Transcript Start to Finish Vegetable Production Juan Anciso Texas AgriLife Extension Service Why Grow Vegetables?     Market What pesticides are applied.

Start to Finish Vegetable
Production
Juan Anciso
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Why Grow Vegetables?
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Market
What pesticides are
applied. Organic vs.
Man-made (synthetic)
Heirloom vs. Current
varieties
Some vegetable grow
well down here.
Source of Water
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Municipal
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Costly
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Well
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Know salt content
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Drip Irrigation
<1,400 ppm TDS good for vegetables
1,400 – 2,100 TDS doubtful but good drainage, more
tolerant
>2,100 TDS TDS doubtful but only drip irrigation should
be used
Canal
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May not be available in your area
Irrigation Method
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Drip
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Furrow
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Sprinkler
General Guidelines for Vegetable
Planting
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Select Recommended Varieties.
Plant at the Right Time.
Proper Soil Preparation and Fertilization.
Control Weeds, Diseases and Insects.
Adequate Soil Moisture.
Harvest at the Right Time .
Location
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Receives 8 + hours of sunlight.
Soil has good internal and external
drainage.
Free of competition (weeds and trees).
Near a source of water.
Drainage
Bedded Ground
Raised Bed
Flat on the Ground
Soils in the Valley
pH 6.5 – 8.3
 < 0.8% Organic Matter.
 High in Potassium and Calcium.
 Textures Clay Loam to Sandy Loam.
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Average N – P - K
Content of Horticultural
Plants
%N
%P
%K
Ornamentals
2.0 – 6.0
0.2 – 0.7
1.5 – 3.5
Fruits
2.0 – 7.2
Vegetables
2.4 – 5.6
0.15 – 0.3 1.0 – 2.5
0.3 – 0.7
Generally a 3-1-2 ratio
1.5 – 4.0
Soil Preparation
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Have a soil test run.
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N-P-K
Incorporate plenty of
organic matter.
Add compost to
improve drainage.
Add nutrients if
necessary.
Planting Equipment
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Push planter – gravity
and pore size
Tractor equipped –
gravity and pore size
Planting Equipment
Tractor-equipped –
vacuum and pore size
Integrated Pest Management
Insects, Diseases, Weeds
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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.
Know the Good Guys
Floating Row Cover
Prevent Insects
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2° to 4° F of Frost
Protection.
Wind Protection.
Keeps Out Insects.
Allows 85 to 90%
Light Penetration.
Soil-borne Diseases
Solarize
Nematodes
Elbon Cereal Rye
Weed Control
Plastic Mulch
Cool Season Vegetables
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Plant from
September thru
December.
Some are heavy
feeders of
nitrogen.
Crucifer (Cabbage) Family
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Cabbage
Cauliflower
Broccoli
(difficult to get
size)
Kale
 Kohlrabi
 Radish
 Collards
 Mustard
 Turnips (greens)
(easy)
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Cabbage
Broccoli
Collards, Kale & Kohlrabi
Turnips and Mustards
Radish / Daikon
Goosefoot (Purslane) Family
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Beets (easy)
Swiss Chard (easy)
Spinach (easy)
Lettuce – Asteraceae family
(Head –difficult Leaf - easy)
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Plant when soil
cools in fall &
winter.
Seed needs
light to
germinate.
Refrigerate
before use.
Umbel (Parsley) Family
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Carrot (easy)
Parsley (easy)
Cilantro (easy)
Fennel (easy)
Dill
(easy)
Celery (difficult)
Amaryllis (Onion) Family
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Onions (easy)
Leeks (easy)
Garlic (difficult)
Shallots (easy)
Chives (easy)
Onions
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Plant seeds in September
thru late November,
transplants in December
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Varieties are short day
sweet onions (1015).
Warm Season Vegetables
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Plant Mid Feb- April
1 and August 15 to
September 15
Some require
moderate levels of
nitrogen.
Nightshade (Tomato) Family
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Tomato (Roma or
cherry) (easy)
Pepper (Hot types) (easy)
Eggplant (All types)
(easy)
Potato (Difficult)
Tomatillo (Difficult)
Eggplant (easy)
Pepper Varieties Worth Trying
Hidalgo
Serrano
Mild Habanero
Senorita Jalapeno
Tam Mild I
Jalapeno
Legume (Bean) Family
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Green (Snap) Beans (easy)
Southern Pea (easy)
English Pea (difficult)
Edible-podded Pea (difficult)
Soybean (difficult)
Jicama (difficult)
Pinto/black Bean (easy)
Cucurbit (Gourd) Family
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Cucumber (easy)
Summer Squash
(difficult)
Winter Squash (easy)
Cantaloupe (difficult)
Honeydew (difficult)
Watermelon (difficult)
Pumpkin (difficult)
Gourd (easy)
Male and Female Flowers
Female
Male
Cucumbers
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Plant mid Feb to April 1
and August 15 to
September 15.
Moderate Fertility.
Easily trellised.
Harvest for pickles when
fruit reaches desired size
and slicers when near
maturity.
Squash
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Plant mid February
to April 1 and
August 15 to
September 15.
Moderate Fertility.
Harvest
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Winter Squash when
mature, rind hard.
Summer Squash
when tender and
immature.
Watermelons and cantaloupes
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Plant mid Feb to March
15.
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Moderate Fertility
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Harvesting criteria
important.
Mallow Family
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Okra (easy)
Plant March 1
through April 15
when soils are
warm.
 Moderate fertility.
 Harvest when
pods are small and
tender.
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Okra Harvest
Too Large
Just Right
Grass Family – Sweet Corn
(difficult)
Su - type
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Plant mid Feb. to
April 1 and August
15 to September 15.
Fertilize at Planting,
1 Foot Tall, & Tassel
70 to 90 days until
harvest.
Se - type
Types of Sweet Corns
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Sweet Corn (su)- Traditional sweet corn with sweet flavor
and 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.
Super Sweets (sh2)- Very crisp kernels, even after freezing,
and a much higher sugar content. Sugar is very stable within
the kernel but it lacks the creamy consistency.
Triple Sweets (su x se x sh2)- A 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