Decide what crops to grow based on both climate and personal taste, selecting easy-care ones which will produce over time.
Consider which vegetables have disappointed in the past; cross them off your list!
Choose a site for your garden that features sunny soil and easy access to water sources (garden hose hook-up or rain barrel). Healthy soil is crucial to producing delicious produce!
Winter
Many gardeners believe vegetable gardening comes to an end as temperatures decrease and daylight hours decrease, but with careful planning it can continue right through winter. The key to successful winter gardening lies in selecting cold-hardy varieties or those capable of withstanding frosty conditions while providing some form of cover over them.
Some vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, kale and leeks can be directly planted from seed in late summer; others, however, such as broccoli, cabbage, kale and leeks, should be started from transplants in greenhouse or large container environments and moved outdoors when temperatures cool but do not yet freeze, typically around mid to late September for Zones 4 through 6 and early November for Zones 7 through 10.
Covering winter crops can be accomplished with lightweight plastic sheets like polyethylene tunnels, horticultural fleece or heavy row covers. More complex coverings such as cold frames or cloches may also help maintain warm conditions that allow crops to continue their development.
Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips and parsnips as well as leafy greens such as chard and kale can all be grown throughout winter in gardens. Longer maturing broccoli varieties like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower may be seeded later in spring for overwintering success in your garden.
Radishes can also be harvested over the winter season; they’re fast-growing crops that should be planted late July/early August for harvest by February 1.
Spring
Planting vegetables before the last frost date in your area is crucial, but also knowing which varieties can grow during each season is vital for making sure you have fresh veggies all year-long. Utilizing this knowledge allows you to design a garden to take full advantage of differing growth rates so you can reap their full benefits – providing year-round food enjoyment!
The types of vegetables you can cultivate depend on both your climate and whether or not you are starting from seeds or transplants. Germinated seeds require warm soil in which to germinate before being planted in their final spot – using USDA zones is an accurate way to measure soil temperatures for your region and the specific vegetable you’re planting.
Cool-season vegetables like peas, carrots, lettuce, radishes and spinach should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in spring – typically two to four weeks prior to their estimated last frost date – since these plants thrive in cooler temperatures and can tolerate light frosts without damage. Avoid soggy soil as seeds and transplants could rot quickly in humid conditions.
Once your cool-season vegetables have been established, it is time to move onto warmer-season ones that can withstand the summer heat. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and Swiss chard are harvested during this time. A second succession of seeds for radishes, beets carrots and lettuce should be sow in late February/early March indoors or started directly outdoors as soon as it becomes frostproof; or you may start them from seed any time up until their last frost date has passed.
Once the soil has warmed enough to support seeds and transplants, direct sow radishes, beets, lettuce, fennel, potato slips as well as any seeds from past seasons outdoors. Your first harvest should occur between mid to late April; to extend it for an extended period, repeat this process every two weeks. Water newly sow vegetables daily until established; mature plants as needed depending on weather conditions and type of soil in your vegetable garden; keep an eye out for signs of drought stress (wilting or brown leaves); raise beds as necessary preventing moisture pooling at the bottom.
Summer
Once the risk of frost has passed, outdoor sowing can begin in earnest. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash should all be planted out as well as half-hardy annuals such as courgettes, French beans and summer lettuce direct. When planting directly using boards to minimize seedling damage. Also remember that different varieties have different germination requirements and sowing times so please refer to seed packet information for more details.
If the weather permits, continue planting perennials like asparagus, artichoke and horseradish before sowing or setting out seeds for cool-season crops like broccoli, kale, lettuce and spinach. If the ground allows it, peas can also be planted this month.
Keep an eye on the weather as frost is still an unpredictable threat in many regions and could bring severe cold. When an unexpected cold spell arrives, be prepared to protect the vegetables you have planted with row covers to shield your garden from frost damage.
As the growing season progresses, continue weeding and watering your vegetable garden on an ongoing basis. Regular inspection of the vegetable plants for pests or disease will enable you to address issues quickly before they become serious.
As soon as your first crop of vegetables ripen, harvesting can begin. As new seeds sprout for subsequent crops, succession planting is an excellent way to extend harvest of your garden vegetable patch.
At the end of summer, you should plant ground-harvested vegetables such as carrots and vertically growing ones like cucumbers, pole beans and sweet corn. If you have been growing seeds or transplants yourself, remember to harden them off gradually before placing them out into your garden as this will allow them to adjust and prevent them from wilting under heat stress. In colder climates you could try growing late season crops indoors for extended growing season.
Fall
As summer transitions into fall, vegetable growers begin planting crops that will bear harvest well into winter. To ensure success of their fall garden vegetables, it’s vitally important to prepare their planting area by clearing away failed crops, pulling back any weeds that steal moisture and nutrients from new seedlings, and adding a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost before sowing seeds.
As August is at its hottest, with little rain, scorching temperatures and intense sunshine, starting your fall vegetable seeds indoors or in partially shaded area is best to ensure they can adjust gradually to outdoor conditions before being transplanted into your garden. This will prevent their sudden transition shock.
Sowing early or mid-fall seeds of cool-season veggies like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower that require frost-free conditions in order to flourish is the perfect way to give them an early headstart. Also consider sowing root vegetables such as kale, turnips or turnip in autumn as early harvesters; you could also sow sprinting lettuces like arugula, mustard greens and pac choi for quick harvests; plus decorative Asian varieties like Tatsoi or Mizuna which produce quick yields!
Warm-season vegetables such as beans, corn, eggplant, melons and squash do best when planted during the warmest part of their growing season; typically late spring to early summer. As these crops can be susceptible to frost damage during fall temperatures drops, protective measures must be put in place such as row covers or cloches to keep temperatures at an ideal level for harvesting them successfully.
Note that different vegetables have specific sowing and planting times; to know this information it’s vital to refer to seed packets or gardening books before determining when you should sow or plant vegetables. Seed packets often provide helpful guidance as to when it is best to sow hardy/half-hardy veggies versus tender ones, although most veggie plants generally fall into two seasonal groups: cool season and warm season plants with specific planting dates influenced by climate factors like temperature, humidity and rainfall in your growing region.