Spring Vegetable Gardening Presented by: Kent Phillips kent.a.phillips@gmail.com
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
www.extension.umd.edu/growit Grow Your Own Food We Can Show You How Click on Take A Class And Scroll down to Howard County
Survey Existing garden ready for spring planting Want to build a new vegetable garden
My unbordered raised beds
Ingredients for spring gardening success! Knowledge/planning Timing Friable soil rich in organic matter Adequate nutrients, water and sunlight
Planning Seed catalogs (December/January) What do you want to grow Starting seeds indoors v. buying transplants www.extension.umd.edu/growit Search for seed starting Spring planting timing Publication HG 16 Planting Dates for Vegetables in MD GE 007 Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central MD Proven vegetables for Maryland Publication HG70 Recommended Vegetable Cultivars fo MD Home Gardens
Timing When to start seeds for transplants See the back of the seed packet Subtract weeks to start seed indoors from spring plant out date suggested by HGIC When to transplant seedlings in the garden and to plant seeds outside http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic Click on Information Library, Publications and Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Gardening look for Publication HG16, GE 007 or GE008
Good info on most seed packets 9
Percent Probability Of Last Frost Occurring On/Or After Date In Spring NORTH- CENTRAL MD Station 10% 1 yr. in 10 33% 1 yr. in 3 50% 1 yr. in 2 67% 2 yrs. in 3 90% 9 yrs. in 10 Balt. Airport April 26 April 20 April 13 April 09 March 31 Baltimore City April 11 April 01 March 26 March 20 March 10 Bel Air April 30 April 24 April 20 April 16 April 09 Clarksville May 17 May 09 May 05 May 01 April 23 Frederick April 29 April 20 April 15 April 10 April 01 Westminster May 04 April 25 April 21 April 17 April 08 Unionville May 19 May 11 May 06 May 01 April 23
What is organic matter? Organic matter is anything that was once part of a plant. Compost v. raw material To create a sustainable gardens build soil health (feeding the soil food web and recycling nutrients) increase biological diversity above and below ground - plants, insects, microbial life
Organic Matter (cont.) Add OM to garden every year Build up a reserve of humus Six inches of OM for new gardens One inch for established gardens For a 100 sq ft area = 8 cu ft of compost 200 lbs Howard County Compost NPK = 1.41-0.6-1.36 200 lbs =2.82 lbs N, 1.2 lbs P, 2.7 lbs K 100 sq ft lots of WIN 15 % of N available yearly -.4 lbs of N per 100 sq. ft. Goal: 25% of top 8 in. of soil volume is OM (a soil that tests >4% OM by weight) Compost builds up a reservoir of slowly available N that is sufficient to produce veg. crops w/out supplemental fertilizers
Previous fall Add available compost and turn in Sow spinach and kale to winter over Cover gardens to be used in early spring Plant cover crops in summer vegetable beds Soil test every three years http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit Click on Soil Testing on the lower right side of the page and HG 110 to get info on soil testing.
Soil Test Results
Interpreting soil test results My beds are 4 by 70 feet or 280 square feet Results call for 4 lbs of 0-46-0 per 1000 sq. ft. Lbs for my bed 280/1000 x 4 = 1.12 lbs 0-46-0 Results call for 3 lbs of 0-0-60 280/1000 x 3 =.84 lbs. of 0-0-60 Results call for 10 lb. of 10-10-10/1000 sq ft prior to planting 280/1000 x 10 = 2.8 lbs of 10-10-10
December/January Plan your spring garden Order seeds Johnny s Selected Seeds Burpee Meyers Seed Get seed starting supplies Garden shops Catalogs
Start seeds indoors February http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit Click on Get Started under Vegetables and Starting Vegetables Seeds Indoors Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi and pak choi) Lettuce Leeks, chives and onion Beets
March Harden off transplants (Mid to late march) Move outdoors during day Cold frame Fertilize area being planted Follow soil test recommendations or.2#s of N/100 square foot Lbs. of fertilizer = N recommend or.2/%n from NPK analysis on bag Sow direct seeded crops Arugula, spinach, kale, peas, favas, turnips, radishes, potatoes, onion and shallot sets Transplant seedlings (late March, weather dependent) Protect from freezes using row cover or cloche Start seeds indoors Eggplant and pepper (mid to late March)
Inter planted lettuce and broccoli In a 3 foot long area plant 5 broccoli plants in an x pattern Plant 4 lettuce plants between the broccoli plants B L B L B L B L B
Plant protection and season extenders Row Cover Cloche
Start seeds indoors April Tomatoes (5-6 wks. prior to plant out date) Cucumbers, cantaloupes and squash (3 wks prior to plant out date) Harden off transplants Sow direct seeded crops beets, carrots, kohlrabi, broccoli raab and snap beans Succession plant Arugula, spinach, radishes, lettuce
April (continued) Transplant asparagus roots Harvest Arugula, spinach, kale, radishes, broccoli raab, lettuce (spinach & kale from previous year) Trellis peas Turn compost Incorporate nitrogen if necessary
May Harvest arugula, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, spinach, turnips Transplant after last frost date (5/17) eggplant, peppers, squash and tomatoes Use row cover on eggplant and squash to control pests Plant beans (every 3 weeks), corn, okra Succession plant beets, carrots,
Early June Harvest, harvest, harvest Continue to succession plant one and done crops (beans, carrots, beets, etc.) Start seeds for fall planting of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage mid month.
Arugula Spinach & Kale March Two raised beds- 8 ft. X 3 or 4 ft. with a 2 ft. path in the middle Broccoli Cauliflower 3 ft.
Arugula Spinach & Kale Beets & Carrots April Chard Two raised beds- 8 ft. X 3 or 4 ft. with a 2 ft. path in the middle Broccoli Cauliflower 3 ft.
Tomatoes Peppers and Eggplants Beans Beets & Carrots May Chard Two raised beds- 8 ft. X 3 or 4 ft. with a 2 ft. path in the middle Broccoli Cauliflower 3 ft.
Tomatoes Peppers and Eggplant Beans Beets & Carrots June Chard Two raised beds- 8 ft. X 3 or 4 ft. with a 2 ft. path in the middle Squash Cucumbers 3 ft.
Cool Season Crops Beets Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Carrots Chard Kohlrabi Leaf lettuce Green onions Peas Potatoes Radish Spinach Turnips Plant in spring Asparagus Rhubarb
Resources Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) 800-342-2507 www.extension.umd.edu/hgic Grow-It-Eat-It website www.extension.umd.edu/growit Search for info on desired topic Join the Grow It Network Subscribe to the Grow It blog Master Gardener state website www.extension.umd.edu.mg
Upcoming classes http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit Click on Take a Class and scroll down and click on to Howard County and click on Class Schedule If you have vegetable gardening questions, go to the Grow It website and click on the Ask the Experts on the left hand side of the page.
This program was brought to you by Maryland Master Garden Program Howard County University of Maryland Extension