Vegetable Gardening for BeginnersYour Garden Throughout the Year

You don’t need a green thumb to garden!

Nature does it for you! The goal of this series is to help even the most inexperienced gardener successfully

raise as many vegetables as they would like. Looking for a new and productive hobby? Try gardening!

Why garden?

Fresh vegetables! Save money! Try new varieties! Exercise! Build family and community ties!

What do plants need?

Light Water Growing medium with available nutrients

Positive inputs

Proper soil (proper nutrients and texture) Temperature Proper day length Biology in the soil, such as mycorrhizae

Negative inputs

Weeds: competition for nutrients Pests: eats plants or deprives it of sugar and nutrients Disease: any bacteria, virus, or fungus that attacks a plant by feeding on it. Toxins: soil contaminants, inorganic or organic in origin

Best time of year for different actions

Based on the needs of the plants Based on your own needs, ie time management.

January

High 47, low 30 Plan, learn, and read!

Map your yard and plan your garden Learn by asking UT Gardens staff, extension agents, or Master Gardeners Read seed catalogs to learn the differences between plants. Look for “cultural” information.

February

High 52. Low 33 You can till/prepare your garden plot toward the end of the month if conditions are

right. Order seeds!

March

High 61, Low 40 Start seeds indoors according to the recommendation for each variety. This is usually

dependent on frost date, which in Knox county is around April 1-15. Depending on weather, plant potatoes, peas, and onions around St. Patrick’s Day.

Example

This is from my packet of cherry tomato seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Six weeks before April 15th is about March 2nd.

April

High 71, low 40 Cool-weather crops such as lettuce, cole crops, beets, carrots, and radishes love this

month. Plant onion sets, plants, or transplant out onions you have started yourself. Due to our

southern latitude, pick a “short day” or “day neutral” onion. Mulch now to save yourself weeding time later.

May

High 78, Low 57 Watch out for high temperatures this month, and water appropriately. Plant warm-season seeds such as beans, corn, and okra Plant out hot-weather transplants such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Peppers and eggplants love warm soil and long days.

June

High 85, Low 65 If you’re lucky, harvesting will be your main work for the next few months.

You may begin to see summer squash, cucumbers, beans, and similar crops ready for harvest. Keep those weeds under control! Keep track of rain and water when appropriate.

Write down when it rains in your garden journal. A drink of one inch of water once a week is normal for many plants.

July

Average high 88, low 69 Expect squash and beans to continue to produce early in the month, with sweet corn and

tomatoes coming in later. Therefore, garden in the morning if possible. This month, your focus will be on pest prevention and disease prevention. If possible, water in the morning rather than in the evening.

August

Average high 87, low 68 Still hot and still a high-production month. Hopefully you will get lots of tomatoes! Task for August:

See which plants can’t take the heat anymore and cull them from your garden. Examples are cucumbers and beets.

September

Average high 81, low 62 In Tennessee, our growing season is so long that we can squeeze in an extra set of

cool-season vegetables! Continue to clear out space for your fall garden and research what you would like to

grow. In my experience, you can have success with kale and collards, as well as lettuce. Try

some green onions, beets, and carrots.

October

Average high 71, Low 49 Cooler nighttime lows mean a dip in pest pressure! Now is the time to set out those cole-crop transplants.

November

Average High 60, low 41 We usually get a hard freeze around the middle of November, effectively ending most

of the work for the growing season. You can use season extenders such as row covers or a cold frame, or you can let the

cycle begin again. Freezing soils does benefit the garden in reducing the amount of pests that can

overwinter in the soil.

Conclusion

For everything there is a season. Take time to enjoy your garden!