Planning and Preparing a
Vegetable Garden
Benefits of Having a Home Garden
• Know where your
food comes from,
and what goes into it
• Vegetables can be
enjoyed at peak
freshness, nutritional
value
• Grow the varieties of vegetables you want
Garden Layout Tips
• Plant perennials together on one side of the
garden or in different spot to avoid interference
with working.
• Group quickly maturing crops together or plant
them between rows of crops that mature later.
(Interplanting/Succession)
• Plan the distance between rows according to
cultivation methods. No sense in planting if you
can’t get the tiller between the rows!
Soil Management Practices…
• pH is high (>7.0 alkaline)
– Add sulfur to recommended amounts
• pH is low (< 7.0 acidic)-Not A Problem
Never Add Lime’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
• Most veggies like pH of 6.8 – 7.0
• Sandy soils need organic matter
• All soils can benefit from compost for humus
and micro nutrients
Incorporating Organic Matter
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Fall ideal time
Composted leaves, grass, manure
Loosen exist. soil, then add amendments
1 soil : 1 compost provide good mix
10-12 inches total soil depth is adequate
Add 10-20-10 fertilizer
Mix soil, fertilizer, and compost
Add water
Functions of Organic Matter
• Improves air & water drainage in silt & clay
• Increases soil pore sizes
• Improves water & element holding capacity of
sandy soils
• Increases element levels as it decays
• Increases important soil micro organisms
• Makes soil easy to dig and plant
Sources for Compost and Organic Mulch
• Sandoval County Landfill – ph 867-0816
• City of Albuquerque, Wastewater Utility
Department – ph 842-9287
• Soilutions of NM – ph 877-0220
(these sources are mainly for bulk quantities –
packaged compost may be available at ABQ)
Fertilizing
• Plant Food Elements on front of bag
• Use granular sparingly–can incr. soil salts
• Use organic liquid or compost tea
5-10-5
N-P-K
Potassium %
Nitrogen %
Phosphorus %
Fertilizing Continued
• High Nitrogen Crops
– Leafy veggies and corn
• High Phosphorus Crops
– Pod and fruit crops
• High Potassium Crops
– Root crops
Applying Fertilizers
• Broadcasting- spread amount of fertilizer
equally over the entire garden and mix into
soil before planting
• Side dressing- Mix half into the soil
before planting and apply the rest later in
the season on top of the soil on each side
of the rows about 3-4 inches from the
stem.
Applying Fertilizers continued
• Banding- place the fertilizer in rows dug 3
inches from each side of the row of seeds
or plants and slightly deeper than the
depth planted.
• Plowing Under- plow under added
nutrient material. Top dressing does not
allow nutrients to be leached into soil fast
enough.
Growing Transplants
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Can grow varieties you want
Start 6 – 8 weeks before outdoor planting date
Use seed starting planting soil
Cover plant containers to maintain humidity
Provide some air movement
Keep temperature around 70 degrees F
Use grow lights if needed
10 – 12 hours of light per day
Damping Off
• Created by variety of fungi
• Fungi can be a problem with seedlings
plants, and can effect seeds and
germination
• Conditions that delay or slow growth
encourage infection – cold temps, wet soil,
poor drainage
• As roots mature, condition lessens
Solutions for Damping Off
• Sterilize plastic planters with 1% chlorine soln.
• Clear plastic containers can speed germination
and control moisture.
• Use fresh, high quality seed.
• Avoid fertilizers until plants have second leaves.
• Good drainage is essential. Water soil with light
mist spray, or set planter in water bath.
• Use sterile seed starting soil mix only.
• Saturate soil prior to planting seeds. Then no
water until soil starts to dry out.
HARDEN
off your seedlings
• About one week before transplanting:
– Put your seedlings in a shady place outside for a 24 hours
– Then bring them back inside
– Each day increase the time
– Slowly begin dividing the time between the shade
and the sun
– After a week of adjustment the seedlings should be
ready for the garden plot
– Keep plants well watered throughout this process
Cool-Season Vegetables
• Prefer temperatures ranging from 60-65
degrees F. Intolerant of hot weather, but
can withstand some frost.
• Short sunshine days are ok
• Fall time, plant August 1st to avoid bugs,
disease, heat and prevent bolting.
• Bolting- shoot out seed heads
• Cabbage, broccoli, radish, lettuce, chard,
spinach, kohlrabi, etc.
Cool-Season Vegetables
• Many develop superior flavor and quality
when they mature in cooler weather
(example: broccoli)
• Flavor is improved with lite frost: cabbage,
kale, kohlrabi, carrots, chard, turnip
• Lettuce and spinach tend to bolt and
develop bitter flavor when maturing in hot
weather
Temperature Tolerant Crops
• These plants can withstand a wide variety
of temperatures, 55-80 degrees F.
• Onions, beets, garlic, carrots, potatoes,
cucumbers, pumpkins, beans, tomatoes,
corn
• Soil temp. >60 degrees to germinate
Warm Crops
• Prefer temperatures at or above 70
degrees F.
• Usually a long growing season is needed
• Watermelons, sweet potatoes, eggplant,
peppers, and okra
Planting Your Garden
• Direct seeding: Seed
depth approx. 4 times
the diameter of the
seed.
• Transplants: Used to
obtain earlier maturity,
or if seed is expensive
-Water immediately
after planting in garden
Planting Methods
• Interplanting method- plant a short term
crop with a longer term plant so more crop
can be grown in a smaller space!
• Succession Planting- if using short term
varieties, plant, harvest, and replant same
crop to get maximum use of garden space
and crop!
Companion Planting
• Want to add color and flowers to the veggie garden?
• There are benefits in doing so:
– Marigolds with beans repel beetles/nemitodes
– Tarragon with tomatoes controls disease
– Nasturtiums throughout veggies deter aphids,
beetles, and squash bugs
– Radishes with cucumbers deters cucumber beetles
– Chrysanthemums deter root knot nemitodes
– Don’t mix beans with onions
– Try attra.ncat.org for information
RAISED BEDS FOR VEGETABLES
and
GARDEN COMPOSTING
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CONFINES GARDEN AREA
MINIMIZES NEED FOR FERTILIZERS AND WATER
ALLOWS WALKING PATHS
ELEVATES PLANTS FOR BETTER DRAINAGE
ALLOWS GARDENING ON POOR SOIL CONDITIONS
3’ – 6’ WIDE TO REACH PLANTS FROM BOTH SIDES
OF BED
• CONSTRUCT OF WOOD BOARDS RATHER THAN
CONCRETE BLOCKS
RAISED BEDS with COMPOST BIN
Drip irrigation not buried. Shade cloth if needed.
Spring Planting – Shading used only on “hot” days
Note irrigation stub for drip system
Mid-Summer Time – plants closely spaced.
beans, tomatoes, corn, butternuts, basil
New Shade Structure Framing
(Note Rolls of Shade Cloth)
- Adding top board to increase soil depth
- Adjusting bed width so all are same
- Annual rye grass cover crop (Nov. 2012)
PLANTING TIMES
• Cold weather plants, March 15 – April 1, seed
or plant sets (may have to cover for hard
freeze). Cabbage, Broccoli, sugar peas,
kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach. Plant again July 15
– August 1 for second crop, especially winter
crops like rutabagas and parsnips.
• Warm weather plants, May 1-15; beans,
tomatoes, squash, eggplant, cukes, beets.
• Plant zucchini after July 1 to help avoid
squash bugs.
NM Number of Frost Free Days
• Area 1: more than 180 days (Las Cruces,
Lordsburg)
• Area 2: less than 180, more than150 days
(Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Roswell)
• Area 3: less than150 days (Farmington,
Gallup)
• Areas 1 & 2 provide both an ample Fall
planting window for many cool season
vegetables
Cool Season Vegetables – Planting Guide for NM Area 2
(Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Santa Fe)
Vegetable Crop
Beets
Broccoli
Carrots
Chard, Swiss
Lettuce, Leaf
Onions
Spinach
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Warm Season Vegetables–Planting Guide for NM Area 2
(Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Santa Fe)
Vegetable Crop
Beans, Pole
Corn, Sweet
Melons
Okra
Peppers, Bell &
Chile
Potatoes, Irish
Squash, Summer
Tomatoes
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Extending the Growing Season
• Plastic row cover to heat soil
• Row covers to protect plants
• Supported or floating row covers
• Small or large size greenhouse (lots of
selections in catalogs)
• Cold frames
• Create Microclimates for plant growth
Plastic Cover over plants for protection
PVC Cover using UV rated Greenhouse Plastic
Lift sides of plastic to work garden – ok, but maybe not the
best for access to plants.
Hinged Vent open
PESTS
• Tomato horn worms – look for missing
leaves, bare stems; find worm and remove
to garbage can.
• Squash bugs – plant early and remove
plants when bugs show up , or plant after
July 1.
• Birds – use scarecrows; I use plastic
grocery bags, especially for fruit on trees.
Swiss Chard with bird damage
Tomatoes
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Most popular vegetable for home gardens
Family - Solanaceae
Direct seed
or transplant
Self fertile,
wind-pollinated
flowers
Disorders: Poor Fruit Set
• Insect or disease pressure
• Temps < 50° & > 95° F will prevent
pollination and cause blossom abortion
• Excessive nitrogen fertility will cause vigorous
foliage but low fruit set (all leaves, no fruit)
Disorders: Splitting Fruit
• Once fruit reaches mature color epidermis
cannot expand
• High water input will cause fruit to ‘split’
• Secondary fungal or bacterial pathogens
quickly infect ‘split’ fruit
Disorders: Blossom End Rot
• Affects many vegetable & fruit crops
• Caused by Calcium (Ca) deficiency at growing
point in fruit. Add gypsum
• Drought stress during fruit set prevents
transportation of Calcium. Deep water
“Trenching-in” long stemmed plants
Tips for Tomatoes
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Buy plants/seed labeled V,F,N,T
Hand pollinize flowers, if needed
Use low nitrogen, high phosphorus fertilizers
Deep water on ground, not on leaves
Companion plant with marigolds
Cover with row cover to prevent leaf hoppers
Consider raising plants indoors from seed
Indeterminate varieties yield large harvest
Hot Chile Varieties
( I don’t like these guys)
New Mexican-type
• ‘NuMex R Naky (mild)
• ‘New Mexico 6-4’ (mild)
• ‘NuMex Joe E. Parker’
(medium)
• ‘NuMex Big Jim’ (medium)
• ‘Sandia’ (hot)
• ‘Espanola Improved’ (hot)
• ‘XX Hot’ (very hot)
• ‘Barker’ (very hot)
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Note: I grow Bell Peppers
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02IK67t0Qo58p/340x.jpg
Onion Culture
• Sunshine day length critical to bulb formation:
Short-day: require 10-11 hour days
Intermediate-day: require 11-12 hour days
Long-day: require more than 12 hour days
• Usually started as seed for fall planting
• Fall planting window, Area 1: Oct 1
• Spring planting, Area 2: April 1 (Use plant or bulb sets)
Onion Culture
• Tolerant to frost or light freeze
• Shallow roots; water frequently
• Control weeds; Alliums don’t compete well
Onion Culture
• Harvest
– May through August
– Depends on variety
– Seed vs. transplants
• Harvest when leaves begin
to turn yellow and lodge
• Bolting may occur
with cool spring temps
-Plant resistant varieties
http://www.allotmentgirls.co.uk/files/images/onion.jpg
Tips for Onions and Garlic
• Plant garlic cloves November 1 – 15
• Plant onion bulb/plant sets April 1 – 15
• Place high Nitrogen fertilizer 2-3 inches below
bulb depth, add small amount of super
phosphate, and till into soil.
• Plant bulbs 2 - 3 inches deep. Mulch garlic for
winter months.
• Water frequently during growing season, and
side dress with high N fertilizer.
• Stop watering and fertilizing when tops are dying
and falling over.
Legumes
• Snap beans, string beans, peas, pinto beans
• Generate plant available nitrogen in
association with
Rhizobium
bacteria
Bean Culture
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Bush or pole types
Soak seed for an hour before
planting to enhance
germination. Inoculate seeds
to improve germination
Low humidity and high
temperatures cause blossom
drop (some shade can cool)
Pole beans will shade other
vegetables (plant on north
side of garden)
Tips for Bush/Pole Snap Beans
• Plant when ground is warm (May 15)
• Use watering trench along side of seed row until
seeds germinate. Don’t saturate the ground
• Apply all-purpose fertilizer when flowering
• Pick beans carefully and regularly to encourage
new growth
• Select bean varieties that produce continuously
thru growing season
• Select “stringless” varieties (esp. pole beans)
Pole Beans - for bean size & quantity
My Favorite Vegetable Varieties
• Bush Beans – Top Crop, Blue Lake 274, Dragon’s
Tongue, Cherokee Wax (Pole – Blue Lake S-7)
• Beets – Cylindra, Detroit Red
• Cabbage – Stonehead, Red Acre
• Swiss Chard – Neon Lights, Bird food (just kidding)
• Sweet Corn – Honey and Cream (bi-color)
• Cucumber – Lemon, SMR-18 (pickles)
• Egg Plant – Ichiban
• Garlic – Spanish Roja (hard stem)
• Onion – any short-day variety(Candy, Walla-Walla)
• Bunching Onion – Evergreen, Italian Red
• Spinach - Bloomsdale
GENERAL GARDENING TIPS
• Irrigate mornings & allow soil to dry evenings to
help prevent disease. Alternate irrigation days if
possible.
• Shade tomatoes 30-50% during hot days. Water
SOIL deeply and infrequently. Apply nitrogen
sparingly.
• For iron deficiency, try liquid iron or copperas.
• Soil sulfur benefits N.M. soils, especially R.R.
• Mix granular fertilizers into the soil to allow plant
roots to use nutrients, and water after
application.
• Companion plants can help prevent disease.
• Rotate crops every year.
General Strategies for Gardeners
• Vigilance: Always stay on top of ‘current
events’ in your garden
• Provide proper nutrition
• Use caution with pesticides & herbicides
• Use high quality seed
• Use adapted varieties
• Plant at the correct time
• Harvest at the correct time
WATER HARVESTING
• ROOF GUTTER DRAINAGE COLLECTION
• 0.25 INCHES RAIN WILL PRODUCE 15 GAL.
WATER PER 100 SQ. FT. ROOF AREA
• USE WATER FOR HAND-WATERING
VEGETABLES AND LIQUID FERTILIZING
• PROTECT STORED WATER FROM INSECTS
AND DEBRIS
• CLEAN STORAGE TANKS ANNUALLY
STORAGE TANK (any type will do)
ELEVATED WITH OVERFLOW SYSTEM
TANK (72 GAL.) with OVERFLOW (1” PVC)
(note: use overflow to water trees or other plants)
Seed Suppliers
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Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: (417) 924-8917, www.rareseeds.com
Burpee: (800) 888-1447, www.burpee.com
Gourmet Seed International: (575) 398-6111, gourmetseed.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: (877) 564-6697, johnnyseeds.com
Park Seeds: (800) 213-0076, www.parkseed.com
Pinetree Garden Seeds: (207) 926-3400, www.superseeds.com
Plants of the Southwest: (800) 788-7333, www.plantsofthesouthwest.com
Sand Hill Preservation Center: (563) 246-2299, www.sandhillpreservation.com
Seeds of Change: (888) 762-7333, www.seedsofchange.com
Seed Savers Exchange: (563) 382-5990, www.seedsavers.org
Seeds Trust: (928) 649-3315, www.seedstrust.com
Tomato Growers Supply Co.: (888) 478-7333, www.tomatogrowers.com
Totally Tomatoes: (800) 345-5977: www.totallytomato.com
Suggested Websites
• www.backyardgardener.com
• http://aces.nmsu.edu (print from .pdf files)
• aces.nmsu.edu/county/sandoval/
mastergardener/
(Note: check mg website for presentation info)
HAPPY GARDENING
• THERE’S NO TIME LIKE NOW TO START
GROWING VEGETABLES
• Precious Saying - Common Sense is a flower that doesn’t grow
in everyone’s garden.
OLLA WATERING / GARDENING
OLLA GARDENING – TOMATOES
OLLA GARDENING - TOMATOES