After you have decided what to plant, you then have to determine when to plant it. If you are to grow a crop with the least difficulty and the best results, you must plant it at the right time, so it gets the conditions it likes. You can try to grow spinach in the long, hot days of midsummer, or melons in cool weather but they won\u2019t be very tasty, productive, or easy to grow. Broccoli may grow wonderfully in the 60 degree days of December, but if you try growing it in July would be a different story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spring planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring is the most important\ntime of the year in the vegetable garden, because many of the things you plant\nnow will keep on going right through the whole summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Planting at the optimal time\nis one of the most important factors in vegetable gardening and if you get this\nright you are half way there. As with many\nthings in gardening, you have several options of when to plant. There is the\nearliest date it can be successfully started (indoors or out). Then there is\nthe optimal time, when it is most likely to be successful. There is also the\nlatest date it can be planted and harvested before adverse weather conditions\n(too cold, too hot, too dry) make it impossible to grow. When you first start\ngardening you should stick to the optimal planting dates fairly closely. There\nare enough variables involved in raising healthy crops without making it more\ncomplicated than it has to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are using\ntransplants, you will have two planting dates: one for starting the seedlings\ninside and another for transplanting them out into the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of factors determine when a crop can go into the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil temperature<\/strong>:\nThis is the most critical factor for direct sown crops. If the soil isn\u2019t warm\nenough, <\/strong>seeds won\u2019t germinate (in some cases they won\u2019t grow if the soil\nis too warm either). No appreciable crop growth occurs if the soil temperature\nis below 42\u00b0F and even up to 50\u00b0F it is very slow. Low soil temperature also\nmeans little activity by soil organisms, which is important because these\ncreatures make soil nutrients available to plants. The ideal soil temperature\nfor plant growth is said to be around 75\u00b0F. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Air\ntemperature<\/strong>: Once plants have\ngerminated <\/strong>growth is largely dependant on air temperature and if it is too\ncold they won\u2019t grow, or will only grow very slowly. The optimal air\ntemperature for plant growth is around 70 – 80\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop hardiness<\/strong>:\nThe hardy crops are much less <\/strong>affected by\nlow temperatures than tender crops, because they can simply sit and wait for\nwarmer weather to start growing (some hardy spring crops can even be sown in\nautumn). Warm weather crops may be killed, or permanently retarded, by a long\ncold spell, so it\u2019s crucial they aren\u2019t planted too early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Special timing<\/strong>:\nSometimes a crop will grow over <\/strong>a long\nperiod, but is best planted at a specific time. This may be to avoid a pest or\ndisease (late peas may get viruses, late\nfava beans get infested with aphids), or\nto take advantage of the best growing conditions (kale, Brussels sprouts and\nparsnips taste best when grown in autumn). Some crops may bolt if exposed to\nshort days or long days, or may need certain day length to size up food storage\norgans (onions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you gain some\nexperience you can start experimenting with plant protection to get them into\nthe ground earlier, or keep them going later (see Season Extension<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Days to maturity<\/strong>:\nThe number of days to maturity mentioned in catalogs and seed packet is a\nuseful indicator of how quickly a crop will mature relative to other varieties.\nHowever it is only a guide because the actual date varies according to the\ngrowing conditions. What might take 70 days to mature in a warm California\nsummer, might take 100 days in a cool, cloudy Washington spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How long a plant will take\nto mature is determined by genetics, but it is also affected by growing\nconditions. Day length, soil and air temperature, soil fertility, water\navailability and competition for nutrients, will all influence growth significantly.\nAll other things being equal, plants grow more quickly around the summer\nsolstice, because there are more hours of daylight at this time. Conversely\nthey grow very slowly (if at all) at the winter solstice. The weather has an\neffect too, lots of heat and rain will speed up growth, whereas low\ntemperatures will slow it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring planting dates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is an earliest and a\nlatest safe planting date for each crop. For convenience these dates are\nusually based on the frost-free date, though this varies so much from year to\nyear that it is only a rough guide. You simply estimate how many weeks before\nor after such a hypothetical date the various crops can be planted. The first\nand last frost dates for your location can usually be obtained from local\nagricultural extension offices. A rough guide to the last frost date in your\nlocation is when the oak leaves emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The earliest safe planting\ndate depends on the crops tolerance to cold. Cold weather crops are quite frost\ntolerant, so can safely be planted early, whereas hot weather plants aren\u2019t and\ncan\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As you gain experience you\nrealize that you have little to lose by starting the first plants fairly early.\nAt worst they may be harmed by a late cold snap, but they might also give you\nan abundant early harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest planting date is\ndependent upon there being enough time for the crop to mature before the onset\nof unfavorable conditions (cool weather, first frost, short days). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Summer planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of garden planting\ngets done in spring and by early summer some of these plants are coming out of\nthe ground. This leaves space that should be filled to keep the garden\nproductive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing conditions in summer\ntend to be warm, with long days, ideal for the growth of heat loving crops. The\nmain factor that determines what you can plant in summer is the first fall\nfrost date. You need to know if you have enough warm days left to grow a\nworthwhile crop, before the weather cools down and frost hits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest date you can\nplant a summer crop is determined by the number of days it requires to mature\nand produce a harvest. If a plant needs 90 days to mature and your first fall\nfrost usually arrives by the middle of October, then you could plant up until\nthe middle of July and still get a crop. This can work out well for a crop that\nis harvested all at once, such as beans and corn, but it isn\u2019t very useful for\na fruiting crop that can bear for many weeks (you don\u2019t want the first fruit to\nripen to be greeted by frost and the death of your plants). To grow these you\nneed to add a harvest period to the days to maturity. So if we have 90 days to\nmaturity and a 45 day harvest period, this gives a total of 4 \u00bd months. In this\ncase if the first frost arrives in mid October, you would have to start your\nplants by the beginning of June. If you have left it too late for this, you may\nbe able to find a faster maturing variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your growing season is\nshort, it is good to get your plants in the ground at the earliest practical\ndate, so you get the longest harvest season. Generally this means after the\nlast frost date and as soon as the soil and weather has warmed up sufficiently.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n In southern areas, with a\nlong growing season, you can work at a more leisurely pace. There you can plant\nand even succession plant beans, corn, cucumber, eggplant, melons, okra,\npeppers, squash and tomatoes whenever it is convenient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it is too late to plant\nany more summer crops, this doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t have anything left to plant.\nIt means it is time to think about the cool weather fall crops. Fall and early\nwinter can be just as productive as summer if you plant the right crops at the\nright time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fall planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best ways to\nmaximize the productivity of the garden is to plant a round of cool weather\ncrops in mid to late summer. This will keep it going through the autumn and\ninto early winter (or even later). Don\u2019t let the garden fade out in late summer,\nget vigorous new plants into the ground and it will have a whole new lease of\nlife. See Season Extension<\/strong> for more on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To determine the appropriate\ntime to plant your fall crops, work back from the desired maturation date by\nthe estimated number of days to harvest, just as you did for your summer crops.\nYou should also add a few extra days to allow for the fact that plants grow\nmore slowly in the short fall days. They may grow as much in one long warm June\nday as they do in three cool short October days. Record the actual time they\ntook to mature in your journal, so you will have a better idea next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This advice is a little more\ncomplicated in very mild regions, because the first fall frost date doesn\u2019t\nreally have much relevance (if there even is one). This date may be so late in\nthe year in these places, that days are getting very short and there may not be\nenough daylight for good growth. In this case you have to start your plants\nearlier and use day length as a guide (perhaps try substituting the day when it\ndrops to 10 hours for the first frost date \nand see how that works out.) It is critical that your plants get big\nenough before the day length drops below 10 hours, so that they can continue to\ngrow through the winter. See Season extension<\/strong> for more on this important subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fall sowing of spring crops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can sow\nthe seeds of some crops in fall, to give you an early spring crop. These hardy\ncrop include lettuce, spinach and\nparsley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How often to plant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How often you need to plant\nwill depend upon the nature the crop. There are several different types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some crops you simply plant\nonce and harvest for a long period (tomato, pepper, kale). In these cases you\nwill only plant once or twice in the season and then sit back and enjoy the\nfruit of your labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some crops may be harvested\nfor an extended period, but eventually decline and are best replaced\noccasionally (summer squash, basil and cucumbers). These may be planted two or\nthree times in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are crops that can be\nharvested several times (broccoli, peas, bush beans) and are then finished.\nThese crops should be planted several times through the growing season (for as\nlong as growing conditions permit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some crops\nare planted once and harvested once, but the harvest will keep for a long time\n(potato, sweet potato).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are also crops that\nare planted once and can stay in the ground for a long period, to be harvested\nas needed. These include carrots, beets, parsnips. These are often planted more\nthan once though, to replace those eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are crops that are\nharvested once and eaten immediately (lettuce, sweet corn, radish). These crops\nmust be planted multiple times through the growing season (for as long as\ngrowing conditions permit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning for continuity of\nsupply<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have gardened for any\nlength of time you are probably familiar with the feast or famine syndrome. You\neither have too much of a crop and struggle to use it all, or you have none at\nall. It takes some thought and planning to avoid this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many crops present no\nproblem when it comes to planning continuity of supply. If a crop is easily\nstored (main crop potatoes, dry beans \nand carrot s), or preserved (broccoli, \ncorn and green beans ), it doesn\u2019t\nmatter if many plants come to maturation at once, indeed it is often desirable.\nYou might choose to grow your entire winters supply of these vegetables in one\ngo, at the optimal time of the year and then store it. In such a case you will\nplant far more of a crop than you could eat fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a crop has an extended\nharvest (tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, peppers) then continuity of supply isn\u2019t\nmuch of a problem. Two or three plantings will get you right through the\ngrowing season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Succession sowing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a crop only stays in\nusable condition for a short time (sweet corn, broccoli, many salad greens),\nyou have to plan your planting carefully. This is one of the trickier aspects\nof vegetable gardening and needs to be worked at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most obvious way to get\na steady harvest is to stagger the planting dates, by planting a small number\nof seeds at regular intervals. However this doesn\u2019t always work, because plants\ngrow faster as it gets warmer (the old saying is: 2 weeks in March = 2 days in\nMay). If you plant the earliest sowings too close together, they will have done\nso little growth in the cool weather that later ones catch up and mature at\nalmost the same time. To get good successions you have to shorten the times\nbetween sowings as the weather warms up, for example plantings may be 16, 12,\n10 and 8 days apart. In autumn the reverse happens, the days get shorter and cooler,\nand the time between plantings gets longer, perhaps 8, 10, 12, and 16 days.\nIt\u2019s easier to get good succession crops with fast maturing crops, as there is\nless time for variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to ensure a\ncontinuous supply is to use different varieties of the same crop, some early\nmaturing, some standard types and some late maturing. Varieties are fairly\nconsistent in their maturation times relative to one another and these can\ndiffer by as much as a month or more. If you plant several different varieties\nat the same time, they should mature roughly in order, giving you a staggered\nharvest according to their maturation times. These are usually planted in\nseparate blocks, though you could also mix the seed together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most effective way to\nensure continuity of supply is to combine the above methods. Make a number of\nstaggered plantings of several varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you only need a few\nplants at a time, you can simply make it a practice to sow a few seeds in the\ngreenhouse at regular intervals. You might plant a set number of seeds of each\ncrop weekly and set out the largest seedlings as space becomes available. In\nthe warmer indoor environment the plants will grow fairly steadily, so there is\nless chance of one planting catching up with another. You can slow down\ntransplants by giving them cooler conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all else fails, console\nyourself with the thought that it isn\u2019t really necessary to grow all of the\ncrops all of the time. You can sometimes substitute one crop for another:\nShallots or leeks can replace onions, kale or mustard can replace cabbage,\nchard or amaranth can replace spinach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When to start transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Transplanted crops have two\nimportant dates; when to start the seed indoors and when to transplant the\nseedlings outside. If the transplants are to be ready when needed, the seed\nmust be started the appropriate number of weeks in advance of their planting\nout date (see the following table). If you miss this planting window, you will <\/strong>be behind before you even start (you may end up having to buy\ntransplants).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ntime it takes to grow a transplant is very dependent upon temperature. If you\nplant tomato seeds in a 65\u00b0F greenhouse they may take 8 weeks or more to grow\nto transplant size, whereas if you plant them at 85\u00b0F they may be ready in half\nthat time. If you get this wrong and transplants mature faster than you\nanticipated (and are ready for), you can slow them down by putting them in a\ncooler environment (don\u2019t chill warm weather crops too much though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Time needed to grow transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where to\nplant<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you know how many\nsquare feet of each crop you need, you have to decide what crop goes where. It\nmay help to draw a diagram of all of the beds in the garden on graph paper so\nyou can see how much space you have. You can then allocate the required square\nfootage for each crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You won\u2019t actually need as\nmuch bed space as your list of crops suggests, because you won\u2019t be planting\neverything at once. Some crops will be sown in succession. For example you may\nwant to grow 100 lettuces through the season, but you don\u2019t need to allocate\n100 spaces in a bed. You may only ever have 30 or 40 plants actually in the\nground at one time. Crops such as radish and green onions aren\u2019t usually given\nany space of their own, but are slotted in to available vacant spaces as\nintercrops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you find you have more\nspace than you need, don\u2019t just plant more of the same crops to fill in the\nspace. If you don\u2019t need them it\u2019s a waste of time and effort. It makes more\nsense to grow something else you will use, or plant a fast growing soil\nimproving crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arranging plants in beds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where you decide to place\nthe various crops in the garden, may be determined by a number of different\nthings. See Crop spacing<\/strong> for more on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop rotation<\/strong>:\nYou can put your plants in the beds according to your crop rotation plan. This\nonly has to be done once, as in subsequent years you will just move everything\nover one bed. See Crop Rotation<\/strong> <\/strong>below for\nmore on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water requirements<\/strong>: Where I live we don\u2019t get <\/strong>any rain\nfrom June to October, which means a lot of watering. I have found that if I\ndivide crops according to their water requirements, I can give some beds more\nwater than others and so get by with using quite a bit less water (but still\nget good crops).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Random<\/strong>: You could\nuse a completely random distribution method. Start with the long- term crops, those that\ntake up space for a large proportion of the season and slot the rest in around\nthem. Fill in any remaining gaps with miscellaneous crops, flowers and green\nmanures. Don\u2019t leave any soil bare for any length of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes sense to separate\nperennials from the annual, so they don\u2019t get in the way of bed preparation.\nThey should have their own bed, or at least their own sections of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over-wintering crops are best kept together\nalso (in the warmest beds), so they can be protected easily and don\u2019t interfere\nwith fall bed preparation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Height<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tall crops are usually\nplanted at the north side of the garden, so they don\u2019t shade other plants.\nThough in summer you might want to use the shade they cast for crops that\ndislike heat. In the traditional herbaceous border, the taller plants go at the\nback and the shorter ones at the front, so all are equally visible and all get\nlots of light. This higher to lower planting plan can also be used in the\nvegetable garden (though of course you have to orient them to the sun).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making the most of <\/strong>limited space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Space saving ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the vegetable garden\nsmall is beautiful, the smaller the area, the more productive it can be per\nsquare foot. The small garden should be looked upon as a challenge, not a\ndisadvantage. You can give it all of the love and attention it needs to live up\nto its full productivity. Here are a few suggestions to help you use space as\nefficiently as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Use transplants to\nreduce the time a crop is actually taking up space in the bed. Plants grow\nexponentially, the more leaf area they have, the quicker they grow and mature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Grow the most\nproductive and space efficient crops, those that give you the most food per\nsquare foot. Use crops that yield for an extended time, such as pole peas, pole\nbeans, chard, broccoli, kale, tomato, cucumber. Use short season crops (or fast\nmaturing varieties) that enable you to get 3 or 4 crops in a season, such as\nspinach, turnip, radish, scallions, lettuce . You can also grow crops that\ndon\u2019t take up much space, such as scallions or carrots and use compact\nvarieties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Use intensive\ntechniques like interplanting and catch cropping, to get more than one crop\nfrom the same area of soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 If space is very\nlimited, concentrate on crops that can\u2019t be purchased easily, taste better\nfresh, or that are always expensive (shallots, snap peas, alpine strawberries,\nradicchio). Go for quality and flavor, so you are growing things you couldn\u2019t\nbuy at any price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Grow crops out of\nseason when they are the most expensive to buy, rather than in season when they\nare cheap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Fill your whole garden\nwith food by growing multi-purpose plants that are both ornamental and edible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Grow up. Train space\nhungry climbing plants such as cucumbers or snap peas on trellises and you can increase their yield\nper square foot dramatically. Not only do vertical crops save space, but the\nproduce is cleaner and has less pest damage. Be sure to put tall trellises\nwhere they won\u2019t cast shade on other crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Don\u2019t try to get more\nfood from an area by crowding the plants closer together than the soil can\nsupport. You will only succeed in reducing the yield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Grow cut and come\nagain salad greens. These are harvested as individual leaves, when still very\nsmall (only a few inches long), so the plants are sown very close together (\u00bd\u201d\nto 1\u201d). Plants grown in this way may require only half the space of\nconventional rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Once a crop stops\nproducing remove it and plant something else. Don\u2019t try to wring that last\nlittle bit of food out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 If you find you are\nnot using a crop, replace it with something you will use. Don\u2019t waste valuable\nspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a space develops in a bed (from harvesting\nor pest damage) don\u2019t leave it empty, fill it in with anything that is\ncompatible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop rotation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop rotation means planning\nyour crops so that similar crops (or closely related ones) don\u2019t follow one\nanother in the same soil. It is done for a number of reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rotation\ncan reduce incidence of disease, as closely related crops are commonly subject\nto the same diseases (Brassicas are a notorious example). If you grow related\ncrops in the same soil for several years then the diseases that afflict them\nmay have time to get established. Unfortunately rotation is only of limited\nhelp in the small garden, as a disease like clubroot can be spread on the soil\nclinging to a spade or to feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rotation may also reduce the\nincidence of pests, which also tend to afflict groups of crops. In most gardens\nit\u2019s effectiveness is limited by the close proximity of the beds, as pests with\nany mobility can easily move to the next suitable bed. However this does make\nit harder for them and perhaps gives the crop a little time to get bigger and\nmore able to resist predation. Rotation is most effective against soil dwelling\npests such as nematodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While some crops really must\nbe rotated to prevent disease or pests (notably the Brassica<\/em> and Solanum<\/em>\nfamilies), some others (beans, beet, celery, corn, spinach, lettuce) don\u2019t\nreally need it, as they aren\u2019t very susceptible to pests or disease. These can\nbe placed anywhere that is convenient (use them to fill up any free space in\nthe \u2018blocks\u2019. However even they may still benefit from following certain\ncultural practices, such as heavy fertilization, deep digging or nitrogen\nfixation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop rotation can be a part\nof good soil management. Different crops take different nutrients out of the\nsoil (leaf crops need nitrogen, root crops need potassium), so if you rotate\nyour plants everything comes out even. This isn\u2019t too critical in intensive\nbeds as you will be replacing all of the nutrients taken by the crop and more\n(but it doesn\u2019t hurt). It is helpful if compost and other fertilizers are in\nshort supply, as you rotate the heavily fertilized crops through all the beds\nin turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rotation allows you to take\nadvantage of the fertilization of a previous crop. For example some plants\ndislike rich soils and can be planted after a very hungry feeder. Some crops\nlike nitrogen and can be planted after a nitrogen-fixing legume, some dislike\nlime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rotation may even be helpful\nfor weed control. Vigorous growing crops such as potatoes discourage weeds and\ncan help clean the soil for weed susceptible crops such as carrots or onions.\nSome crops are easy to hoe, others quite difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rotation system<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This doesn\u2019t need to be very\ncomplicated, as some crops naturally follow others, for example light feeders\nfollow heavy feeders, nitrogen fixers follow light feeders. Ideally the\nfollowing crop will not only be compatible with the previous one, but will\nactually benefit from its cultivation practices. For example carrots, which are\nsusceptible to weeds, could follow potatoes which clean the soil of weeds and\nloosen the soil. Don\u2019t plant acid loving plants like potatoes after a crop that\nhas been heavily limed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n .Intercropping<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intercropping (or catch\ncropping) makes use of the fact that a plant doesn\u2019t need its full circle of\nspace for its entire life, only for the final weeks when it is reaching\nmaturity. For example a pepper plant may eventually fill a circle 24\u02dd in\ndiameter, but for the first 6 – 8 weeks it\u2019s in the ground it may only need a 6\n– 9\u02dd diameter circle. This means there is an 18\u02dd wide space between neighboring\npepper plants that is vacant for 6 – 8 weeks, a space that could be used to\ngrow a fast growing crop such as lettuce. \nNot only will the lettuce not\ninterfere with the peppers, but it may even help by shading the soil,\nincreasing diversity and keeping down weeds (which inevitably grow on any soil\nleft bare for 6 weeks). Sometimes you have to harvest selectively, removing the\nfirst crop to open up sufficient space for the maturing second crop<\/p>\n\n\n\n A number of fast maturing\ncrops work well as intercrops between slow maturing ones. Lettuce with garlic, radish with parsnip,\nspinach with peas .<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important that your\nintercrop doesn\u2019t interfere with the main planting. They must both get all the\nnutrients and water they need. If the crops end up competing with each other,\nneither will do well and you may end up with less than if you had grown one\ncrop properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Timing is important when intercropping. You might plant the\nintercrop at the same time as the main crop, several weeks after, or several\nweeks before harvesting the main crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 You could also plant\ndifferent crops in rows along the bed. Put the biggest plants in the middle and\nsmaller ones out to the sides. This is more efficient because you can place\ndissimilar, but complementary, plants alongside each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 You can also plant in\nshort offset rows across the bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Another way is to\nalternate crop plants in the rows, when setting them out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Interplanting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Interplanting is a form of\nintercropping whereby two crops are grown simultaneously in the same bed. It\ntakes advantage of mutually compatible features to get the highest yield from\nthe smallest area. It is commonly used by intensive gardeners to squeeze extra\nproductivity out of a limited area. It can also be a method of pest control, by\ncamouflaging the target crop from pests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first appearance\ninterplanting seems to be a fairly complicated process, but if you break it\ndown it\u2019s simple enough. Don\u2019t get too ambitious to begin with, try some of the\nsimpler ones until you gain experience and don\u2019t overdo it. If done poorly you\nmight not get any crop at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interplanting methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a\nnumber of ways to plant more than one crop in a bed, some more complex and\nefficient than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 The simplest way is to plant in blocks.\nThis has the virtue of simplicity, but isn\u2019t particularly efficient because the\nplants in each block have exactly the same requirements as their neighbors and\ncould potentially compete with one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spacing for interplanting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To find the correct spacing\nbetween two different crop plants add up their recommended individual spacing\nand divide by two. For example planting Leek (9\u02dd) and carrot (3\u02dd) you would give you 12\u02dd divided by 2, or\na desired spacing between the plants of 6\u02dd. If the two plants are very\ncompatible (see below) you could reduce this a little, perhaps spacing them 4\u02dd\napart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interplanting suggestions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Use\nplants with complementary growth habit. For example corn and beans \nare often grown together. The beans replace some of the nitrogen used by\nthe corn, while the corn provides\nsupport for the beans (this only works\nif the corn is well established before\nthe beans are planted). They should also\nbe compatible in their requirements for fertilization and watering, so you can\nthen treat them in blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might\nwant to plant together crops that will be harvested at the same time, thus\nfreeing up large areas of bed space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conversely\nyou could simply plant into vacant spaces between another crop as they become\navailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sometimes plant a marginal\ncrop (such as an early or temperamental one) along with a reliable one. If the\ndubious crop fails you still have another one to fill in the space. If the\nmarginal crop does well you can remove the other one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also start\ntransplants as an interplant. Simply sow seed in the space between an existing\ncrop. When the seedlings get big enough transplant them to their own bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complementary plants <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Crops for interplanting\nshould be mutually compatible, so take into account their complementary\ncharacteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shallow and deep rooted crops<\/strong>: These <\/strong>have different root zones\nand so don\u2019t compete directly with each other. Shallow rooted crops include\nbeans, Cucurbits, onion, garlic, lettuce and peppers. Deep-rooted ones include\nbeet, carrot, parsnips, tomato .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Differing growth patterns<\/strong>: Interplanting crops <\/strong>with\ncomplementary growth patterns also reduces competition. Examples of this\ninclude the classic corn and beans (a tall plant and a climber) and leek and\nlettuce (a tall skinny plant with a short wide one).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light loving and shade tolerant<\/strong>: Some plants thrive in the shade cast by larger crops, indeed in\nhot weather this may be the only place they do well. An example would be\nplanting lettuce underneath corn or tomatoes. Shade tolerant crops include:\ncelery, chard, cucumber, leek, lettuce, mustard, parsnip, pea, and spinach .\nSun lovers include corn, melon, peppers and tomato,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Complementary nutrient consumers<\/strong>: Put <\/strong>plants that consume\ndifferent nutrients together. For example put a heavy nitrogen user such as\ncorn, with a nitrogen fixer such as beans . This won\u2019t give much nitrogen to\nthe corn (though some research suggests\nthat it may give some), but will replace some of that taken from the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Companion\nplanting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Companion planting has been\ngiven an almost magical significance in some circles, probably a lot more than\nit really deserves. The basic premise is that some garden plants have a natural\naffinity for other plants and when planted together they will grow better and\nbe healthier. Little of this has really been proven, in fact a lot of it seems\nto come from garden writers copying each other. Some people just really like\nthe idea, so there seems to be more wishful thinking than critical thinking.\nSome suggestions are so silly they don\u2019t seem to have come from a real gardener\nat all. If you plant horseradish with your potatoes, when you harvest the\npotatoes you would spread bits or horseradish throughout the bed and end up\nwith a very large horseradish patch (I can\u2019t say whether it would do anything\nfor the potatoes, I don\u2019t know).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Companion planting does work\nto some degree, as some plants do have special effects in the garden. In purely\npractical terms some combinations may work for a number of reasons. They may\nattract beneficial insects (especially members of the Asteraceae<\/em> and Apiaceae<\/em>),\ncamouflage the smell of target plants (especially aromatic herbs), repel\nharmful pests, or work as trap crops (which pests will eat in preference to the\ncrop plant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I like the idea of companion\nplanting and certainly think it is worthwhile, if only in that it is good to\nhave a wide variety of plants in your garden. The best way to use companion\nplanting is as a form of intercropping, where you are actually growing two\nusable crops. Otherwise the companion may actually reduce yields by taking up space\nthat could be planted to crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not\ngoing to say much more because quite frankly the whole subject confuses the\nhell out of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Companions that may work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bean and corn <\/p>\n\n\n\n Broccoli and cucumber<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cabbage or kale and\ntomato (reduces pest damage).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carrot and onion<\/p>\n\n\n\n Celery and\nleek<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peppers and catnip (reduced aphid numbers.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Potato and tansy or catnip\n(but what to do with the tansy?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomato and asparagus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sowing list \/ planting calendar<\/strong>
Go through the plants in your sowing list and write down the date in spring when you need to plant each crop. This is one of the most critical aspects of vegetable gardening, so it\u2019s good to have all of the help you can get. Put the dates on your planting calendar, so you can keep on schedule and organize your seed packets for planting. You should also add any other pertinent information, such as when to prick out, thin, weed, harden off, fertilize, estimated harvest dates and more. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCrop hardiness<\/strong> <\/strong>
Super hardy crops<\/strong>: These can be planted as soon as the ground is suitable in spring. This may be 4 – 8 weeks before the last frost date:
Leek, onion, parsley, peas, spinach, shallots
Hardy crops<\/strong>: These can be sown 2 – 4 weeks before the last frost date:
Lettuce, cilantro, mustard, radish
Average crops<\/strong>: These are sown 1 – 2 weeks before the last frost date:
Beet, carrot, parsnip, broccoli, cabbage, kale, chard, potato.
Tender crops<\/strong>: These are usually sown around last frost date, or slightly later:
Beans, corn, squash.
Heat loving crops<\/strong>: These shouldn\u2019t be planted out until the soil has warmed up significantly. At least 2 weeks after the last frost date:
Basil, cucumber, eggplant, melon, peppers, sweet potato, tomato.
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen to plant fall crops<\/strong>
The timing of the fall garden is determined by how much time a crop needs to reach maturity and the date of the first fall frost:
4 months before first frost plant: Leeks, kale, chard<\/strong>
3 months before first frost plant: Beet, carrot, Chinese cabbage, radicchio, rutabaga.<\/strong>
2 months before first frost plant: Chinese mustards, lettuce, peas, spinach, turnip<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n \n <\/td> \n Day<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n Night<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n Time\/<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Crop<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n Temp<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n Temp \u00b0F<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n Weeks<\/strong>\n \n <\/td><\/tr> \n \n <\/td> \n \u00b0F<\/strong>\n \n <\/td> \n \n <\/td> \n \n <\/td> \n \n <\/td> \n \n <\/td><\/tr> \n Artichoke\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 60\n \n <\/td> 10 – 12 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Asparagus\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 80\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 70\n \n <\/td> 10 – 12 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> \n Beans\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 2 – 3 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Beet\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 60\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Brassicas\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 70\n \n <\/td> \n 50 – 60\n \n <\/td> 5 -7 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Celery\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 10 – 12 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Chard\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 60\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Corn\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 2 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Chicory\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 50 – 55\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Cucumber\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Eggplant\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 80\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 70\n \n <\/td> 6 – 8 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Lettuce\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 50 – 55\n \n <\/td> 4 – 6 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> \n Leeks\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 60\n \n <\/td> 10 – 12 \u00a0 <\/td> <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Melon\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> \n Okra\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 5 – 7 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Onion\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> \n 55 – 60\n \n <\/td> 10 – 12 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Pepper\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 80\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 70\n \n <\/td> 6 -10 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Squash\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 5 – 7 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Tomato\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 75\n \n <\/td> \n 60 – 65\n \n <\/td> 5 – 10 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr> \n Watermelon\n \n <\/td> \n 70 – 80\n \n <\/td> \n 65 – 70\n \n <\/td> 3 – 4 \u00a0 <\/td> \u00a0 <\/td> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n Plant size <\/strong>\n \n There is no clear boundary\n between tall, medium and low crops, but this should give you a rough idea of\n relative sizes.\n <\/strong>\n Tall crops<\/strong>: Amaranth, Jerusalem\n artichoke, globe artichoke, Brussels sprouts, cardoon, corn, giant lambs\n quarters, quinoa.\n \n Medium crops<\/strong>: Asparagus,\n broccoli, eggplant, fava bean, garlic, kale, leek, mustard, okra, peppers,\n potato, summer squash (bush), tomato.\n <\/strong>\n Climbing crops<\/strong>: Beans,\n pole, cucumber, peas, summer squash, winter squash.\n \n Low crops<\/strong>:\n Arugala, beet, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, mustards, onion, shallot, shungiku.\n \n Creeping crops<\/strong>: Alpine\n strawberry, chives, parsley, purslane, thyme, violet.\n \n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n Sowing list \/ planting calendar<\/strong>\n \n Your sowing list becomes\n complete when you add information on what crops goes in which bed. \n \n Once you have worked out\n all of the planning details (dates for sowing and transplanting, quantities\n to plant, varieties, successions and more) you can put all of the information\n into your journal under the relevant dates. \n \n You can also schedule\n other important garden work, soil building, manure collection, compost\n making, the planting and incorporation of soil improving crops, preparing\n beds, planting cover crops vegetative propagation and pruning. If a scheduled\n date turns out to be impractical, then change it and make a note in the\n journal, so you won\u2019t make the same mistake next year.\n \n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n Some possible rotations<\/strong>\n \n Leaf crops (nitrogen lovers)<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Fruit crops (less nitrogen)<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Root crops (low nitrogen)<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Legumes (nitrogen fixers)<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Brassicas<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Roots<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Legumes and others<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Brassicas<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Solanums<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Roots<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Legumes and others<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Potatoes<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Brassicas<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Legumes<\/strong>\n <\/strong>\n Roots<\/strong>\n \n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n