Home Vegetable Gardening

Chapter 13

Everything you always wanted to know

Tie it all Together Soils

Integrated Pest

Management

Plant Disease

Entomology

Irrigation

Extending the Season

Plant Propagation

Weeds & Solarization

Composting

Pesticides

Food Safety

Harvest & Storage

Coming Up:

Vertebrate Pests

Soils & Fertilizer

Consider your soil texture (clays stay

colder, sand drains faster, etc)

Soil test kit? or have soil sample tested

Add compost, organics & other soil

amendments!

Add fertilizer, if needed

Preplant (banding) or postplant (side dress)

Don’t work soil when it’s wet

Causes compaction

Repeated rototilling can cause a “hardpan”,

need to periodically hand dig or double dig

Integrated Pest Management

Plant disease resistant &

adapted varieties

Keep plants healthy to

better resist pests

ID & Monitor for pest

levels

Determine your tolerance

Try cultural practices

Use biological controls

Use least toxic pesticides

Plant Disease

Fungal diseases

Powdery mildew

Damping off of seedlings

Bacterial diseases

Rots, wilts, & blights

Viral diseases

Tobacco mosaic virus

Nematodes

Abiotic

Mineral deficiency

Entomology What’s that bug?

Holes in leaves from leaf-

eating caterpillars or fly

larvae

Tomato hornworm, cabbage

looper, sawfly larvae

Stippled or mined leaves

from piercing-sucking

insect

Stinkbug, lygus bug,

leafminers

Honeydew & sooty mold

Aphids, psyllids, scale

Knotted, beaded roots

nematodes

Irrigation You will need water

Mulch to conserve moisture

Low volume works well

Drip

T-tape

Emitters

Drip tube

Soaker hose

Microspray

Don’t water weeds or

groundwater

Consider vertical gardening

Know critical watering periods

In drought, grow shorter

season & fewer crops

Extending the Season

Typical “warm season

crop” window for Trinity is

90 days (Memorial Day to

Labor Day)

Consider cold frames,

hoophouses,

greenhouses, etc

Use for “cool season

crops” (herbs, greens, root

crops)

Start annual plants in

spring

Harden off seedlings

Plant Propagation Seed starting

Tubers

Potatoes, jerusalem

artichokes

Bulbs

Garlic, onions

Root division

Asparagus crowns,

horseradish,

rhubarb

Layering

Berries

Grafting

Tomatoes?

For direct seeding, check

out germination rates

under different soil

temperatures

Weeds & Solarization

Prevention

Don’t bring them in

Proper composting

Physical & cultural control

Summer Annuals

Fleabane, spurge

Winter Annuals

Cheeseweed, prickly

lettuce

Perennials

Field bindweed

Understanding Pesticides

IPM first

Least toxic first

Pay attention to entry

and harvest intervals

Planning

Plant what you like to eat

Develop a garden plan and schedule

Online software

Just draw it out

Consider spacing

Close space to reduce weeds

Companion planting

Think about timing

Same crop at intervals

New crop in fall?

Garden Journals

Keep track of varieties that do well

Planting & harvest dates

Yield! How many lbs potatoes

planted vs yield

Ounces of bean seed planted vs yield

Issues affecting crop production

Not just for veggies – for fruit, berries, flowers, etc

Location, Location, Location

Gardens need 8

hours of sun per day

Some afternoon

shade in hot weather

is good

Try planting along a

north to south

alignment with taller

crops along the west

side for shade

Crop Rotation

Rotate by plant family

Difficult with intercropping

Why?

Rotate to avoid soil-borne

diseases & nematodes

Follow legumes with

heavy-feeding crops (corn,

garlic, etc)

Solarize to kill weeds, soil

pathogens & nematodes

Cover crops

Vertical Vegetable Gardening

Save space Increase

yields per sq foot

Reverse “bush” or less productive plant breeding

Save water

Easier to improve soil, weed and monitor for produce & pests

• Better air circulation, less disease

• Save your back!

• Repurpose, Re-use, be creative

What Kind of Structures?

Raised beds

Vegetable

Cages

Trellis

Teepee, dome

or arbor

Stacked pots

Plant walls

Garden tower

Climbing Beans (not bush)

Use strong trellis, teepee, or heavy reach-through netting, since these can be 6-15 feet high and HEAVY

Pole beans Yard-long beans

Pole lima beans, especially “Christmas” heirloom variety

Romano pole beans

Shelling (dry) beans

Peas

English (vining),

snow peas & snap

peas

Try sugar snap peas

Blue podded peas

Lighter weight than

beans, don’t need

as strong structure

How about climbing squash & cucumbers?

Look for heirloom squash with tendrils Trombone zucchini

Trombetta di Albenga

Spaghetti Squash

Try cucumbers - natural climbers with tendrils (not bush!) Use trellis or heavy

netting

Consider access for harvesting

Varieties: pickling & slicing, lemon

Maintenance

Considerations You may need to move

physical structure to

accommodate crop

rotation

How do you plant to

remove dead plant

material from trellis &

dome structures?

Clip twine & compost

Can burn material off metal

fence but not plastic

netting

Hand-pulling dead material

from structure is hard

What do you do at the end of

the season?

Infrastructure & Tools

Fencing

Aboveground & underground

Critter traps

Power Equipment?

Width between & in raised

beds

Garden tools

Shovel, rake, hoe

Cultivator

Hand trowel, pruners, hand

rake

Buckets, baskets, barrows

Soil thermometer!

Perennials

Asparagus

Rhubarb

Globe Artichoke

Will come back

anyway after you

dig roots

Horseradish

Jerusalem

Artichoke

So What do I Plant Around Here?

Average temperatures are 55°F - 75°F

Plant early in spring, again in later summer

Tolerate slight frost when mature, protect young

Will bolt in warm weather

Eating roots, leaves, immature fruit

Try

Roots: beet, carrot, radish

Greens: spinach, lettuce, chard

Cole crops: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

Potato

Onion & garlic

Peas

Cool-Season Crops

Warm Season Crops

Average temperatures 65°F -95°F

Damaged by frost

Need long, hot days & warm soil

Eating “fruit”

Try

Summer squashes

Pumpkins & winter squashes

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,

tomatillos

Corn

Fresh & dried beans

Cucumbers & melons

Fuggedaboutit?

Things that need

looonngg growing

seasons or high

humidity, semi-tropical

Sweet potatoes

Celery

Chayote

Long season melons

Okra

Problem Diagnosis for Vegetables

Check out tables in

Master Gardener

Handbook

Pests of the Garden and

Small Farm

www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

Most Common Questions

Why didn’t

my squash

set fruit??

It just

produced

little fruit

that

shriveled

up.

Answer –

it didn’t get

pollinated.

What’s wrong with

my tomato??

“Catfacing” - Blossom ends are

scarred or lumped. Deep cavities

penetrate the fruit. Cool and cloudy

weather at bloom time cause this

disorder. Try resistant varieties. “Sunscald” causes fruit to become brown

and leathery on the side exposed to the

sun. Maintain plant vigor with necessary

fertilizer and water to produce adequate

leaf cover.

“Tomato Leaf Roll”: lowest leaves roll upward in wet

spring conditions, looks wilted. Physiological leaf roll

is very common & not caused by a pathogen. No

action is needed. It will not harm plants. Symptoms

disappear when temperatures become warmer and

soils dry out.

Planting potatoes

Potatoes are tubers formed along the stem

There are no tubers produced below the “seed” potato (roots)

If in soil, plant in trench, then add fill, then create mound

Not on our

radar

screen

From garden to kitchen, there

are many chances for

bacteria, viruses and parasites

to contaminate produce

Bacteria – E. coli, Salmonella,

Shigella

Virus – Hep A, Norwalk,

rotovirus

Parasites – Giardia,

toxoplasma, cryptosporidium

Food Safety in the Vegetable Garden

Home Vegetable Gardens

Clean Soil

Clean Water

Clean Surfaces

Harvest &

storage

Clean

Soil

Especially for leafy greens and

produce eaten raw (RTE)

Reduce use of raw manures

If used, incorporate into soil > 90 days

before planting or use commercially

stabilized materials

Compost properly, don’t add fresh

manure to existing compost, never use

pig, dog or cat poop (parasites)

Avoid planting leafy vegetables near

animal enclosures (dust & runoff) or

have barrier

Restrict application of manure teas

Keep pets out of garden, poultry?

Clean

Water

Consider source of irrigation

water (community water

system vs stream, seep or

well) & method of irrigation

Use potable water for

washing produce (final rinse)

and use running water

instead of basin

Greywater on non-edibles or

limit contact (mulch basin

under fruit trees)

Drip irrigation reduces

contamination

Have water tested at Sanitary

District for coliform

Clean Hands

& Surfaces

Use gloves when using

manures, especially with

open wounds

Wash hands, especially

after potential

contamination

Use different gloves or

wash hands for harvest

Clean harvest buckets

and work surfaces

(sanitize with 1 T bleach

per gallon water)

No toddlers with diapers

Harvesting & Storage

Don’t glean fruit from

ground

Observe harvest intervals,

even for organic pesticides

Clean harvest containers

Don’t stack containers that

have been in contact with

soil

Keep storage area clean &

secure to avoid vermin

Storing the Harvest

Physical Storage

House & garage

microclimates

In Garden

Insulated boxes

Damp sand bins

Mounds

Root cellars

Not processing, preservation or

refrigeration, but

long-term storage (1-6 mo)

What type of produce?

Pumpkins &

Winter squash

Root crops

Apples & Pears

Potatoes

Onions & garlic

Cabbage

Tomatoes

Keys to Success

Starts with selection, proper harvesting

& curing

Goal of storage is to keep produce in a

dormant state

Need to maintain proper “living”

conditions by controlling temperature,

humidity, and ventilation - find the right

microclimate

Avoid actions that will promote spoilage

Needs to be easily accessible &

trackable - keep inventory (we use

whiteboard)

Check frequently to cull rotting fruit &

vegetables – one bad apple DOES

spoil the barrel

It starts with harvesting

Timing is critical !! Usually harvest produce at peak

maturity, not overripe, before freeze (tomatoes not ripe)

Free from disease & insect damage

Harvest in morning when produce is cool

Harvest during dry weather so produce is dry for

storage

When harvesting and storing use only containers with

smooth inner surfaces to help prevent damage, handle

carefully

Leave an inch or more of stem on most vegetables to

reduce water loss and prevent infection, don’t carry

pumpkins & winter squash by the stem

Curing produce

Garlic, onions and winter

squash – cure 7-28 days in

warm (70-80 degrees F) and

low humidity – will increase

longevity of storage

Sweet potatoes and potatoes –

cure 7-10 days in a warm (75

degrees F), moist environment

– allows for thickening of skin

or repair of damage to skin

during harvest

Microclimates for

Produce

Cold and moist

Cool and moist

Cold and dry

Cool and dry

Measure temps & humidity around your house

Other Storage Considerations

Store fruits and vegetables separately (limit gas

exchange)

Apples produce ethylene gas which causes quick

ripening (rot) of pumpkins, winter squash and

potatoes, also causes carrots to become bitter

Onions cause potatoes to sprout (short term okay)

Fruits susceptible to picking up taste of nearby

vegetables

Cabbage, kale, rutabagas, turnips, and winter radishes

emit strong odors

Indoor storage areas

Basement

Unheated

rooms or

enclosed

porches

Garage

House storage: Pumpkins

Cool & dry

Pumpkins & winter

squash in unheated room

(50-60°F)

NOT in heated area

Eat in correct order –

acorn squash, pumpkins,

butternut & hubbard

Last 3-6 months

House Storage:

Tomatoes

Pick mature green tomatoes before frost

Can also pull up vines and hang them in basement or shed to ripen

Store at 55-60°F to slow ripening (we use flat cardboard box under bed in unheated room)

Put out at 70°F to ripen – takes 2 weeks

Don’t overheat (rot!)

Never, ever refrigerate

Ethylene gas promotes ripening – can store with apples

Try full-flavored varieties

In-Garden Storage

Root crops – carrots, turnips, parsnips and beets can be left in

garden

After freeze, cover with a 6-12” of hay or dry leaves –

parsnips, horseradish & turnips improve in flavor with light

freeze – starches to sugar

Produce can be damaged if temperatures go below 25° F

Insulated

Boxes

Plywood, insulated with rigid foam & lined or old coolers

Materials are clean straw, hay, dry leaves, sawdust, or newspaper, discard each year

Have air holes, so keep apples & potatoes separated

Cold & Dry

Cold & Moist Put cup of water in box to raise humidity to reduce shriveling of

potatoes & apples

Damp Sand Bins & Buckets

Cold & moist

Old coolers, buckets or

plastic bins

Root crops

Cabbage (rooted)

Jerusalem artichoke

Don’t make it too heavy,

should be opaque to

prevent sprouting

Go Forth and Grow Vegetables!