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4BC-07PA

4-H gardeningproject Prepared by William M. Fountain, Extension Specialist in

2 4-H vegetable

gardeningproject A vegetable can of your in front of shrubbery. Many vegetables be both enjoyable and have an attractive appearance productive. Your goal that will complement the may be to raise some landscape. Certain varieties of lettuce, kale, and cabbage are or all of the vegetables grown for ornamental purposes. for your family, or you The type of soil (clay vs. sandy) is not as important as may want to produce that it be well drained, deep, enough fresh and reasonably free of stones. It vegetables to sell. is very difficult to develop a high-grade garden on a hardpan, rock ledge, or layer of Types of gravel or sand. On the other You do not have to live on a hand, it is fairly easy to develop to have a vegetable an infertile soil that is friable garden. It is possible to have an into an excellent garden site by attractive, productive garden at adding lime, commercial your suburban or even urban fertilizer, and organic matter. home. The basic principles of A garden must be well are the same whether drained and free of low places you have 1 acre or one that hold water after a heavy container. containers. This type of rain. You may be able to remove gardening allows you to grow water from low areas by digging Traditional garden: The vegetables in small spaces or a small ditch. Excessive water traditional garden covers an places where it would otherwise should not drain onto the area of at least 100 square feet. be impossible to grow them. Ask garden from other locations. your leader about a 4-H bucket Likewise, do not in Mini garden: The mini garden garden project. bottomland if there is any is grown in an area of less than danger of flooding. A garden 100 square feet. that is flooded for only a few Choosing a Site hours can still be lost. If the The location that you choose Market garden: The market runoff from the garden is for your garden should have a garden is generally a quarter of muddy, you have too much deep, fertile, friable (crumbly), an acre or larger. This kind of erosion. Not only are you losing well-drained soil that is not garden can be a good way for the valuable topsoil, but a lot of shaded by buildings or trees. you as a 4-H’er to make extra the fertilizer may also be The most convenient area is by money from a project. washed away. It may take as your home, but you should much as 1,000 years to form locate your garden where it will Bucket garden: The bucket the soil lost off a slope in a be most productive. Consider garden is produced entirely in single rain. the possibility of working some

3 Planning the Garden The planning of the garden is the step most often neglected. This involves more than just ordering some seed or going to the store and buying a few packages of seeds. If this is your first garden, make it simple and make it fun. A 5-foot by 10-foot garden can produce more than you may think. The biggest garden is not always the best. More often than not, the biggest garden is the biggest mess. The first thing to remember is that there are two types of vegetables—cool-season and warm season. The cool-season may be planted as soon as the danger of frost has passed. They also make good is shaded for part of the day. fall crops. Examples of cool- When you have this kind of season vegetables are beets, garden site, you must choose cabbage, , chives, vegetables that can grow kohlrabi, lettuce, , , without full sunlight. The most success is usually obtained with parsley, turnips, and . increases the amount of water leaf crops such as chard, On the other hand, absorbed into the ground. vegetables such as , endive, lettuce, mustard, or , eggplants, melons, spinach. The edible part of peppers, squash, and tomatoes these vegetables is the leaf. Low Preparing the like warmer weather. This group light is not as critical for the Soil is called warm-season maturing of leaves as it is for vegetables. Some of these, such and roots. Even the best soils must be as peppers, eggplants, and When you plan how your prepared if the garden is to tomatoes, are started indoors garden will be laid out, it is grow and produce at its best. six to eight weeks before they important to prevent shading of Plowing or tillage do not are ready to be set out. You may short vegetables by tall ones. automatically create a good start your own or buy You should run the rows east- garden soil. The purpose of plants. west. This method allows you to tillage is to control weeds, to Some of the rows in your put tall vegetables, such as mix residues or organic garden will be able to serve corn, and those that climb on a matter into the soil, and to double duty. Beets, carrots, fence or trellis on the north break up heavy soils. kohlrabi, lettuce, , and side. This fence or trellis can The first-time garden should turnips all mature early enough also be part of the protective be tilled in the fall so that the so that the rows they were structure around the garden. grass will have time to decay planted in can be replanted Sometimes, the only place for a before the spring planting. with a late summer or fall crop. garden is in a hilly area. The Tillage may be done with a You can also double-crop by south side of a hill is better plow, a tiller, or a shovel, planting low-growing plants, because it gets more sun. The depending on the size of the such as chives, onions, and soil on the south side also plot. It will probably be radishes, between larger plants, warms up earlier in spring. You necessary to till again in the such as tomatoes. should make the rows of a hilly spring before you plant. It is at Sometimes, the only place garden run with the contour, this time that you should ridge available for planting a garden which cuts down on erosion and up soil into rows or beds. Beds

4 make better use of the area that Choosing Seed The second thing you should you have, since less space is notice on the seed package is wasted between rows. However, The first rule to remember the name of the vegetable. beds must be watered and about seeds is that they are not Usually, many different weeded by hand; rows can be dead. They are very much varieties of each type of weeded with a tiller. Your alive—just like the plant they vegetable are available. Each garden soil should be free of came from. If a plant is shut up variety has certain weeds, which will compete with in a hot car, it will die. The characteristics that make it your crops for water, nutrients, same is true of seeds. Keep different from other varieties. and sunlight. If the soil is hard, them cool and dry. If you collect These characteristics may the vegetables will be slow in your own seed for use the include the size or flavor of the getting started. The more friable following year or are saving vegetable, disease or insect the soil, the deeper the roots extra seed, put the seed in resistance, and how early it is will go. The stronger the root envelopes, one for each type of ready to be eaten. Try growing system, the better the plant can seed, and write the name and several different varieties of the compete for water and date collected on each envelope. same vegetable and make notes nutrients. However, too much Put the envelopes in a jar that of all the differences you see. tillage can harm the soil has a tight-fitting lid, and store structure and cause a crust to the jar in the refrigerator (38° to Planting Seed form on its surface. If the soil is 42°F) until time for planting. A too wet when you cultivate it, tablespoon of powdered milk in Seed can be planted either large clods will form, and the the bottom of the jar will absorb directly in the garden or started soil will become compacted. The moisture and keep the seed dry. in containers and transplanted correct time to cultivate is when When buying seed, look at to the garden. the soil is moist enough so that the package. There are several Most seeds have planting a handful of it will form a ball things that you should notice. instructions on the package, when squeezed but it is dry First, there should be a date on usually on the back. The enough to crumble easily. the package. It may read “plant suggested spacing is generally The time of year and method by spring 2002,” or it may just for gardens that are not of preparing the soil varies. If read “spring 2002.” If this date irrigated. Vegetables planted in there is a heavy layer of sod, it has passed, some or all of the irrigated gardens can be a little will be necessary for you to seed will be dead and will not closer (Table 1). However, if you prepare the soil well in advance. come up. Do not buy old seed. If have too many plants, they may Fall is the best time, since this the seeds were not stored compete against each other for will allow the grass several properly, they could still be light, water, and nutrients. You months to break down. It is also dead even if the date has not should thin the plants after all best to work lime into the soil in passed. (If you have old seed the seeds are up. Pinch off the the fall. Nitrogen fertilizers and have the space, experiment weak and excess plants with should not be added until the with them. Count the number your thumb and index finger or spring. Your county Extension you plant and see what remove them with a or agent will be glad to have a soil percentage comes up.) . sample tested. This test will tell you how much fertilizer and lime to add.

5 Sowing Seed in the soil. Start by moving your hand soil specially prepared for Garden slowly down the row about 3 growing plants.) The soil that The ground has been tilled, inches above the soil. grows nice vegetables out in the and you are ready to plant. How deeply you cover the garden is not suitable for use in Many types of vegetables can be seed is important. Seeds that containers. It will stay too wet, sown directly into the garden. A are too deep will be smothered. and the seed or plants are likely neat garden is more attractive Those that are too shallow will to rot. You can use one of the and easier to care for. Straight, begin to germinate, but if they prepared garden or potting soils neat rows can be made with the dry out, they will die. A simple such as Jiffy-Mix, Metro-Mix, or aid of a piece of string. Tie the rule is that seed should be Pro-Mix. These materials come string to sticks at each end of planted four times as deep as ready to use and are free of 1/ the garden so that the string is they are big. A 4-inch seed insects, diseases, and weed where you want your first row. should be planted about an seed. Take a sharp stick and run it inch deep. Planting depths for If you wish, you can make along the string to make a nice, some of the common vegetables your own soil mix. This may be neat row to plant in. Measure are listed in Table 2. done by combining equal parts off the next row, then the next, Sometimes the soil is dry and of soil, sand, and peat moss. etc. must be watered after planting. The peat moss is sterile, but the How you sow seed depends If your garden is plowed into soil and sand are not. The on the size of the seed. Corn, rows, plant seed on the “hills.” easiest method to kill insects, squash, and beans are easy to Put a shovelful of soil at the end diseases, and weed seeds is sow because they are large. You of each “valley.” This soil will with heat. Combine the three can just pick them up and drop act as a dam. Lay a water hose materials and place a 2-inch them along the row. It is a in each valley until it has run 1 layer of the moist (not wet) soil different story with fine seed, minute for every 1 to 2 feet of in a pan and cover with metal such as that for spinach, row. The water should flow foil. Bake it in the oven for 45 turnips, and lettuce. Take a down to the other end. If your minutes to 1 hour at 180° to pinch of seed between your garden is on a slope, you will 200°F. (Do not use microwave thumb and index finger. need to use an overhead ovens.) Follow this time and Carefully, with your palm facing sprinkler that puts out a fairly temperature guide carefully. If down, rub your two fingers fine spray. This care is the soil is heated too high or too together so that the seeds fall necessary until the seeds are long, chemicals that are slowly. Be sure your hands are established and have a good poisonous to plants may be dry so the seed won’t stick to footing in the soil. released. It is always best to them. Practice this several allow the soil to sit for two times over a sheet of white Starting Seed in a weeks before it is used. paper. The practice will help you Container Next, fill the container with avoid wasting seed. Now you are Seeds started in containers the prepared soil mix and plant ready to plant your rows in the need a pasteurized (sterile) soil the seed. Leave at least 1 inch (also called medium) that has headspace between the top of been amended. (Amended soil is the soil and the rim of the container. This space will make watering easier.

6 To water, place the containers to the pellets may be planted in the in a pan of water. When the Garden soil along with the plant. It is surface of the soil is moist, take Seeds that have been grown important to plant the top of the the container out of the pan. to several inches before being peat pot or pellet below the The roots may rot if they stay planted in the garden are called surface of the soil. Not doing too wet. transplants. By using this can lead to drying out of Transplant the seedlings to transplants, you have the the tender root system. You may small containers, such as egg advantage of getting a plant to break or peel back the lip of the cartons, after the first set of the stage three or four peat pot so that it will not be true leaves has come out. weeks earlier than if you had above the surface of the soil. Gently remove the seedling from planted seed in the garden. Plant tomatoes several inches its container. Do not hold the Some vegetables generally deeper than they were originally plant by the stem, as this will grown as transplants are grown, since they will form result in damage to the soft tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, additional roots along the stem. stem. Instead, hold the plant by broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Plant other types of vegetables a leaf. Use a pencil to make a brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. at about the same depth that hole and place the seedling in Transplants may be grown in they were originally grown. the hole. Gently pat the soil drink cups, milk cartons, peat Dig a small hole in the loose around the seedling. pellets, or peat pots. Plants that garden soil, put in the Do not allow the seed or are grown in containers made of transplant, and cover the root seedlings to dry out. It would be paper, plastic, or plastic foam system with soil. It is important helpful to enclose the must be removed from the that the transplant be protected containers in a clear plastic container. Peat pots and peat if the sun is hot and bright. You bag. Place them in bright light can protect the plant with a but not in direct sunlight. sheet of newspaper rolled up to form a cone or with a piece of cardboard folded in half to form an upside-down “V.” A gallon milk carton that has had the bottom cut out will also make a good protector for the plant. Once the transplants have been planted, it is important that the soil be kept moist until the garden is well established. Mulching will cut down on the amount of watering required and will keep the soil cooler.

7 Protecting the plastic is easy to transplant a couple of inches tall. through (just cut a small X or Remember, a mulch that Garden O) but is harder to plant seed smothers weeds can smother You may have to protect your through it. You must cut a slit small vegetable plants, too. garden from dogs, cats, rabbits, to plant seed. Even though you have a good or other animals. The money mulch, you may need to weed spent repairing the damage Peat moss: Peat moss is not a your garden a few times. You done by stray animals could pay good mulch. It blows away in may hoe the weeds or pull them for a fence in only a season or the wind and is expensive. by hand. Be sure to pull weeds two. A fence can also serve as a up before they go to seed. trellis for beans, peas, Bark: Bark is a good mulch but cucumbers, and other crops can be expensive if bags are Controlling Insects that need support. The fence purchased for a large garden. It should be closely woven and may tend to float away on a & Diseases high enough to keep the slope. A good checks the problem animal out. Moles may garden often. Keep a careful be another kind of problem in Straw/hay/grass clippings: watch for harmful insects or the garden. They burrow under These clippings can be good if diseases. The best control plants, causing the soil to dry dry when put on the garden. against pests is a neat and out. Since moles are Green grass clippings will mat clean garden. Dead and carnivorous (meat-eating) down and make a good hiding decaying plants are an excellent animals, the best way to control place for some insects and place for diseases and insects to them is to control the diseases. To avoid this problem, grow and hide. underground insects they feed spread the clippings 1 inch deep Pick insects off your plants on. Plants such as onions and and allow them to dry before and remove dead or diseased marigolds are said to be of some using them. Straw, hay, and parts of plants. If a problem help in discouraging moles from grass clippings must be free of continues, find out how to coming into the garden. weed seeds. Any of these three control it from your county materials can make an excellent Extension agent. If the use of Mulching mulch in combination with chemicals is necessary, ask an black plastic. adult who knows how to use Mulching is one of those little to put them on for tricks that can save you a lot of Dead leaves: Dead leaves make you. Remember, insecticides time and work. A good mulch an excellent mulch for the and are poisons to will do three things: keep the garden. They are even better people, too! It is important to soil cooler, conserve moisture, when composted. Ask your follow all directions on the and more importantly, help leader about how to labels. control weeds. Weeds will rob leaves. your vegetables of water, sunlight, and fertilizer. In Crop residue: Crop residue can addition, weeds can be a hiding make a good mulch, depending place for insects and diseases. on what type of residue it is. There are many types of Old corn stalks, and mulch. Some are better than vines are all good if they others. A lot depends on what is don’t carry over diseases. available to you. Overripe vegetables with seeds (tomatoes, Black plastic: Black plastic is peppers, corn, etc.) good for keeping weeds out and should not be moisture in; however, it can get used, as the seed hot if it is not mulched or may germinate shaded by taller-growing and become a vegetables. This problem can be weed problem. solved by mulching with a thin Mulch your layer of another mulch. Black vegetables as soon as they are at least

8 Fertilizing the inch slice from the back of the add 21/2 pounds of a 5-10-10 or hole. Remove from the spade all 6-12-12 fertilizer per 100 Garden but a 1- to 2-inch-wide core of square feet. It is important that your soil. Put this core in a bag with vegetable garden have a enough other samples to make Harvesting continuous supply of nutrients. about 1 pint of soil. Take this A low level of nutrients will keep pint of soil to your county and Care of you from producing high yields Extension office for testing. The of quality vegetables. Though fertilizer should be put on the the Produce this problem may be solved by garden in the spring. Spread Many vegetables, such as adding fertilizer to the soil, too the fertilizer evenly over the tomatoes and cucumbers, have much fertilizer can damage or garden before spading or tilling. a stem that will break off from even kill the plants. All bags of fertilizer have the plant. Harvest these You should take a soil sample three numbers on the front that vegetables by breaking the in the fall (October or show how much of the three stem. Any produce that does November) at least every three major nutrients are in the bag. not come off easily should be years. Take samples from A 5-10-10 fertilizer will have 5 cut off to reduce damage to the several different spots by percent nitrogen, 10 percent plant. On vegetables such as making a small hole in the phosphorus, and 10 percent bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, ground about 6 inches deep. potassium. A good, general pumpkins, beans, and Then use a spade to take a 1- fertilizer recommendation is to cucumbers leave a short piece of stem attached to the vegetable. This will help your produce keep longer. Pick your vegetables at the fully ripe stage. Wash, dry, and store them in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Washing helps keep the vegetables from molding or rotting and extends their storage life. Vegetables are best when they are garden fresh. Don’t hold on to them too long and let them go bad. Try freezing or canning some vegetables so you can enjoy them during the winter.

9 Gardening Terms & Definitions

Banding—placing a small layer the garden. This may be at diseases are killed. Sterilizing of fertilizer or other chemical separate times (for example: a will kill all diseases but results inside the row—generally just spring crop and a fall crop of in the release of toxic chemicals out from and below the seed or cauliflower). to the plant. roots. Friable—a soil that crumbles Sidedress—placing a layer of Bottomland—lowland along a easily. fertilizer or other chemical on river, often in a floodplain. the side of the row. Furrow—a narrow, shallow Bucket garden—one or more trench made in the soil. Plants Soil—any material (natural or vegetables raised in a container. are usually grown on its hill. artificial) in which plants are grown. Clod—large chunk of clay soil Hardpan—a layer of hard that does not break up easily. subsoil or clay that acts as a Tillage—any turning of the soil barrier to water and roots. for the purpose of controlling —growing weeds, turning under crop two crops in the same location Headspace—the space between residue or sod, or making the at the same time (for example: the top of a container and the soil loose. growing onions around tomato soil surface that holds water plants). until it can soak in. Transplants—plants grown indoors to be set out in the Contour planting—laying out Market garden—a larger garden garden. Transplants are used to the rows of a garden on the side where enough vegetables are get a head start as soon as it is of a hill so that the rows do not planted to be sold. warm enough for the plant to have a change in elevation. grow or because some seeds do Running the rows up and down Mini garden—a garden smaller not germinate well in the the hill will lead to heavy than 100 square feet (10 feet by garden. erosion. 10 feet). Trellis—a fence or other Cool-season crop—any Mulch—any material spread on structure on which vegetables vegetable that is planted or the soil surface to control can be grown. grows best when the weeds, conserve soil moisture, temperature is below 60°F (see reduce runoff, keep the soil Warm-season crop—any warm-season crop). Examples cooler, or improve the garden’s vegetable that is planted or are beets, cabbage, lettuce, appearance. grows best when the carrots, and cauliflower. temperature is above 60°F. (See Pasteurize—the heating of soil cool-season crop.) Examples are Double crop—growing two to 180°F for 30 to 45 minutes so eggplants, corn, tomatoes, and crops in the same location in that weed seeds and most peppers.

10 Some Seed Companies that Handle Mail-Order Vegetable Seeds

Ball Seed Company Park Seed Company Box 335 1 Parkton Ave. West Chicago, IL 60185 Greenwood, SC 29647-0001 (630) 231-3500 (800) 845-3369

Harris Seed Company Stokes Seeds, Inc. 60 Saginaw Dr. #1 Box 548 P.O. Box 22960 Buffalo, NY 14240-0548 Rochester, NY 14692-2960 (800) 263-7233 (800) 514-4441 or (716) 442-0410 Johnny's Selected Seeds 1 Foss Hill Rd. Albion, ME 04910-9731 (207) 437-4301 Some Kentucky Companies that Handle Vegetable Seeds

Bunton Seed Company Southern States Co-ops 939 E. Jefferson Street (located throughout Kentucky) Louisville, KY 40206-1682 (502) 584-0136 Sphar Seed Company 127 N. Main Street Fayette Seed Winchester, KY 40391 731 Red Mile Road (859) 744-1671 Lexington, KY 40504-1153 (859) 255-3334

Premium Horticultural Supply 915 E. Jefferson St. Louisville, KY 40206-1619 (502) 582-3897

11 Table 1. Suggested Vegetable Maturities, Planting Dates, Days to Maturity in Kentucky.

Transplant Days to Vegetable & Variety Planting Datea Date Maturity Comments Asparagus Mary Washington March 15 2 years Viking Beans, snap (bush) April 25 Blue Lake 53 to 60 Astro 52 Tenderette 54 Tendercop 54 Good disease and virus resistance Beans, snap (pole) April 25 White Kentucky Wonder 191 65 Kentucky Wonder 67 Beans, lima (bush) May 1 Fordhook 242 78 Large seed Henderson Bush 65 Small seed Beet March 15 Green Top Bunching 58 Good greens and roots Detroit Dark Red 66 Good for containers Broccoli Feb. 5 (indoors) March 20 Green Comet 55 Plant for spring crop Waltham 29 75 Plant for fall crop Premium Crop 80 Large heads Brussels Sprouts Feb. 5 (indoors) March 10 Jade Cross 80 Cabbage Jan. 20 (indoors) March 15 Sunup 64 Head Start 67 Modern Dwarf 55 Very early, from Park Cantaloupe (see muskmelon) Carrots March 20 Lady Finger 65 4 inches long, good in containers Short ‘N’ Sweet 68 Short and thick, from Burpee Tiny Sweet 65 From Burgess

12 Table 1 (continued)

Transplant Days to Vegetable & Variety Planting Datea Date Maturity Comments Cauliflower Jan. 25 (indoors) March 10 Snow Crown 50 Early Snow King 55 Heat tolerant Chives March 20 March 10 80 Corn April 20 Silver Queen 95 7 ft tall

1 Gold Cup 80 6 /2 ft tall

1 Gold Midget 60 2 /2 ft tall, 4-inch ears, good in containers, from Burgess Park’s Miniature Hybrid 66 3 ft tall, 5-inch ears, good in containers March 25 May 1 (indoors) Park’s Bush Whopper 55 Bush Patio Pik 53 Bush Bush Crop 65 Bush Space Master 60 Bush, from Burpee Eggplant March 10 May 10 (indoors) Black Beauty 73 Classic Hybrid 76 Morden Midget 65 Very early, from Park Kale March 20 57 Kohlrabi March 20 Purple Vienna 60 Very high quality, from Burpee Grand Duke Hybrid 50 Lettuce March 25 Kentucky Bibb 54 Grand Rapids 43 Stokes Evergreen 90 Black Seeded Simpson 45 Buttercrunch 75 Tom Thumb 65 Muskmelon May 10 Burpee Hybrid 82 Gold Star Hybrid 87 Ambrosia Hybrid 86 Musketeer April (indoors) May 10 90 Bush form, from Park Mustard March 10 Tendergreen 35 Southern Giant Curled 45

13 Table 1 (continued)

Transplant Days to Vegetable & Variety Planting Datea Date Maturity Comments Okra May 10 Emerald 55 Soak seeds in hot water for 24 hours before planting Clemson Spineless 56 Seeds March 10 Sets March 10 Ebenezer 105 Grown from seed Storage King 95 Stores well Stuttgarten 95 Grown from seeds Varities grown from sets 30 Grown from sets

Parsnip March 20 100 Roots improve by being left in ground until following spring

Peas March 1 Sparkle 68 15-inch vine, small pod Laxton’s Progress 62 16- to 18-inch vine, large pod

Peas, edible pod March 1 Use raw or cooked Sugar Snap 68 Mammoth Melting Sugar 68

1 Dwarf Gray Sugar 65 Vines 2 to 2 /2 ft, needs no staking Peas, southern May 5 Purple Hill 78 Peppers, green bell March 10 May 10 (indoors) Bell Boy 70 Lady Bell 75 Prolific Hybelle 75 Prolific Peppers, hot March 10 May 10 (indoors) Jalapeno 72 , Irish March 15 Norchip Early Superior Early Kennebec Late LaRouge Medium Red Pontiac Early Potato, sweet May 10 Centennial 100

14 Table 1 (continued)

Transplant Days to Vegetable & Variety Planting Datea Date Maturity Comments Pumpkin May 5 Spirit Hybrid 100 Big Max 100 Potential for 100+ lb May 10 Cherry Belle 21 Red Spinach March 1 Early Hybrid No. 7 40 Fall use Bloomsdale Savoy 40 Squash, summer May 10 Baby Crookneck 30 to 50 From Park Baby Straightneck 30 to 50 From Stokes (Many other varieties) Squash, winter May 10 Golden Nugget 90 Burpee’s Butter Bush 75 Bush form (Many other varieties) 75 to 100 Swiss Chard March 20 Fordhook Giant 55 Tomato March 8 May 5 Patio (indoors) 70 Small , from Park Pixie 70 Small fruit, from Burpee Tiny Tim 50 Small fruit Jet Star 75 Average fruit size Floramerica 80 Average fruit size Turnip March 10 Presto From Herbst Bros. Seven Top 42 Good for greens Purple Top Globe 55 Good for roots Watermelon May 5 Crimson Sweet 80 Light, high quality melon Sugar Baby Small, early, quality melon Kengarden Bush variety aPlanting date is the earliest planting date for Central Kentucky. Seeds may be planted seven to 10 days earlier in Western Kentucky and should be planted a week later in Eastern Kentucky.

15 Table 2. Planting Depth for Seed Final Spacing, Minimum Soil Temperature for Planting, Estimated Yearly Amounts Used per Person.

Planting Final Depth Spacing Minimum Soil Vegetable (inches) (inches) Temperature (ûF) Amount per Person per Year Asparagus–crown 6 15 – 10 plants 1 Beans, snap–bush 13 60/4 lb seed 1 Beans, snap–pole 16 50/4 lb seed 1 1 Beans, lima–bush 1 /2 665/4 lb seed 1 1 Beet /2 250/4 oz seed 1 Broccoli /2 18 45 15 plants 1 Brussels sprouts /2 20 45 5 plants 1 Cabbage /2 12 45 10 plants Cantaloupe or muskmelon 1 24 75 5 hills 1 1 Carrots /4 245/4 packet 1 Cauliflower /2 18 45 25 plants 1 1 Chives /2 250/4 packet 1 Collards /2 18 45 25 plants 1 1 Corn, sweet 1 /2 12 60 /4 lb Cucumber 1 10 65 5 to 10 hills 1 Eggplant /2 24 75 2 plants 1 Kale /2 2 45 5 plants 1 Kohlrabi /2 4 55 5 plants 1 1 Lettuce, leaf /4 445/8 oz seed 1 Lettuce, head /4 10 45 5 plants Muskmelon, see cantaloupe 1 1 Mustard /2 240/8 oz seed 1 Okra 1 12 70 /4 packet 1 1 1 Onion /2 450/4 oz seed, /2 lb sets 1 Parsnip 1 6 50 /4 packet 1 Peas, garden 1 2 40 /2 lb seed 1 Peas, edible pod 1 2 40 /2 lb seed 1 Peas, southern 1 4 70 /2 lb seed 1 Pepper, bell /2 12 70 4 plants 1 Pepper, hot /2 12 70 1 plant Potato, Irish 5 10 40 10 lb “seed” potato Potato, sweet -- 10 70 25 plants Pumpkin 1 36 70 2 hills 1 1 Radish /2 145/4 packet 1 1 Spinach /2 645/4 packet Squash, summer 1 24 70 5 hills Squash, winter 1 24 70 6 to 10 hills 1 1 Swiss Chard /2 650/4 packet 1 Tomato /2 18 60 5 plants 1 1 1 Turnip /2 260/16 to /32 oz seed Watermelon 1 36 70 2 to 3 hills

16 Demonstrations A 4-H project provides opportunities for you to develop many skills. One of these skills is how to give a demonstration. Choose one of the following topics or another topic of interest to you. Plan a demonstration and give it to your club or other group. Work with your leader on how to give a demonstrations such as:

• How to make a compost pile. • How to preserve vegetables. • Growing transplants. • Mulching the garden to control weeds and conserve water. • How to fertilize the garden. • Controlling insects/diseases in the vegetable garden. • Exhibiting vegetables in the county fair. • Growing vegetables in hanging baskets. Citizenship Learning to be a good citizen is another important part of a 4-H project. Working as part of a group or on your own, do one or more of the following citizenship activities:

• Collect leaves that would have gone to the dump and compost them for use around the courthouse, a retirement home, your school, etc. • Give away transplants to others. • Grow some transplants for a public demonstration garden. • Start a public demonstration garden to show the difference in yield for different cultural methods. • Give vegetables to neighbors or to community kitchen organizations.

17 4-H Vegetable Garden Record Sheet

Name ______Age ______Years in this project ______

Address ______Year ______

School ______Parents ______

A. List new things you learned in this project or activity.

______

______

______

______

B. Production Costs: Record the costs of growing your garden project. If you spent no money for an item, estimate the value.

1. Seed: ______lb @ $ ______per lb $ ______2. Plants: No. plants: ______@ $ ______per plant $ ______3. Fertilizer: ______lb of ______(analysis) $ ______Sidedressing: ______lb of ______(analysis) $ ______(Did you have a soil test? _____yes _____ no) 4. Insecticide (list amount and value of each material): $ ______5. (list amount and value of each material): $ ______6. Land rent: acres or square feet: ______$ ______7. Rent or expenses for tools: ______$ ______8. Labor: (a) Your own: ______hours @ ______per hour $ ______(b) Hired: ______hours @ ______per hour $ ______(c) Given by others: ______hours @ ______per hour $ ______9. Plowing and cultivation: (a) Gasoline: ______gallons $ ______(b) Tiller rent:______$ ______10. Other costs: (a) ______$ ______(b) ______$ ______12. TOTAL EXPENSES $ ______

18 C. Production Results: Record the results of crop production in the spaces below.

Date of Amount Value of Produce Date First Harvested Used at Crop & Variety Planted Harvest (bu/lb) Home Sold Total

Total $ $ $

D. List demonstrations, talks, exhibits, radio and television appearances, newspaper articles written, tours, workshops, camps, judging events, and field trips that you participated in throughout this project or activity.

______

E. List awards, trips, medals, plaques, trophies, ribbons, scholarships, and other recognition received in this project or activity.

______

19 F. List your leadership participation in this project or activity. Include things you have done by yourself and in cooperation with others in planning 4-H programs; leading discussions; helping younger members with demonstrations, talks, and exhibits; and assisting with camps, achievement shows, and workshops. Indicate the number of 4-H members you have assisted and give your specific responsibilities.

______

G. List your citizenship and community service experiences in this project or activity; include those things that contributed to the welfare of your club or group, other individuals, or your community; give your specific responsibilities.

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H. Attach a short story in which you tell about things learned, satisfactions experienced, and difficulties encountered this year in this project.

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Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of , M. Scott Smith, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2002 for materials developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ca.uky.edu. Issued 6-1983, Revised 12-2002, Last printed 12-2002, 1500 copies, 23000 copies to date.