In article
,
Billy wrote:
On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:41:16 -0500, "The moderator"
wrote:
This is my first garden and it wasn't ready to plant until now.
According
to the local planting schedule I missed the planting dates for some of
my
early crops.
Can I plant late and still get healthy plants? Peas, Spinach,
Broccoli,
potatoes?
Thanks
This is out'en Charlie's archive. I only steal from the best.
Late Planting Guide From Seed
From an Old Organic Magazine
Frost date is Oct 15 Last frost May 15
Your dates may differ due to your climate
July 4 100 days till Oct 15
Frost tender
85 days Snap Beans by July 25
97 days Corn by July 4
86 days Cucumbers by July 25
110 days Tomatoes by June 25
81 ays Squash by Aug 1
Survive Light Frost
90 days Cauliflower by July 25
84 days Chinese Cabbage by July 25
74 days Beets by Aug 15
113 days Endive by June 25
63 days Kohlrabi by Aug 30
76 days Loose Leaf Lettuce by Aug 1r
96 days Head Lettuce by July 4
70 days Peas by Aug 15
Survive Heavy Frost
99 days Cabbage by July 4
85 days Carrots by July 25
70 days Chard by Aug 15
90 days Collards by July 4
95 days Broccoli by July 4
120 days Brussels Sprouts by June 15
95 days Kale by July 4
42 days Radishes Summer by Sept 5
72 days Radishes Winter by Aug 15
64 days Spinach by Aug 25
51 days Turnips by Sept 15
-- People need to remember that these are average frost dates, for zone
5.
I'm also zone five.
Some years things will be done in around the average date, other years
it may go much later. Three years ago we were still harvesting
tomatoes aaround thanksgiving time. I had covered a few plants when
frost hit the end of october. No frost or freeze until around
thnksgiving.
Charlie
An' that's the way it is, movin' on.
I thought this looked useful as well.
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/g...x?cp-documenti
d=8316903
Vertical Crops
Plants that produce vines can be grown on trellises, fences, and other
supports. By growing up instead of out you concentrate much more
production into each square foot of garden. Crops grown off the ground
also tend to be healthier because they are less likely to contract
fungus infections or soil-borne leaf diseases.
The list below shows some of the most popular vegetables suited to this
technique.
Vegetables Suited to Vertical Gardening
* Tomatoes. Choose indeterminate varieties, which continue to grow
and produce over a long period -- often until felled by frost. Tomatoes
can be grown in wire cages or supported by tying to 7-foot-tall wood
stakes driven 2 feet into the ground. Cage-grown tomatoes require
minimal attention, but are more prone to fungal diseases. Tomatoes grown
on stakes benefit from being pruned to a single stem; this means
constantly pinching out new branches that arise in the crotch between
the main stem and a leaf.
* Pole beans. Although they take longer to mature than bush-type
beans, pole beans produce over a much longer period. Train pole beans up
tall wooden poles or a tepee of sturdy bamboo.
* Cucumbers. Vine-type cucumbers (as opposed to the bush varieties)
do well on fences and trellises. Vertically grown cukes also tend to be
straighter and more uniform than those grown on the ground.
* Snap Peas. These super-sweet edible pod peas are among the most
productive vegetables in the spring garden. By selecting tall vining
varieties (such as the original Sugar Snap pea), you can easily grow
them on 5- to 6-foot-tall mesh trellises. Pick carefully to avoid
damaging the brittle vines.
* Melons and winter squash. These long-season crops require
heavy-duty support if you choose to grow them vertically. Larger
varieties may even need slings made of cloth or cut-up panty hose to
support the growing fruit. You'll also need to tie the vines to the
support using strips of cloth; avoid string or wire, which can cut into
the vines.
Succession Planting and Interplanting
These two techniques will increase the yield of your garden, and they
may lengthen a particular vegetable's harvest. Succession planting means
replacing a finished crop with a new crop, or planting a single crop in
small amounts over an extended period. Interplanting means planting a
fast-maturing vegetable in the spaces between slower-maturing
vegetables, or growing a low variety under a tall variety.
The information below explains each technique in detail.
Succession Planting
Succession planting takes two forms. First, you can replace a spring
crop with a summer crop. For example, after the peas are fully
harvested, you can pull out the vines and plant cucumbers in their
place. The key to success of this system is to have a new batch of seeds
or seedlings ready to go when the first crop is done. This system works
best when you are starting with vegetables that do well in cool weather,
but not so well in summer's heat. In addition to peas, you can use this
technique with lettuce, spinach, and radishes.
The second form of succession planting addresses the fact that some
vegetables produce only for a limited time. Bush beans, for example,
should be planted every two weeks to ensure a continuing supply. If you
want to have three crops, plant one-third of the bed every two weeks.
Other crops that benefit from this type of succession planting include
corn, carrots, radishes, and heading lettuce.
A related technique is to plant several varieties with different
maturities. For example, you might plant an early-maturing tomato like
'Early Girl' at the same time as a main season beefsteak variety. Corn
is another vegetable that comes in early, mid-season, and late-maturing
varieties.
Interplanting
This technique takes advantage of the fact that some vegetables grow
quickly, while others take their time. For example, if you plant carrots
and radishes together, you can harvest the radishes in about 30 days,
when the carrots will still be quite small. Another option is to combine
a vertical vegetable (like tomatoes)with a low-growing crop (like
melons).
Here are some interplanting combinations that work well.
*
Grow sprawling melons and squash under stake-grown tomatoes.
*
Surround corn with lettuce or peas with radishes.
*
Combine quick and slow vegetables like lettuce with tomatoes,
beets with pole beans, spinach with winter squash, leeks with sweet
potatoes, and radishes with sweet corn.
----------
What to Plant How Many Plants Yield
1 bed potatoes 92 plants 145 pounds 10 = 15.5 lbs
1 bed beans (bush) 180 plants 68 pounds 20 = 7.5 lbs
1 bed peas (bush) 362 plants 90 pounds 12 = 3 lbs
1/2 bed broccoli 26 plants 14 pounds
1/2 bed cauliflower 26 plants 75 pounds
1/2 bed lettuce (head) 26 plants 56 pounds
1/2 bed cabbage 26 plants 70 pounds
1 bed sweet corn 92 plants 92 ears
1 bed zucchini 20 plants 120 pounds 6 = 36 lbs
1 bed banana squash 20 plants 120 pounds
1 bed cantaloupes 26 plants 182 pounds
1 bed watermelons 20 plants 182 pounds
1 bed tomatoes 26 plants 156 pounds 16 = 96 lbs
Here's what can be planted later in the fall for a second harvest.
What to Plant How Many Plants Yield 1 bed potatoes 92 plants 145
pounds
1 bed beans (bush) 180 plants 68 pounds
1 bed peas (bush) 362 plants 90 pounds
1/2 bed broccoli 26 plants 14 pounds
1/2 bed cauliflower 26 plants 75 pounds
1/2 bed lettuce (head) 26 plants 56 pounds
1/2 bed cabbage 26 plants 70 pounds
1 bed sweet corn 92 plants 92 ears
To harvest two crops with the assortment of foods listed above in one
season, it is important to transplant well-grown potted plants in the
beds.
----------
--
- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is
now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of
conception until death." - Rachel Carson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI29wVQN8Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvCCc4g9wM8&NR=1