For People Who Eat What They Grow
Growing Tomatoes
Tomatoes plants have three main requirements- sun, water, and a well-drained,
rich soil. The more sun you can get your plants the larger your yield. You
really need at least 7 hours of June sunlight per day to grow decent plants,
and 12 hours should get you beautiful plants, with a lot of tomatoes.
Soil
Your soil needs to be well-drained, whether in a container or in your
garden. We recommend a mix of 20% sand, 20% perlite (or peat, although perlite
is far superior), and 60% compost for containers. If you are planting in an
outdoor garden it never hurts to condition the soil with sand and compost. When
purchasing sand, be certain you do not use sandbox sand- you want
"cut" or "builders" sand, although Quickrete-brand all-purpose
sand works well too. Make sure you don't accidentally buy the concrete mix!
Propagation
Start seeds under soft-white fluorescent lights 7-8 weeks before soil temperatures in
your area reach 62F, and the
danger of frost is past. Don't worry about buying the expensive "grow
lights" as the soft-whites work just as well. The shoplight hanging
fixtures cost $8 or $9 at Lowe's or Home Depot. If you buy two of them, 4
bulbs, and a cheap timer your total investment shouldn't exceed $25.
Start seeds in trays filled with seed starter mix or use jiffy pellets. Make
sure that your trays are adequately drained and that you have your lights about 1 inch above the soil. The preferred air
temperature is at least 67F,
with warmer being better. Your lights should be on for 12 to 14 hours a day-
a timer works well for this. Once the seeds have sprouted you will want to
adjust the lights so that they are within 1
inch of the leaves. If the lights
are too high, the plants become leggy (tall and skinny). Don't worry too much
about the leaves touching the light bulbs.
It is possible to grow tomatoes in a window, although I have never had
much success with this technique. You really need a bay window, facing south, to
get the job done.
Once the plants have reached a size (2") where they are crowding each
other in the trays, or roots are starting to emerge from the netting around the
Jiify pellets, you will want to transfer them to 3.5" or similar pots. Mum
pots work well for this, as do 16-ounce plastic cups with holes punched in
the bottom. Plants will not become rootbound when planted in these containers
until they reach 12 to 14 inches in height. When you transplant them
take care not to damage the roots, and make sure the mix in the receiving pot
is moist. Seedling roots die almost immediately when exposed to air or dry
planting mix. Pepper seedlings need to transplanted at the same soil level,
while tomato seedlings can be planted deep enough that the soil is over the
first set of leaves (remove them first by plucking, not tearing).
Keep
the plants under lights for 13-14 hours per day until it is warm enough to take
them outside for a few 70F+ afternoons. Take care to keep them sheltered from
the wind. Make sure they don't spend more than 15 minutes in direct sunlight
the first day as the leaves will sunburn- it's best to start in the shade for a
day or two, then work yourself to part shade, and then full exposure. If the
low temperature will remain above 52F you can leave them outside
overnight.
After a few days you can leave them in direct sunlight for an hour or so.
Gradually acclimatize to direct sunlight, and don't expose to temperatures
under 52F. Once your garden (or
container) soil temperature reaches 62F,
you can plant (provided you won't see more than a couple nights in the
40's). If you plant too soon, the roots get chilled and the plant never fully
recovers.
Planting
Plant tomato seedlings deep! You can pull off the bottom
two leaves and bury it up to the next set of leaves. They will form roots on
any portion of the plant that is in contact with moist soil. Now, here is where
many tomato gardeners fail. They rush to get their plants in the ground as
early as possible. Big mistake! When you dig your hole you want to feel soil
that is not cool to the touch. If it is, leave the hole open for at least a
week to allow the soil to warm sufficiently. If you have a thermometer, use it.
I always pour a bucket of warm water in the holes about 20 minutes before I
plant.
Many people wonder how large their tomato plants should be when placed in
the garden (or large container). The plants pictured below are ideal in size
(left pepper, right tomato). You generally don't want fruit to be forming on
your plants, but flowers are fine.
When you remove the plant from the pot take care not to bend the stem. You can
gently pull the roots apart so that they aren't tangled.
The Perfect Size to Transplant
Containers
Tomatoes
do great in containers. In fact, I have found that they consistently
perform better in 15-gallon containers than in the garden. Anything
under 7 gallons is a waste of time without
fertilization. You may grow a nice-looking plant, but few tomatoes will be
present. There simply isn't enough soil volume to provide the roots with enough
room to grow.
It should be noted that container soil is much warmer than garden soil
during most of the season. This gives container gardens a distinct
advantage during the early season, but can cause some problems in July and
August. When daily high temperatures reach the high 80's and 90's, you really
need to liberally water all container plants on a daily basis. This helps to
keep the soil temperature below 80F.
The Cherokee Purple shown below (16" container) yielded 36 tomatoes last
year. This picture was taken 3-4 weeks after transplant.
Staking
Almost all tomatoes should be staked unless you can
tie it to a fence or railing, like I did above. I have found that the
vinyl-coated stakes available at Home Depot and Lowe's work well. Tomato
cages and boxes work great too. You can let tomato plants grow along
the ground (un-staked) but you will find that the insects beat you to
many of the fruit.
Pruning
When I was a kid everyone said you had to prune, or
"sucker", tomato plants. Supposedly the suckers would suck all the
energy out of the plant. It's a great theory, the only problem is that the
suckers grow tomatoes too. My personal experience has shown no real
difference in production between pruned plants and non-pruned plants.
Pollination
Depending upon which part of the country you live in,
pollination can be an afterthought, or a real problem. In Central
Ohio we
get a lot of warm humid nights during the month of June where the temperature
doesn't fall below 70F. During
these hot, humid periods pollination of tomato plants is difficult. One theory
claims that the pollen grains become too sticky, and thus are difficult to
transfer. I tend to agree. This problem becomes evident when you have a
beautiful tomato plant, but few fruit. The best you can do is hope the weather
changes, or do a google search for "manual tomato pollination". It's
really not that difficult.
You should also be aware that, contrary to
popular belief, honeybees are not the primary pollinator of tamato plants
in most parts of the U.S. Ohio
Fertilization
I have always used MiracleGro products simply because they
are made locally (or were) and are easy to handle. Other brands are generally
of equal quality. Read the label and always apply as directed. Do not
over-fertilize; you are just wasting money and can burn the plant's root
system.
Watering
Water plants every 3-5 days, depending upon rainfall.
Tomatoes generally like around 4-5 inches of
rainfall per month. Plants will start to wilt if they need water.
An inch of water in a container is exactly what it sounds
like- pour water into the pot so that about 1
inch is present before it soaks
into the soil. Containers, however, require a lot more water than an in-ground
garden. When daytime temperatures reach the high 80's I tend to water the
garden every other day, and container plants daily.
You should always use cool water. Some rain barrels can practically boil water
if exposed to the sun for too long.
Problems
A common problem that faces tomato growers in the Midwestand East is blossom-end
rot. You may have read that it is caused by "inconsistent watering";
this is usually not the case. This problem is almost always caused by a lack of
calcium in the soil. It is quite easy to correct- add crushed, cooked
(hardboiled) eggshells around the plants at a rate of 3 or 4
eggshells per plant. Another excellent soil additive is crushed oyster shells.
They are available from several online vendors.
If you are a tobacco user, either smoker or chewer, you need to wash your hand
well prior to handling your seeds and plants. You can infect
your garden with the tobacco mosaic virus (tmv), which affects both
tomatoes and peppers.
Growing Peppers
Pepper plants have essentially the same needs as
tomato plants, except they prefer a slightly lighter, and better-drained soil.
Change your soil mix slightly to 30% sand, 30% perlite, and 40% compost.
Peppers don't need as much water as tomatoes and will wilt when in need of
water (try not to let them wilt). If your mix is correct it is difficult to
over-water. Peppers face the same humidity-temperature problem (see above) that
tomatoes experience. You will see flowers drop from the plant when pollination
is unsuccessful.
Problems
The main problem with growing peppers is supporting the
plant. You need a light, sandy soil to grow them well, and this type of soil
provides little support for the root structure. Plants will tip over once the
peppers form if not well supported. Once a plant has tipped over it will never
be a producer.
We have found that three 5-foot stakes, driven 2 feet deep, work best to support a large
pepper plant. Try the velcro ties, the seem to work very well.
Once you start to see small peppers on the
upper portion of the two (or three) branches, it is time to place stakes to
support each of these branches. Place these new stakes 6-12" on either
side of the main stake, and tie the branches to the new stakes.
Growing Lettuce
Lettuce is a hardy vegetable and can be planted as early as
the soil can be worked. It is a cool-weather crop and does best when
temperatures are in the 60F to 65F range. I sow new seeds about every two
weeks to keep a fresh supply of lettuce on hand, and stop seeding when daytime
temperatures reach70F to 75F. Cover the seeds with a fine layer
(1/8” max.) of fine soil, then firm lightly. You can either seed in a bed or in
rows. Keep moist. Lettuce can be started in flats, or Jiffy pellets, and
transplanted into containers or the garden.
Once the plants are ready to harvest you should cut the leaves, rather than
pulling the plant out, to encourage re-growth. Cutting the leaves about 2"
from the soil surface seems to give the best results. Some varieties taste best
on the first harvest, others the second or third. Don't worry about harvesting
"baby" leaves- they will grow back.
Lettuce does very well in containers. A sandy, rich mix tend to give us the
best results- 25% sand, 25% perlite, 50% quality compost material. Make
sure you have plenty of holes in the bottom of the container.
Growing Herbs
Parsley
Parsley has the reputation of being extremely difficult for
home gardeners to germinate. Fear not, it really isn't that difficult. By
soaking the seeds in warm water (not hot) you will substantially increase your
success. It is also important to understand that germination typically takes
anywhere from two to four weeks, depending upon temperature and moisture. Sow
seeds outdoors in early Spring, 10 to 12
inches apart, and cover with 1/2
inch of soil. Later this the plants to 6
inches apart.
Rosemary
Rosemary, like Parsley, has the reputation of being
extremely difficult for home gardeners to germinate. Our seeds were tested
in November, 2010 and germinated at a rate of 90%, which is quite high for
Rosemary. Direct seeding outdoors is not always successful, so we recommend
starting seeds indoors in trays or pots, three seeds per cell, and allow a minimum
of 3 weeks for germination. Optimum germination occurs at around 62F, but room temperature is fine.
Basil & Catnip
Basil and catnip can be started indoors or outside. Cover
seeds with a light dusting of soil and water well (be sure to keep the soil moist).
Plant in a rich soil and keep well-watered throughout the season. Both love a
lot of sun and do quite well in containers.
Growing Broccoli
Broccoli is fairly easy to grow provided you
understand that broccoli is a cool-season crop, and is not designed for summer
temperatures. Before planting make sure that the soil is amended with plenty of
compost or well-rotted manure. You can also fertilize with a well-balanced
fertilizer, like 5-5-5 .
Start your seed indoors about 6 weeks prior to
last frost, or sew directly into your garden in late February (Ohio). Plant one
seed every 4-5 inches and cover
with about ¼” of soil. Thin to 16”once
plants have reached 3” in height.
Once the seeds are in the soil you need to
water GENTLY, as the seeds can easily be washed out of the soil.
As your seeds begin to sprout it is important
to understand that broccoli is a very thirsty plant. Water liberally.
One of the hardest parts of growing broccoli is
deciding when to harvest. The plants are ready to cut when the buds are dark
green, tight, and about to open up. Once it starts flowering you are too late.
Be aware that flowering occurs quite quickly when daytime temperatures are in
the high 70’s, so plan accordingly.
I find that I have the best success with fall
crops. I sew my seeds directly in the garden during August and harvest in
November. Fall broccoli will easily tolerate temperatures into the mid 20’s and
will continue to produce here in Ohio
Growing Radishes
Sow radish seed directly in the garden (or
containers) four to six weeks before the first frost of the season. Planting
depth- ½”. Plant spacing- 2-3”
Growing Carrots
Prior to planting carrot seeds it is important
to work the soil deeply, and to remove all rocks and large soil clumps (A sandy
mix is preferred). Carrots prefer a sandy, rich soil that is well-drained and
do quite well in containers. Sow seeds directly on the soil surface and water
immediately. The highest quality carrots are grown when temperatures average
between 60F and70F.
Growing Onions
Onion seed starting is easy. Onions grow best
in fertile, well-draining soil. This should also be worked with organic matter,
such as compost. Onion seeds can be planted directly in the garden bed.
However, when growing onion seed, some people
prefer to start them indoors. This can be done about late October to mid
November. The best time for planting onion seeds outdoors is in spring, as soon
as the soil can be worked, usually around March or April. Place them about an
inch deep in the soil and approximately half an inch or more apart. If planting
rows, space them at least one and half to two feet apart.
Once seedlings have sufficient leaf growth,
thin them down to around 3-4 inches apart.
Transplant onion seedlings that were started indoors about 4-6 weeks before the
last expected frost or freeze date, provided the ground is not frozen.
Onion plants have shallow roots and require
frequent irrigation throughout the growing season. However, once the tops begin
to lay over, usually by late summer, watering should be stopped. At this point,
onions can be lifted.
Growing Kale
Kale can be grown easily in both containers
and the backyard garden. A member of the cabbage family, Kale prefers cool
temperatures and will be sweetened by a touch of frost. Optimal soil
temperature is 60 - 65 degrees F. PLEASE NOTE: Hot weather turns kale bitter.
Cover seeds with
about ½ inch of soil and don’t allow the seeds to dry out before germinating.
This is very important!
Kale plants like
to grow in a rich soil, high in organic matter and slightly acidic (5.5 - 6.5
pH). You’re growing it for the foliage so don’t worry about having too rich a
soil mix.
Kale can be direct seeded in the garden or started indoors and set out as
transplants. Here in Ohio I start seeds indoors in April for transplant in May
after last frost. Space plants 12” apart. I also sow outside in August,
September, and October for a continuous fall harvest.
Growing Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is one of those vegetables that
tastes best when eaten straight from the garden. It seems to lose taste as it
sits in a grocery store cooler.
Swiss chard is very easy to cultivate and
needs only 50-degree soil to germinate. The plants are quite cold-hardy and
grow well into December here in
Swiss Chard does exceptionally well in containers, but bear in mind that you
will need one at least 12 inches in diameter. Larger pots can easily
accommodate 3 to 5 plants.
Before sowing your seeds it is best to soak in
warm water for 10 to 20 minutes. Sow seeds 1/2-inch deep, a few inches apart,
directly in the garden or container. They prefer a rich, well-drained soil.
Matures in 60 days, baby leaf in 30 days. Swiss Chard has excellent re-growth
properties and can be continuously harvested for many months.
Growing Asparagus from Seed
Growing
asparagus from seed - either in pots or directly into the beds - gives the best
viability, with a survival rate of around 100%. In addition, with direct sowing
there is no transplanting or root shock to delay valuable root development.
The best time to sow asparagus seeds is around mid-April when the ground is
warm enough to initiate germination. A good tip is to soak the seeds in water
for a couple of hours before planting. You will find that this will help to
speed up the germination process considerably.
DIRECT SOWING:
As soon as the bed has been prepared, rake over the top layer into a fine
tilth, then sow the seeds into thin rows down to a depth of about 2 inches. Each subsequent row should
be between 12 and 18 inches apart. Water them well if conditions
are dry.
The new seedlings should emerge in about 3 weeks. As soon as they are large
enough they can be thinned out to about 2
inchesbetween plants. Once the seedlings reach about 6 inches high they can be thinned out again to
around 16 inches apart. For the rest of the year you
just need to keep the beds weeded and the plants well-watered.
You will need to remove any female forms as soon as they become identifiable -
normally from their berries.
SOWING INDOORS:
It is best to sow the seeds in individual pots. It doesn’t hurt to soak the
seeds for several hours in warm water prior to planting. Place the pots in a
warm room at under lights. Germination should occur within 3 weeks. Once the
danger of frost is passed you will need to “harden off” for at least a week.
Once
they are ready to be moved out into the asparagus bed they can to be planted
fairly deeply, leaving a couple of inches of soil above the level of the
compost. Keep them nicely watered over the summer period and - as always - keep
the bed free of weeds, especially perennial weeds which will compete with your
seedlings roots for nutrients.
Growing your own plants can delay establishment of your bed by an additional
year, but it does ensure that you are starting with new crowns that have not
lost vigor from being lifted, stored and shipped. Begin harvesting the second
year.
Vegetable Seed Storage
Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place with as little light as possible. Kitchen cupboards are about the last place in the house to store them. Temperatures in cupboards will fluctuate wildly on days when you are using the stove or oven.
A spot in the basement farthest from your furnace and/or water heater is generally best. If you don't have a basement I would recommend a closet on the north side of the house. I have found that a shoe box is about the best storage device made.
Vegetable Seed Viability in Years
Cucumber 7-10+
Lettuce 5+
Beets- 5
Cabbage 4-5
Eggplant 4
Radish 4
Tomato 4-6
Turnip 4
Asparagus 3
Beans 3
Broccoli 3
Beans & Peas 3
Pepper 2-3
Okra 3
Parsley 1-2
Onion 1
Spinach 1
