. The seedlings andplants will stand temperatures as low as z8¬∞ F.Half hardy crops will withstand short exposuresof temperatures in the low 30′ F. range.Tender crops are killed or severely injured bytemperatures below 4o¬∞ F. and, therefore, arenot planted until the weather has settled anddanger of a frost or freeze has past.
Plants that are injured by low temperaturescan be started indoors. The use of some sort of plant protector may alsoserve to allow early planting of tender crops.These may consist of small wooden boxes witha glass top, small baskets, and a variety of plasticcaps, cones or tents that are available at gardensupply centers. These are especially recommend-ed for early plantings of such crops as summersquash, melons, tomatoes or even sweet cornif planted in hills.
A fine, well-pulverized seedbed is veryimportant and, therefore, the preparation of thesoil is the first operation of the garden plantingprogram. Follow the garden plan for plantingSates and spacing of rows and plants in therow. Sow the seed at a proper depth, 0 to 3times the diameter of the seed, and not toothick. A seed sower can be used in the larger garden but hand seedage is preferable for shortrows and plantings in the smaller garden. Moist-ure is very important for proper seed germina-tion. If the soil is dry, it will help to water afterthe seed is planted. A wet soil will cake, be coldand retard germination.
Garden care involves many operations whichwill vary for different crops. There are, however,several practices that are general in nature.
CULTIVATION
Vegetables cannot competewith weeds. Cultivation should start as soon asthe seeds have germinated and the transplantshave started to grow. The best time to controlweeds is before they have become well estab-lished for they can then be destroyed by shallotscultivation. Vegetable plants are shallots rootedand therefore, deep cultivation by hand cultiva-tors, wheel hoes or hand hoes can cause con-siderable plant damage by destroying the rootsystems close to the soil surface.
If time is a factor in proper garden care itmight be well to consider the use of mulches tocontrol weeds and to conserve soil rnoisture.The mulch should be applied as soon as theplants are well established. Mulch materialscommonly used are strawy manure, hay, grassclippings, salt hay, peat moss, and sheets ofblack plastic.
The successful use of herbicides for weedcontrol in vegetable crops is influenced byseveral factors such as soil, temperature,moisture and the activity of the chemical. Mostof the chemicals involved are selective, meaningthat they can be safely used on only 5 or 2crops. In commercial plantations this is noproblem, but it can be a very serious problemin the home garden and, therefore, herbicidesare not recommended for use in the kitchengarden.
garden plan is prepared in the spring if thegardener hopes to make the maximum use ofthe land that is available for the vegetablegarden.
HARVESTING. Planting in the home gardenshould be so planned that each crop may beharvested at its proper stage of maturity, whenit has reached its full nutritive value and its bestand most satisfying eating quality. The harvestperiod in most areas of the country start withAsparagus, dandelion greens, Rhubarb andthen carries through with a variety of productsuntil the late frosts destroy Kale, Cabbage andthe various root crops. A well-planned gardenprovides an abundance of good eating products.Some crops have a very short period of peakmaturity. Peas and sweet corn deteriorate veryrapidly and have a harvest period of only a fewdays. This means several or more successiveplantings, each containing just enough to pro-vide peak quality for 3 to 5 days. On the otherhand, certain other crops have a long periodduring which a quality product may be har-vested. Beets, carrots, green and red peppers,and onions are good examples. Then we havethose crops of an intermediate category whichwill have a peak maturity period of from t toseveral weeks such as Lettuce, Spinach, toma-toes, broccoli, beans, etc.
The length of time that most vegetablesremain in an edible condition depends onweather conditions. High temperatures hastenmaturity and cause such crops as Spinach andLettuce to shoot to seed rapidly. Peak qualityof sweet corn is a matter of 1 or 2 days insummer and 5 to 6 days in the cooler fallweather. A dry period followed by rains maycause cabbage to split, tomatoes to crack.
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