Care of the Vegetable Garden.pdf

Agricultural Extension Service

The University of Tennessee

Vegetables

SP 291-D

Care of the Vegetable Garden

R. Allen Straw, Assistant Professor, Plant Sciences

Originally prepared by David W. Sams, Professor Emeritus, Plant and Soil Science

A productive garden requires considerable attention

and care. Insects, diseases and weeds must be controlled;

water and nutrients must be supplied; plants must be sup-

ported; and harvests must be made at the proper time for

best ﬂ avor, yield and nutritional quality. This factsheet dis-

cusses these practices.

Black plastic mulch absorbs sunlight and speeds

warming of garden soils. Lay strips of black plastic over

previously fertilized and worked garden soils a week be-

fore planting. Weight the edges of the strips with soil. Cut

slits or x’s in the strips at the desired locations and seed or

transplant through them. A sharpened bulb setter may also

be used to cut holes in plastic mulch.

Commonly used organic mulches include leaves, straw,

compost, rotted sawdust and grass clippings. Be careful

when collecting grass clipping and leaves not to collect

weed seed. These light-colored mulches reﬂ ect sunlight

and are best used around cool-season plants or on warm-

season plants when the soil temperature has become sufﬁ -

ciently warm. Apply them 2 or 3 inches thick and turn them

under at the end of the growing season. The few weeds that

grow through organic mulch can be easily pulled.

Commercial vegetable growers use a wide range of

chemicals (herbicides) to kill weeds or to prevent weed

seed from germinating. Herbicides are very difﬁ cult to use

in the home garden. None are effective on all weeds, last all

season or are labeled for use on all vegetable crops. They

are also difﬁ cult to apply uniformly to small plots, often

must be purchased in large containers and can be quite

expensive. A good understanding of herbicides is essential

for proper use. To purchase some products, you must be

certiﬁ ed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. As a

rule, herbicides are not recommended for Tennessee home

vegetable gardeners.

Weed Control

Lack of proper weed control probably limits production

in home gardens more than any other production practice.

Weeds compete with vegetable plants for water, nutrients

and sunlight and must be controlled if garden vegetables

are to grow and produce well. Weeds also serve as a refuge

for insects, as well as alternate hosts for diseases. Weeds

may be controlled by cultural practices, mechanically,

chemically or by a combination of these three practices.

Begin cultural controls by preventing weeds from

developing mature seed. Maintain clean cultivation while

vegetables are growing. Whenever vegetables are not pres-

ent in the garden area, mow or turn under weeds before

they develop seed.

Weeds a re easiest to remove when they are small. Hoe

or till frequently, but shallowly so as not to cut vegetable

roots or allow valuable moisture to escape. Pull weeds di-

rectly in the row by hand. Weeds pull easier with less dam-

age to surrounding plants when the soil is moist.

Use mulches to control weeds and to retain moisture. Both

black plastic and various organic mulches may be used.

Factsheets SP 291-H and I of this series contain more

detailed information concerning the control of weeds and

the use of mulches in home gardens. These are named in

the reference list at the end of this publication.

insecticidal soaps, summer oils, microbial agents such as

Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ), botanically derived chemicals

like rotenone and traditional agricultural chemicals. What-

ever you decide to use, be sure to follow the label instruc-

tions exactly . Chemical labels list a wealth of information

such as pests controlled, vegetables on which the chemical

may be used, how long after application before the vegeta-

ble may be harvested, etc. It is illegal and can be harmful

both to yourself and to the environment to use agricul-

tural chemicals for any purpose or in any manner not

permitted by the label .

Since you will get better coverage of the entire plant

with a spray, you will generally be more successful control-

ling insects and diseases with a spray than with a dust. Use

a tank-type sprayer where water and the control agent are

mixed together and considerable pressure can be obtained.

Be sure to treat the lower side of the leaves and stems, as

insect and disease problems frequently originate there.

Disease and Insect Control

Garden vegetables are susceptible to a wide variety

of insect and disease problems. Unless these problems

are controlled, they will reduce yield and quality and may

cause crop failure.

Begin control of insects and diseases with sanitation

and common sense. Turn insect- or disease-infested plant

residues under soon after harvest or remove them from the

garden plot. Do not save seed from diseased plants. Support

tall-growing, non-supporting vegetables such as tomatoes

and cucumbers as needed. Space rows and plants within

rows far enough apart so air can circulate freely. Time

plantings to avoid the worst pest problems whenever pos-

sible. Avoid sprinkler irrigation late in the afternoon, as wet

plants are more susceptible to certain diseases. If overhead

irrigation is used, apply water just before sunrise. If applied

then, the plants are already wet and will dry during the

morning hours like normal.

Rotation of plant families between different sections of

the garden in successive years will reduce some insect and

disease problems. Peas and beans, for example, are in the

same plant family and are susceptible to many of the same

insects and diseases. Other common vegetable families

include cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, muskmelon, water-

melon and cucumbers); crucifers (cabbage, cauliﬂ ower,

broccoli, kale, collards, kohlrabi, turnips, mustard and rad-

ish); and solanaceous vegetables (Irish potatoes, peppers,

eggplants and tomatoes).

Grow disease-resistant varieties whenever they are

available. Many of the varieties recommended in the other

factsheets of this series are resistant to one or more disease

problems. These varieties are not immune to disease prob-

lems, but frequently will bear a respectable crop despite the

presence of one or more diseases.

Use non- chemical means of insect control when they

are available and adequate. These include sanitation, barri-

ers, repellents, traps and baits. Encourage beneﬁ cial insects

and birds. When only a few large insects are present, they

may sometimes be successfully removed by hand.

Frequent observation (scouting) of the garden is yet

another key to the control of insect and disease problems.

Wa l k t h rough the garden at least every two or three days

and look for problems. Identify the insect or disease and

its recommended treatment before the problem becomes

severe. Your county Extension ofﬁ ce and the UT references

listed at the end of this factsheet can provide the most cur-

rent recommendations.

Use the least toxic recommended control measure be-

fore a problem gets out of control. Consider, for example,

Fertilization

A soil test should be taken and an analysis performed.

Lime should be applied in the fall or ﬁ rst thing in the

spring, while a complete fertilizer containing nitrogen,

phosphate and potash should be applied prior to ﬁ nal soil

preparation. See SP 291-C for details concerning the how

and why of soil tests and fertilization. Follow the recom-

mendations obtained from the soil test.

In addition, vegetables grown primarily for their leaves

and those with an extremely long growing or production

season usually beneﬁ t from nitrogen sidedressings. Sid-

edress nitrogen by sprinkling ammonium nitrate or another

high-nitrogen fertilizer beside the row or around individual

plants. Keep the fertilizer at least 6 inches away from

the base of the plants if possible, and brush off any that

remains on the leaves. Excessive ammonium nitrate or am-

monium nitrate applied too near plants will damage them.

Follow the speciﬁ c recommendations in Extension PB 901

Growing Vegetables in Home Gardens .

Side dress cucumbers, cantaloupe, pumpkins, water-

melon and winter squash with 1 to 1½ pounds of am-

monium nitrate per 100 feet of row or 1 tablespoon per

plant when the vines are 1 foot long. Use the same amount

on tomatoes, peppers and eggplants when the ﬁ rst fruit

is about 1 inch in diameter and once a month thereafter.

Sidedressing earlier or at higher rates can cause the ﬂ owers

and small fruit of these vegetables to abort.

Use 1 to 1½ pounds per 100 feet of row or 1 tablespoon

per plant on broccoli, cabbage and cauliﬂ ower three or four

weeks after planting. Use the same 1 to 1½ pounds per 100

feet of row on corn when it is 8 to 12 inches tall and on

okra after the ﬁ rst harvest. Use 2 to 3 pounds on greens six

weeks after seeding.

Other fertilizers may be used to sidedress vegetables,

but the amount must be adjusted so the actual nitrogen

applied is the same as that contained in the above-sug-

gested amounts of ammonium nitrate. An example of

another fertilizer is ﬁ eld-grade calcium nitrate. Calcium

nitrate is an excellent nitrogen source for vegetable crops,

but must be used at twice the rate of ammonium nitrate.

should dry by mid-morning, minimizing the time plant

tissue is wet.

Cultivation prior to overhead irrigation will increase

water inﬁ ltration and reduce runoff, as well as subsequent

erosion. The crust that forms after irrigation will reduce

evaporation.

Several forms of trickle irrigation are also available

for use in home gardens. Trickle irrigation has the advan-

tages of reducing total water usage by up to 50 percent, not

wetting plant foliage and maintaining relatively dry aisles

between rows. This enables watering and walking in the

garden nearly simultaneously while reducing weed growth,

disease problems and soil compaction. However, a trickle

irrigation system may be somewhat expensive to purchase.

Trickle or drip systems generally consist of several

parts. An example of a simple drip irrigation system is il-

lustrated in Figure 1 below.

Depending on the system, an adapter from garden hose

threads to national pipe threads (NPT) may be required.

Next, a back- ﬂ ow preventer should be connected to the

water source to prevent reverse water ﬂ ow into the source.

A screen or disk ﬁ lter should be placed in the line after the

back-ﬂ ow preventer. Even well and municipal water can

contain sand or other minute particles that could plug drip

tape. Therefore, a ﬁ lter is essential for all systems. Next, a

10 - to 12 - psi pressure regulator should be connected. Most

trickle tape is designed to operate at 8 to 10 psi. If the pres-

sure is allowed to drop below 6 psi, the water “free-ﬂ ows,”

Irrigation

To m a x i m i z e p r o duct ion , vegetables require from 1 to

2½ inches of water per week, depending on the stage of de-

velopment, as well as environmental conditions. Vegetables

require less water early in the growing season when they

are small and more when they are large and during certain

critical growth stages. Most years have dry periods when

irrigation will greatly beneﬁ t plant growth, yield and ulti-

mately quality.

Gardeners commonly irrigate with a lawn sprinkler.

Apply water slowly to reduce erosion and runoff. Place

cylindrical containers in the irrigated area to measure

the total water applied and its distribution. Apply 1 to 1½

inches of water, then do not irrigate again for several days.

Frequent shallow watering promotes shallow root growth.

Shallow roots will require more frequent watering than

roots that are distributed deeper in the soil. Shallow plant

roots are also easily damaged by cultivation.

To r e duc e t he i nc idence and/or spread of disease, ir-

rigate early in the day so plants dry before evening. Since

the plants are already wet with dew, the ideal time to ir-

rigate is just prior to sunrise. The dew and added water

Figure 1. A typical, simple trickle or drip irrigation system.

Ter m i nat ion sle eve

Trickle tape

Pressure gauge

Garden hose adapter

Va lve d a d apt er

Pressure regulator

Header line

Filter

running to low points or ﬂ owing out at the beginning of the

tape.

A header hose that extends across the end of the garden

attaches to the end of the pressure regulator. Soaker hoses

or trickle tape (thin-walled polyethylene pipe with emitters

spaced about a foot apart) are placed beside each row and

connected to the header hose at the end of each row. The

last, but not least, component of the drip irrigation system

is a pressure gauge. If you do not know the pressure on the

system, you do not know if it is operating correctly. If using

only one gauge, place it at the highest point in the ﬁ eld. If

two or more gauges are used, place one at the end of the

longest row, and one at the highest elevation in the ﬁ eld.

A soaker hose is a non-engineered product made of

ground tires. It is generally inexpensive, but since it is not

“engineered,” it is not uniform in water application. An-

other disadvantage is that wildlife and rodents like to chew

on the extruded rubber product. This makes large holes that

magnify the lack of water uniformity.

If taken care of properly, the adapter, back-ﬂ ow pre -

venter, ﬁ lter, regulator, header line and gauges should last

several seasons. If damage from wildlife and/or rodents is

prevented, soaker hoses may be used for multiple seasons.

Occasionally trickle tape can be reused. However, trickle

tape is relatively inexpensive, and it may be easier to dis-

card the old and use new tape next year.

Components of trickle irrigation systems may be

purchased at some garden centers. However, garden kits

are available for between $100 and $200 from a couple of

different sources. There may be other sources, and inclu-

sion in this publication does not imply endorsement by The

University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service.

cages do not need to be pruned, but do need to have their

growing ends pushed back into the cage every other day or

so. Fasten the cages to stakes or provide support to prevent

cages from blowing over.

Vigorous varieties of peppers may also beneﬁ t from

trellising. Tying the plants to a stake will reduce lodging.

Ten - fo ot leng t h s of concrete reinforcing wire made into

a circular cage may be used to support cucumbers. Plant

the seed around the outer edge of the cage and assist the

plants in beginning to climb by pushing them into the cage.

Frequent Harvests

Many vegetables quit setting fruit unless they are har-

vested frequently. These include cucumbers, summer squash,

okra and green beans. Never allow fruit that is over-mature to

remain on these plants if you want the plants to continue pro-

ducing. If you want to save seed, save seed from some of the

last fruit set rather than from the ﬁ rst.

Over-mature fruit are also more susceptible to diseases,

as well as attractive to insects. See PB 901 for speciﬁ c in-

formation concerning when to harvest each vegetable.

Useful References

Many Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service pub-

lications contain information useful to home gardeners.

Some of the more popular are listed below:

PB 595 You Can Control Garden Insects

PB 901 Growing Vegetables in Home Gardens

PB 902 Growing Small Fruits in Home Gardens

PB 1215 Disease Control in the Home Vegetable Garden

PB 1228 Gardening for Nutrition

PB 1391 Organic Vegetable Gardening

SP 291-A Growing Vegetable Transplants for Home

Gardens

SP 291-B Growing Vegetables from Seed

SP 291- C Soil Preparation for Vegetable Gardens

SP 291-D Care of the Vegetable Garden

SP 291-E Growing Sweet Corn in Home Gardens

SP 291- G Fall Vegetable Gardens

SP 291-I Weed Control in Home Gardens

SP 291-L Fresh Vegetable Storage for the Homeowner

SP 291-N Raised Bed Gardening

SP 291- O Guide to Spring-Planted Cool-Season

Veget ables

SP 291-P Guide to Warm-Season Vegetables

SP 291- Q Rhubarb in Home Gardens

Irrigation Mart

Rain-Flo Irrigation

3303 McDonald Ave.

884 Center Church Rd.

Ruston, LA 71270 -7412

East Earl, PA 17519

Phone: 1-800 -729-7246

Phone: 717- 445-6976

Web: www.irrigation-mart.com

Plant Supports

Yields of certain vegetables are higher, quality is in-

creased and losses from fruit rot are reduced when plants

are grown on supports.

Support the taller English peas varieties, pole beans

and half runner beans vertically on stakes, trellises or

wires. Support tomatoes on individual 6-foot stakes or with

cages made of 6-foot lengths of concrete reinforcing wire.

(See Extension PB 901 for details.) Tomatoes grown in

SP291D -5M- 6/03(Rev) E12-5115- 00 - 018- 03

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COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture,

and county governments cooperating in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

Agricultural Extension Service Charles L. Norman, Dean

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