Planting A Home Vegetable Garden: Selecting Seeds
Planting A Home Vegetable Garden: Selecting Seeds
Planting A Home Vegetable Garden: Selecting Seeds
vegetable garden find the varieties or cultivars you want. Select them
based on intended use, time of maturity, and disease
tolerance. For help in selecting the best cultivars,
Planting a garden involves more than putting seeds see PM 607, Suggested Vegetable Varieties for the Home
in the ground. Preparing the seedbed, selecting Garden. Many seeds can be purchased from garden
seeds, and deciding when to plant come first. Will centers, mail order catalogs, or on the Internet. For
you sow seeds—and then thin them—or will you try best germination purchase new seed every year.
transplants? This decision, among others, is up to the Depending on the vegetable crop, leftover seed can
individual gardener. be difficult to store and often germinates poorly.
Saving seed from previous harvests can be risky,
Preparing the seedbed too. One problem with saving seed from last year’s
Before planting any vegetables, prepare the soil. This crop is the possibility of getting plants that are not
includes cultivating properly, adding organic matter, true to type. Off-type plants are produced because
and maintaining soil fertility. (See PM 820, Garden many vegetables are hybrids or easily cross-pollinate
Soil Management, for more information.) in the garden. While these off-type plants may be
interesting, sometimes they produce poor quality
Early fall is the best time to begin preparing the soil. crops. In addition, diseases can be transmitted
Remove sticks, stones, and other trash. Also remove through the seed. Seed companies harvest seeds from
plant debris that may harbor insects and diseases. only healthy, disease-free plants.
Pest-free plant debris can be tilled into the soil.
Many seed producers also treat their seeds before
A level site can be tilled in the fall without danger offering them for sale. This chemical treatment kills
of soil erosion. The freezing and thawing action in disease organisms in or on the seed. It also prevents
winter and early spring will break up the clods. Fall- seed rot and “damping off,” a disease that causes
tilled soils need only be leveled before planting in rotting in young seedlings. Seed that has been
the spring. To find out if the soil will need fertilizer treated will be labeled as such and often is brilliantly
in the coming season, take a soil sample in the fall. colored. Be sure to wash your hands after handling
(See ST 11, Soil Sample Information Sheet, for more treated seeds.
information.)
Planting dates
When breaking ground in the spring, do not spade or A vegetable garden cannot be planted in one day.
till when the soil is wet. If worked when too moist, Some vegetables grow best in cool weather, while
heavy soils become hard, compacted, and will limit others require warm soil and air temperatures. (See
growth for the entire season. If a handful of the soil guidelines in PM 534, Planting and Harvesting Times
can be pressed into a ball, delay tilling or spading for Garden Vegetables.) Factors, such as a late or wet
until it is drier. spring, may require you to modify your planting
schedule.
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recommended on the packet. Raised mound plantings “Hardening” transplants—Whether plants are
are not recommended because the soil dries out much purchased or grown at home, seedlings should be
more quickly than if it were level. Poor germination “hardened” or acclimated to the outdoors before being
and seedling death can result. transplanted to the garden. About 7 to 10 days before
planting, set the transplants in a shady, protected
location outside. Gradually expose the plants to
longer periods of sun over several days. Also, allow
the plants to dry slightly between waterings during
the hardening period.
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Vegetable planting guide
Plant and row spacing
Seed or plants Inches Inches
for each 10 ft. When to between between Days until Yield per
Vegetables of row plant* plants rows edible 10 ft. of row
Asparagus 7 crowns 1 18–24 36–48 3 years 3–4 lb.
Beans, bush 1½ oz. 3, 4, 5 2–3 24 50–60 6 lb.
Beans, lima 1½ oz. 4 4–6 24 65–90 2 lb.
Beans, pole 1 oz. 4 4–6 24 60-70 3–4 lb.
Beets ½ packet 1, 2, 3, 4 2–3 12–18 60–110 10 lb.
Broccoli 5–7 plants 1, 5 18–24 24–30 60–80 10 lb.
Cabbage 7–10 plants 1, 2, 5 18–24 20–28 60–100 10 heads
Carrots ½ packet 1, 2, 4, 5 2–3 12–18 60–80 10 lb.
Cauliflower 5–10 plants 1, 5 18–24 24–30 60–80 10 lb.
Celery 20 plants 2, 5 6 20–24 120–150 8–13 lb.
Chinese cabbage 7–10 plants 6 12–18 20–24 80–100 10 heads
Corn, sweet 1 packet 3, 4, 5 8–12 30–36 65–110 11–13 ears
Cucumbers ½ packet 4, 5 15–18 48–60 50–70 10 lb.
Eggplant 6–8 plants 4 18 24–30 75–85 20 fruits
Endive 1 packet 1 6 12 65–85 6 lb.
Kale 1 packet 1, 6 4 12–18 60–70 2–5 lb.
Kohlrabi 1
⁄8 packet 1, 2, 3 4–6 15–24 50–60 8 lb.
Lettuce (leaf) 1 packet 1, 2, 3, 6 2–3 12 40–60 5 lb.
Muskmelon 1 packet 4 18–24 48–60 90–120 10 melons
Mustard 1 packet 1, 2, 3, 6 4 12–18 40–60 4–8 lb.
Okra ¼ oz. 4 18–24 24–36 70–90 5 lb.
Onion seed 1 packet 1, 2, 3 2–3 12–15 100–140 10 lb.
Onion sets 60 sets 1, 2 2–3 12–15 90–100 10 lb.
Parsley 1 packet 1, 2, 3 4 12–18 80–100 1
⁄2–1 lb.
Parsnips 1 packet 1, 2 3 18–24 140–160 10–12 lb.
Peas 1½ oz. 1, 2 2–3 6–12 50–75 3 lb.
Peppers 5–7 plants 4 18–24 24–30 70–75 80 fruit
Potatoes (Irish) 10 pieces 1, 2, 3 12 24–36 110–150 30 lb.
Potatoes (sweet) 10 sprouts 4 18 36–48 140–150 12 lb.
Pumpkins (winter squash) 1–2 hills 4 4 60–72 90–120 40 lb.
Radishes 1 packet 1, 2, 6 1–2 6–12 30–60 10 bunches
Rhubarb 3 crowns 1 36–72 36–60 1 year 12 lb.
Spinach 1 packet 1, 2, 6 3 12–18 50–70 5 lb.
Squash (summer) ½ packet 4 4 24–30 60–75 60 fruit
Swiss chard 8 plants 1, 2 6–8 15–18 60–75 12 lb.
Tomatoes 2–5 plants 4 24–36 24–48 70–100 60 lb.
Turnips 1
⁄8 packet 5, 6 2–3 18–24 60–90 10 lb.
Watermelons ¼ packet 4 18–24 60–84 90–130 4–10 melons
Check these Web sites for more information: Originally prepared by Henry G. Taber, extension horticulturist. Revised
by Richard Jauron, extension horticulturist, and Diane Nelson, extension
ISU Extension Distribution Center communication specialist. Illustrations by Jane Lenahan, extension
graphic designer.
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