Transcript Commonsense Vegetable Gardening for the Texas Gulf Coast

The Art
of
Vegetable Gardening
Vincent J. Mannino,
County Extension Director – Fort Bend
Why Garden?
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Homegrown
vegetables taste
better.
You have control
over what pesticides
are applied.
Good exercise.
Fun!
How to be a
Great Gardener
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Proper Soil Preparation and Fertilization
Select Recommended Varieties
Plant at the Right Time
Control Weeds, Diseases and Insects
Adequate Soil Moisture
Harvest at the Right Time
Plan and Prepare
Get a Quality Start! - SEEDS
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Seed sources to use:
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– Reputable catalogs
– Reputable local retailers
– Saved from open-pollinated sources
– New varieties
– Heirloom varieties
Getting a Quality Start! - SEEDS
Saving your own seed:
– Hybrids will not be same as what you
purchased
– Disease potential.
– Pick when mature.
– Process properly
– Store properly
*** Keep accurate records each year!
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Ideal Garden Location
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Receives 8 + hours of sunlight.
Soil has good internal and external
drainage.
Free of competition from other large
plants, buildings, etc.
Near a source of water.
Visible!
Garden Design
Traditional Gardens (raised)
Traditional Gardens (raised)
Box Garden (raised)
Postage
Stamp
Gardens
What is an Ideal Soil?
pH 6.0 – 6.5 (Slightly Acid).
 5 – 10% Organic Matter.
 40 – 45% Inorganic Matter (Sand,
Silt or Clay)
 50% Pore Space ( Air and Water).
 Texture - Sandy to Sandy Loam.
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Soil Preparation
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Have a soil test run.
Incorporate plenty of
organic matter.
Add large amounts of
bank sand or sharp
sand to improve
drainage.
Add nutrients if
necessary.
Cultural Practices Reduce
Pesticide Use (IPM)
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Healthy Soils
Resistant Varieties
Planting Time
Proper Watering
Soil Fertility
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Sanitation
Weed Control
Diverse Planting
Crop Rotation
Growing Up - Not Out
Composting – Recycle Yard Waste
Compost Materials
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Household
organics
Leaves
Pine Needles
Hay
Grass Clippings
Paper
Starting Your Own Plants from
 Average last frost ~
Seeds
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March 5
Select Proper
Varieties.
Sterile Potting
Media.
Sterile Containers.
High Light Intensity
for 14-16 hours.
Regular Applications
of Soluble Fertilizer
Container Gardening
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Excellent for small
yards or patio homes.
Requires more care:
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Water.
Fertilizer.
Use large containers
with a loose potting
media to reduce
compaction.
Harvest at the Proper Time
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Quality can vary
greatly depending
on time harvested.
Take the time to
learn when the
various vegetables
should be
harvested.
Vegetable Family Members
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Nightshade – Tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper
Legumes – Peas, beans (same family as clover)
Grass – Corn
Cucurbit – Squash, pumpkin, watermelon,
cantaloupe, cucumber, gourds
Mallow – Okra
Morning Glory – Sweet Potatoes
Vegetable Family Members
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Composite – Lettuce, chicory, endive, escarole,
salsify, dandelion, Jerusalem artichoke
Parsley – Carrots, parsley, celery, parsnip
Amaryllis – Onions, garlic, leek, chive,
Goosefoot – Spinach, beets & chard.
Lily - Asparagus
Mustards – Cabbage, collards, Brussel sprouts,
kale, radish, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi,
turnip
Nightshade Family
Tomato
 Pepper
 Eggplant
 Potato
* Transplants
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Recipe for Successful
Production
*Tomatoes can be temperature sensitive for fruit set
Tomatoes - Plant large, vigorous
plants. Incorporate ¼-½ cup of
complete, slow release fertilizer at
planting.
Tomatoes - May plant as early as
January 15th in 1-gallon containers
and grow in full sun until after the
last killing frost.
Apply a weekly foliar spray of a
water soluble fertilizer.
Work in 2-3 Tbs. of high nitrogen
fertilizer when 1st cluster of fruit
sets.
Fertilize every two weeks with
21-0-0 at 1 Tablespoon per plant.
Common Diseases and Insects
of the Nightshade Family
Legume Family
Green (Snap) Beans
 Lima Beans
 Southern Pea
 English Pea
 Edible-podded Pea
 Soybean
 Runner Bean
* Direct Plant Seeds
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Green (Snap) Bean
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Plant March-April
and September
Moderately Fertile
Soil.
Harvest When
Pods are Young
and Tender.
Lima (Butter) Beans
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Plant March - Early
April and September.
Moderately Fertile
Soil.
Harvest When Pods
are Mature and Seeds
Fully Developed.
Southern Peas
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Plant April thru
August.
Prefers warm soil.
Requires
moderately fertile
soils.
Harvest when pods
are mature and
start to yellow.
Edible-podded Peas
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Plant Late
September thru
January.
Moderately
Fertile Soil.
Most Varieties
Need Support.
Light Production
But High Quality.
Common Diseases and Insects
of the Legume Family
Grass Family – Sweet Corn
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Plant March – April.
Direct plant seed
Fertilize at Planting,
1 Foot Tall & Tassel
Visible in the Whorl
with ½-1 Cup 21-0-0
per 10 Ft. of Row.
90%+ Harvested the
same day.
Types of Sweet Corns
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Sweet Corn (su)- Traditional sweet corn
with sweet flavor & creamy consistency.
Sugar degrades rapidly to starch .
Sugary Enhanced (se) – Tender kernels,
much sweeter flavor and creamy
consistency. Maintains sweet flavor
much longer than traditional sweet corn.
Types of Sweet Corns
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Super Sweets (sh2)- Very crisp kernels,
even after freezing, and a much higher sugar
content. Sugar is very stable within the
kernel but lacks the creamy consistency.
Triple Sweets (su x se x sh2)- Combination
of high sugar and creamy consistency,
carrying a combination of traits from both
sugar enhanced and super sweet varieties.
Plant Corn in Multiple Rows
Plant Corn in Blocks
Corn Insects and Disease
Cucurbit (Gourd) Family
Cucumber
 Squash
 Cantaloupe
 Honeydew
 Watermelon
 Pumpkin
 Gourd
 *Temperature
sensitive for fruit set
* Usually direct seed
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Male and Female Flowers
Cucumbers
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Plant late March –
April and September.
Moderate Fertility.
Easily trellised.
Harvest for pickles
when fruit reaches
desired size and
slicers when near
maturity.
Squash
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Plant late March –
April and September.
Moderate Fertility.
Harvest
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Winter Squash when
mature, rind hard.
Summer Squash
when tender and
immature.
Melons
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Plant late April thru
July.
Moderate Fertility.
Easily trellised.
Harvest at full slip
or tendril at base of
fruit turns brown.
Pantyhose Melons
Common Diseases and Insects
of the Cucurbit Family
Squash Bugs & Eggs
Powdery Mildew
Squash Vineborer
Squash Bugs
Mallow Family
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Okra
Plant April thru
July when soils are
warm.
 Moderate fertility.
 Harvest when
pods are small and
tender.
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Okra Harvest
Okra Disease
Solarize
Nematodes
Elbon Cereal Rye
Morning-glory Family
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Sweet Potato
Plant after soils
have warmed,
May thru July.
 Moderate fertility.
 Harvest when
roots are fully
cured.
 Plants or “slips”
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Composite (Sunflower) Family
Cardoon
 Globe Artichoke
 Radicchio
 Lettuce
 Endive
* Direct
Seed
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Lettuce
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Plant when soil
cools in fall &
winter.
Seed needs
light to
germinate.
Refrigerate
before use.
Parsley (Umbel) Family
Carrot
 Parsley
 Fennel
 Dill
 Celery
 Parsnip
*Direct
Seed
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Carrots
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Plant seed from
early October
thru December.
Seed need light to
germinate.
Give regular light
applications of
nitrogen fertilizer.
Amaryllis (Onion) Family
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Onions
Leeks
Garlic
Shallots
Chives
Onions
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Plant seeds in early
November, plants in
January.
Low sulfur soil for
sweet onions.
Fertilize with small
amounts of nitrogen,
frequently.
Leeks
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Plant clusters of 5-8
seed every 6 inches.
Start to thin when
pencil size.
Apply frequent,
small amounts of
nitrogen fertilizer.
Blanch to improve
quality.
Garlic
 Plant cloves
about 4 – 6
inches apart.
 Small frequent
applications of
nitrogen.
 Harvest tops and
roots as needed.
Goosefoot Family
Beets
 Swiss Chard
 Spinach
* Direct plant seed
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Lily Family
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Asparagus
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Plant in well drained,
organic soil. Deep
Use high nitrogen
fertilizers.
Harvest for a short period in
the spring and fall.
Size of spears indicates
plant vigor.
Takes 2-3 years to establish
Know the Good Guys
Know the Good Guys
Integrated Pest Management
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Provide plants with the best care and culture
possible.
Use only the most adapted varieties.
If chemical (organic or man-made) control is
necessary start with the most environmentally
friendly products first.
Apply chemicals, (organic or man-made)
properly, safely and according to the label.
Recommended Pesticides
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Insecticides
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insecticidal soaps
malathion
carbaryl
permethrin
Fungicides
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pesticidal oils- petroleum based
copper base
sulfur base
captan
daconil
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ALWAYS FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS
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The End
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/