Fruit, Veg and Herb notes

Keeping a List for Myself of notes about various stuff I'm planting this year (finally getting around to it after I did the other list earlier today!)

Basil
Very tender, killed / damaged by temps under 50 degrees
Full sun
When plants are 6" tall, pinch tips to stimulate branching
Will not tolerate wilting, keep moist

Beans
Tender - sow seeds after last frost
Plant every 3 weeks for extended harvest
Minimum 6 hours sunlight a day
Good drainage - will not germinate well if too wet
Harvest snap beans when pods are long and firm, before seeds swell
Harvest dry beans after the pods dry on the vine and split

Broccoli
Can handle a freeze but not heat (transplants can go in the garden 3 weeks before avg frost-free date)
Broccoli will be harvested and gone by midsummer so plan to plant a secondary crop after it (fall peas perhaps?)
Prefers full sun; will produce in partial shade but smaller heads
2 - 3 plants deep across the bed for proper spacing
Side-dress with fertilizer when plants are half grown; 10 - 12" tall

Carrots
Hardy, sow seeds as soon as ground can be worked
Grow better in deeply prepared soil
Need high potassium levels for good root development
Full sun (8 - 10 hours)
Grow best if thinned. 1 every 1 - 2".

Chamomile
German chamomile should grow to 3'
Freezing and thawing improve germination - plant out before last frost
Full sun, dry soil

Cucumber
Very tender, not only to frost but will rot in cold and wet. Plant late.
Start indoors on avg frost free date
Gentle transplanting, roots are delicate
Full sun to dappled shade part day
If thinning, pinch instead of pull to avid root damage
Probably need insecticide from cucumber beetles
Male and female flowers

Garlic
Usually planted over winter as a bulb - you can try planting in early spring ASAP to see if it will crop this year
Full sun, well drained soil that won't compact bulbs
Plant cloves 2" deep by 4" apart by 12" wide rows (point up of course)
Plenty of water, weeds will be an issue all summer - stay on top of them or mulch
Harvest midsummer when most of the leaves have turned yellow
Dig in the morning, dry in the garden until afternoon, spread on screens to cure 2 weeks, then braid

Lettuce
Can handle freeze but not heat - grow spring or fall
If seeding autumn crop, do it mid - late July, transplants in mid-August
Full sun to partial shade (especially shade during hot months)
Need good drainage and will suffer in wet ground
Be careful weeding, lettuce roots are shallow and easy to uproot
Bitter lettuce (from hot weather) will lose its bite if washed and refridgerated a few days

Melon - Honeydew / Canteloupe
Need warm soil to develop, will rot in cold / wet weather. Plant late.
Start indoors a week before avg frost free date or seed out 2 - 3 weeks later
Full sun
Consider trellising large vines
Careful when transplanting, roots are fragile
Probably will need insecticide (Sevin?) from cucumber beetles
Reduce disease by planting vine crops in different locations each year

Mint
Sun or partial shade
Keep controlled
Soil moist but not wet
Harvest when flower buds first appear, cut sprigs 6 - 10" long

Onion
Totally hardy, in the future start seeds mid-January indoors
Transplant seeds deeper than they were growing, about an inch
Water in transplants with starter fertilizer, 10-30-10 or higher
Full sun
Thin when they reach about 4" tall, eventually down to 1 every 3"
Shallow roots so careful as you weed
Side-dress with 10-10-10 when plants are 12"
Pull any that flower and use immediately, they will not store well
Dig onions when all of the tops have gone down (yellowed, fallen over)
Dry outside, cure on screen 2 - 3 weeks, then cut tops down to 1.5". Store in cool dry place, prefereably in a mesh bag.

Peas
Totally hardy, can be sown in ground around mid-March
Do not tolerate heat well
Full sun, except to extend production into summer a couple weeks
Look for good drainage to plant early without getting soggy
Thin seedlings 6 - 10" apart
Can use small (2 - 4') forked branches for support if need be
Don't need much water
Harvest snap peas as pods mature. Harvest garden peas while still green, before they begin to dry.

Pumpkin
(see instructions for cukes and melons)
Full sun, will grow in very light shade
Need lots of water and fertilizer
Side-dress when vines cover the ground
Harvest when full color has developed / no green

Squash
(see instructions for other vine crops)
Similar instructions to pumpkins
Winter squash is mature when full color and too hard to cut with a fingernail

Strawberries
Replace plants this year
Plant in only slightly moist soil
Just cover the roots with soil - don't bury the crown or it will rot; don't let the roots dry out
Need full sun to produce
Mulch to conserve water and keep weeds down
Side-dress plantings in August for next year


Tomatoes
Tender, set out after frost-free date and cover if need be
Full sun
Transplants should have good color and 3 - 4 sets of leaves
Water in with a cup of transplant starter
May need fungicide
Water well and regularly
Mulch when flowers bloom
Side-dress when fruits are tiny (golf ball sized for regular tomatoes,) repeat side-dressing every 3-4 weeks

Watermelon
(see instructions for other vine crops)
Cucumber beetles are a major issue