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Sowing Seeds For Early Crops

2024

Brassicas germinated 3 days after sowing seeds in these round 6″ pots.

Sowing Seeds For The First Crops: Too Early?

The calendar is approaching my favorite part of the year—warming temperatures… birds singing their special songs… starting seeds for the garden. New crops of brassicas—arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard greens, pac choi—top the list. I also grow lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, peas, bunching onions, and others. In this article, I’ll describe an easy step-by-step process for sowing seeds you can do right now.

Bumble bee on ‘Arcadia’ broccoli in spring.

Some varieties of leafy greens are productive from early autumn through spring here in zone 7b, in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Last fall’s crops will flower in late winter or spring (photo, right), and are then replaced with young transplants. With cooperative weather, cool season crops offer a fantastic return on investment!

Starting in early March, I’ll sell transplants at local farmers’ markets or plant them into my own gardens. In preparation for the season, though, growers have nurtured these plants for 4-6 weeks before they’re offered for sale.

It’s important to plant young plants; heading crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower, confined in cell packs only 1 or 2 weeks too long will not properly head up. So, it’s important to start sowing seeds at the proper time—not too early and not too late.

Gardeners living in colder climates need to adjust their gardening calendar accordingly. Yes, at this time, it might be too early for some. Leafy greens prefer chilly weather. Many fail in the heat of high summer, although they might succeed in northern gardens (northern hemisphere) at that time. With careful variety selection and placement (light shade during the hottest hours of the day), we can stretch the season for these healthy greens.

“How do I use these greens?”

Although I’m not a vegetarian, cool season greens are the foundation of my diet. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to pick fresh greens for salads, sauces, veggie omelets, soups, sandwiches, and stir-fries in winter. And as a side dish, on pizza, with pasta, and in smoothies, if you like them. It never gets old!

Cool season greens are versatile in the kitchen but curiously underrepresented in our gardens. Considering the fact that many contain the highest levels of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial antioxidants among edible foods, it’s a wonder more gardeners aren’t growing them! The brassicas (Brassicaceae family, formerly Cruciferae) are particularly nutrient-dense, and this family of plants is the only one with measurable amounts of the sulforaphanes. Sulforaphanes are antioxidants that help prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory illnesses. They also help maintain eyesight, brain function, and heathy skin.

Growing your own produce from seed saves money in these times of high inflation. You can harvest what you need for the day, so nothing goes to waste. And most crops can be grown cleanly, without pesticides, before the insects move in. Furthermore, there are hundreds of varieties to choose from that never appear in garden centers or grocery stores.

Maybe you’d enjoy experimenting with new varieties each year, as I do. Some have become my favorite foods, so they’re planted in my gardens each year. Among cool season greens, those include my favorite vegetable—mini broccoli ‘Happy Rich’—as well as ‘Nabechan’ bunching onions, Johnny’s AllStar Gourmet Lettuce mix, a butterhead lettuce called ‘Skyphos’, arugula ‘Astro’, ‘Arcadia’ broccoli (in autumn), dinosaur kale, and ‘Sugar Snap’ and ‘Oregon Giant’ peas.

Ready to begin?

Preparing To Sow Seeds

Pepper seeds sown in a 9-cell market pack.

It’s helpful to read this entire article before proceeding so you can gather materials and plan your setup. You will need:

supplies (cell packs or pots, flats, labels, soil, seeds, vegetable fertilizer)
warmth to start the seeds
a waterproof surface
adequate light to keep seedlings healthy and strong
timely transplanting to prevent crowded plants
detailed records for future reference

Perhaps you’ve chosen lettuce, arugula, and ‘Black Magic’ kale seeds for your first project. You’ll need clean cell packs or pots, fresh seedling mix, and at least one flat to keep them in. You might already have used pots and flats lying around somewhere. Clean them first with a 10% bleach solution to kill pathogens.

Instead of trashing the failing window blinds, I cut the plastic slats, which make perfect plant labels. You can also use a plastic milk jug. Sharpie pens write smoothly, but the ink eventually fades in bright sun. Placing the label below ground or on the shady side of the plant keeps it legible for a while longer. A journal or a computer log is recommended as a backup and for additional notes.

I recently bought a few inexpensive heavy gauge flats from a big box store. Made by Ferry-Morse, they have no holes in the bottom and measure 10 x 20½” (inside diameter). They’ve proven their usefulness for holding pots of germinating seeds, so I’ll go back for several more.

Temperature For Sowing Seeds

Successful germination depends on a source of warmth if your home is on the cool side, as mine is. Although lettuce can sprout at 40-50° F, it germinates erratically or not at all above 70-75°. Other greens will get off to a better start when the soil temperature is in the 70’s to low 80’s. After germination, these seedlings will need cooler temperatures.

What are the options? Heat mats are available. One that measures 21 x 21″ consumes 45 watts of electricity and costs about $40-60. Larger commercial sizes, for 8-10 flats, cost over $125.

Maybe the top of the water heater provides suitable temperatures for starting a few pots of seeds. You might need to moderate the heat by raising the pots above the warm surface. Check them daily!

Miniature Incandescent Christmas Lights

These brassica seeds germinated overnight, above the mini lights.

I use indoor/outdoor miniature incandescent Christmas lights for warmth—not light—under the seeded flats. One 100-bulb string of lights (approximately 40 watts) on the hard floor of the spare bedroom and covered with 6 upside-down mesh flats (photo, above) works for me. Their gentle warmth is distributed over a large area, so I can start many flats of seeded pots at one time.

Be careful not to crush any bulbs, as this can cause remaining bulbs to burn hotter or to go out entirely. Don’t use higher wattage bulbs. Safety first!

You might want to test this layout before proceeding. Perhaps you have a folding table or counter space in the utility room that could serve this purpose.

When that greenhouse kit gets built, I’ll probably start seeds out there. Indoor space is very limited, and plants fill every bright window. Now that the knee replacement has improved mobility, I’ll work on a more efficient infrastructure for sowing seeds and transitioning them to outdoor growing. Maybe I’ll start seeds indoors and grow them on in the minimally heated greenhouse; it all depends on the severity of the weather and electric rates.

Preparing Pots For Sowing Seeds

A flat of seeds over mini lights, with plastic to hold the warmth until seeds germinate.

I start over 200 varieties of plants for the farmers’ markets, so many of the flats are shifted around almost daily. After the first round of seedlings has been transplanted, I start another. Some varieties need more time to sprout, while others, such as arugula, germinate in just 2 days.

A sheet of clear plastic over the flats holds in humidity and warmth from the mini lights. Labels identifying each variety hold the plastic above the soil. For good air circulation and to let condensation evaporate, keep the plastic open on the edges.

Light For Germinating Seeds

Your seedlings must receive direct sunlight or strong artificial light as soon as they emerge from the soil. One or two days in inadequate light will cause the seedlings to weaken and stretch toward the light, so don’t delay getting them into the sun.

From horticultural supply companies, you can find ready-to-assemble light stands with shelves and LED fixtures. There’s one with 3 shelves, six 4′ LED tubes, and an attractive powder-coated aluminum frame that costs $1,000. Smaller units for 1-3 flats are more affordable at $100-400. They might give off enough warmth to satisfy the need for warm soil. One advantage in using this setup is that the light fixture above each shelf sustains transplanted seedlings for 2-3 weeks as long as the temperature is at acceptable levels. Cool season greens do best with a drop in temperature (below 60-65°) after germination.

You won’t need advanced carpentry skills to put something together yourself. One or two 4′ long shop lights each fitted with 2 daylight (full spectrum) tubes (LED or fluorescent) cost $30-70. Use 2 x 4’s for the supporting framework or suspend the fixture under a table. Chains and S-hooks raise or lower the fixture, or simply elevate the seed trays to get them closer to the light.

In My Basement

In the basement and over two 6′ tables, I nailed chains and rope to the floor joists and positioned the lights as needed (photo, above). I’ve used these fixtures for decades to start seeds and root cuttings, to rehabilitate plants, and to grow delicate species and stock plants.

Plants that need strong light (vegetables, herbs, succulents) grow only 3-4″ below the tubes; 12″ below the tubes, however, is too far away. Light intensity drops precipitously with each inch of distance from the light source. Running the fixtures for 16-18 hours per day should supply enough energy for the plants to grow normally.

Seedlings won’t mind 24/7 lighting over the short term. Not turning the lights on and off every day adds to their longevity.

I prefer to start seeds without relying on electricity, using just the sun. But, at times, starting seeds under these light fixtures is convenient, particularly when they can grow there for a week or two before I’m able to transplant them.

Natural Sunlight And Temperature

sowing seeds, small transplanted seedlings

Seedlings and fresh transplants enjoy the protected space on the porch.

Newly transplanted seedlings go out to the sunny enclosed porch (photo, above), which faces south. I usually keep them there, in bright but filtered sun, for their first 1-2 days. On an overcast, calm day, new transplants can go outside if the temperature is above 50°. When the wind’s blowing, though, I keep the flats on the porch and vent the plastic to admit cool air. The enclosed porch—when the plastic “door” is closed—heats up to 90° or higher on a sunny winter day.

For a few nights when the porch was too cold for young plants, I brought them back indoors. Now, at the end of February, dozens of flats stay outside on woven ground cover (a durable polypropylene fabric), hugging the wall of the porch. That’s on the south side of my house, a warm microclimate. There’s less wind here and nighttime temperatures rise a few degrees above areas farther from the house.

Success depends on temperature, so I check expected hourly temperatures daily and the forecast for the coming week. I cover the flats with plastic or an old sheet when they need a little protection. But, at this stage, they’re becoming more resilient to temperature fluctuations.

In the morning, I’ll remove the plastic and let them bask in the sunshine. Those little seedlings double in size in a week, and roots are filling the pots. Almost ready for the market!

How Low Can They Go?

Maturing seedlings of cool season greens tolerate temperatures in the high 20’s and 30’s. They’ll take temperatures lower than that when they’re a bit older and planted in the garden. Remember, this regimen applies to cool season greens and vegetables, not to main (summer) season crops, which need a frost-free environment.

In this part of northern North Carolina, elevation 1200′, late February temperatures range from the mid- to high 50’s in the daytime to the mid-30’s at night. Keep in mind that those are averages and that actual temperatures can vary considerably from the average.

As an experiment, I left 3 containers of newly transplanted ‘Freckles’ lettuce seedlings outside, exposed to 21-22° on 2 nights. They’re fine! Lettuce resists damage better than some of the other crops.

One Step At A Time

We don’t want to subject tender seedlings only a few days old to the rigors of outdoor conditions, especially freezes and wind. Indoor-grown seedlings that received less than adequate sunlight will need a more gradual transition. Some will thrive, while others—the spindly, weak ones—will sulk or die.

When in doubt, proceed in incremental steps—gradually lowering the temperature and introducing seedlings to increasing sun and wind speeds. (For summer vegetables, harsh sunlight is another factor to consider.) This is called hardening off. Assuming the weather cooperates, vegetable plants can be hardened off within one week.

Root systems grow quite fast in order to supply water to foliage and stems. Leaves adapt to prevailing outdoor conditions, growing a thicker cuticle. The cuticle is a protective waxy outer layer over the epidermis, designed to slow moisture loss from within the leaves.

Growing On To Transplant Size

brassica seedlings hardening off outdoors

Broccoli, turnip greens, cabbage, and arugula seedlings hardening off next to the porch.

Choose a location where your plants can grow for another 2-3 weeks before they’re planted out. Maybe that’s a sheltered patio or the sunny side of a carport. You might need to take them indoors for the night if it’s too cold.

Check local weather reports, paying close attention to nighttime temperatures. If the cool season greens have been properly hardened off, they shouldn’t be damaged by temperatures around 30°F. After the first week, they’ll tolerate temperatures down to the mid-20’s, and some even lower.

Research the varieties you’re growing. A few cool season vegetables, such as ‘Tokyo Bekana’ Chinese cabbage, tatsoi, and Swiss chard exposed to extended periods of cold weather might bolt (flower prematurely) before reaching full size. Have an old sheet or floating row fabric available to cover them on cold nights. I’d rather plant these crops and take a chance with the weather than let them get potbound in their cell packs.

Soil warmed by the sun lends some protection to plants in the ground. Or you could repot them into 1-2″ larger containers and protect them indoors at night if it’s still too cold.

Alternatively, a caterpillar tunnel or similar clear covering placed over the garden row can protect transplants during a stretch of freezing weather. Vent it in the daytime to prevent overheating. A cold frame helps plants transition to outdoor conditions.

Good planning includes preparing garden soil so it will be ready to receive your transplants when that moment arrives.

Agricultural extension offices print spreadsheets online that indicate when to plant seeds or transplants into the garden. This guideline for sowing seeds helps keep North Carolina gardeners on track, although we need to heed local weather forecasts.

Fertilizer

Lack of fertilizer in ‘Freckles’ lettuce compared to 2 pots that were fertilized.

Potting soil normally doesn’t remain fertile for more than 2 or 3 weeks unless timed-release fertilizer is included in the mix. The package’s ingredients label should indicate whether or not fertilizer has been added. To maintain steady growth of seedlings, fertilize with a product formulated for greens or vegetables every 2 weeks starting 2-3 weeks after germination.

Rain and frequent irrigation rapidly leach the primary nutrient needed for greens—nitrogen—through the soil. Running low in nitrogen stresses plants, and they might not recover when they’re planted. Always keep these seedlings evenly moist—but not wet—to prevent checking their growth. Heavy rain necessitates more frequent fertilization (photo, above).

From speaking with my customers over the years, it appears that many are hesitant to use any kind of fertilizer on edible plants. Fertilizer is not toxic! Organic sources and chemical (or synthetic) sources of fertilizer break down to the same molecules, and the plant, to a large degree, decides which ones to absorb. Organics add other beneficial nutrients to the soil.

In cold soil, microbes that break down fertilizer into usable forms are not active. So, using a synthetic fertilizer in winter supplies the needed nutrients until the ground warms up. Otherwise, I do prefer organic fertilizers in all my gardens. Used frequently, chemical fertilizer kills microbes and earthworms living in the soil.

Continued on Page 2.

Headings:

Page 1: Sowing Seeds For The First Crops: Too Early? (“How do I use these greens?”), Preparing To Sow Seeds (Temperature For Sowing Seeds, Miniature Incandescent Christmas Lights, Preparing Pots For Sowing Seeds, Light For Germinating Seeds, In My Basement, Natural Sunlight And Temperature, How Low Can They Go?, One Step At A Time), Growing On To Transplant Size (Fertilizer)

Page 2: Sowing Seeds: The Process, Transplanting Into Larger Containers (The Process, Sowing Seeds and Transplanting In Multiples)

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Pages: 1 2

Seedlings For Your Garden: 12 Tips

Jun27

2022

Starting Seedlings For Your Garden

Busy spring! This lengthy article focuses on starting and caring for seedlings and getting them established in the garden. If I’m not working on the seedlings, I’m working in the gardens, creating new beds and expanding those started last fall and winter. Winter weather was delightfully mild to allow planting right through the cold season. The weeds and I have come to an understanding, and in the next article, I’ll tell you how in “Patches for Pollinators”.

Foremost on the agenda has been starting plants to sell at our local Elkin Farmers’ Market. It’s been a challenge this year, keeping plants in good condition with high heat, heavy humidity, and frequent rainstorms. If I had a climate-controlled greenhouse, there might have been fewer losses. But, for the most part, my company, Wellspring Gardens, is producing more seedlings than I can sell at the market.

Some of that overproduction is destined for the vegetable gardens. It will yield small harvests of produce to sell at the market in addition to what’s needed in the kitchen. This is new territory for me, adding produce to the plants offered at the farmers’ market.

I might even consider canning, which I’ve never done…but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. That would be helpful, though, considering the rapidly rising prices at the grocery store. For that reason alone—the impact of rampant inflation on our wallets—it’s wise to learn how to grow at least a few vegetables.

The sun’s path across the sky, Charlotte NC.

Watching how the sun tracks across the sky from month to month reveals good spots for the sun worshipers and areas where leafy greens should thrive in partial sun. This is my first summer in this house. The massive oak trees create shifting shade patterns that cause me to periodically rethink the plans.

So, let’s begin!

12 Tips For Starting Seeds

1. Start with clean materials for seedlings.

Sweet pepper ‘Glow’, started in 9-cell packs.

This calls for packaged seedling mix or fine-grained potting soil. Don’t use “dirt” from the garden, with its pathogens, insects, weed seeds, and worms that disrupt soil structure around tiny roots. In addition to the unknowns lurking in garden soil, its high clay content causes drainage issues in containers.

Soil used previously for potted plants is not a good medium for your seedlings. It’s often depleted of nutrients, might contain pathogens, and the organic matter has partially decomposed. If it’s only one season old, it’s probably safe for potted annuals, when mixed with fresh potting soil, or incorporated into the backfill for that new sourwood tree. Or simply throw it under the shrubs or into the compost pile.

Because seedlings are susceptible to soil-borne diseases, play it safe and start with pasteurized bagged seedling mix or potting soil. This, however, doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome, as many disease spores are air-borne. But we can increase the odds of success by using clean materials.

When reusing cell packs, pots, and flats for seeding, wash them in a 10% bleach solution, and rinse well before proceeding. Don’t smoke around plants, and wash hands thoroughly before working with them. Tobacco and other plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae, including tomato, pepper, eggplant, and potato) can fall prey to the same disease organisms. Spores can transfer from tobacco products to your hands to the plants.

Pasteurizing Potting Soil

For bagged soil that’s questionable, you can pasteurize it in the oven. Don’t heat soil that contains timed release fertilizers. Use an oven-safe covered pot or baking dish, wet the soil, and heat the oven to 200°F. When the soil registers 140° on a meat thermometer, lower the oven temperature and maintain soil at that temperature for 30 minutes. This kills most pathogens. Wait for it to dry somewhat and to cool thoroughly before using. Various websites recommend different temperature levels from 140° to 300°. At the high end, beneficial microbes are killed off as well.

Let it cool down outdoors. Considering the pervasive “earthy” odor coming from hot soil, you might prefer buying a new bag of seedling mix or accept a small risk with the open bag in the garage.

Another method of pasteurizing (not sterilizing) soil is to place a heat-resistant container of soil in a black plastic bag. Place the bag in a sunny place outdoors on a warm day, and let the sun do the work for you. This is called solarization, and can raise the temperature inside the bag to 140-160°F. To prevent damage to the beneficial microbes, take the temperature, and maintain it at 140° for 30 minutes, opening the bag a bit to prevent overheating.

Most bagged potting soils and seedling mixes already have been heat-treated to eliminate pests. Close the bag securely and store in a cool dark place. The last and only time I pasteurized soil was nearly 50 years ago because that’s what the experts recommended.

2. Grow disease resistant varieties…

While fungicide and bactericide formulations—both organic and conventional—are available, I’d rather grow disease resistant varieties and not rely on spraying. Keep in mind that resistance is not 100% effective, particularly when plants are exposed to stressful weather or cultural conditions.

Certain varieties are more flavorful than others, but all well-grown fruits and vegetables from your own garden taste better than those purchased from grocery stores. Picked when vine-ripened perfect, anything coming from the garden will be superior to what’s found elsewhere except, perhaps, at farmers’ markets and farm stands. Freshly picked produce also has the highest nutrient content.

Digging in the garden is great exercise; proceed slowly at first. Working outside in nature feels good, and self-sufficiency is never amiss. A few steps from the back door gathering a green onion, spinach, dinosaur kale, and a little ripe sweet pepper for the veggie omelet is more rewarding than I can describe. You’ll see!

Those are just a few of the many benefits of growing our own vegetables. Using disease resistant varieties, if available, makes the job so much easier. Many new gardeners gave up after having suffered the disappointment of losing an entire crop to early blight or bacterial leaf spot. And we also have to deal with deer, rabbits, and insects!

Although this article concentrates primarily on edibles, flowering plants also have their own set of disease organisms. Again, look for resistant varieties, grow them in conditions that don’t favor infection, and look for remedies at the garden center.

…Especially Tomato Seedlings

Disease beginning on ‘Rutgers’ tomato.

Tomatoes and peppers, two of the most popular crops for home vegetable gardens, are vulnerable to many diseases. They’re caused by fungal, bacterial, or viral pathogens. In some areas, nematodes also can be a problem. Usually, we can harvest some fruits before disease claims them, but resistant plants last longer in the garden. Plants infected with viruses should be removed and destroyed. For fungal and bacterial pathogens, products at garden centers will help. Always read the labels.

Tomato diseases include Alternaria stem canker, early blight, late blight (Phytophthora; very few varieties are resistant to this one), Fusarium wilt, grey leaf spot, leaf mold, tobacco mosaic virus, tomato mosaic virus, tomato spotted wilt virus, and Verticillium wilt. Catalog listings use initials to indicate disease resistance. For tomatoes, AS, EB, LB, F, GLS, LM, TMV, ToMV, TSWV, and V, respectively, represent those diseases.

Tomatoes are weedy plants and normally produce good crops, despite many organisms that target them. Peppers are susceptible to several races of bacterial leaf spot, and basil to basil downy mildew. Some zinnias are plagued by powdery mildew. Weather conditions, such as high humidity and frequent rain, exacerbate these disease problems.

Most hybrid (or “F1”) tomatoes have some resistance to one or more pathogens, but not to all of them. ‘Big Beef Plus’ is resistant to a wide variety of diseases. ‘Damsel’ and ‘Defiant PhR’ are resistant to late blight. Hybrid seeds carry a higher price than open pollinated varieties due to the cost of research that developed them and the extra steps needed to produce hybrid seeds each year.

It’s so hot out there!

If you live in a hot climate, look for tomato varieties that have been bred to produce better at high temperatures. The pollen in tomatoes and peppers, and others, can die at high temperatures. While these plants are comfortable at 65-80°F, pollen dies above 88°, 90°, or 92°, depending on the cultivar. No pollination = no fruits! A reference to “heat” or to the “south” in the plant’s variety name indicates its higher tolerance for heat.

Researchers are investigating thermo-tolerant genetics in wild tomato species (Solanum pimpinellifolium) and incorporating them in tomato breeding programs.

One trick to preserve viable pollen is lightly shading the plant in the hot afternoon hours. Attach shade fabric—a black woven mesh—to a support over and on the west side of the tomato or pepper plants. This provides a decrease of up to several degrees in hot climates or temporarily during a heat wave. In the photo, above, mesh bags from the grocery store protect fruits from squirrels and sun scald, and lightly shade new flowers and their pollen from high heat.

The young ‘Estiva’ tomato plants (“estiva” refers to summer), a hybrid bred for heat tolerance and great taste, lost most of their diseased bottom leaves in heavy rains, but those little fruits are still growing! I’ll plant them out this weekend, after the temperatures drop well below the 108° heat index value we have now. Recent weather has been in the record-breaking mid- to high 90’s F, with high humidity. Not my favorite conditions to dig in the garden…so I don’t. I was not bred for heat tolerance!

***Update***: ‘Estiva’ tomatoes endured this hot summer and produced fruits past the first fall frosts. I covered them on chilly nights to ripen the last of the fruits. These were among the last tomatoes to succumb to the cold, in mid-November. Autumn 2022

A Few More Tomato Tips

Your best defense against tomato disease, in addition to growing disease resistant varieties, includes these tips:

Stake them. Tall indeterminate types need a 6-8′ tall stake, taller for some.
Space them farther apart, at least 3½-4′.
Thin the vines to 3 or 4 main stems by removing excess suckers.
Remove leaves on the bottom 12″ of the plants after they’ve become established.
Locate them where a breeze blows through the garden. These first 5 tips address increasing air circulation around and through the tomato plants.
Give them lots of direct sun—a minimum of 7 or 8 hours. The more sun they receive, the shorter the window of opportunity for pathogens to germinate on damp leaf surfaces.
Mulch the soil under the plants to prevent disease spores lying dormant in the soil from splashing onto and infecting the foliage. More on Page 4.
Water in the morning to early afternoon so all foliage is dry going into the night. Try to keep the foliage dry at all times and avoid handling wet foliage.
Water established plants heavily (1½”/week) when needed, but avoid giving little sips every day. Young seedlings need more frequent watering until their root systems expand.
Clip off leaves that show early symptoms (yellowing, spotting), and dip your pruners in alcohol when moving from plant to plant.
Don’t smoke near the garden, and wash hands thoroughly before working with plants.
Rotate your crops. Don’t plant a member of the Solanaceae family where any members have grown in the past 3-4 years. There’s more about crop rotation on Page 4.

All plants grown with good soil preparation, good air circulation, proper watering techniques, adequate sun, and appropriate fertilization are less stressed. Less stress equates to lower infection rates.

Growing Heirloom Seedlings

: These “black” heirloom tomatoes are higher in beneficial pigments called anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants. ‘Cherokee Purple’ (above) originated near the NC/TN border, and had been grown by the Cherokee for generations before seeds became widely available in the early 1990’s. ‘Black Prince’ (left), is a high-yielding variety, shown before fruits darkened.

Heirloom tomatoes are always in demand because of their exceptionally good flavor. Heirlooms are open pollinated, which means gardeners can save seeds from fully ripened fruits each year for the next season’s garden. Because they’re not F1 hybrids but have been breeding true, for the most part, for many decades, heirlooms retain their traits from one generation to the next.

These varieties, however, don’t have much built-in disease resistance. Nevertheless, I’m growing a few heirlooms, and spacing them 4′ apart for improved air circulation. We’ll see what happens.

Commercially grown tomatoes must be able to survive long distance transportation and handling without damage. They’re picked early, when green or first showing color. Varieties of these tomatoes have skins that normally are tougher.

Heirloom tomatoes have more desirable thinner skins and, therefore, travel poorly. So, you won’t see them in grocery stores unless those stores buy from local farms. Heirloom tomatoes from the grocery store might cost $5.00/lb. or more! So, yes, it is worth growing a couple of heirloom tomato plants in our gardens.

A few prolonged and heavy rainy periods this spring almost wiped out certain tomato varieties, namely ‘Carmello’, ‘Brandywine’, and ‘German Johnson’. I still have a few that show less damage than others. ‘Black Krim’ and ‘Cherokee Purple’ are doing fairly well, although they are heirlooms. Most of the remaining plants will be set in the garden. There’s usually a breeze blowing through the property, and by spacing them appropriately, I should get plenty of fruits.

Basil Downy Mildew

First symptom of BDM: yellow blotches between the main veins.

Although this dreaded disease targets only basil, it hasn’t appeared yet this year. But I’m prepared.

Last year, I grew ‘Rutgers Obsession DMR’ (DMR = Downy Mildew Resistant), an acceptable substitute for our beloved ‘Genovese’ and other susceptible sweet basils. Last year’s ‘Obsession’ did not develop any basil downy mildew (BDM)—not one speck—although wet and humid weather presented a worthy challenge. Other basil varieties in the ground or in pots succumbed to the disease within a week of infection…even young seedlings.

This year, I’m growing ‘Rutgers Obsession DMR’ and also ‘Rutgers Devotion DMR’ outside all summer. In addition, I’m seeding the old favorites, including ‘Genovese’, ‘Italian Large Leaf’, Thai basil ‘Siam Queen’, ‘Marseillais Dwarf’, and ‘Tuscany’, a lettuce-leaf basil. A few non-resistant basil plants will come indoors at night when warranted, as described below. But I’ll stop seeding susceptible varieties, except for a few pots, and concentrate on the resistant ones for the farmers’ market if the disease appears in the neighborhood.

Several other BDM resistant varieties can be purchased as seeds or as started plants.

Avoid High Humidity

Healthy sweet basil, in a pot.

If you want to grow your favorite basil varieties that are not resistant to BDM, there is a way to prevent a total loss.

BDM spores move up from the south on the breeze or on infected plants shipped into the area. The spores don’t overwinter in cold climates. If spores land on a susceptible variety, they need a relative humidity above 80-85% for a couple of hours in order to germinate.

Even during pleasant weather, the relative humidity can reach 90% or higher in the 2-3 hours around dawn. That’s when the temperature is usually the coolest and, therefore, the relative humidity is the highest.

When plants show early symptoms of BDM, remove the affected leaves. Take potted basil plants indoors for the night, every night. Indoor conditions never reach those high humidity levels, so you can still grow your preferred basil varieties successfully with a little effort. Remember to place the plants back outdoors after the sun has been up for a couple of hours.

Follow this regimen during rainy weather, although the plants might need to spend a day or two inside. Find the brightest spot to keep them during their temporary stay indoors. If possible, provide some artificial light. Unless it’s wilting, avoid watering basil indoors. Less sunlight means the plant won’t be photosynthesizing optimally or using much water, and wet soil can initiate root rot.

Headings

Page 1: 1. Start with clean materials for seedlings. (Pasteurizing Potting Soil), 2. Grow disease resistant varieties… (…Especially Tomato Seedlings, It’s so hot out there!, A Few More Tomato Tips, Growing Heirloom Seedlings, Basil Downy Mildew, Avoid High Humidity)

Page 2: 3. Timing is important for seedlings. (The Fall Growing Season, Keeping Records, The Cooperative Extension Service, Starting Seedlings Outdoors, Don’t Start Seedlings Too Early, Cool Season Crops, Extending the Growing Season, Seedlings Transplanted Into Bigger Pots, Bunching Onions, The Brassicas, Brassicas In My Garden, Lettuce), 4. Is the temperature suitable for seedlings? (Miniature Incandescent Lights For Warmth, Water Temperature)

Page 3: 5. Start seedlings in small batches. (My Simple Infrastructure), 6. Seedlings need strong light. (Growing Seedlings Under Shop Lights), 7. Cull the weaklings and anomalies. 8. Prevent damping-off disease from killing your seedlings. (Actinovate), 9. Seedlings and plants need fertilizer. (The Elements, Read the Label)

Page 4: 10. Prepare the soil for your transplants. (Start With Good Drainage, Air Pore Space, Gypsum and Lime, Add Nutrient-Rich Amendments, Bury It), 11. Try succession planting for maximum yield. (Crop Rotation, Mulch), 12. Stop the pests before they ruin your garden. (Slugs and Snails, Larvae of Moths and Butterflies, Spider Mites and Thrips, Deer and Rabbits), Concluding

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Microgreens: Healthy and So Easy To Grow!

Oct28

2020, updated 2/5/2024

Mmm…Microgreens!

A mixture of microgreens, primarily brassicas, and a few beets.

Here’s an easy way to grow nutrient-dense plants in a tiny space without lifting a trowel. Have you ever tried growing microgreens? This is such a simple method of incorporating the most concentrated sources of antioxidants and other nutrients into your diet.

Maybe you’re not sure about all those supplements in the health food store, and you want to go the more natural route. Besides, the experts tell us, vitamins and minerals are best obtained from a wide variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eating from several of the plant families ensures that we get a diverse assortment of nutrients. Greens provide a hefty helping of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but missing from the plant world is Vitamin B-12. This is of particular concern among vegetarians.

Vitamin B-12 is found in seafood, meats, dairy, and fortified cereals. Because I don’t eat red meat at all, and other animal proteins only a few times per week, I take Vitamin B complex, among a few other supplements.

If you have any questions, ask your health care professional.

Why Are Microgreens So Good For Us?

Certain nutrients have gained prominence over the past decades, as research suggests their efficacy in maintaining good health. Although not among the basic food categories needed for survival (carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals), these substances help us fight or prevent many serious illnesses, including cancer. Phytonutrients, polyphenols, prebiotics, and antioxidants—oh, my! Sure, it can be confusing.

Research indicates that microgreens have between 4 and 40 times more nutrients than a similar amount of the full grown crops. That’s all it took to convince me!

Seed suppliers sell individual varieties as well as mixtures. Accordingly, they’ll vary in color and flavor. The mixtures I use are primarily composed of the brassicas, and here’s why…

**The Brassicaceae Family**

Arugula ‘Astro’ seedlings.

Let’s start with the First Family of Plant Nutrition, the cabbage and broccoli relatives. Plant taxonomists changed the name of this family from Cruciferae to Brassicaceae (“brass·i·kay’·see·ee”), but the terms cruciferous vegetable, brassica, and cole crops refer to the same group of plants. These brassicas have uniquely beneficial properties that set them apart from other plant families.

I’ve written many times in The Farm In My Yard about the health benefits of these plants. If you do just one thing to improve your diet, start with the brassicas. It helps that these microgreens are really easy to grow.

This family comprises many types of super-healthy plants. I include at least one in my diet every day: arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mizuna, mustard greens, pac choi, tatsoi, turnip greens, and others.

I’ll prepare the broccoli, for example, steamed, in a stir-fry, or lightly cooked with garlic, olive oil, and mushrooms. Brassicas make healthful additions to pasta dishes, homemade or store-bought soups, pizza, omelets, smoothies, and salads.

You can harvest brassicas grown as microgreens within 3-4 weeks of sowing. Give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for optimal growth. With less than ideal conditions, you’ll still be able to harvest greens, but they’ll take longer to grow and they might lack some color. For the full complement of phytonutrients, though, give them sun.

Health Benefits of the Brassicas

Adopting a healthy lifestyle presupposes dropping some bad habits, and incorporating those that contribute to greater longevity. Adding half a cup of microgreens might not negate the harm done by smoking or your daily dose of mac and cheese, but it’s a start. Consuming foods from the brassica group helps:

reduce inflammation
slow the aging process (skin, eyes, joints, brain, vascular system)
reduce the chances of getting age-related macular degeneration and cataracts
reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia

These greens and vegetables contain varying amounts of Vitamins A, B complex, C, E, and K. They contain calcium, fats (Omega-3), fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, protein, zinc, and more. Some of these nutrients are among the dozens of types of antioxidants, which neutralize potentially harmful free radicals.

What Are Free Radicals?

Remember learning about atoms, electrons, and protons? Well, here’s a summary:

The atom contains protons and neutrons in the positively-charged nucleus. The nucleus accounts for more than 99.9% of the atom’s mass. Surrounding the nucleus are the orbits, or shells, which hold the negatively-charged electrons. Up to two electrons fill the inner shell (“1 shell”), up to eight electrons fill the next shell (“2 shell”) and other shells contain up to 2 times the square of the shell number.

The number of protons (equal to the atomic number in the periodic table) distinguishes oxygen from carbon or sulfur or any other element. A stable atom, one that is inert, has an equal number of protons and electrons. Atoms of different elements bond together to form molecules, such as sugar, proteins, and water.

In order to become stable, atoms must complete their outer shells. They do that by stealing one or more electrons from, or giving them to, another atom. The outer shell is where chemical reactions with other atoms take place. Chemical bonds hold the atoms together. When weak bonds split between atoms or molecules, free radicals are formed.

These unstable free radicals seek to steal electrons from nearby molecules. This sets up a chain reaction of instability—one molecule stealing from another molecule—causing oxidative stress. This cascade of interactions is what can damage our cells. Cancer and other inflammatory diseases can begin if the disruption occurs near cell nuclei or membranes.

Those free radicals form in response to stresses in our bodies, including pollutants and toxins in our cells and bloodstream, and enzymes present in the normal process of digestion. We are healthier if there are more antioxidants than free radicals in our systems.

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. They can be vitamins, minerals, or any of the many thousands of phytonutrients. Deep green, red, orange, and other colorful plant pigments are loaded with antioxidants.

Vitamin E is the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant, and might protect us from heart disease by limiting LDL (low-density lipoprotein) oxidation and plaque formation.

Vitamin C is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant. It, too, donates electrons to free radicals, ending the damaging cascade of instability. Vitamin C shows promise in the fight against cancer, especially types that affect the mouth, larynx, and esophagus. (Discuss diagnoses and treatments with your doctor.)

In recent studies, researchers used isotopes to track the uptake of these nutrients. They associate antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, with possible avenues of cancer treatment.

Glucosinolates

Phytonutrients are a major category of nutrients found in the brassicas. Of particular interest among this group are the glucosinolates, which include sulforaphanes. These substances are not found in significant amounts—or at all—in any other family of plants. These compounds, numbering more than 100 kinds, are key players in lowering the risk of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Different phytonutrients are found in brassicas eaten raw and in those which are cooked.

That’s why this is my go-to vegetable family. Every day. While preparing these greens for cooking, I also eat a few raw pieces. When possible, I’ll cut or chop the broccoli or kale (or any brassica) and let it “rest” on the kitchen counter for 30-60 minutes, so the enzyme, myrosinase, can start transforming precursors of sulforaphanes into the sulforaphanes themselves in the damaged plant cells. Heat destroys this essential enzyme, so we would miss out on those powerful sulforaphanes if we cooked the greens right away. Eating raw brassicas also delivers the benefit of sulforaphanes. Broccoli sprouts contain the highest amounts of these beneficial nutrients.

Before you think you’re protected because of the three little broccoli florets you just had with your steak dinner, think again. Consider making brassicas and other vegetables the main attraction, and using chicken, beef, or pork as condiments. If this is too big a leap, try adding more vegetables and decreasing the amount of meat consumed over time. Baby steps are better than not moving at all.

Cabbage Red Cabbage Blue Cabbage - manfredrichter / Pixabay

Mature red cabbage, one of the brassicas.

Other Plant Families for Microgreens, Sprouts, or Shoots

**The Amaranthaceae Family**

Amaranth, beets, quinoa, spinach, and Swiss chard are members of this family. Because of the higher oxalate content in this group, check with your doctor if you’re prone to kidney stones. Lots of pigments are found in amaranth, beet greens, and ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard, adding color to your clippings.

**The Amaryllidaceae Family**

This is the onion group, which also includes garlic, green onion, leeks, and shallots. Seedlings are very finely textured and take longer to grow.

**The Apiaceae Family**

Many useful herbs and vegetables belong to this family: carrot, chervil, cilantro, cutting celery, dill, fennel, parsley. All can be grown as microgreens.

**The Asteraceae Family**

This group includes endive, the lettuces, single marigold, radicchio, and sunflowers. Look for varieties that have red pigments, which have more anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants.

**The Cucurbitaceae Family**

Cucumber, melons, and squash plants have large seed leaves, so the seeds are sown father apart.

Grains and Legumes

Alfalfa, barley, oats, rice, winter wheat; chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, pea and pea tendrils.

Microgreens on caprese salad.

Headings

Page 1: Mmm…Microgreens!, Why Are Microgreens So Good For Us? (The Brassicaceae Family, Health Benefits of the Brassicas, What Are Free Radicals?, What Are Antioxidants?, Glucosinolates), and Other Plant Families For Microgreens, Sprouts, or Shoots

Page 2: What Are Microgreens?, What Are Shoots?, What Are Sprouts?, and How To Grow Microgreens, (How To Use Microgreens, The Container, The Soil, The Seeds, Maintenance, Yellow Leaves?)

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10 Tips for Protecting Cool Season Vegetables

Dec16

2019

updated 3/1/2024

Here are 10 Tips for protecting cool season vegetables from freezing temperatures.

Cool season vegetables: from the top, broccoli, leeks, ‘Red Russian’ kale, light green mustard greens, and collards.

Ready For Fall?

Throughout parts of the United States, and in chilly climates everywhere, gardeners are scrambling to save their tender plants. Most of us have brought in all the houseplants. More laissez-faire gardeners do nothing special to extend the season, beyond harvesting the last of the cherry tomatoes and clearing out the frosted vines.

And there are those of us who strive to keep cool season vegetables growing even in winter. And we’ll plant more of them! Soon I’ll transplant ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’ spinach seedlings into pots, to grow on the deck through the winter. This French heirloom spinach has huge leaves with a milder flavor. It has lower levels of oxalates, so those who have been advised to avoid eating spinach might be able to eat this variety. Ask your doctor.

In early October, I planted 2 dozen onion sets (for green onions) in a 12″ pot on the deck. Green onions are ready for harvest, in mild weather, only a few weeks after planting the sets. To preserve them in the cold, I’ll cover them with plastic sheeting (Tip #2). Green and bunching onions grow more slowly in cold weather.

I planted more sets every couple of weeks and will soon plant the remaining bulbs before they dry up. A favorite bunching onion called ‘Nabechan’ has straight sides. Not having a bulb at the bottom makes it easier to harvest. Sets are not available for bunching onions, though, so they must be started from seeds.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

The USDA plant hardiness zone map.

Potted cool season vegetables will grow under a plastic covering in cold weather. To extend the season, strings of miniature incandescent Christmas lights (Tip #6) will raise the temperature to more comfortable levels. Later in this article, I will list all 10 Tips for protecting crops in winter.

Starting with the simplest ideas and progressing to the more advanced methods, find the level you’re most comfortable with this season. Your budget, your USDA plant hardiness zone (photo, above), and the types of crops themselves must factor into your decision.

As you gain confidence and become more motivated to keep the garden producing, you might decide to try the next level. Cost savings realized by growing your own fresh food might justify the expense of new materials.

It’s only through experimentation, by taking a chance, that you might discover all the opportunities—and the limits—of gardening challenges. This is how green thumbs are cultivated.

If you’ve never grown cool season vegetables, several articles at The Farm In My Yard provide detailed information to get you started. For a greater understanding of any issue, enter the term in the search bar or click it in the tag cloud.

The Advantage of This Latitude

I’ve been growing greens in winter for decades, for my customers and for my family. Fortunately for us, living in the southeast doesn’t present as difficult a winter hardship as would living in Montreal, Montana, or Scotland. But there are options for just about every climate.

There’s no substitute for stepping outside and collecting a green onion, a mild mustard leaf, and some kale and spinach for our Sunday morning omelet. We pick what we need when we need it.

Succession Planting: Warm, Then Cool Season Vegetables

Because our favorite greens love cool weather, they grow in the garden after the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers have been harvested. So, with some planning, you can schedule a succession of crops. When one crop finishes up, new transplants or seeds are ready to take its place. Now, that’s an efficient use of space!

Cool season vegetables and greens replace summer tomatoes and peppers. Plastic protects plants on very cold nights and the netting deters deer.

Radishes, beets, spinach, and other fast-growing plants can be sown directly into the garden in late summer to early autumn. After they’ve been harvested, there might be time for another quick fall crop.

Certain greens and root vegetables have a shorter window of time during which they retain the best quality. So don’t let them linger in the garden. On the other hand, some cool season vegetables can be harvested over many months of growing! That’s at a time when there are fewer weeds, fewer bugs, and less drought to worry about.

If the weather is still warm for the first round of seeds, look for varieties of cool season vegetables that are more heat tolerant. Some catalogs indicate the preferred soil temperature for each crop, or you can get that information from your agricultural extension office. Soil temperature can be lowered by irrigating during hot weather. Additionally, frames covered with knitted shade cloth, made from black polyethylene (available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and others), provide consistent shade until the weather cools. That bit of shade can make the difference between seeds germinating in August or having to wait until late September to sow them.

Here in zone 7b (average lowest winter temperatures 5° to 10°F), we enjoy productive edible crops and herbs in the garden year-round…with some protection in winter, of course. But we’ve also grown them in colder Maryland winters.

Because I’ve been “advised” by the HOA to stop growing vegetables in the garden (photo, above), they’re now in pots (photo, below) on the fenced deck. (Note to self: next move, no HOA!) Young ‘Aspabroc’ miniature broccoli plants grow in a 20″ pot, where a tomato grew during in the summer. Italian parsley lasts all winter, and sharp-tipped pine cones discourage squirrels.

***Update***: In October, 2021, after my mother passed away, I moved to a small town in northern North Carolina. More property, more nature, woods in the back (where a bobcat and I came face-to-face!), no traffic, gorgeous topography, great friends, just a couple of degrees cooler than Charlotte, and no HOA to tell me what I must or can’t do on my property. 3/1/2024

‘Aspabroc’ miniature broccoli and parsley.

Peas…Yummy!

Peas grow best in the garden’s “shoulder seasons”. That’s when temperatures can be cool to warm, and when frost is no surprise. So, before the end of tomato and pepper season, you can sow a pack of pea seeds next to a trellis and begin harvesting two months later.

Edible podded snap peas and snow peas are absolutely delicious. Many are eaten on the spot. And because they grow vertically, the vines take up little square footage. During the shoulder seasons, in moderate climates, they don’t normally require a protective covering.

Peas growing next to the house, a warmer microclimate.

If you have facilities that can accommodate pea vines, such as a lean-to or a cool greenhouse (Tips #9, #10), this crop can be grown as the temperatures dip lower during the winter months. But there is a point below which the vines will be killed in unheated structures.

Last autumn’s loosely covered pea vines (photo, right) made it just fine through the mild winter and started bearing pods in late winter.

Look for disease resistant varieties when growing any vegetables or greens under cover. Plants are more susceptible to diseases when grown in humid conditions.

Gather Information

Get to know each crop, and how much cold it can tolerate with or without protection from freezing weather. I’ve researched calendars for scheduling vegetables in this zone and have found some of them, compared to my own experience, to be overly conservative. They restrict sowing and transplanting to a narrower period of the calendar than I’m willing to gamble with.

Gardening in a warmer microclimate offers more protection than growing plants out in the open. Planting against a sunny south-facing wall or in a protected corner out of the wind provides opportunities to extend the season.

bees and butterflies feed on nectar in winter

‘Red Russian’ kale in bud.

Kale, collards, spinach, Brussels sprouts, mustard spinach, arugula, leeks, and green onions can tolerate the coldest conditions, within reason. I cover the crops when temperatures dip below the mid 20’s. Even if they’re not covered, they will survive. But I want the plants to continue providing premium quality greens. If not stressed by very low temperatures all day and night, these crops will grow if daytime temperatures rise into the mid 40’s.

Cauliflower and ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard need to be covered earlier than other greens. Frost normally won’t kill the plants. But repeated freezing will damage the foliage, halting growth until warmer temperatures (or the protective coverings) return.

These crops and other cool season vegetables won’t need protection if grown farther south. Again, cold tolerance is variety specific, so try new cultivars now and then and see which ones work best for you. For example, ‘Green Magic’ broccoli does well when planted in early spring and again in early autumn. This variety needs a warmer temperature when forming its head. On the other hand, ‘Arcadia’ broccoli can mature in very cold weather, so this is the one I plant later in autumn. Another benefit is ‘Arcadia’s bumper crop of side shoots; in Charlotte, they produced for months.

For More Information

There is so much information online and in catalogs, books, and magazines. But, for local perspectives and information about other growing conditions, check with your agricultural extension office. And speak with helpful vendors at the neighborhood farmers’ market.

Garden clubs, botanical gardens, and garden centers selling seeds, supplies, and transplants sometimes offer classes covering various subjects. My “Cool Season Vegetables and Greens” presentations drew the most attendees. Many of my customers started with just one crop and then returned for more. A healthy addiction!

Keep Records

As you begin new garden projects, place labels with the plants, photograph progress, and take notes for future reference. Add some varieties you’ve never grown before to discover delightful new flavors. Observation of the varieties you’re growing in your garden is invaluable when planning future garden projects. There is no substitute for hands-on experience…and records of successes and failures!

Keeping detailed drawings of crop placement in the garden will help when considering crop rotation. Not growing plants from the same family in the same place every year helps decrease concentrations of pathogens and insects. But, because so many of the cool season vegetables are in the Brassicaceae family, it’s difficult to rotate these crops in our limited space.

Succession planting calls for sequential use of space, maximizing the amount of produce harvested through the seasons. It is especially important to prepare the soil before the fall or spring season, adding fresh compost, aged manure, or planting mix.

For optimal harvests, you’ll need to fertilize regularly as the plants grow. Instead of relying on memory, record the names of the products and when you applied them.

Have all underground utilities marked by your municipality before proceeding and keep a record of their locations. Call 8-1-1 to schedule an appointment.

Headings:

Page 1: Ready For Fall?, Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way (The Advantage Of This Latitude), and Succession Planting: Warm, Then Cool Season Vegetables (Peas, Yummy!, Gather Information)

Page 2: Seed or Transplant? (Seeds, Temperature, Transplants, More Favorites), Crops With Ornamental Edible Leaves (Tender Leaf Kales), Crops That Form Heads, Soil Fertility (The Importance of Microbes), Nutritional Benefits, and Ready For the 10 Tips?

Page 3: Tip #1: Move Tender Plants Indoors, Tip #2: “Quick! Cover Up!”, Tip #3: The Hot Water Bottle, Tip #4: Low Tunnels, Tip #5: Deal with the Wind, Tip #6: Add Christmas Lights, Tip #7: I’ll Have a Double

Page 4: Tip #8: A Simple Cold Frame For Cool Season Vegetables, Tip #9: A Lean-To, Tip #10: The Greenhouse, Finally!

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Growing Basil In Pots: How and Why

May2

2019

updated 3/5/2024

Why Should We Grow Basil in Pots?

‘Valentino’, a lettuce leaf basil, normally is light green in color.

This year, I’ll grow basil in pots. It’s too early to grow basil outdoors, but I am starting seeds now for early sales (transplants and cut herbs) at the farmers’ markets.

Although summer thunderstorms are most welcome after a dry patch, that’s when Basil Downy Mildew becomes a real problem. In this article, I’ll describe the disease and offer tips for growing perfect basil once again.

Basil Downy Mildew was first described in Uganda in the 1930’s. It has been a serious problem in the United States since 2007, when it first appeared in Florida. The disease now has appeared in most of the U.S. and elsewhere around the globe. I lived in Maryland at the time of the first outbreak and was selling plants at farmers’ markets and garden shows.

How To Recognize Basil Downy Mildew

The leaves of affected plants become speckled in pale green or yellowish blotches, mostly bordered by the main veins. Eventually, entire leaves turn pale green.

: Yellow areas between the veins.

: Center leaf beginning to grow pale.

A coating of grayish felt, visible at dawn, covers the bottom of the leaf. Soon afterward, small black dots appear. Those black dots (sporangia) released their spores, which will infect other basil plants. The plant looks sickly, as if it needs fertilizer…or something…and never again has that healthy basil look.

: Black sporangia on reverse.

: Advanced BDM.

Do you recognize some of these symptoms? These characteristics are diagnostic for Basil Downy Mildew. (***Update***: Photograph above, left, was taken at a Charlotte garden center on May 20, 2019. BDM arrived early that year.)

Spores float on air currents, usually migrating north from infected southern-grown plants. They also can be carried on seeds or spread from overwintering local greenhouse plants.

Humidity that rises higher than 85% for a few hours is sufficient to initiate this infection on susceptible varieties. Other water molds affect coleus and seed-grown impatiens, but only basil (Ocimum basilicum) can catch this one. And its name is Peronospora belbahrii.

Can we do something for our beloved basil?…

Easy Solution: Basil In Pots

…Yes we can! Growing basil in pots is the answer! Take the pots indoors in rainy weather to prevent spores from germinating.

But that’s not the only time basil is susceptible to this disease. Nighttime humidity levels can rise quite high even on a day that was perfectly clear and comfortable. When the temperature drops through the night, the lowest temperature usually occurs right around dawn. When the temperature drops to its lowest measurement, the relative humidity increases to the highest level.

Check your local weather report early in the morning. Look for the relative humidity measurement, which can be 85% or 95% at dawn. Rain doesn’t even have to be in the forecast. With spores in the air and basil exposed to high relative humidity, it will become infected. The spores need a few hours of these conditions to germinate. Fortunately, normal indoor conditions never come close to those levels of humidity.

Every year that I moved them indoors at night, the potted basil plants remained BDM free. And almost every year I grew basil outside, BDM was inevitable.

None of the relatively non-toxic sprays I tested worked well enough. But I prefer to not spray herbs at all. Some cultivars introduced over the past several years are recommended as having “some tolerance to Basil Downy Mildew”…but they still can develop the disease in humid areas.

New Varieties

Fortunately, new varieties promise “high tolerance to BDM”. Rutgers University and Van Drunen Farms developed resistant varieties that are available to growers, and, more recently, to retail customers. A huge demand for production of basil downy mildew resistant varieties is driving the research.

(***Update***: Basil ‘Obsession’, from Rutgers, has grown extremely well this summer, and with no BDM. I’ll take some cuttings for winter pots. Several seed suppliers stock these new resistant varieties, but demand might exceed supply, so order early. 9/2/2021)

Long-Time Favorite Herb

Since it was my customers’ favorite herb, I had to figure out a way to grow basil without using chemicals. I couldn’t afford to lose my best-seller. At that time, I started many varieties of basil from seed under fluorescent lights in the basement. They grew larger outside, after transplanting (2½”, 3½”, 4½” pots, and some that were larger), until they were sold at the markets.

Tomato-basil salad.

Knowing that high humidity provided the right conditions for this infection, I moved all the basil flats into the garage at night. Every day! Two small table fans kept the air moving around the plants, so the basil never caught BDM when handled this way.

My business infrastructure was very simple and did not include greenhouse space at that time. During the height of the market season, I grew several dozen flats of basil in various stages of growth at any one time.

These tips were passed along to my customers, who were glad to know how to stay ahead of the problem.

So, I always grow basil in pots, and take them indoors when the humidity is expected to rise high enough to cause trouble. It is a commitment, but the reward is freshly picked luscious basil for summer salads and lasagna. The disease often appears by mid- to late summer, but it can show up earlier.

‘Miniature Purple’ basil for salads or trained as a tiny topiary standard.

Varieties Included:

sweet basil: ‘Genovese’, ‘Genovese Compact’, ‘Fino Verde’, ‘Italian Large Leaf’, ‘Aroma 2’, ‘Nufar’, ‘Marseillais Dwarf’, ‘Amethyst’, ‘Miniature Purple’, and others
lettuce-leaf sweet basil: ‘Napoletano’, ‘Tuscany’, ‘Valentino’
Greek basil: ‘Yevani’, ‘Minette’, and 2 ‘Columnar’ varieties
lemon basil: ‘Mrs. Burns Lemon’
Thai basil: ‘Siam Queen’, ‘Sweet Thai’
‘Magical Michael’
lime (good with cucumbers)
holy: ‘Kapoor tulsi’ (O. americanum v. pilosum)
‘Mexican Spice’
‘African Blue’ (an ornamental basil and an excellent pollinator magnet)
‘Cardinal’ (a cinnamon type; this one and the previous 3 basils have some or good resistance to BDM)

The few that showed any resistance to the disease, however, were not the varieties we prefer in the kitchen.

It wasn’t long before basil started disappearing from other growers’ booths at the markets. So, it was worth the effort to keep basil alive and growing.

Basil In Pots: Potting Up

Start with clean materials. If you’re reusing a 12″ wide pot, clean it out very well, including all the old soil. Don’t discard it, though; throw it under the shrubs or dig it into the flower garden. Even used potting soil has value in the garden. A pot this size will accommodate several stems of basil for the entire growing season.

Wipe down the inside and the outside of the pot with a 10% bleach solution. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

Basil is susceptible to several air-, water-, and soil-borne pathogens. That’s why it’s important to begin with clean materials.

Shopping For Basil Transplants

Look for rich green uniform coloring in the foliage. Familiarize yourself with the normal coloring for the varieties you’re interested in growing. For example, ‘Siam Queen’ Thai basil has dark green foliage, while lettuce-leaf basils (top of page) have light green puckered leaves.

Avoid wilted plants and those with brown edges, yellow lower leaves, pale green foliage, splotchy surfaces of leaves, and black spotting on the stems or leaves. Turn the leaves over and look for the tiny black dots of BDM. Inspect purple-leaved varieties carefully. Avoid buying basil that has started flowering.

Underpotted (tightly potbound) and underfertilized basil is stressed and will not last all season. Leaves that are off-color taste awful!

Look for small pots (2½-4½”) with 2 or 3 seedlings in the pot. The plants should have foliage down to the soil or close to it.

Growing Basil From Seed

If you can’t find the varieties you’d like to grow, consider starting them from seed. This gives you an opportunity to try new flavors—maybe lemon or lime, or anise-flavored Thai basil.

Seeds that are kept cool and dry remain viable for a few years, so you won’t have to germinate the entire packet…unless you want to.

Lemon basil sown in 4″ pots.

Pots and Seedling Mix

Have market packs or 4″ pots cleaned and ready. Use the same bleach solution recommended for larger pots, described above.

New peat pots are an option, and can be planted pot and all, without disturbance. Always pinch the bottom open in a few places before transplanting peat pots. This allows roots to quickly grow into the potting soil. Peel off the rim of the pot protruding above the soil level to prevent water from wicking away to the atmosphere. Roots will soon grow through the peat pot in moist soil.

Use pasteurized seedling mix. Most pathogens have been destroyed and its finer particles make better contact with the seeds. Fill containers with the seedling mix to within 1/2″ of the rim, tamping lightly. Fresh, fine-grained, high quality potting soil also works well.

Water gently, using lukewarm (around 85° F) water. Label the pots with the varieties of basil you’re growing and the date—for example, “Sweet basil ‘Genovese Compact’, 4/20/19”. Labels are easily fashioned from a clean, repurposed plastic milk jug.

Now, make a small depression in the center of the pot, about 1/4″ deep. Drop in a few seeds. Or make a few separate small depressions in the pot and drop a seed in each one. The latter is my preferred method; the separation gives each stem a little breathing room.

Cover with 1/4″ of soil. An exception is Thai Basil, which prefers to be sown on the surface of the soil and not covered.

Water

When moistened, basil seeds develop a grayish-white mucilaginous coating. This is normal. The gel holds water next to the seeds and it might attract insects, which help distribute seeds in the wild. And the stickiness helps seeds adhere to the soil.

Place the pots in a flat or a tray and give them warm sun indoors. Basil germinates within a week in damp soil at temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s F. If it’s too chilly, you can place the pots of basil on a heat mat. Seeds won’t germinate and young seedlings will fail in cold soil.

Keep the soil damp to moist but not wet. Never let water collect in the tray. Use lukewarm water, and water gently so the seeds won’t become dislodged. You could water from the bottom but pour off the excess once the soil surface has moistened.

Now That They’re Germinating

As soon as the seeds germinate, give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. This ensures shorter sturdy stems that are less susceptible to damping off disease. Use artificial light (see “Maintenance”, page 2) if you don’t have sunny windows.

Seedlings (not basil) stretching due to insufficient light.

With favorable outdoor conditions, young seedlings can be placed outside for at least part of the day. Don’t expose them to temperatures below 70°, or to wind or full hot sun if they have been indoors for a while. Check the weather forecast.

Basil needs warmer temperatures than most herbs and vegetables. Even if it’s frost-free and the garden is ready, don’t be tempted to plant basil until the soil has warmed up. Basil will either sit still or deteriorate in cool or wet soil.

Damping off is a fungal disease that appears as a narrowed, light brown section of the stem that causes the stem to bend over, killing the seedling. Avoid overly wet and humid conditions, stagnant air, low light, and cold temperatures. Young seedlings are more susceptible to damping off than older plants.

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Headings

Page 1: Why Should We Grow Basil In Pots?, How To Recognize Basil Downy Mildew, Easy Solution: Basil In Pots (New Varieties), Long-Time Favorite Herb (Varieties Included), and Basil In Pots: Potting Up (Shopping for Basil Transplants, Growing Basil from Seed)

Page 2: Repotting Basil In Pots (The Soil, Score the Root Ball, Add Plants, A Small Pot of Dwarf Basil), Maintenance For Basil In Pots (Light For Basil In Pots, Temperature, Watering Basil In Pots, Dealing With Slugs and Snails (Caterpillars), Fertilizer For Basil In Pots, Harvesting and Hormones), and About That Basil Downy Mildew (Growing Basil Outdoors)

Pages: 1 2

Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens

Feb24

Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens

The coldest part of winter has passed for most of us, and it’s time to start seeds for cool season greens. Late winter transitioning to spring is my favorite time of the year. That’s when I start seeds for early harvests. This article covers details for growing some of the early greens, particularly spinach and the brassicas. On Page 3 is a recipe for a veggie omelet, an easy way to get more greens into the diet.

If the garden were bare, I would have started seeds a few weeks ago. But the greens in the vegetable garden continue to offer harvests. Unfortunately, the “list of wants” from the seed catalog is far more extensive than the garden’s square footage can accommodate! It’s time for the last harvest of collards for soup; that’ll open up some space.

While we’re harvesting established cool season greens, I’ll start several new crops indoors. These plants will be plugged into the garden as space opens up. But the seedlings will not be kept in their little pots very long; this stresses the plants and causes them to bolt, or to flower prematurely. (Photo, above: dinosaur kale germinated at night; it will green up in the sunlight.)

The First of the Cool Season Greens: Spinach

Young spinach ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’.

I would have sown spinach directly into the garden by now, but we’ve had a long run of chilly rain. The soil is so wet that it’s doubtful any seedlings would even be tempted to germinate. At this time of the year, pay close attention to the weather forecasts. Conditions could deviate considerably from the averages.

It’s not good to dig in soil this wet anyway. That would drive out air spaces and ruin the tilth of the soil by compacting it.

As temperatures begin to moderate, slugs come out in force and will decimate any seedlings that dare to grow in this weather. Rain: good for slugs. Sluggo: bad for slugs! Organic Sluggo pellets attract and kill slugs and snails. This version of the product contains materials (iron phosphate) that add nutrients to the soil. Check the label, though; Sluggo has other products with added ingredients. The organic option is safe to use around the edibles.

Spinach From Seed Is Easy!

Spinach germinates readily, from 50°F up to the mid 70’s (soil temperature), as soon as the ground can be worked in late winter or early spring. For better chances of success, choose varieties that are disease resistant and slow-bolting. In well-prepared soil, spinach is one of the easiest crops to seed directly into the garden.

Prepare the bed by incorporating 2″ to 3″ of compost and/or aged manure into the top 5″ of soil. Spinach prefers soil pH near neutral, from 6.5 to 7.3. A soil test will indicate how much lime, if any, should be added to raise the pH.

For baby leaf harvest, sow the seeds thickly in a patch, about 1″ apart. For full-size leaves, space the seeds a few inches apart, with rows 8-10″ apart. Crowding the seeds too closely or poor soil will result in a disappointing crop.

‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’

There’s a wonderful variety called ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’ (photos, above and below), a French heirloom dating to 1866. It grows very large for spinach, up to 20″ tall with 10″ leaves, and should be spaced several inches apart.

Viroflay, or Monster, as it is often called, is lower in oxalic acid, or oxalates, than other spinach varieties. It might be acceptable for people with health concerns that prohibit spinach consumption. Check with your doctor.

Keep the soil moist and add organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, Sea-Plus, or earthworm castings, every 2 weeks. In cold soil, however, liquid synthetic fertilizers high in nitrogen work better than the organics. Microbes in the soil break down organic material and make those nutrients available to plant roots. But microbes are dormant in cold soil, so they can’t perform this vital service. They’ll become more active as the soil warms up in late winter or early spring.

‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’ spinach seedlings.

Spinach Bowl

Another option is to sow seeds directly into a 14″ wide, 6″ deep bowl filled with fresh potting soil (photo, above). The pot has drainage holes. Portability allows me to bring the pot indoors on especially cold nights while the cool season greens are beginning to germinate. And moisture levels can be carefully monitored.

Since the sappy crooked pine tree that shaded the deck from afternoon sun has been cut down, conditions on the fenced-in deck are more favorable to growing vegetables in containers.

Fill the pot with potting soil to within an inch of the rim. Simply scatter seeds on the surface, a couple of inches apart for smaller varieties and a few inches apart for Viroflay. Cover with another 1/3″ to 1/2″ of soil. Water…and wait… Spinach’s two seed leaves, the cotyledons, are easily differentiated from other seedlings by their long narrow shape. Thin as necessary; you can eat the culls.

Don’t neglect fertilizing potted greens. Rain and irrigation quickly wash nitrogen out of the soil.

Harvesting Spinach

Spinach.

Harvesting the crowns begins within 4 or 5 weeks, depending on weather and soil fertility. Pick individual leaves at any age, allowing the central growing tip to continue producing new leaves. Or cut the entire plant at the soil line before flower buds begin to grow.

By sowing new crops of spinach every week or two, you’ll have continuous harvests of spinach, as long as the weather favors growth.

Spinach quickly bolts, or goes to flower, at temperatures above 75°. Dry or nutrient-poor soil stresses the plants. And spinach will flower prematurely if the plants are stressed by growing too close together.

Harvest the entire plant if you notice flower buds forming. Cutting off the flowers will not stimulate spinach to grow a new bunch of leaves. Instead, start more seeds.

Use spinach steamed as a side dish, or in sauces, soups, smoothies, salads, pasta dishes, or an omelet.

And Then the Brassicas

These microgreens are mostly brassicas.

The Brassicaceae family is a huge group of edibles. It includes arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, komatsuna, mizuna, mustard greens, pac choi, radish, tatsoi, turnip, and others.

All members have similarly notched seed leaves, or cotyledons. Those are the first two heart-shaped leaves to emerge from the seeds (photo, above). Because the seed leaves are already formed inside the seed, the little plant can begin photosynthesizing—and feeding itself—immediately upon germination. True leaves, which develop after the seed leaves, are also similar for most of the cruciferous vegetables. That’s why it’s important to label your pots so you can distinguish “this” seedling from “this other similar looking” seedling.

Include On the Label:

the name of the crop (dinosaur kale)
the name of the cultivar (‘Black Magic’)
the date of sowing (brassicas germinate in less than a week if sown indoors)

Store leftover seeds in their original packets, and make sure the cultivar name is included on the label. Store in a cool, dry place, such as the refrigerator. Most seeds of cool season greens are viable for 2 years or so. If not already indicated, mark the year of purchase on the packet.

It’s helpful to keep a record of the varieties you’ve tried and liked or disliked. Include how you started the seeds (in 4″ pots or cell-packs, under lights, directly in the garden), the dates you seeded and transplanted, and the weather conditions. Include notes on what was successful and what wasn’t, and possible explanations. Did the seeds germinate and then keel over and die (damping-off disease)? Did critters eat your cool season greens as soon as they started growing? Should the seeds have been started earlier? Or later?

There are successes and failures in every gardener’s life. Being able to pinpoint the reasons for a disappointing crop will enable you to be more watchful or to try a different approach next time. Check with your local cooperative extension office, through state land-grant colleges and universities, for advice. Failure is a learning experience, not a reason to stop trying!

Damping-Off

Damping-off disease can appear soon after germination. Sometimes, diseased seedlings don’t even appear above the soil, looking as though the seeds didn’t sprout at all. The small seedling develops a narrowed brown spot on the stem. Then the top of the plant falls over, and the seedling dies. This is caused by several species of fungus, whose spores are in the air, in the soil, in the water, or on the seeds themselves.

Damping-off often accompanies:

poor air circulation
high humidity
crowding
low light
low temperatures
reusing old soil
and overwatering

Space the seeds farther apart, run a small fan nearby, water in the morning, and increase the temperature and light levels if they’re low.

The first time I used the organic biological fungicide called Actinovate, life became a bit sweeter. It is costly, but a much safer option than chemical fungicides. And, with the number of seedlings I grow each year, a wise investment. Make up a small amount of the solution when needed and apply from a spray bottle or a small watering can when sowing the seeds and as soon as the seeds germinate. Always exercise caution when using sprays, and read the labels.

Caterpillars on Cool Season Greens

When the weather warms up in mid- or late spring, you’ll notice butterflies and moths flying around your cool season greens. How nice, you might think. But those lovely insects are on a mission, and that mission is to find suitable plants on which to lay their eggs.

: Cross-striped cabbageworm, becoming more common here, on mustard greens. Expect several generations per season. Look for clusters of white woolly eggs.

: Broccoli leaves eaten by caterpillars.

Most of the brassicas are targeted by the female:

Cabbage Moth (or Diamondback Moth)
Cabbage Looper
the velvety green Imported Cabbageworm (also called the Small White Butterfly or Cabbage White Butterfly—white with black markings). Look for them lined up on the leaf’s midrib.
Cross-striped Cabbageworm (fine black stripes across the back, yellow stripe on the sides).
A few other species target particular brassicas or are limited geographically.

Here in my North Carolina garden, the 1¼” long Imported Cabbageworm has been the most commonly seen caterpillar on the brassicas. It is well-camouflaged in the green foliage. But for the past couple of years, populations of the Cross-striped Cabbageworm have been increasing. They’re especially pesky when lodged among the broccoli florets. Sometimes I don’t see them until I begin cutting the broccoli (just remove them). Inspecting the produce and spraying Bt regularly takes care of that.

Eggs hatch in a few days to a week, and immediately get to work chewing little holes and then bigger holes in your broccoli, kale, and other brassicas.

Harlequin bugs on cabbage

Another insect feeding on brassicas is the black and orange harlequin bug (photo, above). I squish them when I see them, although they’ll see you approaching them and will try to hide. They cause whitish blotches and distortions in the foliage.

Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)

As soon as you notice the white moths and butterflies flitting near the brassicas, it’s time to get the sprayer bottle ready. The imported cabbageworm is the larval stage of a butterfly and the one you’ll see in the daytime. The other caterpillars are moth larvae and are active at dusk or at night.

Mix up a solution of Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, available from the garden center. Dipel and Thuricide are brand names for Bt. It doesn’t take long for these voracious little caterpillars to inflict considerable damage to your plants, so don’t delay.

Spray both the upper and lower surfaces of the foliage, occasionally agitating the solution. Begin spraying a few days after first seeing the moths, or certainly when you see holes appearing. Set the sprayer nozzle to a very fine spray; larger drops of water will bead off the waxy foliage. One or two drops of dish soap in the sprayer will help the solution stick to the foliage if you can’t get a fine spray.

It washes off in the rain, but any Bt clinging on the reverse (bottom leaf surface) might be enough for the current batch of caterpillars. Spray the brassicas every 5 to 10 days, as long as the insects are active.

How Does Bt Work?

Bt is a naturally occurring bacterium that disrupts the caterpillar’s digestive system when ingested. The insects stop feeding immediately and die within a day or two. Spray as soon as you notice them because young caterpillars are more susceptible to Bt than older caterpillars.

Bt effectively rids the garden of moth and butterfly larvae, including swallowtails that eat parsley. Although they won’t bother your broccoli, black swallowtail larvae feed on parsley and its relatives in the Apiaceae family, including dill, cilantro, and bronze fennel.

The tradeoff? Fewer moths and butterflies, but more undamaged produce. I enjoy watching the black swallowtail butterflies, though, so I plant the large perennial bronze fennel for the caterpillars picked off the parsley and dill. Bt targets larvae of moths and butterflies, and nothing else.

After picking the crops, I sometimes let the caterpillars feast on the remains. Those caterpillars might feed another brood of baby birds or green anoles at that time of year. Once cold autumn weather has settled into the area, these caterpillars will no longer be around to bother the fall crop. Autumn is another delightful time to garden.

Bt is perfectly safe to use on edibles. Use up the diluted solution within a few days. Store Bt in a cool location out of the sun. Buy a small fresh bottle every couple of years, as this is a live organism, not a chemical.

Headings

Page 1: Starting Seeds for Cool Season Greens, The First of the Cool Season Greens: Spinach (Spinach from Seed Is Easy!, ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’, Spinach Bowl, Harvesting Spinach), And Then the Brassicas (Include On the Label, Damping-Off, Caterpillars on Cool Season Greens, Bacillus Thuringiensis [Bt], How Does Bt Work?)

Page 2: Broccoli (Improve the Soil for Cool Season Greens, Harvesting and Side Shoots, When the Brassicas Bloom), Mini Broccoli (Early Sprouting Broccoli and ‘Spring Raab’, Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’, Who’s My Favorite?, Gai Lan and ‘De Cicco’, Sowing Seeds, Late Sprouting Broccoli)

Page 3: Dinosaur Kale, Hardening Off Cool Season Greens (Gradual Changes), Growing Plants Under Lights (More Tips Using Artificial Light), Getting More Cool Season Greens Into Your Diet, A Veggie Omelet Recipe Using Cool Season Greens

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Pages: 1 2 3

Time To Think About Fall Greens and Vegetables

Jul29

Ready To Sow Fall Greens and Vegetables?

Lettuce Red Lettuce Green Lettuce - PMAnguita / Pixabay

Several varieties of head lettuces.

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to start seeds for fall greens and vegetables. I’ve been putting it off because of the hot weather we’ve been having. But, unless I want to buy transplants, seeds will have to be started soon. You folks up north probably have sown seeds for the broccoli and cauliflower by now, and certainly the Brussels Sprouts.

Here in North Carolina, fall seems a long time away, but in order for us to harvest those fall greens, we need to start sowing seeds now. Remember to locate your fall/winter garden where it will receive adequate sunlight. And, of course, I’ll sow successive crops through the rest of summer and early fall, as space permits.

Because we have a long growing season in the Carolinas, we can squeeze in another crop of summer vegetables. Zucchini, summer squash, cucumber, and beans can be sown again. But with the encroaching canopy of the trees on the berm, south of the garden, I’ll be planting only cool-season vegetables. The ‘Diva’ cucumber is loaded with fruits. And I will wait patiently for every last fruit to ripen on the tomatoes and peppers.

(***Update***: A few days ago, a large and dangerously crooked pine tree was taken down, and now there’s more afternoon sun for the tomatoes and peppers. More sun also gives us opportunities to grow containerized vegetables and fall greens inside the fence, protected from deer.)

If They Can’t Take the Heat

Spinach.

Temperatures are still too hot to sow lettuce and spinach outdoors, so I’ll wait another week or two. It’s still in the 90’s! They can be started indoors, in air-conditioned space, if needed.

Check the temperature of the soil before sowing seeds in the garden. Direct sun beating down on the dark soil surface can raise the temperature too high and dry it out very quickly. Look for one of those “Easy Tunnels”, or fabricate something yourself, to partially shade the soil and the tender young seedlings. You can purchase knitted shade fabric, made from black polyethylene, from mail order suppliers. In the southern states, 30-50% shading should work during the late summer months. This could lower the temperature by 10° or 15°F. Keep the soil surface moist to ensure good germination and to cool it down.

The best germination occurs between 60° and 75°F for lettuce and spinach. I usually put transplants into the garden instead of sowing seeds directly because hungry slugs, snails, and cutworms find tiny seedlings very tender and delicious.

Organic Sluggo will bait the mollusks (slugs and snails) to their deaths, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), sprayed on the seedlings, will kill cutworms. Slug baits made with iron phosphate, such as organic Sluggo, are far less harmful to pets and to people than products containing metaldehyde, so be sure to read the labels.

One way to gather up a whole lot of slugs is to place a board, maybe 1′ x 2′, over damp soil. Go out and check the underside early the next morning, old knife in hand, and cut them quickly in half or squish them any way you choose…but, don’t use salt in the garden!

Choosing Varieties of Fall Greens

Sowing seeds for fall greens and vegetables, which prefer cool weather, can be tricky in July’s heat. Look online or through seed catalogs for lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and other crops that are described as being heat tolerant varieties. Yes, all lettuce and broccoli varieties prefer cool temperatures, but some will take warmer or colder weather than others as they form heads. If you’re buying transplants, ask the grower.

Either way, plan to provide some sort of device that will lower the temperature during these last hot weeks of summer. For later harvests, I’ll sow seeds that grow cool and mature in cold weather, and they will not need the shade fabric. Plants grow better with more hours of direct sun as the temperatures cool down.

Check with your local agricultural extension office for recommendations or for a planting calendar.

Planting Young Transplants

Soil

Rich, dark soil with lighter brown clumps of clay, before incorporating.

Starting a vegetable garden with soil that has not been conditioned could result in a mediocre or poor harvest. Fall greens grow faster and larger in well-prepared soil.

Garden soil for these crops needs additional organic matter (compost, composted cow manure), drainage material (pine fines, coarse sand), and sometimes lime. A soil test will indicate the need for lime.

Our fall greens are being planted in soil that has been worked for 6 years, so it’s in very good condition. I will, however, continue to add compost, fertilizer, or manure to the garden.

When digging soil, bring some of the lower-level clay up to the surface, and turn under the richer topsoil 4″ to 6″ deep (a few inches deeper for tomatoes, in spring). Over time, the clay soil on the surface will improve as mulch decomposes or when compost is added as a top dressing. Here you can see clumps of light brown clay that were brought to the surface of the soil (photo, above) before they were broken up.

Roots

Growers use pots and market packs of various sizes, including small 9-cell packs, 4-cell packs, 2″ peat pots and 4″ plastic pots. The smaller the root ball, the more carefully you will have to monitor the care.

: Broccoli roots before…

: …and after.

An important step before planting is to rough up the outside of the root ball (photos, above). This slightly injures the inner root layer called the pericycle, stimulating the plant to quickly send out new lateral roots into the soil. Be careful not to so severely damage the root system that the plant can’t supply water to the leaves on a hot, sunny day. Do this for every plant that is about to be repotted or planted into the garden.

A root ball that’s tightly packed with roots can be shallowly scored down the sides in a few places. Use a knife, a rock, or even a twig. Or use a cultivator to pry out some of the roots.

To Bury or Not To Bury?

Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ from 4-cell-pack.

Most young vegetable transplants can be placed an inch deeper into the soil, or up to the bottom leaves. If the plant is more mature and has developed a somewhat woody or tough stem, plant it at the same level it was growing in the pot. But always, if possible, choose younger transplants.

Older plants can be stressed by being potbound or underfertilized, and might go to flower or head up prematurely, yielding undersized harvests. Young plants will require more time to grow, but they will give you the largest heads of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. If in doubt, plant the top of the root ball level with the soil surface.

Firm the soil around the roots and stem using medium pressure. Humidity in the soil between the soil particles will encourage the stem to grow fine roots without interference from tightly packed soil. Watering the plant will help the soil settle in around the root system and provide much-needed moisture.

Broccoli ‘Arcadia’ in winter.

These are same broccoli ‘Arcadia’ plants photographed in late December (photo, above). Trees on the berm cast too much shade until leaves dropped off, delaying harvest. When the garden gets more sun, heads should form in mid to late winter.

Fertilizer

Planting fall greens and vegetables into late September, I mix a handful of granular organic vegetable fertilizer into the planting area. These crops grow beautifully with adequate nitrogen, so I will soon use higher nitrogen fish emulsion. Another application of fish emulsion will be made every 2-3 weeks through November, or every 2 weeks for potted greens.

Mustard seedlings in the garden.

Microbes in the soil break down organic compounds and make nutrients available to the roots. But, as the weather cools significantly, microbial activity slows down. I’ll use synthetic soluble fertilizers a few times in winter to keep the plants growing.

Greens and vegetables will grow all winter here, with some protection during very cold weather. This is worth the effort, since I can pick beautifully fresh kale and spinach for the Sunday omelet, or a big bunch of collards for collards soup.

Mustard ‘Florida Broadleaf’ was sown in late September, and germinated a few days later. The thinned seedlings will be used in soup, salad, or an omelet. Spinach sprouted about a week later.

Arugula

: Arugula flowers.

: Arugula ‘Astro’ seedlings.

Love, love arugula! A forkful of salad greens that has a piece of arugula in it…mmm… The variety I prefer is ‘Astro’. It’s not as hot as the wild types, and it tolerates warmer temperatures. Arugula will self-sow if it likes where it’s growing. Just let it flower and set seed. The papery seed capsules release the seeds, which germinate within 2 weeks, during favorable weather, near the mother plant.

It grows well in morning sun, during warm weather, and in moist, rich soil. Those who are more adventurous than I might enjoy growing the hotter ‘Wasabi’. Arugula doesn’t look like a member of the family Brassicaceae, but it, too, is in that famous family.

You might have seen the term “cruciferous” being used when describing members of the family Brassicaceae. It refers to the flowers of these plants, which have 4 petals arranged in the shape of a crucifix. The terms brassica, cole crops, and crucifer (or cruciferous) refer to the same plants.

Broccoli

One of the most nutrient-rich foods, broccoli is a must in my garden. Nutrients include protein, Vitamins A, several B’s, C, K, minerals, fiber, and their famous phytonutrients. To say that we eat broccoli in one form or another every 2 or 3 days is not an exaggeration. Just ask Mother.

Broccoli crowns.

Heat and cold tolerance ranges from poor to excellent, depending on the cultivar. In this zone 7b area, ‘Imperial’ can be sown in July or planted as transplants from July through August; Johnny’s Selected Seeds’ catalog rates it “excellent” in heat tolerance for broccoli. Normally, broccoli grows best in cool weather, but you can extend the harvest by choosing 2 or 3 varieties that are suited to the weather at different times of the year.

The variety that will see us through the winter is cold-hardy ‘Arcadia’, which grows a large number of side shoots once the main head has been harvested. For that reason, don’t cut off too many leaves when you do harvest broccoli, because each of those leaves could be topped by another side shoot.

By the way, tender broccoli leaves are edible as well. Add them to soup, a smoothie, pasta, or a stir-fry. After the harvest is done, I keep the plants in the garden to flower. Bumble bees and other early risers are fond of this bounty, and the flowers are quite pretty!

Bumble bee visiting broccoli flowers in early spring.

Miniature Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’

Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’.

I’ve grown ‘Happy Rich’ for many years. This plant grows a small head at the end of a stem, harvested ideally before the white flowers open. Each of those little green beads is a flower bud, and even if the buds start opening when the stems are picked, they’re still going to the kitchen.

The head will never get to the same size as regular broccoli, but the flavor is superb. Once the little heads have been cut off with 5″ to 8″ of the stem, the plant will branch out and grow more little heads. The stem, the leaves, and the head are edible—steamed, stir-fried, or added to soup or a pasta dish.

Two plants have been growing in the garden since the spring, and they don’t look very happy. It’s been a hot summer, so I didn’t expect them to survive this long.

Bt

Cabbage worms on broccoli.

The white cabbage moths visit frequently—more frequently, alas, than I do with the bottle of Bt.

Bt is an abbreviation for Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally-occurring bacterium that kills caterpillars of moths and butterflies (but not sawflies). Before you groan “no chemicals”, Bt is used by organic growers and it’s been around for decades. Perfectly safe, even for pollinators, and not a chemical.

All brassica crops are targeted by a few kinds of moths, which lay eggs on the leaves. They soon hatch into voraciously hungry and well-camouflaged caterpillars. After consuming some of the Bt, they stop feeding and die shortly thereafter. Young caterpillars are more easily controlled than older caterpillars. Thuricide and Dipel are two brand-name products with Bt as the active ingredient.

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Page 1: Ready To Sow Fall Greens and Vegetables?, If They Can’t Take the Heat (Choosing Varieties of Fall Greens), Planting Young Transplants (Soil, Roots, To Bury Or Not To Bury?, Fertilizer), Arugula, Broccoli, and Miniature Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ (Bt)

Page 2: Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Nutritional Considerations of Fall Greens (Where’s the Beef?), and Only the Beginning

Pages: 1 2

Did She Say Sustainable Bunching Onions?

May15

updated 3/8/2024

The Onion Patch

In a patch of soil under the cold frame in the old Maryland garden, I grew several dozen Japanese bunching onions. Although the frame was cold in the winter, it didn’t freeze, and those little plants provided us with all the green onions we needed for 5 or 6 years without replanting!

So, how do you get sustainable bunching onions? After describing two species of onions and sowing seeds, I’ll explain the “sustainable” part.

Bunching onions purchased from the grocery store.

Two Species of Onions

Allium Cepa, the Bulbing Onion

Allium cepa is the commonly grown bulbing onion. Onion sets, small immature bulbs, can be purchased from garden centers in late winter and sometimes in autumn. Plant onion sets a few inches underground, and pull them as green onions before they form bulbs. Planting sets every couple of weeks will provide a continuous harvest.

Left longer in the garden and spaced properly, though, the bulbs will grow larger. Your garden’s latitude, which affects day length in the growing season, will determine which onion varieties will successfully form bulbs. Short-day onions are grown in the southern United States, and long-day or intermediate varieties are grown farther north.

Check with your local agricultural extension office for names of varieties that will mature as bulbs in your region. Bulbing onions also can be grown from seed or purchased in bunches of young seedlings, but most varieties require more than 110 days to mature.

Allium Fistulosum, the Bunching Onion

The variety I grew in the cold frame was called ‘Nabechan’. This variety is a member of the species, Allium fistulosum. Japanese bunching onions, or scallions, don’t grow bulbs. Several varieties are available, and all remain straight-sided, with minor swelling at the base. Bunching onions are available as seeds for home gardeners.

Bunching onions are the ones usually sold in small bunches at the grocery store (photo, above). I use them in salads, omelets, stir-fries, and soups. Once or twice a week, I add a green onion to the spinach, mushrooms, a colorful lunchbox pepper, and kale in the veggie omelet. It’s really good with cheese and microgreens or slices of avocado in the fold…maybe some bacon on the side, and rye toast.

Although both species of onions can be harvested as green onions, the ones I sold at farmers’ markets were ‘Nabechan’ bunching onions. They were ready for the market when the 15 or 20 seedlings in 6″ or 6½” pots approached a harvestable size. Here’s how to grow them, if you’d like to give it a try.

Starting Seeds For Bunching Onions

Sow the seeds 1/4″ deep and about 1/4″ apart in 6″ pots filled with seedling mix. Water gently, so the seeds aren’t dislodged. They germinate well at temperatures around 70° to 80° F.

When the seeds germinate, give them full direct sunlight (6 hours at least), and lower the temperature. They thrive with cool to moderate temperatures, but avoid subjecting them to frost at this early stage. Inadequate light creates weak seedlings and feeble roots.

Keep the soil moist. Onions have shallow roots, and fail when grown too dry. Fertilize every 2 weeks with fish emulsion, Sea-Plus, or any complete fertilizer.

Transplanting Seedlings Of Bunching Onions

Once they’ve grown a few inches tall and are easier to handle, the seedlings will need to be spaced farther apart.

First, fill the new pot or pots with dampened potting soil to within 4-5″ of the rim. Yes, that seems too low, but more potting soil will be added as the seedlings grow. Firm it in lightly.

Where To Place the Crown

Now, gently ease the young plants and the soil mass out of the pot. Don’t let exposed roots dry out during this process. Cover them with a damp towel as you work.

You’ll see the 3 main parts of the onion: the green leaves, the white roots, and the region between the leaves and the roots, called the crown.

Hold up the seedling’s leaves and transplant it into the new pot. Space seedlings 3/4-1″ apart. It might be easier using a pencil to poke a hole into the soil for the roots. Plant with the crown at the soil surface, and lightly firm the soil around its roots. Add a small amount of potting soil over the bases of the stems to stabilize them. Plant them in wider nursery pots, if you choose, where they can remain until harvested. But they won’t require a deep pot.

Water the seedlings and place the pot in direct sun. But avoid harsh hot sun for a couple of days while the roots recover.

Growing Long White Stems

The trick to getting those long white stems is simply to plant the seedlings lower in the soil. Excluding light prevents chlorophyll from developing, blanching the stem. Leeks, another member of the Amaryllidaceae family, get their long white stems in the same way.

Every 10-14 days, add soil between the seedlings, an inch or so at a time, while holding the leaves upright. Although this sounds contrary to normal horticultural practices, the onions will recover. Chlorophyll in the covered stems will be reabsorbed by the plants.

Older leaves will turn brown and can be removed. But strong new foliage will emerge while the underground stem continues to thicken. It’s important to give seedlings full sun for optimal photosynthesis.

The pot is finished when the soil surface is about 1″ below the rim of the pot. The bunching onions will have 4″ or 5″ of white stem below the green leaves (longer than in the photo of store-bought onions, above).

Introduce the seedlings to stronger sun and cooler temperatures outside in the daytime. Protect them from frost while they’re hardening off. With good growing conditions (direct sun, moderate to cool temperatures, moist soil, and fertilizer every 2 weeks), the onions can remain in pots until they’re harvested.

Here’s Another Method of Seeding Bunching Onions

‘Evergreen’ bunching onions.

In the photo above, I started seeds about 1½” above the bottom of a 6½” pot, and spaced them farther apart. Adding soil every couple of weeks blanched the stems. Spacing them farther apart from the beginning obviates the need for transplanting.

I tilted the pot on the plant stand outside so the seedlings could catch the rays of the low sun during the shortest days of the year. On cold nights, the pot came indoors. These are seedlings of a variety called ‘Evergreen’.

Planting Bunching Onions Outdoors in the Garden

If you want to grow bunching onions in the ground, plant the pot of seedlings as a unit, covering the stems with 1″ to 2″ of soil. With good soil preparation and careful monitoring, young seedlings can be transplanted into the garden at this stage, weather permitting.

Seeding directly into prepared garden soil is another option if you can monitor progress and keep pests away. Remove weeds when they’re small; onions’ roots can be damaged even with shallow cultivation. By the way, deer and rabbits don’t eat onions.

As the seedlings grow, occasionally hill up soil around the base of the plants to lengthen the white stems. Within about 2 months of seeding, the bunching onions are ready to pull as needed in the kitchen. Younger plants are especially delicate and tender as a garnish. If they’re spaced an inch apart, the seedlings won’t need to be thinned.

Non-bulbing onions are easier to pull from the soil than other types of green onions that have begun to form bulbs. That’s why I prefer growing Japanese bunching onions for green onions. If needed, use a narrow trowel or a butter knife to help pry them from the soil if you want to harvest the whole plant or if bulbs have started forming when using onion sets.

Negi Onions

Bunching onions traditionally are sown in cell packs with several seeds per cell. Later, they’re planted out without separating the seedlings, allowing them to grow and be harvested as a “bunch”. But, in order to grow “sustainable” bunching onions, they need to be grown separately from each other.

In the popular “Negi” method of growing bunching onions, seedlings are spaced farther apart from the beginning and hilled deeply over time. These scallions are older and larger than the ones I grow, resembling leeks.

Here’s the Sustainable Part

This is where bunching onions become sustainable bunching onions.

Instead of pulling out the entire plant when harvesting, insert a knife into the soil a few inches, making a cut through the stem 1/2″ to 2/3″ above the root system. By leaving the bottom of the stem and the roots intact, the plant will regenerate and give you another green onion after 2 or 3 weeks of favorable weather!

Experience will sharpen your aim, but whether the stem was cut too high or too low, it doesn’t matter. It’s all edible. If you removed the whole stem accidentally, just cut off the bottom 1/2″, with roots, and replant 2″ below ground. It’ll take longer to grow, but it probably will survive.

With some protection in colder climates, it’s possible to harvest mature bunching onions all winter long. That’s why I grew them in a cold frame. Just be sure to plant enough of them. Depending on the temperature, they might remain semi-dormant and not regrow until the soil warms up. And what a surprise to see them vigorously re-emerge in the spring to provide another year of harvests!

“Can I Plant Bunching Onions From the Store?”

Cut stems from the grocery store, later planted into a pot.

Sure can! Buy a bunch of green onions (as in the photo at the top), looking for those with clean white roots. Choose the stems you intend to use in cooking, and cut 1/2″ above the crown. Don’t let them dry out, and plant 2″ deep into a pot of lightly moist soil as soon as possible. Adding more soil later will lengthen the white part of the stem. Cut stems initially planted too deeply might exhaust themselves before reaching the light.

In the photo above, I cut these bunching onions over a period of a few days, and placed them in a clear plastic bag with 2 drops of water. Until a pot of soil had been prepared, the bag sat on the counter, in bright indirect light. You can see the older ones already sprouting. Growing onions in water, even short term, can turn them mushy and really smelly. That’s why planting them directly in soil is preferred.

Keep the pot moist and sunny, and you’ll see a green onion growing probably within 7 to 10 days during the growing season. In the middle of cold winter weather, though, keep the pot in a cool but sunny window indoors or in a cold frame. Soil that freezes could kill the root at this stage. Pick the entire plant or cut the stem when it has grown to the desired size.

Bottoms Up!

If you’re growing green onions from onion sets, this is one of the easiest crops to grow. Seedlings take a little more patience. Because they retain good flavor and substance for a long time, you can harvest what you need and let the rest of the bunching onions continue to grow. Sometimes, all I need is a single green leaf for a small omelet or a garnish.

Here’s to sustainability! Oh, and the reason why those ‘Nabechan’ bunching onions in Maryland failed after several years: contractors replacing the siding on the house trampled them to mush.

These were planted as onion sets in late winter, before starting seeds of bunching onions. They’ll be harvested as green onions or when they have small bulbs.

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Soil Prep 101 For Your Vegetable Garden

Apr25

Cool season vegetables and greens.

Finding the Perfect Spot for Your Vegetable Garden

For the purpose of this post, I’ll assume that your vegetable garden will be flush with the surrounding lawn, rather than in a raised bed. However, sound horticultural principles apply to either method. Locate the garden where it gets lots of direct sunlight, and avoid low areas that collect water after heavy rain. Place it close to a source of water.

Now that you’ve found the perfect spot for your vegetable garden, you’re ready for Soil Prep 101. The types of crops you plant in any season are weather-dependent, so make sure weather patterns in your location suit the peppers, basil, kale, or cauliflower.

Although this article concentrates on preparing beds for vegetable gardens, the principles apply to other plants as well, including new shrub borders and flower gardens for pollinators. Page 2 of this article has tips for improving the soil’s tilth, or workability, for most garden projects.

Prerequisites for this class: “How to Prepare the Soil: An Introduction” and “Yes, But Is It Sunny In the Winter?”

Swiss chard in a raised vegetable garden

Swiss chard in a raised bed.

Depending on your level of affinity for precise measurement, you can use either a measuring tape or simple paces to mark the dimensions of your garden. Gardeners who want to indulge in culinary experimentation by growing a wide variety of crops might regret not having made the vegetable garden large enough from the outset. Consider the possibility of expansion in the future.

How Much Sun Does the Vegetable Garden Need?

There is no substitute for sunlight. Without at least 6 hours of direct sun, the results will be disappointing. Anything less than that will reduce and delay the harvest.

Indirect, dappled, and filtered light don’t really count. In fact, during most of the growing season, fruiting plants perform so much better with 7 or 8 hours of sun, minimum! There are other types of crops that can be grown in less than full sun, including leafy greens (lettuce, arugula) and a few herbs (cilantro, parsley).

Layout

Tomato.

Someone out there is asking, “Do I run the rows (the long axes) east-to-west or south-to-north?” Good question! If your plans include growing several tomato plants and maybe some pole beans on a trellis, and you prefer one long plot that is accessible from both sides, I recommend east-to-west.

Long-term plants (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) will continue to get good sunlight all season. Spaced properly, they won’t cast as much shade on each other, especially as fall approaches and the sun sinks lower in the sky. But, if your garden receives sun all day, it won’t make much difference to main season crops.

Cool season crops, grown from fall through early spring, however, will get more sun when planted east-to-west. They’ll face the sun all day even though the days are short.

Taller plants should be planted on the north side of any plot (northern hemisphere), so they don’t shade smaller plants nearby. Some varieties of staked indeterminate tomatoes can grow 8′ tall!

lettuce basket, a portable vegetable garden

Lettuce growing in a basket.

On properties where spatial considerations are limited, do what you can to provide enough direct sun to those crops you can’t live without. Your crops might not be lined up in neat rows, but rather planted individually in a sunny corner over here and another by the back gate. Doesn’t matter. Do what works for you!

Container-grown crops, such as this lettuce basket (photo, above), can be moved around as conditions change.

Multiple Vegetable Garden Beds

With ample space, a series of garden beds can be laid out in a grid. When deciding where the plants will go, always keep in mind that you want to prevent tall plants from shading short plants, with few exceptions. Using straight pathways makes maneuvering the wheelbarrow and equipment easier.

Crops that prefer cooler, part-shade conditions as the weather warms can be planted between the taller plants or in the partial shade they cast. Those include late spring lettuces, arugula, cilantro, and spinach.

Savoy cabbage.

Having several plots allows for crop rotation, planting one family of plants in Plot A this year, in Plot B next year, and so on. This helps prevent the soil from being severely depleted of certain micronutrients and from allowing populations of insects and diseases to build up.

The nightshade family (Solanaceae: tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato), the cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae: cucumber, summer squash, zucchini, melon, pumpkin), and the brassicas (Brassicaceae: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts) are groups of plants that benefit from being rotated every 4 or more years.

To clarify, one member of a family (tomato, for example) should not be planted where any member of that family (tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato) has grown in the past few years.

This is a good reason to keep a record describing where you plant each crop every year, as well as documenting successes and losses. Knowing the family names that crops belong to also helps with crop rotation.

Seed Or Transplant?

Don’t go overboard if this is your first attempt. You’re not obligated to germinate every pack of seeds you bought. There’s always next season. Most seeds will remain viable for a few years if kept dry and cool.

Starting out with young tomato, pepper, or slow-growing parsley transplants might be more practical than growing them from seed, even though it is more expensive. You’ll find them at garden centers, farmers’ markets, and local hardware stores, and the growers often have good suggestions for cultivation.

If you’re late getting the vegetable garden going, transplants will save you several weeks of growing time. You can always supplement with fast sprouting varieties of seeds, such as those mentioned in the next section.

Starting plants from seed is a welcome challenge to many and is a source of fascination for children—and for adults, too. Don’t laugh, but, for me, it’s a thrill when the catalogs start showing up in the mailbox. I would never discourage you from exploring this facet of gardening. And, of course, there are so many excellent varieties available from seed that never show up in retail stores as transplants.

Seedlings For Vegetable Gardens Need Sun

Seedlings of fruiting crops need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight for strong growth. Use clean pots, pasteurized seed starting mix, and a waterproof tray. Provide the proper temperature for germination.

If you don’t have very sunny windows or a greenhouse, consider starting seeds under shop lights with daylight tubes. I use 4′ long fixtures that hold 2 tubes each. Seedlings growing very close to the tubes—only a few inches away—grow strong stems and roots.

Lettuces, arugula, and other leafy greens tolerate fewer hours of sun, although they appreciate full sun during the cooler months.

Avoid starting seeds too early in the season. This could result in leggy, weak plants that might not perform up to par in the garden.

Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’ and Arugula ‘Astro’ seeded into cell packs (late winter, 2022).

Seeding Directly Into the Garden

Some crops grow easily from seed sown directly into the vegetable garden. Peas and beans, for example, and radishes, beets, and carrots are just a few species that can be planted right into prepared ground. Dinosaur kale, mustard spinach, mesclun, leaf lettuce mixes, zucchini, spinach, and cucumbers are more crops that can be directly seeded.

Read all the information on the packet, paying special attention to when to start and how deeply to sow the seeds. Although these crops germinate readily, gardeners must still watch out for pests, both above and below ground, and turns in the weather.

Spacing the Plants

It’s important to calculate how much square footage each of your plants requires, or at least to get a rough idea. On graph paper, map the proposed garden to scale. Use the plants’ spacing recommendations found on the label or the seed packet for the amount of space needed.

With a 1/4″ grid, each square can represent 6″ or 12″ of garden space. The diagram is optional, but it can help in future years when considering crop rotation.

It’s better to have more than enough room rather than not enough; plants don’t respond well to crowding. The seemingly large gaps between the major crops can be interplanted with “ephemerals”—those plants that grow quickly and are harvested before the majors achieve full size. Examples include radishes and lettuce between tomato plants, or green onions and beets between autumn-grown Brussels sprouts.

If It Looks Like This…

Clay soil shrinks as it dries, creating surface cracking.

Soil that dries as hard as a brick is impossible to work with. You can thoroughly water the area the day before or start digging a day or two after a good rain. Avoid digging or walking in the garden when the soil is wet. This compresses the soil, squeezing out tiny channels of air space that are critical for healthy root growth.

Sandy soil that drains too fast should be amended with copious amounts of organic matter. Bagged topsoil is also available, but quality varies widely. The tiny clay particles in clay loam help hold water and nutrients in the soil.

In a large vegetable garden, plan for pathways every 4′ or 5′, and restrict foot traffic to those areas. Use pavers, flagstones, pine bark, or even that old pile of bricks for the pathways. You can get very creative with stonework, and your garden can be the neighborhood show-stopper, but don’t lay out the stones until the end of the soil prep process.

Let’s begin! Please turn the page…

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Headings

Page 1: Finding the Perfect Spot for Your Vegetable Garden, How Much Sun Does the Vegetable Garden Need?, Layout, Multiple Vegetable Garden Beds, Seed Or Transplant? (Seedlings For Vegetable Gardens Need Sun, Seeding Directly Into the Garden), Spacing the Plants, and If It Looks Like This…

Page 2: Remove Sod, Tilth, Soil Prep (The First Dig: Loosen the Clay, The Second Dig: Add Drainage Materials, Organic Matter vs. “Organic”, The Third Dig: Add Organic Matter), Fertilizers, Rake Smooth and Pave, Agricultural Extension and Soil Tests (To Lime Or Not to Lime, and What is pH?)

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