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Vegetables

Gardeners in our area are fortunate to be able to enjoy a long growing season for vegetables.  Almost anyone can be a successful gardener in our area with just a few, simple tips.

How to Grow

Vegetables like sunshine. Seven to eight hours a day is ideal. Vegetables also like a well drained soil. For every 100 square feet of garden, mix 30 bags of Dutch Garden Center compost and a premium vegetable fertilizer according to the label directions. Turn this mixture (several times) into the clay to a depth of 8-10”. For a superior soil, also add 5 lbs. of bone meal, 50 lbs. of planttone, and 20 lbs. of gypsum. These ingredients will help to loosen the clay and add organic matter around the root systems of your vegetables.

When to Plan

With the exception of cool season vegetables, plant your transplants after the last frost. For early ripening, start seeds indoors in early March.

How to Maintain

Water is important for vegetable growth; however, too much water can hurt more than help. Try to keep the garden moist, but not soggy. If you are noticing a lot of green leaves, but only a little fruit, cut back on the water.

What About Insects?

Watch for insect damage such as holes in the fruit or leaves. When insect damage is noticed, consult Dutch Garden Center. Remember, when using any chemical, always read and follow the label carefully for the best results.

Is Fungus a Problem?

Fungus is much less of a problem when your garden is being watered properly. If you notice a problem, take a sample of the leaf or fruit to Dutch Garden Center.

LISTED BELOW ARE plants that do well in our area

  • Beans, Bush – Plant every two weeks from April to August. Sow 3” apart, 1” deep, rows 2’ apart.  Varieties: Blue Lake, Bountiful, Burpee Stringless, Commodore, Contender, Greencrop, Harvester, Mountaineer, Pinto, Provider, Rattlesnake, Resisto, Roma II, Spartan, Sprite, State, Tendergreen Imp., Tennessee Greenpod, Topcrop, Wade.

  • Beans, Lima – Very susceptible to cold. Don’t plant until the ground has become thoroughly warm. Needs a lot of enriched soil amendments. Plant 6” apart, 1” deep, rows 3’ apart.  Varieties: Burpee Imp., Cangreen, Dixie Butterpea, Fordhook, Henderson, Jackson Wonder.

  • Beans, Pole – Sensitive to cold, plant after soil warms. Needs poles 6-8’ tall to climb on. Set poles 3’ apart, rows 4’ apart. Plant 4 or 5 beans per pole. Varieties: Blue Lake, Dade, Genuine Cornfield, Kentucky Wonder, McCaslan.

  • Beets – Well-fertilized, well-drained soil is best. Plant 3” apart. Varieties: Detroit, Early Wonder

  • Broccoli – Use transplants planted 6-8” apart in well-drained soil.

  • Brussels Sprouts – Use transplants planted 24” apart in the row. Rows should be 30”-36” apart.

  • Cabbage – Start indoors in January and February or set out transplants in March. Plant 18” apart in rows set 2’ apart. Varieties: All Seasons, Charleston Wakefield, Copenhagen Market, Early Jersey Wakefield, Early Round Dutch, Flat Dutch.

  • Cantaloupe – Melons grow best in rich, sandy soil. Plant on hills spaced 4-6’ apart. Plant 10-12 seeds per hill and thin to about three strong plants per hill. Varieties: Banana, Edisto, Gulfstream, Hales Best Jumbo, Honey Dew, Planter’s Jumbo, Rocky Ford, Schoon’s Hardshell, Smith’s Perfect, Burpee’s Hybrid, Classic.

  • Carrot – Sow at two-week intervals in deep, rich loam. Plant in rows 18” apart. When plants are a few inches high, thin to 2-3” apart. Varieties: Chantenay, Danvers Half Long, Imperator.

  • Collards – Plant like cabbage. You can plant early because collard’s flavor is enhanced by frost. Varieties: Georgia, Morris Heading, Vates.

  • Corn, Hybrid – Needs well-fertilized soil. Plant after it has become warm and dry in the spring. Space seeds 3” apart in rows 2’ apart. Thin to 10” apart. Varieties: Aristogold, Debut, Golden Bantam, Golden Cross, Golden Queen, Hickory King, Iochief, Jubilee, Kandy Dorn, Merit, Reids Yellow Dent, Resistall, Royal Gold Hybrid, Seneca Chief, Silver Queen, Truckers Hybrid, White Lightning.

  • Cowpea – Also known as the Southern Field Pea and Crowder Pea. Plant the seed 1” deep and 1” apart in rich, well-drained soil. Start sowing in late spring and continue to sow at two-week intervals until July 15. Sow double rows 6-8” apart, and the rows 2-3’ apart. Varieties: Big Boy, Black Crowder, Blue Goose, Brown Crowder, Calico, California Blackeye, Colossus, Cream 40, DixieLee, Knuckle Purple Hull, Lady, Mississippi Silver, New Era, Pinkeye Purple Hull, Purple Tip Crowder, Purple Hull 59, PurpleHull Browneye Crowder, Six Weeks Browneye, Speckled PurpleHull, Tennessee White Crowder, Vining PurpleHull, Whipporwill.

  • Cucumber – Sow seed after danger of frost. Seed 8-10 seeds to hills spaced 3-5” apart. Varieties: Ashley, Beit Alpha M.R., Burpless, Cherokee Hybrid, Long Green Improved, Marketer, Patio Pik, Poinsett, Pot Luck, Pot Luck (Bush), Spacemaster, Straight Eight, Sweet Slice, White Wonder, Wisconsin.

  • Eggplant – Sow the seed early indoors and transplant in late May. Space 2’ apart and 3’ between rows. Varieties: Black Beauty.

  • Lettuce – Head lettuce should be spaced 1’ apart but looseleaf varieties can be closer. Sow in rich soil and transplant. Varieties: Big Boston, Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Grand Rapids, Great Lakes, Iceberg.

  • Okra – Plant after the ground is warm and dry. Space 6” apart, then thin to 18” apart. Varieties; Clemson Spineless, Dwarf Green, Emerald Green, Lee, Perkins Long Green, White Velvet.

  • Peas, English – Plant 1” deep in a rich, well-drained soil in early spring and every two weeks after that until June. Sow in double rows 6” apart, the rows being 2-3’ apart.  Varieties: Alaska, Alderman, Green Arrow, Laxton’s Progress, Little Marvel, Novella, Sparkle, Super Sugar Mel, Sugar Rae, Sugar Snap Peas, Thomas Laxton, Wando.

  • Pepper – Start seed in a hot bed in early spring and transplant the seedlings to the open ground after all danger of frost is past. Set 18” apart each way in land that is not too rich. Varieties: California Wonder, Cubanelle, Hungarian Wax (hot), Keystone Giant, Long Red Cayenne (hot), Sweet Banana.

  • Pumpkin – Plant 4-6 seeds in hills about 8’ apart after danger of frost. Thin to three plants to a hill. Varieties: Big Max, Connecticut Field, Jack O Lantern, Mammoth Gold.

  • Radish – In order for the radish to be tender and crisp, they must be grown quickly in moist soil. Sow in open ground at intervals during the summer or under glass during February or October. Varieties: Champion, Cherry Belle, China Rose Winter, Icicle, Scarlet Globe, Sparkler White Tip.

  • Spinach – Sow outdoors in early spring at ten-day intervals until late April. Thin young plants to 10” apart in rows 18” apart. Varieties: Bloomsdale, New Zealand.

  • Squash – Sow in early spring, in hills 4’ apart for bush varieties, and 6-8’ apart for running types. Varieties: Butternut, Dixie Hybrid, Early Summer Crookneck, Early Summer Straightneck, Goldmar, Goldneck, Golden Swan, Goldzini, President, Royal Acorn, Scallopini, Sundance, White Bush Scallop, Zucchini (Grey).

  • Tomato – Sow seeds in hotbeds or flats in February or March. Transplant when the plants have four leaves and after danger of frost is past. Set in the open ground. Space at least 3’ apart each way and support with stakes or tomato cages. Varieties: Atkinson, Better Boy, Big Boy, Floradel, Floramerica, Homestead 500, Manalucie, Marglobe, Marion, Monte Carlo, Mountain Pride, Patio, Ponderosa, Rutgers, Small Fry, Terrific, Toy Boy, Walter.

  • Turnip – Sow in early spring, and again in early fall. Thin to 4-5” apart in rows 12-15” apart. Varieties: Crawford, Just Right, Purple Top White Globe, Royal Crown, Seven Top, Shogoin, Southerner Hybrid, Tokyo Cross, White Egg.

  • Watermelon – These grow best in rich, sandy soil. Drop 10-12 seeds in hills spaced 8-10’ apart. Varieties: Jubilant, Producer, Black Diamond, Black Diamond Yellow Belly, Blackstone, Calsweet, Charleston Grey, Congo, Crimson Sweet, Dixie Queen Garrisonian, Golden Honey, Jubilee, Kleckley Sweet, Stone Mountain, Sugar Baby, Tendersweet, Tom Watson.