Vegetable Garden Guide Countryside

Summary

Vegetable Garden
Guide
www.iamcountryside.com
Vegetable Garden Guide 1
Index
Fast-Growing Plants For Impatient Gardeners..............................................3
Get An Early Start With Carrots.....................................................................4
Six Steps To Starting And Saving Heirloom Tomatoes..................................6
Anyone For Okra?.........................................................................................8
Kohlrabi: I Grow An Oddball........................................................................12
Make Room In Your Garden With Climbers And Crawlers..........................13
Cauliflower In The Garden...........................................................................16
Have Eggplant Your Way.............................................................................18
Water Rings, Make Watering a Snap..........................................................20
You Can’t Beat a Beet.................................................................................21
Time For Summer Squash..........................................................................24
Potatoes Offer Healthy Sustainability..........................................................26
Gourds for Farmers and Homesteaders......................................................28
Plant Pumpkins Now For Fall Faces Later..................................................32
Steamed Pumpkin Bread............................................................................33
2 Vegetable Garden Guide
because of that. Of course I figure out
some place to use them, usually salads

Some varieties can be harvested in as
early as 18 days, such as Saxa II, offered
by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Types will produce a harvest in
as early as two or three weeks. They
are also very easy to grow, not giving
much time for problems to show up!
There are all sorts of options here:
Kale, mustard, lettuce, arugula, spin-
ach, cress, mizuna, tat soi, and pac choi
all make great salad greens that pass
the one-month to harvest test. You can
create the best salads yourself, and
wow is it rewarding

Kale. Surprise! From The Territo-
rial Seed Company offers a variety,
Wild Garden Kales, which offers a
wonderful array of shapes and colors
of Siberian kales. It has a days-to-
maturity of 30 days—it passes the test

I love growing kale, and the earlier,
the better. Super-food nutritious and
Fast-Growing Plants
my favorite green for adding to stews
and such dishes. Also great made into
kale chips, made by marinating the
kale leaves, stripped from the stalks
For Impatient Gardeners and torn into bite-sized pieces, in a
concoction of your choice (something
like salt, pepper, vinegar/lemon juice)
then baking in the oven at the lowest
possible temp until dry and crisp all
the way through

Another crop that barely passes is
By Armani Tavares a harvest from the sets in as early as a variety of bok choi named Shiro. It’s
F
two weeks, varying due to the time available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds

or those of us who suffer from of year and depth planted. I like mine Shiro is a “baby,” single serving bok
a chronic condition known as planted deep, around four inches, as to choi. These Asian vegetables deserve
impatience, here are some plants get longer white stalks (or red when I greater publicity due to their relative
that I can recommend growing. They’re plant red onion sets). If you have some ease of growing and adaptability. It
easy, they’re fast, and they’re what make mechanism for creating furrows, that’s does best in cool weather but tolerates
up a bountiful garden harvest in only great, but I dig a trench with a hoe or year-round production. They have a
a month. heavy rake and place the sets as close mild, mustard greens-like flavor, though
First place has to go to green onions as possible to each other down the much crisper

grown from sets. That’s right. They can length of it. Then push the dirt back Everything listed above will pro-
go into the ground, and that’s most any over, water, and you’re done. duce satisfactorily in your average
ground, at almost any time of the year, Second place is taken by radishes. garden without special care, yet can
they are the earliest thing I harvest I personally never liked radishes very provide extra special rewards within
in regards to both days to maturity, much, that is, for eating. But they’re a month’s time of sowing. You know,
and how early they can be planted. great for growing and if you plant all when you’re caring for your garden
Plant them as soon as you can work the different colored ones, white, red, day in and day out, mopping-wet with
the soil in spring, all the way through purple, and pink, they’re just plain sweat under the scorching sun while
the year until freeze up. You’ll have fun, and quite attractive. I grow them weeding some plants—plants that by
now you’ve almost forgotten are for
eating—20 days difference until harvest
They’re easy, they’re fast, and they’re what make can make a big difference in boosting
you until the rest of things come into
up a bountiful garden harvest in only a month. production! Well, okay, I admit it, I’m
just impatient

Vegetable Garden Guide 3
Get An Early Start
With Carrots
By Nancy Pierson Farris Because feeder roots of carrots may with a high clay content, long carrot
South Carolina plunge two feet below the surface, we varieties don’t develop well. One sug-
begin by thoroughly working the soil. gestion: plant long carrots after early
C
arrots are one of the most versatile Before the year ends, we spread compost spring peas, because the peas’ strong
vegetables I grow in my garden. We over the area, and dig it in. A few days root system opens the soil to a depth that
plant them once a month through before we intend to plant, we rotary till allows long carrots to penetrate. On the
spring, and again after Labor Day. Ex- the rows again to loosen and mix the other end of the spectrum, the very short
cept during summer’s intense heat, I soil. Though I prepare my garden with or ball types such as Atlas (Parks Seeds)
harvest a continuous supply for salads organic materials such as rotted bed- or Parisian (VT Bean Seed) will grow in
or for cooking. ding from the goat stalls, or well-aged shallow soil, or even in containers

Since carrots will germinate in 45°F litter from the henhouse, I could use a To add color to the carrot patch, I
soil, I get an early start on my garden by 10-20-10 fertilizer at a rate of two ounces could grow Atomic Red. Purple Dragon
sowing a short row of them in January, per ten feet of row. A higher nitrogen might add some excitement to the gar-
about 10 weeks before my last spring formula could result in much foliage den

frost. I can expect harvest to begin in and stunted, misshaped roots. Burpee offers a Kaleidoscope mix,
March. Small, crisp carrots fresh from Pictures accompanying this article which includes red, purple, yellow, and
the garden are a welcome addition to a show the half-long variety, which I light green carrots. Carrot seeds are very
spring salad! usually grow. In heavy soil like mine, small, and the sprouts are delicate and
4 Vegetable Garden Guide
hard to see. To mark the rows, I first
plant a few radish seeds in the shallow
furrow, then plant the carrot seeds and
cover with barely a quarter inch of soil

I then spread coarse mulch thinly over
the row to hold moisture and prevent
crusting of the surface. Within a week,
I see the radishes! Pairs of small, round
leaves scattered along the row. At least
another week will pass before the
delicate fringe of carrot foliage becomes
visible. Soon after the carrots appear,
radishes start to form roots and I can
remove some of them, carefully, to use
in salads. Radishes mature in just three
weeks, leaving the space for the carrots

I try to hand weed and thin the car-
rots from the time I can see the foliage

Since they are so delicate, weeds can
quickly outgrow and smother them

Since seeds are so tiny, it is difficult to
sow thinly enough to avoid discarding
any by thinning. The first threadlike
roots are good for nothing, but I of-
ten use the tops. They have a slightly
peppery flavor and anything green is
welcome in my early spring salad. Tops
can also be snipped and tossed into
soup. As the carrots begin to develop,
I use the whole plant in salad or add it
to vegetable soup. At this point, I aim
to create a half-inch spacing of the car-
rots. As roots develop, I pull every other
one as I need them, thus increasing the
space for those that remain. When I pull
a few carrots and find them mature, if
we need that space for another we grab
Carrots come in a
the spading fork. Working a few inches rainbow of colors

away from the row, Don loosens the dirt
so I can easily pull the carrots. Planting
short rows of carrots monthly, January
through May, we have a steady supply
and usually store them in the refrigera-
tor. The few times I have an over-abun-
dance of carrots, I prefer to can them the rainy winter day when I want to make row an idea from an old country song:
old-fashioned way. I wash, scrape, and soup or pot roast. Carrots are one of you gotta know when to plant ‘em; you
slice them, then boil until they are soft most versatile vegetables I grow! They gotta know how to tend, you gotta know
enough to pack tightly into glass jars. are also one of the least predictable. That when to accept your losses and hope for
I add water, and a quarter teaspoon of is one reason I plant a short row every better luck in the next round!
salt to each pint, place lids and rings, month. Vagaries of weather: Too much So if your carrots (or whatever else
and process them for 30 minutes at 10 rain, or not enough; too much cold, or you planted) meet with adversity, pre-
pounds of pressure. too much heat. All can affect the growth pare another furrow, and make another
Years ago, when I used a water of carrots. One hungry rabbit can gobble planting. Next month, the weather may
bath canner, I processed carrots for two up a whole row of carrots in one night. cooperate and the rabbit may stay away,
hours. If I have only a few extra car- We all know that when we plant a and the seeds will produce a bumper
rots, I may freeze them. I find they are seed, we gamble on the outcome. To bor- crop! It happens to me every year

better after I cook them till tender, then
cool and pack into freezer containers

I sometimes freeze carrots with mixed
vegetables. These are handy during a
Vegetable Garden Guide 5
Six Steps To Starting And
Saving Heirloom Tomatoes
STEP 1: GET YOUR SEEDS
To start your own collection, be-
gin simply by saving the seed from
the choicest tomatoes you can find
or grow. If you want to try some new
ones you don’t have access to, take a
look at some of the heirloom catalogs
and browse online. You will need to
get your seeds ordered in January

This not only helps with the winter
blues, but allows you time to grow
your plants from seeds

STEP 2: PLANT SEEDS
You will need to start the seeds in
Save your February or March. All you’ll need is
seeds and you your seed, seedling tray pots, a grow
too, can grow light and some old recycled cups. Get
colorful those colorful and crazy seeds into your
heirloom wetted seed tray pots, place a plastic
tomatoes

cover over them and place on top of
All photos by the fridge for warmth. (Be sure to label
Melisa Mink them if planting several varieties.) The
warmth of the refrigerator will help the
trays stay warm and bring your little
seedlings to life. You’ll have baby plants
within a week, two at the most. This way
of starting seed also works for peppers

STEP 3: GROW SEEDLINGS
Next, move the trays of seedlings
By Melisa Mink, Homestead Moma under a grow light. It needs to be close
Mississippi to the seedlings—within 10 inches, or
they’ll become spindly. You’ll need to
I
f the first tomato of the year is something you long after, this is for you. check and make sure they get water

Growing and saving your heirloom tomato seed is something that will Under the light, they can get dried out
benefit your pocket book as well as your belly. And just think about the and die. You also should make sure they
looks you’ll get at the local farmers market when you show up with striped are not too wet or they will rot at the soil
green or orange tomatoes! They really are fun to grow, and they are nutritious line. This is called dampening off, and
too. Each year, we grow hundreds of our own plants by seed, save tons of it’s not good. You want them to stay
money, add to our diet and wow our friends and neighbors. damp, not wet, or too dry

66 Vegetable Garden Guide
Heirloom tomatoes can handle
temperatures as low as 40°F, but
no frost whatsoever

STEP 4: TRANSPLANTING
Next, transplant them into recycled
Styrofoam cups after the second set of
leaves begin to grow. These are the “true
leaves.” If they begin to look leggy or
To save your seeds, place those
grow too long reaching for the light, just
from the best-looking fruit in water
plant deeper into the pot or cup. The for a few days, rinse with water, and
plant will grow roots along that stem. The allow the seeds to dry on a paper
deep planting is good, as there will be towel (or coffee filter). You’ll be
more roots to soak up nutrients. I recycle rewarded with delicious colorful
disposable cups and use a nourishing tomatoes next summer!
potting soil for this step. Buying pots
can get expensive

STEP 5: GROW AND MAINTAIN
You will then be watching and wa-
tering for a few weeks. Once the stems
look a little more green than white, and
warm days permit, start setting outside
for two hours at a time. This will “harden
off” the plants to real outside weather

Also, keep an insecticidal soap spray on
hand for gnats or aphids. Once you’ve
done this on and off for a week or so,
it’s time to find a warm, sunny place or
greenhouse to leave them in more often

You can build a makeshift one with an
old glass door, or use a cold frame. If
it’s too sunny though, they could cook

Just make sure it’s ventilated well and
the glass is not too close to the plants

They will also need to be kept frost-free
at night. When early spring temperatures
still get pretty low, just bring them back
inside. They can handle temperatures
as low as 40°F, but no frost whatsoever

You’ll know it’s chilly for them if the
stem is a little purple

STEP 6: HARVEST
Once summer is upon us, you’ll best-looking fruit’s seeds into a bowl or scoop off the mold and wash the seeds
have your own hand-picked varieties cup of water. It will need to sit for three in a screen-style strainer with cold water

no one else has. From purple to orange, or four days and grow mold. Yep, those Then place on a labeled paper towel to
green or white, it can be a tomato show funky bacteria will do you good deeds. dry and voila! Now label a plastic freezer
of color. And once you’ve picked them It’s breaking down the gel sack around bag and place in freezer, and share a few
and are enjoying the harvest, don’t for- the seed and allowing it to be in a usable with friends and family. You’re ready for
get to save your seeds. Just place your condition. Once the three days are up, the next season!
Vegetable Garden Guide 7
one of the most heat and drought tolerant
Anyone For
vegetable species in the world and will
tolerate clay soils. Okra’s hall of fame is its
magnificent yellow and purple hibiscus-
Okra?
like flowers. As a member of the mallow
family, the showy bloom attracts natural
pollinators. Its sometimes debatable taste
and popular food source reigns supreme
in southern gardens and has become a
staple of many regional cuisines. So, if
you are an okra enthusiast, you are among
thousands of foodies whose diet consists
of this 10-calorie productive crop plus
receive the benefits of vitamins A, C and
K. A good source of fiber, calcium and
potassium, okra is also known for being
high in antioxidants

In my home garden as well as the
recently constructed community garden
I partnered with at Eastern Wake Tech-
nical Community College, we planted
okra seeds in a small 4’ by 6’ raised bed
garden. Although we got a late start,
within a six-day period we were amazed
at the speedy growth of this vegetable,
which far surpassed other crops. We
planted two seeds at a time, ¾” deep and
spaced every 3” to 4” per spot, in full sun
and organic soil, and then offered daily
doses of water to establish a healthy
root system. Okra does require acidic
soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 for
the average stalk to grow between four
and six-feet tall. In less than seven days,
we thinned to one plant every 10–12
inches apart for airflow. We grew each
stalk between three and five feet apart
in linear rows. Because the seed pods
become fibrous and woody, the fruits are
harvested when immature and should
be eaten before they grow too long

Surprisingly, we did not have to
weed the bed, nor did we offer the crop
a boost of fertilizer five to six weeks after
By Anita B. Stone the top of my can’t-wait-to-eat list. “It’s planting. But I did not follow protocol
I
slimy,” I thought. Not wanting to hurt with one of the easiest plants to grow

remember moving from Ohio to North her feelings I told the neighbor how my Knowing the most common diseases
Carolina with my family several years family enjoyed okra’s unique taste. Two afflicting the okra plant is verticillium
ago, during which time I was looking days later she visited us with a plate of wilt, powdery mildew leaf spots and
forward to that southern home cooking southern fried okra. “I could tell by your root-knot nematodes, I watched the
everyone talked about. My neighbor facial expression that you weren’t pleased plant on a daily basis, using no side
qualified the staple of southern cooking with okra stew,” she said. “Please try a dressings as fertilizer. I decided my okra
when she asked if I had ever eaten okra. small bite of fried okra.” From that day was going to be organic, so there was no
Being an avid gardener, I was ashamed forward I have not only cooked fried okra pesticide, herbicide or fungicide used

to admit that I had never heard of okra. on a weekly basis, but I have acquired I also broke the rule of thumb and did
“What?” she hesitated. “Without okra we a taste for the stuff in soups, stews and not surround the plants with mulch be-
would starve. We just love the stuff.” She casseroles, so long as I “doctored” it up. cause I assumed that an excess amount
offered to cook a pot of stewed okra and Okra is actually a very versatile fresh, of nitrogen would lead to increased
one week later I decided that my desire crisp vegetable that has gotten a mixed leaf growth and lower pod yields. So,
for southern cooking was not exactly at reputation. And, yet, this fast grower is I simply permitted the seeds to germi-
8 Vegetable Garden Guide
nate, thinned them out and released the
freedom to grow. And they did—ex- The pod on the left
tremely well and pest-free. Like a mys- is perfect for cook-
terious hand reaching out each night, ing, while the one
the okra seemed to grow quickly. I made below is too long and
woody

certain the pods were approximately
two-to-four inches long because that
length made them easy and tasty when
cooked, rather than wait until the pods
reached a six-inch length where they be-
came tough and fibrous. Several pounds
of the crop became available every
other day, which we donated to nearby
charities. After all, that’s the meaning of
community garden—to provide for the
community. I also made sure to remove
any old pods during harvest to encour-
age new growth

One of my favorite okra plants is
the heirloom “Clemson Spineless,” a
popular source of food for warm climate
gardens and a reliably high yielding
plant which grows, but does not become Whoever would have thought our Ethiopia. Spreading across Western
too fibrous. Another heirloom, “Annie little pods would become famous?” she Africa, it became a staple cuisine for a
Oakley,” is a quick growing dwarf that chuckled. long time and even crossed the ocean
matures in 48 to 52 days and has spine- I have often been asked where okra to Asia where it then spread to India
less pods, grows to about five-feet tall originated. The answer comes as a sur- and continues to be popular in Indian
in more temperate summer climates prise. There is no defined geographical and Pakistani cuisine. Eventually it
rather than in balmy southern gardens. origin of okra. Related to cotton and made its appearance in Brazil, the West
Next year I am going to try heirloom other mallow family plants, it is an Indies and reached North America in
“Burgundy,” which grows colorful ancient vegetable that originated in the early 18th century. The crop grew
crimson pods, stalks and leaves, and
appears less slimy than the other variet-
ies. An interesting heirloom named for
its large rounded pods that resembles
bovine horns is “Cow Horn,” which
dates back to the Civil War. The pods are
spineless and tender once they grow to
three inches in length, and are great for
stewing and soups

If you are not a fan of okra, chances
are you really haven’t tried it in a way
that excites your palate. Preparation of
okra can be simple. Once rolled in bread
crumbs and fried, the taste becomes
more like a fried zucchini or breaded
squash. Chefs and cooks stew okra with
onion and tomatoes with small bits of
meat and corn. Some roast the vegetable
with margarine. Serve it over rice, hot
cornbread or grits, or even add it to
ratatouille and you have a family meal

“It’s something we grew up with,”
says southern gardener Karson Turner

“If you cook it right, you can enjoy the
taste whether you bread it or add gar-
lic. It’s one of those traditional foods.”
Karson went on to say, “Nowadays,
anything goes. Several country clubs
are serving okra as an elite entrée. Wouldn’t these flowers look great in your garden?
Vegetable Garden Guide 9
Because the seed pods become The pod seeds may be roasted, pickled
or ground, and sometimes used as a
fibrous and woody, the fruits are caffeine-free substitute for coffee. In
2009 a study revealed the potential of
harvested when immature and should okra oil used as a biofuel

Planting okra can begin with seeds
be eaten before they grow too long. indoors in peat pots three to four weeks
before the last spring frost. You can also
start okra directly in garden soil during
the heat of July. The seeds or seedlings
as far north as Philadelphia and was and is especially popular as a stew. require fertile soil and full sun. As with
well established in Virginia. Toward Currently Mediterranean cuisine is beans, you can soak okra seeds over-
the end of the 19th century okra became noted for a thick stew made from okra. night to help speed germination. Be sure
popular in Japanese cuisine, served with Pods may be pickled or deep fried. to space the plants up to two feet apart

soy sauce or as tempura. The name okra Farmers in Nigeria have developed a If you select mulch, apply approxi-
is recognized in the United States and multi-crop system which uses a variety mately six inches around the plant and
is frequently known as “lady’s fingers” of vegetables, including okra. In the if you wish to side-dress, you can use
outside of Africa. With a lineage of names Caribbean, okra is eaten in a variety of aged manure or compost. About two
from Western Africa to Nigeria, we get soups. In the Dominican Republic it is months after planting, the okra will
the word “gumbo” from the island of eaten along with rice and in Haiti, it is be ready for harvest. It is best to pick
Macau and the English name “okra.” cooked with rice and maize. Because when it is between two to three inches
Highly recognized, gumbo has become the entire plant is edible, the leaves are long and harvest frequently. Tiny spines
the most popular regional “signature” also eaten raw in salads or cooked in may irritate your skin, so unless you
dish found throughout the Gulf Coast the same way as the greens of beets. have a spineless variety, make sure you
wear gloves to protect your skin. Okra
is easily stored. Simply place the uncut
and uncooked pods into freezer bags
and keep them in the freezer. You can
also bread small slices and place them
in freezer bags for the winter months. Or
you can parch the seeds to make a fake
version of coffee just as occurred during
Okra grows the Civil War. At the end of the harvest I
in raised
make certain to select a few young pods
beds in the
community
and dry them during the winter months,
garden. storing them in a cool, dry location

When spring arrives I open the pods
and several viable seeds are ready to
be planted. Once you plant okra in the
garden, you will never have to spend
one cent in new purchases, unless you
decide to try another variety

Whether you live in the Gulf Coast
region, North Carolina, Maryland, New
York or Michigan, you can grow okra

It is fast becoming an eye-catching
crop, not only for its ease in growth and
productivity, but for its sustainability

Even during the summer months in
cold states okra likes to be the “star” of
the garden and may grow successfully
given the right conditions. It chooses
its companions carefully. It does not
tolerate tomatoes, but will grow well
near peppers, basil and eggplant. With
increasing popularity this vegetable has
proven to be a winner from farm to fork
as a major food source and continues
to offer ease for farmer, gardener, and
homesteader

10 Vegetable Garden Guide
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Answers to Every Question You’ll Ever Ask
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Vegetable Garden Guide 11
Since stems are fragile, I handle seed-
KOHLRABI
lings by leaves or roots, and set plants
at two-inch spacing. Then, I lay a soaker
hose along the row and water for a few
minutes to settle the soil around the
roots. Thereafter, I water for a few min-
I Grow An Oddball
utes each day to keep soil moist

About a week later, Don prepares
another 10 feet of row. Since our soil
tends toward acidity, I check with my
trusty pH meter. If it reads below 5, we
add a bit of dolomitic lime or wood ash
to the compost we place in the furrow

We cover that with a couple of inches of
This year, due to unpredictable win- soil, then sow the kohlrabi seeds, and
ter weather, I started a few kohlrabi, cover lightly. We keep the soil moist un-
along with other coles, in a flat in my til seeds sprout, about a week to 10 days
cool greenhouse. later. This year, I interplanted nastur-
I use flats which my husband, Don, tiums with cole crops—this tasty, edible
built. For the sides, he used 1 x 4s and flower may repel cabbage butterflies

the bottoms are counter-top material left Don sprays all cole crops weekly
over from a kitchen remodel. Don used with bacillus thurengiensis to reduce
a quarter-inch drill bit to make drainage cabbage butterfly populations

holes at five-inch intervals in the bottom I have grown the White Vienna,
of each flat. which produces three-inch bulbs in
I begin by spreading two inches of about six weeks. This year, I started with
good potting soil in each flat, then I add Express Forcer (Parks Seeds), which
an inch of sterile soil or vermiculite. matures in just over five weeks, and
Thus, I sow seeds in a sterile medium, tolerates frost well. I started kohlrabi in
and if unsettled weather forces me to flats during the winter storms of Febru-
leave seedlings in the flat for an extra ary and began harvesting small bulbs in
week or two, the potting soil underneath late March. For a continued harvest, I
provides nutrients and support for the planted Purple Vienna and Kongo Hy-
developing root systems. brid, (both from Shumway Seeds). The
About eight weeks before the last former has purple skin and the Kongo
Kohlrabi: neither turnip nor cabbage—an spring frost, I sow seeds—thinly so seed- will make bulbs up to six inches across

oddball vegetable. lings won’t get crowded as they grow— Both varieties require 60 days to full ma-
and cover lightly with sterile medium. I turity. Sown in March, these produced
lay a piece of glass over the top or wrap through May and June

the flat in plastic, to conserve moisture. By July, cole crops are becoming tough
When seeds sprout (about a week to and bitter, and the cabbage butterflies are
10 days), I remove the cover and set the making plans for a summer festival in my
By Nancy Pierson Farris flat under a shop light in the greenhouse. I garden. It is time to harvest kohlrabi and
South Carolina use one white and one regular tube (white clear the row for okra or black-eyed peas

K
is cooler, but costlier). I adjust the chains Kohlrabi has a flavor like a mild tur-
ohlrabi: the oddball among holding the light fixture so that plants are nip with just a hint of apple. Small bulbs
vegetables I grow in spring. The four to six inches below the tubes. need no peeling and can be sliced to
word means turnip-cabbage. I water often enough to keep soil add a nice crunch to spring salads. I add
Like a turnip, kohlrabi produces an ed- moist but not soggy. As seedlings grow slices or wedges of larger bulbs to salads
ible bulb. Unlike a turnip, kohlrabi bulbs and weather warms, I may water twice a or vegetable trays. I also shred the larger
grow above ground. Like cabbage, kohl- day. Once a week, I add soluble fertilizer bulbs into coleslaw or carrot-apple salad

rabi leaves attract cabbage butterflies; to the watering can. I use fish emulsion I make a stir-fry using sliced kohlrabi
unlike cabbage, kohlrabi leaves grow, (the odor makes my cat crazy, but the fer- added to a skillet in which I have gently
not from a root, but from a bulb. tilizer promotes healthy foliar growth). cooked onions in a bit of olive oil

Like other cole crops, kohlrabi grows About three weeks after I sow the Kohlrabi is neither turnip nor cab-
best in cool weather; early spring or in flat, Don prepares the garden row, us- bage—it looks like an oddball and has a
the fall. In a normal year, I can grow ing a rotary tiller. One evening, or on unique flavor. I enjoy growing it, not only
kohlrabi in the garden about a month a cloudy day, we move the flat to the for the taste it adds to spring salads, but
before Easter. (Usually our last cold snap garden row. I lift a clump of seedlings for the conversation piece it can become
occurs Easter week.) from the flat and gently separate them. when neighbors see it in my garden!
12 Vegetable Garden Guide

Too. Each year, we grow hundreds of our own plants by seed, save tons of money, add to our diet and wow our friends and neighbors. STEP 1: GET YOUR SEEDS To start your own collection, …

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is vegetable gardening?

Skip to Introduction. Vegetable gardening consists of selecting a site, planning the garden, preparing the soil, choosing the seeds and plants, planting a crop, and nurturing the plants until they are ready for harvest. The end result is fresh produce to eat, share, or sell. Anyone who is willing to invest some time every day or two to nurture ...

Can a vegetable garden be in the ground?

A vegetable garden can be in the ground or in a planting bed, but it doesn’t have to be. Many vegetables can be grown in containers. For example, enough lettuce for a salad can be grown in a 12-inch pot on the back deck.

What should i plant in the north side of my garden?

When planting, group tall crops (corn, okra, and sunflowers) and trellised vines (peas and beans) together on the north side of the garden so they won’t shade shorter plants. Do not foster the buildup of insect and disease pests by growing the same types of plants in the same spot year after year.

How long do vegetables last in the garden?

Biennial crops such as artichokes grow the first year, and flower, fruit and die the second year. Perennial crops such as asparagus and rhubarb live for many years once established. To find recommended varieties for your garden based on citizen science reports, visit Cornell University’s Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners. When to plant?