from Growing Your Own Vegetables

Black walnut trees can kill other plants, don't put garden near its roots

Improve tilth of heavy, clay soil by turning over in fall, leave rough all winter (freeze and thaw breaks it up)

Turn over/cultivate soil only when it is dry. Working wet soil damages its physical structure

Set out tomatoes, peppers into a fertilized or composted hole

Peppers drop flowers and small fruit if not enough water

Transplant peppers into the garden when new leaves on oak trees are full grown

Temperature is more important than light when ripening tomatoes indoors (direct sun can ruin the quality)

Celery needs a long cool season and likes mucky soil (originated in marsh)

Escarole tolerates heat, drier conditions of summer- summer grown more bitter, fall sweet. Tie outer leaves loosely together in summer and inner leaves will be more tender/sweet

Dry ashes repels slugs

Onions need twice as much fertilizer than other plants

Don't use manure where carrots will grow, makes their roots misshapen

Apply lime in fall to soil where root crops will grow

Keep leaves of cucurbits dry to control foliar diseases. They don't need mulch- large leaves shade out weeds

Rhubarb grows best where summer temps don't go above 75. Mulch rhubarb with lawn clippings in spring and early summer. Never take more than 2/3 stalks off the plant. Harvest largest ones, leave smaller to grow. Remove the flowers. Plants produce well for 5-7 years, then in spring dig up and split the crowns, move to another part of garden and replant the best crown buds

Buy certified potato seed- free of disease and doesn't have sprout-inhibitors placed on grocery potatoes