The 4-H Garden
Things To Do To Complete Your Garden Project
Beginner
Learn how to fertilize and prepare soil for planting, draw a garden plan, plant large and small seeds, thin plants, grow and set tomato and pepper plants, cultivate vegetables, control pests, mulch vegetables, sidedress plants, prune and stake plants, harvest vegetables when at best edible stages, and judge vegetables. Write a story about your project and keep a record on your project.Plant at least 75 feet of row in the spring garden, using at least three kinds of vegetables, including 10 tomato plants.
Plant at least 50 feet of row in the fall garden, using at least two kinds of vegetables.
Intermediate
Plant at least 150 feet of row in the spring garden, using at least six kinds of vegetables, including twelve tomato and six sweet pepper plants.Plant at least 75 feet of row in the fall garden. Grow at least three kinds of vegetables.
Advanced
Plant at least 400 feet of row in the spring garden, using at least ten kinds of vegetables.Plant 150 feet of row in the fall garden, using at least six kinds of vegetables.
Set 25 strawberry or blackberry plants.
| Time for seeds to germinate in warm, moist soil | |
| Days | |
| Beans | 5 to 10 |
| Beets | 7 to 10 |
| Cabbage | 5 to 10 |
| Carrots | 12 to 18 |
| Cauliflower | 5 to 10 |
| Corn | 5 to 8 |
| Cucumber | 6 to 10 |
| Endive | 5 to 10 |
| Lettuce | 6 to 8 |
| Onion | 7 to 10 |
| Peas | 6 to 10 |
| Parsnips | 10 to 20 |
| Parsley | 15 to 21 |
| Pepper | 9 to 14 |
| Radish | 3 to 6 |
| Spinach | 7 to 12 |
| Salsify | 7 to 12 |
| Tomato | 7 to 12 |
| Turnip | 4 to 8 |
| Plants from 1 ounce of seed | |
| Broccoli | 5,000 |
| Cabbage | 5,000 |
| Cauliflower | 5,000 |
| Collards | 5,000 |
| Eggplant | 2,500 |
| Lettuce | 10,000 |
| Pepper | 1,500 |
| Tomatoes | 4,000 |
| Onion | 4,000 |
| Sweetpotato, 1 bu | 1,500 to 2,000 |
It's fun to sow seeds, set plants and watch them grow, and produce food for the table, canning, freezing, and storage. Everyone likes to help the family do more and better things. The 4-H Garden Project is one of the best ways to do this. A project that's more fun, more educational, and more profitable will be hard to find.
In this project you will learn to prepare the soil, use various kinds of fertilizer, and plant seeds. You will learn to cultivate plants, control insects and diseases, and harvest vegetables properly. You will demonstrate improved garden practices, grade and score vegetables, and identify insects and diseases attacking vegetables.
The 4-H Garden Project is truly a project where you can develop all of the four H's. You must use your HEAD to make the plan. Your HAND will be called on to plant, hoe, and grow the vegetables. Your HEART will feel the joys of success and must withstand the failures when they come in your garden work, and HEALTH will develop through exercise in gardening and through eating fresh, canned, frozen, or stored vegetables from your own garden.
Your Garden
You should grow your own rows of vegetables. If you are in your first or second year of gardening, you may plant and care for the required number of feet of rows in the family garden. As you become more experienced, you may care for the family garden or have a separate 4-H garden.
Starting the 4-H Garden
If you select a new plot instead of using a few rows in the family garden, consider these points in locating your plot:- Locate the garden away from buildings and trees.
- Have the garden where it is convenient to the house and to water.
- The garden should be well drained but not droughty.
- Locate the garden on the best soil available -- a sandy loam soil is best.
- Protect the plot, whether large or small, with a good fence.
Size and Shape
Make rows just wide enough so you can reach the middle from either side without stepping into the row.Drainage
Vegetables will not grow well on poorly drained soil, even though supplied with adequate fertilizer. If your soil has a lot of clay or is poorly drained, make the beds high so they will drain quickly and the soil will warm up in the spring. You can reduce the size of the beds just before planting.Check the plot after a rain to note the low areas, which should be drained or filled in. The soil in a low area may show poor production. In some instances you may use an area too wet for the spring garden or a fall garden.
The Garden Plan
Make a garden plan and make the plan work. A good plan is a "must" for the 4-H garden to yield the most. Your plan will include what vegetables to plant, which varieties to select, their locations in the garden, and vegetables to follow for a second crop.Plan your garden around the requirements for your age group.
Garden Practices
Every 4-H gardener wants to grow as many quality vegetables as possible with the least expense. To do this you must use good garden practices.- Prepare plot or rows during fall and winter for early spring planting.
- Use fresh seeds of recommended varieties.
- Make double-row plantings of beets, carrots, radish, mustard, lettuce, turnips, onions, English peas, and spinach in the spring garden.
- Use adequate fertilizer.
- Sidedress plants with a nitrate fertilizer when the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall.
- Prune and/or stake plants that require it, such as tomatoes, pole beans, sweet pepper, and eggplant.
- Water, mulch, and harvest regularly to keep plants producing.
- Cultivate when grass and weeds are small.
- Grow two or more crops of certain vegetables on same row at same time.
- Control pests.
- Make at least two plantings of most vegetables for continuous production.
Soil
Good soil is another must for best garden results. If your garden soil is heavy or "packy," you can improve it by adding organic matter (barnyard manure, leaves, or compost). Work this into the soil in late fall and winter. Good garden soil should be loose, well-drained but hold some moisture, and contain some organic matter or plant food. You can harvest two or even three crops a year from the same row, but be careful with soil on which so much is grown.Fertilizing
Most vegetables are heavy feeders and require a soil well supplied with plant food and organic matter. Do not attempt gardening without using fertilizer. Do not use fresh manure during the growing season because it may burn young plants. Do not use fresh leaves except as mulch. Compost also works well as a sidedressing material. Apply it at a rate of 20 to 30 pounds per 100 row feet, and work it into the soil.It will pay to use a balanced commercial fertilizer in the rows 10 days to 2 weeks before planting. This type of fertilizer (13-13-13 or 8-8-8) contains the three basic materials necessary for plant growth -- nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash.
Use a balanced fertilizer such as 13-13-13 at the rate of 3 to 5 pounds per 100 feet of row. Spread it over the row and mix it 4 to 5 inches deep. The exact amount to use for each vegetable is determined by the kind of vegetable grown. Leafy vegetables usually require more fertilizer than pod vegetables.
In addition to a balanced fertilizer, a supply of nitrogen fertilizer, such as ammonium nitrate, should be available for sidedressing the plants when they are 3 to 6 inches tall. The usual amount for this job is 3/4 to 1 pound to 100 feet of row. Place it 3 to 4 inches from the plants and work it well into the soil.
Seeds
Select seed varieties that do well in your area and plant fresh seeds each year. Poor or low-quality seeds are expensive. They are slow in "coming-up," may show stunted growth or deformed plants, and might be low producers.Seeds more than 1 year old, bought or home-saved, should be tested before planting. Buy seeds from a reliable seed dealer and get enough for at least two plantings. Getting your seeds early will insure your getting the varieties you want.
Plants
The seed box, hotbed, and cold frame are used for growing early plants while you wait for good weather for planting outdoors. You can start plants such as tomato, pepper, and eggplant from seeds planted in small wooden boxes or in the hotbed.Grow the plants for 3 to 4 weeks and transplant to the cold frame for hardening off. Or you may, with special care, grow the plants for 5 to 7 weeks in the seed box and set them in the open. The first method gives best results. In either case, you want to set only healthy, strong plants.
Preparing the Rows
Preparation of the spring garden should start the fall or winter before. The first step is to clean out the plot. Remove all grass, weeds, vines, and plant stubble. Spread the usual fall application of barnyard manure or compost over the plot and plow under.After a few weeks, make the rows. If you make the rows by midwinter, the winter weather will help in having a loose soil for early spring planting. Most of the early low-growing spring vegetables can be planted in double rows.
When planting time comes in the early spring, all that will be necessary before planting is to "freshen up" the top of the row for planting small seeds. If rows are too low after the winter rains, remake them and allow time to settle before planting.
Cultivation
The chief purpose of cultivation is to keep down weeds and grass. Cultivate shallow and as often as needed. There is no set time to do this job, but the best time is while the grass and weeds are small.Mulches
Mulching vegetables helps keep down weeds and grass and saves moisture. It may not be practical to mulch all garden crops, but mulching especially pays off on long-growing summer crops such as tomatoes and peppers. Leaves, pine straw, old straw, compost, old sawdust, newspapers, or heavy building paper will do the job.Apply mulches of leaves and straw 3 to 4 inches deep and cover both the middles and the rows. Apply mulches when the garden is clean and just after watering or a rain.
Know Your Vegetables
Vegetables may be classified by their resistance to frosts and cold. By knowing this, you can tell what and when to plant for best production. The four general groups of vegetables are hardy, half hardy, tender, and very tender.Vegetables in the hardy group can withstand hard frosts and can be planted 2 to 3 weeks before the last killing frost in the spring or as soon as the soil can be prepared. The half-hardy group contains vegetables that can withstand light frosts. The seeds will germinate at low temperatures. These vegetables are planted about the time of the last killing frost.
Warm-season crops
| Tender | Very tender | |
| Beans (snap) | Beans (lima) | Pepper |
| Corn (sweet) | Cucumbers | Pumpkin |
| New Zealand spinach | Cantaloupe | Squash |
| Tomatoes | Eggplant | Sweetpotato |
| Okra | Watermelon | |
Cool-season crops
| Hardy | Half hardy |
| Asparagus | Artichoke |
| Brussels sprouts | Beets |
| Broccoli | Carrots |
| Cabbage | Cauliflower |
| Chinese cabbage | Celery |
| Collards | Endive |
| Garlic | Lettuce |
| Kale | Parsnip |
| Kohlrabi | Potato, Irish |
| Mustard | Salsify |
| Onion | Swiss chard |
| Parsley | |
| Peas (English) | |
| Radish | |
| Rutabaga | |
| Spinach | |
| Turnips |
Vegetables and How To Grow Them
Asparagus variety--Mary Washington. Plant crowns or roots in winter or early spring, setting roots 18 inches apart in 3 1/2- to 4-foot rows. Use plenty of well-composted organic matter. Open trench in rows 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Spread roots carefully, then fill in over each crown with 3 to 4 inches of loose, fertile soil. Cultivation must be shallow.Do not cut asparagus for table use the first spring, though you may expect a light cutting the second year. Cut for 4 to 5 weeks, then let stalks grow. After frost each fall, cut tops, remove them from garden, and burn. Cover beds with 3 to 4 inches of barnyard manure in late fall.
Beans, bush snap. This vegetable will produce in 55 days. Make plantings every 10 days to 2 weeks from March to May and one fall planting in August. Distance between rows should be 24 to 36 inches. Plant seed in continuous row with seeds 2 inches apart in row. Cover seeds 1 inch deep. Dust for bean beetles. Do not cultivate or pick beans when plants are wet.
Beans, pole snap. Make at least three plantings from April to August. Space rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Drop seeds three per hill in hills 18 inches apart or plant in continuous drill with seeds 6 to 8 inches apart.
Provide poles or wire and string for vines before they begin to climb.
Beans, bush lima. Make a planting every 4 to 5 weeks from April to August. Plant as recommended for bush snap beans.
Beans, pole lima. Make at least two plantings from April to mid-July. Plant, thin, and support as for pole snap bean.
Beets. Plant any time from February to April for spring crop, in late August or September for fall crop. Rows should be 24 to 36 inches apart. You can use double rows 10 inches apart, with each double row 36 inches apart, if space is limited. You can also do this with carrots, lettuce, onions, radishes, English peas, and other early crops.
In planting beets, open a shallow drill (trench), sow two or three seeds to each inch of row, and cover 1/2 inch deep. When plants are 3 inches tall, thin to a spacing of 4 inches. Plants removed can be reset if they are needed.
Cabbage. Buy healthy plants for spring planting. Set in rows 24 to 36 inches apart, spacing plants 12 inches apart in row. May be planted from January to April. Feed cabbage plenty of nitrogen. Sidedress with 1 pound ammonium nitrate to each 100 feet of row when plants are well established.
Carrots. Plant spring crop from February through April; fall crop in August, September, and early October. Sow seed, placing four to six seeds to the inch. A few radish seeds mixed with carrots in seed row will mark row and help carrot seedlings through ground. Thin carrots to stand 2 inches apart.
Chard, Swiss. Plant like beets, but thin plants to 12-inch spacing when 3 inches tall.
Collards. Sow seed in spring or fall. Thin to 15-inch spacing. Fertilize with ammonium nitrate as for cabbage.
Corn, sweet. Do not save seed. Make at least four plantings, beginning in March. Plant 2 to 3 weeks apart. Plant three seeds to a hill 12 inches apart and thin to one stalk per hill. Fertilize heavily. Do not pull suckers.
Cucumbers. Plant seed in continuous drill with seeds 9 to 12 inches apart. Water if possible in dry weather. Pick regularly.
Eggplant. Sow seed in seedbox or hotbed in January or February. Set in garden after danger of frost is past, spacing plants 18 to 24 inches apart.
Lettuce, head. Plant in January or February in seedbox, if necessary. Transplant or thin plants to spacing of 12 inches. Lettuce needs rich soil.
Lettuce, leaf. Sow in January, February, March, or April. Thin to 4-inch spacing. Make fall planting in August or September.
Mustard. Sow every 3 or 4 weeks in February, March, and April and again in August and September. Thin plants to 1-inch spacing. Eat plants pulled in thinning.
Okra. Plant after danger of frost is past, sowing seed thick enough to assure a stand. Leave plants 18 inches apart. One planting will bear until frost.
Onion. Buy plants or sets or get sets of multipliers from your neighbors. Plant in garden in early spring, spacing onion plants or sets 3 inches apart. Thin those to store to 6 inches apart, eating green onions that are removed. Use rich soil for onions. Cultivate often and shallow. Pull to store when tops die down.
Peas, English. Plant several varieties from January to April. Sow seed 1 inch apart in double rows 12 inches apart and place support of brush, wire, or string, between each double row.
Pepper, hot. Plant seed in January or February in seedbox or hotbed. Set plants 2 feet apart in row after danger of frost is past. Six to 12 plants are enough.
Peppers, sweet. Cultivate same as for hot pepper. May need to stake large plants. Stake like tomatoes.
Potato, Irish. Plant spring crop in January, February, and March, and fall crop in August. Cut seed pieces with two eyes, the size of an egg or larger, and plant 6 inches deep 12 inches apart. Use potatoes from spring crop for fall crop, sprouting seed in July under moist sacks, straw, or soil. Plant 5 to 6 inches deep in August.
Radish. Plant 10 to 15 feet of row every 2 weeks in February, March, and April, also in September and October. Sow seed 1/2 of an inch apart and 1/2 of an inch deep. Thin to 2 inches.
Spinach. Plant any time in winter between October and March. Sow 1 inch deep and thin plants to 3 inches apart. Use ammonium nitrate as sidedressing when plants are 2 inches tall.
Squash. Sow two to three seed in hills 36 inches apart. Thin to one plant after the danger of frost is past.
Tomato. Sow seed in seedbox or hotbed in February or March. Transplant to plant boxes or cold frame when 2 to 3 inches high. Set plants in open garden after danger of frost is past. Set plants in rows 3 to 4 feet apart with plants 18 to 36 inches apart in row. Prune early crop to one or two stems and tie to a 5-foot stake. Do not prune the fall crop as heavily. Sow seed in June for fall crop. Mulch tomatoes in June.
Turnip and tendergreen. Plant February to April and for fall garden in September. Sow seed 1/2-inch deep in rows or broadcast over wide bed.
Watermelon. Plant seeds in April and May, six to eight seed in hill, 6 feet apart in rows 10 feet apart. Thin plants to two to hill.
Planting Dates for the 4-H Garden
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | ||||||
| Vegetable | Spring | Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | Fall | Spring | Fall |
| Asparagus (seeds) | Not Recommended | Feb.
1 Feb. 15 |
Feb.
1 Feb. 15 |
Feb.
15 Mar. 15 |
Mar.
1 Apr. 1 |
|||||
| Asparagus (crowns) | Not Recommended | Dec.
1 Feb. 1 |
Dec.
1 Mar. 1 |
Dec.
1 Mar. 10 |
Dec.
1 Mar. 15 |
|||||
| Beans, snap (bush) | Feb.10 Apr.15 |
Aug.25 Sept. 20 |
Mar.
1 Apr. 20 |
Aug.
25 Sept. 10 |
Mar.
15 May 1 |
Aug.
15 Sept. 7 |
Mar.
20 May 1 |
Aug.
15 Sept. 1 |
Apr.
1 May 10 |
Aug.
15 Sept. 1 |
| (Pole) | Mar. 1 to Sept. 1 | Mar. 15 to Aug. 15 | Mar. 20 to Aug. 15 | Apr. 1 to Aug. 10 | Apr. 10 to Aug. 1 | |||||
| Beans, lima (bush) | Mar. 1 to Aug. 15 | Mar. 15 to Aug. 1 | Mar. 20 to Aug. 1 | Apr. 1 to July 25 | April 10 to July 15 | |||||
| (Pole) | Mar. 1 to Aug. 5 | Mar. 15 to July 20 | Mar. 20 to July 20 | Apr. 1 to July 15 | April 10 to July 5 | |||||
| Beets | Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 15 |
Aug.
10 Sept. 20 |
Feb.
10 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 20 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 15 |
Feb.
20 Apr. 5 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 7 |
| Broccoli (set plants in spring,seed in fall) | Jan.
1 Feb. 15 |
Sept.
1 Sept. 15 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 1 |
Feb.
10 Mar. 10 |
Aug.
15 Aug. 25 |
Feb.
15 Mar. 15 |
Aug.
5 Aug. 15 |
Feb.
20 Mar. 20 |
July
25 Aug. 5 |
| Cabbage (set plants in spring,seed in fall) | Jan.
1 Feb. 15 |
Sept.
1 Sept. 15 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 1 |
Jan.
20 Mar. 15 |
Aug.
15 Aug. 25 |
Feb.
5 Mar. 20 |
Aug.
5 Aug. 15 |
Feb.
10 Apr. 1 |
July
25 Aug. 5 |
| Cantaloupe | Feb.
15 Apr. 20 |
Mar.
15 May 1 |
Apr.
1 May 10 |
Apr.
5 May 10 |
Apr.
10 May 15 |
|||||
| Carrots | Jan.
1 Apr. 15 |
July
15 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Apr. 15 |
July
15 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
15 Apr. 15 |
July
10 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 15 |
July
15 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 15 |
July
15 Oct. 1 |
| Cauliflower (set plants in spring, seed in fall) | Jan.
1 Feb. 15 |
Aug.
10 Sept. 1 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
5 Aug. 25 |
Feb.
10 Mar. 10 |
Aug.
1 Aug. 20 |
Feb.
15 Mar. 15 |
July
20 Aug. 10 |
Feb.
20 Mar. 20 |
July
20 Aug. 1 |
| Chard, Swiss | Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 15 |
Aug.
10 Sept. 20 |
Feb.
10 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 20 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 15 |
Feb.
20 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 7 |
| Chinese cabbage | Sept.
1 Oct. 1 |
Sept.
1 Sept. 20 |
Aug.
16 Sept. 10 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 21 |
July
20 Aug. 15 |
|||||
| Collards (set plants) | Apr.
1 June 1 |
Apr.
1 June 1 |
Apr.
15 June 15 |
Apr.
15 June 15 |
Apr.
15 June 15 |
|||||
| Corn | Feb.
15 July 15 |
Mar.
1 July 15 |
Mar.
15 July 15 |
Mar.
20 July 15 |
Mar.
25 July 15 |
|||||
| Cucumbers | Feb.
15 Apr. 20 |
Aug.
28 Sept. 14 |
Mar.
15 May 1 |
Aug.
14 Aug. 28 |
Apr.
1 May 10 |
Aug.
7 Aug. 21 |
Apr.
5 May 10 |
Aug.
1 Aug. 14 |
Apr.
10 May 15 |
July
25 Aug. 10 |
| Eggplant (set plants) | Mar.
1 Aug. 15 |
Mar.
15 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
1 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
5 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
10 July 15 |
|||||
| Lettuce (head) | Jan.
15 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 1 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 1 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 20 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 5 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 15 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 10 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 10 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Jan.
15 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
15 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
15 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 15 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 10 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 15 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 15 |
| Mustard | Jan.
1 Apr. 1 |
Sept. 1 Nov. 1 | Jan.
1 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
15 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
20 Nov. 1 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
20 Oct. 15 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 10 |
Aug.
20 Oct. 10 |
| New Zealand spinach | Feb.
15 Apr. 15 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 15 |
Mar.
1 Apr. 20 |
Apr.
1 May 15 |
Apr.
10 May 15 |
|||||
| Okra | Mar.
1 July 15 |
Mar.
10 July 15 |
Mar.
20 July 15 |
Apr.
1 July 15 |
Apr.
10 July 15 |
|||||
| Onions (sets or plants) | Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 15 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 10 |
Feb.
15 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 10 |
| Parsley | Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 15 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 15 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 20 |
Aug.
15 Oct. 1 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
15 Sept. 15 |
| Peas, English | Jan.
1 Mar. 10 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 10 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 15 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 20 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 1 |
|||||
| Pepper (set plants) | Mar.
1 Aug. 15 |
Mar.
15 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
1 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
5 Aug. 1 |
Apr.
10 July 15 |
|||||
| Potato, Irish | Jan.
20 Feb. 15 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 1 |
Jan.
20 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
15 Aug. 25 |
Jan.
20 Mar. 1 |
Aug.
10 Aug. 20 |
Feb.
1 Mar. 10 |
Aug.
5 Aug. 15 |
Feb.
10 Mar. 15 |
Aug.
1 Aug. 10 |
| Potato, sweet (set plants) | Apr.
1 July 1 |
Apr.
10 July 1 |
Apr.
15 July 1 |
Apr.
20 July 1 |
Apr.
25 July 1 |
|||||
| Radish | Jan.
1 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
15 Dec. 1 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
15 Dec. 1 |
Jan.
15 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 15 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 25 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 25 |
Sept.
1 Oct. 15 |
| Rutabaga | Jan.
1 Feb. 1 |
Aug.
15 Sept. 15 |
Jan.
1 Feb. 1 |
Aug.
1 Sept. 15 |
Jan.
10 Feb. 1 |
July
15 Sept. 1 |
July
15 Aug. 20 |
July
15 Aug. 15 |
||
| Salsify | Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 1 |
Feb.
10 Apr. 15 |
Feb.
15 Apr. 15 |
Feb.
20 Apr. 20 |
|||||
| Spinach | Jan.
1 Feb. 15 |
Oct.
1 Nov. 15 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 1 |
Sept.
15 Nov. 15 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
15 Mar. 15 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
| Squash | Feb.
15 Apr. 20 |
Aug.
20 Sept. 14 |
Mar.
15 May 1 |
Aug.
14 Aug. 20 |
Apr.
1 May 10 |
Aug.
7 Aug. 21 |
Apr.
5 May 10 |
Aug.
1 Aug. 14 |
Apr.
10 May 15 |
July
25 Aug. 10 |
| Tomato (set plants) | Feb. 20 to Aug. 6 | Mar. 15 to Aug. 10 | Mar. 20 to Aug. 1 | Mar. 25 to Aug. 1 | April 1 to July 20 | |||||
| Turnips | Jan.
1 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Apr. 1 |
Sept.
1 Nov. 1 |
Jan.
1 Apr. 1 |
Aug.
20 Nov. 1 |
Feb.
1 Apr. 15 |
Aug.
20 Oct. 15 |
Feb.
10 Apr. 20 |
Aug.
20 Oct. 10 |
| Watermelons | Feb.
15 Apr. 20 |
Mar.
15 May 1 |
Apr.
1 May 10 |
Apr.
5 May 10 |
Apr.
10 May 15 |
|||||
Distance Between Plants in Row
| Asparagus | |
| Beans bush, snap | |
| Pole, snap | |
| Bush, lima | |
| Pole, lima | |
| Beets | |
| Chinese cabbage | |
| Cabbage | |
| Carrots | |
| Collards | |
| Corn | |
| Cucumbers | |
| Lettuce, leaf | |
| Lettuce, head | |
| Mustard | |
| Okra | |
| Onions | |
| Parsley | |
| Peas, English | |
| Peas, field | |
| Pepper | |
| Potato, Irish | |
| Potato, sweet | |
| Radish | |
| Spinach | |
| Squash | |
| Tendergreens | |
| Tomatoes | |
| Watermelon |
Planting Zones of Mississippi
Zone 1- The coastal counties - Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties
Zone 2 - Northern boundary of Zone 1 to Natchez, McComb, Hattiesburg line
Zone 3 - Northern boundary of Zone 2 to Vicksburg, Jackson, Meridian line
Zone 4 - Northern boundary of Zone 3 to Greenville, Greenwood, Columbus line
Zone 5 - Northern boundary of Zone 4 to Tennessee line
Planting, Yield, and Harvest Table
| Vegetable | Days to maturity* | Seeds per 100-foot row | Yield per 100-foot row | Mar. | Apr. | May. | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
| Bean, bush snap | 55 | 1/2 lb | 75 lb | A -------------------------- | --------------- | ||||||||
| Pole snap | 65 | 1/2 lb | 100 lb | B -------------------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Bush, lima | 75 | 1/2 lb | 70 lb | B ---------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Pole, lima | 80 | 1/2 lb | 100 lb | ------------------------------------------------------ | |||||||||
| Beets | 65 | 1 oz | 75 lb | A ------------------------------- | --------------------------- | ||||||||
| Cabbage | 75 | 100 plants | 200 | A------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ||||||||
| Carrots | 75 | 1/8 oz | 100 lb | A------------------ | --------------------------- | ||||||||
| Collards | 60 | 1/4 oz | 150 lb | A--------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Corn | 80 | 1/4 oz | 10 dz ears | B---------------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Cucumbers | 55 | 1/2 oz | 100 lb | B-------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Cantaloupe | 90 | 1/4 oz | 100 | --------------- | |||||||||
| Eggplant | 85 | 50 plants | 100 lb | ---------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Leaf Lettuce | 50 | 1/4 oz | 50 lb | A---------------------- | --------------------------- | ||||||||
| Head Lettuce | 80 | 1/4 oz | 75 head | A---------------------- | ------------------------- | ||||||||
| Mustard | 45 | 1/4 oz | 100 lb | A--------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Okra | 65 | 1 oz | 70 lb | ----------------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Onions | 90 | 400 plants | 100 lb | A------------------------------------ | ---------------------- | ||||||||
| Peas, English | 65 | 1 lb | 40 lb | --------------------- | |||||||||
| Peas, Southern | 75 | 1/2 oz | 80 lb | B----------------------------------------------- | |||||||||
| Pepper | 75 | 50 plants | 50 lb | ----------------------------- | |||||||||
| Potato, Irish | 100 | 10 lb | 100 lb | B-------------------------- | -------------- | ||||||||
| Radishes | 25 | 1 oz | 40 lb | A+B-------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Spinach | 45 | 1/2 oz | 40 lb | A+B---------------- | ------------------ | ||||||||
| Squash | 55 | 1/2 oz | 150 lb | A------------------------ | --------------- | ||||||||
| Tomato | 75 | 50 plants | 125 lb | ||||||||||