6 Plants for Your Veggie Garden

Rebecca's=20 Garden : Episode REB-727 -- More=20 Projects =BB=20

Try=20 these six easygoing favorites in your vegetable = garden.=20

Lettuce=20 =

Lettuce and other leafy = greens are=20 an early-spring treat. Lettuce grows best in = cool, damp=20 weather and can withstand a light frost, so = plant it a=20 week or two prior to the last frost date. To = plant,=20 scatter seeds on top of the soil and keep the = soil moist=20 until germination. Once lettuce is about three = to four=20 inches tall, cut off the leaves to about one = inch from=20 the soil surface. This will prompt the lettuce = to grow=20 to produce another harvest. Repeat for a third = harvest.=20

Once temperatures get hot, lettuce gets = bitter and=20 bolts, meaning flowers and seeds are produced=20 prematurely. When this occurs, remove plants and = add=20 compost to the soil, then replant the crop again = in late=20 summer for fall harvest.

Peas=20 =

Peas are another = early-season=20 crop. Plant seeds one inch deep and about two = inches=20 apart in early spring as soon as the soil can be = worked=97usually a few weeks before the last = frost. For=20 those limited on space, grow climbing varieties = and give=20 them a trellis to climb. Once peas are ready for = harvest, start picking them and keep picking. = Once=20 temperatures stay consistently above 75 degrees, = the=20 peas are done.

Potatoes=20 =

You can also grow = potatoes. Many=20 might disagree with this suggestion due to the = planting=20 factor. However, homegrown and organically-grown = potatoes have better flavor and texture than=20 commercially-grown varieties.=20

Start with certified, disease-free seed = (which are=20 actually whole potatoes). Cut these into pieces = so that=20 each section has two to three "eyes," or buds. = Let them=20 sit out overnight to cure. Meanwhile, in the = garden, dig=20 a trench about six to eight inches deep. Plant = each cut=20 piece of potato about a foot apart and cover = with=20 several inches of soil. As the plants grow, = mound the=20 soil up and around the stems. Do this until = plants are=20 about 18 inches tall. Once the plant produces = flowers,=20 baby potatoes can be dug; however, higher yields = are=20 achieved after the vine dies back. =

Beans=20 =

Beans, like peas, are = easy to=20 grow, but they're a warm-season crop and should = be=20 planted after the threat of frost passes. Sow = seeds=20 about one inch deep. Bush beans should be spaced = about=20 three inches apart, while pole and runner beans = should=20 be spaced eight to 10 inches apart.=20

To keep the crop coming, keep beans picked. = Beans add=20 nitrogen to the soil, so plant them where you = plan to=20 grow tomatoes, peppers and potatoes next year.=20

Tomatoes=20 =

Homegrown tomatoes are = juicy,=20 sweet and often have more flavor than = store-bought=20 varieties. Plant tomatoes after the last frost = date when=20 temperatures are consistently warm. Select = plants with=20 four to six young leaves that haven't developed = fruit or=20 flowers yet. To minimize frustration with wilt = and=20 disease, choose wilt-resistant varieties. = Typically you=20 can identify these by looking for the letters = "VFN" on=20 the plant label. Plant deeply with the first set = of=20 leaves just above the soil surface. Once = planted,=20 tomatoes need watering, an occasional feeding = and=20 staking.

Herbs=20 =

Fresh herbs, including = parsley,=20 rosemary and thyme, are perfect for cooking with = and,=20 once they start growing, can be harvested at any = time.=20 Plant them in window boxes or containers or = place=20 directly in the ground. They're especially nice = planted=20 right outside your kitchen door where you can = easily=20 access them while cooking.

Dirt Matters
No matter what form = your=20 veggie patch takes, make sure you amend the soil = every=20 season with compost, manure and peat moss. Get = your soil=20 tested at your local extension service and make=20 amendments based on soil test recommendations.

Scratch in a fertilizer every three to four = weeks.=20 Mulch around plants once temperatures begin to = climb.=20 Don't forget to water. Watering deeply and = infrequently=20 is good for most soil types.

What Not to Plant
Corn, radishes, = onions,=20 zucchini and sweet peppers are all vegetables = that host=20 Rebecca Kolls recommends buying at the farmer's = market,=20 rather than growing them yourself. Why? These = plants=20 require lots of space and more work to achieve a = consistent crop.

Also in=20 this Episode

Rebecca's=20 Garden : Episode REB-727
=95	Small-Space=20 Vegetable Garden
=95	Door=20 Knocker Bouquet
=95	6 = Plants for=20 Your Veggie Garden
=95	Vinegar-Based=20 Weed Killer
=95	Butterflies

Gard= ening

6 Plants for Your Veggie Garden

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