There are many good reasons forgrowing a vegetable garden inMississippi. A garden offers the oppor-tunity to enjoy vegetables at theirfreshest. Sometimes only minuteselapse between harvest, preparation,and eating. On the other hand, mostfresh vegetables available at the gro-cery store travel about 1,800 milesbetween producer and consumer, andthis travel often occurs over a period ofseveral days. There’s a lot to be saidfor “homegrown” freshness.

Vegetable gardens are traditional inMississippi. When the state was morerural, most of the family’s food wasgrown at home. Today, vegetable gar-dens are often thought of as a form offamily recreation. Many olderMississippians grow gardens that aremuch too large for their own use just tohave fresh vegetables for family,

friends, and others who are unable togarden.

Here is what some of today’sMississippi gardeners have to sayabout their gardens and why theygarden:

“We have enough for our family,plus some to share; what more couldyou ask?”

“There’s no way to keep count ofthe people who stop to visit my gardenand talk awhile since it is on the side ofa field road that leads to a catfish pond.I was so proud when I was told it wasthe prettiest garden they had seen. Ihave filled three freezers and cannedmore than 300 jars of vegetables.”

“I have always had a love for gar-dening. I have helped in caring for thefamily garden ever since I was largeenough to help plant and work in agarden.”

“I enjoy giving vegetables to theelderly, shut-ins, neighbors, andfriends.”

“I enjoy people visiting my garden.Some come just to enjoy seeing it, oth-ers to learn better ways to garden.”

“I have gardened over 50 years andstill do my own work. The hard workand good food keep me healthy. I savesome money, but I receive other bene-fits that are greater and that cannot bebought.”

“We give more vegetables awaythan we keep. We have a large family,five children, 13 grandchildren, andsix great-grandchildren, so you see wereally enjoy a garden.”

“There is a great difference in cook-ing fresh food from that which hasbeen picked for several days. Watchingyour food grow gives you something tolook forward to each week.”

G A R D E NT • A • B • L • O • I • DM I S S I S S I P P I     S T A T E     U N I V E R S I T Y   E X T E N S I O N     S E R V I C E

Grow Your Own Vegetables

Select vegetables and the amount to plant by looking for-ward to harvest and how you will use the vegetables.There’s no sense in planting something that won’t be used.

When selecting vegetables to grow, consider your avail-able garden space. Some vegetables take a lot of gardenspace for a long time, while others are planted and harvest-ed in a short time period, producing a lot in a little space.Melons, pumpkins, vining types of squash, and sweet pota-toes are in the garden for a long time, yet the harvest periodis relatively short. Okra, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, andpole beans are also in the garden a long time, but these pro-duce a continuous supply of food.

Sweet corn is one of those vegetables you just have toplant despite how much space it takes (expect to harvestone ear per plant) because it is so good.

Vegetables to consider for small gardens (because of thespace they need and the amount they produce) are bush snapand lima beans; leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, mustard,and turnips; green onions; tomatoes; sweet peppers; andeggplant. As space permits, add broccoli, cabbage, hot pep-pers, okra, summer squash, southern peas, and pole beans.Cucumbers, which normally take a lot of ground space, canbe trellised.

Irish and sweet potatoes are productive for the amount ofgarden space required but present a storage problem whenharvested.

Plant varieties recommended for growing in Mississippi.Don’t continue to use old vegetable varieties when there arenew varieties available that resist disease and give higheryields and quality. For example, fusarium wilt is still a majordisease problem on tomatoes in some Mississippi gardenswhere the older varieties are planted. All recommendedtomato varieties are resistant to this disease.

The amount of sunlight the garden receives can help youdetermine which vegetables to grow. Ideally, the garden siteshould receive full sun all day. This is not always possible,especially when the garden is located on a small residentiallot where shade trees block the sun for part of the day.

Where there is no full sun space, plant vegetables in var-ious spots around the house. All vegetables grown for theirfruits or seeds, such as corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers,eggplant, peppers, beans, and peas, should have the sunniestspots.

Vegetables grown for their leaves or roots, such as beets,cabbage, lettuce, mustard, chard, spinach, and turnips, cangrow in partial shade but do better in direct sunlight.

Decide What You Want to Plant

The ideal garden site is close tothe house but out in the open whereit receives full sun and is not shad-ed by trees or buildings. Choose aplace that is near a water supply andhas loose, fertile, well-drained soil.

Few gardeners are fortunateenough to have the ideal garden siteor soil. This does not mean growinga successful garden is impossible. If

you select the right vegetables andcarefully manage the soil, somevegetables can be produced inalmost any location.

Select a site free of serious weedproblems. Nutsedge, torpedograss,bermudagrass, cocklebur, andmorningglory are just a few of theweeds that are difficult to control ina garden.

Fence the garden site to keep outchildren and animals. A two-strand,low-voltage electric fence may bethe only way to keep small animalslike rabbits and raccoons out of thegarden.

Remove low tree limbs that hangover the garden and give animalsaccess.

Choose a Great Location for Your GardenDecide What Size Garden You NeedTo determine what size garden you need, consider your family size,

the amount of vegetables you need, and whether you will preserve oruse the vegetables fresh.

Most important in determining garden size are the gardener’s physi-cal ability, available time and equipment, and genuine interest in gar-dening. Even though the rewards of gardening are great, the work ishard.

It is better to start small and build on success than to become dis-couraged and abandon the garden because it was too large or too muchwork. See the Planting Guide on page 7.

Design your garden to meet yourneeds. Careful planning reduceswork and can make the garden moreproductive. Planting seeds andplants at random frequently resultsin waste and disappointment.

Consider the selected method ofcultivation in designing your gar-den. Where the work is done with atractor, long rows are practical; butwhen cultivation is by hand, shortrows give a sense of accomplish-ment as work on each is completed.

Consider the slope of the land;run rows at right angles to the slope,especially on sandy-textured soilsthat tend to wash and erode. Wherethe land is uneven, contour the rows.

Rows for vegetables with smallplants (carrots, onions, radishes, andothers) can be closer together forhand cultivation than for powerequipment. Planting double rows ora broad band on a bed can increasethe yield from a small garden plot.Closely spaced rows and vegetableplants help shade out weeds, but theclose spacing makes weeding diffi-cult when plants are small.

Closely spaced plants reducewater loss from the soil surface byprotecting the surface from dryingwinds and hot sun. The reduced airmovement, however, may increasechances for diseases.

Plant perennial vegetables like as-paragus where they won’t interferewith yearly land preparation. Plantseason-long vegetables like tomatoes,okra, peppers, and eggplant togetherwhere they won’t interfere with short-term vegetables and replanting. Plantcorn, okra, pole beans, tomatoes, andother tall vegetables on the north sideof the garden so they won’t shade orinterfere with the growth of shortervegetables.

Sweet corn produces fuller earswhen planted in a block of rows than

in a long single row because of bet-ter pollination. When possible,group vegetables according to their

lime and fertilizer needs, and treataccordingly. Southern peas, limabeans, snap beans, and peanuts do

not require as much nitrogen fertil-izer as some other vegetables.

Sample Garden Plan20 x 50 feet1,000 square feet—Row 1 is located 12 inches from the edge of the garden, and all rows are 36 inches apart. Rows are 20 feet long.

Spring Planting Summer Planting Fall Planting Planting Planting Planting

Row Vegetable Date Vegetable Date Vegetable Date1 Onions (plants) Feb.-March Bush Lima Beans June-July Spinach Sept.-Oct.

2 Cabbage (plants) Feb.-March Bush Lima Beans June-July Beets/Chard Sept.-Oct.

3 English Peas Jan.-Feb. Cucumbers May-June Mustard Sept.-Oct.

4 English Peas Jan.-Feb. (leave unplanted) Cabbage Aug.-Sept.

5 Lettuce Feb.-March Summer Squash May-June Cauliflower Aug.-Sept.

6 Beets/Chard Feb.-March (leave unplanted) Turnips Sept.

7 Mustard/Turnips Feb.-March Southern Peas May-June Carrots Sept.

8 Broccoli (plants) Feb.-March Southern Peas May-June Lettuce Sept.

9 Bush Snap Beans March-April (leave unplanted) Broccoli Aug.-Sept.

10 Bush Snap Beans March-April (leave unplanted) Broccoli Aug.-Sept.

11 Bell Peppers/ Eggplant (plants) April-May

12 Tomatoes (plants) April-May

13 (leave unplanted) (leave unplanted) Cucumbers Aug.

14 Sweet Corn March-April (leave unplanted) Bush Snap Beans Aug.

15 Sweet Corn March-April (leave unplanted) Bush Snap Beans Aug.

16 Sweet Corn March-April Tomatoes (plants) July-Aug.

17 Okra April-May Collards Oct.

Garden Plan

Spring Plantingonions, cabbage,lettuce, corn,tomatoes, peppers,eggplantSummer Plantinglima beans,squash,cucumbers, peas,okra

Fall Plantingspinach, mustard,turnips, cauliflower,carrots, broccoli,beets

Gardening in Mississippi providesthe opportunity to have something inthe garden almost every month of theyear.

The long growing season com-bined with successive plantings(growing more than one vegetable inthe same space during the year)enables gardeners to reduce the sizeof their gardens.

As soon as one vegetable is har-vested, clear the space and prepare toplant another vegetable. Empty rowspace produces nothing and providesa place for weeds to grow, while asmall garden intensively planted andmanaged can be very productive.

For example, follow a spring plant-ing of English peas with a late springplanting of cucumbers; then replantthe space with fall bush snap beans,leafy greens, or late southern peas.

Another example is to follow earlysweet corn with winter squash andpumpkins in early July. Spring Irish

potatoes can be followed by limabeans or southern peas, which are fol-lowed by fall greens.

Practice crop rotation (plantingnonrelated plants in the same locationin successive plantings) where gardenspace permits. Crop rotation is a goodpractice to follow when you use thesame garden site for several yearsbecause it helps prevent the buildupof diseases in the garden soil.

When growing only for fresh use,make small successive plantings ofvegetables like snap beans, sweetcorn, lettuce, radishes, leafy greens,and southern peas. Planting at 2-weekintervals provides continuous freshvegetables.

Plant only as much as your familycan eat before the next plantingbegins to produce. If you plan to canand freeze as well as use fresh vegeta-bles, plant more vegetables at onetime to provide enough at harvest forpreserving.

Expected yields are given for thedifferent vegetables in the PlantingGuide on page 7. Keep in mind that theyields given for some vegetables(tomatoes, peppers, okra, pole beans,and eggplant, for example) are formultiple harvests over a period of time.

Vegetables with extended harvestperiods require only one planting dur-ing the season. However, with toma-toes, peppers, and eggplant, a secondplanting made in midsummer pro-vides good quality vegetables for har-vest in fall.

A second planting of okra, about 6weeks after the first planting, has

some benefit for late-season harvest,but you can get the same benefit bycutting the first planting back to aheight of 3 to 4 feet in late summer.

Plant your garden according to adetailed plan on paper. A finished gar-den plan shows these things:

• which vegetables to grow• number of different plantings of  

each vegetable• time and location of each planting• distance each row is to be planted

from one end of the garden.

Successive Planting, Long Season Can Reduce Garden Size

Tomato Snap Bean Cucumber CabbageEggplant Lima Bean Squash BroccoliIrish Potato Peanut Pumpkin TurnipPepper Southern Pea Muskmelon Mustard Watermelon Collard

Related Vegetable Groups

2

Compost is partially decomposedplant material mixed with soil. Sincecompost is rich in organic matter, useit to improve soil structure, tilth, fer-tility, and water- and nutrient-holdingcapacity. Compost can be mixeddirectly into the garden soil or used asa mulching material that is mixed withthe soil after the growing season.

The biggest benefit from compost isits value as a soil conditioner. Compostincreases the water-holding capacity ofsoil, reducing the frequency you need towater. Adding compost improves sandyand clay soils. Plant growth nutrients incompost include nitrogen, phosphorus,and potassium. They are mostly in anorganic form, and they release slowlyand are less subject to leaching.

Compost is something you normallymake rather than purchase, but com-posted bark and composted manure arefrequently sold as soil conditioners.

Make compost from vegetable andother plant materials from normal yardchores, leaves, and grass clippings, orhauled-in materials like sawdust, straw,or hay.

Construct a pile of alternating lay-ers of organic waste material and soil.

Keep the pile moist and add a mixedfertilizer to speed the compostingprocess.

Build your compost pile in someout-of-sight location. It can be built onopen ground or in a bin made of cinderblock, rough boards, or wire fence. Thesides of the bin should not be air- orwater-tight. Spread a layer of organicmatter about 6 inches deep and add 1cup of a mixed fertilizer, 6-8-8, to each10 square feet of surface. Then add 1inch of soil and enough water to mois-ten but not soak the pile. Repeat thisprocess until the pile is 4 to 5 feet high.

Make the top of the pile concave tocatch rainwater. Under normal condi-tions, turn the pile in 2 or 3 weeks andagain in 5 weeks.

Heat helps decomposition, so if thecompost pile is made in the fall, decom-position will be slow until spring andsummer. Moist, green plant materialsand fresh manure decompose muchfaster than dry, brown materials and canproduce a considerable amount of heat.

See Extension Publication 1782Composting for the MississippiGardener for more information.

A Soil-Compost Pile

The ideal garden soil is deep, loose, fertile,and well-drained (internally as well as on thesurface), has plenty of organic matter, and is freeof weeds and diseases. Such soils are difficult tofind, but with proper preparation and manage-ment, less-than-ideal soils can be productive.

Water moves quickly through an internallywell-drained soil and never completely shuts offair movement. Drainage is important becauseroots cannot develop, live, and function withouta constant supply of oxygen. Clay soils dryslowly after a rain because the spaces in themare small and water moves through them slow-ly. Sandy soils, on the other hand, have manyspaces and dry out quickly.

Clay and sandy soils can be partially

changed to substitute for a rich loam by addingorganic matter. Increasing the organic mattercontent of a clay soil improves the tilth, makesit easier to work, and improves the internaldrainage. Adding organic matter to a sandy soilincreases its water-holding capacity andimproves its fertility.

The garden soil affects the way vegetableplants grow and look. When soils are cold, wet,crusty, or cloddy, seedlings are slow to emergeand some may not survive. Root rot diseasesmay take a heavy toll on seedlings, especiallybeans. Other soil-related plant symptoms areshort plants, slow growth, poor color, and shal-low and malformed roots. Soil symptoms ofpoor structure are crusts, hard soil layers below

the surface, standing water, and erosion.Increase the soil’s organic matter content by

adding manure, composted leaves, sawdust,bark, or peatmoss; or by turning under plantresidues like sweet corn stalks after harvest, andgreen manure crops (soybeans, rye, southernpea plants, and others). Plant residues should befree of diseases if they are to be added to thegarden soil. Cover crops, such as clovers andvetch, planted in the fall prevent soil erosionand leaching of plant nutrients. They also pro-vide organic matter and nitrogen when turnedunder in spring.

Manures vary in their content of fertilizingnutrients. The amount of straw, age, exposure tothe elements, and degree of composting change

their composition. Be careful not to over-fertil-ize when applying chicken litter to garden soil.Use no more than 200 pounds per 1,000 squarefeet of garden space. Animal manure is lower innutrient content than poultry manure and can beapplied at the rate of 250 to 300 pounds per1,000 square feet.

Overuse of manures can add so much salt tothe soil that plant growth is harmed. Mostorganic materials release some nutrients quick-ly and the rest over a period of time. (SeeOrganic Gardening, page 5.) Even thoughadding organic matter improves soil fertility,manures and plant residues are not balanced fer-tilizers, and soils require additional fertilizer.Test soil every third year to be sure.

Garden Soil

Compost Improves Soil StructureRaised beds can help where

gardening space is limited, the siteis low and collects water, or thesoil drains poorly. Raised beds areplanting areas where the soil isseveral inches higher than that ofthe natural grade. This is accom-plished by adding soil to the grow-ing area, or by adding and mixinginto the native soil amendmentssuch as compost, sand, compostedsawdust, or bark.

Where the native soil is ade-quate, raised beds can be made byremoving several inches of soilfrom the bed area, filling the exca-vation with organic matter likemanure or old hay, and mixing thesoil with the added organic matter.It is also possible to pull soil fromthe walkways between beds andplace it on the beds, filling thewalkways with mulch materialslike pine needles.

Raised beds can be framedwith wood, bricks, or cementblocks, or they can be leftunframed. Framing adds to theappearance, and depending onthe materials used, may provideseating.

Ideally, raised beds should beno wider than 4 feet (so you caneasily reach the center from eitherside) and no longer than 25 feetunless cross-overs are provided.Beds 4 feet wide and 25 feet longcontain 100 square feet and makecalculations for rates of applica-tion of fertilizer and granularmaterials easier. Beds accessiblefrom only one side should be nar-rower than 4 feet. All framed bedsshould be of the same width sothat covering materials (shadeframes, sash for cold frames) fitall beds, making rotation easy.

Raised-bed soil that has beenimproved by adding organic mat-ter and sand often enables excel-lent root crops like carrots,onions, and parsnips to grow,even though they would not growin the native soil. Select vegeta-bles that produce a lot for thespace they occupy. Trellis viningcrops like cucumbers, pole beans,Malabar spinach, and melons.Support melon fruit in slings.

Raised beds require morewater than ground-level beds, butwhen the alternative is no gardenat all, it’s worth the extra effort.

Here are some additional advan-tages of raised-bed gardening: • Raised beds produce more

vegetables per unit of gardenspace because space is notwasted with walkwaysbetween every row.

• Soil in raised beds dries andwarms more quickly in spring,which permits earlier plantingof spring vegetables.

• Soil does not compact becausesoil in beds is not walked on.

• Closely spaced plants in raisedbeds shade out weeds andreduce weed problems and theneed for frequent cultivation.

Raised bed gardening, howev-er, does have disadvantages.Some of these are listed below: • Closer spacing of plants can

reduce air flow and increasedisease problems.

• Yields from individual closelyspaced plants may be lowerthan from widely spaced plants(total production from theclosely spaced plants is oftenhigher).

• Raised beds require more fre-quent watering because ofimproved drainage.

• Raised beds may require morefrequent fertilization becauseof the leaching resulting fromfrequent watering and excel-lent drainage.

• Raised beds with permanentsides make it difficult to relo-cate the garden.

• Raised beds can be expensiveto establish.

Raised beds are planting areas where the soil is several inches higher than that ofthe natural grade.

Raised Beds Help Problem Areas

3

SoilFertilizerOrganic MatterSoilFertilizerOrganic MatterSoilFertilizerOrganic MatterGround

Container gardening is available to anybody inMississippi who has sunlight and a source of water.Containers are vessels that will stand upright, keep grow-ing media from washing away, and allow water to leavethe vessel from the bottom. Small pots and cans that holda quart or more can grow herbs, radishes, lettuce, straw-berries, and other small plants. Tomatoes, peppers, squash,eggplant, and other large plants need a container that willhold 5 gallons or more. Old ice chests, bathtubs, barrels,

and other large containers can support several plants.Containers should be filled with a high organic-matter

mix. Blend compost, peat moss, or other organic materialwith sand. The sand helps with drainage and providesweight for stability. Organic or man-made fertilizers sup-ply needed nutrients. Water is the most limiting factor incontainer gardening because plant roots are restricted.Container gardens often need to be watered twice on hotsummer days.

Containers Give Options for Gardening in Small Spaces

The soil reaction, or measure of acidity oralkalinity, is based on a scale of 1 to 14 andis referred to as pH. A pH of 7.0 is neutral.Any values below 7.0 are acid, and any val-ues above 7.0 are alkaline.

The ideal pH values for vegetable gardensoils are 6.0 to 6.5. Vegetable plants do notgrow well in acid soils with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5or in alkaline soils with a pH above 7.5. Soiltesting is the only way to know the pH ofyour garden soil. Contact your countyExtension office for a container and instruc-tions for taking a soil sample. There is a $6fee for a complete analysis (pH plus nutrientanalysis with lime and fertilizer recommen-dations) on each sample. The lime recom-mendation is the single most important pieceof information on a soil test report.

In areas with high rainfall likeMississippi, soils are generally acid.However, there are exceptions (particularlyin the Delta and Blackland Prairie) that provethe need for soil testing. Of the garden soilsanalyzed at Mississippi State University’sSoil Testing Laboratory from 1999 to 2004,49 percent had a pH of 5.9 or below andneeded lime. Twenty-six percent were in therange of 6.0 to 7.0.

The pH of the soil tells you if the soilneeds lime. Where it is needed, limestone isthe most effective and inexpensive aid avail-able for soil improvement. The soil’s calciumand magnesium levels tell you what form oflimestone—dolomitic (magnesium and calci-um) or calcitic (calcium)—to apply. An acidsoil that tested medium low to very low inmagnesium should be limed with dolomitic

(high magnesium) lime. An acid soil high inmagnesium can be limed with either calciticlimestone or dolomitic limestone.

Acid soil results in poor plant growth,partly because of poor root growth. Thismeans greater susceptibility to drought stressand less efficient use of soil nutrients. Plantsgrowing in acid soil may show deficiencysymptoms of several plant nutrients.

Apply lime well ahead of planting (2 to 3months) to provide time for it to dissolve andchange the soil pH. However, limestonebegins to react as soon as it is incorporatedand can be applied at any time to increasesoil pH levels.

Apply lime evenly over the entire areaand work it into the top 4 or 5 inches of soil.Incomplete mixing may make future testsshow a need for more lime, which can resultin overliming and poor plant growth.Limestone not only raises the soil pH butimproves fertility. Lime also improves thestructure of clay soils and makes them easierto work.

Liming is not a once-in-a-lifetime event.Since soils limed to the proper pH return totheir acid state with time, soil test every threeyears to determine if additional lime is need-ed. Sandy soils become acid again faster thanclay soils.

Factors causing the soil pH to drop arelisted below:

• Using acid-forming fertilizers. • Leaching of lime from the soil

by rain and irrigation water. • Decomposing of organic matter and

release of organic acids.

Test Soil to Find Its pH Value

To get a soil sample for testing: (1) Use a spade or trowel to remove a slice of soil 6 inches deep; (2) Get similarsections from other random places in your garden; (3) Put these samples in a pail; (4) Mix soil thoroughly in thepail; (5) Remove about 1 pint of the well-mixed soil and dry it at room temperature; (6) Place dried soil in container.Do not take samples where fertilizer has been spilled or manure has been piled. Do not include debris such asleaves, sticks, or large stones in your sample. Deliver the soil sample to your county Extension office.

Vegetable Tolerance to Acid Soils

Discover Your Garden’s Fertilizer Needs The amount of fertilizer to apply

depends on the natural fertility of thesoil, amount of organic matter, type offertilizer, and the vegetables beinggrown. Get a soil test to determineyour garden’s fertilizer needs.

In addition to soil testing, you alsomust measure your garden to deter-mine the number of square feet itoccupies. Garden fertilizer recommen-dations are based on 1,000 square feet,and an area of 1,000 square feet couldmeasure 25 by 40, 20 by 50, 30 by 33,or other dimensions according to yourplot layout.

If your area is smaller than 1,000square feet, divide the actual area by1,000; then multiply the decimal fig-ure by the recommended lime and fer-tilizer rates. For example, if your plotmeasures 16 by 24, the area contains384 square feet; 384 divided by 1,000equals .384; multiply .384 by your rec-ommended fertilizer rate to determinethe amount of fertilizer to apply.

Vegetable plants require many dif-ferent nutrient elements for goodgrowth and production, but nitrogen(N), phosphorus (P), and potassium(K) are the three nutrients of concern

to most gardeners. Calcium (Ca) andmagnesium (Mg) are supplied bylimestone. The other required ele-ments are obtained from air, water, andsoil.

Mixed fertilizers are normally soldby grade and contain two or threemajor plant nutrients. The numbers inthe grade refer to the percent nitrogen(N), available phosphate (P2O5), andavailable potash (K2O).

Fertilizer sources of the major plantnutrients are ammonium sulfate (21percent nitrogen, 21-0-0), a blend ofammonium sulfate and urea (34 per-cent nitrogen, 34-0-0), nitrate of soda(16 percent N, 16-0-0), calcium nitrate(15.5 percent N, 15.5-0-0, 19 percentcalcium), urea (46 percent N), super-phosphate (46 percent P2O5, 0-46-0),and muriate of potash (60 percentK2O, 0-0-60). Because many gardensoils have been heavily fertilized foryears, soil test results often indicateextremely high soil levels of phospho-rus and potassium. In these cases,nitrogen is the only fertilizer recom-mended, since additional phosphorusand potassium are unnecessary.

Where nitrogen is the only fertiliz-er recommended, the usual recom-mendation is for 3 pounds of 34-0-0 (3pints) per 1,000 square feet of gardenspace prior to planting. Fertilizationwith unnecessary nutrients can “saltout” the garden and damage plantgrowth.

Vegetables differ in their fertilizerrequirements. Leafy greens like mus-

tard, turnips, collards, cabbage, andspinach are heavy users of nitrogen.Broccoli and sweet corn also requiremore nitrogen than some other vegeta-bles. While nitrogen is important tothe plant growth of fruit and root veg-etables, phosphorus and potash areimportant to the proper developmentof roots and seeds. Peanuts, southernpeas, and beans get nitrogen from theair and do not require heavy nitrogenfertilization. Overfertilizing these veg-etables with nitrogen causes excessivegrowth of leaves at the expense of thefruit.

Apply fertilizer before or at plant-ing. Two methods of application are“in the row” and “broadcast.” Formost gardeners, the broadcast methodis more practical.

To broadcast, spread the recom-mended amount of fertilizer evenlyover the soil surface and then thor-oughly mix it into the soil during soilpreparation. Heavy feeding vegetablesneed additional fertilizer (side-dress-ing) after the plants are well estab-lished.

For row application, apply the rec-ommended fertilizer to the row. Mix itthoroughly with the soil so that it willnot damage the seed and tender plants.

Fertilizer can be applied in a com-bination of broadcast and row applica-tions. Broadcast two-thirds of the rec-ommended fertilizer over the entiregarden surface and mix it into the soil.Apply the remaining one-third of thefertilizer in furrows 3 inches to either

side of the row and slightly below thelevel of the seeds.

Nitrogen fertilizer applied beforeor at planting time usually does notsupply all the nitrogen needed duringthe growing season for heavy- andmedium-feeding vegetables. Also, ir-rigation and rain can leachwater-soluble nutrients, especially ni-

trogen, into deeper areas of the soil,out of the reach of the roots of shal-low-rooted vegetables.

Apply (side-dress) additional ni-trogen fertilizer along the row 4 to 6inches from the base of the plantswhen plants are established, beingcareful to keep all fertilizer offplant leaves.

Measuring Table for Fertilizer, Weight per PintSuperphosphate 1 lb Muriate of Potash 1 lb 34-0-0 1 lbNitrate of Soda 11⁄4 lb Limestone 11⁄4 lb Mixed fertilizer 6-8-8, 13-13-13 1 lb

Lima BeansParsley Peppers Pumpkins Radishes RutabagasSoybeansSquashSunflowersTomatoesTurnips

Irish PotatoesSweet PotatoesWatermelons

AsparagusBeetsBroccoliCauliflowerChinese CabbageLettuceMuskmelonsNew Zealand SpinachOkraOnionsPeanuts

BeansBrussels SproutsCarrotsCollardsCornCucumbersEggplantEnglish PeasGarlicKaleKohlrabi

Moderately tolerant(pH 6.8 to 5.5)

Very tolerant(pH 6.8 to 5.0)

Slightly tolerant(pH 6.8 to 6.0)

Side-Dress Applications of Nitrogen(1 pint of 34-0-0 per 100 feet of row,31⁄3 tablespoons per 10 feet of row)

Beans ......................................................................................at 3- to 4-leaf stageBeets, carrots..............................................................4 to 6 weeks after plantingBell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes ..........................after first fruit set and again

at 4- to 6-week intervalsBroccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts ....................................3 weeks after transplanting

or after danger of late freeze in spring; broccoli again when heads begin to show

Cucumbers, muskmelons,watermelons, winter squash ..........................................when vines begin to runEnglish peas ....................................................when plants are 4 to 6 inches tallIrish potatoes ........................................when sprouts break through soil surfaceLeafy greens (mustard,turnips, chard, collards) ........................when plants are about one-third grownLettuce, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage ........................2 weeks after transplanting;

4 weeks after sowing seedOkra ........................................................................after first pods are harvestedOnions (green and bulb)—from sets ......................when tops are 6 inches high

—from transplants ......................................when established and actively growing

Peanuts............................................................................................................noneRadishes ........................................................................................................noneSouthern peas ................................................................................................noneSummer squash ....................................................before bloom when plants are

8 to 10 inches tall and again in 4 weeksSweet corn ................................when 8 inches high and again when knee highSweet potatoes ..............................................................................................noneTurnips (roots), rutabagas ........................................4 weeks after sowing seedsTomatoes ..............when first fruit are 1 inch in diameter; again at first harvest

4

SpinachSwiss Chard

Most of the varieties in this sec-tion will not be available from seedracks or as plants from your regularsources, so be prepared to searchfor them in catalogs or online.Whenever a new variety is trialed,it should be planted near the normalvariety you grow so you can com-pare them. Be sure to label theplants and treat both old and newvarieties the same way so there is afair comparison.

Minuet is a miniature Napa cab-bage that produces heads weighing11⁄2 to 2 pounds, rather than the 3- to6-pound heads of full-sized vari-eties. The crisp leaves resembleromaine lettuce, but they have avery mild cabbage flavor. Minuetgrows from seed to harvest in about50 days. Minuet is well adapted tosmall-container production.

Indigo Ruby tomato producesteardrop fruit with a purple cap anddark red bottom on a medium tolarge plant. Each fruit weighs lessthan 2 ounces. The plant is indeter-minate, and harvest lasts 6 weeks.

La Bomba is a medium-hotjalapeño pepper that producesglossy green and red peppers on asmall plant that is well adapted tomedium-sized containers. The pep-pers are 3 inches long and 1 inchwide. Peppers seldom display skincorking if picked when red color isfreshly completed.

Siberian kale is not a new vari-ety, but recent research has shownit to be one of the most productiveand hardy of the winter pot herbs.This kale is very cold tolerant and

Soil Prep IsImportant forSuccessfulGardens

Preparing the soil is one of themost important steps in gardening.

If erosion is not a problem, plow orspade clay soils and grassy areas in thefall. Limestone is most effective whenapplied in the fall.

On new garden sites that werelawn areas or were heavily infestedwith weeds, consider using anapproved chemical to kill existingplants before turning the soil. Plow orturn soil to a depth of 7 or 8 inches.Leave fall-plowed land rough untilspring.

Many garden tillers are not ade-quate equipment for the initial break-ing of soil in a new garden site.Starting in early spring, disc or rakethe soil several times at regular inter-vals to keep down weeds and to give asmooth, clod-free planting bed.

If you did not plow or spade thegarden site in the fall, turn the soil inspring as soon as it is dry enough towork. A good test to determine if thesoil can be worked is to mold a hand-ful of soil into a ball. If the ball is notsticky but crumbles readily whenpressed with your thumb, the soil is ingood condition.

If you did not apply recommendedlime to the garden site in the fall, applyboth lime and recommended fertilizerin the spring. Plow or spade the soil,spread the lime and fertilizer, and mixit in with a disc, harrow, or rototiller.

Pulverize the soil and get a smooth,level surface by raking as soon as pos-sible after turning. This helps to firmthe soil, break up clods, and leave asmooth surface for seeding. Soil left inrough condition for several days afterturning in the spring may dry out andform hard clods, making it much moredifficult to prepare a good seedbed.

Prepare a small garden plot forplanting by using a spade, shovel, orspading fork to turn the soil. Use asmall tractor or garden tiller for a larg-er garden. Completely cover all plantmaterial on top of the ground andwork it into the soil when the soil isturned.

Where the soil is clay and level andlikely to stay wet, use a hoe, rake, ortiller to pull the soil into raised rowsthat are 10 to 12 inches across on thetops. Let the sides slope gently to thewalkways to provide good surfacedrainage.

Conventional row spacing is 36 to40 inches apart, but spacing dependson a number of factors: equipment,garden size, and vegetables beinggrown. Rows for vigorously viningvegetables like watermelons, can-taloupes, pumpkins, and winter squashare usually 6 to 8 feet apart.

Raised bed gardens are relativelyeasy to prepare for planting once thebeds are constructed. (See RaisedBeds on page 3.)

A vegetable varietydesignated as an All

America Selection (AAS) has beenjudged in a number of national trialgardens to have some advantage oruniqueness over a standard compari-son variety. This may be diseaseresistance, color, productivity, fla-vor, or something else. All AmericaSelections must show wide adapt-ability to climatic and soil condi-tions. AAS is a nonprofit organiza-tion that accepts variety entries frombreeders around the world.

Not all new varieties developedeach year are submitted for testing in

the AAS trial gardens, so there aremany excellent varieties that do notbear the AAS designation. ManyAAS vegetables are suited for grow-ing in Mississippi, so be sure to trythese new varieties as well as othernew varieties listed in catalogs.

The Vegetable section (pages 22-30) includes a list of recommendedvarieties. Some previously designat-ed AAS varieties are no longer avail-able, since the program is more than50 years old. The year of introduc-tion for AAS varieties listed in thispublication is given with the varietydescriptions in the Vegetable section.

Try New Varieties for Advantages Over Established VarietiesAll America SelectionsALL

WINNERAMERICASELECTIONS

®

See New Varieties, page 19

5

Organic GardeningInterest in organic gardening—

using organic and natural materialsfor fertilization and disease andinsect control—is increasing.

Much of the interest is on reduc-ing or eliminating use of man-madepesticides for controlling insects anddiseases. There is less interest in theuse of natural and organic fertilizers.

Organic gardening in Mississippifaces some serious problems with therapid loss of soil organic matter andsevere insect and disease pressureson vegetable plants. Organic garden-ers, to ensure the greatest chances forsuccess, should have the garden soiltested for pH and nematodes.

The most beneficial input for bothorganic and conventional gardenersis to add organic matter to the soil.This can be done by adding compost-ed or fresh organic materials andincorporating them into the soil.Gardeners need to pay attention tothe amount of nitrogen in the materi-als they are adding. Straw; fallen,dried leaves; sawdust; wood chips;and paper should be blended with ahigh nitrogen material like grass clip-pings, manure, or blood meal sinceincorporating large amounts canactually keep the nitrogen in the soilfrom the crop plants while decom-posing. The nitrogen becomes avail-able again after decomposition isthrough.

Soils with a low pH (acid) can becorrected using limestone, groundoyster shells, wood ashes, ordolomitic limestone. Adding organicmatter benefits soils with a high pH(alkaline).

Animal manures are the mostwidely used organic fertilizers.Unfortunately, their compositionvaries with the source, age, degree ofrotting, water content, and amountand kind of litter used.

Green manures and cover cropscan also be used to provide nutrients.

When allowed to grow over the win-ter, hairy vetch or crimson clover canfix up to 100 pounds of nitrogen peracre. Southern peas can be grownduring summer to provide nitrogenfor fall vegetables. Green manurecrops should be mown and plowedinto the soil at least four weeks priorto planting the next crop.

Most organic materials do notcontain plant nutrients in balancewith plant requirements and must besupplemented to correct these imbal-ances. A well-leached animal manurehas an estimated fertilizer value of 1-1-1, or 20 pounds each of N, P2O5,and K2O per ton of manure. Besidesbeing relatively low in nutrient con-tent, the nutrients are available moreslowly than nutrients from inorganicsources. This protects nutrients fromleaching, but when a rapid change innutrient level is needed, this can be aproblem.

Controlling diseases and insectsby natural means alone is difficult.There are several insecticides avail-able including Bt formulations forcaterpillar control and spinosad orpyrethrums for other insects, but dis-ease control is difficult. Neem oil,bicarbonate, and copper- and sulfur-based fungicides provide some pro-tection against diseases, but the bestresults for disease management comefrom selecting resistant varieties andproper timing and spacing duringplanting. For these reasons, organicgardening is easier on a small scale.

To increase chances for success,organic gardeners should followthese practices:

• Plant disease- and nematode-resist-ant varieties.

• Use marigolds, mustard, solariza-tion, and organic products likeClandosan 618 to control plant par-asitic nematodes (see ExtensionPublication 483 NematodeControl in the Home Garden).

• Plant seeds from disease-freeplants.

• Plant only healthy vegetable trans-plants.

• Place a cardboard collar aroundplant stems at ground level to pre-vent cutworm damage.

• Incorporate plant residues and ani-mal manures early to allow suffi-cient time for them to decomposebefore planting.

• Use mulches to control weeds andkeep soil from splashing onto theplants and fruit.

• Use aluminum foil or reflectiveplastic mulches to repel aphids andthrips that injure plants and alsotransmit plant viruses.

• Plant as early in the spring as possi-ble to avoid some insect problems.

• Keep the garden free of weeds thatmay harbor diseases and insects.

• Hand-pick insects. • Water so plants are not wet at night-

fall. • Remove diseased plants and plant

parts from the garden. • Control insects using biological

controls and natural products.• Rotate garden areas. • Encourage natural insect predators.

Trap slugs under boards and moistburlap laid on the ground, or usebeer traps.

• Stay out of the garden when theplants are wet to prevent spreadingdiseases.

• Do not use tobacco products whileworking in the garden.

• Mix different vegetables in a row toeliminate monocultures and thechance for a disease to spread rapidly.

Beneficial InsectsMinute pirate bug .25”

Convergent lady beetle .15”-.25” Assassin bug .50”-.75” Tiger beetle 0.5”-0.7”

Praying mantis 2.5”-5”Green lacewing 0.6”-0.8”

Nutrient Content of Organic MaterialsPercent Nutrient

N P2O2 K2O Availability

Rock Phosphate 0 20 to 30 0 very slow Bone Meal 1 15 0 slow medium Compost up to 3 1 1 slow Dried Blood 12 1.5 .5 medium rapid Fish Emulsion 5 2 2 rapid Cotton Seed Meal 6 3 1.5 slow medium Cow Manure, fresh .25 .15 .25 medium Sawdust 4 2 4 very slow Wood Ashes 0 1 to 2 3 to 7 rapid

Zones Determine Planting DatesUse the map and chart in this section

to determine dates for planting vegeta-bles in your garden. Use the map toidentify the zone (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) inwhich you garden. Some Mississippicounties are in only one zone, whileothers are in more than one.

The zones are based on weather datafor the median (most frequent) dates oflast freezes (temperature of 32 °F orless) in spring. In some years the lastfreeze occurs earlier, and in some yearslater, than the median dates. The zonesare listed at the top of the chart. Thecool- and warm-season vegetables arelisted on the left, and the recommendedplanting dates make up the body ofinformation in the chart.

Beets, for example, are recommend-ed for planting in zone 1 from February1 to March 1. The starting dates are 4and 6 weeks before the last median frostdate for the zone for cool-season veg-etables, and 2 and 4 weeks after the lastmedian frost date for warm-season veg-etables.

The cut-off date for planting cool-season vegetables is to provide suffi-

cient time for the vegetables to maturebefore the heat of summer. The cut-offdate for planting warm-season vegeta-bles is to permit maturity and harvestbefore disease, insect, and weatherpressures become too great and beforecold temperatures in the fall.

Most cool-season vegetables can beplanted in both spring and fall. Thisgives two opportunities for successfulharvests. Most warm-season vegetablescan be planted over a period of severalweeks ranging from midspring to mid-summer.

Multiple plantings at 10-day inter-vals of beans, corn, peas, radishes, andleafy greens within the recommendedplanting intervals provide for succes-sive harvests.

Some of the cool-season vegetableslike broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cab-bage, cauliflower, collards, kale,spinach, and rutabagas produce betterwhen grown in the fall. These plantsmature as the weather is getting cooler,and they are of better quality and pro-duce over a longer period of time.

Median Date of Last Freeze in SpringPlanting Zones – To use the map, find your county and determine which zone it is locatedin. Then find the vegetable planting dates for your zone on the chart to the right.

Zone 1 March 1-11Zone 2 March 12-21Zone 3 March 22-26Zone 4 March 27-31Zone 5 April 1-10

DeSoto Marshall

Benton

Tippah Prentiss

TateTunica

Coah

oma

Panola LafayettePontotoc Lee

Monroe

Clay

Calhoun

YalobushaTallahatchieBolivar

Sunf

lower

Leflore

GrenadaWebster

Holmes

Was

hingt

on

Hum

phre

ys

Alcorn

Montgomery

Tishomingo

Chickasaw

Yazoo

Itawamba

War

ren

Quitm

an

Shar

key

Madison

Hinds

Issa

quen

a

Carroll

Choctaw

Oktibbeha

Lowndes

NoxubeeWinstonAttala

Leake NeshobaKemper

LauderdaleNewtonScott

RankinSmith

Jasper Clarke

Claiborne Copiah Simpson

Jefferson

Lawr

ence

LincolnAdams Franklin

AmiteWilkinson Walt

hallPike

Marion

JeffersonDavis

WayneJones

Covington

Lamar Forrest Perry Greene

Pearl River

George

JacksonHarrison

Hanc

ock

Stone

Union

Spring and Summer Planting DatesCool-Season Vegetables

Vegetable Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5Beets Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Mar. 1 Mar. 15 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 5

Broccoli (plants) Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Feb. 15 Mar. 1 Mar. 10 Mar. 15 Mar. 20

Cabbage, Collards (plants) Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Feb. 15 Mar. 1 Mar. 15 Mar. 20 Apr. 1

Carrots Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 15

Cauliflower (plants) Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Feb. 15 Mar. 1 Mar. 10 Mar. 15 Mar. 20Chard, Swiss Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Mar. 1 Mar. 15 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 5

Kohlrabi Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Mar. 1 Mar. 15 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 5

Lettuce, head Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 5 Mar. 10

Lettuce, leaf Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 10 Apr. 15

Mustard Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 20

Onions (sets or plants) Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 15

Peas, English Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Mar. 10 Mar. 10 Mar. 15 Mar. 20 Apr. 1

Potatoes, Irish Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Feb. 15 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 10 Mar. 15

Radishes Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Mar. 15 Mar. 15 Apr. 1 Apr. 15 Apr. 25

Spinach Jan. 20 Jan. 29 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 18 Feb. 15 Mar. 1 Mar. 15 Mar. 15 Mar. 15

Turnips Feb. 1 Feb. 12 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Mar. 3 Apr. 1 Apr. 1 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 20

Warm-Season Vegetables

Beans, snap bush Mar. 15 Mar. 25 Apr. 4 Apr. 8 Apr. 14 Apr. 15 Apr. 20 May 1 May 1 May 10Beans, snap pole Mar. 15 Mar. 25 Apr. 4 Apr. 9 Apr. 14 Sept. 1 Aug. 15 Aug. 15 Aug. 10 Aug. 1

Beans, lima bush Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 15 Aug. 1 Aug. 1 July 25 July 15

Beans, lima pole Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 5 Jul. 20 Jul. 20 Jul. 15 Jul. 5

Corn Mar. 1 Mar. 11 Mar. 21 Mar. 26 Mar. 31 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15

Cucumbers Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Sept. 14 Aug. 28 Aug. 21 Aug. 14 Aug. 10

Eggplant (plants) Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 15 Aug. 10 Aug. 10 Aug. 1 July 15

Muskmelons Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 May 1 May 1 May 15 May 15 Jun. 1

Okra Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15 Jul. 15

Peanuts Mar. 15 Mar. 25 Apr. 4 Apr. 9 Apr. 14 May 1 May 1 May 1 May 15 May 15

Peas, southern Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 10 Aug. 1 Aug. 1 Aug. 1 Jul. 20

Peppers (plants) Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 15 Aug. 10 Aug. 10 Aug. 1 Jul. 15

Potatoes, sweet (plants) Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1

Pumpkins, Winter Squash Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1 Jul. 1

Spinach, New Zealand Mar. 15 Mar. 25 Apr. 4 Apr. 9 Apr. 14 Apr. 15 Apr. 15 Apr. 20 May 15 May 15

Squash, summer Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Sept. 14 Aug. 28 Aug. 21 Aug. 14 Aug. 10

Tomatoes (plants) Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 Aug. 15 Aug. 10 Aug. 10 Aug. 1 Jul. 20

Watermelons Mar. 29 Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 23 Apr. 28 May 1 May 1 May 15 May 15 Jun. 1

* For Fall Gardening, see page 19.

6

7

Transplants Can ShortenPlanting-to-Harvest Time

Some vegetables are planted in thegarden using small plants (transplants)rather than seeds. This is standardpractice with warm-season vegetableslike tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant,and is becoming the practice withcucumbers, squash, cantaloupes, andwatermelons because transplantsshorten the time by several weeksbetween planting and harvest.

Sweet potato plants are grownfrom stored sweet potato roots and notfrom true seed. In the early spring gar-den, transplants of cabbage, broccoli,cauliflower, head lettuce, and onionsare recommended.

Not all vegetable plants transplantwith the same degree of ease as smallseedlings or when setting them out inthe garden. But even vegetablesdescribed as difficult to transplant canbe transplanted into the garden withgreat success when they are started incontainers.

Grow vegetable transplants in acold frame, hot bed, greenhouse, or awell-lighted window.

Here are some advantages to grow-ing your own plants:• They are often less expensive togrow than to buy.

• They are available when you needthem. You grow the varieties youwant and are not forced to acceptsubstitutes.

• You avoid the danger of bringing indiseases and insects.

You can successfully grow trans-plants of many vegetables by follow-ing a few simple guidelines:

Seed. Use fresh seed from a rep-utable source. Transplants require sev-eral weeks to grow, so get your seedsearly. Do not buy too much seed. Asmall amount produces many plants. Ifthe seed has not been treated with afungicide as indicated on the package,do so with a small amount of fungi-cide. (See the Before-You-PlantPractices section on seed treatment onpage 17.)

Soil. Most garden soils are notgood enough to be used for raisingtransplants because they are poorlydrained and contaminated with diseaseand weed seeds. Several commercialsterile soilless mixes are available.Prepare a soilless mix using theseingredients:

2 quarts Sphagnum peat moss 1 quart vermiculite 1 quart perlite 1 tablespoon limestone

Container. Containers for seedgermination can be plastic egg car-tons, half-pint milk cartons, smalltrays, aluminum foil loaf pans, pietins, peat pots, or peat pellets. Makesure there are drainage holes in thebottom of the container before fillingthe container nearly to the top with the

mix. Wet the mix thoroughly and letexcess water drain. Expandable peatpellets (available at nurseries and gar-den supply stores) eliminate the needfor a mix and a container except forone to hold the pellets.

Place dry, flat pellets in a shallowtray and sprinkle them several timeswith warm water until they are com-pletely expanded. Allow a little timebetween sprinklings. Surround theexpanded pellets with sand or vermic-ulite to hold them upright and slowtheir drying between waterings.

Planting Seeds. Do not plantseeds too thickly. When using trays orpans, plant the seeds in rows and coverwith one-fourth of an inch of mix.When using individual containers,plant two or three seeds per container.With the expanded pellets, make asmall depression in the top and drop inthe seeds. Plant seeds of watermelons,squash, and cucumbers in individualcontainers.

Transplants are recommended forseedless watermelons. To aid germina-tion, plant seedless watermelon seedswith the rounded end facing down andthe pointed end facing up.

Germination. Cover containerswith a piece of plastic, or slip theminto a clear plastic bag to keep thehumidity high. The best temperaturefor germination is 80 °F. As the tem-perature drops below 80 °F, germina-tion slows. Tomato, pepper, and egg-plant seeds won’t germinate at temper-atures below 60 °F. Even at the opti-mum temperature, eggplant and pep-per seeds may take 2 weeks to germi-nate.

As soon as the seedlings begin tocome through the mix surface, removethe cover, lower the temperature, andincrease the amount of light to preventspindly growth. Use cool, white 40-watt fluorescent tubes placed severalinches above the seedlings for 18hours a day for a supplemental lightsource.

Tomato, pepper, and eggplantseedlings grow best when the day tem-perature is 70 to 75 °F and the temper-ature at night is 60 to 65 °F.

Broccoli, cabbage, and cauli-flower prefer cooler temperatures—

Use cool, white 40-watt fluorescenttubes for a supplemental light source.

See Transplants, page 8

Planting Guide Distance Average Average

Depth of between Crop No. of Seeds or Plants Planting Plants Expected Days to

Vegetable per 100 ft (inches) (inches) per 100 ft Harvest

Asparagus 1 oz 1 18 30 lb 2 years 65 plants 6-8

Beans, snap bush 1⁄2 lb 1 3-6 60 lb 50-55

Beans, snap pole 1⁄2 lb 1 4-12 80 lb 65

Beans, lima bush 1⁄2 lb 1 3-6 47 lb in shell 65 18 lb shelled

Beans, lima pole 1⁄2 lb 1 4-12 66 lb in shell 80 25 lb shelled

Beets 1 oz 1⁄2 2 75 lb 65

Broccoli 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 18-24 50 lb 80-115 50-65 plants 18-24 50 lb 75

Cabbage 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 12-18 150 lb 100 65-100 plants 12-18 150 lb 80

Cabbage, Chinese 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 12 100 lb 80

Carrots 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 2 100 lb 75

Cauliflower 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 18-24 80 lb 80-115 50-65 plants 18-24 80 lb 65

Chard, Swiss 1 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 6 75 lb 50

Collards and Kale 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 8-16 150 lb 55

Corn, sweet 3-4 oz 1-2 12 10 doz 80

Cucumbers 1⁄2 oz 1 12-18 100 lb 55

Eggplant 50 plants 24 150 lb 85

Kohlrabi 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 3-4 75 lb 55

Lettuce, head 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4 12 75 head 80-115 75-100 plants 12-14 75 head 80

Lettuce, leaf 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4 8-12 50 lb 50

Muskmelons 1⁄4 oz 1 36-48 100 fruit 90

Mustard 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 2 100 lb 45

Okra 1 oz 1 12-18 90 lb 65

Onions, green 600 sets or plants 2 100 bunches 35

Onions, bulb 220 sets or plants 6 100 lb 110

Parsley 1⁄8 oz 1⁄4 4-6 30 lb 90

Peanuts 1⁄2 lb 1-2 3-4 45 lb green 110 15 lb dry

Peas, English 1 lb 1-2 2 30 lb in shell 65

Peas, southern 1⁄2 lb 1 4-6 40 lb in hull 65

Peppers, bell 50 plants 24 150 lb 75

Potatoes, Irish 10 lb 4 12 150 lb 100

Potatoes, sweet 75-100 12 100 lb 120

Pumpkins 1⁄2 oz 1-2 48 300 lb 90-110

Radishes 1 oz 1⁄2 1 40 lb 28

Rutabagas 1⁄2 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 12 90 lb 90

Spinach 1⁄2 oz 1⁄2 4 70 lb 45

Squash, summer 1⁄2 oz 1 36 150 lb 55

Squash, winter 1⁄2 oz 1 48 100 lb 90

Tomatoes 35-65 plants 18-36 125 lb 70

Turnips, greens 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 2-3 50-100 lb 50

Turnips, roots 1⁄4 oz 1⁄4-1⁄2 2-3 50-100 lb 60

Watermelons 1⁄2 oz 11⁄2 48-72 60 fruit 85

Plant only fresh seeds from areliable source. Old seeds are slowto germinate and often producespotty stands and deformed plants.

When planting seeds, markstraight rows with stakes and a cordto make cultivating, spraying, andharvesting easy. Rake the seed bedclean of clods, rocks, and othertypes of debris. Make shallow fur-rows suitable for small seeds bydrawing a hoe handle along a string.

For deeper furrows, use a cornerof the hoe blade. In the spring, plantseeds shallow to speed germination.As the season progresses, plantseeds deeper to ensure a good sup-ply of moisture.

Small seeds are difficult to dis-tribute thinly and evenly and areeasier to space if mixed with drysand or dry, pulverized soil beforeplanting. When planting smallseeds like carrots that germinateslowly, mix in some radish seeds tomark the row.

Seeds that are large enough tohandle easily can be planted ingroups (hills) or spaced evenly(drilled) in the row. When plantingin hills, place several seeds in smallareas at the desired final plant spac-ing. Sweet corn, squash, pumpkins,melons, and okra are often plantedin this way. Once the seeds germi-nate and the seedlings are estab-lished, remove the excess seedlings.Sweet corn, okra, and summersquash are thinned to one plant perhill, pumpkins and melons to twoplants per hill.

Seeds of beans, peas, beets,chard, and sweet corn are frequent-ly spaced evenly down the row

when planted. Individual seeds maybe spaced 1 or more inches apartbut at a spacing closer than thedesired final plant spacing.

After germination and seedlingestablishment, remove extraseedlings. The choice of plantingmethod, drill or hill, for many veg-etables is up to the gardener.

If your seeds are 1 or more yearsold, plant them thicker than youwould fresh seeds. Extra seeds atplanting time cause poor germina-tion and seedling death from dis-ease and insects.

After the seeds are placed, coverthem with soil. (See the PlantingGuide on page 7 for depth of plant-

ing). Firm (do not pack) soil overthe seeds with the flat blade of ahoe. Be careful not to plant seedstoo deeply . Seeds covered with toomuch soil do not come up.

Removing the extra seedlings(thinning) seems wasteful to manygardeners, especially new garden-

ers. However, when the majority ofseeds germinate and the seedlingssurvive, the plants become crowded.

Leaving the plants spaced tooclosely together reduces yields,makes the plants more susceptible

8

Plastic row tunnels and floating row covers permit early planting and provide some protection against cold. Plastic tunnels can be usedin combination with black plastic mulch. Floating row covers made of a non-woven polyester also provide early insect protection.

65 to 70 °F during the day and 55 to60 °F at night. At these tempera-tures, broccoli, cabbage, and cauli-flower take 5 to 7 weeks to reach thesize for transplanting to the garden.Peppers and eggplant may need 8 to10 weeks to reach the size for set-ting out in the garden.

Thinning and Transplanting.Individual containers with more thanone seedling must be thinned to oneplant. Pinch out or cut off the extraseedlings while the first leaves arestill small.

Seedlings germinated in traysmust be transplanted to individualcontainers while still small. Lift andseparate seedlings and replant theminto individual containers such aspeat pots, plastic cel-paks (savedfrom previously purchased trans-plants; be sure to wash them), peatpellets, or other small containers.Use a commercial soilless pottingmix or prepare your own.

Fertilizer. Some potting soilscontain a small amount of fertilizer

but not enough to grow the seedlings.Homemade mixes of peat, vermicu-lite, and perlite contain no fertilizer.Seeds contain a small amount ofnutrients to get the seedling started,but you must supply fertilizer such aswater soluble 20-20-20. Prepare afertilizer solution following instruc-tions on the container.

Disease. Damping-off is themajor disease that attacks seedlings.Seedlings appear pinched at the soilline, fall over, and die. Control thisdisease by thoroughly watering(drenching) the growing mix afterplanting the seeds with 1 tablespoonof Captan (50 percent wettable pow-der) per gallon of water.

Hardening Off. Transplantsgrown in a cold frame are stockierand better able to withstand outsidegarden conditions than transplantsgrown indoors or in a greenhouse.Before setting out tender transplants,place them in a cold frame for 1 to 2weeks to acclimate them to coldertemperatures, brighter light, andwind. This greatly increases theirchances of survival once set in thegarden.

Cold FrameCabbage, broccoli, and cauli-

flower transplants can be easilygrown in an outside cold frame.Build a simple frame and cover itwith polyethylene. Plants grown in acold frame require 8 to 10 weeks toreach the size for setting in the gar-den, so start early. Place the coldframe in a sunny location with thelow side facing south and the highback facing north. Paint the insidewhite to reflect light and promoteuniform growth.

Since temperatures in a cold frameare frequently below the optimum forseed germination, plant seeds in asoilless mix in trays and germinatethem indoors. Once the seeds havegerminated, move the trays to the

Plants must grow in a cold frame for 8to 10 weeks before setting in the garden.

Cut off the bottomsof plastic containers Cutaway view

of a hotkap

Wooden shingle used as a sunshade

Wire tomato cagewrapped in plastic

Transplantscontinued from page 7

Protect Newly Set Plants

Planting and Thinning Tips

SMALL MEDIUM LARGE1⁄4-1⁄2 inch 1⁄2-1 inch 1-11⁄2 inch

For small seeds, make a planting fur-row with a hoe handle or rake drawnalong the cord.

For larger seeds, open a deeper plant-ing furrow with your hoe.

When sowing small seeds, cut or tearoff a corner of the packet and scatterseeds in the furrow while tapping gen-tly with your index finger.

Space larger seeds evenly and dropby hand.

Seed size determines depth of planting.

See Transplants, page 9

See Tips, page 9

Days from Planting to Seedling EmergenceUnder Good Growing Conditions

Beans 5-10Beets 7-10Broccoli 5-10Cabbage 5-10Carrots 12-18Cauliflower 5-10Corn 5-8

Cucumbers 6-10Eggplant 6-10Lettuce 6-8Okra 7-10Onions 7-10Peas 6-10Parsley 15-21

Peppers 9-14Radishes 3-6Spinach 7-12Squash 4-6Tomatoes 6-12Turnips 4-8Watermelons 6-8

cold frame. Open the cold framecover for ventilation or remove iton clear days when the air temper-ature is 45 degrees or higher. Thinthe seedlings to stand one-half inchor more apart. Crowding results inspindly, weak transplants. Fertilizeto promote growth.

Growing onion transplantsrequires considerable time. Startby planting seeds in September orOctober in closely spaced rows ina cold frame. Transplants will beready for setting out in Januaryand February. To have transplantsof cabbage, broccoli, and othercool-season vegetables ready intime for spring planting, you muststart very early in the year, whichmay not be practical. Transplantsof these vegetables can be grownfor the fall garden.

Sweet potato transplants (slips)are produced by planting potatoesin beds of sawdust or sand.Maintain the temperature in thebed close to 80 °F. Since diseaseproblems can be carried on themother roots and transmitted to theslips, it is better for gardeners topurchase their sweet potato slipsor to use vine cuttings. Vine cut-tings are made by cutting potatoslips above the surface of the bed-ding material. The cuttings devel-op roots rapidly when planted inwarm, moist garden soil.

Buying TransplantsWhen buying vegetable trans-

plants, select recommended vari-eties when possible. Plants withgood roots that are healthy, stocky,medium-sized, and free of diseaseor insects are best. Avoid yellow,spindly, or oversized plants andthose with spotted foliage, brownmarks on the stems, or knots onthe roots. Buy plants in containers(fiber pots or plastic tray packs) sothat root systems are intact andprotected. Bundles of bare rootplants (cabbage, onions, broccoli,peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes)should be fresh, have a good greencolor, and have moist and healthyroots.

Transplanting to theGarden

Transplants of cucumbers,squash, and melons grown in smallcontainers must be set in the gar-den while still quite young (cotyle-dons expanded and first leaf show-ing), about 3 weeks after plantingthe seeds.

If possible, set all vegetabletransplants on a cloudy day or inthe evening. Place peat pots andother fiber pots directly into theplanting holes. Be sure to coverthe upper edges of the pots withsoil to prevent wicking the mois-ture out of the pots.

Plant tall transplants deeply,burying the stem to the first set ofleaves.

Starter Solution. Starter solu-tion is a dilute mix of a water solu-ble fertilizer high in phosphorus,such as 11-57-0. Used at the rate of1 cup per plant, it stimulates rootgrowth and helps plants get off to afast start. Starter solution is preparedby dissolving 2 tablespoons of thedry fertilizer (11-57-0) per gallon ofwater or 3 pounds per 50 gallons.

Protection. Protect newly setplants from sun, cold, and wind.Homemade shelters include boxes,baskets, flower pots, and plasticmilk containers. Commercial

hotkaps of paper or plastic anddevices containing water protectyoung, tender plants from frost. Awooden shingle stuck in theground at a slant on the south sideof a plant serves as a sunshade. Apiece of newspaper or a paper gro-cery bag pinned down over a plantprovides protection from the sun.

Wire tomato cages with thebottom 12 to 18 inches wrappedwith clear plastic provide someprotection to transplants fromwind, cold, and blowing sand.

to disease, and generally starves theplants for water and nutrients.

In the thinning process, try to savethe strongest seedlings and removeexcess plants with a hoe, rake, or yourfingers. Where seedlings are very closetogether and pulling disturbs the roots ofthe remaining plants, pinch out or cut theexcess plants. Seedlings of some vegeta-bles, if carefully removed during thin-ning, can be transplanted and used to fillin empty places, to expand your plant-ing, or be shared with other gardeners.

The temperature of the garden soil atplanting time affects the rate at whichseeds germinate or if they germinate atall. Most cool-season vegetable seedsgerminate at a soil temperature of 60 °F,while most warm-season vegetable seedsgerminate slowly at a soil temperature of75 °F. The longer seeds are in the soilwithout germinating, the more they aresubject to attack by diseases and insects.

Black plastic mulch is an effectiveway of raising the soil temperature topermit early planting of warm-seasonvegetables. (See Mulching on page 10.)

Other materials available to homegardeners are plastic row tunnels andfloating row covers that permit earlyplanting and provide some protectionagainst cold. Plastic tunnels can be usedin combination with black plastic mulch.Floating row covers made of a non-woven polyester also provide earlyinsect protection.

Pollination, the transfer of pollen within aflower or between flowers, is needed formany vegetables to produce. With vegetableswe grow for their leaves (greens, spinach,cabbage) and roots (beets, carrots, radishes),pollination is not important. But with vegeta-bles we grow for their developing fruit,ripened fruit, or seeds (melons, corn), pollina-tion is almost always needed.

Pollen is produced in the anthers (maleparts) and must be moved to the pistil (femalepart). One part of the pistil, the ovary, devel-ops into the seed or fruit that is eaten—squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn kernels.Pollen is moved from the anthers to the pistilin one of three ways.

Corn pollen is carried by the wind as it fallsfrom the tassel to the silks of the ears. If any-thing prevents this wind transfer of pollen, theresult is ears with empty rows and missing ker-nels. Corn planted in a single row loses most ofits pollen. This is why corn should be planted ina block of adjacent rows rather than one or twovery long rows. High temperatures and

drought do not interfere with the transfer ofcorn pollen but can prevent proper pollinationand fertilization, resulting in poorly developedears.

The pollination process in all beans, peas,and tomatoes is called self-pollination becausethe transfer of pollen takes place within theindividual flowers without the aid of insects orwind.

Squash, pumpkins, melons, and mostcucumbers are insect-pollinated. In these veg-etables, which have the male and female flowerparts in separate flowers (yet still on the sameplant), insects transfer pollen from male flow-ers to female flowers while going from flowerto flower, collecting nectar and pollen. Themost common pollinating insects are honey-bees and bumblebees.

Bees often are seen on vegetables that arewind- and self-pollinated, where they are col-lecting pollen and nectar. Since pollinatinginsects are so important in the garden, it isimportant to consider them when choosingand applying insecticides. Choose insecti-cides that are least toxic to bees, and applythem late in the day when bees are not active-ly working in the garden.

Vegetables that are self- and insect-polli-nated often suffer from lack of pollinationand fertilization, just as wind-pollinated corndoes. High temperatures, shade, and insuffi-cient moisture often result in pollen that doesnot behave normally and causes a lack of fruitdevelopment. Poorly shaped fruit (cucum-bers, watermelons, tomatoes) result fromincomplete pollination.

Cross pollination between different veg-etables is an unnecessary worry of many gar-deners. Different varieties of the same wind-and insect-pollinated vegetables may cross,but there is no crossing between the differentvegetables: cucumbers, melons, and squash.

All summer squash, Halloween pumpkins,vegetable spaghetti, acorn squash, and smallornamental gourds are closely related and docross if planted close to one another. This isof no concern to gardeners who do not savetheir own seed. Jumbo pumpkins and mostwinter squash can cross. If you grow severalvarieties of summer and winter squash andpumpkins in the same garden, purchase freshseed each year.

The different corn colors (yellow andwhite) and types (normal, sugary enhanced,supersweet, field, and pop) crosspollinate ifplanted close to one another, and if they silkand tassel at the same time. Results can varyfrom a few yellow kernels on normally all-white ears to a situation where the corn is notfit to eat. All sweet corn must be isolatedfrom field and popcorn, and all supersweetcorn must be isolated from all other corn.

Pollination

Flower Parts

Anther

Ovary

Pistil

Petal

StigmaAnther

Petals RemovedOvary(Small Squash)Stem

Female Flower Male Flower Squash Flowers

Corn pollen is carried by the wind as it falls fromthe tassel to the silks of the ears.

PetalsAnthers

Pistil

Ovary

9

Transplantscontinued from page 8

Tipscontinued from page 8

Place the top edge of the peat cup 2 inch-es below the soil level.

Pictured are dry and expanded peat pellets.

MulchingA mulch is any material used to

cover the surface of the garden soilto protect plant roots from heat,cold, or drought, to keep fruitclean, or to control weeds. Mulcheshelp to make more attractive, high-er yielding vegetable gardens.

A mulch in the garden changesthe environment where the plantsare growing, resulting in betterplant growth and higher yields. Ifused improperly, a mulch can loweryields or result in plant death.When deciding to use a mulch,weigh the advantages against pos-sible disadvantages, cost, andavailability of a particularmulching material.

There are many types of mulch-ing materials, but they can bedivided into two general cate-gories: natural and synthetic.Natural mulches are materials suchas straw, hay, compost, compostedbark, or pine needles. Syntheticmulches are plastics and papers.

NaturalMulches

Natural mulches consist oforganic plant and/or animal residueor by-products. They are generallyspread over the ground surfacearound established plants or overthe entire growing area in a layer 2to 5 inches deep. Composted saw-dust, bark, wood shavings, leaves,grass clippings, rice hulls, groundcorncobs, and animal manures mayalso be used. Pine needles, hay, andstraw are light and airy; therefore, a4- to 5-inch deep layer is neededfor them to be effective.

Most natural mulches havesome fertilizer value and are goodsoil conditioners when worked intothe soil. They improve both thephysical and chemical properties ofsoil. Organic matter incorporatedinto the soil improves water-hold-ing capacity, nutrient availability,and aeration of the soil.

Some mulching materials, suchas pine needles, peat, and oakleaves are acid in nature and lowerthe soil pH. Regular soil testingindicates the amount of lime neces-sary to make any soil pH adjust-ment.

Finely ground peat moss makesa poor mulch. It is easily blownaround by wind and becomesalmost water repellent when dry.Peat is best used to improve soilorganic matter content, moistureholding capacity, and structure bymixing it with the soil.

Organic mulches are summermulches, since most of their advan-tages are realized in hot weather. Asummer mulch protects soil fromcompacting rains, foot traffic, dry-ing winds, and heat. It also controls

weeds by excluding light from ger-minating seeds and seedlings.Mulches prevent weed problems,thereby reducing competition forlight, water, and nutrients. Theresulting fewer cultivations meanless crop-damaging root pruning.

By reducing the loss of soilmoisture, mulches lessen the fre-quency of necessary watering, andgarden vegetables suffer less in dryperiods. Organic mulches alsoincrease the water absorption rateof soils. The reduced soil tempera-tures under organic mulchesencourage root growth in the uppersoil layer where there is more oxy-gen and fertilizer.

A mulch reduces soil erosionand the splattering of soil on veg-etable leaves and fruit during rainsor sprinkling. This can reduce loss-es to soil-borne diseases.

Apply organic mulches towarm-season vegetables when thesoil has warmed sufficiently forgood plant growth and when plantsare established and large enoughthat they won’t be covered. The soilshould be weed-free, recently culti-vated, and contain plenty of mois-ture. Mulching warm-season veg-etables early in the growing seasonmakes them susceptible to frostinjury by preventing soil warmingand by insulating plants from anywarmth in the soil.

Organic mulches are beneficialwhen applied to cool-season veg-etables like broccoli, cabbage, andEnglish peas in midspring. Theyhelp to keep the soil from rapidwarming and drying and can extendthe growing and harvest periods.

Some organic mulches requirechanges in methods of garden fer-tilization. Sawdust, wood shavings,and ground corncobs are low innitrogen. As they decompose,nitrogen is drawn from the soil,causing a shortage of nitrogen inthe mulched vegetables. To preventthis, add one-fourth pound 34-0-0or its equivalent to each bushel ofsawdust, shavings, or corncobsbefore applying mulch. When it istime to side-dress, pull the mulchback from plants and apply fertiliz-er to the soil surface. With sawdust,compost, or bark, apply fertilizer tothe mulch surface and water it in.

Always remember that drymulch may catch fire.

SyntheticMulches

Plastic mulches are springtimemulches. They help warm the soil,permitting early planting; promoterapid growth; provide for early har-vest; and provide weed control.

Plastic mulches reduce loss ofsoil moisture and protect vegetable

plant fruit and leaves from soil-borne diseases. Black plastic is themost commonly used syntheticmulch. It is widely available, rela-tively inexpensive, and comes invarious widths and lengths. Useplastic with a thickness of 11⁄2 mils(.0015 inch).

Use clear plastic mulch onlywhen soil has been fumigated tokill weed seeds. Clear plasticwarms soil more rapidly than blackplastic, but weed seeds germinateunder clear plastic.

Warm-season vegetables likecucumbers, melons, squash, toma-toes, peppers, and eggplant growbetter and produce more whengrown on black plastic mulch thanwhen grown on bare soil.Transplants can be set throughplastic mulch by cutting holes witha sharpened bulb planter. Use thesame tool to plant seeds of widelyspaced vegetables like squash andmelons.

While frequently used withwarm-season vegetables, plasticmulch can be used with cool-sea-son vegetables like cabbage, broc-coli, and cauliflower to promoteearly growth. Plastic mulch is notused with vegetables that are close-ly spaced in the rows.

Black plastic mulch can also beused with plastic row tunnels topromote early growth and harvest.

Applying PlasticPrepare the soil completely

before applying a plastic mulch.Incorporate all fertilizer and lime,remove all weeds and debris, and

break up all large clods. Rake thesoil to prepare a smooth, level sur-face. Make sure the soil contains agood supply of moisture beforebeing covered. Plastic that is 3 to 4feet wide is best for covering astandard garden row. Select a timeto apply plastic mulch when thereis little or no wind. Bury one end ofthe plastic and unroll it down therow. Get the plastic as straight aspossible and in contact with the soilsurface. Cover all edges to preventwind problems.

If you have a small garden, uselarge sheets of black plastic tocover the whole area rather thancovering individual rows.However, this has the disadvantageof excluding rain and sprinkler irri-gation from the entire soil surface.Also, wet plastic is slippery, andworking in the garden when there isdew on the plastic can be haz-ardous.

Soils lose less moisture fromevaporation with plastic mulches,so you won’t need to irrigate asoften. In prolonged dry periods andwith vegetables that are in the gar-den for a long time, supplementalwater becomes necessary. The easi-est way to irrigate with plasticmulch is to install a drip irrigationsystem, or lay soaker hoses on thesurface of the rows before coveringthem with plastic.

Because a plastic mulch protectssoil from leaching rain, the soilneeds less fertilizer. When addi-tional fertilizer is required, apply itthrough the planting holes andupside-down “T” slits cut at inter-vals into the plastic.

Although plastic warms the soilin spring, it can have disadvantagesin summer. Excess heat can buildup under the plastic, and high soiltemperatures can injure plant rootsand reduce yields. Rather thanremove the plastic and lose theadvantage of weed control, coverthe plastic with pine needles, hay,or similar material to shade itwhere the crop foliage does notprovide good cover.

You can spray black plasticmulch with a white latex paint afterthe mulch is installed or after anearly crop to reduce the buildup ofexcess heat under the mulch. Thiswill make it useful for summer andfall vegetables. The light-coloredsurface reflects much of the heat,and the other benefits of the mulchremain.

At the end of the season, removethe plastic because it will notdecompose in the soil as organicmulches do.

NewspaperNewspaper is an organic materi-

al, but as a manufactured product itmay be thought of differently fromother organic mulches. Newspapermakes a good mulch when you usea thickness of several sheets. Holdnewspaper to the soil surface withsoil, sticks, or coat hanger wires.

Some gardeners use a thin layerof pine needles to hold the newspa-per down. Apply a newspapermulch after plants are established.Like other organic mulches, news-paper decomposes rapidly and addsorganic matter to the soil.

To apply a plastic mulch, bury one end of the plastic and roll the other end over the row. Bury the edges and cover the ends so there areno exposed edges. Cut planting holes into the plastic at intervals. If you need to apply additional side-dress fertilizer or water after themulch is down, apply it through the planting holes and upside-down “T” slits.

10

Insects – Identification and ControlThe average home vegetable garden may

contain more than a dozen different types ofvegetable crops, and each of these crops may beattacked by several different species of insects.Being able to manage and control these insectpests is one of the keys to successful vegetablegardening.

Insect pests can damage vegetables in sever-al different ways. Pests like tomato fruitworms,cowpea curculios, stink bugs, and picklewormscause direct damage by feeding on the fruit.Pests like tobacco hornworms, which feed pri-marily on the leaves, or aphids, which suck sapfrom the plant, cause indirect damage. Eventhough the fruit is not damaged directly, theplant’s ability to produce fruit can be reduced ifit loses enough leaf area or sap. Pests like thripsand bean leaf beetles also can cause damage bytransmitting plant diseases. In addition to thedirect damage they cause, pests like corn ear-worms and cowpea curculios also contaminatefood.

Even though there are many different speciesof insect and mite pests that can occur in homevegetable gardens, they do not usually all occurat one time, so you probably will not have to“spend the summer spraying bugs” in order tohave a successful garden. There are many meth-ods besides insecticide sprays that can manageinsect populations and keep them from reachinglevels where insecticide sprays are necessary.Many of these methods are passive, requiringrelatively little effort from the gardener, andmany are things that you will do anyway if youwant to grow a vigorous, productive crop.

Sometimes insect pest populations will reachdamaging levels and you will need to treat withinsecticides. Apply these treatments only to thecrop (or crops) being attacked. Rarely will youneed to apply a broadcast treatment of insecti-cide to every crop in the garden. In fact, doing socan be counter-productive, causing pest prob-lems that you otherwise would not have had.This is because unneeded insecticide treatmentscan destroy beneficial insects, allowing the peststhat they were keeping in check to increase innumbers.

However, there are situations when repeatedinsecticide treatments may be needed to ade-quately protect certain crops. This is especiallytrue when you are trying to produce a crop when

pest populations are especially high (because ofthe time of year or planting location).

For example, yellow squash are very likely toexperience heavy infestations of squash bugsand squash vine borers when grown in midsum-mer to fall. When grown in the same locationyear after year, southern peas are likely to expe-rience heavy infestations of cowpea curculios ifyou do not apply timely insecticide treatments.Fall tomatoes normally experience heavy infes-tations of stink bugs and tomato fruitworms.There are many other examples, and experi-enced gardeners quickly learn which pests areespecially troublesome in their area and when toexpect these pests.

Common Garden Insect PestsInsects damage plants by eating the foliage,

boring in stems or roots, sucking plant juices,and attacking the fruit. The type of damagecaused by a particular insect depends on the typeof mouthparts the insect has. Pest insects can beclassified as having one of two different types ofmouthparts: sucking or chewing.

The following two sections briefly discusssome of the more common insect pests in thesetwo groups. For more detailed information oninsect management and control, see ExtensionPublication 2347 Insect Pests of the HomeVegetable Garden.

Sucking InsectsInsects that have sucking mouthparts inject

saliva into plants and remove plant juices. Theresults of feeding may be on individual leavesand stems, or the whole plant may be affected,especially seedling plants. Sucking insects candeform fruit like peas and beans before the podhardens. The following paragraphs describeexamples of garden pests with sucking mouth-parts.

Aphids or plant lice are soft-bodied insectsthat may be green, pink, black, or yellow. Theyremove the sap from leaves or stems, causingcurled leaves and yellowish plants on many gar-den crops. They also can inject poisonous salivaor disease-causing organisms during feeding.Very large numbers of these insects can occur oncabbage, tomatoes, mustard, and peas. These

insects secrete a sticky substance known as“honeydew,” which supports the growth of blacksooty mold fungi. Although sooty mold fungi donot invade the plant, heavy buildup of sootymold is unsightly and can interfere with photo-synthesis.

Harlequin cabbage bugs overwinter asadults in old cabbage stalks, bunches of grass, orother areas that give protection. They are blackwith brilliant red or yellow markings. They sucksap from cabbage, collards, mustard, andturnips, and cause the plants to wilt and die.

Stink bugs can be either brown or green.They give off an unpleasant odor when handledor crushed. Stink bugs are large, shield-shapedinsects that may or may not have any distin-guishing marks. They suck the sap from seeds indeveloping bean and pea pods, scarring thedeveloping seed. In some cases, the puncturedseed will not develop normally. The outside ofthe pod will be marked with a small, pimple-likestructure at the puncture site.

Thrips are very small insects rarely morethan one-sixteenth of an inch long. The insect isstraw-colored with a pair of fringed wings. Itdamages plant leaves or flower buds by punctur-ing plant cells with its single, ice pick-likemouthpart and feeding on the escaping sap. Thefeeding causes the leaves to curl and have a sil-very appearance. The shoots of infested onionstake on the same silvery appearance. To checkfor thrips, place a handkerchief between therows and slap the plants toward the handker-chief, or pull one or two plants and shake themover an empty box. If the insects are present, youwill see them on the white background.

Whiteflies are small white insects common-ly found on the underside of leaves. Wheninfested plants are disturbed, the insects flutterabout. Both adults and immatures are damaging.They feed by piercing the tissue and removingplant sap. Whiteflies can occur in great numberson plants like eggplant and tomatoes. Earlydetection and complete plant coverage areimportant to control this pest.

Chewing InsectsInsects with chewing mouthparts cut holes in

leaves and fruit, and bore into stems and fruit.

The following paragraphs describe examples ofgarden pests with chewing mouthparts.

Ants are attracted to the garden for many rea-sons. Some feed on honeydew produced byaphids, some feed on decaying fruit, and somesearch for other insects. In many cases, ants areconsidered only a minor nuisance pest, but fireants can inflict a painful sting. Control ants bycontrolling aphids, keeping fruit harvested, andusing labeled fire ant baits around the perimeterof the garden (not in the garden).

Bean leaf beetles overwinter as adults in ornear garden sites. They are ready to feed onyoung beans and southern peas as they emergefrom the ground. Adult coloration and markingscan vary, but they are typically reddish to yel-lowish with a black band around the edge of thefirst pair of wings. Sometimes, but not always,they may have three or four black spots on theback. However, there are numerous exceptionsto this color pattern, and some specimens arered, solid tan, and even pink. You may overlookthe beetles because they feed on the underside ofthe leaves. If disturbed, they will drop to theground and hide. Adults eat small holes in theleaves. When treating for bean leaf beetles, besure to apply insecticide to both the upper andlower leaf surfaces.

Blister beetles are gray, black, or stripedslender beetles about three-fourths of an inchlong. The adults eat the foliage of most gardencrops, especially tomatoes.

Cabbageworms or cabbage loopers arepale green measuring worms with light stripesdown their backs. Imported cabbageworms arevelvety green. They make ragged holes on theundersides of leaves and bore into the heads ofcabbage, collards, and related plants.

Corn earworms are green, pinkish, orbrown with light stripes along their sides and ontheir backs. These worms reach a length of near-ly 2 inches before they are ready to pupate. Theyattack corn at two different growth stages. Incorn that has not tasseled, the worms will feed inthe whorl, damaging new leaves as they form.Later, the adult moths are attracted to the newsilks for egg laying. After hatching, the younglarvae will burrow into the ear and feed on ker-nels near the tip of the ear. Many gardeners donot bother with trying to control this pest in corn,preferring instead to simply discard the damagedportion of infested ears. However, this insectwill also attack tomatoes, and heavy infestationscan cause severe injury to this crop.

For control of earworms in corn during thewhorl stage, direct sprays into the whorl whenyou first note damage. To prevent damage to theears, apply insecticide when silks first appear.Make spray applications 3 to 4 days apart untilthe silks are dry. Treat the ear area of the stalkthoroughly. To provide as much protection aspossible for bees, make applications in earlymorning or late afternoon, and do not treat thetassel.

Cowpea curculio adults are secretive insectsthat are rarely seen. They are small and darkgray. The larva, a white legless grub, is the mostdamaging stage. It feeds on developing seedswithin the pods of beans and peas and destroystheir usefulness. To control cowpea curculios,apply a foliar spray when small pea pods firstappear, and make a total of three applications at5-day intervals.

Cutworm adults are dull-colored moths thatare most active during the night. The worms aredull gray, brown, or black and may be striped or

Sucking InsectsSpider mite 0.01” Aphid 0.2” Squash bug 0.7” Green stink bug 0.5” Harlequin bug 0.5”

Chewing Insects

Cornfield ant 0.2” Cowpea curculio 0.25”

Mexican bean beetle 0.3”

Corn earworm 1.5”

Striped blister beetle 0.6”Bean leaf beetle 0.2”Vegetable weevil 0.4”

Striped cucumber beetle .25”Spotted cucumber beetle 0.25” Tomato hornworm 3”-4”

Cabbageworm 1.0”

Colorado potato beetle 0.5”Flea beetle 0.25”Pickleworm 0.75”Squash vine borer 1.0”

Cutworm 1.25”

See Insects, page 14

11

CropTomatoes

Peppers

Eggplant

Okra

Corn

Squash,Pumpkins

Pesttomato fruitwormtobacco hornworm

looper

stink bugleaf-footed bug

spider mite

thrips

whitefly

leafminer

aphid

aphid

leafminer

flea beetle

European corn borer

thrips

spider mite

pepper weevil

flea beetle

Colorado potato beetletortoise beetle

aphid

stink bugleaf-footed bug

corn earworm

looperother caterpillars

cutworm

chinch bugstink bug

corn earwormfall armywormEuropean corn borer

squash bug

squash vine borer

pickleworm

cucumber beetle

spider mite

Insecticide (PHI)*bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (3), cyhalothrin (5), esfen-valerate (1), malathion (1), permethrin (1),pyrethrins (0), spinosad (1)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (3), bifenthrin (1),cyhalothrin (5), malathion (1), permethrin (1),pyrethrins (0)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (3), bifenthrin (1),cyhalothrin (5), esfenvalerate (1), malathion (1),permethrin (1), pyrethrins (0), spinosad (1)

azadirachtin (0), acetamiprid (7), insecticidalsoap (1), neem oil (NA), insecticidal oil (seelabel)

spinosad (1)

azadirachtin (0), acetamiprid (7), insecticidalsoap (1), neem oil (NA), malathion (1)

azadirachtin (0), acetamiprid (7), insecticidalsoap (1), neem oil (NA), malathion (3)

spinosad (1)

bifenthrin (7), carbaryl (0), permethrin (3)

esfenvalerate (7), permethrin (3), spinosad (1)

malathion (3), esfenvalerate (7), permethrin (3),spinosad (1)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

malathion (3), permethrin (3)

bifenthrin (7), carbaryl (3), malathion (3), permethrin (3)

bifenthrin (7), carbaryl (3), permethrin (3), spinosad (1)

acetamiprid (7), azadirachtin (0), insecticidalsoap (1), neem oil (NA), malathion (1)

bifenthrin (7), malathion (1), pyrethrins (0)

bifenthrin (7), spinosad (1)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (2), esfenvalerate (1), permethrin (1)

bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (2), esfenvalerate (1),malathion (5), permethrin (1)

bifenthrin (1), carbaryl (2), esfenvalerate (1),malathion (5), permethrin (1), pyrethrins (0),spinosad (1)

acetamiprid (0), bifenthrin (3), carbaryl (3),esfenvalerate (3), malathion (squash-1; pump-kins-3), permethrin (1), pyrethrins (0)

acetamiprid (0), bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3),permethrin (1)

bifenthrin (3), carbaryl (3), esfenvalerate (3), permethrin (1)

bifenthrin (3), carbaryl (3), esfenvalerate (3),malathion (squash-1; pumpkins-3), permethrin (1)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

12

Insecticides for Home Vegetable Gardens Insecticides for the HomeVegetable Garden

This section provides general informationabout commonly used garden insecticides. Seethe Insecticides for Home Vegetable Gardenstable for specific pest/insecticide recommenda-tions.

Use insecticides safely! Before using anyinsecticide, always be sure to read the label care-fully and follow all label directions regardingpersonal protection equipment and instructionsfor mixing and applying the product. The label isthe law, and the use directions it specifies aredesigned for the safety of the applicator, the envi-ronment, and those using the area. Handle insec-ticides with the respect they deserve. They arepoisons, and excessive exposure can result inacute and/or chronic health problems.

Be sure the insecticide is labeled for use onthe vegetable being treated. Few insecticidesare labeled for use on every vegetable cropgrown in the garden. Before applying an insecti-cide to a particular crop, be sure to read the labeland verify that the product is labeled for use onthat crop.

Observe and follow the pre-harvest inter-val. The pre-harvest interval, or PHI, is theamount of time that must elapse between makingan insecticide application and harvesting thecrop. PHIs vary greatly depending on the insec-ticide being used and the particular vegetablecrop being treated. For example, the PHI for car-baryl (Sevin) is 3 days on tomatoes, 7 days onIrish potatoes, and 14 days on turnips. Failure toobserve PHIs can result in consumption ofexcessive insecticide residues.

Specific Insecticides(* indicates insecticides that are suitable for

use in organic gardens.)Carbaryl is most commonly sold under the

brand name Sevin. This product has been a stan-dard for insect control in the home vegetable gar-den for many years. It is effective against a widerange of pests and is labeled for use on most veg-etables. It is especially useful against many bee-tles. However, this product does have a tendencyto flare spider mites when used excessively.

Malathion is another long-time standardinsecticide for home vegetable gardens. Like car-baryl, it controls a wide range of pests and islabeled for most vegetables. It is especially use-ful for control of aphids, “bugs,” and certain bee-tles.

Bt kurstaki*: Bacillus thuringiensis is a bac-teria that produces compounds that are toxic tocertain insect species. There are different speciesand strains of this bacteria that produce differenttoxins. Bt kurstaki produces a compound that istoxic to certain caterpillars but has no effect onother insect species. Thuricide is one of the morecommon brand names for this product. It is mosteffective against leaf-feeding caterpillars likeloopers and diamondback moths.

Spinosad* is a relatively new microbialinsecticide that is very effective against a numberof different caterpillar pests. Two commonlyavailable brand names that are labeled for use onmany different vegetable crops are Green LightSpinosad Lawn and Garden Spray and FertilomeBore, Bagworm, Leafminer, and Tent CaterpillarSpray. Spinosad is very effective against mostcaterpillar pests, but it is not effective againstmost other types of insects. However, it is alsoeffective against thrips, leaf miners, andColorado potato beetles. It is acceptable to usecertain formulations of spinosad in organic gar-dens.

Insecticidal soaps* are potassium salts offatty acids. They control insects that they contactby disrupting cell membranes. They are mosteffective against soft-bodied pests like aphids,

mites, and thrips. Thorough coverage of the pestis necessary in order to achieve control.Insecticidal soaps have a short pre-harvest inter-val and are labeled for use on most vegetables.Safer Insecticidal Soap is an example of onebrand name.

Neem oil* is a botanical product that is pri-marily useful against aphids, mites, and white-flies. It is labeled for use on most vegetables andis sold under several brand names (Monterey70% Neem Oil is one example). Thorough cov-erage of the pest is necessary in order to obtaincontrol.

Azadirachtin* is an organic product labeledfor use on all vegetables, with a 0-day PHI.Azatrol is the brand name most often used byhome gardeners, but several other commercialformulations are available. Azadirachtin hasactivity against a wide range of insect pests but ismost useful against soft-bodied sucking pests,such as whiteflies and aphids. Althoughazadirachtin and neem oil both come from theseed of the neem tree, they are not the same prod-uct.

Pyrethrin* or pyrethrum is a botanical insec-ticide that is used primarily by organic gardeners.This insecticide provides rapid knockdown ofmost insects, but insects often recover. Piperonylbutoxide (PBO) often is mixed with pyrethrin toact as a synergist. This increases the overalleffectiveness and helps prevent pests from recov-ering, but piperonyl butoxide is not acceptablefor organic gardening. Pyrethrin or pyrethrin +PBO is active against a wide range of insects, islabeled for use on most vegetables, and has avery short pre-harvest interval. However, its effi-cacy is limited by its very short residual activity.

Acetamiprid has only recently been labeledfor use in home vegetable gardens. It is especial-ly effective against whiteflies and aphids and islabeled for control of many other pests. OrthoMax Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Insect Killer isone common brand name. This product is sold asa ready-to-use spray and as a concentrate.

Pyrethroids are a group of relatively newsynthetic insecticides that are modeled after thebotanical pyrethrum molecule. These productsare effective against a wide range of insect pestsand are used at very low rates. The followingpyrethroid insecticides are currently labeled foruse in the home vegetable garden.

1. Permethrin is one of the most usefulinsecticides for home vegetable gardeners. It canbe used on a wide range of crops and controls abroad spectrum of pests. It also has shorter pre-harvest intervals than most other pyrethroidinsecticides. Permethrin is readily available inmost farm and garden stores and is sold undermany different brand names (Bonide EightInsect Control Concentrate, Hi-Yield Garden,Pet & Livestock Insect Control, and Martin’sVegetables Plus are three examples). Permethrinis effective against many beetle, bug, and cater-pillar pests, but it is not effective against white-flies and spider mites.

2. Bifenthrin is an especially usefulpyrethroid on crops for which it is labeled, butbifenthrin is not labeled for all vegetable crops.Ortho Bug B Gon Insect Killer for Lawns andGardens is a commonly available brand name.Bifenthrin is somewhat less likely than otherpyrethroids to trigger outbreaks of spider mitesand aphids.

3. Lambda cyhalothrin is one of the newerpyrethroid insecticides (Spectracide TriazicideInsect Killer for Lawns and Landscapes is themost common brand name). It is very effectiveagainst a number of different insect pests, but it

See Insecticides, page 14

CropPeas(English peas,sweet peas, snowpeas) (cont.)

Onions

Turnips

Collards

Mustard

Spinach

Cabbage

Brocolli,Cauliflower

Brussels sprouts

Lettuce

Pestcaterpillar

leaf miner

onion thrips

aphid

vegetable weevilyellowmargined

leaf beetleflea beetle

looperdiamondback moth

aphid

looperdiamondback moth

harlequin bugstink bug

aphid

looperdiamondback moth

vegetable weevilyellowmargined

leaf beetle

aphid

leafminer

looperother caterpillars

aphidthrips

looperdiamondback mothcabbageworm

harlequin bugstink bug

aphid

looperdiamondback mothother caterpillars

harlequin bugstink bug

aphid

looperdiamondback mothother caterpillars

harlequin bugstink bug

aphid

caterpillar

Insecticide (PHI)*spinosad (3), Bt kurstaki (0)

spinosad (3)

malathion (3), cyhalothrin (14), insecticidal soap (1)

azadirachtin (0), malathion (7), insecticidal soap(1), neem oil (NA)

malathion (7), carbaryl (14), spinosad (1)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

azadirachtin (0), malathion (7), insecticidal soap(1), neem oil (NA), acetamiprid (7)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

malathion (7), carbaryl (14), permethrin (1)

malathion (7), insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

malathion (7), carbaryl (14)

azadirachtin (0), malathion (7), insecticidal soap(1), neem oil (NA)

spinosad (1)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

acetamiprid (7), malathion (7), insecticidal soap(1), neem oil (NA)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

carbaryl (3), cyhalothrin (1), malathion (7), bifenthrin (3), permethrin (1)

acetamiprid (7), malathion (broccoli-3; cauli-flower-7), insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

carbaryl (3), cyhalothrin (1), malathion (broccoli-3;cauliflower-7), bifenthrin (7), permethrin (1)

acetamiprid (7), malathion (7), insecticidal soap(1), neem oil (NA)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

carbaryl (3), cyhalothrin (1), malathion (7), permethrin (1)

azadirachtin (0), malathion (head lettuce-7; leaflettuce-14), insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

Bt kurstaki (0), spinosad (1)

* The numbers in parentheses indicate the pre-harvest interval (PHI), or the number of days thatmust elapse between treatment and harvest. Always verify PHIs on the label of the insecticidebeing used.

13

Insecticides for Home Vegetable GardensCropMelons

Beans(lima beans, snapbeans, polebeans)

Southern Peas(cowpeas, fieldpeas, black-eyedpeas, crowderpeas)

Sweet potatoes

Irish potatoes

Peas(English peas,sweet peas, snowpeas)

Pestthrips

cucumber beetleflea beetle

leafminer

looper

picklewormmelonworm

whitefly

spider mite

aphid

spider mite

bean leaf beetlecucumber beetleMexican bean beetle

cowpea curculio

corn earwormlima bean pod borerother caterpillars

leaf miner

stink bugplant bug

aphid

spider mite

bean leaf beetlecucumber beetleMexican bean beetle

cowpea curculio

corn earwormlima bean pod borerother caterpillars

stink bugplant bug

armywormlooper

flea beetlecucumber beetletortoise beetle

sweet potato weevil

Colorado potato beetle

blister beetleflea beetle

potato tuberworm

leaf miner

aphid

thrips

Insecticide (PHI)*bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3), permethrin (1),spinosad (3)

bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3), carbaryl (3),malathion (1), permethrin (1)

spinosad (3)

spinosad (3), Bt kurstaki (0)

bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3), permethrin (1),spinosad (3), carbaryl (3)

azadirachtin (0), insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

acetamiprid (7), azadirachtin (0), malathion (1),insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3), carbaryl (3),malathion (3), bifenthrin (3)

esfenvalerate (3), carbaryl (3), bifenthrin (3)

bifenthrin (3), esfenvalerate (3), spinosad (3)

spinosad (3)

malathion (1), carbaryl (3), pyrethrins (0), bifenthrin (3)

acetamiprid (7), azadirachtin (0), malathion (3),insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

carbaryl (3), malathion (3), bifenthrin (3)

carbaryl (3), bifenthrin (3)

spinosad (3), bifenthrin (3)

malathion (3), carbaryl (3), pyrethrin (0), bifen-thrin (3)

spinosad (7)

carbaryl (7), permethrin (7)

carbaryl (7) Stored sweet potatoes may be treated with phos-met (Imidan dust) according to label.

acetamiprid (7), spinosad (7), carbaryl (7), permethrin (7)

carbaryl (7), permethrin (7)

spinosad (7), permethrin (7)

spinosad (7)

acetamiprid (7), azadirachtin (0), malathion (3),insecticidal soap (1), neem oil (NA)

malathion (3), spinosad (3)

is labeled for use only on a very few veg-etable crops.

4. Esfenvalerate is one of the olderpyrethroid insecticides. It is labeled for useon a number of different vegetable cropsand controls a wide range of insect pests.Monterey Bug Buster II is one commonbrand name.

Applying Insecticides inHome Vegetable Gardens

You can choose from several differentmethods of applying insecticides to veg-etables in your home garden. Liquidsprays, dusts, and ready-to-use sprays arethree of the most common methods.

Dusts—A few insecticides are avail-able for use as ready-to-use dust formula-tions (5% Sevin Dust and 0.25% perme-thrin are two examples). Dusts normallyare applied using a shaker can—often thecontainer the insecticide comes in ismodified so it can be used as a shakercan—or a hand-powered, pump-typeduster. Dusts have the advantage of beingrelatively convenient to apply, but theyare generally less effective than sprays. Itis also difficult to achieve thorough, uni-form coverage with dusts, especiallywhen using the shaker-can method ofapplication. Also, many people considerdusts to be unsightly.

Ready-to-use sprays—Several insec-ticides are sold as ready-to-use, or RTU,sprays that are labeled for use in the homegarden. Permethrin, carbaryl, cyhalothrin,

cyfluthrin, and neem oil are examples ofactive ingredients that are sold as RTUs.These products come in hand-pump spraybottles in which the product has alreadybeen diluted to its final-use strength.These RTU treatments are a very conven-ient way to apply spot treatments to indi-vidual plants. However, they are too cost-ly to use on a large scale.

Single-nozzle hand-pumpsprayers—Single nozzle hand-pumpsprayers are the most common method ofapplying insecticides in the home garden.They come in sizes ranging from 1 quartto 5 gallons, with 1 gallon being the mostcommon size. They can be used to applyliquid concentrate, wettable powder, orwettable granule insecticides according tolabel directions. Here is an example of thedirections that might appear on the labelof a liquid concentrate: “Mix 1 table-spoon/gallon of water and spray to run-off, taking care to direct spray to under-sides of leaves.”

Hand-pump sprayers are powered bypumping air into the headspace over theinsecticide mixture. This compressed airthen forces the insecticide spray throughthe nozzle when the spray valve isopened. Most hand sprayers have a noz-zle that can be used to adjust the coarse-ness or fineness of the spray droplets. Besure to thoroughly rinse the sprayer aftereach use.

To avoid disappointing crop injury, itis strongly recommended that insecticidesnot be applied with a sprayer that has pre-viously been used to apply herbicide. It isbest to dedicate one sprayer specificallyfor herbicide use and another for applyinginsecticides and fungicides. Label eachsprayer clearly.

spotted. Cutworms feed at night and remain hidden during the day.They damage stands by cutting young plants at the soil line. Controlcutworms by using aluminum foil or wax paper collars to protectyoung transplants. You can also use sprays containing permethrin tocontrol cutworms and/or prevent injury.

Fall armyworm adults are dull-colored, night-flying moths.They usually do not appear in our area until the first part of June.Larvae will vary in color from light tan or green to nearly black, withyellowish lines down their sides. The larvae feed primarily on cornbut will sometimes feed on peas, tomatoes, and beans. They infestthe whorls of corn and can be found 1 to 2 inches deep in the whorl.It is difficult to get insecticides to the target; direct sprays into thewhorls.

Flea beetles are small with enlarged hind legs. They jump vigor-ously when disturbed. These beetles eat tiny round or irregular holesout of leaves. The leaves often look as if they had been peppered withvery fine soot. The beetles attack cabbage, eggplant, peppers, pota-toes, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, and related crops.

Mexican bean beetles are short, yellow to coppery-brown bee-tles with a curved shape. When the insects are at rest, 16 black spotsare visible on their backs. Good coverage of upper and lower leafsurfaces will help control this insect.

The pickleworm and melonworm are similar in appearance butvary in their feeding habits. The pickleworm often enters the fruitfrom the ground side, causing the inside of the fruit to sour after airenters. It also tunnels in the vines. The melonworm rarely enters thevine. It feeds on the foliage more than the pickleworm. When mature,both worms are about three-fourths of an inch long and range fromwhitish to green. Damaging populations are more likely to developon late-planted crops. Start control procedures when young caterpil-lars are in and around blooms.

Seed maggots are small, white to dirty-white fly larvae. Seedattacked by this insect usually fail to germinate, or plants are weakand stunted. Infestations are usually most severe during wet, coolsprings and on ground that is high in organic matter. If these condi-tions are present, delay planting until conditions are right for goodgermination and growth.

Serpentine leaf miner adults are tiny flies. Their maggots feedon the tissue between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves, caus-ing slender, white, winding trails through the interiors of the leaves.They can severely damage beans, cucumbers, peas, squash, toma-toes, and other vegetables.

Squash vine borer adults are distinctly colored, wasp-like moths.The front wings are covered with metallic, olive-brown scales; thehind wings are transparent. The abdomen is ringed with red, black,and copper. Eggs are placed on leaves and stalks. Small larvae willbore into the plant from these locations, causing the runner to wilteventually. As with all borers, this insect is difficult to control once itenters the plant because insecticides cannot reach the feeding site.Infestations are more common on pumpkins and late-planted squash,and weekly insecticide treatments are often required to protect thesecrops. Apply in late afternoon to protect bees.

Cucumber beetles, striped or spotted, damage several gardenvegetables. Some of these are cucumbers, muskmelons, squash, andto a lesser extent, beans and peas. The spotted cucumber beetle(SCB) is more of a problem on these latter vegetables than is thestriped. They feed on leaves, tender stems, and in some cases, theroot system. The larvae of the SCB damage seedling corn and areknown as the southern corn rootworm. Use foliar sprays of carbarylor other recommended insecticides to control adults.

Tobacco hornworm adults are large moths that feed on the nec-tar of various plants. They do not damage any portion of the plant,but the larvae can eat large amounts of foliage quickly, and larvaewill occasionally feed on fruit. This worm is green with diagonalwhite lines located along the sides and a prominent horn at the tail.These insects are found on tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and relatedplants.

Slugs are not insects. However, they can be annoying. These pestsleave a trail of thick, sticky material over plant parts that will appearas a silver trail when dry. They feed on young foliage and low-lyingfruit like strawberries. Slugs rest in moist, shaded areas during theday and become active at night. To control slugs, use methaldehydeon iron phosphate baits according to label directions. Be sure not tocontaminate edible parts of plants. Trapping can be effective. Placewet burlap bags in your garden late in the afternoon. The next morn-ing, look under the bags for slugs and destroy any you find.

Insectscontinued from page 11

Insecticidescontinued from page 12

Noninsecticidal Insect Management MethodsFor every insect pest, there are many

different species of predators and para-sites that feed on that pest and help keepits population in check. If it were not forthese naturally occurring predators andparasites, our gardens would be overrunwith insect pests. You, as a gardener, mustrecognize the importance of this naturalcontrol and avoid disrupting it when pos-sible.

Without question, naturally occuringbiological control is the single mostimportant method of controlling insectpests.

By their very nature, insecticide treat-ments are disruptive to biological controlbecause they kill beneficial insects, aswell as the pests. This is why you shouldavoid unnecessary insecticide treatments.Destroying naturally occurring beneficialinsects can actually cause pest popula-tions to increase.

However, do not allow a fear of dis-rupting natural control to keep you frommaking insecticide applications whenthey are needed. In the Southern garden,there will be times when pest populationsescape natural control and reach damag-ing levels. Prompt, judicious use of insec-ticides can control pest populations andhelp prevent crop damage.

When selecting insecticide treatments,keep in mind that some insecticides aremore disruptive of natural control thanothers. For example, Bt products control

only caterpillar pests and are harmless tomost beneficial insects, while broad-spectrum insecticides like permethrin aremore disruptive. Still, there are timeswhen you will need to use one of thebroad-spectrum treatments to obtain con-trol of a particular pest or pest complex.

There are many cultural controlpractices that can make plants more orless vulnerable to insect attack and/orinjury. Healthy, vigorous plants are gen-erally more resistant and more tolerant todamage by insect pests. Consequently,practices that promote good growth andplant health also aid in insect manage-ment.

Because many species of insect pestscomplete several generations per growingseason, with populations increasing sub-stantially with each generation, early-planted crops often experience lowerinsect pressure than late-planted crops.This is especially important with cropslike sweet corn, summer squash, andtomatoes.

Many insect pests also reproduce onalternate weed hosts and overmature veg-etable plants that are left in the garden. Sogood sanitation practices, including weedcontrol and prompt removal of plants thathave ceased to produce, will help reduceinsect populations.

Some varieties of a vegetable are lessvulnerable to insect damage than othervarieties of the same vegetable. So vari-

ety selection also can be an importantinsect management consideration. Theseare just a few general examples of howcultural control practices can influenceinsect populations.

“Hand-picking and foot-stomping” isone type of mechanical control thathome gardeners can use successfully. Insmall plantings, you can control insectsby physically removing individual insectsor egg masses. Physically washing aphidsfrom plant terminals with spray from agarden hose is another form of mechani-cal control.

You might also use floating row cov-ers, which prevent insects from beingable to attack or deposit eggs on youngplants. Collars of wax paper or aluminumfoil can protect young transplants fromattack by cutworms.

Reflective mulches are another usefulmechanical control for certain pests.These are especially effective in prevent-ing thrips from attacking young tomatoand pepper plants and spreading virusdiseases, particularly tomato spotted wiltvirus.

Using plastic mulches instead oforganic mulches helps reduce populationsof certain pests because the plastic mulchprovides less favorable shelter for pestslike crickets and slugs. Commerciallyavailable pheromone traps or sticky trapsalso can help you control or monitor cer-tain pest species.

Caution!1. Be sure to readand follow all labeldirections.2. Note and observethe pre-harvestinterval (PHI).3. Store insecticidesin a safe, secureplace where childrencannot get to them.4. If you spill any ofthe insecticide onyour body, washwith soapy waterimmediately. Washall exposed skin afterdusting or spraying.5. Wash all foodbefore preparing oreating.14

Vegetable DiseasesGarden vegetables can be attacked by a wide range of fungi,

bacteria, viruses, and nematodes. Since no single control measureis effective against all diseases caused by these microscopic pests,gardeners must rely on a well-balanced defense to keep diseasesin check.

One of the first steps in setting up a disease control programis correct identification of disease problems—the earlier the bet-ter. With quick action, you can control leaf spots, blights, andmildews within the same season. Other disease problems may notbe treatable this season, but correct disease identification allows

you to take preventive disease control measures next year. Many garden vegetable diseases are easy to identify. Others

may need the advice of someone more experienced, such as anExtension county agent, home economist, or plant pathologist.Disease is best identified on plants that are less than 50 percentdamaged. Do not use dead plants.

Common vegetable disease symptoms and recommendedcontrol measures are provided below. If you cannot identify a dis-ease problem from these descriptions, call, write, or visit yourcounty Extension staff for assistance.

To have a plant pathologist diagnose a diseased specimen,wrap the specimen in newspaper, paper towel, or (preferably)waxed paper. Pack it in a box or carton and ship it immediately toExtension Plant Pathology Lab, P. O. Box 9655, MississippiState, MS 39762.

Additional information on diseases and nematodes that attackgarden vegetables is available at your county Extension office.

Diseases take their toll in Mississippi gardens every year, butadequate planning and following recommended disease controlswill keep losses to a minimum.

Damping-Off (seedling dis-ease)—Seeds of many vegetables aresusceptible to damping-off fungi whenplanted in infested soils. The seedsmay fail to germinate, or seedlingsmay be attacked before or after emer-gence and turn brown, shrink, andfinally die. Control measures includethese: plant fungicide-treated seeds inwell-drained areas; do not applyexcessive amounts of nitrate forms ofnitrogen fertilizers; and rotate the loca-tion of the vegetables.

Root Rot of Beans and SouthernPeas—Root rot is severe on greenbeans, lima beans, and southern peas.The disease first appears as reddish orreddish-brown areas on stems androots. As the disease advances, discol-ored areas spread until the entire rootand lower stem are affected. Above-ground symptoms include stunting,yellowing, drooping of leaves, failureto produce normal pods, and death.

These control practices reducelosses from root rot: • Use high-quality seeds treated with

a fungicide like Arasan. • In-furrow fungicides (Terraclor)

help control root rot. Apply one-fourth of the material in the openfurrow and the remainder in thecovering soil during planting.

• During cultivation, do not throwsoil against plant stems.

• Plant in a 4- or 5-year rotation withother vegetables.

• Plant in well-prepared soils with apH of about 6.5, fertilized accord-ing to a soil test and treated fornematodes if recommended. Plantseeds 1 inch deep only duringfavorable weather, in warm soils,and on top of a bed to avoid“drowning.” Early Blight of Tomatoes—Early

blight is a major disease of tomatoes inMississippi. Symptoms first appear onlower, older leaves as circular, darkbrown to black spots that often containrings, giving a “target board” effect.As the disease progresses, leaves turnyellow, wither, and drop off.

Frequently, only the upper half of theplant has green leaves, and in severecases, the plant becomes completelydefoliated.

Early blight also occurs on plantstems and sometimes on fruit. Onseedlings, the disease may girdle thestem and give the appearance ofdamping-off.

Reduce losses to early blight byproviding good ventilation in plantbeds and watering when leaves havetime to dry. Seed treatment withThiram aids in controlling the damp-ing-off stage. Do not set tomato plantswhere early blight occurred the yearbefore, and remove and destroy all dis-eased plant debris in the garden afterharvest.

Applications of chlorothalonil ormancozeb effectively control this dis-ease. There is no waiting period afterapplication until harvest for Bordeauxmixture or chlorothalonil, but there isa 5-day waiting period for mancozeb.

Begin applying when plants are 8to 10 inches tall, and continue at 7-dayintervals through the growing season.Applications of these fungicides alsocontrol some of the other leaf, stem,and fruit diseases of tomatoes.

Blossom-End Rot of Tomatoes—Blossom-end rot occurs on the tomatofruit. It may also be a problem on pep-pers, squash, and watermelons. It ismore common on fruit that is one-thirdto one-half grown and occurs on theblossom end of the fruit. It begins as asmall, water-soaked spot that developsinto a dark brown, leathery spot thatmay involve half the fruit. The surfaceof the spot shrinks and becomes flat orsunken.

Blossom-end rot is caused by alack of calcium in the developing fruit.The uptake of calcium from the soil bythe tomato plant can be reduced byfluctuations in soil moisture—eitherexcessively wet soil or excessively drysoil. The disease commonly occurswhen plants are grown rapidly andluxuriantly early in the season and arethen subjected to prolonged dry

weather. Because of drying conditions,the disease may be more serious on thewindward side of a garden and onstaked tomatoes than on unstaked orbushy plants.

Prevent blossom-end rot by main-taining a soil pH around 6.5, irrigatingand mulching to maintain uniform soilmoisture, and avoiding heavy applica-tions of nitrogen. Control blossom-endrot by spraying with 4 tablespoons of96 percent calcium chloride per gallonof water at 7- to 10-day intervals forfour applications. Begin spraying withfirst appearance of symptoms.Overdosing plants with calcium chlo-ride may result in leaf burn. Calciumchloride is suggested only for toma-toes.

Spotted Wilt of Tomatoes andPeppers—This viral disease is trans-mitted by several species of thrips andmay kill plants or drastically reducefruit-set. Fruits from diseased plantsare generally small and distorted.Tomatoes develop irregular yellowishblotches.

Initial symptoms appear as thick-ening of veins on younger foliage.Younger foliage generally exhibits apronounced downward curling.Internodes become shortened, andimmature fruit does not ripen. Darkpurple streaks can occur on leaves,stems, and fruits. Other symptoms areblighting and blackening of youngshoots. On individual leaflets, small,dark, circular dead spots may appear.Badly spotted leaves may turn darkand wither.

Some varieties are now beingreleased with resistance. Check withyour seed source. It is not clear howeffective or long-lived these resistantcultivars will be.

Try these control practices:• Remove and destroy diseased

plants. • Keep weed populations down in

and around gardens to reduce mov-ment of virus-carrying thrips fromweeds to garden plants.

• Suppress thrips by applying

approved insecticides (Malathion50 or Diazinon 25 EC at 2 tea-spoons per gallon).

• Further suppress thrips with shinymulch materials around tomatoesand other susceptible vegetables.Apparently, light reflection fromthe mulch surface repels thrips andreduces the chances of virus trans-mission. Conventional black plas-tic may be sprayed or hand paintedwith aluminum-colored paint. Oil-based paints adhere to plastic sur-faces and may be easily applied.This technique gives best resultswhen mulch is laid down at thetime of planting and used in combi-nation with other recommendedcontrol procedures. Southern Blight—Southern blight

affects most garden vegetables. Thefungus that causes southern blightattacks plant parts (roots, stems,leaves, or fruit) that are in contact withor just under the soil surface.

The first visible symptoms are usu-ally an advancing yellowing and wilt-ing of the foliage, beginning with thelower leaves. During warm, moistweather, a white fungus growth mayappear on the lower stem near the soilsurface and on organic debris in thesoil. Later, light tan to dark brownmustard seed-like bodies called sclero-tia develop in the mold. As the diseaseadvances, several plants next to oneanother in the row die.

Southern blight is difficult to con-trol, but you can reduce losses withthese practices: • Plow 6 inches deep in the fall to

bury organic debris and the scle-rotia.

• Avoid throwing soil on the plantswhen cultivating.

• Where a few scattered plants areaffected, remove them from thegarden along with the soil 6 inchesdeep and 6 inches from the stem.

• Control foliar diseases, since deadleaves on the ground may triggerinfection. Also control weeds early

in the season for the same reason. • Wrap transplant stems with a 4- by

4-inch strip of aluminum foil andplant so that 2 inches of wrappedstems are below and 2 inches areabove the soil. Stem Anthracnose of Lima

Beans—Stem anthracnose is the mostcommon disease of lima beans. Thefirst stages of infection appear on podsas small, brick-red blotches. Theseblotches may spread over the entiresurface of the pods. Later, the diseasedareas become brownish to grayish andmay have many tiny black speckswhich are fruiting bodies of the fun-gus. Occasionally, diseased pods fallfrom the plant.

A brick-red streaking may occuralong the veins on the under side ofleaves and on young stems.

Reddish spots occur on the lowerleaf surface and enlarge and becomenoticeable on the upper leaf surface.Occasionally, leaves are killed and fallfrom the plant. Severely diseasedplants are yellow and stunted.

Reduce damage from stem an-thracnose by following these prac-tices: • Because stem anthracnose can be

carried over on seed to the nextfree, western-grown seed.

• Never plant lima beans in the samelocation more than once in 3 years.

• Avoid fall planting of lima beans inan area of the garden where stemanthracnose was a problem the pre-vious spring.

• Apply Bordeaux mixture or anoth-er copper-based fungicide on a 7-day schedule, beginning at fullbloom.

Mosaic—This virus disease com-monly infects beans, sweet corn,squash, melons, cucumbers, peas, pep-pers, and tomatoes. Symptoms includethe following:

Early Blight – Tomato

Blossom-End Rot – Tomato

Spotted WiltSouthern Stem Blight

Stem Anthracnose – Lima Bean

Specific Diseases and Control Measures

15Continued on next page

• Misshapen leaves with light anddark green areas.

• Fruit with green specks, yellow andgreen mottling, or bumps.

• Distorted fruit.• Overall stunted plants. Control of

virus diseases is difficult. Reducechances of mosaic in these ways:

4Plant resistant varieties when avail-able.

4Control insects.4Eliminate weeds.4Remove diseased plants as they

appear.4Purchase certified transplants or

buy western-grown seed.4Do not use tobacco products when

handling plants.Phenoxy herbicide damage (such

as 2,4-D) resembles symptoms ofmosaic disease. Leaves and stems aretypically twisted, deformed, curled,leathery, and excessively long and nar-row. Apply herbicides carefully andcorrectly in and around the garden.

Powdery Mildew—Powderymildew is caused by a fungus thatcommonly occurs as a white, powderygrowth on leaves of cucumbers,squash, melons, beans, and Englishpeas. Benomyl and chlorothalonileffectively control powdery mildewon vine crops, and sulfur provides con-trol on beans and peas.

Fusarium Wilt—This fungal dis-ease often infects watermelons, cab-bage, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans,and peas. Lower leaves often turn yel-low on one side of the plant only. Twobrownish streaks that originate fromthe roots are exposed when the stemsare split lengthwise. Infected plantsare usually stunted and wilted. Thebest way to control fusarium wilt is

using resistant varieties. Fruit Rot—Bacteria and fungi

often infect fruit, resulting in soft,slimy fruit with an offensive odor. Youcan reduce the occurrence of fruit rotby staking, mulching, avoidingmechanical injury to fruits, controllinginsects, following a regular fungicideprogram, and removing mature fruitfrom the garden.

Rust—This fungus disease occurscommonly on beans and sweet corn asreddish-brown spots on leaves that ruboff when touched. Apply fungicideslike chlorothalonil or sprayable sulfurat the first sign of disease and at week-ly intervals thereafter until the diseaseis under control.

Nematode Diseases—Nematodesare slender, tiny, worm-like animalsthat feed on plant roots, stems, andleaves. Nematodes cannot ordinarilybe seen with the naked eye and gounnoticed until plants becomeunthrifty and stunted. They seldom killplants; however, they can reduce qual-ity and yields of many vegetables,such as beans, beets, carrots, cucum-bers, lima beans, okra, peas, squash,tomatoes, and watermelons.

Nematode injury to roots reducesuptake of water and nutrients from thesoil. Typical aboveground symptomsare general stunting, yellowing, loss ofvigor, and overall decline. The mostcommon underground symptom ingardens is root-knot galling.

Nematodes other than the root-knot nematode also can cause severeplant damage. Some of the less obvi-ous symptoms are stubby roots, tinylesions, excessively branched roots, orcomplete loss of secondary roots.

The best time to determine if youhave a nematode problem is during thefall when nematodes are most active.To detect root-knot nematodes in thegrowing season, observe the galledroots. Have your soil tested for nema-todes by sending a soil sample to theExtension Plant Pathology Lab, P. O.Box 9655, Mississippi State, MS39762.

Once you know nematodes arepresent, you can use certain culturalpractices to help reduce nematodepopulations. These include settingnematode-free transplants, rotatingcrops, fallowing, practicing good sani-tation, controlling weeds, and plantingresistant varieties. Vegetable varietieshaving resistance or tolerance to root-knot nematodes are marked in the listof recommended varieties starting onpage 22. In addition, you can plantmarigolds in gardens to help reducenematode populations.

As an alternative to chemical treat-ment, solarization can reduce parasiticnematode populations. Solarization isthe use of heat from the sun for killingnematodes in the soil prior to planting.To use solarization, place clear plastic(1 to 1.5 ml thick) on moist, tilled soil,and seal the edges with soil, bricks, orother materials. Apply the plastic inMay or June. Leave it in place for atleast 8 weeks. Remove the plastic inAugust in time to establish a fall gar-den, if desired. If not, remove it beforecold weather begins.

Leaf Spots—Leaf spots, caused byfungi or bacteria, commonly occur onmany vegetables. They appear onleaves and sometimes stems as dis-tinct, dark-colored or tan spots one-sixteenth to 1 inch in diameter. Theregular application of a fungicide gen-erally provides acceptable control offungal leaf spots. Applying copperfungicides helps control bacterial aswell as fungal leaf spots.

Bacterial Wilt of Cucumbers—This destructive disease is caused by abacterium that overwinters in the bod-ies of adult striped and spotted cucum-ber beetles. As these beetles feed onyoung plants in the spring, bacteria areintroduced into the vascular system.Here they are able to multiply rapidlyand produce a sticky material thatstops movement of moisture throughthe plant. As a result, leaves on aninfected runner wilt rapidly, and with-in a short time all runners become per-manently wilted. Plants can die withina week or two after initial symptomsappear. Yellowing is not normallyassociated with this disease.

A symptom of bacterial wilt is athick, white, sticky substance thatoozes from the cut stem of a wiltedvine. If you press your fingertipagainst the cut surface several minutesafter cutting and then slowly removeit, the bacterial ooze frequentlyremains attached and strings out inthin threads.

Since bacterial wilt-resistant

cucumber varieties are not commonlyavailable, the best control is to keepcucumber beetle populations in check.A rigid spray schedule with recom-mended insecticides (refer to theInsect Control section on page 11)should reduce the incidence of bacter-ial wilt.

Black Rot of Cabbage—This dis-ease attacks cabbage and other cru-cifer crops like collards, mustard, cau-liflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi,rutabagas, kale, and rape. Black rotmay affect plants at any stage ofgrowth but usually is most prominentclose to maturity. On older plants, yel-low wedge-shaped areas appear at leafmargins and expand toward the center.Blackened veins are apparent in affect-ed areas. Vascular tissue within thestem also may become discolored.

Black rot causes head dwarfing,and soft rot frequently develops onaffected heads.

Practices important for controllingblack rot include these:• Use disease-free seeds that have

been hot-water treated. This is themost effective treatment for riddingseeds of the causal bacteria.

• Purchase transplants that have beencertified as disease-free.

• Rotate in the field so that at least 2

years, and preferably 3, elapsebetween cruciferous crops.Yeast Spot of Lima Beans—

Gray-brown sunken lesions on youngor nearly mature seeds is a good indi-cation of this disease. Yeast spot ismore a problem in seasons whensouthern green stink bug populationsare high because the yeast fungusenters seeds through pod puncturesthis insect makes. The spots, orlesions, develop within 2 to 3 days ofinoculation. Bright, sunny days allowthe stink bug to move from one plantto another, spreading the disease.

Yeast spot is best controlled by fol-lowing a good insect control programto discourage build-up of stink bugs.

Powdery Mildew

Fusarum Wilt – Tomato

Fruit Rot – Squash

Root-Knot Nematodes

Leaf Spots – Turnips

Precaution:Because of possiblechanges in pesticiderecommendations,you must follow alllabel instructions.

Check label to determine that the fungicide is cleared for use on the intended crop.Numbers indicate the number of days that must pass from last application to harvest.Blank spaces indicate the fungicide is not cleared for use on that crop.

Chl

orot

halo

nil

Cop

per

Sulfu

r

Man

coze

b or Maneb

Fungicides for Disease Control

Vegetable

Beans, LimaBeans, Snap 7BeetsBroccoli 0 See labelBrussels Sprouts 0 See labelCabbage 0 See labelCarrots 0Cauliflower 0 See labelCollardsCorn, Sweet 14 7Cucumbers 0 See labelEggplant See labelEndive See labelLettuce See labelMelons 0 See labelMustard GreensOkraOnions 14 See labelPeas, SouthernPeppersPotatoes, Irish 0 0Potatoes, SweetPumpkins 0 See labelRadishesSpinachSquash 0 See labelTomatoes 0 5Turnips 0

Cleared for use on most vegetables; no time limitations.

Cleared for use on most vegetables; no time limitations.

Mosiac – Southern Pea

16

WateringVegetable gardens usually need

about 1 inch of water (630 gallons per1,000 square feet) per week in the formof rain or irrigation during the growingseason. Gardens in sandy soil mayneed as much as 2 inches of water perweek in midsummer. Where a watersource is located close to the garden,there are few excuses (a local ban onwatering during a shortage) for lettingthe garden suffer in dry weather.

Mulches that slow soil surfaceevaporation can reduce the amount ofwater needed. Soaker hoses and dripor trickle irrigation systems wet onlythe soil in the root zone and can cut inhalf the amount of water used.

Adequate soil moisture is impor-tant for seed germination, uniformgrowth, and productivity. The mostcritical periods for adequate mois-ture are during seed germination,early growth, flower and fruit devel-opment, and root enlargement ofroot crops, and immediately follow-ing transplanting.

Where a water source is not closeto the garden, it is possible to watersome plants with a little work.Partially bury 1-gallon plastic milkjugs between tomato, pepper, egg-plant, squash, and other widely spacedplants. Punch a few small holes nearthe bottoms of the jugs before placingthem in the soil. Fill the jugs periodi-cally with water hauled to the garden.The water will slowly seep into the

soil, providing moisture to the rootzone. Periodically place 1 to 2 table-spoons of fertilizer in the jugs to stim-ulate plant growth.

SprinklersThere are several choices of garden

sprinklers, ranging from the simplegarden hose with a spray nozzle tosemi-automatic equipment. Manyportable lawn sprinklers are adequatefor the garden. Adjust the rate of waterapplication so that it is not faster thanit can enter the soil. Water applied toorapidly runs off, resulting in erosion orpuddles, and causing soil compaction.

Place the sprinkler so plants do notinterfere with the pattern of applica-tion. This often means mounting thesprinkler above the tops of the plantswhere wind may affect the distributionpattern. Small cans placed throughoutthe garden can be used to measure theamount of water applied and show theoverlap necessary to approach an evenapplication of water.

Since overhead sprinklers wetplant leaves, water early enough in theday to allow time for leaves to drybefore night. This helps keep leaf dis-eases from developing and spreading.Each watering should wet the top 3 to5 inches of soil. Frequent light water-ings result in shallow rooting, suscep-tibility to damage by drought, andplants that are easily blown over.

Drip and TrickleSoaker or perforated plastic hoses

are excellent for watering the garden.Place the hose with holes up along oneside of the plants or underneath anorganic or plastic mulch.

A number of different drip andtrickle irrigation systems are availableonline and through mail-order catalogs,magazine ads, and local distributors.These systems usually consist of a sup-ply line that connects to a garden hoseand delivery tubes that are placed nextto the plants. A 150-mesh filter is rec-ommended to prevent clogging smallpores and emitters. The systems oper-ate at low pressure and deliver smallamounts of water very slowly throughpores in the delivery tubes or emitterspunched into the delivery tubes.

An irrigation system makes it pos-sible to water a large garden all at thesame time. You also are able to har-vest, cultivate, spray, and do other gar-den chores while watering. The largestdisadvantage of a drip system is theinitial cost.

Advantages include these:• Reduces water use by one-half or

more.• Water is placed where it is needed:

at the base of plants and not inwalkways.

• Permits working in the gardenwhile watering.

• Keeps plant leaves dry.

Correct use of a drip irrigation sys-tem should keep vegetable plantsactively growing in dry periods yetcause no problem when rain occursfollowing irrigation. The system,when properly operated, keeps soil atthe base of the plant (root zone area)moist. This may require operating thesystem for short periods three or fourtimes a week during dry weather.Never allow the soil to dry complete-ly. Drip irrigation, when used correct-

ly, prevents drought stress but is notdesigned to correct drought stress likesprinkler irrigation, which wets all thesoil.

Single drip lines will not adequate-ly water wide-row or raised-bed gar-dens, but several spray heads are avail-able that do a good job in these specialtypes of gardens when fitted to thedrip irrigation delivery tube.

A drip irrigation system makes it possible to water a large garden all at the same time. Italso allows you to harvest, cultivate, spray, and do other garden chores while watering.The major disadvantage of a drip system is the initial cost.

17

Vegetable seeds and transplantsare available from many sources. Seepages 22-30 for suitable varieties.After selecting the varieties to plant,check local sources to see if the vari-eties are available.

It is important to locate seedsearly, especially if you are going togrow some of your own transplantsfor the spring garden. You can ordernew varieties that are not availablelocally from mail order seed catalogs.Check the Planting Guide on page 7for amounts of seed to buy. It isimportant to a garden’s success thatthe seed is fresh and packaged for thecurrent year. Home-saved vegetableseeds and those carried over from theprevious year may give disappointingresults. Since most of the new vari-eties are hybrids, do not attempt tosave seed from one year’s crop toplant the next year. Also, becausesome diseases are carried on seeds,home-saved seeds may continue tocause a disease problem in your gar-den. The only vegetable seeds thatgardeners should save are those ofvarieties that have been in the familyfor many years and have becomeheirloom varieties.

Once the garden is completelyplanned on paper, the land prepared,and the seed on hand, the job of plant-ing begins.

Planting is not a “one shot” opera-tion. There are different times for

planting different vegetables.Vegetables may be grouped in thegarden plan and planted according totheir hardiness and temperaturerequirements. Lettuce and Englishpeas are cool-season vegetables andgrow best in cool weather. Okra andsouthern peas are warm-weather veg-etables and need warm temperaturesfor best growth.

Cool-season vegetables differfrom warm-season vegetables in thatthey are hardy or frost-tolerant, seedsgerminate at cool soil temperatures,and root systems are shallow andrequire frequent irrigation. Cool-sea-son plants are smaller, respond moreto nitrogen fertilizer, and are general-ly more tolerant of shade than warm-season vegetable plants.

Before-You-PlantPractices

Site selection. To reduce chancesof damping-off, root rot, and otherproblems associated with wet soils,choose a well-drained site. If such asite is not available, plant on raisedbeds to promote drainage and fasterwarming of the soil. Keep surfacewater from flowing across the gardento help prevent disease-causingorganisms from coming into the gar-den from outside areas.

Sanitation. Since many disease-causing organisms live through thewinter in old plants, plow under crop

debris at least 6 inches deep as soonas possible.

Tobacco mosaic virus, a commonproblem on tomatoes and peppers,can be transmitted through tobaccoproducts. Wash your hands with soapand water before working in the gar-den if you use tobacco.

Disease-free seed. Weather condi-tions in Mississippi favor the devel-opment of many seed-borne diseases.Therefore, buy certified seeds pro-duced in the western United Stateswhere the climate is dry and the seedsare relatively free of disease-causingmicroorganisms.

Seed treatment. Most seeds aretreated with a fungicide, as indicatedby their red, blue, purple, or greencolor. If they have not been treatedwith a fungicide, treat them yourself.

Treat large seeds in a jar. To treatsmall seeds, tear off one corner of theseed packet. Lift out as much of theseed treatment fungicide (Thiram orCaptan) as is held on the tip of theblade of a penknife, and insert thedust through the hole in the seedpacket. Fold down the corner of thepacket and shake thoroughly.

DO NOT eat treated seed orfeed it to livestock.

Healthy transplants. Selecthealthy, vigorous plants for trans-planting. Buy them from a reputabledealer or grow your own.

Crop rotation. An easy and eco-nomical way to reduce soil-borne dis-eases is to rotate vegetables. Corn andmembers of the cabbage family canbe alternated with other vegetablesfrom one year to the next. If spacepermits, move the garden to a newlocation every 3 to 4 years, preferablyto a site that was in grass.

Resistant varieties. Make everyeffort to buy disease-resistant vari-eties. Consult the list of recommend-ed varieties, seed catalog varietydescriptions, or your countyExtension office for help in selectingvarieties that are disease resistant.

Fertilization. Use fertilizeraccording to recommendations basedon a soil test. Fertilizers do not pre-vent diseases, but a healthy, well-fer-tilized plant is less susceptible to dis-ease than one growing in soil lackingrequired nutrients.

Plant spacing. Crowding plantsallows moisture from dew or rain toremain on leaf surfaces. You shouldavoid this because it promotes diseasedevelopment.

After-Planting ControlsSpraying. Control diseases like

rust, mildew, anthracnose, and leafspot with a foliar fungicide. Sprayersand dusters are available for this pur-pose. A spray is generally more effec-tive than a dust.

Successful disease control withfungicides depends on these factors: • Apply early to prevent early-season

infection and rapid spread of dis-ease.

• Select the proper fungicide becausenot all fungicides control the samedisease.

• Cover all foliage thoroughly. • Repeat application.

Suggested fungicides includechlorothalonil and other products list-ed in the Fungicides for DiseaseControl table on page 16. These fungi-cides are usually applied at rates rang-ing from 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallonof water. Refer to labels for recom-mended rates for specific vegetablesand diseases controlled on those crops.

Some gardeners prefer to preparetheir own fungicide. Bordeaux is anexample of a fungicide that can be eas-ily prepared by combining copper sul-fate (blue stone), lime, and water.Directions for making Bordeaux mix-ture are available athttp://msucares.com/newsletters/pests/infobytes/19990915.htm.

Weed control. Weeds can harbordisease-causing organisms. A weedygarden also reduces air movement andsunlight, which creates conditionsfavorable to disease development.

Insect control. Insects feeding andlaying eggs cause wounds on roots,stems, and fruits. These wounds let

Planting Vegetables

See Planting, page 30

Weed ControlWeeds (plants growing out of

place) are a serious garden problem.They rob vegetable plants of sunlight,water, and nutrients. They also providehiding places for insects and serve as asource of vegetable diseases.

Weeds can kill a gardener’s enthu-siasm, which can cause them to aban-don the garden in midsummer. It isimportant to control weeds while theyare small and before they get out ofcontrol.

Since any plant growing out ofplace can be considered a weed, asweet corn plant (from a carelesslydropped seed) growing in a row ofbush snap beans is technically a weed;but the most common garden weedsare crabgrass, yellow and purplenutsedge, morningglories, bermuda-grass, and pigweed.

Most weeds can be controlled andkept from becoming serious problemsin the garden. Methods of controlinclude hand-pulling, cultivation,mulching, and use of chemicals.

Hand-PullingHand-pulling is not an effective

way to control weeds in a large gar-den, but it can be effective under cer-tain circumstances. Hand-pull weedsthat appear in the row with vegetableplants, as well as those that grow in theplanting holes of a plastic mulch.

Weeds that grow between closelyspaced rows of vegetables in widerows, raised beds, or small gardensalso may require hand-pulling. Weedsgrowing in containers used for vegeta-bles should be hand-pulled. Extremelysmall weeds are difficult to pull byhand, but do not wait until the weedsget so large that pulling them destroysadjacent vegetable plants. Thinningseedlings spaced too closely togetherand hand-weeding frequently can bedone at the same time.

CultivationCultivation is the most widely used

method of garden weed control. It isnot a one-time chore, for with eachrain, irrigation, and stirring of the soil,weed seedlings emerge.

A variety of hand and power equip-ment is used for cultivation, but themost commonly used tools are the hoeand garden tiller.

A sharpened hoe blade is an excel-lent tool for cutting the roots of weeds.The severed plants dry in the sun anddie.

A garden tiller and other soil-dis-turbing tools, the hoe included, areused to disturb the soil around theweed plant’s roots. On a hot day, theweeds die when their roots dry and theplants are unable to get water. Smallweeds die more quickly than largeweeds, so cultivation should be fre-quent enough to prevent weedseedlings from becoming established.Cultivation should also be shallow soyou do not disturb or injure vegetableplant roots.

Deep cultivation, in addition todestroying weeds, injures vegetableplant roots and brings more weedseeds to the surface, where they ger-minate. “Hoe blight,” the wilting anddeath of vegetable plants after cultiva-tion, often results from careless culti-vation.

Take a perennial weed, such asbermudagrass, out of the garden fol-lowing cultivation because pieces ofthe plant that have no roots can formroots and make the bermudagrassproblem worse.

MulchingMulching is an effective way to

control garden weeds. Natural andplastic mulches properly applied toweed-free garden soil prevent most

weeds from becoming established inthe mulched area. Bermudagrass andnutsedge are difficult to control com-pletely with mulches. Weeds thatappear in the planting holes of plasticmulch should be pulled by hand.

HerbicidesCommercial vegetable growers

have a fairly wide choice of chemicalweed killers (herbicides) to prevent orcontrol weed problems. Gardeners,however, have a much smaller choiceof herbicides.

Don’t expect to control all weedsin a garden of mixed vegetables withone herbicide. First, no single herbi-cide controls all weeds. Secondly,some vegetables are also sensitive tothe herbicide, and if the wrong herbi-cide is used, the vegetable is injuredalong with the weeds.

Herbicides applied to the soilbefore vegetables are planted andbefore weeds have emerged are calledpreemergence herbicides. Some pre-emergence herbicides can be appliedimmediately after the vegetable seedsor plants are planted but before theweed seeds germinate. Postemergenceherbicides are applied after weedshave emerged.

Herbicides used in the garden maybe in the form of granules, wettablepowders, or liquids. The equipmentneeded for application depends on theformulation used. Use a pump-uppressure sprayer for applying liquidsand wettable powders. Since most gar-den sprayers are equipped with acone-type nozzle, use a 50-meshscreen and a 8003 E or equivalent fannozzle attached to the sprayer forapplying herbicides.

Chemical herbicides used in thevegetable garden can be washed fromthe sprayer, but some of those used onthe lawn cannot. Therefore, a wise

gardener will keep two sprayers: onefor lawn herbicides and the other forgarden herbicides. When spraying her-bicides approved for application overthe tops of vegetable plants, do not usea sprayer that has been used with lawnherbicides.

Before using a herbicide in yourgarden, read the product label for alisting of vegetables it can be used on,the recommended rate of application,and the method of application. Neveruse a product that is not labeled, anddo not exceed the recommended rate.

Dacthal—Several brand namesare available. Dacthal can be used on awide variety of vegetable plants.Applied correctly, Dacthal gives goodcontrol of most grasses and a fewbroadleaf weeds. This herbicide con-trols weeds as their seeds germinate.Therefore, before applying Dacthal,remove existing weed plants.

Trifluralin—Several brand namesare available. Trifluralin is a preemer-gence herbicide used to control grassproblems in the garden. Some plan-ning of the garden to group trifluralin-labeled vegetables in one area is help-ful when you use this herbicide. Toobtain good weed control, mix triflu-ralin with garden soil. Cultivate soil toeliminate clods. Broadcast the recom-mended amount of either the granules

or the liquid formulation. Granules areeasier for most gardeners to use. Afterapplication, mix the herbicide in thetop 2 inches of the soil. Two very shal-low cultivations provide good mixingwith the soil. Trifluralin is labeled foruse before planting seeds of severalvegetables and before setting trans-plants of others. Read the packagelabel for a list of approved vegetables.

Poast is a postemergence herbicidethat selectively controls grass weeds inseveral vegetables. Apply Poast tomost grasses before plants reach 8inches high. One application controlsmost annual grasses, but several appli-cations may be required to controlperennial grasses like bermudagrass.Mix a crop oil concentrate in the spraysolution before application. Read thePoast label for specific instructionsand approved vegetable crops.

Glyphosate—Formulations of thispopular nonselective, postemergenceherbicide are approved for limited usein the vegetable garden site. Mostapplications are for eliminating exist-ing weed problems before vegetableseedling emergence and before veg-etable plants are in the garden. Readthe label for specific applicationinstructions and limitations.

Spray Nozzle Nozzle Body Strainer Cap Spray Tip

Nozzle Parts

Herb GardeningHerbs are a special group of plants used for

flavoring and scents. Many herbs used in flavor-ing foods and teas (culinary herbs) can be grownin Mississippi gardens. Most herbs should begrown in full sun, but a few tolerate light shade.They prefer a well-drained soil of medium fer-tility with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. An organic mulchin summer benefits the plants.

Herbs that can be grown in Mississippi areannuals that are planted every year, biennialsthat are planted in the fall and flower the follow-ing year, hardy perennials that come back yearafter year, and tender perennials that may sur-vive a mild winter but often need to be treated asannuals or protected from freezing temperatures.

You can start most popular herbs from seeds.Many of the perennial herbs are propagated bystem cutting, layering, or crown divisions.Annual, and some perennial, herb plants are soldat nursery and garden centers, and seeds andplants are offered by many mail-order catalogcompanies.

Because herbs are used in very smallamounts, just a few plants of each type may beenough. If you want a large quantity of a partic-ular herb, such as sweet basil for making pesto,

plant the herb in the vegetable garden.Otherwise, prepare a small area especially forherbs so that they can be enjoyed for theirappearance as well as fragrance.

Herbs have few pests, which is good becausethere are few if any pesticides approved for useon these plants. When planting herbs in the veg-etable garden, protect them from pesticides usedon vegetables.

Grow herbs started from containers so theycan be set in the garden without disturbing theroots. Borage and dill are two herbs that do nottransplant well if bare-root. Either scatter seedsin the garden where these herbs are to grow, orstart plants in containers.

The flavors and scents of herbs are caused byoils in the plant tissue. High fertilization, excessmoisture, and shade result in low oil content andweak flavor. The oil content in many herbs is atits highest just before the plants begin to flower.

Herbs and TheirCharacteristics

Anise—annual grown for its licorice-fla-vored leaves and seeds; slow growing; difficult

to transplant bare-root.Basil—annual grown for its leaves; available

in several different flavors and plant types; easi-ly gown from seed; purple leaf types makeattractive vinegar.

Sweet Bay—tender perennial, evergreenshrub; source of bay leaf; requires cool green-house protection in winter; frequently grown asa container plant; start with a nursery-grownplant.

Bergamont—perennial, also known as beebalm; grown for minty leaves; attractive flowersattract bees and hummingbirds; start from crowndivision or seeds.

Borage—annual grown for cucumber-fla-vored leaves and attractive small, blue flowers;attracts bees; makes a large, unruly plant; diffi-cult to transplant bare-root.

Salad Burnet—perennial grown for cucum-ber-flavored leaves; grow from seed or crowndivision.

Catnip—perennial grown for leaves; a mint;grow from seed, cuttings, or division.

Chamomile—perennial grown as annual;flowers used for tea; grow from seed.

Garlic Chives—grown for leaves with light

garlic flavor and scent; grow from seed or divi-sion; attractive white flowers sew many seed;self-seeds prolifically.

Onion Chives—perennial grown for onion-flavored leaves; attractive purple flowers; growfrom seed or division.

Coriander—annual; grow from seed; freshgreen leaves known as cilantro and Chineseparsley; also grown for seeds.

Costmary—perennial; known as bible leaf;grown for minty scented leaves; grow from seedor division.

Dill—annual grown for seed heads andleaves; prefers cool weather; grow in spring andfall; doesn’t transplant well bare-root; scatterseeds where plants are to grow or use container-grown plants.

Garlic—perennial grown for dry bulb; plantgarlic cloves in October and harvest bulbs inMay and June.

Scented Geraniums—tender perennials;available in many different scents: rose, pepper-mint, lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, apple,almond, mint; variety of foliage forms available;

See Herbs, page 19

18

Approximate Number of Plants to Expect per Ounce of Seed

Broccoli....................................................5,000 Cabbage ...................................................5,000

Cauliflower .................................................5,000Eggplant....................................................2,500Peppers.....................................................1,500

Tomatoes ...................................................4,000

excellent pot plant; propagate by cuttings.Ginger—tender perennial grown for pungent root; treat

as annual (plant in spring and harvest in fall); propagate byroot cuttings; prefers moist, rich soil.

Anise Hyssop—perennial grown for licorice-flavoredleaves for teas; attractive purple flowers attract bees; a mint;propagate by seed or division.

Lemon Balm—perennial mint grown for lemon-scentedleaves; grow from seed, division, or cuttings.

Lemongrass—tender perennial grown for lemon-fla-vored leaves used in Asian cooking; attractive as ornamentalgrass with blue-green color; leaves have sharp edges.

Lemon Thyme—perennial; low-growing attractive plantfor sunny area; leaves have strong lemon fragrance.

Marjoram—perennial grown as annual; grown forleaves; grow from seed, cuttings, or by layering.

Mint—perennial; many different flavors and leaf andplant types; spreads rapidly; prefers moist soil, toleratesshade; keep cut for tender growth.

Oregano—perennial grown for leaves; grow from seed,cuttings, or division.

Parsley—biennial grown as annual; grown for leaves;grow from seed; prefers moist soil.

Rosemary—perennial, evergreen shrub but reliablyhardy; grown for leaves; available in different plant types,upright and creeping; adapted to pot culture; prefers moist,well-drained soil.

Sage—perennial grown as annual, not reliably hardy;available as common, golden, and variegated; grown forleaves; grow from seed, cuttings, or layering; prefers well-drained soil.

Pineapple Sage—tender perennial; pineapple-scentedleaves; large plant; attractive red flowers grow from cuttings.

Summer Savory—annual grown for leaves; grow fromseed; unruly plant.

Winter Savory—perennial grown for leaves; grow bylayering; a neater plant with better flavor than summersavory.

Tarragon—perennial grown for licorice-flavored leaves;French Tarragon the only type to grow and only grows fromstem and root cuttings; suffers with summer heat.

Winter Tarragon—tender perennial, not reliably hardy;also known as mint marigold; licorice-flavored leaves; prop-agate by cuttings and division; small single, orange,marigold-type flower in fall.

Thyme—perennial, but not reliably hardy; variety of fla-vors and plant types; grown for leaves; propagate by seed,cuttings, or divisions; prefers well-drained soil.

Lemon Verbena—tender perennial, shrubby, grown forleaves; propagate by cuttings; grow in container and providewinter protection.

Fall GardeningFall gardening is the way to

have fresh vegetables right intowinter. Many fall gardens are car-ried over from summer gardens.Tomato plants, okra, peppers, andeggplant, if cared for during thesummer, continue to produce untilcold slows them down and frostkills them.

To keep these vegetables pro-ducing, control insects and dis-eases, keep the plants watered andfertilized, and don’t let the gardengrow up in grass and weeds. A goodfall garden, however, is not justkeeping the summer garden alive. Itmeans planting new vegetables toproduce in fall and early winter.

Plan the fall garden at the sametime you plan the spring and sum-mer garden. Include your seedneeds for fall when ordering seedsfor the spring and summer garden.It helps to have the seeds on handso you can plant them at the appro-priate time.

Many cool-weather vegetablesnormally planted in spring growand produce better in the fall, sincethey mature as the weather cools.When wet weather causes a delayin planting early spring vegetables(past a time when they can beexpected to mature before hotweather destroys them), a fall gar-den provides a second opportunity.Chinese cabbage (very sensitive toheat) and rutabagas (require a longperiod of cool weather) are twocool-weather vegetables recom-mended for planting only in thefall.

Warm-season vegetables plantedin midsummer for fall harvestrequire additional time to mature asthe weather cools in September and

October. Choose planting dates inmidsummer that allow these veg-etables to mature before frost.

The map at right provides themedian dates of the first freezes(temperatures equal to or lowerthan 32 ºF) in the fall.

Young PlantsThe hot, dry weather in July,

August, and September is hard ongerminating seeds and youngseedlings. Germination andseedling survival is improved if oneof these methods is used:• Water a day or two before plant-

ing so seeds are planted in moistsoil. Watering after planting cancause the soil surface to packand crust.

• Plant seeds in moist soil andcover with moistened, non-crusting materials: a mix of peatmoss and vermiculite or com-posted sawdust and sand. Keepthe surface moist during germi-nation and seedling establish-ment.Plant three to five seeds of the

small-seeded vegetables like broc-coli and cabbage at the recom-mended final plant spacing in thegarden row. Once the seedlings areestablished, thin the seedlings toone plant at each location.

TransplantsStart vegetable transplants for

the fall garden in individual con-tainers, such as peat pots, smallclay or plastic pots, or peat pellets.Setting out plants without disturb-ing the root systems reduces trans-plant shock.

Protect young plants from thesun for a few days. You can usebare-root transplants from thinningthe seedling row, but be prepared toprovide water and shade until theybecome established.

A fall garden is open to attackby insects and diseases just as thesummer garden. In some cases, theinsect problems are worse. Worms(cabbage loopers and imported cab-bage moths) are serious problemson fall cabbage, cauliflower, broc-coli, and collards. Control theseleaf-eating worms with one of thebiological sprays. Squash bugs aretroublesome on fall squash andpumpkins.

Fall vegetables need fertilizerjust as much as spring and summervegetables. Don’t count on the fer-tilizer applied in spring to supplyfertilizer needs of vegetables plant-ed in late summer and fall. Fertilizebefore planting and side-dress asneeded.

As the danger of frost approach-es, pay close attention to weatherpredictions. Tender plants often canbe protected from an early frost andcontinue to produce for severalweeks. When a killing frost isinevitable, harvest tender vegeta-bles.

Green tomatoes that are turningwhite just before turning pink willripen if stored in a cool place. Pickthese tomatoes, wrap them in paper,and use them as they ripen.

Don’t abandon the garden whenfreezing temperatures kill theplants. Clean up the debris, storestakes and poles, take a soil test,and row up part of the garden to beready for planting early spring Irishpotatoes and English peas.

Vegetables Typically Planted in a Fall GardenBush Snap BeansBeetsBroccoliCabbage

CarrotsCauliflowerChardChinese Cabbage

KohlrabiLettuceMustardOnions

RadishesRutabagasSpinachTurnips

Median Date of First Freeze in Fall

October 27-November 2November 3-7November 8-12November 13-December 2

Herbscontinued from page 18

19

has survived brief exposure to single-digit temperatures. DwarfSiberian kale is well adapted to production in small containers.

Destiny broccoli produces medium-sized smooth heads on a com-pact plant. It is well adapted to medium-container production. It doesnot produce a significant number of side shoots.

New Varietiescontinued from page 5

Staking and Training TomatoesThe main reason for staking and supporting

tomato plants is to keep plants and fruit off theground. This reduces losses from fruit rots whenfruit touch the soil and from sunburn when fruitare not shaded by foliage.

Supported plants are easier to spray or dustfor insect and disease control and easier to har-vest than those sprawling on the ground. Threepopular methods of supporting tomato plantsare staking, caging, and trellising. Supportedtomato plants are pruned (suckered) to reducethe number of branches, thereby making plantsmore suitable for the selected method of sup-port. Plant type also determines the amount ofpruning.

Tomato varieties are divided into two gener-al groups based on their pattern of growth.

Determinate, or self-topping, varieties haveshort- to medium-length vines. Plants are heav-ily branched and do not make continuousgrowth. Rather than having continuous produc-tion of leaves and flower clusters, every branchends with a flower cluster. Determinate varietiesoften are early and have a short but concentrat-ed production season. These plants are staked orcaged but are not adapted to trellising. Somedeterminate varieties are Celebrity, MountainPride, and Rutgers. Determinate varieties arenot heavily pruned, regardless of the supportsystem, because most of the fruit is produced onthe branches.

Indeterminate varieties continue to growand produce leaves and flower clusters until dis-ease, insects, cold, or lack of water and fertiliz-er kills the plants. Indeterminate varieties areBetter Boy, Floradel, and Big Beef.Indeterminate varieties are heavily pruned whentrellised, moderately pruned when staked, andlightly pruned when caged.

Pruning removes small shoots where eachleaf joins the stem. Properly pruned plants pro-duce larger and earlier fruit than non-prunedplants of the same variety. Remove shoots whenthey are less than 4 inches long to avoid injuringthe plant. The larger the sucker before removal,the larger the resulting wound, and the morewasted plant energy that went into the sucker.Remove a sucker by grasping it between yourthumb and second finger and bending it to theside until it breaks. This is best done early in theday when plants are crisp and not wilted fromthe day’s sun and heat. Do not cut suckers witha knife because this is one way to spread virusdiseases.

Decide on the method of support before set-ting tomato plants in the garden. Plants for trel-lising are set closer together than plants to bestaked or caged. Plants for caging are set fartherapart than plants for staking.

StakingStaking requires wooden or metal stakes 5 to

6 feet long for indeterminate varieties and 3 to 4feet long for determinate varieties. Woodenstakes should be at least 1 inch square. Metalstakes can be of smaller diameter and have theadvantage of lasting many years. Do not usechemically treated wood. Sections of concretereinforcing rods (rebar) make excellent tomatostakes.

Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the rowand drive a stake next to every plant or everyother plant. Place the stake 3 to 4 inches fromthe base of the plant on the side away from thefirst bloom cluster to prevent trapping the fruitbetween the plant and the stake.

There are many ways to prune and tie toma-to plants. Limit staked indeterminate plants totwo or three fruit-producing branches. A popularmethod is to select the main stem, the suckerthat develops immediately below the first bloomcluster (a very strong sucker), and one othersucker below that. Remove all other suckers andas you tie the plants, periodically remove addi-tional suckers that develop on selected branch-es. Tie individual branches to the stake with softcord by first tying twine to the stake and thenlooping it loosely around the plant. Never tie aplant immediately below a fruit cluster becausethe weight of the fruit may cause the plant to sagand strip the cluster from the plant. Continue toprune and tie the plant as it grows.

The Florida weave is an alternative system tosupport staked tomato plants in a row. Usingpolypropylene cord (it doesn’t stretch), tie thecord to the first stake about 6 to 10 inches abovethe ground. Run the cord to the second stake andwrap it around the stake once at the same level.Be sure to keep the cord tight. Repeat thisprocess, going on to the third, fourth, andremaining stakes until you reach the end of therow. Come back with the cord on the oppositeside of the stakes, wrapping it around eachstake. Plants are held in the space between thecords on opposite sides of the stakes. Repeat thisprocess as plants grow so the branches arealways held between the cord. Three to five runsdown the row should be enough for the season.Remember to keep pruning plants as they growto reduce the amount of plant material that mustbe supported.

When staking determinate varieties, pruneonly once to remove the first suckers.

CagingTomato plants supported by cages made

from concrete reinforcing wire require consider-ably less work than either staked or trellisedtomatoes because there is no tying and only lim-ited pruning. A 5-foot length of 10-guage rein-forcing wire with 6-inch openings makes a cageof about an 18-inch diameter. Make cages atleast 5 feet high for indeterminate varieties.Shorter cages are best for determinate varieties.Using heavy bolt cutters, remove the sections ofthe bottom horizontal wire, leaving wire legs tostick into the ground.

Set your tomato plants 3 feet apart in the rowand place a cage over each plant. Push legs intothe ground for anchoring the cage. Protect earlyplants from cold and wind by wrapping the bot-tom 18 inches of each cage with clear plastic.Black plastic mulch, in combination with cagingand a clear plastic wrap, promotes early bloom-ing.

Caged plants generally are pruned to four orfive main fruiting branches. As plants grow,keep turning ends of the branches back into thecages. Caged plants may not produce ripe toma-toes as early as staked or trellised plants, butthey produce more tomatoes that are less likelyto crack or sunburn.

TrellisingTrellising is only for indeterminate varieties.

Set plants about 1 foot apart in the row andprune to just the main stem, or occasionally tothe main stem and one strong sucker (the suck-er originating just below the first bloom cluster).Remove all other suckers as they develop.

Build a trellis by setting support posts in theground about 20 feet apart. The tops of the postsshould be about 6 feet above the soil surface.Stretch a heavy wire or a piece of barbed wirebetween the tops of the posts and attach a lengthof heavy twine to the wire above each plant.Barbed wire prevents twine from slipping as thetop wire sags with the weight of the plants. Tietwine to the base of each plant or to a bottomwire if one is used. As plants grow, wrap themaround the twine for support, or use the plasticclips that greenhouse tomato growers use. Whentrellising two stems per plant, use a separatecord for each stem.

Trellising produces ripe fruit earlier thanother methods of support. Each plant producesfewer but larger tomatoes that are more subjectto sunburn because of the small amount of pro-tective foliage.

Tomato plants loaded with fruit are heavy.Anchor the posts to keep them from collapsing.

Other Wire SupportsSome determinate plants are not suited for

standard trellising and staking because of theirlimited vine growth. These plants, as well asindeterminate plants, can be held off the groundby a wire trellis. Support a 2- to 3-foot width ofhog wire 8 to 10 inches above the ground with“H” supports. Center the wire over the row andpull the plants through an opening as they grow.Pruning and tying are not necessary. Spaceplants about 2 feet apart and the “H” supports 8to 10 feet apart. A wire stapled to the top of the“H” on each side provides additional support toplants. Tightly stretch and fasten the hog wire atboth ends.

Wire

8- to 10-inch clearancebetween wire and ground

Removesucker

Concrete reinforcing or hogwire

Support Tomato Plants

20

Harvesting Gardening itself is a lot of fun, but harvest

is what gardeners work toward. Harvesting atthe right time is essential to obtain quality. Ifyou pick vegetables too soon, they can betough or too tender, lacking substance andflavor. If you pick them too late, they may betough, fibrous, or too soft.

The number of days from planting tomaturity is generally listed in catalog descrip-tions. For vegetables commonly started withtransplants, such as tomatoes and peppers, thenumber of days given is from setting plants inthe garden to harvest. For vegetables that aretypically direct-seeded in the garden, such aspeas and sweet corn, the number representsthe days from planting the seed.

The number of days given represents anaverage and varies with weather and variety.Cool-season vegetables mature more rapidlyas weather warms in late spring; warm-sea-son vegetables mature more slowly as weath-er cools in fall. Early varieties mature morerapidly than mid- and late-season varieties.Use the number of days as a guide, but alsoconsider the weather, the variety descriptionof early, midseason, or late, and the appear-ance of the vegetables.

Asparagus—cut or snap spears when theyare 6 to 8 inches tall and before leaf bracts atthe tips begin to open. Harvest spears of largeand small diameter, but leave 20 to 50 percentof the spears to grow to provide energy fornext year’s crop.

Beans, snap—best when pods are crispand snap easily but when tips are still pliable,50 days for bush, 65 days for pole.

Beans, lima—pick when pods are well-filled but still bright green and fresh. End ofthe pod should feel spongy when squeezed,65 days for bush, 80 days for pole.

Beans, shell—harvest when beans arevery evident in the pods but before podsbegin to dry, very much like lima beans andsouthern peas, 70 days.

Beans, dried—harvest when pods are drybut before they shatter. Plants may be turningyellow. Cut entire plant and dry or pick thepods. When the beans are completely dry,shell them and store in the freezer, 90 days.

Beets—pull when medium-sized (11⁄4 to 2inches in diameter), 60 to 70 days; leafy topsare an excellent cooked green.

Broccoli—heads should be compact withtight buds. Individual bud and head sizedetermined by variety, 65 to 75 days fromtransplants yet within the same time periodfrom direct seeding in the fall. Yellow flowersindicate overmaturity.

Brussels sprouts—cut sprouts from thestalk when they are 1 to 2 inches in diameterand firm, 90 days from transplants. Lowersprouts develop first. Remove the leaf whencutting the sprout.

Cabbage—cut when head is firm andbefore splitting, 80 days from transplants.

Carrots—harvest according to desiredsize and weather. Sugar content is higher inmature roots, but younger ones are more ten-der, 75 days.

Cauliflower—cut when head is firm andsmooth, should not be coming apart or riceyin appearance, 65 days from transplants. Purewhite color depends on blanching. Creamycolor is fine.

Chinese cabbage—cut entire plant at theground line when the head is fairly compactor the plant has reached the desired size, 80days.

Collards—as soon as leaves are largeenough to pick. Large, old leaves are toughand fibrous, 55 days.

Sweet corn—17 to 21 days after silking.Harvest when silks turn dark and begin toshrivel. Kernels should be bright, plump, andmilky, except super sweets, which mayappear watery. Small, soft kernels and large,hard, starchy kernels are tasteless, 70 to 85days.

Cucumbers, pickling—pick when 2 inch-es or less in length for pickles and 4 to 6 inch-es for dills. Use large cucumbers for relish.Harvest before cucumbers become dull,puffy, or yellow. Frequent harvest is neces-sary, 55 days.

Cucumbers, slicing—harvest when 6 to 8inches long and before the ends become softor begin to turn yellow, 62 days.

Cucumbers, burpless and Europeantypes—harvest when 8 to 10 inches long and1 to 11⁄2 inches in diameter.

Eggplant—ready when fruit is halfgrown, before color dulls, 65 to 85 days fromtransplants.

Endive, escarole—cut plants at groundlevel when large enough to eat, 85 days.

Gourds, small decorative—cut from thevine with stem attached when the rind is hard,before frost.

Gourds, dipper and birdhouse—cutfrom the vine with stem attached when theybegin to dry. Mature gourds are not injured byfrost.

Gourds, luffa—cut from the vine whenskin turns yellow or after the gourd has dried.For eating, harvest when small (4 inches orless in length) and tender.

Horseradish—dig roots in late fall afterfrost. Where soil doesn’t freeze and is welldrained, roots can be left in the ground untilneeded.

Jerusalem artichoke—dig tubers all win-ter after the tops are killed by cold.

Kale—cut entire plant or larger leaveswhile still tender. Old kale is tough andstringy. Cold weather improves flavor, 55days.

Kohlrabi—pull when swollen stem is thesize of a baseball. Large, old kohlrabi iswoody and tasteless, 55 days.

Lettuce, leaf—when leaves are largeenough to harvest, 40 to 50 days.

Lettuce, head—harvest for leaves asneeded before heads form or as soon as headsare firm, 80 days.

Melons, muskmelons—ready when blos-som end of fruit gives to pressure from fingerand melon separates (slips) easily from stem.Netting should be coarse and prominentaccording to variety and with no green linesshowing, 42 to 46 days from pollination, 90days from seed.

Melons, honeydew—when the greenishrind takes on a golden cast, melon does notslip from the vine, 110 days from planting.

Melons, watermelons—ready whenundersurface (ground spot) turns from whiteto cream-yellow, 42 to 45 days from pollina-tion, 90 days from planting.

Mustard—as soon as large enough to har-vest, old leaves are tough, 45 days.

Okra—pick when pods are 2 to 4 inch-es long, 4 to 6 days from pollination, 60days from planting.

Onions, green—when one-fourth toone-half inch in diameter and tops are 12 to16 inches tall.

Onions, bulb—dig when tops have yel-lowed and fallen over.

Parsley—when leaves are large enoughto pick, 90 days.

Peanuts—dig when tops are yellowingand inner hulls are brown. All pods do notmature at the same time, but dig the entireplant, 110 days.

Peas, English—best when pods arebright green and fairly well filled. Rawpeas should be sweet, 65 days.

Peas, snap—best when pods are green,crisp, and peas have filled pods, 65 days.

Peas, southern—pick purple hull vari-eties when pod is up to 50 percent purple.Pick tan pod types when pods show a hintof yellow. Peas should be green whenshelled, 65 days.

Peppers—pick green bell pepperswhen shiny green and firm, 75 days fromtransplants. Colored peppers are harvestedwhen fully colored, yellow, red, etc.Pimiento should be fully red. Sweet bananaand hot Hungarian Wax are harvested whenfully yellow, turning red, or fully red.Harvest hot peppers when green or fullycolored.

Potatoes, Irish—as soon as large enoughfor early potatoes. Harvest main crop aftervines have yellowed. Greenish or sunburnedpotatoes are not good. Skin should be firmlyattached to tuber, 100 days.

Potatoes, sweet—when roots havereached a usable size. Before frost or groundcools below 50 °F, 120 days.

Pumpkins—when fully colored, hardrind, and heavy, 110 days.

Radishes—pull as soon as large enough,28 days.

Radishes, winter—harvest before groundfreezes, 50 days.

Rhubarb—pull leaf stalks from plantswhen leaves are fully grown. Discard leafblade and eat the stalk only.

Rutabagas—dig any time large enough.Becomes dry and woody if soil moisture isinsufficient, 90 days.

Spinach—use before leaves get old andtough, 45 days.

Spinach, New Zealand—pick terminal 3to 4 inches of shoots when plants get largeenough.

Squash, summer—when medium in size,color good, and rind easily dented with fin-gernail; zucchini when 6 to 10 inches longand shiny, 55 days from planting; yellowsummer 5 to 7 days from pollination, zucchi-ni 3 to 4 days from pollination.

Squash, winter (storage)—color shouldbe good for the variety and the rind very hard,90 days; acorn 60 days from pollination, but-ternut 65 days from pollination, hubbard 85days from pollination.

Swiss chard—as soon as large enough topick off leaves, from about 12 inches up. Oldleaves are tough and fibrous, 50 days.

Tomatoes—when color is good all over.Size is no indication of maturity. Will ripenoff the plant, but quality is better whenripened on the plant. Reduce bird damage by

picking before fully colored, 70 days fromtransplants; 45 days from pollination.

Turnips, greens—when large enough topick. Tough, fibrous, and bitter when old.

Turnips, roots—best when of mediumsize and firm. Large turnips tough and strong-ly flavored, 60 days.

Watermelons—see Melons.

Keep these points in mind when harvest-ing vegetables: • Harvest at the proper stage of maturity,

not before. You can harvest most vegeta-bles several times if you harvest only thepart that is ready.

• Harvest on time. Harvest okra every 1 or 2days. This also applies to summer squash,beans, and cucumbers.

• Harvest when the foliage is dry. Trampingthrough wet foliage spreads diseases.

• Don’t damage foliage by stepping onvines or breaking stems. This createswounds and entrances for diseases.

• Don’t harvest when plants are wilted.Wounds made by harvesting permit waterloss, which increases water stress insidethe plant.

• Immediately move freshly harvested veg-etables into the shade and keep them cool.

• Use freshly harvested vegetables as soonafter harvest as possible.

• Don’t injure the plant during harvest.Gently remove the part to be harvestedfrom the plant. Cut eggplants and water-melons with a knife. Cut okra that won’tsnap off.

Average BushelWeights of Vegetables

Weight in Vegetable PoundsBeans, lima (unshelled) 32 Beans, snap 30 Cabbage (sack) 50 Cucumbers 47-55 Eggplant 33 Greens 23-24 Okra 30 Peanuts (green) 35-45 Peas, English 28-30 Peas, southern 25 Peppers, bell 25 Potatoes, Irish 60 Potatoes, sweet 55 Spinach 20-25 Squash, summer 42

21

Storing VegetablesIn addition to canning, freezing,

and drying fresh vegetables, you canstore many to use later. The length ofsuccessful storage depends on thevegetable and the storage conditions.

Loss of moisture is the major fac-tor that reduces quality during stor-age. Reducing the temperature slowsthis loss and delays growth of bacteriaand fungi that cause vegetables tospoil.

Some vegetables, such as wintersquash, onions, Irish potatoes, andpumpkins, lose moisture slowly;while others, such as leafy greens,lose moisture rapidly. Place vegeta-bles in a plastic bag or containerbefore refrigerating to prevent rapidloss of water. This applies to lettuce,mustard greens, spinach, collards,turnip greens, Chinese cabbage, beets,carrots, radishes, snap beans, shelledlimas, cucumbers, broccoli, cauli-flower, kohlrabi, and green onions.Turnip roots not only lose moisturerapidly but have a strong odor, so besure to bag them.

For short-term refrigerated stor-age, wash vegetables to removeinsects, soil, and spray residue beforerefrigerating.

Some vegetables can be stored forseveral weeks or longer withoutrefrigeration under proper conditions.

Beets, carrots, turnips, rutaba-gas—When you grow these rootcrops in the fall, you can sometimesleave them in the garden until youneed them if the garden site is welldrained and the vegetables are pro-tected from freezing. Pull soil up overroots or cover them with straw. Storeharvested roots in plastic bags in yourrefrigerator or in moist sand in a cool

location. Cabbage—Protect fall-grown

cabbage from freezing. Pull matureheads and wrap leaves over the head.Set the heads, roots up, in a well-drained, cool place, and cover withsoil or straw. You can pull matureheads with roots attached and placethem in a cold frame.

Onions—After bulbs are harvest-ed and dried, trim tops, leaving aboutone-half inch. Most southern onionsdo not store well, but for best storage,keep dry bulbs in a cool, well-venti-lated place. If the temperature is toowarm, tops will sprout. If humidity istoo high, the roots begin to swell anddevelop.

Irish potatoes—Spring-grown Irishpotatoes are difficult to store. Curepotatoes for several days in a warmplace to heal cuts and bruises. Do notwash potatoes unless they are verydirty from harvesting in wet soil.Store dry potatoes in boxes in a closetin an air-conditioned home. If thehouse is on a conventional founda-tion, store potatoes under the house.Be sure to shut out all light to preventgreening of the stored potatoes.

There are sprays or treatments thatprevent spring-grown Irish potatoesfrom sprouting. Natural dormancyprevents sprouting for about 100days, but refrigeration or cold storageis the only way to hold these potatoesfor several months.

Irish potatoes grown in the fall areeasier to store than spring-grownpotatoes. Harvest when the soil is dry,and don’t expose potatoes to the sun.Cure in a warm, moist place for abouta week to heal cuts and bruises; thenplace potatoes in a cool, dark place.

Just make sure they don’t freeze. Fall-grown potatoes can be successfullystored for several months.

Sweet potatoes—Sweet potatoesare very sensitive to cold soils andcold storage. Potatoes that are chilledin the soil or in storage will not keepvery long. Dig potatoes before soiltemperatures drop to 55 ºF. Cure pota-toes for 7 to 10 days in a warm, moistplace—80 to 85 ºF and 90 percent rel-ative humidity. Curing helps heal allcuts and bruises that occurred duringharvest. Store cured potatoes at 55 ºFand high humidity to prevent shrink-age. Storage at warmer temperaturesencourages sprouting.

Pumpkins, winter squash—Harvest these vegetables as theymature because they do not store wellin the garden. If planted in April orMay, they are ready to harvest in Julyand August. If left exposed to the sunand wet weather, they rot. Store in acool, fairly dry place. Small quantitiescan be stored in an air-conditionedhome. Do not stack these vegetablesin storage, and do not expose them totemperatures below 50 ºF. If thehumidity is too high, molds and rotsdevelop.

Tomatoes—Ripe tomatoes storebest at a temperature around 60 ºF. Atrefrigerator temperatures, the qualityrapidly deteriorates. Mature greentomatoes (those that have reached fullsize and are turning white before col-oring) will ripen if picked before frostinjures them. Wrap tomatoes in paperand store in a cool place. Check themregularly to remove any ripening orspoiled tomatoes. You can have gar-den tomatoes for Christmas and evenlater if you strip the vines of fruit

before a freeze and handle them asdescribed.

Dried beans and peas—Thegreatest danger in storing dried beansand peas is infestation by insects. Pickdry pods and thoroughly dry them in awarm, well-ventillated place beforeshelling. Kill insects by heating dry,shelled beans and peas in a 180 ºFoven for 15 minutes. Store these treat-ed beans and peas in plastic bags incontainers with tight-fitting lids. Iffreezer space is available, you canstore dried peas and beans in thefreezer without prior heating.

Seed Storage: Cool and Dry

Moisture and high temperaturescause rapid loss in the ability of veg-etable seeds to germinate. Therefore,discard vegetable seeds held in stor-age buildings, vehicles, and otherplaces with widely fluctuating tem-peratures and humidities.

The longer seeds are stored, themore important it is to control mois-ture and temperature conditions. Lowmoisture content in the seeds meanslonger life, especially if seeds must bekept at warm temperatures.

Seeds can be stored over, but nottouching, calcium chloride, dried sili-ca gel, or freshly opened powderedmilk by sealing them in air-tight con-tainers.

Bean and okra seeds can be over-dried, resulting in hard seed coats andreduced germination. Seeds can bestored successfully at temperaturesabove 32 ºF. Between 40 and 50 ºF issatisfactory when moisture content ofthe seed is not too high.

For long-term storage (severalmonths) seeds can be stored in thefreezer. Seeds are not harmed if prop-erly dried before storing, but be sureto let them come to room temperaturebefore handling.

Do not store chemically treatedseeds with vegetables or other fooditems that are to be eaten.

Approximate Years of Storage Life of Seeds Under Cool, Dry Conditions

Asparagus – 3 Cucumbers – 5 Pumpkins – 4Beans – 3 Eggplant – 5 Radishes – 5Beets – 4 Kale – 5 Rutabagas – 5Broccoli – 5 Kohlrabi – 5 Southern peas – 3Brussels sprouts – 5 Lettuce – 5 Spinach – 5Cabbage – 5 Muskmelons – 5 Squash – 5Carrots – 3 Mustard – 4 Tomatoes – 4Chard, Swiss – 4 Okra – 2 Turnips – 5Collards – 5 Peas, English – 3 Watermelons – 5Corn – 1-2 Peppers – 4

VegetablesAsparagus

Asparagus is a perennial plant thatcan be grown successfully in manyparts of Mississippi. Performance insouth Mississippi gardens, however,is likely to be disappointing. In thesouthern part of the state, asparagusmay not become completely dormantin winter and may continue producing

a few weak spears.Asparagus grows on a variety of

soils but prefers well-drained soilshigh in organic matter. Plants losevigor, are more susceptible to root rot,and may die when planted in poorlydrained soils.

Since asparagus is a perennialplant that grows in the same locationfor several years, there is only onechance to prepare the soil beforeplanting, so do it right. Start preparingsoil about a year before planting bymixing in large quantities of organicmatter, such as composted manure,compost, and green manure crops.

Mix 2 to 3 pounds of 13-13-13 fertil-izer per 100 square feet into the soiland lime to a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.Asparagus does poorly at a soil pHbelow 6.0.

Mary Washington is the mostwidely available garden variety.Plants and seeds of newer varieties,such as UC-157, Purple Passion, andJersey Giant, are of more limitedavailability to home gardeners.

In early spring, plant 1-year-oldcrowns 4 inches deep in clay soils and6 inches deep in sandy-textured soils.Do not use older crowns or pieces ofold crowns dug from an existing bed.Dig a trench 12 to 18 inches wide tothe desired planting depth in the pre-pared planting area. Space crowns 12to 15 inches apart on the bottom of thetrench. Spread roots, being sure thecrown is right side up. Cover crownswith 2 inches of soil, and during thefirst season as plants grow, gradual-ly fill in the trench with soil. If youplant more than one row, space rows4 to 5 feet apart.

Keep bed free of weeds at alltimes. Remove all brown, frost-killedstalks in winter, and, if available,

cover bed with 2 to 3 inches of com-posted manure. Each spring beforegrowth begins, broadcast 2 to 3pounds per 100 square feet or 25 feetof row of 6-8-8 fertilizer and work itlightly into the surface. Repeat fertil-ization after harvest.

Harvest can begin the third year.Harvesting earlier than the thirdyear reportedly weakens the plants.Harvest all spears, large and small,when 6 to 8 inches long, and beforeleaf bracts at the tip begin to open.Cut spears 1 to 3 inches below thesurface, trying not to injure spearsdeveloping below the surface, oryou can snap spears at groundlevel. When the diameter of mostof the spears drops to the size of apencil, stop harvest for the year. Onyoung beds, harvest for only 2 to 3weeks. Harvest established bedsfor up to 8 weeks.

Do not allow grass to take overthe bed during summer monthsafter harvest. Fertilize and keep thebed clean and watered. Asparagusfern can reach 4 to 7 feet in height.Do not cut until after frost kills it inlate fall.

Control insects attacking spearsduring harvest with malathion andcarbaryl.

You can grow asparagus plantsfrom seed instead of starting with 1-year-old crowns. To grow plants fromseed, soak seeds in aerated water for 3days. Use a small electric aquariumair pump with a bubbler stone to aer-ate the soaking seeds. Plant individualseeds about 1 inch deep in small potsor containers. Plants should be largeenough to set in the garden in 12 to 14weeks. Treat seedlings the same as 1-year-old crowns, using the sameplanting depth and spacing. Duringthe first season’s growth, graduallyfill in the trench.

Asparagus has both male andfemale plants. Male plants producespears of larger diameter thanfemale plants. New all-male vari-eties are now available. Femaleplants produce red berries in latesummer. Volunteer seedlings origi-nating from these berries mayspread asparagus to other gardenareas.

Plant crowns 4 inches deep in12- to 18-inch wide beds. Coverwith 2 inches of soil and gradu-ally fill in this trench during thefirst season.

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VarietyMary Washington—leading home

garden variety; some resistance to rust.Jersey Giant—hybrid; 100 percent

male; producer of larger, uniformspears; excellent vigor; tolerant tofusarium wilt.

Purple Passion—thick spears;very productive; turns green whencooked.

Beans

All garden beans are sensitive tocold soil and cold air temperatures.Seeds planted in cold, wet soils rot,but colored bean seeds are more tol-erant to cold soils than white beanseeds.

Soil type is important to bean seedgermination. In germination, the twolarge seed halves (cotyledons) mustcome through the soil surface. Clay orcompacted soils hold the cotyledons,and germination is poor. Cover seedswith a non-crusting material, or addsand, peat moss, vermiculite, or per-lite to the soil. If a crust forms, care-fully break it or sprinkle it lightly withwater several times to soften it and aidgermination. All beans are nitrogenfixing plants, so be careful to avoidheavy nitrogen fertilization and nitro-gen-rich soils.

Major problems with beans areblossoms and pods shedding, dis-eases, and insects. Both too much andtoo little moisture cause blooms andsmall pods to shed. This also occurswhen summer temperatures areextremely high. Control most diseasesby buying western-grown seeds,selecting disease-resistant varieties,using treated seed, rotating land, andnot working or harvesting beans whenleaves are wet. Major insect pests arebean leaf beetle (round holes inleaves) and Mexican bean beetle(lace-like leaves).

Bush snap beans can be green oryellow (wax) and round or flat. Theyare sensitive to hot, dry weather; there-fore, do not plant them to mature inmidsummer. Late-planted bush beansdo not set a big crop, and the pods thatdevelop are of poor quality. Bushbeans should be planted in a broadband of several closely spaced rows.

Harvest beans at the tender snapstage, but any snap bean variety canbe allowed to grow to the green shellstage and be used much like limabeans and southern peas. Most bushsnap bean varieties require 50 to 60days from planting to harvest.

VarietiesAtlantic—mottled seed; medium

green; slim; round-oval; long pod;mosaic resistant.

Blue Lake—white seed; darkgreen; round pod; slow to developfiber; good flavor; processing type.

Contender—old variety; coloredseed; pale green; oval pod; frequentlycurved; early; fresh-use type thatdevelops fiber rapidly.

Derby—white seed; round; long,slim, straight pods; slow seed devel-opment; resistant to common beanmosaic virus; AAS 1990.

Magnum—long, flat pod; light-medium green color; 6.9 inches long;tan seed; 51 days from planting.

Greencrop—white seed; long, flatpole bean type pod; fresh use and pro-cessing; no disease resistance; AAS1957.

Provider—purple seed; round;medium-length pods; white seededtype also available.

Topcrop—medium green; round;medium-length pod; slightly curved;mosaic resistant; brown seed; AAS1950.

Green-shell beans are grown likebush snap beans. These are specialvarieties:

French’s Horticultural—pods andbeans cream colored, splashed withscarlet; a semi-runner type; 68 days.

King Horticultural—similar toFrench’s Horticultural; 75 days.

Taylor’s Horticultural—non-run-ning plant; pods and beans similar toFrench’s Horticultural; 75 days.

Pole snap beans extend the har-vest of snap beans through the sum-mer. They are more tolerant of hottemperatures than bush beans.Support vines with cane poles,strings, or a trellis, allowing for 6 to 8feet of growth. Bean vines are heavy,so construct a strong trellis. Barbedwire as the top wire prevents polesand strings from slipping. Supportposts to prevent trellis collapse in wetweather. When exposed to very hotsummer temperatures and dry soils,beans drop their blooms and smallpods. Harvest all beans to keep vinesproducing. Pole beans yield morethan bush beans because they produceover a longer period of time.Nitrogen-rich soils result in excessivevine growth and no beans. Most polesnap bean varieties require 65 to 70days from planting to first harvest.

VarietiesAlabama No. 1—black seed; nem-

atode resistant.Blue Lake—white seed; fresh and

processing type; pods long; round-oval; smooth; meaty.

Cornfield (Striped Creaseback) —colored seed; pod flat; light greenturning purple brown; stringy.

Dade—white seed; fresh use type;similar to McCaslan; tolerant to sev-eral diseases; early.

Kentucky Blue—pods 6 to 7 inch-es long, round, straight; good flavor;mature in 58 to 65 days; vines resist-ant to strains of bean rust and com-mon bean mosaic virus; AAS 1991.

Kentucky Wonder—colored seed;fresh use; pod long, flat; meaty, brit-tle; low fiber; good flavor; popularold variety.

Kentucky Wonder 191—whiteseed; similar to Kentucky Wonder.

Louisiana Purple—purple podsthat turn green when cooked.

McCaslan—white seed; fresh use;light green pod; flatter and smootherthan Kentucky Wonder; very produc-tive.

Asparagus (yardlong) beans arepole beans that reach 2 feet in length.At this stage they are past their primeand should be used like southernpeas. Harvest when pods are 10 to 18inches long for use as a snap bean.

VarietiesRed Seed—long, dark green pods.Red Noodle—red pods.

Bush lima beans (butter beans)are more sensitive to cold than snapbeans, so delay planting until the soiltemperature is at least 65 degrees.Both small- and large-seed types areused as green-shell beans. The small-seed limas produce better than thelarge-seed types. Most varietiesrequire about 65 days from planting toharvest. Use treated, fresh seeds. Donot use last year’s dry garden beansfor this year’s seeds because of dis-ease carryover problems. The majordisease is stem anthracnose. Controlthis disease by using western-grownseeds and planting rotation in the gar-den. Do not plant lima beans in thesame garden location where they weregrown last year.

VarietiesDixie Butterpea—white seed; 3 to

4 small, plump beans per pod; setspods under high temperatures; largeand vigorous plants; late maturing.

Early Thorogreen—small, flat,rich-green baby lima; heavily produc-tive; sets throughout the plant; veryadaptable and vigorous; green-seededHenderson Bush.

Henderson Bush—creamy whiteseed; 3 to 4 small, flat beans per pod;most popular older variety; smallplant; productive; processing type.

Jackson Wonder—speckled butterbean; seed buff with purple markings;beans small, greenish-white with pur-ple markings at green shell stage;medium-sized plant.

Nemagreen—seeds greenish-white; 3 to 4 small, flat beans per pod;plants small; productive; resemblesHenderson Bush; resistant to root-knot nematodes.

Pole lima beans are grown likepole snap beans.

VarietiesCarolina (Sieva)—white seed; 3 to

4 beans per pod; pole type Henderson;popular old variety; widely grown; 80days.

Florida Speckled Butter Bean—seed buff, splashed with maroon; 3 to4 small beans per pod; greenish withpurple at green shell stage; bears wellin hot weather; 78 days.

Willowleaf—dull white seed; sim-ilar to Carolina, except dark greenleaves are narrow; 90 days.

Beets

Beets require cool temperaturesand a loose, moist soil for best pro-duction. An adequate supply of potashin the soil is necessary for roots toform. Test soil before planting. Beetsdo not tolerate acid soils. Beets areshallow-rooted, so never let the soildry completely. Because beets requirecool temperatures, you can grow themin spring and fall.

Most beet seeds produce a smallcluster of seedlings when they germi-nate. Even with individually placedseeds, thinning is necessary for cor-rect plant spacing. Thin seedlings tostand 2 inches apart. Beet seeds areslow to germinate, so mix in someradish seeds to mark the row. Poorstands of seedlings can often be tracedto planting too deep or crusting soilsafter rain or irrigation.

Black spots in beets may indicate ashortage of boron in sandy soil.Dissolve 1 level tablespoon of house-hold borax in 3 gallons of water andapply it to 100 feet of garden row as acorrective measure. Reduce theamount of borax for shorter rowsbecause too much boron can be toxicto plants.

Do not discard beet leaves; theyare an excellent leafy green. You canalso use the thinnings of young beetsas greens. Beets require 60 to 70 daysfrom planting to harvest. Harvestedbeets can be stored in the refrigeratorin a plastic bag for several weeks. Avariety with golden roots is available.

VarietiesBurpee’s Red Ball—uniform;

smooth-skinned; globe-shaped; 3-inch dark red roots; tops erect; medi-um tall; red and green.

Cylindra—long, cylindrical rootthat gives uniform slices; dark red; 6inches long; leaves excellent asgreens.

Detroit Dark Red—an old stan-dard variety; globe shaped; smooth;uniform; deep red color.

Golden Beet—yellow interior;orange skin.

Ruby Queen—uniform; smooth;round with fine taproot; superior qual-ity; fine for canning; small crown;AAS 1957.

Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the most nutri-tious of all vegetables. The edible

parts are the compact clusters ofunopened flower buds and theattached stems. Each plant producesone large central head and often sev-eral smaller side heads following har-vest of the main head. This cool-sea-son vegetable grows in all parts ofMississippi in spring and fall, but fallproduction often is more successful.

For spring broccoli, start plants ina cold frame 6 to 8 weeks before timefor setting plants in the garden. Thismeans starting in what seems mid-winter. Grow seedlings at cool tem-peratures and spaced at least one-halfinch apart in rows 4 to 6 inches apartso they are hardy and able to with-stand cold temperatures when trans-planted.

Seedlings can be grown in individ-ual cups or cells in plastic trays.Seedlings exposed to temperaturesbelow 45 ºF for 2 weeks or more inplant beds may form small flowerheads and be unproductive. Seedlingsgrown indoors, in a hot bed, or in agreenhouse often are killed by thefirst cold night after transplanting tothe garden in early spring. Hardenthese seedlings for 1 to 2 weeks in acold frame before setting them out.Use 1 cup of starter solution (page 9)for each plant when transplanting tothe garden.

Side-dress broccoli plants with anitrogen fertilizer as soon as theybegin active growth after transplanti-ng. A second side-dressing just beforeheading will help increase the size ofthe center heads.

For fall broccoli, plant seedsdirectly in the garden where they areto grow. Keep the seed bed moist toprevent crusting and to aid germina-tion. Do not delay planting past rec-ommended dates waiting for moistureor for temperatures to cool. If water isnot available to keep the seed bed andseedlings moist, do not direct seed.

Fall broccoli is better in qualitythan spring broccoli because itmatures as the weather is getting cool-er rather than warmer, but fall broc-coli has more insect problems than thespring crop. Control the major wormproblems by spraying or dusting witha biological control containingBacillus thuringiensis.

Harvest broccoli while the clusterof flower buds is still tight. Open yel-low flowers indicate overmaturity. Ahollow stalk may indicate a shortageof boron in the garden soil. Dissolve 1tablespoon of household borax in 3gallons of water and apply it to 100feet of garden row. Use less borax forshorter row lengths. Using more thanis recommended can be toxic toplants.

VarietiesGreen Comet—hybrid; extra

early; medium-sized, 6- to 7-inch uni-form heads; large side shoots; 61 to 75days; AAS 1969.

Packman—hybrid; very early;compact plant with large, flattenedhead; 62 days.

Premium Crop—hybrid; midsea-

23Continued on next page

son; medium large, 7- to 8-inch head;minimum of side shoots; 75 to 89days; AAS 1975.

Brussels Sprouts

This cold-hardy, slow-growing,long-season vegetable is not frequent-ly grown in Mississippi gardens. Thecool weather of neither spring nor fallis long enough for maximum yields.When attempting a spring crop, setplants early and side-dress as soon asactive plant growth begins and againwhen sprouts form. For a fall crop,start plants in midsummer. Set plants24 inches apart and keep themwatered. Sprouts develop whereleaves join the main stem. As sproutsdevelop, do not remove leaves. Lowersprouts mature first, and you can cutleaves when you harvest sprouts. Heatcauses soft sprouts. Aphids ofteninfest developing sprouts, makingthem inedible.

VarietiesJade Cross—hybrid; vigorous

plant; uniform sprouts closely spaced;11⁄2 inches in diameter; 90 days; AAS1959.

Long Island—sprouts 11⁄2 inches indiameter; firm; plants 32 to 34 inchestall; 90 days.

Cabbage

Cabbage can be green or red,smooth or curly (savoy), and have flator pointed heads.

Cabbage is grown exactly asdescribed for broccoli in both springand fall. When purchasing cabbageplants in spring, beware of largeplants or those with stems as large asa pencil. Bundled, bare-root trans-plants with large, woody stems mayflower without forming a head.

When growing transplants, selectvarieties that mature over severalweeks to extend the harvest seasonfrom a single planting. Also, pur-chased transplants of a non-hybrid(open-pollinated) variety mature overseveral weeks. Use starter solution(page 9) when setting transplants inthe garden.

As cabbage matures, head-split-ting results from the pressure ofwater taken up by the plants after theheads are solid. Soft heads indicatelack of maturity.

Serious insect problems for cab-bage are aphids and cabbage worms.

The major diseases, black leg andblack rot, are seed-borne and difficultto control except by purchasing dis-ease-free seeds and plants.

VarietiesRed Head—hybrid; main season;

red; 85 days; AAS 1971.Rio Verde—hybrid; heads slightly

flattened; strong blue-green; mainseason late; 85 days.

Round Dutch—open-pollinated;old, popular garden variety; mostcommonly sold as transplants; mainseason; round, green head; tolerant tocold weather; resistant to bolting; 75days.

Ruby Ball—hybrid; very deep red;solid, round head; 5 to 6 inchesacross; 70 days; AAS 1972.

Savoy Ace—hybrid; savoy headsof deep green; round; 78 days; AAS1977.

Chinese Cabbage

Several different vegetables arecommonly called Chinese cabbage.There are both heading and nonhead-ing types. Michihli types form tall,cylindrical heads. A second type,Napa, forms heads similar to looseheads of savoy cabbage. A third type,Pak Choi or Bok Choi, often calledcelery cabbage, resembles swisschard and is nonheading. All typesrapidly go to seed in warm weather,which makes them better suited forfall rather than spring gardens. Sowseeds in early fall and thin seedlingsto stand 8 to 12 inches apart. It isimportant that the plant growth not beinterrupted.

VarietiesChina Express—hybrid; early,

slow-bolting Napa type; for springplanting; disease resistant.

China Pride—hybrid; ruggedNapa type; best for fall; broad, largeheads; good, dark green color; diseasetolerant.

Monument—hybrid; Michihilitype; 18 inches tall; dense head withdeep green outer color and white inte-rior; 80 days.

What-A Joy—Pac Choi hybrid;Joy Choi is white-stalked.

Carrots

Mississippi’shigh clay content, poorly

drained soils are not suited fordeveloping long, straight carrots, so

select varieties that are only 6 to 8inches long. Carrots are sensitive toacid soils. Raised beds filled withimproved soil allow you to grow car-rots where they wouldn’t grow innative soil.

Carrot seeds are slow to germi-nate, and germination may not be uni-form. Hard, packing rains followingplanting and before germination resultin a poor stand or no stand at all. Mixsome radish seeds with carrot seeds tomark the row. Carrot seeds germinatebest in a warm, moist soil. Cover theplanted row with clear plastic or afloating row cover to help get a goodstand. Remove the plastic immediate-ly after germination, but you canleave the polyester row cover over theseedlings until they make somegrowth. To aid emergence, cover theseeds with a noncrusting material likesawdust, sand, or vermiculite, andkeep the newly seeded row moist.Thin seedlings to stand about 2 inchesapart.

Green shoulders on carrots resultfrom sunburn. Pull a little soil to therow when cultivating to keep carrotscovered. Misshapen, twisted, andforked carrots result from clay soils,sticks, roots, stones, or root knotnematodes.

VarietiesDanvers 126—fresh use and pro-

cessing type; tolerates high tempera-tures; moderately tapered; stump root6 to 8 inches long; broad shoulder;open pollinated; 75 days.

Red Cored Chantenay—process-ing type; choice for heavy soils;tapered; short, thick stump root; 4 to 6inches long; heavy shoulder; 68 days.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is grown much likebroccoli and cabbage, but plants areless tolerant of heat and cold. Startfrom transplants in spring. Direct seedor use transplants in fall. Select earlymaturing varieties to avoid late springheat and late fall cold. Cauliflowerplants are more sensitive to springfreezes than broccoli or cabbage.

Cauliflower plants must be keptgrowing vigorously from germinationthrough harvest. Any interruption ingrowth caused by drought, heat, orcold can cause the edible head to failto develop (button). Use a starter solu-tion (page 9) when setting plants inthe garden.

Some of the new cauliflowerhybrids are self-blanching (leavesfold over developing head), eliminat-ing the need for tying outer leaves toensure a white head. With nonself-blanching types, tie the large outerleaves loosely together over the centerof the plant when the small head is 2to 3 inches in diameter. The headshould be ready to harvest 7 to 12

days after tying the leaves. Cut thehead before it develops a coarse, riceyappearance. Cauliflower plants makeonly a single head. Downy mildewcan be a serious disease problem.Aphids, cabbage loopers, and import-ed cabbage moths are major insectpests.

VarietiesMajestic—hybrid; earlier than

Snow Crown; heads 7 inches across;66 days.

Snow Crown—hybrid; earlySnowball type; white heads up to 8inches across; 68 days; AAS 1975.

Snow King—hybrid; extra early;withstands heat; ideal for fall; 60days; AAS 1969.

Swiss ChardSwiss chard is a

close relative of thegarden beet thatdoes not developan edible root.Grow chard justlike beets, butspace the plants 4

to 6 inches apart in the row.Harvest chard by cutting the entire

plant or by removing the large outerleaves, leaving the smaller leaves todevelop for future harvests. If wa-tered, spring-planted chard may sur-vive the summer to produce leaves forfall harvest. The green portion of theleaf can be stripped off, leaving thebroad mid-rib, which can be steamedand eaten like asparagus.

There are several varieties ofchard; the biggest difference amongthem is that some varieties havebrightly colored stems. The red-stemmed varieties may be mistakenfor rhubarb but cannot be used as arhubarb substitute.

Because of its upright growth andlarge, attractive leaves, chard can beused as an ornamental in borders anddisplay beds.

VarietiesBright Lights—red, yellow, pur-

ple, and green petioles.Lucullus—early; leaves crumpled;

dark green; broad, pale-green petiole.Rhubarb—crimson stalks; leaves

dark green; heavily crumpled.

Collards

This leafy green seems to be ingardens year-round but is at its best inspring and fall during cool weather.Early spring plantings produce edibleleaves right through summer ifwatered and fertilized, and if insectsare controlled.

Some gardeners prefer to harvestthe large, mature lower leaves, leav-ing young leaves and the growing bud

to produce more leaves for later har-vests. Other gardeners harvest leavesfrom young plants by cutting themfrom the plants, leaving the growingbuds to produce leaves for later har-vests. Collard seeds are sometimesplanted in May, June, or July for sum-mer transplants and fall harvest.

Collards are relatively heavy feed-ing plants and require side-dressingwith a nitrogen fertilizer. The mostpopular old varieties, Georgia LS(long standing) and Vates, are bothrelatively slow to go to seed. Vates isthe preferred variety for overwinter-ing.

Major insect problems are aphidsand leaf-eating worms. Larvae of cab-bage loopers and imported cabbagemoths are serious pests in late spring,summer, and early fall.

VarietiesVates—standard older variety for

overwintering; good resistance tobolting; low-growing, compact.

Georgia LS—spring and summerplanting not recommended for over-wintering.

Blue Max—hybrid; slightlysavoyed, large leaves that extenddown the petioles; blue-green color;mild taste; upright, vigorous, compactplant.

Champion—Vates type withlonger standing ability.

Sweet Corn

Seed companies have offered anexplosion of new sweet corn hybridsin recent years. Sweet corn varietiescan be divided into three broadgroups: normal sweets, sugaryenhanced sweets, and super sweets.Within the sugary enhanced groupthere are two types: those with 100percent of the kernels being sugaryand those with about 25 percent of thekernels being sugary. Both the normalsweets and the sugary enhanced areexcellent types for gardens becauseseeds are normal in size and germi-nate well.

Super sweet seeds are small, andconditions must be ideal for good ger-mination. Super sweet seedlings areslower to establish than the normaland sugary enhanced types. The supersweets have a sugar content that istwo to three times higher than that ofnormal sweet corn and a slow conver-sion rate of sugar to starch. Therefore,super sweets hold up well on plantsand in the refrigerator.

Both the normal sweet and the sug-ary enhanced sweet corns have fairlyrapid rates of conversion of sugar tostarch, but these sweet corns also havea creamy texture, while super sweetsare more crisp and watery.

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In addition to differences in sugarcontent, sweet corn also comes in dif-ferent colors: yellow, white, andbicolor (yellow and white kernels onthe same ear).

Sweet corns also are divided intovarieties that mature early (65 to 70days), midseason (70 to 80 days), andlate (80 or more days). Most earlyvarieties are better adapted to thenorthern states and do not make satis-factory growth or ear size in the south.

For an ear of corn to develop prop-erly, corn pollen from the tassel at thetop of the plant must fall to the silks ofthe ear located about halfway up thestalk. Plant several short rows, ratherthan one or two long rows, for betterpollination. Better pollination meansfuller ears. Hot, dry conditions duringpollination result in missing kernels,small ears, and poor development ofear tips. A water shortage, signaled byvisible wilting (rolling of the leaves),at the time of silk emergence results inreduced yields and quality.

When different varieties of sweetcorn planted close together silk andtassel at the same time, crosspolli-nation can occur by wind-blownpollen. This may result in somethingas simple as yellow kernels scat-tered in the ears of white corn; butmore important is the reduction inquality when super sweet corns arepollinated by any other type ofsweet corn. Therefore, isolate thesuper sweets from other sweet cornsby time of planting so that they silkand tassel at different times; or iso-late them by a distance greater thanthe pollen is carried by the wind. Ifpopcorn and field corn pollinate anytype of sweet corn, they will destroyits eating quality.

Soil fertility problems frequentlycause low yields in sweet corn. If soilsare cold and wet during early plant-ing, deficiencies of nitrogen and phos-phorus will occur. Small ears at har-vest indicate low fertility, and poorlyfilled ear tips indicate low nitrogen,phosphorus, or potassium.

Corn earworms are the most seri-ous sweet corn pests, although chinchbugs, flea beetles, blister beetles, andarmyworms also cause serious dam-age. As soon as silks appear, spray ordust to control earworms. Continue toapply insecticide on a 3- to 4-dayschedule until silks are brown and dry.

Sweet corn is ready to harvestabout 20 days after the first silksappear. The ear should feel full, thekernels should be plump, and the juiceshould be milky in the normal andsugary enhanced types.

Birds are a problem at plantingtime and at harvest time. They pullseedlings from the soil to feed on thekernels and also feed on the ears asthey approach maturity. Problemswith animals, such as raccoons andsquirrels, feeding on sweet corn as itmatures are difficult to prevent. Youcan prevent some damage by using a2-strand electric fence around thegarden. Place one wire about 4 inch-es aboveground and the other atabout 12 inches. The electric fence

should be in operation well beforecorn approaches maturity.

VarietiesNormal type

Jubilee—yellow; large ear; whitesilk; late.

Merit—yellow; tolerant to hightemperatures and drought; large,heavy ears; smut resistant; sometimescalled silkless because silks come offears easily; midseason to late.

Silver Queen—white; exceptionalquality; late.

Sweet G-90—bicolor; very tenderand sweet; 75 days.

Sugary Enhanced (se)Bodacious—homozygous se; yel-

low; early (75 days); medium-sizedear; excellent eating.

Calico Belle—bicolor; homozy-gous se; midseason; medium-sizedear; excellent eating; good yields.

Incredible—yellow; an improvedMiracle; good husk protection and tipfill; 100 percent se; late.

Miracle—yellow; excellent flavor;tender kernels; large ears; midseason.

Platinum Lady—white; excellentflavor; purple color in stalks andhusks; early to midseason.

Snowbelle—white; creamy tex-ture; 1 week earlier than SilverQueen.

Tendertreat–yellow; excellent fla-vor and tender; purple color in stalksand husks; tall plants; late.

Super Sweet (sh2)How Sweet It Is—white; 8-inch

ears; late; requires isolation; 88 days;AAS 1986.

Summer Sweet 7210—yellow; 8-inch ears; midseason; requires isola-tion; 78 days.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are divided into twobroad groups, pickling and slicing, onthe basis of shape and color.

Pickling types are short andblocky and have white or black spineson the cucumber (spines are small andeasily overlooked). Fruit are generallydark green at stem end and may bealmost white at blossom end. Fruitwith white spines turn light yellow orwhite when overmature. Black-spinedtypes turn orange.

Slicing cucumbers have long fruit,are generally dark green from stem totip, and have white spines. Grow slic-ing cucumbers on a trellis for straight,uniformly colored fruit.

Fruit types may actually be usedinterchangeably (except in veg-etable shows), and the two typescrosspollinate.

The normal type of cucumberplants have separate male (short stemand pollen) and female (little cucum-ber and pollen-receiving organ) flow-ers on the same plant. This conditionis called monoecious. Some of the

newer hybrids are described as beingpredominantly female, or gynoecious.These plants produce few if any maleflowers. Seed packets of gynoecioushybrids generally have about 15 per-cent seeds of a pollinator (normalplants with male flowers) mixed in.

Until recently, all garden cucum-bers required pollination for fruit todevelop, and the cucumbers had seedsin them. Plant breeders are now devel-oping seedless (parthenocarpic) vari-eties that develop without pollinationand seeds.

All cucumbers must be harvestedbefore blossom ends soften or fruitsbegin to yellow. Smaller sizes aremore desirable for pickling than thelarger fruit, which can be used for rel-ish or mock spiced apple slices.Harvest slicing cucumbers beforeseed coats on the seeds begin to hard-en.

Remove all overmature, large, andpoorly shaped fruit from the vines tokeep plants producing.

Poor fruit shape (crooks, nubs, andballs) is caused by low soil fertility,drought, or poor pollination. Acucumber is almost 95 percent water,so lack of water affects fruit develop-ment and quality.

Bitter cucumbers result from poorgrowing conditions (low soil fertility,high temperatures, and drought).Varieties are now available that do notbecome bitter, but this is no excuse forneglecting the plants.

Cucumbers do not crosspollinatewith melons, squash, or pumpkins,but they do cross with other varietiesof cucumbers. This has no impact onthe fruit being harvested and shouldbe of concern only if you save seeds.Since most modern varieties arehybrids, saving seeds is not recom-mended.

Cucumber seedlings that are notgrown in small pots or containers donot transplant easily, so plant seedswhere they are to grow; or startseedlings in peat pots, pellets, or cups,and set them in the garden before thefirst true leaf enlarges.

Most new cucumber hybrids areresistant to major diseases. Problem-causing insects are cucumber beetles,squash bugs, and pickleworms.

VarietiesPickling type

Calypso—gynoecious hybrid;multiple disease resistance; uniformdark green; blocky; white spine; 56days.

Carolina—gynoecious hybrid;multiple disease resistance; medium-length vine; medium dark green;blocky fruit; white spine; 55 days.

Slicing typeAshley—straight, slightly tapered

fruit; 7 to 8 inches long; 66 days.Cherokee—gynoecious hybrid; 7

to 71⁄2 inches long; 63 days.Gemini—gynoecious hybrid; mul-

tiple disease resistance; 8 to 81⁄2 incheslong; 61 days.

General Lee—tolerates cucumbermosaic virus.

Poinsett 76—open-pollinated;

monoecious; 7 to 8 inches long; mul-tiple disease resistance.

Salad Bush—monoecious hybridwith short (24-inch) vines; multipledisease tolerance; dark green fruit;adapted to containers, hanging bas-kets, and small gardens; AAS 1988.

Slicemaster—early gynoecioushybrid with multiple disease toler-ance; 8 to 9 inches long; dark greencolor; 61 days.

Straight 8—white spine; AAS1938 and still productive!

Sweet Success—greenhouse type;seedless; 12 to 14 inches long; bestgrown on trellis; some disease toler-ance; AAS 1983.

Sweet Slice—hybrid; multiple dis-ease tolerance; mild burpless; nonbit-ter; 10 to 12 inches long; 63 days.

Thunder—very early; strong dis-ease package.

Eggplant

Eggplant is an extremely cold-sen-sitive vegetable, and early plantingresults in stunted plants. Direct seed-ing in the garden is not recommended.Start with transplants, either homegrown or purchased. Use a startersolution (page 9) when setting outtransplants.

You have a broad choice of vari-eties when ordering seeds from a cat-alog, but there is often little or nochoice of varieties when purchasingplants. Most plant producers growonly Black Beauty, the old standard,late-maturing variety. New varietiesand hybrids offer high yields, earli-ness, and a choice of size, shape, andcolor.

Eggplant is in the garden fromspring planting until frost, so mulchplants to reduce summer’s heat anddrought stress. Side-dress eggplantwhen plants are half grown and againafter first harvest.

Several diseases and insects attackeggplant. The most serious disease isPhomopsis fruit rot. The most seriousinsect pest is the flea beetle. Thissmall, black insect eats many tinyholes in the leaves and may defoliateand kill plants.

VarietiesBlack Beauty—old standard; low-

spreading, bushy plant; fruit round toglobe and dark purple; 80 days.

Florida Market—prolific over along season; plants tall and upright;fruit long, cylindrical, glossy darkpurple; Phomopsis resistant; 85 days.

Dusky—hybrid; extra early; freesetting heavy yielder; fruit deep oval,glossy black; tolerant to tobaccomosaic virus; 63 days.

Millionaire—Oriental type withpurple-calyxed, black fruit.

Endive and Escarole

These two strong-flavored leafygreens are commonly used in salads.Both are cool-season vegetables likelettuce and are best grown like headlettuce; transplants in spring anddirect seeding in fall.

Endive has curly, finely cut leaves,while escarole has broad, flat leaves.Both have a somewhat coarse textureand a strong flavor that some interpretas bitter.

VarietiesFlorida Deep Heart—broad, dark

green leaves, creamy white heart;escarole type; 85 days.

Green Curled—finely cut, curledleaves; endive type; 95 days.

Gourds

Gourds are divided into severalgroups based on use and flower color.The small, hard-shelled ornamentalgourds used for decoration have yel-low flowers. Varieties within thisgroup are Apple, Bell, Egg, and Crownof Thorns. Ornamental gourds belongto the same botanical group as summersquash, and they do crosspollinate.

The ultility gourds, dipper andbirdhouse, have white flowers. Thedishrag gourd (luffa) is a utility gourdwith yellow flowers. This gourd canbe eaten when young and is alsoknown as running okra. The fruit canreach 2 feet in length and have promi-nent ribs, or it can be smooth.

Gourds are grown the same way asmuskmelons, cucumbers, squash, andpumpkins. Vines are vigorous andspreading and will readily climb asupport or trellis. Trellising results inbetter shaped gourds and keeps themoff the ground, reducing rotting andsoil staining.

Plant seeds about 1 inch deepwhen soil is warm and danger of frostis over. Space plants about 2 feet apartwhen not trellising. Utility and luffagourds have large, vigorous vines andrequire a long growing season.Although mature gourds are not hurtby frost, vines of all types are sensi-tive to frost.

Fertilize as for squash and water-melons. Side-dress when the vinesbegin to run.

Harvest ornamental gourds inAugust or September when fruits

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become hard. Harvest dipper gourdswhen they turn tan or brown and luffagourds when skin is yellow and canbe easily removed. Harvest usingclippers to avoid twisting or breakingthe stems. Handle carefully to avoidcuts and bruises.

Following harvest, wash the orna-mental, dipper, and birdhouse gourdsin a non-bleaching disinfectant andplace them in a dry location with goodair circulation until thoroughly dry.Cure dipper and birdhouse gourds forseveral weeks in a warm, dry place.Gourds are very hard, and the seedsrattle when completely dry.

With luffa gourds, remove the yel-low skin and seeds from the freshgourds. Remaining fibers can bewashed and dried in the sun. Luffagourds dried with the skin on must besoaked in water for several days tosoften the skin to ease its removal.Remove seeds, wash fiber mass, anddry in the sun.

After drying, colorful ornamentalgourds can be waxed or dipped inshellac and hung by their stems to dry.

Major insect pests of gourds arecucumber beetles, squash bugs,squash vine borers, and pickleworms.

Horseradish

Horseradish is a hardy perennialplant that is normally grown as anannual. This cool-season root crop isnot well adapted to Mississippi’s cli-mate and soils.

Start in early spring with root cut-tings (sets) that are 8 to 14 incheslong. Plant them 18 to 24 inches apartand 4 to 5 inches deep in a trench.Water and mulch to keep soil cool.Horseradish does best in deep, loose,fertile soil. Use a fertilizer high inpotash to promote good root develop-ment. Keep side shoots removed toforce development of one large root.This requires digging around thecrown to cut off the side shoots.Harvest in the fall after frost.

Side roots not removed duringgrowth can be removed at harvest,stored, and used to start another crop.

Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes)

This relative of the sunflower pro-duces fleshy tubers you can boil, fry,or eat raw.

In the spring, plant small tubers 2to 3 inches deep and 18 to 24 inchesapart. Stalks reach several feet inheight and produce masses of attrac-

tive yellow flowers before frost in thefall.

Tubers can be harvested all winterand are best left in the ground untilneeded. Keep harvested tubers in aplastic bag in the refrigerator to pre-vent shrinkage.

Beware of this plant. It quicklybecomes a weed from small tubersleft in the ground at harvest.

Kale

This close relative of cabbage andcollards is best grown in the fall gar-den. Light frost improves the flavor,and in some years, kale plants sur-vive the winter to produce an earlyspring crop of leaves.

Sow seeds directly in the gardenin late summer, and thin plants tostand 8 to 12 inches apart. Harvestthe lower leaves, or cut the entireplant. Aphids and leaf-eating worms,such as cabbage loopers and import-ed cabbage moths, are the most seri-ous pests.

Kale is available in two differenttypes—a curly-leafed type that isnormally used for eating and an orna-mental type used for garnish. Be sureto grow the correct variety for eating.

VarietiesDwarf Siberian—hardy; vigor-

ous; large, coarse leaves; deepbluish-green color.

Vates—low, spreading; hardy;slow bolting; leaves curled.

Winterbor—very curly leaves;cold tolerant.

Black Magic—dinosaur type withdark green, crinkled leaves.

Kohlrabi

Known as stem turnip, kohlrabi isa rapid-maturing, cool-season veg-etable that can be grown in both thespring and fall garden. This vegetableis not widely grown by Southern gar-deners even though the hybrid variety,Grand Duke, was named an AllAmerica Selection in 1979.

Kohlrabi grows very well inMississippi and is becoming popularas an alternative to chips for snackfood. Thinly sliced raw roots areused with dips.

Thin seedlings to stand about 4inches apart. Keep plants watered andfertilized so they won’t becomewoody. The swollen stem can reach

several inches in diameter but shouldbe harvested at the 2-inch size.

VarietiesGrand Duke—hybrid; early; vig-

orous; 50 days; AAS 1979.Purple Vienna—leaves and stem

purple; stem flesh white; 55 days.White Vienna—standard variety;

light green; 55 days.

Lettuce

Both leaf and head lettuce growwell in Mississippi gardens in springand fall. Leaf lettuce is more coldhardy, faster maturing, more shadetolerant, and a few varieties are moreheat tolerant than head lettuce.

Start plants in a cold frame in latewinter or early spring for transplant-ing to the garden, or sow seeds direct-ly in the garden. Head lettuce seedssown directly in the garden in veryearly spring make a good crop if Mayis a relatively cool month. Remember,garden head lettuce doesn’t have toform a solid head before being har-vested and used.

Lettuce transplants easily, andplants with plenty of growing spacedevelop more quickly than those inthe crowded seed row. Thin leaf let-tuce to at least 4 inches apart, butter-head bibb types to 6 inches apart, andcrisp head types to 10 to 12 inchesapart.

All types of lettuce are relativelyheavy feeders and need high nitrogenfertility. Because the root system issmall and shallow, keep soil moist topromote rapid, constant growth.Lettuce does not grow well in hotweather without plenty of moisture,and even then it may become toughand bitter and go to seed.

VarietiesCrisp head types

Great Lakes—medium-sized;solid head; large, dark green wrapperleaves; slow bolting; frost resistant;resistant to tip burn; AAS 1944.

Leaf typesBlack Seeded Simpson—old vari-

ety; large, upright plant; light greenleaves; heavily frilled.

Grand Rapids—old popular homegarden variety; large, erect, compactleaves; light green; wavy.

Prize Head—early; curled andfrilly; outer leaves reddish-brown,inner leaves medium green.

Red Sails—deep bronzy-red ruf-fled leaves; attractive; slow to bolt;AAS 1952.

Salad Bowl—slow to bolt; large,upright leaves; light green; deeplynotched; AAS 1952.

SloBolt—long-standing GrandRapids type.

Butterhead typesButternut Crunch—long standing

bibb type; dark green outside leaves;AAS 1963.

Muskmelons (Cantaloupes)

Muskmelons are popular with gar-deners who have plenty of space toaccommodate their spreading vines.

Muskmelons do not tolerate cooltemperatures or transplanting verywell, so wait until the soil is warmbefore planting seeds. To warm thesoil, use black plastic mulch, floatingrow covers, or plastic tunnels. Starttransplants in individual containerslike peat pots, and move them to thegarden shortly after the seeds germi-nate and the soil is warm.

Muskmelons can be grown on atrellis, but the fruit must be supportedwith a sling. Control the vigorousvines by pinching out the growing ter-minals once the melon crop has set.Bees are necessary for pollination.

Muskmelons do not crosspollinatewith cucumbers, squash, or watermel-ons, so off-flavor and poor quality areattributed to growing conditions(excess water while ripening, low soilfertility, and hot, cloudy weather).

Many newer hybrid varieties areresistant to major diseases.

Varieties Ambrosia—hybrid; excellent fla-

vor; 4-pound melons; light orangeflesh; resistant to downy and powderymildews.

Dixie Jumbo—hybrid; replace-ment for Hales Best Jumbo; salmonflesh; 4-pound melons; resistant todowny and powdery mildews.

Hales Best 36—round; well-net-ted; small seed cavity; salmon flesh;87 days.

Magnum 45—hybrid; early; 3-pound melons; deep orange flesh;resistant to powdery mildew.

Mission—hybrid; western shippertype with no sutures; deep salmonflesh; 3- to 4-pound melons; resistantto powdery mildew.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens are quick andeasy to grow in spring and fall.Mustard does not tolerate heat andbolts (runs to seed) when weatherwarms in late spring. Plant seeds 4 to6 weeks before the last frost in springand 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost

in fall. Several plantings, a couple ofweeks apart, provide a continuoussupply of mustard. Harvest by cut-ting entire plants, breaking off onlythe large leaves, or cutting plants towithin an inch or so of the crowns,permitting regrowth for a second har-vest. Curly leaved varieties trap a lotof sand that is difficult to wash off.

Varieties Florida Broad Leaf—broad, flat

leaf; sawtooth edge; the most populargarden variety.

Green Wave—very curly leaf;AAS 1957.

Southern Giant Curled—verycurly leaf.

Tendergreen (MustardSpinach)—strap-shaped leaf;smooth.

Garnet Giant—attractive redleaves that turn green when cooked.

Okra

Okra is a hot-weather vegetable.Most varieties make large plants thatrequire a fair amount of garden space.When two rows are planted side byside, leave extra space between therows and on both sides to allow foreasy harvesting.

Okra seeds are hard. Soak them inwater overnight before planting tospeed germination.

Space the seed about 4 inchesapart in the row and thin seedlings tothe recommended spacing, or plantgroups of two or three seeds at therecommended final spacing and thinseedling groups to one plant. Plantingthrough black plastic mulch is recom-mended to promote earliness. Okraseedlings are sensitive to cool, wetsoils and cool air temperatures. Acidsoils result in poor pod development.

A second planting of okra seedsabout 6 weeks after the first plantingensures plenty of tender pods in latesummer and fall when production onthe early planting is declining.

Cut back tall okra plants to aheight of 3 to 4 feet to promotebranching, to make harvesting easier,and to renew the plants. Side-dresswith a nitrogen fertilizer at the sametime.

Harvest okra pods by snapping orcutting frequently. Even the spinelessvarieties cause some skin irritation, sowear long sleeves when harvesting.

Disease problems are generallyminimal, but okra is sensitive to rootknot nematodes. Insect pests are cornearworms, stink bugs, and ants.

VarietiesAnnie Oakley II—hybrid;

Clemson Spineless type; spinelesspods slightly ribbed.

Burgundy—burgundy-colored

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pods; dwarf plants grow to only 4feet; plant has ornamental appeal withred in stems and leaves; AAS 1988.

Cajun Delight—five-sided; darkgreen pods.

Clemson Spineless—leadinghome garden variety; straight podstapered, ridged, spineless; less foliagethan Perkins Spineless; 65 days; AAS1939.

Onions

Onions are grown for green-topped salad onions and dry bulbonions. Select a loose, fertile soil andstart with transplants, small dry bulbs(sets), or seeds. Set out transplants inlate winter and early spring, depend-ing on location, and use for both saladand bulb onions. Onion sets planted inearly spring also produce salad onionsand bulbs. Fall-planted sets producefall salad onions and when overwin-tered, produce spring salad onionsand bulbs.

Onion seeds are normally plantedin fall (September to October) for theproduction of transplants, but few gar-deners go to the trouble of raisingtheir own onion plants.

Separate onion sets into twosizes—smaller than a dime and largerthan a dime—before planting. Thesmall sets planted in spring make bulbonions, and planted in fall, may sur-vive the winter to make bulb onions.Large sets planted in spring or fallgenerally flower and should be usedfor green salad onions since onionplants that flower do not mature intogood dry bulbs.

Space sets and transplants for bulbonions 4 to 6 inches apart in the gar-den row. Onion plants have shallowroots and are subject to injury fromdry soils. Side-dress with a nitrogenfertilizer once or twice to encouragestrong and vigorous growth.

As onion bulbs begin to mature,the tops yellow and fall over. Liftingthe bulbs gently with a turning forkto break some of the roots hastensmaturity. Do not bend over the topsto hasten maturity. This practicereduces bulb size and opens theonions to neck rot.

The onion varieties grown forbulbs in the South do not makestrong-flavored, hard-storage typebulbs. The soft, sweet Southernonions keep for several weeks, butplan to use them rapidly.

Varieties Crystal Wax—white skin and

flesh; standard variety; flat, medium-sized bulb; soft, mild flesh; also usedfor green salad onions.

Granex 33—Vidalia type onion;hybrid; thick, flat globe shape; yellowskin; fair storage quality; mild, sweetflavor; susceptible to pink root.

Granex 429—yellow skin; deepershape than Granex 33 and several dayslater maturing; mild, sweet flavor.

Texas Grano-1015 Y—yellowskin; globe shape; sweet and mild;resistant to pink root.

Southern Peas

Field pea, cowpea, and protepeaall are names used for the southernpea. There are numerous types andvarieties with many old familyfavorites in the seed trade. Gardenersclassify peas several different ways:seed color, pea size and shape, andpod color. Small-sized pea and podtypes are referred to as lady peas.Other common types are crowders,creams, blackeyes, pinkeyes, purplehulls, and silver skins.

Do not plant this warm-weathervegetable early in cool soil. Peas growin all soil types but are sensitive tohigh levels of nitrogen fertilizer andrespond by making all vine and fewpods. Older varieties have a tendencyto make a vine; newer varieties aresemi-vining to bush type.

Seed quality and variety areimportant to success when growingpeas. Varieties such as MississippiSilver, Mississippi Purple, MagnoliaBlackeye, Mississippi Cream, andMississippi Pinkeye have multipledisease resistance (fusarium, rootknot nematode, and several strains ofvirus) and perform better than vari-eties that possess no disease resist-ance, such as California Blackeye,Knuckle Purple Hull, and BunchPinkeye.

Major disease problems are fusari-um wilt, several viruses, root knotnematodes, and pod rots. The mostserious insect problems are cowpeacurculios, aphids, and stink bugs.

VarietiesLouisiana Quickpick—bears pink-

eyed, purple-hulled pods above thefoliage.

Magnolia Blackeye—green pea islight green to cream with black eye;mature green pod is light green tocream; mature pods are tan; plant issmall, and pods are not held up well;plants have multiple disease resist-ance.

Mississippi Purple—brown crow-der type; green pea is large, turning tobrown seed; mature pod light green topurple turning brown when dry; semi-vining type plant with multiple dis-ease resistance.

Mississippi Silver—brown crow-der type; green pea is large turning tobrown seed; mature pod is green turn-ing silvery and then yellow; large,semi-vining plant with multiple dis-ease resistance.

Pinkeye Purple Hull-BVR—a typ-ical pinkeye type but with resistanceto blackeye cowpea mosaic virus.

Peas(English, Snap, Snow)

English peas require early springplanting in order to mature beforewarm weather destroys them. Preparethe planting site in fall by adding allfertilizer except nitrogen. Prepare ahigh bed so that planting is possiblewhen the rest of the garden may betoo wet.

Some varieties of English peashave smooth seeds and others havewrinkled seeds. Smooth-seeded peashave a starchy flavor, even whenyoung, and are used mostly for can-ning. Wrinkled-seeded peas are sweetwhen young and are slower to losequality.

Soil temperatures at plantingshould be at least 45 °F for good ger-mination. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and1 inch apart. Allow 8 to 10 inchesbetween double rows. Some form ofsupport makes harvesting easier andkeeps vines off the ground, reducinglosses to pod rot. Tall varieties mustbe supported. Double rows of shortvine types support themselves. Mulchto keep soil around roots cool andmoist.

Grow sugar peas (snow peas) thesame way as English peas. Harvestedible pods while still young and ten-der, and before peas enlarge. Edible-podded peas are also grown likeEnglish peas. Plants and pods resem-ble English peas, but the pods as wellas the enlarged peas are eaten togeth-er without shelling. Sugar Snap, a1979 AAS Gold Medal winner, hastall vines that require support. Morerecently developed varieties haveshort vines.

VarietiesEnglish peas

Alaska—smooth seed; canningtype; early; 28-inch vines; 52 days.

Green Arrow—midseason; wrin-kled seed; 24- to 28-inch vine; 41⁄2-inch pods; 9 to 11 peas per pod; resist-ant to downy mildew and fusariumwilt; 68 days.

Little Marvel—old variety; wrin-kled seed; 15-inch vines; early; 3-inchpod; 6 to 8 peas per pod; dark greenpea; 62 days.

Thomas Laxton—early; wrinkledseed; 28- to 34-inch vine; 31⁄2-inchpod; 6 to 8 peas per pod; large pea;excellent quality; 61 days.

Wando—midseason to late; smallpod; 24- to 30-inch vine; toleratessome heat; 3-inch pod; 6 to 8 peas perpod; 70 days.

Snap peasSnappy—large pods; 8 to 9 peas;

vines 6 feet; mildew resistant; 63 days.Sugar Ann—bush-type plant; 18

to 24 inches tall; AAS 1984. Sugar Bon—2- to 3-inch pods;

weather tolerant; vines 18 to 24 inch-

es; powdery mildew resistant; 56 days. Sugar Daddy—stringless; easy to

pick; 74 days. Sugar Snap—4- to 6-foot vine;

thick-walled, edible pod; 21⁄2- to 31⁄2-inch pods; wilt resistant; 68 days;AAS 1979.

Snow peasDwarf Gray Sugar—early; 3-inch,

light green pods; vines 2 feet tall.Mammoth Melting Sugar—4-inch

pods; 4-foot wilt-resistant vines. Oregon Sugar Pod II—4-inch

pods; 28-inch disease resistant vines.

Peanuts

Peanuts are divided into four gen-eral categories according to plant andnut types: Virginia, Runner, Spanish,and Valencia. Virginia and Runnertypes are mostly low-growing plantswith two large seeds per pod and arethe best garden types. Spanish andValencia types are mostly erect plants,small-seeded, with the Spanish hav-ing two to three seeds, and theValencia three to four seeds per pod.

Peanuts grow best on coarse-tex-tured, sandy loam soils. On fine-tex-tured soils, the Virginia and Runnertypes are difficult to harvest, andmany pods may be left in the ground.

Peanuts are good users of residualfertilizer in the soil and may not needadditional fertilizer. Soils of low fer-tility require about 10 pounds of 0-24-24 or equivalent per 1,000 square feet.Soils of medium fertility requireabout 7 pounds per 1,000 square feet.Peanuts are very sensitive to low soilpH and low levels of soil calcium.

Remove seeds that are still in thepods, being careful not to damage theseed coat or split the seed. Use one-half pound of seed per 100 feet ofrow. Virginia and Runner typesrequire 3 feet between rows, withplants 3 to 4 inches apart in the row.Plant Spanish types closer together (inrows 2 feet apart with 2 to 3 inchesbetween plants). Plant on a wide,slightly raised bed. Cover seeds with11⁄2 to 2 inches of coarse-textured soil.On fine-textured soils, 1 inch is deepenough.

Inoculate the peanut seed where awell nodulated peanut or southern peacrop was not grown on the garden sitethe preceding year. Buy a fresh com-mercial peanut inoculant and apply it tothe seed immediately before planting.

To prevent poorly developed pods,sprinkle about 21⁄2 pounds of gypsumor basic slag per 100 feet of gardenrow over the plants when they beginto flower.

Because peanut plants are low-growing, close cultivation is difficult.Keep weeds under control and soilfree from crusts that interfere with thepegs (young undeveloped peanuts)

entering the ground. Do not throw orpull soil to the plants while cultivatingbecause this kills leaves, interfereswith flowering, and increases thechance for disease.

Once pods are developing in thesoil, cultivation causes injury andweeding close to the plants must bedone by hand.

Peanuts are relatively tolerant todry soils when compared to someother garden vegetables. However,they need plenty of water when flow-ering vigorously and when pegs areentering the soil. A water shortage atthis time greatly reduces yields. Wateris also important as harvest approach-es. Do not water peanuts as they beginto mature. The Virginia and Runnertypes have good seed dormancy, butSpanish types may sprout if watered.

As peanuts mature, leaves turnyellow. Since plants flower over aperiod of weeks, all pods do notmature at the same time. False matu-rity (plants yellowing) caused by dis-ease reduces yields. From 120 to 150days are required from planting tomaturity.

Dig when about 75 percent of theinner hulls of Spanish types and 65percent of the inner hulls of Runnertypes are brown.

Dig the whole plant with a turningfork, being careful to break off as fewpods as possible. Freshly dug greenpeanuts are excellent for boiling.After several days of exposure togood drying conditions, the moisturecontent of the peanuts drops from 50percent to about 20 percent. Moveplants to a warm, airy place for 2 to 3weeks to complete curing beforepulling the nuts from the plants.

Yields vary with planting date, soilpH, growing conditions, and typegrown. Virginia and Runner typesyield about 1 bushel (green-35 to 45pounds; dry-15 pounds) of peanutsper 100 feet of row.

Major diseases attacking gardenpeanuts are leafspot, stem and pod rot,and nematodes. Control these dis-eases by changing the location ofpeanuts in the garden every year.Also, remove all dead plants andleaves from the garden site or turnthem under in the fall to allow timefor decomposition.

Control most leafspot diseases byregularly applying fungicides contain-ing chlorothalonil or maneb.Sanitation is the best way to controlstem and pod rot caused by southernblight.

Control velvet bean caterpillars,corn earworms, fall armyworms, andthrips with carbaryl (Sevin). Controlaphids with malathion.

PeppersGarden peppers, both hot and

sweet, are generally purchased astransplants from a local distributor atplanting time. Peppers grow well onblack plastic mulch. Use a startersolution when setting plants in thegarden. Growing transplants fromseeds takes 10 to 12 weeks. Direct

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seeding in the garden is not recom-mended.

All peppers are sensitive to exces-sive nitrogen fertilization. Too muchfertilization will cause blossoms andsmall pods to drop off. Hot daytimetemperatures and cool nighttime tem-peratures also cause blossom drop.Problems with peppers other thanblossom drop are blossom end rot(resulting from drought and acidsoils), southern stem blight, sunburn,leaf diseases, anthracnose, viruses,and aphids.

VarietiesSweet peppers

Bell Boy—hybrid; medium long;blocky; mostly 4-lobed fruit; tolerantto tobacco mosaic virus; heavy set;AAS 1967.

Big Bertha—hybrid; elongatedbell type; resistant to tobacco mosaicvirus.

California Wonder—thick walled;blocky fruit; 3 to 4 lobes.

Emerald Giant—large, 4-lobedblocky fruit; tolerant to tobacco mosa-ic virus.

Jupiter—early; large and blocky;mostly 4-lobed; medium-dark greenturning red at maturity; tolerant totobacco mosaic virus.

Keystone Resistant Giant—largependant, blocky fruit; resistant totobacco mosaic virus.

Sweet Banana—Sweet Hungariantype; 6 inches long; tapered; light yel-low turning red.

Hot peppers Cayenne—dark green turning red;

6 inches long; processing type fordrying and sauce; concentrated fruit-ing habit; strong 24-inch plants.

Habanero—a Caribbean favorite;golden-orange lantern-shaped fruit.Be careful.

Hungarian Wax—canary yellowfruit; 6 to 8 inches long; turns redwhen ripe.

Jalapeno—very hot; thick-walled;tapered green fruit turning red; 3 inch-es long.

Super Chili—hybrid; thin-walled,tapered fruit; 21⁄2 inches long; fruitheld upright on small plants; orna-mental value; AAS 1988.

TAM Mild Jalapeno—mildly hotjalapeno type; dark green; thick wall;productive.

Irish Potatoes

Most garden Irish potatoes aregrown in the spring, since good seedpotatoes are impossible to find for fall

planting. This is one of the few veg-etables recommended for growing inmildly acid soil. A soil pH below 6.0is acceptablebecause it retards devel-opment of potato scab disease.

Prepare garden rows in fall bybuilding a high bed that will permitearly spring planting. Small wholepotatoes or cut pieces of large pota-toes are referred to as seeds. Use cer-tified seed potatoes that are not shriv-eled or black on the inside when cut.Do not use potatoes left over from lastyear’s garden because they may bediseased and result in low yields. Donot use potatoes from the grocerystore, since the variety may beunadapted and the potatoes may havebeen treated to prevent sprouting.

Cut seed potatoes into piecesweighing 11⁄2 to 2 ounces with at leastone eye per piece. Small seed piecesproduce weak plants; large pieces area waste of seeds. Cut seed potatoesseveral days before planting and holdthem at room temperature spread in asingle layer to allow the cut surfacesto dry and heal. This reduces seedpiece rot following planting. You need1 pound of seed potatoes to plantabout 10 feet of row; 10 poundsshould plant 100 feet of row. Spaceseed pieces 10 to 12 inches apart andcover with 3 to 4 inches of soil.

Spring-planted potatoes normallybloom, and some of the flowersdevelop into fruit that look like smallgreen tomatoes. These fruits, thegreen areas on the skin of potatoesthat have been exposed to light, andsprouted potato eyes contain a poison-ous substance that may cause illness ifeaten. Prevent greening of potatoes bykeeping them covered with soil asthey grow, and keeping them in thedark after harvest.

Some gardeners prefer to growpotatoes in straw mulch. Potatoesgrown in such a manner are clean andeasy to harvest. Cover seed pieceswith 1 inch of soil. When greensprouts appear, place 4 to 5 inches ofstraw around the plants. Keep thelayer of straw deep and moist. Whenpotato vines die, harvest potatoes bycarefully removing the straw.

Problems with Irish potatoes areseed piece rot resulting from plantingin clay, wet soils; enlarged lenticels(warts) and tuber rot from excessivesoil moisture near harvest; earlyblight; Colorado potato beetles; andaphids.

Most varieties have white fleshand light brown or red skin. Somespecialty varieties have yellow ordark flesh.

Varieties Atlantic—light brown. LaChipper—light brown. Norland—early; red; oblong-

shaped; shallow eyes. Red LaSoda—midseason; red;

oblong-shaped; deep eyes. Red Pontiac—midseason; red;

oblong-shaped; deep eyes.Superior—midseason; light brown.Norchip—early; light brown;

round to oblong; shallow eyes.

Sweet Potatoes

This tropical root crop is startedfrom small plants called slips or vinecuttings. Slips are produced bysprouting sweet potato roots in moistsand or sawdust. Cover roots in a boxor bed with 3 to 4 inches of sand orsawdust, water, and keep warm (80°F). In a few weeks when sprouts areseveral inches long, pull them fromthe roots. Additional slips develop andcan be used for later planting.

Before planting sweet potato slips(homegrown or purchased), cutabout 1 inch from the base of thestem to reduce disease problems. Usestarter solution when setting slips inthe garden.

Vine cuttings are slips cut at thebed surface with no roots or cuttingstaken from the ends of slips set in thegarden earlier. They have the advan-tage over slips of further reducing dis-ease and insect problems. Vine cut-tings several inches long can be madeuntil July 1. These cuttings root rapid-ly when set in warm, moist soil.

Sweet potatoes need warm soilsand about 90 to 110 days from settingthe plants until harvest. Even goodroots will produce poor yields if thesoil is clay, wet, or overfertilized withnitrogen. A good sweet potato fertiliz-er has a ratio of 1-2-4. Select a loose,well-drained soil that allows for rootgrowth and easy digging. Side-dress 3to 4 weeks after transplanting with alow nitrogen, high potash fertilizer.Many sweet potato varieties flower inlate summer. Sweet potato flowers aresimilar to morningglory.

Dig sweet potatoes when the soilis fairly dry and the air is warm. Earlyharvest results in many small roots.Late harvest results in jumbo rootsand possible cold injury. Do not letfreshly dug potatoes sit in the sun;they scald easily. If exposed to tem-peratures below 50 °F, potatoes maydevelop hard spots in the roots, a con-dition known as hardcore, or bechilled and begin to break down.

Problems in growing sweet pota-toes are sweet potato weevil in thesouthern half of the state, larvae ofvarious insects that burrow into theroots, and the diseases scurf (soilstain) and soil rot. Clip the base of theslips before planting or use vine cut-tings to reduce scurf infection. Acidsoils help to control soil rot. Cracks inthe roots indicate nematode damageor interrupted growth caused by peri-ods of drought.

VarietiesBeauregard—light rose skin; mod-

erately deep orange flesh; high yield-ing; some disease resistance but notresistant to nematodes.

Centennial—variably tapered to

cylindrical root shape; medium tolarge size; orange skin; deep orangeflesh; vines thick and vigorous.

Jewel—blocky shape; smooth cop-per skin with rose blush; orange flesh.

Unit I Porto Rico—old variety; nofield disease resistance; root shapevariable; copper skin; yellow-orangeflesh.

Nancy Hall—popular old varietywith no disease resistance; lightorange flesh.

Pumpkins

Most garden pumpkins are plantedfor Halloween. Pumpkins planted inspring, when summer squash, cucum-bers, and melons are planted, maturein midsummer, long beforeHalloween. If left in the garden, theyrot. Therefore, they must be harvestedand used or stored in a cool, dry place.Pumpkins for Halloween are bestplanted in late June and early July.They require 90 to 110 days fromplanting to harvest.

Most pumpkin varieties producestrong, running vines that requireplenty of garden space. Some vari-eties are described as having shortvines and are adapted to limitedspace.

Pumpkins crosspollinate withsummer squash, acorn squash, veg-etable spaghetti, and small ornamen-tal gourds if they are growing nearby.This is of no concern unless you planto save seed for another year.

Jumbo pumpkins belong to a dif-ferent squash group from Halloweenpumpkins, and they crosspollinatewith many types of winter squash.

The tan pumpkins Kentucky Fieldand Dickinson Field belong to a thirdgroup and crosspollinate with butter-nut squash.

All of this crossing results in somestrange looking volunteer squash-pumpkins in the garden or compostpile the next year.

Pumpkin seeds saved from har-vested pumpkins make a nice snackfood when roasted. Some pumpkinvarieties have seeds with no hulls.Never eat seeds that were purchasedfor planting because of insecticidesand fungicides used as seed treat-ments.

Problems in growing pumpkinsare cucumber beetles, squash bugs,pickleworms, squash vine borers, andpowdery and downy mildews.

VarietiesAutumn Gold—hybrid; early; 7 to

10 pounds; fruit begin turning gold atan immature stage; AAS 1987.

Big Max—50 to 100 pounds; fair-ly round; pinkish orange; rough.

Connecticut Field—20 pounds or

more; fairly round; deep yellow-orange; thin, hard shell; thick, coarseflesh.

Cushaw—12 pounds; skin cream-white mottled with irregular greenstripes; bulbous blossom end withmedium-long curving neck; thick,sweet flesh.

Jack Be Little—miniature pump-kin; 3 inches across, 2 inches high;not edible; for decoration only; smallpumpkins last several months.

Jack O’Lantern—10 pounds;medium orange; smooth, shallowribs.

Prizewinner—hybrid; traditionalcolor and shape; up to twice as big asBig Max.

Spirit—hybrid; 12-inch diameter;10 to 15 pounds; deep oval; brightorange; semi-bush; AAS 1977.

Spookie—small; average 6pounds; dark orange; thick, fine-tex-tured, sweet flesh.

Triple Treat—6 to 8 pounds;round; thick flesh; seed with no hulls.

Radishes

Radishes are quick maturing cool-season vegetables for spring and fallgardens. They are ready to harvestwithin 4 weeks of planting and rapid-ly pass into a pithy, unusable condi-tion. Radishes that produce only topsresult from being planted too thick(late thinning), too much shade, or hottemperatures. Black spots in radishesmay indicate boron deficiency.Dissolve 1 level tablespoon of house-hold borax in 3 gallons of water andapply to 100 feet of garden row. Useproportionately smaller amounts forshorter rows.

Some large-root types designatedas winter radishes are recommendedfor the fall garden. They remain crisplonger than small types, are more pun-gent, and are best grown like fallturnips.

VarietiesChampion—scarlet; deep oval;

large root and top; 28 days; AAS 1957. Cherry Belle—round globe; cherry

red skin; crisp, solid flesh; short top; 21days; AAS 1949.

China Rose—winter type; deeprose skin; white flesh; pungent; long;52 days.

Round Black Spanish—wintertype; large globe shape; 31⁄2- to 4-inchdiameter; black skin; pungent whiteflesh; 55 days.

Scarlet Globe—bright scarletglobe; crisp; white; mild flesh; 24days.

Snowbelle—hybrid; white; roundroot; crisp; mild; 30 days.

White Chinese (Winter Cel-

28Continued on next page

estial)—winter type; 6 to 8 incheslong; 3-inch diameter; crisp; white;mild flesh; 60 days.

White Icicle—long; white; crisp;tapered to a point; 28 days.

Rhubarb

This cool-season perennial veg-etable is not adapted to Mississippi’shot summers, wet winters, and claysoils. The plant may survive but willnot thrive. Rhubarb grows best wheresummer temperatures do not exceed75 degrees. Plants are subject toattack by a number of fungi, resultingin crown rot.

If you want to grow rhubarb,select a well-drained soil in a lightlyshaded area. The shade reduces sum-mer temperatures. Raised beds pro-vide additional drainage, which mayhelp reduce disease problems.

Set the large, fleshy crown inearly spring so the bud is about 1inch below the soil surface. Eachplant needs 4 to 6 square feet ofgrowing space.

Normally, harvest should notbegin until the second or third year toallow establishment, but the plantsmight not live that long inMississippi. Harvest by pulling thelarge outer stalks and leaving thesmall inner stalks to enlarge. Do noteat the leaf blade because it is poison-ous. Following harvest, apply a smallamount of nitrogen fertilizer aroundeach plant. Mulch plants in late falland again in early spring. Beforegrowth starts in spring, apply a smallamount of mixed fertilizer, such as13-13-13, around each plant. If plantsdevelop a flower stalk in summer,remove it at first appearance.

Spinach,New Zealand Spinach, and Malabar Spinach

Fresh spinach is a popular saladvegetable. A cool-weather green,spinach is adapted to growing inspring, fall, and winter gardens.Spinach grows best on a well-drainedsoil rich in organic matter with a pHapproaching 7.0. It grows poorly onsoils with a pH below 6.0. Spinachplants are shallow-rooted and requireadequate soil moisture. Plant spinachseeds 4 to 6 weeks before the last frostin spring and 6 to 8 weeks before the

first frost in fall. Soak seeds in waterovernight to soften seed coats andhasten germination. With ideal grow-ing conditions, spinach is ready toharvest in 45 to 50 days from plant-ing. Harvest entire plants, individuallarge outer leaves, or clip plants, leav-ing about an inch for regrowth.

New Zealand spinach is a hot-weather leafy green. It is not a truespinach, but the tender young shoottips are used in similar ways. It growsrapidly, has many branches, andprefers a well-drained loamy soil, richin organic matter. Being a hot-weath-er plant, the seeds of New Zealandspinach should not be planted untilthe soil is warm. Soak seed in waterovernight before planting to aid ger-mination. Space plants 12 to 18 inch-es apart in the garden row. Side-dressplants with a little nitrogen fertilizerevery 4 to 6 weeks.

Malabar spinach is a tropical, vin-ing plant that does best in hot, humidweather. Easily grown from seed, theplant makes an attractive vine thatshould be trellised to keep it off theground. There are two leaf types, redand green. Individual leaves or thetender young shoot tips can be used asa hot-weather spinach substitute.

VarietiesChesapeake—hybrid; semi-savoy;

bolts rapidly; large, upright plant;overwinters; recommended for fallplanting.

Dixie Market—compact, uprightplant; savoyed; recommended for fall,winter, and spring planting.

Long Standing Bloomsdale—large; savoy leaf; semi-upright plant;recommended for spring planting.

Melody—hybrid; semi-savoy;upright plant; recommended for earlyspring and fall planting; AAS 1977.

Skookum—hybrid; early; darkgreen; semi-savoy leaf; upright;resistant to downy mildew.

Summer Squash

All summer squash (straightneck, crookneck, bush scallop, andzucchini) are actually true pumpkins.They crosspollinate with each otheras well as Halloween type pumpkins,spaghetti squash, and small orna-mental gourds. All this crossing doesnot affect the quality of the currentseason’s production.

Summer squash have a tenderskin and are harvested at an imma-ture stage, generally within 4 to 6days after bloom. The plants are bushtype rather than vining and are suitedfor small gardens. Most new vari-eties are hybrids.

Summer squash have separatemale (attached to the plant by a thinstem) and female flowers (small

squash behind the yellow blossom) onthe same plant and depend on bees forpollination. Hybrids may produce afew female flowers before male flow-ers appear, and without pollination,these fail to develop into squash.

Plant summer squash seeds in hillsabout 3 feet apart, with 3 to 4 seedsper hill or in a row with single seedsspaced about 1 foot apart. Space sin-gle plants about 3 feet apart.Crowding leads to low production anddisease.

Squash do well on black plasticmulch in spring, especially whenplanted early. They benefit fromwarm soil and lack of weed compe-tition. Fall squash can be grown byplanting seeds in August, but mosa-ic virus has been a serious problemin recent years.

Side-dress plants with a nitrogenfertilizer when they have severalleaves but before they start to bloom.

Proper harvesting is important forcontinuous production. Remove alllarge and overmature squash. Thisproblem is more serious with zucchi-ni than with other types of summersquash.

Several serious insect pests attacksquash plants: spotted and stripedcucumber beetles, squash bugs, stemborers, and pickleworms. A regularspray program with carbaryl (Sevin)helps reduce damage from theseinsects.

Disease problems are mainly fruitrot on crowded, shaded plants andmosaic virus.Varieties

Aristocrat—hybrid zucchini; cylin-drical fruit; smooth; uniform; darkgreen; 53 days; AAS 1973.

Bush Scallop—scalloped white topale green fruit; 55 days.

Butterbar—hybrid yellow straight-neck; long, cylindrical; butter yellow;small seed cavity; 49 days.

Medallion—hybrid; crookneck;lemon yellow.

Early Prolific Straightneck—pop-ular old variety; creamy yellow;straight; slightly tapered; 52 days;AAS 1938.

Early Summer Crookneck—popu-lar old variety; yellow; small, curvedneck with bulbous blossom end; 55days.

Senator—hybrid zucchini; 6 to 7inches long; medium green.

Sunburst—hybrid scallop; brightyellow with green at blossom andstem ends; AAS 1985.

Winter Squash

These hard-shelled squash aregrown for harvest in fall and storagethrough early winter months. Acornand Butternut are the two most popu-

lar types, but the group includes manyothers, such as buttercup, spaghetti,hubbard, banana, marrow, and turban.Some of the pumpkins, such ascushaw and Kentucky Field, are treat-ed as winter or storage squash. An oddassortment of local squash called“aboveground sweet potatoes” fallinto this group.

Most of these squash have strongvining plants. The fruit range in sizefrom the small acorn and hybrid EarlyButternut to the large banana and hub-bards. Winter squash planted in springalong with summer squash mature inmidsummer. These fruit lack the eat-ing quality of those produced onplants from seeds planted in late Juneor early July along with Halloweenpumpkins.

Delay harvest until the fruit rind isvery hard and vines begin to die.Immature fruit of most varieties aretasteless. Yellow acorn varieties areedible at all stages of maturity. Allwinter squash are pollinated by beesand require 60 to 70 days from polli-nation to maturity.

VarietiesEarly Butternut Hybrid—mature

fruit are tan; excellent flavor and tex-ture; stores well; viney but not overlyvigorous; AAS 1979.

Sweet Mama—hybrid; dark green;2 to 3 pounds; flattened; round;Buttercup type fruit; orange flesh;stores well; vigorous vines; AAS1979.

Table Queen—acorn type; smallfruit; dark green; deeply ridged;smooth and hard; yellow flesh; bushtype plant.

Vegetable Spaghetti—fruit 8 to 10inches long, 3 pounds; yellow whenmature; cooked flesh is greenish-white, spaghetti-like strands; flavor isbland; prolific vine; 90 days; orange-fleshed type also available.

Waltham Butternut—large, tanfruit; 3 pounds; uniform shape;orange flesh; stores well; vigorousvine; AAS 1970.

Tomatoes

The tomato is the most populargarden vegetable. Tomatoes come inmany shapes, sizes, and colors, butthe most popular is the medium-sized(6 to 8 ounces) red globe.

Tomato plants require full sun,moderate amounts of fertilizer, stak-ing or caging, and an insect and dis-ease control program. Determinate(short, self-topping) varieties likeCelebrity, Mountain Pride, andMountain Spring are gaining in popu-larity, but the indeterminate varietieslike Better Boy are used more widely.

Most tomatoes are set out as trans-plants, since it takes several weekslonger to harvest from tomatoes plant-ed as seeds. Do not set out transplants

too early in the spring. Cool soils aswell as cool air temperatures chillplants, resulting in delayed harvest.Use a starter solution when setting thetransplants. If transplants have smallfruit at planting time, remove fruit toprevent stunting the plants.

Plants set out in spring are some-times maintained through the summerin hopes of a fall crop. Withmulching, irrigation, fertilization, anda good pest control program, this ispossible, but the fall fruit that developare frequently small. This results fromfailure to maintain a season-longpruning program. A second plantingof tomatoes for a fall crop provideslarge, attractive fruit. Start seedlingsin June and set plants out in July orearly August. You can use rooted cut-tings (suckers) that were removed inpruning to start a second planting.

Set tomato transplants deeper thanthey were growing in the plant bed,peat cup, or plastic tray; the deeperthe better.

All garden tomato plants, indeter-minate as well as determinate, mustbe supported off the ground in somemanner to prevent loss of fruit to rotsand sunburn. Wooden stakes, placedat planting time or shortly after, arethe most common type of support.

Wire cages at least 18 inches indiameter made from concrete rein-forcing wire are also popular. Cageswrapped with clear plastic to a heightof 18 inches provide some protectionfrom cold winds and wind-blownsand. Black plastic mulch laid beforeplanting, in combination with plastic-wrapped cages, is beneficial to earlyplants.

Staked plants in a row do not haveto be tied directly to the stakes. Theycan be supported by nylon cord thatruns from stake to stake, down therow on both sides of the stakes, and atseveral levels (Florida weave).

Tomato plants form many branch-es (suckers) as they grow. It is a com-mon practice to break the suckers outof the plants to encourage larger andearlier fruit and to make the plant eas-ier to tie and spray. Determinate typesare not pruned as heavily as indeter-minate types, and in no instance areall the suckers removed.

Products advertised to promotefruit development by spraying on theflower clusters are useful at times butshould not be counted on for all thefruit set. When conditions are not ideal(shade; cool, wet weather; high tem-peratures) for natural pollination, thesesprays are useful. Fruit that developentirely from these sprays, with no nat-ural pollination, do not have seeds andare not the best quality.

Tomatoes are attacked by a num-ber of diseases and insects. The mostserious diseases are early blight (noresistant varieties), spotted wilt virus(BHN 444 and Amelia are resistantvarieties), fusarium wilt, blossom endrot, and root knot nematodes. Regularuse of fungicides containing maneb orchlorothalonil controls early blightand several other leaf and fruit dis-

29Continued on next page

eases. Plant disease-resistant varietiesto reduce disease problems. Diseaseresistance is indicated in the varietydescriptions below by a series of let-ters, V, F, N, and T. The V indicatesresistance to verticillium wilt, F forfusarium wilt, N for root knot nema-todes, and T for tobacco mosaic virus.

Major insect problems are aphids,thrips, stink bugs, blister beetles, fruitworms, horn worms, leaf miners, andwhite flies.

Problems are blossom end rot (lowsoil calcium, lack of water), fruitcracking (excess water and high tem-peratures), sudden wilting (root dam-age from cultivation or drowning),blossom drop (low or high tempera-tures, poor nutrition), and sunscald(excessive pruning, no plant support,or loss of leaves to disease).

VarietiesI--indeterminateD--determinateAmelia—large-fruited with toma-

to spotted wilt virus resistance; D. Better Boy—VFN hybrid; 8- to

12-ounce red fruit; 72 days; I.Big Beef—large-fruited beef stake

with good disease resistance; I; AAS1994 .

Celebrity—VFNT hybrid; 7- to 8-ounce red globe; firm, flavorful fruit;D; 72 days; AAS 1984.

Cherry Grande—VF hybrid; largecluster of 11⁄2-inch firm, round, redfruit; D; 60 days.

Floramerica—VF hybrid; 8- to 12-ounce red fruit; 76 days; D; AAS1978.

Floradel—F; 8-ounce red fruit; 75to 85 days; I; old variety; open-polli-nated.

Marion—F; 6-ounce red fruit; 79days; I; old; open-pollinated.

Mini Charm—miniature cherrytomato with indeterminate growth andabundant production.

Mountain Spring—VF hybrid;early; resistance to cracking; D.

Park’s Whopper—VFNT hybrid;large fruit; I; 70 days.

Super Fantastic—VF hybrid; 8-ounce red fruit; 70 days; I.

Sweet 100—hybrid; large clustersof 1-inch, round, red fruit; I; 65 days.

Turnips and Rutabagas

Turnips are grown for both leaves(greens) and roots in the spring andfall garden. For greens, it is not neces-sary to thin seedlings, and there arevarieties just for greens. For roots,thin seedlings to 2 to 4 inches apart.

Rutabagas are a fall crop withplanting recommended in August orearly September. Roots require 4 to 6weeks longer to mature than turniproots. Thin rutabaga seedlings to atleast 6 inches apart (12 inches pre-ferred) in the row. Rutabaga leavescan be eaten.

Hot weather causes turnips to bestrong-flavored or bitter and pithy.Black spots inside the roots indicate aneed for boron. Dissolve 1 level table-spoon of household borax in 3 gallonsof water and apply to 100 feet of row.Use less for shorter rows.

Major problems are aphids, leaf-eating worms, and leaf spots.

VarietiesAll Top—hybrid; broadleaf turnip

for tops only; dark green; 50 days. American Purple Top—rutabaga; 4-

to 5-inch diameter; spherical; purple-red crown; pale yellow flesh; 90 days.

Just Right—hybrid; root and toptype; white root; broad, serrated leaf;60 days; AAS 1960.

Purple Top—old standard; rootand top type; white globe root withpurple crown; 57 days.

Seven Top—leaf type; cut leaf;dark green; 45 days.

Tokyo Cross—hybrid; root andtop type; semi-globe; white root;early; 35 days; AAS 1969.

Watermelons

Most watermelon plants require alot of space and quickly take over asmall garden. Some varieties aredescribed as having short vines.Those described as having bush-typeplants may be disappointing.

Varieties are available that producelarge or small, round or oblong, solidor striped fruit with red or yellowflesh, with seeds or seedless.

Plant when the soil is warm and alldanger of frost has passed.Watermelon transplants in peat cupsor plastic trays can be used, but theymust be small (not yet vining) toavoid plant injury. Use transplantswith seedless melons because the seedis small, expensive, and slow to ger-minate. For seedless melon trans-plants, plant the seeds with the round-ed end down and the pointed end up.

Hot kaps, black plastic mulch,floating row covers, and plastic tun-nels are ways to obtain earliness.Black plastic also controls weeds. Youcan use transplants or seeds in combi-nation with black plastic mulch. With

normal vining melons, plant severalseeds in groups spaced about 6 feetapart. Thin seedlings to two plants ineach group. With seedless melons, itis necessary to plant some standardmelons close by to provide pollina-tion. All watermelons are pollinatedby bees and require about 45 daysfrom pollination to maturity.

Disease problems are anthracnose,fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight,and bacterial wilt. Insect problems arestriped and spotted cucumber beetles.

VarietiesBush Charleston Gray—bush-

type plant; 10- to 13-pound melons;red flesh.

Bush Jubilee—bush-type plant;10- to 13-pound oblong fruit; redflesh.

Charleston Gray—30 pounds;oblong; light green; bright red fleshand dark seeds; some disease resist-ance.

Crimson Sweet—23 to 30 pounds;semi-round; distinct striping; thick,hard rind; sweet, red flesh; some dis-ease resistance.

Jubilee—25 to 40 pounds; long;light green with dark stripes; red fleshwith black seeds; some disease resist-ance.

Jubilee II—22 to 30 pounds;oblong; light green with dark greenstripes; open-pollinated; firm, redflesh; sweet; some disease resistance.

Royal Jubilee—hybrid Jubileetype; elongated; 25 to 30 pounds;bright red flesh; resistant to fusariumand anthracnose.

Royal Sweet—20 to 25 pounds;hybrid; oblong; medium-greenstripes; bright red flesh and small darkseeds; some disease resistance.

30

fungi and bacteria enter and causediseases. Some insects also transmitviruses, bacteria, and fungi thatcause diseases. Controlling insects inthe garden is an important method ofdisease control.

Staking and mulching. Controldiseases like cucumber belly rot andtomato soil rot by growing plants onmulch and trellising or staking tokeep fruit off the ground.

Watering. Water plants in latemorning or early evening. Wateringlate in the evening leaves foliagewet longer, which helps diseasesdevelop.

Harvesting and working in thegarden. Do not harvest vegetablesor work in the garden when plantleaves are wet.

Plantingcontinued from page 17

The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and thatno discrimination is intended against other products or suppliers.

Revised and distributed by David Nagel, PhD, Extension Horticulturist; Blake Layton, PhD, Extension Entomologist; and Alan Henn, PhD, Extension Plant Pathologist. Originally prepared by MiloBurnham, Ph.D., former Extension Horticulturist.

Produced by Agricultural Communications.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protectedveteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Publication 1091Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. GARY B. JACKSON,Director (rev-20M-12-16)

Adams—75A Carthage Point Rd., Natchez 39120 (601-445-8201)

Alcorn—2200 Levee Rd., Corinth 38834 (662-286-7755)

Amite––185 Irene St., Liberty 39645 (601-657-8937)

Attala––715 Fairground Rd., Kosciusko 39090 (662-289-5431)

Benton—382 Ripley Ave., Ashland 38603 (662-224-6330)

Bolivar—406 N. Martin Luther King Dr., Cleveland 38732 (662-843-8361)

Calhoun—121 Parker St., Pittsboro 38951 (662-412-3177)

Carroll—105 B E. Washington St., Carrollton 38917 (662-237-6926)

Chickasaw—415 Lee Horn Dr., Suite 4, Houston 38851 (662-456-4269)

Choctaw—Harmon Cir. Courthouse Annex, Ackerman 39735 (662-285-6337)

Claiborne—510 Market St., Port Gibson 39150 (601-437-5011)

Clarke—101 Westwood Ave., Quitman 39355 (601-776-3951)

Clay—218 W. Broad St., Suite D, West Point 39773 (662-494-5371)

Coahoma—503 E. Second St., Clarksdale 38614 (662-624-3070)

Copiah—2040 W. Gallman Rd., Hazelhurst 39083 (601-892-1809)

Covington—68 Industrial Park Dr., Collins 39428 (601-765-8252)

DeSoto—3260 Hwy. 51 S., Hernando 38632 (662-469-8480)

Forrest—952 Sullivan Dr., Hattiesburg 39401 (601-545-6083)

Franklin—20 Walnut St., Meadville 39653 (601-384-2349)

George—7128 Hwy. 198 E., Lucedale 39452 (601-947-4223)

Greene—#414 Oak St., Leakesville 39451 (601-394-2702)

Grenada—1240 Fairground Rd., Suite E, Grenada 38901 (662-226-2061)

Hancock—856 Suite B, Hwy. 90, Bay St. Louis 39520 (228-467-5456)

Harrison—2315 17th St., Gulfport 39501 (228-865-4227)

Hinds—1500 Raymond Lake Rd., Raymond 39154 (601-857-3242)

Holmes—113 W. China – Jail Annex, Lexington 39095 (662-834-2795)

Humphreys—16463 Hwy. 49, Suite A, Belzoni 39038 (662-247-2915)

Issaquena—129 Court St., Mayersville 39113 (662-873-2322)

Itawamba—605A South Cummings Street, Fulton 38843 (662-862-3201)

Jackson—4111 Amonett St., Suite E, Pascagoula 39567 (228-769-3047)

Jasper—37 B W. 8th Ave., Bay Springs 39422 (601-764-2314)

Jefferson ––1257 S. Main St., Fayette 39069 (601-786-3131)

Jefferson Davis ––2304 Pearl Ave., Prentiss 39474 (601-792-5121)

Jones—515 N. 5th Ave., Laurel 39440 (601-428-5201)

Kemper—Rt 4, Box 332, 587 Old Scooba Road, DeKalb 39328 (601-743-2837)

Lafayette—101 Veterans Dr., Oxford 38655 (662-234-4451)

Lamar—216 Shelby St., Suite B, Purvis 39475 (601-794-3910)

Lauderdale—410 Constitution Ave., 5th Floor, Meridian 39301 (601- 482-9764)

Lawrence—214 Main St., Suite C, Monticello 39654 (601-587-2271)

Leake—729 E. Main St., Carthage 39051 (601-267-8036)

Lee—5338 Cliff Gookin Blvd., Tupelo 38801 (662-841-9000)

Leflore—309 W. Market, Greenwood 38930 (662-453-6803)

Lincoln—301 S. First St., Room 201, Brookhaven 39601 (601-835-3460)

Lowndes—318 7th St. N., Columbus 39701 (662-328-2111)

Madison—152 Watford Parkway, Canton 39046 (601-859-3842)

Marion—1060 Hwy. 13 S., Columbia 39429 (601-736-8251)

Marshall—120 S. Spring St., Holly Springs 38635 (662-252-3541)

Monroe—517 Hwy. 145 N., Suite 1, Aberdeen 39730 (662-369-4951)

Montgomery—618 Summit St., Winona 38967 (662-283-4133)

Neshoba—12000 Hwy. 15 N., Suite 2, Philadelphia 39350 (601-656-4011)

Newton—65 Seventh St., Decatur 39327 (601-635-7011)

Noxubee––107 E. Adams St., Macon 39341 (662-726-5723)

Oktibbeha—106 Felix Long Dr., Starkville 39759 (662-323-5916)

Panola—245-C Eureka St., Batesville 38606 (662-563-6260)

Pearl River—417 Hwy 11 N., Poplarville 39470 (601-403-2280)

Perry—103-B 2nd St. West, New Augusta 39462 (601-964-3668)

Pike—1140 N. Clark Ave., Magnolia 39652 (601-783-5321)

Pontotoc—402 C.J. Hardin Jr. Dr., Pontotoc 38863 (662-489-3910)

Prentiss—2301 N. Second St., Booneville 38829 (662-728-5631)

Quitman—220 E. Main St., Marks 38646 (662-326-8939)

Rankin—601 Marquette Road, Brandon 39042 (601-825-1462)

Scott—230 S. Davis St., Forest 39074 (601-469-4241)

Sharkey—614 Pine St., Rolling Fork 39159 (662-873-4246)

Simpson—2785 Simpson Hwy. 49, Mendenhall 39114 (601-847-1335)

Smith—212 Sylvarena Ave., Suite E, Raleigh 39153 (601-782-4454)

Stone—214 N. Critz St., Suite A, Wiggins 39577 (601-928-5286)

Sunflower—112 Martin Luther King Dr. S., Indianola 38751 (662-887-4601)

Tallahatchie—202 S. Market St., Charleston 38921 (662-647-8746)

Tate—#1 French’s Alley, Senatobia 38668 (662-562-4274)

Tippah—10791B Hwy. 15 S., Fairgrounds, Ripley 38663 (662-837-8184)

Tishomingo—238 Kaki Street, Iuka 38852 (662-423-7016)

Tunica—1221 Kenny Hill Ave., Suite 3, Tunica 38676 (662-363-2911)

Union—112 Fairground Cir., New Albany 38652 (662-534-1917)

Walthall—250 Ball Ave., Tylertown 39667 (601-876-4021)

Warren—1100-C Grove St., Vicksburg 39180 (601-636-5442)

Washington—148 N. Edison St., Greenville 38701 (662-334-2670)

Wayne—810-A Chickasawhay St., Waynesboro 39367 (601-735-2243)

Webster—16 E. Fox Ave., Eupora 39744 (662-258-3971)

Wilkinson—982 Second South St., Woodville 39669 (601-888-3211)

Winston ––460 Vance St., Louisville, 39339 (662-773-3091)

Yalobusha—18025 Hwy. 7, Coffeeville 38922 (662-675-2730)

Yazoo—212 E. Broadway, 3rd Floor County Office Bldg., Yazoo City 39194 (662-746-2453)

County Offices

extension.msstate.edu

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICEU.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITYP. O. BOX 5446

MISSISSIPPI STATE, MISSISSIPPI 39762-5446

OFFICIAL BUSINESSPENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

ContentsGrow Your Own Vegetables................................................................................................1Garden Plan

..........................................................................................................................2Garden Soil............................................................................................................................3Organic Gardening................................................................................................................5Pollination

..............................................................................................................................9Mulching

..............................................................................................................................10Insects - Identification and Control..................................................................................11Vegetable Diseases..............................................................................................................15Watering

..............................................................................................................................17Planting Vegetables..............................................................................................................17Weed Control......................................................................................................................18

Herb Gardening..................................................................................................................18Fall Gardening

....................................................................................................................19Staking and Training Tomatoes........................................................................................20Harvesting............................................................................................................................21Storing Vegetables

..............................................................................................................22Vegetables............................................................................................................................22

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