Set cauliflower seedlings in the garden about two or three weeks before the average last frost date, not earlier. Sow cauliflower seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before setting seedlings in the garden. Cauliflower grows best at 57° to 68°F (14°-20°C). Time cauliflower planting so that plants do not mature in hot, head-stunting summer weather.
Grow an early and late or main crop of celery each growing season. The early crop will be harvested in August; the late crop will be harvested in September or October, before the first fall frost. Start celery seed indoors. Sow seed for the early or August harvest in February. Set young plants in the
Corn salad is also known as lamb’s lettuce and mache. Corn salad is an easy to grow green with a mild, nutty flavor and gentle texture. It can be lightly cooked like spinach or eaten raw with an oil vinaigrette. Corn salad is a low-growing, small-leaved, hardy annual. It rarely grows more than 4 inches
Kale is a hardy cool-weather crop. It can be grown in early spring and in mid to late autumn. Kale tastes especially good after it has been touched by frost. Sow kale seeds in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Start transplants 6 to 8 weeks before setting out in the
Kohlrabi is a cool-season crop. Sow seeds in the garden 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Sow seeds indoors for transplanting out 6 to 8 weeks before setting them in the garden. Set kohlrabi transplants in the garden 5 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last frost. Make succession plantings every two
Beets are commonly grown in spring, summer, and autumn. Beets may be seeded as early in spring as the ground can be worked. Make successive sowings at intervals of about 3 weeks in order to have a continuous supply of young, tender beets throughout the season. Beets are well adapted to grow in many regions.
If a test of your vegetable garden soil shows that is too acidic or too alkaline, you can improve the pH. The right soil pH is important for vegetable crop growth and yield. Most vegetables do best in neutral or slightly acid soil. Gardeners often called acid soil “sour” and alkaline soil “sweet.” Acid or
Vegetable crops and other plants get most of the nutrients they need from the soil; the nutrients are dissolved in soil moisture and taken up by roots (other nutrients come from the air and are taken in by plant leaves). A plant root’s ability to absorb mineral nutrients is affected by the chemical balance of
You can improve your vegetable garden soil with organic amendments. Organic materials such as aged compost will add nutrients to the soil. Organic matter will also help the soil retain moisture as well as help it to be well-drained. You can add amend the soil with organic matter any time of the year. Good times
Once you have decided on a site for your vegetable garden and know what kind of soil you are working with and what amendments can make it better, it will be time to work the soil, to prepare for planting. Digging and tilling is not necessary in fertile well-structured soils. Good soils can be lightly
