Asparagus- dig hole wide enough to fan out crown, then cover soil & blanket 2-4" mulch. Tall, ferny foliage good background for flowers.
Beans- plant down a row, in between quick cool-weather crop that will be out of the way (lettuce, spinach). Repeat plantings for all season. Or grow pole beans- longer maturity, produce all season. 1 pole per plant. Lettuces & other cool crops like their shade.
Beets- thin to every 5"
Broccoli- cool weather, space 18" apart, plant early spring & 2 mo before fall frost date
Brussel sprout- takes all season to grow. Space 18" apart. Stake plants up to keep tidy.
Cabbage- space 12" apart. Closer together makes smaller heads.
Carrots- thin to 1-2" apart. Plant in summer for fall harvest.
Cauliflower- grow mini-cauls & space 6" apart. Plant early summer for fall crop.
Celery- Plant 2 rows in a bed, spaced 8" apart. Need constantly moist soil, fertile. No need to "hill up"
Corn- Plant in clumps spaced every 18" & staggered. 6-8 seeds per clump thinned to 3-4 best plants.
Cucumbers- plant straight down middle of a row, 18" apart. Or short-vined variety ("salad bush") or trellis the vines up (sown 6" apart) a leaned latticework, w/shade crops (lettuce, spinach) underneath.
Garlic- plant cloves in late summer (more time to set roots) 6" apart. Harvest in summer when lower leaves begin to turn yellow. Save some cloves and sow again late Aug/early Sept.
Kale- Early spring plants grow very large, plant down center of a row. If planted later as fall crop, stagger 2 rows 12" apart. Will keep coming up- very resistant to decay.
Leeks. To grow nice fat leeks start plants indoors 10-12 weeks early. Transplant seedlings 4 rows staggered 6" apart. Poke hole 3/4" diameter 3" deep, drop seedling in & wash w/water.
Onions- fill their space. Closer, more but smaller onions. Farther apart, larger ones. 4" apart small onions, 6" apart med/large ones. Time to maturity depends on daylight length.
Peas- like cool weather. Plant early. Space rows 4" apart, drop seeds in every few inches.
Peppers- sow indoors 8 weeks early, transplant seedlings to 18" apart and fill in space with early greens or beets.
Sweet potato- love heat. Grow in mounds.
Potatoes- Set rows of seed potatoes few inches deep, 8-12" apart. When 6" tall, hill soil around them and mulch heavily. Keeps sunlight from turning the tubers green and bitter.
Radishes like cool weather. Plant as fillers. Spacing determines size (like onions).
Spinach- grow early and late in season, likes cool weather. Space seedlings 4" apart.
Zucchini & squashes- plant solo down center of a row, or at edge of garden where can sprawl out. Space plants every 3 feet to avoid crowding.
Swiss chard- grows all thru season, even into winter. Space plants 8" apart, pick outer leaves.
for my garden
Garlic
In fall (sept/oct) Prepare soil, then break apart cloves, soak overnight in water w/1 heap TB baking soda, peel & soak in rub alcohol 2-3 min, plant immediately. Right side up (pointy end). Plant cloves 4-8" apart, 4" deep in raised beds. Water well once, then water once/week thru the winter. Keep soil slightly moist but not wet. Cut scapes when appear in early spring- tall bendy stem w/little white head (eatable). Don't water last week-2 of growth before harvest. Harvest spring/early summer when green fades of stems, lower leaves begin to wilt. Dig under garlics & lift out of soil. Handle gently- they bruise & then won't store well. Don't wash, rub off dirt. Keep in cool shaded place until stems are dry, then cut off. Store in paper bags w/holes punched in cool area, or braid & hang. (in mudroom?)
In Season
Seasons of produce follow growth stages of a plant:
April-May- leaves & shoots: asparagus, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard
June- July- heads: romaine lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflors
June- tender young fruits: snow peas, squash, cucumber
July- green beans, bell peppers, small tomates
late July- Aug- mature fruits: large tomatoes, eggplant, yellow peppers
Late Aug- hard shells: squash, pumpkin, melons
Fall- root crops: potatoes, beets, onions, carrots
April-May- leaves & shoots: asparagus, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard
June- July- heads: romaine lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflors
June- tender young fruits: snow peas, squash, cucumber
July- green beans, bell peppers, small tomates
late July- Aug- mature fruits: large tomatoes, eggplant, yellow peppers
Late Aug- hard shells: squash, pumpkin, melons
Fall- root crops: potatoes, beets, onions, carrots
Eat Beets
How to eat beet greens-
- Boil lightly with salt & butter
- Sautee w/onions & bacon
- Eat thinnings raw in salad!
- Braise greens with a broth & onions, or sautee w/garlic and serve w/lentils
Thin seedlings to 1" between. When roots size of a quarter, pull every other one, lightly steam baby beets, allow rest grow to maturity. At golf ball size good for roasting. Beets are ready when shoulder above the soil. They like moisture- mulch bed of straw.
Radishes taste too hot when they get old, or soil is poor.
- Boil lightly with salt & butter
- Sautee w/onions & bacon
- Eat thinnings raw in salad!
- Braise greens with a broth & onions, or sautee w/garlic and serve w/lentils
Thin seedlings to 1" between. When roots size of a quarter, pull every other one, lightly steam baby beets, allow rest grow to maturity. At golf ball size good for roasting. Beets are ready when shoulder above the soil. They like moisture- mulch bed of straw.
Radishes taste too hot when they get old, or soil is poor.
Asparagus
Rhubarb, strawberry and Asparagus come back each year. Establish a patch. Asparagus grows from a crown. Let it grow 3 years to tall "tree" & die back. Fourth year harvest shoots- a few weeks' worth in april or may. Then allow mature plant to grow, die back again for next year.
Planting
Plant edible legumes first in new garden space to improve soil. Then layer half-done compost over it? Consider peas, g beans for ash rows or under kitchen window. Give green beans lots of room when you plant them- spaced out evenly. They grow healthier, produce more, and are easier to work around when picking beans.
Compost
Notes on compost:
- cured is more important than temperature
- sift through wide wire mesh, store in plastic bags over winter, to use in spring
- turn to mix materials. More frequently, faster decay
- too many leaves, too dry? add moisture
- put seed-bearing weeds, diseased plants in own pile. High heat to kill pathogens.
- Immature compost can be layered & planted on top of. Peas, beans, potatoes, squash do well. When plants done, bury & cover w/ soil. Good way to heal neglected soil.
- Layer stemmy plants or twigs, coarse material on bottom of pile to aerate.
- Don't use meats, fats, carnivore manure, treated woods in compost.
- Ok: paper or cardboard torn up small.
- Compost is ready when you can no longer recognize what it was.
- cured is more important than temperature
- sift through wide wire mesh, store in plastic bags over winter, to use in spring
- turn to mix materials. More frequently, faster decay
- too many leaves, too dry? add moisture
- put seed-bearing weeds, diseased plants in own pile. High heat to kill pathogens.
- Immature compost can be layered & planted on top of. Peas, beans, potatoes, squash do well. When plants done, bury & cover w/ soil. Good way to heal neglected soil.
- Layer stemmy plants or twigs, coarse material on bottom of pile to aerate.
- Don't use meats, fats, carnivore manure, treated woods in compost.
- Ok: paper or cardboard torn up small.
- Compost is ready when you can no longer recognize what it was.
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