This document provides an overview of vegetable gardening, covering topics such as site selection, soil, light requirements, season extension techniques, variety selection, planting, maintenance, and harvesting. It discusses choosing a site based on proximity to trees and shrubs, light levels, soil drainage, and access. Soil testing and amendments like compost are recommended. Planting times vary by region and crop type. The document provides examples of succession planting, covers, and season extension methods. Integrated pest management techniques like crop rotation are also summarized.

1. Vegetable Gardening Overview

2. Karen Delahaut, original author Mike Maddox, updates Vegetable Gardening Overview

3. Portland, OR Community Garden

4. Portland, OR Vertical Gardening / Community Garden

5. Kansas City, MO Urban Agriculture

6. Madison, WI West Madison Agriculture Research Station

7. Janesville, WI Rock County Farm / Community Garden

8. Proximity to trees Light Soil Site Selection Access Topography

9. Proximity to Trees Trees and shrubs may compete for the same resources as your garden: light, water, and nutrients. Walnut trees may prove extra harmful due to juglone production.

10. Light Necessary for photosynthesis 6+ hours for most vegetable crops Photoperiod Flower initiation Bulbing & tuber formation

11. Light Short day plants Sweet potato forms tubers as days grow shorter

12. Light Long day plants- flower when light exceeds a certain number of hours. Lettuce, spinach, radish Some onions form bulbs with long days Most N. varieties

13. Light Day neutral plants- flowers not related to light Cucumber, peas, beans, peppers

14. Light Too much light Sunscald Defoliation exposing fruit to hot sun

15. Soil Well drained soils are necessary Be able to work down to 6 or 7 inches Best to till in the fall Saves soil structure Ground is ready to plant in spring Remove large stones, clods, plant debris Particularly important with root crops

16. Soil Remove grass/ weeds for new gardens Amending soil Add 2 to 4 inches compost or OM Cover crops / green manures Raised beds / containers If soil isn’t conducive for garden

17. Soil Soil test Best done in fall Repeat every 3 years Sample 6-7 inches deep in 5+ areas of garden Soil pH (6.0 to 6.8) Phosphorus Potassium Organic matter (OM)

18. Soil Benefits of adding organic matter Improves water retention / soil structure Increases soil fertility Increases Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) Ability to hold nutrients Reduces fertilization requirements Enhances microbial activity Pathogen suppression Accelerates breakdown of pesticides and other synthetic compounds

19. Soil Forking Manure or debris in soil

20. Adding Compost Add 2-4 inches of compost

21. Cover Crops & Green Manures Rye is used as a green-manure and double-dug into the ground .

22. Raised beds Untreated lumber should be used for construction. Beds should be at least 12 inches deep for adequate rooting. Compost and soil were used as the medium.

23. Mulch Mulches can be used to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and diseases, and add organic matter to the garden. Straw is used in this picture.

24. To till or not to till?

25. Topography Local terrain affects choices on garden positioning.

26. Access

27. Season length Season extension Cool & warm season crops Seasonal Considerations

28. Season Length Last killing frost of spring? Northern Wisconsin: Average May 24 to June 6 Mid state: Average May 9 to May 23 Southern Wisconsin: Average April 26 to May 9

29. Season Length First killing frost of autumn? Northern Wisconsin: Average September 13 to September 27 Mid state: Average September 27 to October 10 Southern Wisconsin: September 27 to October 24

30. Season Length

33. Season Extension Black landscape fabric is used to warm the soil in the spring. Tomatoes are planted through the fabric.

34. Season Extension Walls-o-Water can be used in the early spring to protect warm-season transplants.

35. Season Extension

36. Season Extension Summer planting of radish seeds; screen provides shade to cool soil and avoid heat-induced dormancy.

37. Season Extension Floating row covers can protect crops from frost.

38. Season Extension Cold frame used to harden off plants in the spring.

39. Size of mature plant Days to harvest Heirlooms and hybrids Disease resistance Seed saving Variety Selection

40. Variety Selection Size of mature plant Examples Bush vs Pole bean Bush vs Vine Determinate vs Indeterminate Dwarf? Fruit size?

41. Days to Harvest Pay particular attention to long season plants Corn Pumpkins

42. Heirloom Old-fashioned varieties Selected for flavor Not selected for disease resistance, uniformity or storage In-bred seeds, may be appropriate for seed saving

43. Hybrids Grown for: Pest resistance Uniformity “Vigor” Seeds may not be appropriate for saving Progeny of F1 may not be true-to-type or uniform. AA x aa = Aa (F1) Aa x Aa = Aa, AA, aa (F2)

44. Hybrids

45. Disease Resistance Select resistant varieties if practical No one variety is resistant to all diseases of that vegetable Seed catalogs will indicate varieties are resistant

46. Seed Saving Some diseases are carried on or in the seed Don’t save seed from cross pollinated plants Especially vine crops! Self pollinated crops include Beans, eggplant, peas, pepper, tomato

47. Timing Direct seeding & transplants Spacing & thinning Succession planting Crop rotation Planting

48. Timing Succession planting Make the most of our short growing season! Days to harvest important Plant late season crops after early season crops are harvested Multiple plantings of a single crop Multiple cultivars with different days to maturity

49. Timing Early Season Crops Long Season Crops Late Season Crops Early Beets Early Cabbage Lettuce Onion Sets Peas Radishes Early Spinach Mustard Turnips Beans Cabbage Celery Sweet Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Muskmelons Peppers Potatoes Pumpkin Squash Swiss Chard Tomatoes Watermelon Bush Beans Beets Broccoli Chinese Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Radishes Spinach Turnips

50. Timing … summer… … fall Plant in spring…

51. Timing Plant Week 1 Plant Week 6 Plant Week 4

52. Timing Plant all at same time

53. Transplants vs Direct Seeding Transplant Direct Seed

54. Transplants vs Direct Seeding Transplant Direct Seed Necessary for long season and some cool season crops Basil, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, chives, collards, eggplant, endive, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard, okra, onions, parsley, peppers, tomatoes Useful for crops that do not transplant well and crops that will mature within the growing season Beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, garlic, lettuce, micro greens, muskmelons, okra, parsnips, peas, pumpkins, radishes, rutabaga, salsify, squash, turnips, watermelon

55. Transplanting Transplant on cloudy days to minimize sun scald. Water well after transplanting. Plant at the same depth as in the pot. (exception: tomatoes)

56. Direct Seeding Space seeds as recommended on the packet. Dense planting will promote disease. Small-seeded crops will need thinning:CarrotsRadishesBeetsLettuce

57. Spacing & Thinning

58. Maintenance Crop rotation Watering Mulching Weeding Pest Control

59. Crop Rotation

60. Crop Rotation Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are all members of the solanaceous family. Beans and peas are legumes. Cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squash are all cucurbits. Radishes, rutabagas, and turnips are all cole crops just like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives are alliums. Crop rotations of at least 4 years are recommended.

61. Crop Rotation Insect & disease management Weed management Nutrient demands Increased soil nitrogen Benefits of the preceding crops Improved physical condition of the soil Increased microbial activity Increased release of CO2 Excretion of beneficial substances

62. Crop Rotation Group crops according to which diseases they are susceptible to Alternate root vegetables and vegetables with shallow roots: this will improve the soil structure If you use interplanting (planting different vegetables together in the same bed), use the main crop in your rotation plan Remember tomatoes and potatoes are both members of the nightshade family: don’t plant one to follow the other Plant brassicas and leafy greens to follow legumes: they like the added nitrogen Beware of planting carrots or beetroot in direct succession to a legume

63. Interplanting Potatoes and cabbage rows

64. Watering Mulching Harvesting Maintenance Weeding Insects Diseases

65. Watering Matching water application to plant needs. Based on Soil type Rainfall Crop requirements Growth stage Experience and soil examination are best measures. Rain gauge Don’t base watering on crop appearance.

66. Watering Vegetables may need 1 to 2 inches per week, depending on the weather. Overhead watering may promote diseases.

67. Mulching Mulching with an organic material can suppress weeds and conserve moisture in the garden.

68. Insects Colorado Potato Beetle

69. Insects

70. Diseases Early Blight (left) Late Blight(right)

71. Diseases

72. Weeds

73. Harvesting Timing Harvest early in the day Prevent wounds Discard culls Cool the vegetables quickly & thoroughly

74. Harvesting Submerging vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes in water can remove unwanted field heat.

75. Preserving UWEX Publications (http://learningstore.uwex.edu) Harvesting Vegetables from the Home Garden Freezing fruits and vegetables Canning vegetables safely More…