Vegetables A-K

Beans Carrots
Beets Cauliflower
Broccoli Celery
Brussels Sprouts Collards
Cabbage Corn
Cucumber Eggplant
Kale

Back to the Gardener's Handbook Index


Bean, Pole

Dust seed with innoculant. Fertilize when planting and again when 6 to 8 inches tall. Train on a trellis, tripod, fence or other support. Keep picked to encourage further production.

Summer Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 2 oz.
Sewing Depth 1 in.
Space Between Plants 4 in.
Space Between Rows 36 in.
Days to Maturity 60-70
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30-40 lbs.

Bean, Bush Snap

Dust seed with innoculant. Fertilize at planting time and again when 6 to 8 inches tall. Keep picked to encourage further production.

Summer Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 2 oz.
Sewing Depth 1 in.
Space Between Plants 3 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 50-70
Yield per 25 feet of Row 20-30 lbs.

Bean, Lima

Dust seed with innoculant. Requires a longer, milder growing season than snap beans. Fertilize at planting time and again when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall.

Summer Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 4 oz.
Sewing Depth 1 in.
Space Between Plants 3 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 65-90
Yield per 25 feet of Row 6 lbs. shelled

Beet

Thin soon after germination. Fertilize at sowing time and again when leaves are 3 to 4 inches tall. Dig when roots are 2 to 3 inches in diameter for best flavor. Tops are also edible.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 1/4 oz.
Sewing Depth 1/2 in.
Space Between Plants 4 in.
Space Between Rows 12 in.
Days to Maturity 50-70
Yield per 25 feet of Row 25-30 lbs.

Broccoli

Set plants slightly deeper in garden than in container. Side-dress with fertilizer as buds begin to form. Harvest while heads are still tight.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 15 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 50-80
Yield per 25 feet of Row 12-20 lbs.

Brussels Sprouts
Does best as fall crop in warm climates. Cold tolerant. Break off lower branches as sprouts begin to form to encourage buds. As older sprouts are harvested (from the bottom up) and new ones form, break off more branches. Frost improves flavor.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 15 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 85-95
Yield per 25 feet of Row 12-35 lbs.

Cabbage

Set plants slightly deeper in garden than in container. Fertilize at setting out, and side-dress 4 weeks later. Harvest when heads are still tight.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 15 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 50-100
Yield per 25 feet of Row 35-38 lbs.

Cabbage, Chinese

See Cabbage. Heads grow more upright and cylindrical than regular cabbage. Excellent eaten cooked or raw in salads.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 20 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 15 in.
Space Between Rows 20 in.
Days to Maturity 60-90
Yield per 25 feet of Row 20 heads

Carrot

For best carrots, soil should be loose textured and cultivated deeply -- otherwise grow round and short-rooted types. After germination, thin seedlings well. Fertilize when foliage is 6 to 8 inches high. Harvest when between finger thickness and 2 inches in diameter.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 1/16 in.
Sewing Depth 1/8 in.
Space Between Plants 3 in.
Space Between Rows 12 in.
Days to Maturity 62-90
Yield per 25 feet of Row 20-25 lbs.

Cauliflower

See Cabbage. Blanch by tying outer leaves over heads when they are 2 inches across.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 15 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 60-80
Yield per 25 feet of Row 20-25 lbs.

Celery

Requires cool growing season and rich, moist soil. Set plant in a trench 4 to 5 inches deep and fill in with soil as plant grows. If further blanching (whitening) is desired, hill plants by mounding additional soil around their bases. Apply soluble plant food every 2 to 3 weeks.

Spring or Fall Garden, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 25 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 12 in.
Space Between Rows 18 in.
Days to Maturity 120
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30 lbs.

Collards

Sow directly outdoors in early spring or in late summer for the fall garden. Can also be sown indoors in mid to late winter for transplanting outdoors in early spring. Especially good as fall crop since frost will improve flavor. Withstands both cold and hot weather. Fertilize at planting time. Harvest entire plant or pick leaves as needed.

Spring or Fall Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 1/8 oz.
Sewing Depth 1/2 in.
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 55-80
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30 lbs.

Corn, Sweet

To ensure pollination, plant several rows together in a block, rather than in 1 long row. Side-dress with fertilizer when 8 inches high. Keep well-watered, especially from tasseling time to picking. Hill corn plants by pushing a few inches of soil up around the base of the plants when they are fertilized. This provides stability, but take care not to disturb the roots. Do not remove suckers. Regular sweet corn, super-sweet, sugar-enhanced, and popcorn should be isolated from each

Summer Garden, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 1 oz
Sewing Depth 1 in.
Space Between Plants 5-10 in.
Space Between Rows 30 in.
Days to Maturity 60-100
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30-40 ears

Cucumber

Sow in rows or in hills, 3 to 4 feet apart with 3 plants per hill, or start as transplants in Jiffy Pots 2 weeks before setting outside for an early crop. Fertilize at planting time. Keep well-watered and cultivate carefully. Harvest when young and green; if they are allowed to mature (and turn yellow), the plant will stop producing.

Summer Garden, Directly Sown in Ground, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 30 seed
Sewing Depth 1 in.
Space Between Plants *12 in.
Space Between Rows 48 in.
Days to Maturity 50-70
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30 lbs.
*Can also sow 3-5 seeds in hills 4 feet apart and thin to 2-3 per hill.

Eggplant

Easily damaged by cold temperatures. Fertilize at planting time and when fruits start to form. Harvest when relatively young and skins are very shiny.

Summer Garden, Indoors for Transplant
25 feet of Row 15 plants
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 18 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 62-90
Yield per 25 feet of Row 25 lbs.

Kale

See Collards. Kale does not tolerate summer heat, but is extremely cold-tolerant.

Spring or Fall Gardens, Directly Sown in Ground
25 feet of Row 1/16 oz.
Sewing Depth 1/4 in.
Space Between Plants 10 in.
Space Between Rows 24 in.
Days to Maturity 50-65
Yield per 25 feet of Row 30 lbs.

Back to The Park Gardener's Handbook