What to Plant Now and How to Grow It

Impatient Gardener Series, March 3rd

Amanda SearsHorticulture Agent

Madison County Cooperative Extension Office

Today’s Topics

• Gardening in three seasons• Spring

• Tips for growing

• Updated Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky Guide

Crop Rotation

PumpkinsSquash

WatermelonsCucumbers

Cantaloupes

ChivesGarlicLeeks

OnionsShallots

PotatoesTomatoesEggplantTobacco

CabbageCauliflower

KaleBroccoliTurnips

PeasBroad beansSnap beansLima beans

Cool Season vs Warm Season

• Cool Season• Grow in cooler temperatures 60

to 65F• Tolerate light frosts• Ideal for spring and fall• Kale, spinach, broccoli

• Warm Season• After threat of frost (~May 10th)• Warm soils and air temperature• Summer• Tomatoes, peppers, corn

Vegetable Earliest Planting Date

Beets March 15

Broccoli (plants) April 5

Brussel sprouts April 5

Cabbage March 25

Carrots March 20

Cauliflower (plants) April 5

Collards March 10

Kale March 20

Lettuce March 25

Onion sets March 10

Peas March 1

Potatoes March 15

Radishes March 10

Spinach March 1

Turnip March 10

Do I need to plant seeds or transplants?

• Some plants take so long to mature it makes sense to start them earlier and then plant in the garden when the time is right• What is a transplant?

• Just a fancy name for a “baby” plant

• Many plants can be started successfully from seed

Hardening Off (if you started your own plants)

• Two weeks prior to transplanting:• Reduce the amount of water

• Slowly acclimate them to direct sunlight and outside conditions

Transplant to Outside

• Give good soaking prior to setting out

• Weather• Calm winds

• Overcast

• Spacing and Depth

• Plant at correct time

Soil Bed Prep

• Remove any existing plants such as turf and weeds

• Work down 6-10 inches deep

• Add organic matter

• Rake surface until it is smooth and free of large clumps

• Do not work in wet soil, can cause compaction

Organic Matter

• Soil organic matter (OM) is made up of living, dead, and decomposing plants, small animals, and microorganisms.

• 1 to 2 inches before planting and work into top 6 to 8 inches, can use as side dressing• Slow release fertilize

• Loosens and improves drainage

• Adds nitrogen and other nutrients as it decays

• Sources:• Aged manure• Composted leaves

Mulch

• Lawn clippings, sawdust, newspaper, straw, compost

• Prevents• Soil from drying out

• Disease problems

• Weeds

• Prevent weeds from going to seed

Pests

Insects• Only 10% of insects are pests!

• Hand pick• Put in soapy water

• Squish

• Careful if using broad spectrum pesticides

Diseases• Cultural

• Good soil drainage

• Proper soil pH

• Rotation

Check garden often, before small problems explode into something huge.

Tips for Growing the Plants in the Spring Garden

Beets and Radishes

• Successive planting

• Do not plant too closely together

• Radishes become woody in hot weather

Carrots

• Grows best in porous soils, try a raised bed

• Seed is slow to germinate, often mixed with radish seeds• Radishes mark the row and

help break the soil crust for the carrots

Turnips

• Some varieties grown for greens, some for root

• Seed is often broadcast seeded and then thinned

• Large turnips become woody

Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cabbage

• Closely related

• A few insects may be a problem

• Because most pests of these plants are the larva of butterflies and moths, you can use Bt

Broccoli

• The top part of broccoli is a mass of flower buds. We just pick them before they open.

• There will be a central “head” with side “heads”

Cauliflower

• The elusive white curd!• Must blanch at first

sign of head

• Curds will mature 1 -2 weeks after tying• Heads will be 6-9

inches in diameter

Potatoes

• Potato seeds are pieces of potatoes that have been cut up

• Each piece has a bud, also called an eye

• Plant • 4 or 5” deep at least a foot apart

• Hill

Potatoes

• New potatoes vs. mature• New ready when plant

flowers appear

• Matured two weeks after vines die or after being nipped by frost

Leafy Vegetables

• Usually planted by seed• Thinning• Can use transplants

• Plant successively for longer harvest

• Cut when suitable size• Varies according to variety,

some must form head

• Harvest when dry

• Plants will turn bitter in hot weather• bolting

Bolting

Peas

• Plant as soon as ground is workable• Will tolerate light freezes

• Succession planting

• Eaten in pod or shelled• Harvest when pods have filled

• Some varieties will need a trellis

Onions

• Sold in “sets” which are small bulbs

• Green onions• Tops should be 6” tall

• Bulb onions• Harvest when 2/3 of tops have

fallen over

Sources

• Soil Organic Matter, Cornell

• http://franklin.cce.cornell.edu/resources/soil-organic-matter-fact-sheet\

• Composting Made Easy, Cornell

• http://rocklandcce.org/resources/composting-made-easy

• Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky

• http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf

Sources

• Cool Season Vegetable Crops, University of Arkansas

• https://www.uaex.edu/counties/miller/Cool%20Season%20Vegetable%20crops.pdf

• Vegetable Gardening Guide, University of Illinois

• https://web.extension.illinois.edu/vegguide/default.cfm

• Center Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky

• https://www.uky.edu/ccd/

Contact Information

Amanda Sears

amanda.sears@uky.edu

859-623-4072