Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

Vegetables are easy to grow and are very rewarding at harvest time. The most important requirements are sunshine and watering. Other requirements are a loosened soil, some fertilizer, and a little bit of weeding. If you have an area in your yard that gets sunshine most of the day (6-8 hours in summer) then you can have a vegetable garden. The first time you start a new garden requires the most amount of work, but don’t get discouraged, the work you do in the beginning does not have to be done again each year.

The ground that the plants will grow in needs to be loosened up so that the roots of the tender vegetable plants can grow into your soil and make strong, healthy plants. The roots are the only way the plant takes up water and nutrients so you want to make their job easy. Unfortunately, soil found in most yards has become compacted over the years and can be as hard as concrete in summer. Therefore, the best time to dig your garden is early spring when it is moist enough to dig easily but not so wet that the soil is muddy and heavy. The first step is to mark out your spot making sure there are no trees or large shrubs around it with roots that will spread into your garden. Then, remove the grass and create some type of border around the garden to keep it neat and weed free. I also recommend a short fence if you have pets, as the garden can easily be mistaken for a large litter box.

You must dig your soil to loosen the clumps and allow air in, which will allow the roots to breathe (yes, they need air also). The depth that I recommend is at least 12″. It seems like a lot when you are digging but keep in mind that your tomato plants will extend their roots approximately 2 feet down into the soil. I use a large digging fork and involve my whole family but a rototiller makes short work of it. Rakes also help in smoothing the soil out after the digging is done. You should add about 2″ of compost at this point and mix it into the soil well. Do not add too much, 10-20% of the soil should be compost, but no more than that or you will over- fertilize your garden. When it looks like a good place to lie down and take a nap then you are ready to plant. You may also need Lime or Gypsum in your garden to correct the Ph. If you live in an area with lots of rainfall, add lime every year, about 1 pound per 100 sq. feet. If you have low rainfall amounts each year, you may need to add some Gypsum to new gardens to remove some of the salt content. Check with your local garden center for the correct amount.

Start Planning a Vegetable Garden

Light Requirements

Vegetables, like many flowers, need lots of sunlight to thrive and produce tasty vegetables. Most vegetables need full sunlight, which gardeners define as six or more hours of sunlight per day. This direct sunlight stimulates the plant’s cells to produce the food it needs through photosynthesis to build a strong root system and produce fruit.

Many people are confused about what type of light they have in the garden. Try this simple test. Pick a day when you’re home and can observe the garden. Take a look at the garden area you want to grow vegetables in first thing in the morning, and write down whether or not the sun is actually touching the ground. Look for full, bright sun, not dappled sunlight filtering through tree leaves. Now set a kitchen timer or alarm clock and return to your observation once an hour or once every two hours until dinnertime, marking down how much light the spot in the garden receives. Then, add up all the times you saw direct light. This will give you an idea of whether you’re working with full sun, partial sun or shade.

While you can grow some vegetables in partial sun, most will struggle. If the entire yard gets only partial sun or shade due to immovable objects like garages, homes, or trees in neighbors’ yards, look for a place that gets bright direct sunlight and grow vegetables in pots instead.

Planting pumpkin seeds is a quick and easy way to jumpstart a lush garden, but gardeners should be careful to plant seeds appropriately for the healthiest plants with the highest yield.

Types of Pumpkins

Pumpkins come in an amazing variety of sizes, ranging from just a few ounces to behemoths that weigh more than 500 pounds. Colors can also range from a pale cream or white to pink or red hues, including every conceivable shade of orange. Classic jack-o-lantern pumpkins, however, are Connecticut field pumpkins that generally weigh in between 10 and 20 pounds and are a bright, solid orange color. Planting seeds to grow your own pumpkins, whether you want to experiment with unusual varieties or just want a good crop of carving pumpkins, is easy and enjoyable for both novice and experienced gardeners.

Mouthwatering Watermelon

Watermelons are available in many sizes, shapes, and colors. The shapes vary from round to oblong, with colors ranging from light green to almost black. The fruit skin color can be solid, striped, or marbled. The edible portion of the flesh can be yellow, pink, pink-red, bright red, or deep red. An additional choice of seeded vs. seedless is also available.  And don’t forget National Watermelon Day – August 3rd

There’s more to the world of melons than just the cantaloupe and honeydew, but this may not be true for long: many varieties are “on the brink of extinction,” according to cultivator and collector GoldmanThis handsome volume documents unusual types of melon like the Collective Farm Woman (originally from Ukraine) and the serpent-shaped Snake melon with lavish color photos and playful descriptions. Goldman also instructs readers on how to pollinate, grow and harvest these plants; includes a list of commercial sources..” Publishers Weekly

Watermelon is very susceptible to frost damage,  it requires a long growing season with relatively high temperatures. Daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F and nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees F are ideal. Select a site with Full Sun , no shade, or minimal shade.

Unknown Artichoke

Artichokes are a not poplar garden crop in most areas, they are , as the expression goes “an acquired taste”. If you have at least 100 frost-free days in your area  you can grow them. The Artichoke is generally grown as a perennial, but can also be grown as an annual. I have been growing a modest amount as for years, they are a tasty and healthy dish when properly prepared.

There are actually two distinct varieties of crops referred to as artichokes. This article deals with Globe Artichokes, as in the illustration above. The other “artichoke”  – Jerusalem Artichoke, is not really an artichoke and not even remotely related to true artichokes. Jerusalem Artichoke, also known as “sun-choke” and casava in some places is actually a type of sunflower or, more correctly, the tuberous roots of a type of sunflower.

It is perennial living from year to year. The edible tubers resemble potatoes but are rough and knobby and have a crisp texture, much like that of water chestnuts.

The Globe Artichoke is closely related to the thistle. The part we eat is from the immature flower bud. If the buds or “globes” are not harvested, six inch bluish thistle-like flower heads develop.

The edible portion of the “globe” is composed of the fleshy bases of the flower bracts and the receptacle to which the bracts are attached, known as the “heart”.

Asparagus for little kids

Asparagus is an easily grown long lived perennial, given proper care – asparagus plants can be productive for over a decade.  But ..  It takes at least two years and sometimes up to three years to establish an asparagus patch.

Planting Asparagus

Plant asparagus in early spring, after the soil has warmed up to about 50 degrees F. There is no advantage to planting the crowns earlier in cold, wet soils. They will not grow until the soil warms and there is danger of the plants being more susceptible to disease if crowns are exposed to cold, wet soils over a prolonged period.

Plant the asparagus where it will not shade the other vegetables and will not be injured when the rest of the garden is tilled.

You can start asparagus from seed, but germination is slow (four weeks or more), and weeds are difficult to control in young seedlings. Plants grown from seed indoors can be transplanted -the following spring -to a permanent location .

It is more advisable to start from “crowns” .  Choose large, one-year-old crowns if possible. They transplant easier, produce plants as vigorous as two-year-old crowns and are less expensive.

Site Selection is critical for asparagus .  Select an area that is free of perennial weeds . Asparagus prefers a loamy soil that is well drained. If possible start to prepare a site 1 year in advance of planting by turning the soil and adding  compist . Check your soil PH , and be sure there is plenty of well rotted organic matter present.

Space asparagus crowns 12 inches to 18 inches apart in the row. When you want more than one row, space rows 4 feet to 6 feet apart.

Traditionally, crowns are planted in a deep trench or furrow. Recent research shows no benefit from planting crowns deeper than 4 inches to 6 inches in the trench. Spread out the fleshy roots at the bottom of the furrow. Lightly cover the crown with soil. Gradually fill in the furrow as shoots emerge. Never completely bury the developing asparagus fern.