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Seeds vs. Starts: planning and planting the garden
Heidi KratschState Horticulture Specialist
Getting Started What vegetables will you plant? What varieties will you choose? How will you arrange your garden? When should you start? Spacing between plants? Seeds or transplants? Conventional garden or “deep” organic?
Cole crops (Brassica) – cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard
Cucurbits – cucumber, melons, pumpkin, squash
Solanaceous crops – potato, tomato, pepper, eggplant
Root vegetables – beets, carrots, radish, rutabaga, turnips, sweet potato
Perennials –artichokes, asparagus, garlic, rhubarb
Classification of vegetable crops
Early Spring (March 15): cool season veggies
Summer – late May to early June: warm season veggies
Fall – August: cool season veggies (again)
Three seasons for crop growth
EARLY SPRING LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER
Late summer
HARDY SEMI-HARDY TENDER VERY TENDER
HARDY
AsparagusBroccoliBrussels sproutsCabbageKaleLettuceOnionsParsleyPeasRhubarbSpinachTurnip and rutabaga
BeetCarrotCauliflowerEndiveParsnipPotatoRadishSwiss chard
Transplants of cool-season crops
CeleryGreen beansNew Zealand spinach Sweet corn
CucumberEggplantLima beanMelonsOkraPepperPumpkin SquashSuper sweet CornSweet potatoTomato
BeetsCarrotsChinese cabbageCollardKaleLettucePeasRadishRutabagaSpinachTurnip and rutabaga
Average planting times for N. Nevada
Three-season gardening
Relaying: overlapping planting of one crop
Planting several varieties of the same crop
Succession planting
Vegetable
Ideal soil temp
Min soil temp
March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov
Beans 65-85 60
Beets 55-75 40
Broccoli 55-65 40
Carrots 55-65 40
Corn 70-85 60
Cucumber
65-85 65
Lettuce 55-65 40
Melon 70-85 65
Peas 55-65 40
Peppers 65-80 60
Radishes 55-75 40
Spinach 55-65 40
Tomatoes 65-70 60
Indoors
Plant
Harvest
Sunlight – avoid trees
Good soil – sandy loam is best
Source of water Avoid steep slopes Protection from
strong wind
Selecting a site
Low-lying areas South-facing slopes Light availability Proximity to
buildings or large trees
Soil variations Neighboring plants Exposed or
protected areas
Microclimates
Selecting a siteN
South, east, west exposure
Afternoon shade will protect sensitive fruits in a western exposure.
Eastern exposure – sunlight less intense (6 hours minimum)
Sunlight
Terraced gardens
Add organic matter to your soil
OSU Extension Service
What kind of organic matter?
Composted or well-rotted OM
Double-Digging
Wind
Wind protection Ideal is 50%
permeable. Should be as long
as possible. Windbreaks
meeting at right angles give maximum protection against shifting winds.
Use seed catalogs for planning What vegetables will you plant? What varieties will you choose? How will you arrange your garden? When should you start? Spacing between plants? Seeds or transplants? Conventional garden or “deep” organic?
Good seed catalogs tell you…
No. of seeds per packet
Spacing for seeds or transplants
Growing tips for each crop
Don’t forget to figure in enough for succession planting
Make use of vertical space
Seed Spacing Chart
Vegetable
Seeds per
packet SpacingArea
required
Corn 150 3 per foot(4 in.)
50 row feet
Pole beans 85 2 per foot(6 in.)
43 row feet
Looseleaf lettuce
300 2 per foot(8-12 in.)
150 row feet
Head lettuce 300 1 per foot(10-12 in.)
300 row feet
Tomatoes(indeterminate
)
30 1 per 2 feet
(24 in.)
60 row feet
Carrots 800 4 per foot(3 in.)
200 row feet
Frost free period◦ Calculated from date
of last spring frost to date of first fall frost
Days to maturity◦ Seed to harvest◦ Differs by cultivar
Frost-tolerance
Cultivar selection
Cultivar = cultivated variety
Examples:◦ ‘Early Girl’ tomatoes◦ ‘Sugar Ann’ snap
peas◦ ‘Buttercrunch’
lettuce◦ ‘Royal burgundy’
bush beans
What is a “cultivar”?
Cultivars are varieties within a crop selected for a particular characteristic.
www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
Frost-Free Mapwww.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/freezefrost/Freezefree28F_hires.jpg
Check ‘days to maturity’ against the frost-free period for your region
Tonopah: 110 -155 Fallon: 105 -130 Reno/Carson: 90-120 Winnemucca: 85 - 110 Elko: 60 -90 Eureka: 55 -85
Frost-free days for N. Nevada
Hybrid Seeds (F1)
F1 Hybrid (filial 1) – first generation
Open-pollinated (OP)
Heirloom Varieties Hybrid varieties
created to meet the needs of most growing regions.
Heirloom varieties better at meeting the specific needs of a region (like Nevada!)
Tomatoes: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Resistant varieties are not available for all crops.
Tolerant – may get a disease but survive
Resistant – usually will not get the disease
Typical key for disease-resistance:
V - Verticillium wiltF - Fusarium wilt N - NematodeT - Tobacco mosaic virusA - Alternaria alternata (crown wilt disease)L - Septoria leafspot
Disease Tolerance vs. Resistance
Sweet Corn Hybrids Su = high sugar:
sugars 9-16% (low shelf-life < 1 week)
Se = sugary enhanced: sugars 14-35% (shelf-life > 1 week)
Sh2 = super sweet: sugars 28-44% (shelf-life > 1 week)
Treated and Pelleted Seed Pelleted – encased
in a clay-based pellet
Treated - controls diseases and insect pests
Map your garden space to scale
Must be accessible Hose dragging can
pull up or damage plants.
May need more than one water source.
Source of water?
Vegetable garden design
A example of a 4-foot by 8-foot raised bed design
Starting your plants indoors
Germination test older seed
Germination Seed must be
viable
Internal conditions of the seed must be favorable
Environmental conditions must be favorable
Moisture Temperature Light
◦Lettuce and grains
Air ◦Medium must be
well-drained Disease-free
◦Damping-off disease
Optimal Germination Conditions
Damping off
Misting bench
What’s the best seed starting mix? Fine-textured Uniform
consistency Loose, well-aerated Holds moisture but
drains well Low fertility Sterile Do not use 100%
garden soil
Containers Seed flats or
plastic cell packs Must have
drainage holes Sterilize if
recycled: 1 part household bleach to 9 parts water for 5 minutes
Sowing seeds
A more cost-effective way…
Providing bottom heat
Providing moisture
Light◦ For photosynthesis
Fertilizing◦ Provide low level of fertilizer no more than weekly
Hardening off◦ Seedlings prepared for transplanting outdoors◦ Prevents transplant shock◦ Seedlings gradually exposed to cooler
temperatures and reduced moisture/humidity
After-Germination Care
Providing light
How much light? Low light intensity
produces pale, spindly seedlings
Two 40-watt fluorescent tubes
Position seedlings 6 inches below
Provide 16 hours light daily
Hardening off- what is it? Plants accumulate carbohydrates (food) Cell walls thicken Temporarily slows plant growth Increase length of exposure gradually (1 to
2 weeks) Acclimatize to cold, wind, sun
Hardening off seedlings
Minimum air temps by crop… 40°F – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi,
cabbage, onion, leek, parsley 45°F – celery, Chinese cabbage, lettuce,
endive 50°F – squash, pumpkin, sweet corn 55°F – cucumber, melon 60°F – basil, tomato, pepper
Tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant
Critical for short growing seasons
Wait until soil temperature is right
Starting from transplants
Store at cool temperatures until ready
Not until the first true leaves have emerged
Handle with care!
Transplant early in the day or early evening
Transplanting
Transplanting your seedlings
Avoid these common mistakes Buying too many
varieties Planting too many
seeds Starting seeds
indoors too soon Hardening off too fast Putting plants in the
ground too soon Fertilizing close to
flower development
Phosphorus deficiency
Caused by planting when soils are too cold
Good varieties for Northern Nevada
Our favorites…
Heirloom variety Fast growing – 3 to
4 weeks Milder than other
varieties Firm and crisp –
good for dips and salads
Radish ‘French Breakfast’
Days to maturity 28 days
Heirloom Takes full sun to
part shade Dark green leaves Cool-season spinach ‘New Zealand’ – not
a true spinach but same taste – can grow through the summer!
Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’
Days to maturity 45-55 days
Butterhead variety Stick with loose head
rather than crisp head – more frequent harvest, fewer insects
1963 “All-American Selection” winner
More heat-tolerant than other varieties
‘Speckles’ – old Amish variety - organic
Lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’Days to maturity 65 days
50 days to maturity
3 to 4 inches long Sweet and tender Children like the
smaller size
Carrot ‘Little Finger’
Days to maturity 65 day
Beans (bush and pole) - heirloom
‘Golden Wax’ (bush) ‘Kentucky Wonder (pole)
50 to 55 days to maturity 65 days to maturity
Heirloom introduced in the 1950s
Not picky about soil or climate
Produces 7-inch ears Exceptionally early
Corn ‘Golden Beauty’
Days to maturity 70 days
Heirloom variety Commonly known as
“Patty Pan” An ancient variety very
much prized by the native North American Indians and early European settlers
Can grow vertically, good flavor, produce like crazy
Rarely abort due to improper pollination
Summer Squash “Scallop, Early White Bush”
45 to 60 days to harvest
Heirloom variety 5 to 8 inches in
diameter Great for baking Earlier harvest
than most winter squashes
Leave 2 inches stem when harvesting
Winter Squash ‘Acorn Table Queen’
Days to maturity 80 days
Tomato
‘Marglobe’ or ‘Celebrity’ ‘Red Cherry’ heirloom
Days to maturity 75 daysDays to maturity 78 days
Crack-resistant Easy to grow
Heirloom variety Indeterminate Gets over 3 feet
tall Produces 12 to 16
ounce tomatoes! Juicy, good balance
of sweet and acidity
Tomato ‘Brandywine’ or ‘Cherokee Purple’
85 days to maturity
Local garden centers/nurseries www.edenbrothers.com www.seedsofchange.com www.seedsavers.org
Sources for Seed
