Archive for the ‘growing’ Category

Very Handy Vegetable Fertilizer Chart

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

I was asked the other day about fertilize schedules for vegetables. There is plenty of fertilize information but not all in one place so I decided to create a vegetable fertilizer chart. Once the vegetables are planted, it is weed and feed (hopefully not feed the weeds) time until harvest.

Definitions

Side-dress - apply fertilizer 6 inches or so from center of plant. If one plant is involved, apply around entire plant. If a row of plants are involved, apply in a straight line on both sides of the row.

Vegetable Fertilizer Table

Vegetable Dosage Amt per plant Notes
Carrots 10-10-10   Side-dress when 3 inches tall
Cucumbers 10-10-10 1 TBL Side-dress when plants vines are 10 inches long and after flowers begin to bloom. Do not dig down with a hoe more than 1 inch because this will damage the shallow feeder roots. The main roots go down 5 feet.
Green Beans 0-10-10   Side-dress. Generally do not need fertilizer in decent soil. Do not
give fertilizer that contains nitrogen.
Lettuce 10-0-0 or 10-10-10 1 cup per 10 feet Side-dress when 2 to 3 inches high.
Peppers 5-10-10 1 tsp When blossoms show
Potatoes 10-10-10   Side-dress when flowers appear
Pumpkins 10-20-10
10-10-10		   While vine is growing.
Once fruit is set.
Radishes 10-10-10 1 cup per 10 feet Work fertilizer in soil just before planting.
Spinach 10-10-10 1 cup per 100 sq. feet Side-dress when 2 to 3 inches tall.
Sweet Corn 10-10-10   Side-dress when plant is 1 foot tall and when tassels appear.
Tomatoes 10-10-10 1 TBL Side-dress 8 inches from plant in a circle every 3 weeks
Zucchini 10-20-10 or 10-20-20 1 TBL They need higher phosphorus than nitrogen. Side-dress fertilize when fruits form.

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Growing Green Beans in the Midwest

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

green beans, ready to snapGreen beans, aka snap beans or string beans, are pretty easy to grow in the Midwest. They are a very popular warm season vegetable.

Types

There are two groups of beans: bush and pole. Bush beans grow as a bush and require no support while pole beans need a framework to hold them up. We have had great luck with Blue Lake 274 bush beans. They take 58 days to harvest and are plump with good yield. Also, they are bean mosaic resistant.
A good pole bean is Blue Lake which takes 65 days to harvest and are stringless.

Planting

Plant after the last frost (May 15th in Peoria area) has subsided. We have always grown beans from a seed which you can get in packets from a nearby supply store. Space out planting 2 weeks so a plentiful supply is available through August. Do not plant beans in the same spot as last year since disease and/or pests may have wintered over. It is best to get new bean seeds every year.

Depth

Beans are planted at a depth of 1 inch. Bush beans are spaced out 4 inches between beans and 18 to 24 inches between rows. Pole beans are planted 6 inches apart in rows of 30 inches. Water after planting. Do not soak beans in water before planting as they tend to crack.

Care

Beans have a shallow root system so cultivating nearby with a hoe can damage them. We recommend hand-picking weeds within 1 foot of the plant after a rain if possible. We have had good luck mulching bean plants as it keeps the ground at a more stable temperature and holds moisture in.

Fertilizer

Since beans are legumes, they require no additional nitrogen. A 0-10-10 fertilizer will work well but can be hard to find.

Harvest

Pick beans after they are thoroughly dried (i.e. do not pick in the morning). The beans should be plump and long. Bean plants are brittle and easy to break so be careful. You can use a small scissors and snip the bean off or carefully yank on it. The plants will continue to generate new beans after they are harvested. We usually get 3 or 4 pickings in a season.
Toss the beans in a plastic bucket as they are harvested. Store unwashed until ready for use. Remember, the best tasting beans are immature ones; that is they do not have full seeds in them. The longer they linger on the plant, the tougher they become.

Problems

Bean mosaic disease turns leaves yellow and reduces yield.
Bacterial bean blight causes bright yellow or brown spots on the leaves. Avoid contact with wet plants and use disease-free seeds.

Storage

Beans can be stored, unwashed, for up to 3 days in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper part of the refrigerator. The bag prevents moisture loss and wilting. Green beans are excellent candidates for canning. We have canned them nearly every year. Beans dated 2004 are still being used in our soups or casseroles. Before freezing, the beans need to be blanched.

Doug

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Growing Broccoli in the Midwest

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Broccoli floret
Enjoy easy to grow broccoli in your garden.

Summary

  • Planting method: Transplant 4-6 weeks before last spring frost date; for fall crop, transplant in late summer.
  • Spacing: 12-24 inches in rows 24 inches apart; 1 per square foot for intensive beds
  • Days to harvest: 55-65
  • High in vitamin C and beta carotene

Varieties

Many varieties do well in the home garden. Try two each year. Choose the one you like better and grow it again the following year with yet another variety. Keep doing this each year. This is a simple way to find out which variety does best in your garden.

  • Cruiser (58 days to harvest; uniform, high yield; tolerant of dry conditions)
  • Green Comet (55 days; early; heat tolerant)
  • Green Goliath (60 days; spring, summer or fall; tolerant of extremes)

Planting

Get broccoli into the garden as early as possible. Start your own seeds 4 to 6 weeks ahead of the frost-free date in your area orr buy transplants from a reliable garden center. Look for compact, stocky plants.

Broccoli plants grow upright, often reaching a height of 2 1/2 feet. Space plants one foot apart in all directions in beds.

Transplants are recommended though you can start from seed. Set seedlings outdoors as soon as you can work the soil. If frost threatens, protect the seedlings with cloches. To prevent cutworm damage, place a two-inch collar of stiff paper around the stem of each plant before planting. At least 1 inch of the collar should extend below the soil line, with 2 inches above. Space rows about 2 feet apart, with at least 20 inches of space between the plants.

Care

Use starter fertilizer for transplants and side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer (10-10-10) when the plants are half grown.

Broccoli likes a lot of water. Use a thick mulch around each plant to keep soil moist. Weed regularly.

Broccoli has two mortal enemies: rabbits and cabbageworms. Protect the plants with a fence or small, individual wire cages. I use cut-up 1 gallon milk jugs. Because rabbits stop feeding on broccoli when it gets big, remove the cages when the plants get large. To combat worms, spray broccoli plants at weekly intervals with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a biological control that kills worms but is totally safe to animals and humans. Organic gardeners accept its use.

Harvest

Pick the green flower buds before they start to spread into little yellow flowers. The buds should be firm and tight, just as they are in the grocery store, and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Cut the bud with a sharp knife five inches down the stalk.

Heads that start to flower are past their prime, although the flowers are decorative and edible. A number of smaller buds will form below the central bud after you pick it. Harvest these in the same way as the original, larger bud. Keep harvesting to force continued production.

Storage

Store the broccoli, *unwashed*, in loose or perforated plastic bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator up to 5 days. Broccoli left unrefrigerated quickly becomes fibrous and woody. Wet broccoli quickly becomes limp and moldy in the refrigerator. Old broccoli may look fine, but it develops strong undesirable flavors. It tastes best and is highest in nutritional value when storage time is brief.

Troubleshooting

Nipped leaves - rabbits
Holes in leaves - diamondback worms
Yellow flowers - Heads ready to flower. Planting too late in the spring or failing to give the plants a good start contributes to this condition. Premature flower development also may be caused by interrupted growth resulting from extended chilling of young plants, extremely early planting, holding plants in a garden center until they are too old or too dry, and severe drought conditions.
Small heads - They form soon after plants are set in the garden (called “buttons”) and usually result from seedlings being held too long or improperly before sale or planting.

Recipes

Try this stir-fried steam broccoli recipe. I make this ad infinitum when broccoli is in season. Also frozen broccoli works well, too, in the off-season.

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Growing Potatoes in the Midwest

Tuesday, June 5th, 2007

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) have been easy to grow in the Midwest. My favorite is Yukon Gold which I have a lot planted this year (2007). Others we have grown successfully in the past are Red Pontiac and the white Kennebec.

Potato Location

Do not grow potatoes in the same location until 3 years have passed. Disease and bugs persist and need this long to die off.

Temperature

Potatoes are a cool season vegetable. They grow best in soil that is between 60 and 70 degrees. They will not form when the soil is 80 degrees or higher.

Varieties

There are literally over a hundred varieties of potatoes in a multitude of colors. As mentioned before we have had very good luck with Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Red Pontiac. Another variety I have seen at the stores is Viking which is a red skinned potato. Do not use potatoes from grocery stores; besides not being a seed potato, generally they have been sprayed with a chemical that prevents them from sprouting. Potatoes mature from 100 to 120 days after planting.

Planting

Potatoes are among the first crops planted in the Spring. I usually plant them around Good Friday or when the soil is workable. Planting too early may result in rot if the ground stays wet. Cut the seed potatoes in quarters and make sure there is at least one eye in the quarter. Once cut let them sit for a day or two so a crust develops over the cut part. This reduces the chance of rotting.

Plant potatoes with the cut side down. Full sun is the best for potatoes.

Spacing

I have always used seed potatoes rather than ones left over from the year before (though many farmers practice this). The seed potato is cut up in pieces where each piece has at least one “eye”. Each piece is planted about a 9 inches apart in a trench about 3 inches deep. I use a hand plow to dig the trench. Each row is 2 feet apart. Placing straw about 4 inches thick or mulch in between the rows help keep moisture in and lower the ground temperature by 10 degrees.

Watering

Yukon Gold have low drought tolerance so keep an eye on them. The soil should be well-drained and fertile. Compacted soil or clay soil will produce misshapen tubers. Keep the potatoes evenly watered so they do not get knobs (secondary growth). Water early in the day and try not to water the foliage.

Fertilizer

The soil should be well-drained and fertile. After the plant has grown several inches mound soil around the plant so the potatoes do not turn green from sunlight. After the plant is about a foot high I side-dress the potatoes with 10-10-10 fertilizer about 6 inches from the plant lightly scratched into the ground.

Harvesting

Normally potatoes are harvested after the vines die but if you want new potatoes (small, 1 to 2 inches in diameter) harvest them in mid July. Since potatoes are about 8 inches underground I use a potato fork. Normal yield is about 8 potatoes per vine.
Late potatoes are harvested around August or early September.

potato fork for harvesting

Storage

Most potatoes can be stored in a cool (40 to 50 degrees), dark place (not the refrigerator since the starches will be converted to sugars and give the potato an oddly sweet taste.) for several weeks. Yukon Gold do not store as well as others. If parts of the potato turn green just remove the green part and eat away. Potatoes do not freeze or can well.

Recipes

Here are some excellent ways of serving potatoes. They go over big every time.
Garlic Red Potatoes
Herb-Roasted Potatoes

doug

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Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash

Saturday, June 2nd, 2007

I had the good luck of talking with a knowledgeable feed store employee. The subject was the big 3: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. My concern was the green beans would not get enough phosphorus and potash. They do not need nitrogen since they are a legume and produce their own. His response was: do not worry about it.
Phosphorus and potash are very insoluble and move very little in soil. They are not affected by weather conditions. Nitrogen is leached out of the soil by rainwater and usage by roots so it must be replenished periodically.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen gives plants their dark green color and increases leaf and stem growth. The crispness and quality of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach is influenced by nitrogen levels. Plants deficient in nitrogen have light green to yellow leaves and appear stunted.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus encourages root growth and establishment. Phosphorus is also crucial for plant flowering and fruiting, especially seed production. Most of the internal plant chemical reactions are dependent on phosphorus. Poor flowering and fruiting may be signs of the lack of phosphorus. Some plants, including corn and tomatoes, may exhibit red or purple leaves. Cold soils can prevent phosphorus uptake, even though the element is present.

Potash

Potassium or potash increases the plant’s vigor, winter hardiness and resistance to diseases. Stems and stalks are stiffer. Plant seed or fruit yield is improved. Reduced vigor, susceptibility to diseases and thin skinned or small fruit may be signs of potassium deficiency.

Fertilizer Contents

A complete fertilizer contains all three nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash (potassium). The fertilizer bag has three numbers on it: like 12-10-8. The first number is nitrogen, second is phosphorus, and the third is potash. Each number is the percent weight of the element. For example a 50 pound bag of 12-10-8 has 6 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds phosphorus and 4 pounds of potash. In our example there is 15 pounds of nutrients and 35 pounds of filler: ground corn cobs, sawdust, vermiculite, and other which makes it easier to apply the fertilizer.

Application

I use a balanced fertilizer, like 12-12-12 or 10-10-10, on other vegetables like corn and potatoes. I admit I do not have the soil tested but I do rotate crops to mitigate the spread of disease. Application is easy: run a line of fertilizer on each side of the row of plants about 6 inches from the stem. Work the fertilizer in the soil with a hoe. Water immediately to start the fertilizer process or wait for rain. Do not let the fertilizer touch the plant or else it will burn it.

Using time-release fertilizer is not a good idea since it releases nutrients based on environmental conditions rather than plant needs.

Soil Testing

If you cannot measure it you cannot control it. A soil testing kit is inexpensive and worthwhile.
Test the first 6 inches of soil for phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is tested in the first 24 inches of soil.

Doug

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Growing Onions in Central Illinois

Saturday, March 17th, 2007

I have had very good luck growing onions - and am I glad! My favorite are red onions - they are so much better than yellow or white onions on most everything. Unfortunately they do not last as long as yellow ones which is not a problem because they get used so quickly. Another plus is I can grow green onions; which I love. Check out some good recipes at dougthecook.com. Make sure the onions bought are long-day onions; short-day onions are for the South and do not grow well in the Midwest.

Planting

My onions are planted in the spring from sets as that is the easiest way. If the onion is larger than a dime, use those for green onions. Remember to plant them with the roots down (one year I planted several with the roots up - they were about one half the size of the ones planted with roots down). Good Friday is when I plant the cool weather crops: onions, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, and radishes. You could plant the last week of March but Cletus insists on Good Friday. The onions should be planted 1 inch deep. If you are growing green onions, plant them 2 inches apart from the dry onions and put them every other onion. They will be pulled before crowding becomes an issue. If no green onions, put them 3 inches apart. Put the rows about 1 foot apart. Do not hill onions or else they may rot at the base.

Care

Onions have shallow roots and are easily taken over by weeds. Boy, do I know about that! Late in the season the onions are almost indistinguishable from weeds unless you are ruthless at keeping them weeded. Foxtails are especially prevalent near harvest time. Many farmers do not bother weeding them - too much work…and I agree - it is a lot of work keeping them weeded.
I side dress onions with 10-10-10 fertilizer about half way through the season. Onions are watered once a week, depending on the rain, so they get 1 inch total.

Harvest

Yank the green onions when they are about 6 to 10 inches long - they should be crisp. If any have stalked, use them immediately as they are not very good if they sit out. Harvest dry onions in late July or early August when most of the tops fall over. I use a potato fork to harvest them. Trying to pull them out resulted in too many broken tops. Allow them to fall over naturally; that way they produce the biggest bulb. Scallions have no bulb while green onions have a 1 to 2 inch bulb.

Storage

Try and use green onions and scallions soon after they are harvested. Store in a perforated bag in a refrigerator up to 1 week after harvest.

Post Harvest

After harvesting the onions in the morning, let them sit in the shade for the rest of the day; unless it is raining. Put them on screens or hang them for 2 or 3 weeks. They need full air circulation in a fairly low humidity place. Many farmers put their onions in the attic where it is nice and dry. After the bulbs have dried cut their tops off 1 or 2 inches from the bulb. Discard any bulbs that have green growing from them. Store in a cool, dry place. They should last until late winter. Ideally storage temperature is 33 to 39 degrees. 40 and over they start to sprout. Some farmers put their onions in burlap sacks to store them.

Doug

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Growing Spinach

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

We have had very good luck with spinach. In fact last year we couldn’t give it away fast enough - and just from one packet of seeds.

The seeds are sown when the soil is ready for planting in the spring (4 weeks before last frost - middle of March where we live). Seeds can be sewn in late winter over frozen ground and they will germinate in the spring but we do not prep the soil until spring - disc then rototill it. Spinach likes well-drained soil, ample moisture, and full sun. The seeds germinate in soil as cold as 50 degrees F.

Planting

I take a 1×1 board and dig a furrow 1/2 inch deep with its edge. The seeds are dropped in 1 inch apart and covered with soil and watered. The plants are thinned to 3 inches apart when they are an inch tall. The rows are 1 foot apart and I plant a successive row 7 days apart.

Fertilizer

I generally sidedress spinach with 10-10-10 fertilizer when the plants are a few inches tall.

Harvesting

Spinach is best when harvested young. I snip or pinch the leaves off and bag them. The leaves need to be washed before eating because they collect grit during rain. Spinach is ready to harvest in about 40 to 50 days depending on the variety. When the seedstalk forms, in late spring, harvest the remaining crop as the plant deteriorates quickly.

P.S. Rabbits like spinach.

Doug

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Growing Radishes

Tuesday, February 13th, 2007

one radish, just pickedI love radishes on salads! Which is why I cannot wait to plant them.

Introduction

Radishes are a cool weather plant that grows quickly (about 22 days) from seed. They have been very successful in the past several years. Usually I plant about twenty radish plants then in seven days I will plant another batch and so on so there is a continuous supply.

Usually I will mix in a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer before planting. My favorite spring radish is the Cherry Belle which does not get very hot (unless they are picked too late).

Planting

Radishes need loose, well-drained soil for root expansion. They love full sun.

To save space plant radishes between late growing plants such as broccoli or plant in an area that will be used for warm weather crops such as peppers or tomatoes. Plant in the early spring when the soil can be worked.

Sow the seeds (they are small) 1/4 inch deep and 1 1/2 inches apart.

Radishes get hot if they are left in the ground too long. Hotness is no relation to their size.

Harvest

Cherry Belle are about 1 inch in diameter when fully matured. Harvest them while they are young, before they turn pithy (spongy) or woody.

Storing

Store radishes in water in the refrigerator. I cut off the root and leaves before storing. Because of their high water content radishes do not freeze well.

Doug

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