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.

Carrots …Whats up doc?

Carrots, a hardy crop that can be planted in the garden in early spring. Carrots require larger amounts of moisture than other popular garden vegetables, they are not tolerant of drought. Prolonged hot weather in their later stages will retard growth and generally result in an undesirable strong flavor as well as a coarse undesirable fibrous texture At the other extreme, prolonged temperatures below 50 degrees F tend to make the roots longer, more slender and paler in color than expected. The best temperature for highest quality roots is between 60 and 70 degrees F.

Planting Carrots

Direct seed carrots into a well-prepared soil early in the spring. Suggested planting depth is 1/4 inch deep in rows spaced 12 to 18 inches or more apart depending on the method of cultivation used. It is important to avoid crusting of the soil around the seed-bed. Covering the seed with vermiculite or fine compost and keeping the soil evenly moist until the seedlings have emerged will help prevent this problem.

The soil should be worked enough to remove any physical obstruction to root development

When the carrots have sprouted, thin them out so the plants are approximately 3-4 inches apart to avoid overcrowding. . When the tops of the carrots grow thicker, thin them to about two to three inches apart. Some seed companies are now offering pelletized seed, making the seeds easier to plant and thin.

After plants are established, mulches will help conserve moisture and prevent excessive weed growth. Cultivation, if necessary, should be shallow in order to avoid root injury. Carrots require an evenly-distributed and plentiful soil moisture supply throughout the growing season. However, avoid too much moisture towards the end of the season as this will cause roots to crack.

Watch for the appearance of orange crowns at the soil level as the plants mature. If this occurs, mulch with soil or compost as the sunlight will turn them green. Carrots that are exposed to the sun turn green and bitter-tasting. To keep them orange and sweet, make sure the roots stay completely covered with soil.

Like most vegetables, carrots need at least 1 inch of water weekly during the growing season. Always soak the soil thoroughly when watering. this helps to promote good root development, but not excessively ,so as to avoid rot. Inexpensive Water Timer Systems are available.

To prolong the harvest, you can make succession plantings every two weeks until the temperature hits about 80°F, then, when temperatures cool in autumn, plant another crop for winter harvesting.

Fertilizer and Soil

Carrot plants thrive in deep, loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Avoid stony, cloddy or trash-laden soils as they increase the incidence of root defects. Because raised-beds usually have loose soil and receive little compaction from foot traffic, they are an ideal location to grow carrots. Carrots grown on heavy soils may produce considerable leaf growth and forked roots.

Be certain to track the soil PH 5.5 – 7.5 is best for carrots

Carrots need lots of potassium. Boost your soil’s supply by sprinkling wood ashes over the planting area before you sow the seeds.

Avoid manure and other fertilizers high in nitrogen; they’ll encourage top growth at the expense of good root development. If your carrots turn out with a branch or two, it means they’re getting too much nitrogen.

Root crops- such as onions, beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips- need the support of soil that’s rich in potassium and phosphorus.

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