A small vegetable garden in your own backyard can bring you many benefits. Not only will you realize the creative benefits of gardening, you will grow fresh produce for your family and the local food pantry. Gardening can be a family affair with your children acquiring gardening skills that can be passed on to their own children.

Your first step is to find a location on your property which has a minimum of 8 – 10 hours of sunlight on a level area.  Soil conditions are not too critical because organic matter can be incorporated and fertilizers added to increase the friability and nutrient value of the soil. The garden size can be as small as 2 foot diameter containers, a 4’x8’ raised bed or a 10’ x 15’ ground bed. It’s advisable to start small and increase the size as your gardening skills increase. A properly maintained 10’ x 15’ garden can produce up to 200 lbs. of produce.  

Soil Preparation

Soil preparation depends on factors such as garden size and your physical ability, time and budget.  A good starting point is to clean the site, removing rocks, weeds and debris. Options for soil preparation include hand digging with a spade or shovel, tilling or plowing. Unfortunately, hand digging can be laborious for bigger plots.  Plowing or rototilling the soil is common practice, but can cause soil compaction and upset the balance of microorganisms.  To minimize damage, till only for preparation for planting or preparing a new bed.  Fall tilling is preferable to spring tilling as this allows better decomposition of organic material in the soil, which reduces disease, insects and organisms.  This also allows for earlier planting in the spring. 

When planning a new vegetable garden, it is important to consider soil fertility, pH, texture and structure.  Ideally, vegetables grow best in fertile, well-drained soil with loamy texture.  In Union County, our soil is heavy clay.  These soils can form a hard crust and become so compacted that roots are deprived of oxygen needed for growth. Adding organic matter to clay soils improves texture and structure, resulting in better drainage and aeration.  A loose soil structure is especially important for root and tuber crops such as carrots and potatoes.  For new sites, dig the soil to a depth of at least six to ten inches and add a two to four inch layer of organic matter.  Ways to improve drainage include surface grading to eliminate standing water or installing drain tile.  Constructing raised beds over existing soils can also offer improvement with drainage and greater control of soil texture. 

When preparing your vegetable garden, do not work the soil when it is too wet as this may result in soil damage.  To test this, turn over soil about six inches deep with a spade, pick up a handful of soil and squeeze it.  If it crumbles when pressure is released, the soil is ready.  If soil stays in a ball when released, wait several days before working the soil. 

Soil Improvement

Soils in Union County are a heavy clay and require large amounts of organic matter in order to make the garden workable.  Composted manures, peat moss, composted yard waste are excellent sources of organic matter.  Once the soil is workable, (crumbles easily in your hand) add 3 inches of organic matter and work into the top 6 inches by spading or rototilling. Fall is the best time to improve soil in your garden. It is critical to take a soil sample for chemical analysis (Soil kits are available at the Extension Office). Deficient elements can be incorporated in the top 6 inches of soil as needed before winter sets in. Lime (to raise the pH) or Sulfur (to lower the pH) should be applied each fall as needed.  This can be done after the organic matter has been incorporated. Do-It-Yourself pH and nutrient kits have questionable accuracy. 

Fertilization

Fertilization is essential for plant growth and maximum yield. The soil analysis will provide guide lines for correcting deficiencies. Fertilizer can be purchased as organic (derived from animal or plant sources) or inorganic (produced from chemically treated rocks and minerals or extracted from the air – nitrogen). A liquid starter fertilizer placed around the plant is recommended for tomatoes, peppers and other transplants. This fertilizer should be high in phosphorus (i.e. 10-52-17). For seeded crops apply the fertilizer on each side of the row 3” to the side and 2”-3” deep. Generally 1-2 pounds of fertilizer/100 feet of row is recommended. Level the soil off and make a row midway between these rows for seeding.  If this seems too labor intensive your can broadcast 1-2 lbs. of fertilizer/100 square feet and work into the top 2-3 inches.  As a rule of thumb, leafy crops require more nitrogen than phosphorus or potassium, crops grown for their fruit (tomato, peppers, egg plant, corn, cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon) require more phosphorus and root crops require more potassium.

Soil pH is the level of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Most vegetable crops prefer a slightly acidic pH of 6.2 to 6.8.  Fertility is the measure of nutrients in the soil. Many different nutrients can contribute to the health of vegetable plants. However, the three primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, otherwise known as N-P-K.  Nitrogen promotes green growth, phosphorus promotes root growth and fruit development and potassium promotes disease resistance and root development. These nutrients are lost from the soil over time through use by plants and leaching in the case of nitrogen.  Lost nutrients can be replaced by supplying organic material or judicious use of inorganic fertilizers. 

Selecting Plants for the Garden

More than 40 types of vegetables can be grown in Ohio.  Select vegetables that your family likes to eat and varieties that grow well in your area.  The number of days to maturity is important in evaluating if a plant is appropriate for your growing season.  Other considerations are available space, nutritional value and how well a variety cans or freezes.  Easy-to-grow crops for the beginning gardener include asparagus, bush beans, cabbage, carrots, onions, peppers, summer squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. 

Plant selection depends on your needs and personal tastes. If you are planning on doing some canning, you will need larger quantities. For first time gardeners this definitely is not recommended. Selection should be based on using the produce as a fresh commodity. A balanced selection of crops might include 2 leaf-green or yellow vegetables such as leaf lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale or squash. Two pod vegetable such as peas, snap beans or lima beans. Two root crops like carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes or salsify and of course tomatoes, peppers and cabbage.

Grouping of plants based on size and days to maturity is critical. The taller crops should be placed on the north side of the garden to avoid shading. With proper placement you can plant a second crop where the early maturing crops were harvested (bush snap beans followed by Chinese cabbage or turnips, peas followed by cabbage or bush snap beans, or green onions followed by beets).

When selecting vegetable plants for the garden, be sure to buy them from a reputable nursery or store.  In choosing varieties of crops, ask other gardeners or nursery staff for advice. Another indicator of quality is the All-American Selection rating.  These varieties have been tested by experts in trial gardens and selected for exceptional performance in all types of conditions. 

Plants may be designated as hybrid or heirloom varieties.  Hybrid plants are varieties that have been bred for greater yield, storage qualities or other desirable attributes.  Heirloom plants are older cultivars that have been grown over past generations.  These varieties have not been modified and often offer exceptional flavor. 

Selection of resistant or tolerant varieties can help in preventing plant disease.  Resistance means the variety resists infection or shows little or no disease by a particular agent.  Tolerant varieties may show disease symptoms, but yield the same as resistant varieties.  Examples of this include VF meaning the variety is resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt and PM meaning the variety is resistant or tolerant to powdery mildew. 

One advantage of buying plants in person, rather than a mail order source is the opportunity to visually inspect them.  Plants that are healthy and vigorous are better able to withstand stress and disease.  Take time to examine the plants to make sure they are healthy and vigorous.  Plants should be stocky and medium sized, generally with a deep green color.  Leaves should be green with no dry or burnt tips.  However, it is okay for first or bottom leaves to be dead as these are the seed leaves.  A visual inspection of the underside of leaves for insects is also a good idea.  Plants that have gnats or other insects flying around them should also not be purchased. 

Inspection of roots is also useful in evaluating the health of a plant.  To inspect, gently pull the plant out of the pot.  The roots should be throughout the soil ball without a tight mass in the bottom.  Roots growing out of the bottom of the pot indicate the plant may be pot-bound.  Healthy roots are white in color.  Plants with brown roots should not be purchased.  Plant stems should be free of marks or bruises and the soil surface should not have a green algae coating.

Seeding

Quality seed with a high percent of germination will assure quality plants. Purchase seed from a known seed dealer. It is not advisable to carry over seed taken from the previous vegetable crop. Cross pollination may have occurred and the plants won’t come true to type. These seeds may also carry diseases which can spread infection.

Seedbed preparation should begin in the fall when the soil will crumble in your hand. Work (rototill) in 2-3 inches of organic matter into the top 6 inches of soil. Your garden will be loose and fluffy in the spring as a result of freezing and thawing during the winter. If you prepare the garden in the spring crumbly soil is critical, otherwise heavy clay soil become hard clods of soil for the rest of the season.

Direct seeding is recommended for most plants while a few species should be started in a greenhouse or in your home and transplanted to the garden. Follow the direction on the seed packet. In general, small seed should be placed only ¼ inch deep while large seed from ½ inch to 1 inch deep. Make a straight row by stretching a string tightly between stakes at the end of the row. A hoe or rake handle is an excellent tool for opening a shallow seed furrow. After sowing, pull the soil over the row and firm lightly. If the soil is cloddy cover the row with finer soil.

Sowing small seed can be difficult. Mixing the seed with sand increases the volume and reduces the chance of placing the seed too close together. Commercial seeders are also available.  Regardless of how careful you are in placing the seed in the row thinning will probably be necessary. When the seedlings are 2”-3” tall cut out the crowded seed with a scissor using the spacing recommended on the seed packet. 

Succession Planting

Some vegetables grow best in cool temperatures while others require warm soil and air.  Cool weather crops, including lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and onions which can be planted earlier than other vegetables.  Most others can be planted after the danger of frost, usually around mid-May.  For a guide to planting dates, refer to the plant tag or seed packet or contact the Union County Extension Office. 

Planning ahead can increase vegetable yields. To grow the greatest amount of vegetables, consider these space saving ideas. Vertical cropping involves training pole beans, peas, cucumbers, squash and gourds to grow upward on supports such as trellises, fences, poles or cages.  With succession planting, garden space is continuously used for maximum yields.  One method involves planting cool weather crops like peas in spring then replacing with a summer crop such as pole beans in warmer weather.  After this harvest, another cool weather crop can be grown in fall. Another method of succession planting is sowing the same crop every few weeks, so vegetables mature at different dates.  Planting different cultivars of a vegetable with varying maturity dates can also result in all season yields.  

Location is another important consideration in planting. Most vegetable plants thrive in full sun locations of eight or more hours of sun per day. Space plants to allow enough room for plants to grow and for air to circulate to reduce humidity and rapid drying of plants after rain.  Follow the recommended spacing distances outlined on the plant tag or seed packet. 

Successive plantings of one crop family in the same location promotes buildup of disease agents in the soil.  When a crop is planted year after year in the same location, insects and disease organisms can become established in the soil, resulting in decreased yields.  Plant rotation can help alleviate this problem.  Families of vegetables include the nightshade family including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes, the mustard family with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radish and turnip, the gourd family with squash, melons, cucumbers and pumpkin and the pea or legume family including beans and peas.  The families most susceptible to disease are the nightshade and mustard families.  An easy plan for crop rotation is to group plants into three sections for nightshade plants, mustard plants and then all other plants.  These three areas can be rotated on an annual basis.

Transplants

Quality transplants of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, muskmelon peppers and tomatoes can be purchased from your local greenhouse or garden center or grown under lights or in a south window in your home.

Don’t start the plants too early. A 6 week lead time (April 1) will give the plants time to develop prior to transplanting to the garden in Mid-May.  Use a commercial light weight soil mix containing, sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. These mixes are sterilized and will prevent soil born diseases.  Place the mix in a 36 cubical tray and place in water, which will allow the water to wick up to the top (subirrigate). Push 1-2 seeds into each cell and place under a bank of cool white fluorescent lights. Two bulbs placed 6” above the trays will provide light for 2 trays (72 plants). You will need to raise the lights as the plants grow but keep the 6” spacing above the top of the plants. Continue to subirrigate until plants are moved outside for harding off. Do not place in direct sun. Place on the North side of a building in the shade for 1 week prior to transplanting to the garden. A starter solution (15-30-15 1 Tbsp/gallon) can be used for the first watering.

Transplant the plants to the garden when the soil is crumbly even if you have to wait until early June. Make sure the soil around the roots does not have roots circling the ball. These roots will continue to circle and the plant will become root bound. Break the ball apart and remove the roots which have circled the ball. Place the transplant in a hole, cover and firm in lightly then add a cup of starter solution (15-30-15 or 20-20-20) (1 Tbsp/gallon). If fertilizer was not broadcast when the bed was prepared, apply about 1 tablespoons of fertilizer 2-3 inches below the root ball and cover with soil.

When transplanting plants into the garden, tomatoes and broccoli can be planted deeper than they currently grow.  All other transplants should be planted at the level they are growing in their pots.  More specific information on seed placement can be found on the seed packet.  If seeds are planted too deep, the seed may germinate, but die before reaching the surface.  If too shallow, wind or rain may wash the seed away.

If plants are in flats, use a sharp knife to cut the soil into blocks then water the day before transplanting.  This will stimulate the plant to produce tiny root hairs, lessening transplant shock.  If they are in peat pots, these pots can be planted directly into the garden.   Cut a hole to remove the bottom of the pot and make sure the top edge of the pot is not exposed over the soil surface.  When planting, first scrape the dry surface soil from the planting area.  With a hand shovel, make a hole large enough to easily receive the root ball.  Then, firm the soil around the roots and apply water. 

Cultural Practices

Cultivation of the soil in your garden serves two purposes:  1) Weed control 2) admits air into the soil. Air increases root growth allowing for more nutrient uptake. The loosened soil also reduces water run-off. Caution must be taken to cultivate only the upper ¼ inch to ½ inch to prevent root damage.

Mulching in our heavy clay soils is beneficial; however, in periods of excess rain soils will not dry out. This can cause excess moisture in the soil reducing the oxygen and encouraging root rot. If you decide to mulch, use materials that can be removed in rainy weather (plastic or straw).

Weeding is an essential function of the gardener. Nothing is more discouraging then a weedy garden. Not only is the aesthetic value lost but the weeds compete with the vegetables for moisture, sunlight, nutrients and growing space. Weeds also harbor insects and disease which can dramatically reduce yield. A number of methods can be used but regardless what your use, start early when the weeds are small.

Staking and tying is a practice used for tomatoes, pole snap beans and pole lima beans. Bean poles and tomato stakes go back to the colonial days and provide an esthetic value which will be appreciated.  Caging can replace tomato staking and often increases yield, reduces labor and produces a higher quality fruit. Cages are commercially available or can be made with 6 inch mesh concrete re-enforcing wire.

Fertilizing may be needed on longer season crops such as tomatoes and corn. Side dressing with 1/5 of a pound per 10 foot of row using a complete fertilizer (12-12-12) when the first tomato is starting to expand or when the corn is 2-3 feet tall.

Pruning or removing suckers is required for certain crops (tomatoes). This will ease cultivation and admit more light to the center of the plant. The plant will be more compact and bushy.

Flower removal is another practice that is helpful to the gardener. If you want to increase the size of the vegetable selectively remove some of the flowers. Some produce is more attractive when the vegetable is blanched (no or little chlorophyll). Sunlight is prevented from reaching the plant by mounding soil around the plant (celery and asparagus) or by tying the leaves over the plant parts (cauliflower and endive). Pruning is a practice that must not be overlooked. Spacing of small seed in the row is very difficult and often results to crowding. Removal of some plants when they are small to the desired spacing is essential to allow space for the plant to develop. Cutting out the plants with a scissor works very well.

Watering

A minimum of 1 inch of water as rainfall or irrigation is needed to maintain quality plants.  More or less may be needed based on soil type, air temperature and wind speed. If soils are more sandy and temperature gets into the 90 degree F. range, as much as 2 inches of water/week will be needed.  By taking a soil sample 6 inches deep you can determine if water is needed.  This technique will avoid overwatering. Lack of water during critical plant development will result in blossom drop and wilting and the plant may appear to have a disease.

Water can be applied with a soaker hose, sprinkler or can be run along the row (row irrigation). If watered over head, early morning watering allows the foliage to dry and reducing chances of disease. 

Insect and Disease Control

Vegetable crop production can be dramatically reduced by certain insects and diseases. A walk through the garden daily scouting for insects and disease will pay off handsomely. Become familiar with how a healthy plant appears. Look under and on top of leaves for insect and diseases. Some vegetables are less prone to serious pests such as asparagus, lettuce, okra, summer squash, peas and rhubarb. Others are more prone to insect and disease problems such as cabbage, cucumbers, melons and eggplants.  Insects often found in the garden are aphids, beetles, cutworms, leafhoppers, maggots, borers and caterpillars.  Diseases often found on vegetables include: blights, anthracnose, mildew, stem and fruit rots, mosaic and many others. Contact your local OSU Extension for current control suggestions. 

Wildlife Control in the Garden

Wildlife may pose a problem, particularly if your garden is near a wooded area or in the country. Fencing buried 6 inches deep and 2 feet tall will discourage rabbits and skunks. Netting can be used to protect berries and fruit. Some animals can be lived trapped and released away from the problem area. Contact your local OSU Extension Office for specific problems or check with your local garden store.

For more information on gardening, go to http://www.ohioline.osu.edu.  Click on Yard and Garden then click on Vegetables.