Vegetable Gardening: What Master Gardeners Need To Know. Erica Smith Montgomery County Master Gardener

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1 Vegetabe Gardening: What Master Gardeners Need To Know Erica Smith Montgomery County Master Gardener

2 Not discussed today: Non-vegetabe edibes (herbs, fruit, etc.) Soi and compost (except briefy) Fertiizers and pesticides Seed-starting and seed-saving Season extension Edibe andscaping and permacuture

3 The broader context: Why grow vegetabes? To save money To provide fresher and more nutritious food To contro what goes into your diet To make a positive impact on the environment To get exercise, reax, have fun To teach chidren about the natura word To provide food for the hungry

4 Define Your Terms Annuas, biennias, perennias Reproduction: sexua and asexua Pant varieties: Open-poinated Heiroom Hybrid Transgenic/GMO Organic gardening IPM

5 Life cyces Many vegetabes are annuas Some are biennias or perennias grown as annuas in cod cimates Difference between annua and biennia can be important for seed-saving Know your perennias when panning a garden; group together or put on margins

6 Reproduction Sexua reproduction Asexua reproduction

8 Open-poinated varieties Poen transferred by natura means (insects, animas, wind, etc.) or the gardener can be invoved Seed is stabiized; wi breed trueto-type if cross-poination is avoided Next generation wi be simiar to parents, though not identica Maintains a fair amount of genetic diversity Heiroom varieties are a subset of OP, which are oder or have been passed down in a community

Hybrid varieties Controed cross of pant varieties, by human intervention First generation abeed F1 Meant to emphasize certain characteristics such as disease resistance, favor, size, eary

9 Hybrid varieties Controed cross of pant varieties, by human intervention First generation abeed F1 Meant to emphasize certain characteristics such as disease resistance, favor, size, eary harvest Hybrid vigor Wi not breed true-to-type; don t repant seed from hybrids Have to buy new seed every year (or when packet runs out) Can be stabiized in ater generations Wikimedia Commons

Geneticay modified pants GMOs are created by impanting genes from one species into another whose DNA woud not normay contain them: transgenic Work done in a ab, not a fied Seeds

10 Geneticay modified pants GMOs are created by impanting genes from one species into another whose DNA woud not normay contain them: transgenic Work done in a ab, not a fied Seeds can be hybrid or OP (but nevertheess are controed by producers) Seed avaiabe to farmers, not gardeners Genetic modification is not the same thing as hybridization Wikimedia Commons

11 Organic gardening Uses no synthetic pesticides or fertiizers Improves soi quaity Maintains diversity and creates a more resiient garden ecosystem Uses oca resources and practices the 4 R s: reduce, reuse, recyce, rethink Shoud aways be more sustainabe and ess harmfu to the environment than non-organic

12 Integrated pest management (IPM) Not stricty organic, but chemicas are used as a ast resort Hoistic approach; invoves understanding of a factors affecting pant growth Manages pests and diseases at acceptabe eves rather than eiminating them Requires reguar monitoring of pants and gardens

13 Vegetabe Taking Points Starting a garden: the basics - Fencing - Sun, site, situation, soi Know your pants - Choice, timing, spacing Pests and diseases

15 Fences! Pastic deer fence Wood and other soid fences Wire fence Buried fence Eectric fence Don t forget gates! Make sure you know HOA reguations before buiding

Deer fencing Usuay back pastic mesh Comes in different weights Usuay tensioned at top Wi keep out deer but other animas can craw under it or chew through it

16 Deer fencing Usuay back pastic mesh Comes in different weights Usuay tensioned at top Wi keep out deer but other animas can craw under it or chew through it Varying heights Remember deer can jump 8 feet if they see a cear path to and on the other side Busy gardens or gardens near buidings may get by with 5-6 feet

17 Soid fences and was Soid wood fences or brick/stone was keep deer out because they can t see through Brick/stone was Usuay keep other animas out as we Some animas can cimb over brick was! Expensive and permanent! Photo: Sam Korper

18 Wire fencing Can use at heights ess than six feet where deer are not a probem Groundhogs can cimb four feet or burrow under the fence To keep groundhogs out, add a foppy section at top

19 Bury your fences! Chicken wire or hardware coth to keep out groundhogs and rabbits Bury in a trench one foot deep, bend outwards in L shape one foot out

20 Eectric fences

21 Gates

22 The four S's Sun Site Situation Soi

23 Vegetabes need sun Leafy greens do okay with ess sun (4 hours) 6 hours of sun a day for fruiting veggies Keep the compass in mind and watch the shadows

24 Leve ground is idea (but not necessary) Wikimedia Commons Photo: Nick Smith

26 Water Site the garden where there s access to water and good drainage Water deepy and infrequenty (about one inch per week) Water the roots, not the eaves, preferaby in the morning Use drip irrigation Keep the garden weeded Use much to conserve moisture and suppress weeds

27 How big is a vegetabe garden? From J. Roade, How to Grow Vegetabes and Fruits by the Organic method, 1961 Photo: Sam Korper

28 Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Fickr Photo Sharing Starting new gardens

29 Sheet composting for new pots Cover new garden area with cardboard or newspaper Dump compost on top Cover with shredded eaves and grass cippings and wait ti spring! Photos UMD Extension

30 Container gardening Photo: Sam Korper Use soiess mix, not garden soi Use food-safe containers Choose appropriate varieties Water reguary Add nutrients throughout the season Expect ower yieds

31 Don t overcrowd containers Nationa Home Gardening Cub When you pant a puppy, make sure your container can accommodate the fu-grown dog.

32 Saad tabes Photo: Caire Gardner

33 Photo by Pam Hosimer Raised beds

34 Raised beds Use food-safe materias; avoid pressure-treated umber? Soi/compost mix is best Advantages: better drainage, ess soi compaction, warms earier in spring Disadvantages: cost, soi may dry out Best no more than 3-4 feet wide Height 6 inches and up

35 Straw bae gardening Use non-herbicidetreated straw baes Must be conditioned with compost and/or fertiizer + water Interior decomposition wi produce warmth and nutrients Pant right into the straw Can be paced anywhere Photo by Robin Ritterhoff

36 Vertica growing Growing verticay makes the best use of horizonta space It keeps pants away from anima pests and can hep prevent disease It can make harvesting easier It does require some work and the use of supports Not a pants are appropriate Photo Sarah Cutte/Vertica Veg

38 Catte pane arch Mouse meon or Mexican sour gherkin, Meothria scabra

39 Soi

40 Why add organic matter*? It improves the structure of soi and its nutrient- and water-hoding capacity, and heps it drain better It provides some nutrients for pants It can add beneficia microorganisms to the soi, and aso heps feed existing microorganisms It can hep reduce dependence on fertiizers *compost, mosty

41 Muching Keep the soi covered! Much jobs: suppress weeds, conserve moisture, reduce erosion, reguate soi temperature, prevent disease Much types: straw, eaves, newspaper, compost, wood chips, pine needes, other organic materias, pastic One disadvantage: pests can hide Aternatives: intensive panting, cover crops Photo: Robin Ritterhoff

42 Why have your soi tested? To determine ph and earn how to adjust it if necessary To determine which nutrients your soi may be acking To identify any toxic contaminants in your soi

43 Know your pants Reaity-based pant choice Understanding growth needs Famiy affairs

44 Why grow it? Because you ike to eat it Because it makes economic sense to grow it Because it does we in our cimate Because it fits a particuar gardening situation Because it grows easiy, without much effort Because it's pest-resistant/disease-resistant Because it has other beneficia effects Because it's totay coo

45 Seed cataog seection Growing information incuding start dates, seeding/transpanting, days to maturity, pest/ disease, harvest Latin names, famiies Photo/description (remember to check onine too) Seed counts - seeds per $ - packet size Breadth of offerings, speciaization Persona preference: heiroom, organic, Safe Seed Pedge

46 Timing is everything......or "No, you can't pant tomatoes outside in March" Warm-weather vs. coo-weather crops Start inside, direct sow, buy transpants? UME pubs (HG16 and GE007 panting caendars) Seed packet-reading demos Schoo gardens: a specia case (GE133) Season extension

47 Photos by Gordon Cark Season extension

48 Pant spacing

49 Intensive gardening Methods used to harvest the most produce possibe from the smaest amount of space Goa is to save space, save time and make the best investment of money Emphasis on soi buiding, efficient and precise use of space, sustainabiity Succession panting and choice of varieties important

51 100 square foot garden = 400 pounds of produce (2014) Photo by Mary Anne Normie

52 Oh no, more Latin or, vegetabes have famiies too! Reated pants tend to have: Simiar pests Simiar diseases Simiar needs and characteristics Simiar origins (sometimes)

53 Know your pant famiies Potatoes (Nightshade famiy) Sweet potatoes (Morning gory famiy)

54 Bugs Happen They're not a bad (some of them are very good) They may cause imited and manageabe damage Sometimes they get out of hand and need to be stopped

55 Attract beneficia insects: pant fowers

Foating row cover Made from spun-bonded poyester or poypropyene Comes in different weights: ight to excude pests, heavier to protect pants from frost Wi foat on top of

56 Foating row cover Made from spun-bonded poyester or poypropyene Comes in different weights: ight to excude pests, heavier to protect pants from frost Wi foat on top of pants or can use a frame Needs to be hed down to ground Can be re-used if cared for Must remove if pants require poination Aso must remove temporariy to weed and harvest

57 Abiotic factors = non-iving, not caused by pest or disease At east haf of observed garden probems are abiotic Some abiotic factors: soi compaction, watering issues, poor nutrition, poution, herbicides, weather Keep an open mind and aways ask the gardener for information! Damage may be caused by more than one factor Symptoms affecting more than one unreated species are ikey to be caused by abiotic factors Widespread symptoms aso indicate abiotic factors

58 Top pests and diseases by pant famiy: a quick overview Soanaceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Fabaceae (Leguminosae) Muti-species feeding insects Basi downy midew

59 Soanaceae (Nightshade Famiy) Incudes tomato, pepper, potato, eggpant, tomatio, tobacco, etc. Late bight on tomato Eary bight on tomato

60 More Soanaceae pests Fea beete (contro with row cover) Coorado potato beete (contro by squishing)

61 Bossom-end rot Occurs in tomato, pepper, eggpant, squash, watermeon Caused by cacium deficiency Can be caused by inabiity of pant to take up cacium due to ow ph, insufficient watering, or excessive use of nitrogen fertiizer Some varieties more susceptibe

greens, horseradish, arugua Mosty grown spring and fa Contro pests

62 Brassicaceae (cabbage famiy) Kae, broccoi, coards, cauifower, Brusses sprouts, mustard, turnip, rutabaga, radish, bok choy, Asian greens, horseradish, arugua Mosty grown spring and fa Contro pests with row cover, hand-picking, pesticides as appropriate Imported cabbageworm

63 Harequin bug Photo: Barbara Knapp

64 Cucurbitaceae Squash species: Cucurbita pepo C. maxima C. moschata C. argyrosperma/mixta Cucumber = Cucumis sativus Meon = Cucumis meo Watermeon = Citruus anatus

65 Squash vine borer moth Contro: row cover, stem cover, arva remova, Bacius thuringiensis injection, succession panting. C. moschata usuay resistant.

66 Borer-resistant fashion statement Tromboncino squash Cucurbita moschata

67 Squash bugs

68 Other cucurbit probems Powdery midew Insufficient poination Cucumber beetes è bacteria wit

69 Poor fower and fruit set in high temperatures Beans: above 85 F. Peppers: above 95 (or nights above 75 ) Tomatoes: above 95 Squash and cucumbers: high temperatures can mean insufficient femae fower production

70 Good beete, bad beete Ladybird beete Mexican bean beete

71 Opportunistic insects Brown marmorated stink bug Japanese beete

underneath Pu out and destroy affected pants Good

72 Downy midew of basi Funga disease encouraged by wet, humid weather Leaf yeowing, gray and fuzzy underneath Pu out and destroy affected pants Good air circuation best prevention Resistant variety: Eeanora

73 Thoughts to carry on with: Know and use your resources! Try to get peope to understand pants, pests and the reationship between them Be aware that everyone s growing situation is different And yet, there are some basic rues: cover soi, amend soi, use IPM, etc. Try something new!

74 Thank you!!?????????

Vegetable Gardening. What Master Gardeners Need to Know. Presented by Erica Smith Montgomery County Master Gardener

Vegetable Gardening. What Master Gardeners Need to Know. Presented by Erica Smith Montgomery County Master Gardener Vegetable Gardening What Master Gardeners Need to Know Presented by Erica Smith Montgomery County Master Gardener Our mission statements UME Master Gardeners Home and Garden Information Center To support