| | Plant | Number | Spacing | Spacing in Rows | Notes |
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Alyssum
| 66 | 5" | 5" x 5" | |
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Apple (Cordon)
| 4 | 3' 3" | 2' 7" x 3' 11" | |
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Artichoke (Globe)
| 1 | 2' 11" | 2' 11" x 2' 11" | After artichokes are established and unfurling new growth, fertilize plants once a month with a liquid fertilizer. Keep soil moist throughout the growing season. You can apply a liquid high-potassium fertilizer (often called a potash fertilizer) every 2 weeks during periods of active growth to encourage flower buds to form.
Mulch with an organic material, such as dry grass clippings, straw, aged manure, or a mixture of these. As buds begin to form, remove mulch, and apply a 4-inch-thick layer of compost around each plant, extending from the base of the plant outward 12 inches.
Following fall harvest, cut plants back to ground level or slightly below ground level. Cover with 3 to 4 inches of an organic mulch such as straw or shredded leaves. |
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Basil
| 16 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Beans (Fava)
| 40 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Beans (Pole)
| 11 | 9" | 5" x 1' 1" | |
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Beet
| 18 | 5" | 3" x 7" | Till in aged manure before planting. Beets require especially good nutrition and a high phosphorus level to germinate. Go easy on nitrogen however, an excess will cause sprawling greens and tiny bulbs beneath the soil.
In zones with low moisture and rainfall, soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting.
Early crop can be planted in March/April, and late crop anytime from June to September. Successive plantings are also possible as long as the weather doesn't exceed 75 degrees F. Space plantings about 20 days apart.
Days to maturity tend to be between 50 and 70 for most varieties, although they can be harvested at any time you see fit. If you like larger bulbs, wait longer, but understand they will be tougher and woody. Don't let greens grow above 6 inches before harvesting. |
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Borage
| 4 | 1' 1" | 11" x 1' 11" | |
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Broccoli
| 4 | 1' 5" | 1' 5" x 1' 5" | For fall plantings, seed 85 to 100 days before your average first fall frost. If you live in a warm climate, a fall planting is best, as broccoli thrives in cool weather. Plant seeds in mid- to late-summer in most places. |
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Buckwheat
| 91 | 3" | 3" x 3" | |
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Calendula
| 2 | 11" | 9" x 1' 11" | |
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Carrot
| 128 | 3" | 3" x 5" | |
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Catnip
| 5 | 1' 1" | 11" x 1' 3" | |
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Cauliflower
| 4 | 1' 7" | 1' 5" x 1' 11" | It is best to start cauliflower from transplants rather than seeds. Transplant 2 to 4 weeks before the average frost date in the spring, no sooner and not much later.
Space the transplants 18 to 24 inches apart with 30 inches between rows. Use starter fertilizer when transplanting.
Plant fall cauliflower about the same time as fall cabbage. This is usually 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost and also need to be after the temperature is below 75 degrees F.
Add mulch to conserve moisture. Cauliflower requires consistent soil moisture. They need 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week; with normal rainfall, this usually requires supplement watering. For best growth, side-dress the plants with a nitrogen fertilizer.
Note that the cauliflower will start out as a loose head and it takes time for the head to form. Many varieties take at least 75 to 85 days from transplant. Be patient.
When the curd (the white head) is about 2 to 3 inches in diameter, tie the outer leaves together over the head with a rubber band, tape, or twine. This is called blanching, and it protects the head from the sun and helps you get that pretty white color. The plants are usually ready for harvest 7 to 12 days after blanching. |
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Celery
| 8 | 7" | 5" x 11" | |
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Chamomile
| 2 | 11" | 9" x 1' 3" | |
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Chives
| 2 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Cilantro
| 2 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Cornflower
| 5 | 7" | 7" x 7" | |
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Cosmos
| 6 | 7" | 7" x 7" | |
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Cover Crop
| 64 | 5" | 3" x 7" | |
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Cucumber
| 20 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | Seed or transplant outside in the ground no earlier than 2 weeks after last frost date. Cucumbers are extremely susceptible to frost damage; the soil must be at least 65F for germination. Do not plant outside too soon! For an early crop, start cucumber seeds indoors about 3 weeks before you transplant them in the ground. They like bottom heat of about 70F (21C). If you dont have a heat mat, put the seeds flat on top of the refrigerator or perch a few on top of the water heater. Make a second planting. In already-warm summer soil, cucumbers will grow quickly and ripen in about six weeks! |
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Flower
| 12 | 7" | 5" x 7" | from potted miniature rose (Gloria) |
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Fruit (Bush)
| 1 | 2' 11" | 2' 11" x 2' 11" | |
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Garlic
| 26 | 5" | 3" x 9" | Garlic can be planted in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked, but fall planting is recommended for most gardeners. Plant in the fall and you'll find that your bulbs are bigger and more flavorful when you harvest the next summer. In areas that get a hard frost, plant garlic 6 to 8 weeks before that frost. In southern areas, February or March is a better time to plant.
Harvest time depends on when you plant, but the clue is to look for yellow tops. Harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over, before they are completely dry. In Northern climates, harvesting will probably be in late July or August. In Southern climates, it will depend on your planting date. Discontinue watering.
To harvest, carefully lift the bulbs with a spade or garden fork. Pull the plants, carefully brush off the soil, and let them cure in an airy, shady spot for two weeks. We hang them upside down on a string in bunches of 4 to 6. Make sure all sides get good air ciculation. The bulbs are cured and ready to store when the wrappers are dry and papery and the roots are dry. The root crown should be hard, and the cloves can be cracked apart easily. |
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Lavender
| 4 | 1' 3" | 1' 1" x 1' 7" | |
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Leek
| 9 | 7" | 5" x 11" | |
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Lemon (Container Grown)
| 1 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | |
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Lemon Balm
| 1 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | |
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Lemon Verbena
| 4 | 1' 1" | 11" x 1' 5" | |
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Lettuce (Leaf)
| 27 | 3" | 3" x 5" | |
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Lime (Container Grown)
| 1 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | |
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Marigold
| 8 | 7" | 7" x 7" | |
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Mint
| 3 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Nasturtium
| 2 | 11" | 11" x 11" | |
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Onion
| 24 | 5" | 3" x 7" | Plant onions as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, usually late March or April. Make sure temperature doesnt go below 20 degrees F.
Think of onions as a leaf crop, not a root crop. When planting onion sets, dont bury them more than one inch under the soil; if more than the bottom third of the bulb is underground, bulb growth can be restricted.
Fertilize every few weeks with nitrogen to get big bulbs. Cease fertilizing when the onions push the soil away and the bulbing process has started. Do not put the soil back around the onions; the bulb needs to emerge above the soil.
Generally, onions do not need consistent watering if mulch is used. About one inch of water per week (including rain water) is sufficient. If you want sweeter onions, water more. Onions will look healthy even if they are bone dry, be sure to water during drought conditions. Make sure soil is well-drained. Mulch will help retain moisture and stifle weeds.
Cut or pull any onions that send up flower stalks; this means that the onions have "bolted" and are done.
When onions start to mature, the tops become yellow and begin to fall over. At that point, bend the tops down or even stomp on them to speed the final ripening process. Loosen the soil to encourage drying, and after a few days turn them up and let them cure on dry ground. Always handle them very carefully; the slightest bruise will encourage rot to set in.
When tops are brown, pull the onions. Be sure to harvest in late summer, before cool weather. Mature onions may spoil in fall weather. Allow onions to dry for several weeks before you store them in a root cellar or any other storage area. Spread them out on an open screen off the ground to dry. |
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Onion (Perennial)
| 4 | 5" | 5" x 5" | |
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Oregano
Cuban
| 1 | 7" | 5" x 9" | |
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Other (Large)
| 4 | 1' 7" | 1' 7" x 1' 7" | |
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Other (Perennial)
| 1 | 1' 7" | 1' 7" x 1' 7" | |
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Parsley
| 8 | 5" | 3" x 9" | |
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Pear (Cordon)
| 4 | 3' 3" | 2' 7" x 3' 11" | |
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Peas
| 78 | 3" | 3" x 7" | Pisum savitum: garden peas (sweet pea, inedible pod)
Sow seeds outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before last spring frost, when soil temperatures reach 45 degrees F. Plant 1 inch deep (deeper if soil is dry) and 2 inches apart. Get them in the ground while the soil is still cool but do not have them sit too long in wet soil.
Peas don't need heavy doses of fertilizer. They like phosphorus and potassium. Water sparsely unless the plants are wilting. Do not let plants dry out, or no pods will be produced. |
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Pepper
| 4 | 1' 1" | 11" x 1' 3" | Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last spring frost date. The temperature must be at least 70 degrees F for seed germination, so keep them in a warm area for the best and fastest results.
Start pepper seeds three to a pot, and thin out the weakest seedling. Let the remaining two pepper plants spend their entire lives together as one plant. The leaves of two plants help protect peppers against sunscald, and the yield is often twice as good as two segregated plants.
Begin to harden off plants about 10 days before transplanting.
A week before transplanting, introduce fertilizer or aged compost in your garden soil.
After the danger of frost has passed, transplant seedlings outdoors, 18 to 24 inches apart (but keep paired plants close to touching.)
Soil should be at least 65 degrees F, peppers will not survive transplanting at temps any colder.
Put two or three match sticks in the hole with each plant, along with about a teaspoon of fertilizer. They give the plants a bit of sulfur, which they like.
Fertilize after the first fruit set. For larger fruit, spray the plants with a solution of one tablespoon of Epsom salts in a gallon of water, once when it begins to bloom, and once ten days later. |
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Pomegranate
| 1 | 9' 10" | 9' 10" x 9' 10" | |
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Potatoes (Early)
| 6 | 1' 3" | 1' 1" x 1' 7" | |
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Pumpkin
| 1 | 2' 11" | 2' 11" x 2' 11" | |
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Raspberry
| 7 | 2' 3" | 1' 11" x 2' 11" | |
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Rosemary
| 4 | 7" | 7" x 7" | |
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Spinach
| 27 | 7" | 5" x 11" | |
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Squash (Summer)
| 4 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | |
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Strawberry
| 4 | 1' 7" | 1' 5" x 1' 11" | |
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Tomato (Large)
| 4 | 1' 7" | 1' 5" x 1' 11" | |
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Tomato (Small)
| 8 | 1' 7" | 1' 5" x 1' 11" | |
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Watermelon
| 1 | 2' 11" | 2' 11" x 2' 11" | |
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Winter Field Beans
| 28 | 9" | 7" x 1' 3" | |
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Winter Peas
| 56 | 3" | 3" x 7" | |
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Zucchini
| 4 | 1' 11" | 1' 11" x 1' 11" | |
