The lovely and long bitter melon vine grows best on a trellis or along a fence. Growing the plant with ample support will help prevent problems with disease or pests and makes harvesting easier.
Bitter melon is a beautiful plant with deeply lobed leaves and eye-catching fruit that shifts from green to yellow to orange as it ripens. The taste is an acquired one for most people. It’s more bitter than an unripe grapefruit or very dark chocolate. For most individuals, the first taste is a mouth-puckering experience. But once you acquire the taste, don’t be surprised if you become addicted to this melon’s strong flavor.
A member of the squash family, bitter melon is native to southern China. Fruits are oblong and warty, usually about 8 inches long. The flesh has a watery, crunchy texture, similar to a pepper or cucumber. The bitter flavor is due to the melon’s quinine content. In many countries, bitter melon is consumed as a treatment for malaria.
This melon serves a nutritional punch, offering iron, twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the potassium of bananas, and twice the calcium of spinach. It also contains high amounts of fiber, phosphorous, and Vitamins C, B1, B2, and B3.
Note: While we do not currently carry this variety, we offer this information for gardeners who wish to grow it.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Fruit from trellised bitter melon vines will grow longer and straighter than those grown on the ground.
Like other members of the squash family, bitter melon produces vines that grow 13 to 16 feet long. Plant bitter melon where it receives at least 6 hours of sunshine. In Southern regions, it’s okay to site seedlings in a spot with light shade, as long as vines can ramble into full-sun areas.
Soil should be fertile, but well-drained, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.7. Adding composted manure or compost to enrich soil results in good yields.
This plant thrives in heat and humidity, and as summer temperatures rise, vines grow quickly. Fruits have a tendency to rot on moist soil, so it’s best to trellis vines. You can do this on a fence or evenly spaced supports. Not only does trellising reduce disease outbreaks on fruit, it also makes harvesting easier. When planting along a fence, space seedlings 9 to 10 feet apart.
Trellised vines produce hanging fruit, which grows long and straight. If you don’t trellis vines, be sure to mulch soil beneath vines. Use loose mulch, like straw, which helps keep soil moist but won’t promote fruit rot.
For trellised vines, as stems reach the top of the support, remove the growing tip along with a few lower lateral branches. This pruning causes vines to branch near the growing tip. These upper branches will yield strongly. If you’re not trellising vines, prune vines when the first female flowers appear.
Keep soil consistently moist. Like other squash or melons, bitter melon fruits develop best when soil moisture remains even. If you worked compost into soil before planting, you can still add a slow-release vegetable fertilizer, like 14-14-14, at planting time. As plants grow, fertilize plants midway through the growing season, or use Bonnie Herb, Vegetable & Flower Plant Food as a liquid fertilizer, applying more frequently (according to label directions).
Troubleshooting
Flowers typically start appearing on vines within a few weeks of planting. Like all cucurbits, bitter melon vines produce male and female flowers. Female blooms have a swelling at the base resembling a tiny melon. Male flowers open first, followed in a week or so by female blossoms. Bees visit both blooms, transferring pollen from male to female flowers. Usually male blooms live only one day, opening in the morning and falling from plants by dusk. Don’t be alarmed if you spy fallen flowers beneath vines.
Fruits are susceptible to various rots. Trellising can reduce rot issues. For non-trellised vines, use a straw mulch to keep melons from resting directly on moist soil. Fruit flies can attack ripening fruits. If flies become a problem, wrap ripening melons in newspaper.
Many of the diseases and insect pests that attack squash and cantaloupe also affect bitter melon plants. Vines are susceptible to powdery and downy mildew and are a host of watermelon mosaic virus. Treat vines infected with fungal diseases like mildew with fungicides. Check with a local garden center or Extension agent to discover which fungicides are available in your state. Plants don’t recover from the virus.
Watch for spotted and striped cucumber beetles, which can attack vines. These beetles carry bacterial wilt disease, which causes vines to collapse. Infected vines don’t recover. Treat adult beetles with rotenone or a pyrethrum-based insecticide; apply at dusk to avoid harming honey bees.
Harvest and Storage
Bitter melon is ready to pick when the skin is green with hints of yellow. The texture inside should be slightly firm, not spongy, which indicates over-ripe fruit.
Bitter melon doesn’t give many clues regarding the right time to harvest. Most gardeners pick fruits when they’re green or have a few hints of yellow. Fruits that have turned completely yellow are over-ripe and will have spongy flesh. Many professional bitter melon growers time harvest based solely on fruit size. Young and tender fruits are roughly 4 to 6 inches long.
Bitterness varies with maturity and individual fruit. Immature melons are usually more bitter. Just as individual chili peppers from the same plant can offer different degrees of heat, so different bitter melons from the same vine can contain differing degrees of bitterness. For newcomers to bitter melon, slightly overly mature fruits may prove more palatable, since the bitterness will be somewhat lessened.
Once melons start to ripen, pick fruits regularly, approximately every two to three days. The more you pick, the more fruits will form.
Store melons in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days of harvest.
Other Names— Ipomoea aquatica, Kangkung, river spinach, water morning glory, water convolvulus, Chinese spinach, Chinese Watercress,Chinese convolvulus, swamp cabbage, phak bung, ong choy, kongxincai, rau muống, kangkong, trokuon, kalmi saag, kalmi shak, Thooti Koora, kangkung, hayoyo.
Growing Habit
Water spinach is grown especially in the Southeast Asian region as a vegetable. It is a semi aquatic plant, a creeper that grows in or near the water on moist soils. Water spinach has light green ovate leaves, its stems are hollow, so they can float on the water. Both leaves and stems are edible and can be used as the way you use spinach. Under tropical conditions, water spinach can be harvested throughout the year, as the leaves grow again after harvesting. In cooler climates it is grown as annual, mostly in wide containers.
How to Grow Kangkong
Propagation
Kangkong or water spinach can be propagated either by seeds or by cuttings.
Sow the seeds in fresh potting soil (sow about 0.5 centimeters deep). Ensure that you keep the seeds consistently moist. Also remember that temperature should remain around 68 F (20 C). Germination occurs within couple of weeks. To speed up the germination you can soak the seeds overnight in water.
Growing kangkong from cuttings is easiest method to propagate it. Just cut several 30-40 cm long cuttings from young growth and plant 15 cm deep in potting mix.
Planting
In subtropical and tropical climate you can grow kangkong anytime but in cooler climates plant it between late spring to early summer. Choose a site with full sun and well-drained soil. Either grow it in pot (which is better as kangkong grows aggressively) or on the ground. You can also plant it near the edge of a pond or other water bodies.
Requirements for Growing Water Spinach
Soil
Growing water spinach or kangkong needs evenly moist, wet and nutrient-rich soil of pH level around 6 – 7.
Sun
Kangkong grows in warm and humid subtropical and tropical climate, so it is essential to provide it full sun. However, it also grows in partial shade.
Water
Also called as Chinese watercress or water morning glory, you can easily understand from its name that it grows in swampy areas, it needs consistently muddy soil. Deep and regular watering is important to keep the soil nearly wet.
Kangkong Care
Fertilizer
If growing on the ground you don’t need to fertilize it often but in containers fertilize it with high in nitrogen liquid fertilizer every other week.
Harvesting
A first harvest date of nutritious water spinach is usually 4 to 6 weeks after planting – depending more on the temperature and growing conditions. Cut only a few leaves or entire plant with leaves and stems leaving only 3 inch of growth, the plant will regrow again. Both stems and leaves can be eaten.
If you’re growing kangkong on the ground, be careful it’s an invasive plant and grows aggressively. Harvest it before flowering, so that it can’t form seeds.
Pests and Diseases
Its main pests and diseases are stem rot, black rot, leaf beetle, aphids, and wire worm.
Though corn requires plenty of space in the vegetable garden, it is hard to beat its taste and tenderness, especially when freshly-picked.
The key to high quality sweet corn is rapid growth, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting the ears at optimum maturity.
Sweet corn kernels can be yellow, white, or both of these colors on the same ear (bicolor). The level of sucrose (sugar) in the kernels determines the corn's sweetness. In most cases, however, sucrose is rapidly converted to starch if the corn is not cooked, frozen or refrigerated just after harvest. Starches make the corn less tender and less sweet. In most of the newer "sugar-enhanced" or "super-sweet" varieties, this conversion to starch is slowed so ears remain in optimum condition longer.
Corn is monoecious (mon-ee-shuss) which means that there are both male and female flowers on each corn plant. In some monoecious plants, male and female parts are in the same flower. In corn, male and female flowers are in different locations - the male flowers form a tassel which is at the top of the plant. The female flower is located at the junction of leaves and stem. It consists of a collection of hairs (silks) enclosed in the husks of what will become the ears. These silks are pollen-receiving tubes. Wind-blown pollen from the male flowers (tassel) falls on the silks below. Each silk leads to a kernel, and pollen must land on all silks for the ear to fill out completely with kernels. Kernel "skips" (ears only partly filled out with kernels) often are the result of poor pollination.
On a corn seed packet, you may find a short genetic abbreviation which describes the type of sweet corn; different types require different cultural conditions:
"Normal" sweet corn (su) - Kernels contain moderate but varying levels of sugar, depending on variety. Sugars convert to starches rapidly after harvest.
"Sugar-enhanced" (se, se+, or EH) - Genes in this type modify the su gene, resulting in increased tenderness and sweetness. Additionally, conversion of sugar to starch is slowed.
"Super-sweet" or "Xtra-sweet" (sh2) - This gene, (sh short for shrunken), creates greatly increased sweetness and slow conversion of starch. The dry kernels (seeds) of this type are smaller and shriveled.
Sweet corn requires rich soil with ample nitrogen and moisture. Even good garden soils may need some fertilizer to produce a top-quality crop. Aged manure and/or compost, mixed well into the soil, is helpful. Growing corn in an area that had healthy beans or peas the previous year is helpful because these legumes contribute more nitrogen to the soil. Cornstalks growing with ample moisture and in well-prepared, fertile soil can be expected to produce two ears per stalk.
Plant corn about May 10 in the Denver area or when soils reach a temperature of at least 50 degrees F. Corn seed will not germinate in colder soils, decaying instead. The Xtra sweet varieties require even warmer soil, at least 60 degrees F. You can warm soil by covering with black plastic and punching holes through it to plant seed. The rate at which corn grows is heavily influenced by warm soil and air temperatures.
Plant two or three seeds 12-15 inches apart, in rows 30-36 inches apart. Shorter, earlier varieties can be spaced somewhat closer. Plant seeds one to one-and-one-half inches deep, except for Xtra sweet varieties, which should only be planted three-fourths an inch deep. If both or all three seeds in a spot germinate, thin out the poorer seedlings, saving the best plant from each spot. Isolate Xtra sweet varieties from all other types of sweet corn; cross pollination with other types can result in tough, starchy kernels.
Because corn is wind-pollinated, plant it in blocks of rows, rather than in a long, single row, which would result in poor pollen distribution on the silks and many kernel "skips".
Water the block-rows well after planting. Good soil moisture is especially critical for the germination of Xtra sweet corn, as it must absorb more water than other types for germination to occur. As plants grow and weather becomes warmer, watering frequency must increase.
Most varieties of corn will produce shoots or "suckers" at the base of the plant. Research indicates that sucker removal does not increase yield or benefit the plant; therefore suckers are best left alone.
Fertilize when plants are 12-18 inches high, about July 1. Hoe frequently to control weeds, but take care not to damage corn stalks or roots. Adequate soil moisture is critical for plants to form tassels and silks and to develop ears. Ears should be ready to harvest about 3 weeks after silk emergence. Harvest sweet corn when kernels are well-filled, tightly packed and when a thumbnail puncture produces a milky substance.
To harvest an ear, grasp it firmly, bend it down and pull toward the ground with a twisting motion. Husk and cook or freeze immediately for best quality. Husks can be shredded and then composted or dug back into garden soil.
Cabbage is a cool-season vegetable suited to both spring and fall. It belongs to the Cole crop family (Brassica oleracea), which includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi. The trick to growing cabbage is steady, uninterrupted growth. That means rich soil, plenty of water, and good fertilization.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Set out new spring plants early enough so that they can mature before the heat of summer, about 4 weeks before the last frost. Plant 2 or 3 varieties with different maturities for a longer harvest. You can also plant through black plastic to help warm the soil in spring. New plants just out of a greenhouse need to be protected from freezing weather. Plant fall cabbage 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost. Growing plants that have been exposed to cool weather become “hardened” and are tolerant of frost. Cabbage that matures in cool weather is deliciously sweet. Like most vegetables, cabbage needs at least 6 hours of full sun each day; more is better. It also needs fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 for optimum growth and to discourage club root disease.
To be sure about your soil pH, get the soil tested. You can buy a kit or have a soil test done through your regional Cooperative Extension office. Apply fertilizer and lime if needed, using the results of the soil test as a guide.
In the absence of a soil test, add nitrogen-rich amendments such as blood meal, cottonseed meal, or composted manure to the soil or work a timed-release vegetable food such as 14-14-14 into the soil before planting. Or you may instead choose to feed regularly with Bonnie Vegetable, Herb & Flower Plant Food. The plants love the liquid feeding.
Cabbage is easy to transplant. Set plants so that 1-2″ of the main stem is buried. Space according to directions on the Bonnie label. Generally, this is 12 to 24 inches apart in a row, depending upon the variety and the size of head it makes. For maximum size, be generous with the spacing. The Bonnie Mega-Cabbage, for example, needs all the room you can give it!
Cabbage demands even moisture to produce good heads. Mulch with compost, finely ground leaves, or finely ground bark to keep the soil cool and moist and to keep down weeds. Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it doesn’t rain. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge left in the garden.
Fertilize plants again with a liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or 20-20-20 after they begin to develop new leaves and when they start forming heads.
Troubleshooting
The best way to avoid problems is to keep your cabbage healthy and keep your garden clean. The main insect pests include cabbage loopers, slugs, imported cabbage worms, cabbage root maggots, aphids, and flea beetles. Disease problems include black leg, black rot, club-root, and yellows. To prevent diseases from building up in the soil, avoid planting cabbage or other Cole crops in the same spot each year. Rotate with a non-Cole crop for 2 years before returning to the same spot.
Harvest and Storage
Cabbage is ready to harvest when the head forms, right? No, sometimes they look ready, but they aren’t. You can test the head’s solidity by squeezing it. A head that looks solid and ready may still be flimsy and loose leafed on the inside. When it feels firm, cut the head from the base of the plant. Some varieties hold well in the garden for weeks, while others need to be cut soon after the heads are firm. Our descriptions of Bonnie cabbage varieties indicate which ones hold best. If a head cracks, cut it right away. If you want to experiment, you can leave the harvested plant in the garden. If the weather is still cooperative, they develop loose little heads below the cut that are fun to serve as mini cabbages. Heads keep for several weeks in the fridge.
Plantings
Plan to plant seeds outdoors 3 to 5 weeks before the last spring frost date.
Make sure your soil is free of stones; carrots need deeply tilled soil that they can push through.
Have you ever seen a carrot that has grown “legs” or forked? Fresh manure, or even recently applied rotted manure, can cause carrots to fork and send out little side roots. Don’t use it before you plant your seeds.
Plant seeds 3-4 inches apart in rows. Rows should be at least a foot apart.
Care
Gently mulch to retain moisture, speed germination and block the sun from the roots.
Soil should be well drained and loose to prevent forking and stunting of the root growth.
Once plants are an inch tall, thin so they stand 3 inches apart. Snip them with scissors instead of pulling them out to prevent damage to the roots of remaining plants.
Water at least one inch per week.
Weed diligently.
Fertilize 5-6 weeks after sowing.
Carrots taste much better after a couple of frosts. Following the first hard frost in the fall, cover carrot rows with an 18-inch layer of shredded leaves to preserve them for harvesting later.
Pests & Diseases
Wire worms
Flea Beetles
Aster Yellow Disease will cause shortened and discolored carrot tops and hairy roots. This disease is spread by pests as they feed from plant to plant. Keep weeds down and invest in a control plan for pests such as leaf hoppers. This disease has the ability to overwinter.
Harvest & Storage
Carrots are mature at around 2 ½ months and ½ inch in diameter. You may harvest whenever desired maturity is reached.
You may leave mature carrots in the soil for storage if the ground will not freeze.
To store freshly harvested carrots, twist off the tops, scrub off the dirt under cold running water, let dry and seal in airtight plastic bags, and refrigerate. If you simply put fresh carrots in the refrigerator, they’ll go limp in a few hours.
Carrots can be stored in tubs of moist sand for winter use.
Planting
Plant seed potatoes (pieces of whole potato or a small whole potato, with at least 2 eyes per piece) 0-2 weeks after last spring frost.
If you are cutting up potato pieces for planting, do so a 1-2 days ahead of time. This will give them the chance to form a protective layer, both for moisture retention and rot resistance.
You may start planting earlier, as soon as soil can be worked, but be aware that some crops will be ruined by a frost.
Spread and mix in rotted manure or organic compost in the bottom of the trench before planting.
Plant seed potatoes one foot apart in a 4-inch deep trench, eye side up.
Practice yearly crop rotation.
See our video on how to grow potatoes in a trash can, the easiest ever container garden!
Before planning your garden, take a look at our plant companions chart to see which veggies are compatible.
Care
Potatoes thrive in well-drained, loose soil.
Potatoes need consistent moisture, so water regularly when tubers start to form.
Hilling should be done before the potato plants bloom, when the plant is about 6 inches tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant in order to cover the root as well as to support the plant. Bury them in loose soil. The idea is to keep the potato from getting sunburned, in which case they turn green and will taste bitter.
You will need to hill potatoes every couple of weeks to protect your crop.
Pests & Diseases
Aphids
Flea Beetles
Leaf Hoppers
Early/Late/Blight
Potato Scab: Most likely cause by soil with high pH. Remember: Potatoes like acidic soil (do not plant in soil with a pH higher than 5.2). Dust seed potatoes with sulfur before planting.
Harvest & Storage
Dig potatoes on a dry day. Dig up gently, being careful not to puncture the tubers. The soil should not be compact, so digging should be easy.
New potatoes will be ready for harvest after 10 weeks, usually in early July.
You should harvest all of your potatoes once the vines die (usually by late August), or the potatoes may rot.
Make sure you brush off any soil clinging to the potatoes, then store them in a cool, dry, dark place. The ideal temperature for storage is 35 to 40°F.
Do not store potatoes with apples; their ethylene gas will cause potatoes to spoil.
Whether you dig your own potatoes or buy them at a store, don’t wash them until right before you use them. Washing potatoes shortens their storage life.
Find more tips on getting potatoes ready for the root cellar.
An ancient crop of the Orient, soybeans (Glycine max ‘Edamame’) are just beginning to become an established staple of the Western world. While it’s not the most commonly planted crop in home gardens, many people are taking to growing soybeans in fields and reaping in the health benefits these crops provide.
How to Grow Soybeans
Soybean plants are fairly easy to grow — about as easy as bush beans and planted much the same way. Growing soybeans can occur when soil temperatures are 50 F. (10 C.) or so but more ideally at 77 F. (25 C.). When growing soybeans, don’t rush planting as cold soil temperatures will keep the seed from germinating, and stagger planting times for a continuous harvest. Soybean plants at maturation are quite large (2 feet tall), so when planting soybeans, be aware that they are not a crop to attempt in a small garden space. Make rows 2-2 ½ feet apart in the garden with 2-3 inches between plants when planting soybeans. Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart. Be patient; germination and maturation periods for soybeans are longer than most other crops.
Growing Soybean Problems
Don’t sow soybean seeds when the field or garden is overly wet, as cyst nematode and sudden death syndrome may affect the growth potential.
Low soil temperatures will prevent germination of the soybean plant or cause root rotting pathogens to flourish.
In addition, planting soybeans too early may also contribute to high populations of bean leaf beetle infestations.
Harvesting Soybeans.
Soybean plants are harvested when the pods (edamame) are still an immature green, prior to any yellowing of the pod. Once the pod turns yellow, the quality and flavor of the soybean is compromised. Pick by hand from the soybean plant, or pull the entire plant from the soil and then remove pods.
Both red and green chiles are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, along with potassium and calcium. Their pungency ("hotness") depends on how much of the alkaloid, capsaicin, is produced. Capsaicin level varies with chile variety and is genetically determined, but also is influenced by air temperature and by cultural conditions such as the amount of fertilizer and water provided to plants. Capsaicin appears as a yellowish band along the inner walls of the chile pod; the more yellowish the inner walls, the hotter the chile. Seeds inside the chile are not hot - until pustules of capsaicin burst onto the seeds.
When you choose which chile variety to grow, pick with pungency in mind. Just how much pungency do you want? Examples include:
Very mild - NuMex R Naky, NuMex Conquistador
Mild - Anaheim, TAM Mild Jalapeno
Medium - Rio Grande 21, NuMex Big Jim, NuMex 6-4
Hot - Sandia, Espanola Improve
Very hot - Barker's Hot, Jalapeno, Cayenne
Start seeds indoors in early to mid-April or purchase plants at garden centers, where several varieties are available. Harden off plants over a week's time and transplant to well-prepared garden soil about May 30, or when night temperatures consistently remain above 50 degrees. It's best not to plant chiles in the same portion of the garden where any peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes or tomatillos (all related plants) were grown the previous growing season. That's because disease organisms from last year's crops could remain in the soil, thus affecting peppers and related plants this year.
Set transplants about 24 inches apart. After transplanting, fertilize with a weak solution of water-soluble fertilizer or manure tea. Fertilize again about four weeks later. Water regularly through the growing season. Hot, dry weather, minimal irrigation and minimal fertilizer promotes increased capsaicin development. Excessive watering promotes root diseases, especially in clay soils.
Green chiles are ready for harvest in August when pods become firm, glossy green, and resistant to squeezing pressure. Leave some green pods on the plant to fully mature - red chiles can be harvested when a red color develops over the whole pod, by September. Use a knife or scissors to cut red or green chiles from the plants. Leave at least one inch of stem. Tie red chiles from the stem onto wire strands for drying. These "ristras" are very decorative, and should be hung outdoors in an area with good air circulation and full sun. Dried red pods can be ground up into powders or more coarsely ground pods can be used in sauces.
Remove the thin outer skin of green chiles by blistering or roasting them on an outdoor grill. (When working with larger quantities, find a local vendor to roast them in large rotating bins equipped with propane burners). Place on a hot grill and turn chiles frequently, so all sides get blistered. Then, for crisp chiles, plunge them into an ice water bath. For more thoroughly cooked chiles, place blistered pods in a plastic bag or into a pan covered with a damp towel for 10 minutes; this allows "steaming." Before peeling chiles, put on thin rubber gloves or coat hands with butter. Keep hands away from eyes. Capsaicin burns hands and eyes just as it creates a hot sensation when eaten. To peel blistered pods, start at the stem end, peel skin down. Remove seeds and stems if desired. (Leave stems if green chiles will be used in rellenos.) Peeled chiles can then be used fresh or they can be frozen, canned or dried.
The tomato plant is a tender, warm-season perennial that is treated as an annual for growing in summer and fall gardens. They will be ready to harvest in about 60 days from planting and just a few plants will provide enough tomatoes for most families.
Location:
Chose your garden site carefully. Avoid micro-climates that may be too cold at night or too hot during the day. The ideal garden for tomatoes receives full sun most of the day, is protected from the wind, has well-amended soil and is near a convenient water source.
Raised beds are a good place to grow tomatoes. They require fewer pathways, leaving more space for growing. This method of gardening requires less fertilizer and compost and the soil doesn't become compacted from being frequently stepped on.
Tomatoes also do well as container plants but will require more frequent watering.
Soil:
Tomatoes need rich, well-drained soil. The soil should be amended with organic matter, compost or a tilled-in cover crop such as rye, wheat, oats, or hairy vetch before planting season. A complete fertilizer that is not too high in nitrogen should also be added prior to planting. Too much nitrogen will produce large plants but few tomatoes.
If you have grown tomatoes before, rotate your new crop to a spot where they have not been planted in at least the last four years.
Varieties:
Tomato plants available for purchase are usually hybrids of popular types including Celebrity, Early Girl, Big Boy, Fantastic, and Big Beef. For less common selections, seeds of many varieties are available from seed catalogs.
Varieties recommended for this area are Big Boy, Good-n-Early, Lemon Boy, Spirit, and Yellow Stiffer.
Using a sterile, soil-free potting mixture, start tomatoes indoors six to eight weeks before the frost-free date (May 15th in our area). Germination will take 7 to 14 days at 75° to 80° F. Give the plants as much light as possible, either in a south window, or for more uniform results, under artificial grow-lights for at least 14 hours a day.
As the seedlings grow, transplant them into larger and larger containers, each time burying the whole stem below the first set of leaves. The tomatoes will send out roots from the buried stem and will have developed a strong root system by the time they are ready to be planted outdoors.
Move your seedlings outdoors for a few hours each afternoon to get them acclimated, or hardened-off, before actually planting them in the garden.
Transplanting:
After the danger of frost is past and temperatures are consistently above 50° F at night and 65°F during the day, transplant your tomatoes into the garden. Space them as directed on seed packets or plastic inserts. You can get a head start on the season by planting outdoors earlier and using Wall O'Water or other such season extenders.
If purchasing tomato plants from a nursery or garden center, be sure to get high quality, semi-hardened transplants. Avoid tall, spindly plants. A good transplant should be as wide as it is tall, have a stem that is as thick as a pencil, and dark green foliage. It is preferable to get plants without blossoms or fruit. If blossoms or fruit are present, pinch them off to prevent a delay in vegetative growth and flowering. To minimize chemical use, be sure to purchase disease-resistant varieties.
Take care when removing the plants from flats or pots. Damaged root systems will delay growth of the plant. If the transplant has a long stem, "trench" it in by burying the stem laterally. This buried portion of stem will then send out roots.
Plant each tomato deeper than it was growing in its pot, burying it up to within three or four branches from its top. Firm the soil around the plant and water lightly. Planting within a shallow collar made from tin cans or toilet paper rolls will discourage cutworms.
You may want to use a floating row-cover to protect the young plants from wind, sun, temperature fluctuations and flying insects. Once the tomato plants are established, you can remove the row covers and support the plants with cages or by staking. Supporting the plants helps to keep the fruit off of the ground, reducing damage from ground rot and slugs.
Mulch:
After the soil warms up completely, mulch your plants with commercial plastic or fabric, bark, straw or dried grass clippings. The mulch should be several inches deep and close to the plants. This will help to control weeds, keep soil temperature constant, reduce water loss, and keep the fruit clean.
Water:
Apply water at regular intervals, soaking to a depth of 8-10 inches to keep the soil uniformly moist. Avoid fluctuations that may cause blossom drop, blossom end rot, or cracked fruit. Continue to water regularly until late August, avoiding prolonged wilting. After this time, fruit will ripen more quickly when water is withheld.
Fertilizer:
Fertilize seedlings weekly with a liquid fertilizer, such as a seaweed/fish emulsion mix , using one ounce of fertilizer to one gallon of water. Or you may want to try one of the commercial water-soluble fertilizers available, such as Rapid Gro or Miracle Grow, for example. After plants are well established, continue to provide additional fertilization every week to 10 days. Discontinue fertilizing after the first part of August because it will induce vine growth at the expense of ripening the fruit.
Harvest:
Harvest mature green tomatoes in the fall before a killing frost is expected. Wrap the green fruit individually in newspaper and store in a cool place (60° to 65° F). Unwrap and allow ripening in a window as needed. Immature green tomatoes may be harvested and used for frying or making jams, relishes or pickles.
Once the tomato plants have become established, there is little else to do but sit back and relax, open your cookbook and begin planning what to do with the harvest.
Garlic is a really healthy vegetable, and is popular in Mediterranean and Asian cooking, so it’s hardly surprising it has become popular to grow at home. Garlic is simple to grow and you’ll get plenty of fat, juicy garlic bulbs, if you grow in a sunny site. Don’t be tempted to plant garlic cloves from the supermarket though, buy from a garden centre or mail order supplier
Grow
Garlic casts no shade and is vulnerable to being smothered by weeds. You can avoid this by removing weeds regularly before they become established.
Garlic does not need additional watering, although during spring and early summer an occasional thorough watering during dry spells will improve yields. Don’t water once the bulbs are large and well-formed, as this could encourage rotting.Snip off any flowers that form.
Plant
Garlic grows well in any sunny, fertile site. For every square meter/yard add 50 g (2 oz) of general-purpose fertilizer before planting.
It is best not to plant garlic cloves bought from a supermarket – they may carry disease and may not be suited to the climate. Instead, buy them from a garden center or mail order supplier.
Garlic is best planted in late autumn or early winter; the general rule of thumb is to plant cloves before Christmas.
Break up the bulbs and plant individual cloves just below the soil surface 15 cm (6 in) apart and in rows 30 cm (12 in) apart.
Prevent birds from pulling up the cloves by covering the rows with horticultural fleece.