Veggie Gardening 101 Dr Christine Coker Associate Research

Veggie Gardening 101 Dr. Christine Coker Associate Research and Extension Professor of Urban Horticulture L/O/G/O

Garden Considerations L/O/G/O

Ask yourself • What do I want to plant? • How big should my garden be? • Where should I put my garden?

What to Plant Select vegetables and the amount to plant by looking forward to harvest and how you will use the vegetables.

Garden Size • Family size • Amount of vegetables you need (or want) • Will you preserve or use most of your vegetables fresh? • Available time and equipment • Physical ability

Garden Location • • Close to the house Full sun Near a water supply Well-drained

The Basics L/O/G/O

What do plants need? • H 2 O • Light • Minerals

Water • Water is the major constituent of plant tissue. • Medium in which cell metabolic processes occur. • Medium for transport between cells in plant tissues and organs.

Light • Light is required for photosynthesis. • Day length (actually length of the dark period) is important for some plants. • Long-day plants – Spinach, Chinese cabbage, some radishes • Day-neutral plants – Tomatoes, squash, beans

Minerals • Besides water, soil is the main source of plant nutrients. • Excessive amounts – toxicity • Deficiency – poor and/or abnormal growth

Minerals Essential elements – 1. Required for complete life cycle • [seed to seed] – 2. Lack causes a particular symptom – 3. Re-introduction relieves symptom – 4. Has a known chemical function within plant

Macronutrients Present in “large” quantities [% vs. ppm] – – – Nitrogen – N – 2 -6% Phosphorus – P – 0. 15 -0. 6% Potassium – K – 2 -6% Calcium – Ca – 0. 5 -2. 5% Magnesium – Mg – 0. 15 -0. 6% Sulfur – S – 0. 15 -0. 6%

Micronutrients • • Manganese – Mn – 100 -300 ppm Iron – Fe – 50 -150 ppm Chlorine – Cl – 10 ppm Copper – Cu – 2 -5 ppm Boron – B – 30 -60 Zinc – Zn – 100 -300 Molybdenum – Mo – 0. 01 ppm qppm = parts per million q 1 mg/L = 10, 000 ppm

Get a soil test!

Planting Times L/O/G/O

Spring • • Onions Cabbage Lettuce Corn Tomatoes Peppers Eggplant

Summer • • • Lima beans Squash Cucumbers Peas Okra

Fall • • Spinach Mustard Turnips Cauliflower Carrots Broccoli Beets Collards

Vegetables L/O/G/O

Vegetables are food. • White (Irish) potato is the most consumed vegetable in developed countries followed by tomatoes and cabbage. • In developing countries, starchy root and tuber vegetables are the most consumed commodities. • Also important: plantain, onion, watermelon, tomato

Edible Plant Parts

Leaf • • • Collards Lettuce Cabbage Spinach Kale

Flowers • Broccoli • Cauliflower

Mature Fruit Tomato Pepper Eggplant Watermelon Cantaloupe Pumpkin

Immature Fruit Cucumber Squash Okra

Stems Asparagus Irish potato

Buds Brussels sprout Onion Leek

Roots Sweetpotato Carrot Radish

Recommended Veggies for Small Spaces • • Bush Bean Lima Bean Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Swiss Chard Cucumber • • Eggplant Lettuce Onion Pea Pepper Pumpkin Summer Squash Tomato

MSU Trials at the Beaumont Horticultural Unit Perry County, MS L/O/G/O

Grape Tomatoes

Asian Eggplants

Asian Cucumbers

Bitter Melon (Bitter Gourd)

Pumpkins

Garden Tabloid Publication 1091 L/O/G/O

You can follow me! Pinterest pinterest. com/veggiedr & Twitter @veggiedr & Word. Press veggiedr. wordpress. com

Follow Coastal Research and Extension Center Facebook facebook. com/Coastal. Rand. ECenter

Save the Date! Vegetable Field Day Beaumont Horticultural Unit June 12, 2014