Everyone can successfully develop a vegetable garden with just some time and care, saving both money and space on grocery bills in the process.
Vegetables typically fall into two categories, cool-season vegetables and warm-season vegetables. The optimal time and date to plant each type will depend on your local climate conditions: cool-season varieties feature edible roots, stems, leaves or buds that should be planted during early spring (and autumn); while warm-season varieties produce fruit that should be planted after their last frost date.
Spring
Springtime is an excellent time for planting many vegetables as the soil temperature and moisture content are ideal conditions for them to flourish. Furthermore, the climate typically remains mild without frost to prevent frost damage to any new seeds planted; plus the cool temperatures make spring an excellent time for cultivating leafy greens like spinach, lettuce and radishes.
Springtime is also an ideal time for planting other cool season crops like kale, carrots and beets indoors, especially if your last frost date occurs later than anticipated or early summer. Sowing seedlings is also recommended in such regions.
However, for optimal results it’s best to plant them outdoors as soon as the risk of frost has passed; otherwise you risk reduced yields. Also be sure to provide sufficient amounts of water so as to maintain healthy plants without drying out too quickly.
Preparing your vegetable garden requires adding organic material such as compost or manure to the soil, which helps retain moisture and provide essential nutrients that enable plant growth. Furthermore, having your soil tested to ascertain its acidity and pH levels will allow you to determine how much fertilizer to add for maximum efficacy in growing vegetables.
Fall is another excellent time for planting vegetable gardens in cold climates, as its cooler temperatures allow roots to establish before the ground freezes, helping the transition from containers to gardens to be less of a shock. Furthermore, carrots and beets tend to mature more gradually during this season.
Winter may not be the ideal season to begin gardening, as temperatures and rainfall tend to make most vegetables grow poorly. You may still plant onions and scallions because these plants tolerate low temperatures well; additionally, lettuce and radish seedlings can still be planted inside greenhouses or under cloches for harvests that extend well into winter months.
Summer
As summer nears, it’s wise to keep an eye on local frost dates and sow your vegetable garden according to its climate. If you live in an extremely cold region, however, your garden may need to close completely for three or four months of the year; nevertheless, your vegetables can still flourish using shade cloth and cold frames.
Cool-season vegetables such as kale, carrots, spinach and peas can be planted in late June; you can also sow bush snap beans and beetroots at this time. Fast-growing veg such as radishes and spring onions should be planted up until July’s end if overwintering occurs; planting chard in late July could even provide you with supply right through autumn and winter!
Tomatoes and peppers should be planted into your garden in mid-summer. Harden off before transplanting in a cold frame or under cover before setting them outdoors; protection from frost should continue until established. Tomatoes tend to tolerate outdoors growth when soil temperatures exceed 40 degF.
From February onwards it’s wise to sow some seeds under cover in your greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill for tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and pepper plants that will provide an extended harvest season. When spring arrives you will have seedlings ready to plant out when temperatures warm up!
As soon as it comes time to planting, consult local growers or nurseries and see what they have available in stock. They can advise you as to what will grow well in your region, the types of seeds that germinate quickly in your garden, how quickly they mature, as well as any timeframe involved with their germination and maturation. Before embarking on any planting endeavour it’s also wise to inspect the growing conditions on site before beginning; make sure it contains plenty of organic matter, soil test results that indicate acidic pH levels, sunny locations as well as organic matter content within. Furthermore it’s vitally important throughout growing season to remove diseased or weedy parts as soon as they surface!
Fall
If your summer garden is becoming neglected and you haven’t harvested as many tomatoes, peppers and basil as planned, don’t pack away your tools yet! Many vegetables can be planted again in fall for faster maturity in cooler temperatures.
Some vegetables actually become tastier when temperatures decrease, such as kale and other leafy greens grown in your vegetable garden. Now is an excellent time to sow additional seeds so that harvest can continue throughout winter.
Mid to late summer is also the optimal time to plant broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, collards and turnips – cool season vegetables which thrive in cooler conditions as well as benefitting from shorter days in autumn.
Like spring plantings, your fall garden timing depends heavily on when you expect your first hard frost will occur. Once this date has been identified, you can plan the rest of your garden according to desired crops and the expected speed at which they will mature.
Seeds contain their ideal growing season written within them; when soil and sun conditions meet these criteria, seeds come alive and start producing growth. As such, starting a fall garden often begins with baby plants available at nurseries or gardening centers as “starts”.
However, if you prefer sowing your own vegetables from seeds, late August through early September is generally considered to be the ideal time in Houston to sow most cool season veggies from seeds. Warm season veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and squash typically stop producing after midsummer so waiting a few months before trying again may be necessary for these fruits of your labor.
Before planting, prepare the soil by clearing away any weeds and tilling or spading the bed. Add plenty of enriched garden soil or high-quality compost as well as light fertilizer applications before watering to moisten and cover with mulch for moisture conservation and temperature reduction.
Winter
Dependent upon your climate zone, there are various vegetables that can be grown into winter. Leafy greens like kale, chard and collards are frost-hardy enough to thrive even during cold weather, while spinach, mustard greens and arugula can all be harvested well into winter as can radishes tendril peas and lettuces which grow quickly enough for harvest.
Vegetables can be planted from seed during late summer and planted out during autumn, or started indoors as transplants (baby plants) then moved outdoors as soon as spring comes around. Soil needs to be both rich and moisture retaining, to allow the plants to quickly fill out for wintertime growth. In order to ensure your vegetable garden receives sufficient nourishment during this winter season, conducting a soil test beforehand would provide invaluable knowledge as to exactly which nutrients and amendments should be added come springtime.
Protecting young and seedling-stage vegetables from birds and weeds is of utmost importance when starting from seedlings. Netting or mesh will serve this purpose effectively and keep insects away as well. Covering beds with mulch – be it straw, hay or paper – will keep soil warm while adding organic matter while subduing weeds – should also be done. Ideally this should happen prior to winter’s arrival.
As temperatures cool, water your vegetable crops more frequently without oversaturating the soil. Watering individual plants rather than covering an entire area will prevent weeds from germinating and competing with your crop for nutrients.
Add liquid fertiliser, such as seaweed or fish concentrate, every fortnight to provide your vegetables with extra strength for winter survival. If commercial fertilizers are unavailable to you, make your own with manure and worm castings mixed together until it resembles weak tea consistency.