Home Vegetable Gardening guide
"Why try to explain miracles to your children when you can have them plant a garden?"
- Janet Kilburn Phillips
- Janet Kilburn Phillips
introduction
Vegetable gardening is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling garden activities you can engage in. From planting seeds and transplanting seedlings to harvesting and enjoying the fruits of your own labor, each vital step in the process is explained and outlined below and is geared towards the backyard gardener. Whether you're working with a designated backyard space, an entire garden, or just a simple container patio setup, you can grow your own food year after year.
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Vegetable gardening has been around for as long as humanity has formed communities. Cultivating one's own edible crops is much more time and energy efficient than going out into the wilderness and foraging for food, and has the potential to support each member of the community's nutritional needs. Vegetable gardeners the world over will tell you that this activity can provide you with a rewarding hobby as well as the most delicious fresh food on the planet. Grocery store-bought vegetables just won't cut it any more. Growing your own vegetables is also one of the greatest things you can do for the planet. The agricultural industry in this country, although it has done a great job supporting an endlessly expanding population, causes a lot of pollution in the form of chemical runoff and transportation from farm to store, and also is very water-intensive. Home gardens also have the potential to produce much more produce from the same square footage. Check out the chart below to learn just how much more efficient a home garden setup can be:
Yield Comparison between commercial farms and intensively planted home gardens
Crop
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Commercial Yield per 100 sq. ft.
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Intensive Planting Yield per 100 sq. ft.
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Broccoli
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33.9 lbs.
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53 lbs.
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Carrots
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72 lbs.
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150 lbs.
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Celery
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160 lbs.
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240 lbs.
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Leaf Lettuce
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56 lbs.
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202 lbs.
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Onion
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101 lbs.
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200 lbs.
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As this chart illustrates, it is certainly a possibility to grow enough food at home to support your family (if not the entire neighborhood) by engaging in the practice of vegetable gardening if you have the space. Veggies can be grown in containers, in back (or sometimes front) yards, in community garden lots, or large ranch areas. Navigating through the first few seasons or years of vegetable gardening can be a challenge, as the home gardener becomes more familiar with the processes and best practices of caring for crops, but it is a very rewarding undertaking.
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Classifying vegetables
The first piece of information that is handy to wrap your head around when investigating the world of vegetable gardening is how veggies are classified. There are so many different vegetable crops in the world, each with their own unique tastes, textures and uses, and they are all generally divided into a few groups depending on their cultivation qualities. The first classification system for vegetables refers to their productive capacity; whether they are annuals or perennials. You may be familiar with these terms, as they are used in many instances in the garden. Annual crops are those that must be replanted each year in order to produce. These plants will grow from seed, flower, fruit, and die all within a year's time. Perennial crops, by contrast, are those that stay in the ground for more than one year (sometimes two, sometimes more) and produce a crop (or more than just one crop) every year. Most vegetables grown are considered annual crops, though some notable ones including artichoke, asparagus, rhubarb, and many herbs are perennial plants. These crops are further classified into two important groups: cool-season crops and warm-season crops.
Cool-Season Vegetable Crops
This group of fruiting plants grow the best and produce the most when temperatures stay between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They can tolerate some light frost when they are mature, though as seedlings they will suffer some damage. If temperatures are too warm, these plants are susceptible to bolting, or premature flowering and seeding. In general, these crops produce more of a harvest than warm-season vegetable crops, and have shallower root systems. The crops harvested from these plants are best stored at just above freezing. Examples of cool-season crops include:
This group of fruiting plants grow the best and produce the most when temperatures stay between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They can tolerate some light frost when they are mature, though as seedlings they will suffer some damage. If temperatures are too warm, these plants are susceptible to bolting, or premature flowering and seeding. In general, these crops produce more of a harvest than warm-season vegetable crops, and have shallower root systems. The crops harvested from these plants are best stored at just above freezing. Examples of cool-season crops include:
Warm-Season Vegetable Crops
Warm-season crops require long, warm days and warm soil in order to mature properly. These plants grow well and produce the best when temperatures are between 65 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and are intolerant of frost and freezing temperatures. The food value of these crops is lower per pound and per square foot that cool-season crops because only the fruiting part of these plants is consumed. Examples of warm-season vegetable crops include:
Warm-season crops require long, warm days and warm soil in order to mature properly. These plants grow well and produce the best when temperatures are between 65 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and are intolerant of frost and freezing temperatures. The food value of these crops is lower per pound and per square foot that cool-season crops because only the fruiting part of these plants is consumed. Examples of warm-season vegetable crops include:
The example cool-season and warm-season veggies listed above represent just a small sampling of the many vegetables grown in the United States and around the world. For a more complete list of the vegetables, visit the page below:
Planning out your vegetable gardenAs with any project, your first step is going to be to plan. There are many aspects of growing vegetables that are not readily apparent to the novice gardener; here are a few things to consider: Location, use of space, required tools and materials, and which vegetables to plant. Once you've got a good overview of what vegetable gardening really entails, you'll be better able to make the decisions necessary for your unique space and needs.
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Location
The most important aspect of choosing a location for your vegetable garden deals with a climate factor that cannot be changed easily: the sun. In general, vegetables require about 8 hours of direct sun each day, so pick the spot in your yard that gets the most sun throughout the day to place your garden in. If there are no areas on your property that receive this amount of sunlight, consider either trimming trees or shrubs to create this space or focusing on growing vegetables like leafy greens, which can survive in lower light conditions. If you've found a great spot but it is in your front yard, you may want to check with local ordinances to make sure that front-yard vegetable gardening is permitted in your community. Once you've designated your space, it's time to work with the soil.
The most important aspect of choosing a location for your vegetable garden deals with a climate factor that cannot be changed easily: the sun. In general, vegetables require about 8 hours of direct sun each day, so pick the spot in your yard that gets the most sun throughout the day to place your garden in. If there are no areas on your property that receive this amount of sunlight, consider either trimming trees or shrubs to create this space or focusing on growing vegetables like leafy greens, which can survive in lower light conditions. If you've found a great spot but it is in your front yard, you may want to check with local ordinances to make sure that front-yard vegetable gardening is permitted in your community. Once you've designated your space, it's time to work with the soil.
Vegetables require fertile soil to grow and produce well. It is a great idea to test your soil for nutrient content before planting your vegetable bed. For information on soil testing, visit the Soil module on this website. Your soil structure will also need to be investigated, to ensure that the roots of veggies will have enough room to spread out. If the area has compacted soil, it will need to be tilled before a vegetable garden is installed. Compacted soil invites issues with irrigation runoff and wasted water, runoff of essential nutrients, and is an impenetrable medium for roots to grow in.
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Ensure that the ground in the space you are planning on putting your vegetable garden is level, and that a water supply is available nearby. It is also a good idea, if you can, to locate the garden as close to the main building on the property as possible. This not only makes it easier to harvest, but it also brings the garden into a space that is frequented more often, so any issues can be monitored, identified, and remedied quickly.
Using Your Space Efficiently
To ensure the greatest yield from a relatively small area, it is of utmost importance to make the best out of what you have. There are many techniques that gardeners can use to this end. In California, there are three to four growing seasons available throughout the year. After each harvest is complete, replacing crops with those that will grow in the next season as soon as possible is ideal. Vegetable gardeners can successfully plant at the very least a spring crop, a summer crop, and a fall crop. Using this method also ensures that the soil in the garden is not left uncovered. Unused soil tends to drop in fertility, water retention, nutritional content, and can have issues with degradation of soil structure. Keeping something growing in the space year-round is an easy preventive measure to ensure soil stays alive and healthy. In addition to crop rotation, gardeners can also engage in vertical gardening. Supporting sprawling or climbing crops with trellises or stakes is a great way to maximize space. Crops that do well in these conditions are tomatoes, squash, cucumber, and beans.
To ensure the greatest yield from a relatively small area, it is of utmost importance to make the best out of what you have. There are many techniques that gardeners can use to this end. In California, there are three to four growing seasons available throughout the year. After each harvest is complete, replacing crops with those that will grow in the next season as soon as possible is ideal. Vegetable gardeners can successfully plant at the very least a spring crop, a summer crop, and a fall crop. Using this method also ensures that the soil in the garden is not left uncovered. Unused soil tends to drop in fertility, water retention, nutritional content, and can have issues with degradation of soil structure. Keeping something growing in the space year-round is an easy preventive measure to ensure soil stays alive and healthy. In addition to crop rotation, gardeners can also engage in vertical gardening. Supporting sprawling or climbing crops with trellises or stakes is a great way to maximize space. Crops that do well in these conditions are tomatoes, squash, cucumber, and beans.
Spacing is also a major factor to consider when maximizing yield in a vegetable bed. Thankfully, a wide variety of bush-type crops are available for purchase at many nurseries; these plants are bred to produce a large harvest on a smaller, more space-efficient plant. Other ways to maximize space in your vegetable bed include companion plating, succession planting, and intercropping.
Companion Planting
Companion planting is a technique that involves planting two complementary crops near each other that are harvested at different times. A good example of this process is planting radishes and carrots together, as radishes are harvested earlier than carrots are, leaving space for each to grow at its own pace while maximizing planting space in the bed. Note that companion planting can also refer to planting pollinator-friendly plants like yarrow or rosemary amongst crop plants to encourage better pollination of crops grown for their fruits, like tomato. |
Succession Planting
This method involves sowing seed of a certain crop at 1-2 week intervals at the beginning of the season to produce a continuous supply of veggies throughout the harvesting period. Great crops for succession planting include beans, turnips, and beets. This way of planting also helps to lessen food waste, as harvested crops are ready for picking at staggered times instead of all at once. |
Intercropping
This technique is widely used by many gardeners, and requires planting early-maturing crops in between rows of later-maturing crops. For instance, beans, radishes, green onions, spinach, or leaf lettuce can be planted between rows of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage or corn. The crops that mature faster will be harvested and taken out before the later-maturing crops become too large to accommodate their neighbors. |
Quick Question: What is a cover crop?
It is also important to decide at this point whether you will be growing your vegetable garden directly in the ground, in semi-raised beds, or in fully raised beds. There are pros and cons to each situation. In-ground vegetable gardens are successful, because native soils have many of the nutrients that these crops require for a great harvest. However, the soil must be in good condition and not compacted or amended to be so before the garden can be installed. There is always also the issue of protecting the plants from being trampled by humans and pets, as well as somehow discouraging rodents or other animals from snacking on roots and fruits. A semi-raised bed (about a foot or two tall) solves the trampling problem somewhat, and allows for a nice mix of native and bedding soil. If soil is not great in the garden, adding in at least a foot of fertile, imported soil can really improve growing conditions. A fully raised bed is usually two or more feet tall, and has a large portion of the root growing area in imported soil. Fully raised beds are also more accessible and easier to work with, especially for those who struggle getting up and down from ground level.
Raised beds can be made from a variety of materials, including untreated cedar or redwood boards, concrete blocks, stones, non-arsenical pressure-treated lumber, and plastic composite lumber. Because you will be growing edible crops in these beds, it is very important that non-toxic materials are used in the construction of your garden. It is also worth noting at this point that vegetable gardens can be grown completely in containers if dealing with a patio garden situation. Container vegetable gardening is a popular technique used in many small outdoor spaces, and can be a great way for those in high-density housing situations to join in on the trend of growing their own food. Container veggie gardening will be covered in more detail later.
Varieties and Quantities
One of the most important decisions to be made in planning your vegetable garden is which crops you'll want to grow. Think about what your family usually eats, and then see if you would be interested in growing it in your vegetable garden. The page linked here will give you an idea of how much you'll need to plant of each crop for a family of four adults, as well as how to store the crops after harvesting. Storage limitations will also dictate how much you'll be able to grow; it is a bit pointless to put so much energy and effort into growing crops just to let them rot on the counter!
One of the most important decisions to be made in planning your vegetable garden is which crops you'll want to grow. Think about what your family usually eats, and then see if you would be interested in growing it in your vegetable garden. The page linked here will give you an idea of how much you'll need to plant of each crop for a family of four adults, as well as how to store the crops after harvesting. Storage limitations will also dictate how much you'll be able to grow; it is a bit pointless to put so much energy and effort into growing crops just to let them rot on the counter!