Planting your Garden

   Here in the Midwest, some vegetables are best started well before the avg. date of last frost. Tomatoes and peppers can be sown from seed directly in the garden, but because of the shorter growing season, should be started from transplants begun 6-8 weeks before the planting date.(See Articles section"Sucess with Seedlings".) This section is divided into two parts:Starting From Seed and Starting From Transplants.

Starting From Seed

   One of the most important things to consider when planting seeds is the condition of the soil.  It must not be too wet or too dry, and all rocks, sticks, and other debris should be removed.  The depth that you plant the seeds is on the back of the seed packet.   A rule of thumb is that seeds are planted to a depth twice their diameter.  Too shallow and the roots will not be deep enough, too deep and the seedlings may not be able to make it up to the surface.  Once the seeds are planted and covered with the right amount of clean soil, tamp the soil firmly over the seeds then water.

    By the way, there's no law that says vegetables have to be planted in nice neat rows.  Many vegetables can be "broadcast" or planted in wide rows.  Planting in wide rows utilizes more garden space and helps keep moisture around your plants.

Starting from Transplants

   Many vegetables should be started from transplants instead of seeds.   Cool season vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower should be started from transplants so they have time to mature and produce a crop before the summer heat shuts them down.  Warm season vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes should be started from transplants so they have time to reach full maturity and produce a crop before winter.

   Seedlings can either be started yourself, (See article Success with Seedlings), or purchased from a local nursery or garden center.  When purchasing seedlings, look for plants with strong stems and dark green leaves. If the seedlings have been kept indoors, they will probably need to be "hardened off", that is, taken outside during the day and brought in at night for a period of a week or more.  This will get the plant used to the outside temperatures.  To transplant the seedling, dig a hole with a trowel and gently slip the seedling out of its container taking care not damage the stem. Plant the same depth that they were in the container, then tamp the soil around the seedling gently with your hands.  

This well-designed book offers a series of detailed plans for a variety of kitchen garden types, including an "exuberant" potager, a salad and herb garden, a formal fruit garden, a vegetable patchwork, a cottage garden, and more. Alphabetically arranged sections on planting and cultivating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits are also included, along with chapters on propagation, crop rotation, and other practical topics. Color photographs and clear drawings appear throughout.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening
A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History
by William Woys Weaver
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