Soil Preparation

• Turn over soil in fall

• Add organic matter in fall

• On sandy soils turn in spring

• May need to remove sod

• Don’t work soil if wet

• Organic soil amendments – 25-50%– Add N if using a high C material

Fertilizers

• Organic– Refer to handouts for N:P:K analysis

• Improve soil texture • Add nutrients• Increases water retention in sandy soils• Increases drainage in clay• Tends to be heavy• Slow release of nutrients• Will rot away in 1-2 years

Fertilizers

• Inorganic– Does not change soil texture– Nutrients are easily leached– Easy to ship and use– Less work– Can be expensive– If selling produce, you can’t get a premium

price.

Planting Time

• Plant very hardy veggies when soil can be worked (soil temp 40F)– Asparagus Turnip– Peas Broccoli

Radish Brussels sprouts

– Rhubarb cabbage– Rutabaga celery– Spinach Garlic

Hardy veggies 45-50F

• Beets• Carrots• Cauliflower• Lettuce• Parsley• Parsnip• Swiss chard

Tender veggies 60-65F

• Beans• Tomatoes• Cantaloupe• Watermelon• Corn, Cucumbers• Eggplant• Peppers• Pumpkin• squash

Seed planting depth

• Small seed ( carrot)• ¼-1/2 inch deep

• Large seed ( beans)• 1-2 inches deep

Mulch

• Conserves moisture• Can increase soil

temperatures• Can reduce soil temp• Stops weeds• Reduce disease• Keeps crops clean• Adds organic mater to

the soil

• Can be a great home for slugs

• Voles can live under or in it

• Don’t mulch tender crops until july

Mulch

• Plastic– Clear plastic heats soil– Black plastic does not

heat soil very much– Black plastic is usually

paired with drip irrigation

– It’s a lot of non-recyclable garbage at the end of the season

• Organic– Insulates soil – don’t

mulch too early– Use material that is

weed free ( straw ok, hay has lots of seed)

– When it rots it can steal N from crops.

– Can be tilled in after the growing season

– Be aware of C:N ratios

Mulch is best under:

• Tomatoes –red or black plastic

• Peppers – silver/reflective mulch

• Eggplant• Sweet corn – let pumpkin leaves be the mulch

Potatoes

• Cucumbers

• Melons/squash

Plastic mulch

DEER

Deer can wipe out a garden

Protect your garden!– Fence ( electric or

tall), Cage, visual– Repellants

• Plantskydd• Rotten eggs, Bitters

– Guard Dogs– Kill the deer

Weed Control

• Vegetables yield best with no competition

• Hoe/ till• Mulch• Fire• Vinegar (1gal vinegar

+1qt lemon juice)• Herbicide

Apiaceae

Apiaceae

• Carrots– Plant early– Seeds take 12

days to emerge– Can be gel seeded– Store in cool-cold

place. Cut shoulders, don’t wash, separate layers with newspaper. Don’t let them dry out

• Parsnip– Low seed

germination– Plant seed and wait– Very sweet after

frost– Fewer calories than

carrots and sweeter– Store like carrots

Cabbage Family

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae

• Broc/cauliflower– Start seeds indoors in

March/April– Plant out mid May– Cover Broc with row

cover to keep moths off

– Side dress with N mid season

– Cut crowns before they bloom

• Raddish– Plant early and pull

when big enough– can use there to

space other seeded crops

Asteraceae\ Lettuce

Asteraceae\ Lettuce

• Lettuce is a cool season crop that can be started ahead and planted by transplant or direct seeded

• Several crops of lettuce can be grown in a summer

• Mesclun – is a lettuce mix cut as seedlings.

• Can be cut many times

Chenopodiaceae

Chenopodiaceae

• Beets and Chard– Beets are planted in

cool soil– Can be picked young

and small or large– Know your cultivar– Root and leaf are

eaten

• Chard is a beet grown for the leaves– Usually started as a

transplant– Give them room as

each plant gets large– Very frost resistant so

the fall leaves often have the best flavor

Plant corn in blocks

To prevent lodging

And insure pollination

Can be direct seeded

Corn can be transplanted

Best in peat pots

High N crop

side dress mid season

Poaceae

Onion Family

Liliaceae

Liliaceae/ allium crops

• Garlic – great for Duluth– Plant in Sept/Oct– Don’t let it have wet

feet– Remove flower scapes – Pull when 50% of leaf

is yellow ~Aug 1– Dry bulbs in shade

• Onions – seedlings or bulblets– Plant seeds Feb

indoors– Or buy tiny bulbs and

plant Apr-May – as soon as soil can be worked

– Pull when tops fall, dry in shade, Store in cool place

Cucumber family

Cucurbitaceae

Squash

• When there is a choice….

• Grow bush types to save space

• Mulch to keep clean• Mouse control

Solanaceae

Solanaceae

• Tender plants (except spuds)

• Start 12 weeks early & transplant

• Look for cv with resistance to deseases

• Determinate or indeterminate?

• Even watering

• Full sun

• Self fertile But bees help

Fabaceae

Fabaceae

• Peas are hardy so plant early

• Fava beans can also be planted in cool soil

• Green beans are tender and need warm soil

• Self fertile• Use inoculants• Do not walk in them

if leaves are wet• Beans can continue

to bear if the beans are picked

Crop Rotation

• Rotation by Plant Family

– Solanaceae• Tomato, potato,

eggplant, tomatillo, peppers

– Apiaceae• Carrot, parsnip,

parsley, celery, dill, lovage, celariac

– Fabaceae• Beans, peas

– Liliaceae• Onion, garlic , leek

– Brassicaceae• Broccoli, Cauliflower,

kohlrabi, radish, kale, cabbage

– Chenopodiaceae• Beets, chard

– Asteraceae• Lettuce

– Poaceae• Corn

– Cucurbitaceae• Squash, cucumber,

melon

Crop rotation

Crop Rotation

Crop Rotation

Seed starting and Season Extend

• Heated– Greenhouse– Hot bed– Under lights in your

house

• row cover• Clear plastic mulch• Cold frame• High tunnel