The blankets of snow will melt. The sun will bring renewed warmth to garden soils. We can begin planning for our vegetable garden that we have made a vow to create this year.
Vegetables are popular and easy to grow, especially if you have full sun. The first question is where the garden should be placed. Placement has no size requirements — gardens can be potted and cared for on your patio, deck, edges of sidewalks or a prepared garden plot. Vegetable plants need full sun, good soil, fertilizer with a slow release and a watering schedule.
Listed in this article are great vegetables for beginning gardeners (suggestions are based on a 12-foot-by-4-foot plot). These are easy to start from seed or you may choose to purchase garden-store transplants. Plant this selection all at once during late May in the greater Mankato area.
Suggestions: when spinach is harvested or bolts (shoots up), replant with lettuce. Extra plantings of basil or nasturtium may be added for color, flavor and to help ward off pests.
Vegetable planting directions
■ Summer squash / zucchini: Plant seeds. Three hills, 12 inches apart, three seeds per hill; thin to one plant.
■ Tomato: Use transplants. Two plants, 24 inches apart when staked or caged.
■ Pepper: Use transplants. Three plants, 15 inches apart.
■ Swiss chard: Plant seeds. Every 8 inches sow a few seeds; thin to one plant.
■ Bush bean: Plant seeds. Sow seeds 2 inches apart and 1 inch deep; thin to 4 inches apart.
■ Beet carrot (half-row for each): Plant seeds. Sow seeds 1 inch apart; thin to 3 inches for beets and 2 inches for carrots. Plant a double row of each, 4 inches between rows.
■ Spinach (plant first) and Lettuce (after spinach bolts): Sow spinach 9-10 seeds per foot and thin to 3-4 inches. Sow lettuce 1 inch apart, grow as salad mix. Plant seeds in a double row, 6 inches between rows.
■ Onion: Use transplants. Plant 4 inches apart in a double row with 4 inches between rows.
Even if you do not have space or time for a traditional garden you can grow a few vegetables or herbs in the summer. You do need sun and a container that can be placed where you can easily water and harvest the plants. Use a container that drains well, holds enough lightweight potting soil so you do not have to water more than once a day in the summer and will be big enough for the plants you choose.
Here are some ideas: an 8-inch pot holds about 1 gallon and can grow up to three lettuce, spinach or Swiss chard plants or one herb. A 10-inch pot holds closer to 2 gallons and can grow two pepper plants or one small tomato plant, such as Tiny Tim, Pixie or Hybrid Patio — all smaller tomato plants that are good for containers. Cherry tomatoes such as Sweet 100 or Sweet Million are large plants and need large containers – use 3 gallon size or more.
Information for this article taken from: MN Landscape Arboretum Education website and Julie Weisenhorn of University of Minnesota Horticultural Science.
Vegetable variety suggestions
Zucchini: Gold Rush
Tomato: Celebrity
Tomato: Red Grape
Pepper: Ace
Pepper: Carmen
Swiss chard: Bright Lights
Bush bean: Foremost
Beet: Red Ace
Carrot: Nelson
Spinach: Spargo
Lettuce: Black-seeded Simpson
Onion: Big Daddy
Source: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
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