Vegetable Garden: Basics and Plant Selections Site/Location Full sun equals 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. Close enough that you will want to go it. Water/hose will reach it. Start small, 10’ by 10’ will provide vegetables while still being manageable to weed, water, plant and harvest.
What to grow Vegetables that you like and will eat and that are suited to the location. The recommended plants are suggestions only. Visit our fact sheet Seed Companies for more ideas.
Soil A soil test from the UConn Soil and Nutrient Analysis Laboratory is recommended. Add amendments as recommended. Compost or aged manure worked well into soil. Plotting area, single rows, wide rows or blocks. They all work. Tall crops on the north. Track shadows so all plants get sun.
Timing Plants that reach harvest in under 120 days are considered short season crops and those that take longer are long season crops. Subtract the days to harvest (on seed packets) from the first fall frost date to find the last planting date.
• Last spring frost date in CT is May 15th. • First fall frost date in CT is Sept. 15th.
Cool Season Crops Seed packet will say “Plant as early as soil can be worked”. A good test to tell if the soil is workable is to make a ball of soil in your hand and poke it with a finger, if it falls apart like chocolate cake crumbles, it is ready. If the soil is too wet, the ball stays together leaving only an indent from finger. Working the soil when it is too wet will ruin the structure of the soil and cause compaction.
Warm Season Crops Seed or transplant info will say “Plant after all danger of frost has past”. This varies from year to year. May 15th is only an average. Watch daily weather reports for frost warnings and dropping overnight temperatures. Warm season crops will be killed by freezing temperatures and frost. Planting warm season crop transplants in cold soil will stunt the roots. Warm season seeds placed in cold soil will not germinate until a higher soil temp is reached.
Water Vegetables need one to two inches of water per week by rain or hose. Feel the soil down where the roots are located. If it is dry, water it. Soaker or trickle hoses are best. They provide a slow, deep watering. Shallow watering keeps the roots up near the surface where it is hotter and dries out quicker. Deep roots make better plants. Keep foliage dry; apply water in the morning, never in the evening. Wet foliage invites fungal disease.
Feed Fertilize when transplanting or when seeds grow into plants with two sets of leaves. Use manure or packaged vegetable fertilizers with balance nutrients such as 10-10-10. Side dress when plants begin to flower and set fruit by again applying fertilizer lightly a few inches away from plants. Follow label directions. Do not over-fertilize as this can harm plants and add to polluted waterways.
Weeds Get weeds out. They compete with and steal nutrients and water away from vegetable plants. Hand pull weeds while still small. Cultivate weekly or more often, by hoeing or scratching the surface to one inch deep of garden soil discouraging weed growth around vegetable plants. Apply mulch around plants, but not touching plants, to block light to weed seeds in soil. This stops their germination. Straw, grass clippings, chopped leaves and pine needles are all good mulches.
Insects If you find an insect in the garden, identify it. It may be a good guy providing pollination or predation on the bad guys. Look it up in a book or contact the UConn Home and Garden Education Center for correct ID. You can call or email us [email protected].
Harvest Pick produce when ripe. Not picking tells the plant its job in life is done. It has produced a fruit containing a seed and then it will die. Leaf crops will send up a seed stalk. Continuing to remove fruits and leaves will keep the plant trying to make more seed, therefore providing more produce.
Plant Selections Resistant varieties codes: AL-Alternaria DM-Downy Mildew F-Fusarium Wilt M-Mosaic Virus N-Nematodes PM-Powdery Mildew V-Verticillium Wilt Plant Variety Cool/Warm Short/Long Least/Most Light/Heavy Early Frost Weather Season Space Feeder Resistance (Days to Required Harvest)
Artichoke Globe Warm Long Most Heavy (100-150)
Artichoke Jerusalem Cool Long Most Heavy (130)
Arugula Cool Short Least Light (40)
Asparagus Jersey Giant (F), Cool Short Most Light Viking KB3 Beans Bush Warm Short (45- Moderate Light Green: Provider, 70) Grenoble, Derby (M,PM), Strike (M)
Bush Yellow: Warm Short (45- Moderate Light Gold Mine, Indy 70) Gold, Sunburst
Warm Short (50- Least Light Pole: 70) Fortex, Kentucky
Blue, Scarlet Runner
Lima: Warm Moderate Least Light Eastland (DM), (60-80) Fordhook 242
Broad or Fava: Cool Moderate Least Light Broad Improved, (75-85) Windsor
Soybean: Warm Short (45- Light Beer Friend, 65) Envy Moderate
Beets Red: Cool Short (50- Least Heavy X Bull's Blood, 60) Detroit Dark, Red Ace
Golden: Cool Short (50- Least Heavy X Burpee's Golden, 60) Golden Beet
Greens: Cool Short (40- Least Heavy X Lutz Green Leaf 50)
Broccoli Arcadia (DM), Cool Moderate Moderate Heavy X Goliath, (65-70) Marathon (DM), Parkman
Brussel's Jade Cross, Cool Long Heavy X Sprouts Oliver (90-180) Moderate
Cabbage Early Season: Cool Moderate Heavy X Charmant (F), (50-70) Tendersweet (F), Most Winner Midseason: Cool Moderate Most Heavy X Blue Dynasty (F), (70-85) Blue Lagoon (F)
Late Season: Cool Long Most Heavy X Blue Thunder (F), (100-110) Roulette, Danish Ballhead
Red: Cool Moderate Most Heavy X Red Dynasty, (75-90) Red Express
Savoy: Cool Moderate Most Heavy X Alcosa (F), (80-85) Savoy Blue
Chinese: Cool Moderate Most Heavy X Blues, Jade (80) Pagoda, Minuet
Bok Choy (Pak Cool Short (30- Least Heavy X Choi): 50) Joi Choi, Mei Qing
Carrots Bolero (A,PM), Cool Short (50- Least Light X Nelson, 75) Sugarsnax 54 (AL)
Cauliflower Freemont, Snow Cool Moderate Heavy X Crown, Graffiti (48-95) (purple) Most
Celery Utah 52-70, Cool Long Least Heavy X Ventura (80-120)
Corn, Argent, Warm Long Most Heavy Sweet Delectable, Fleet, (60-100) Lancelot, Precious Gem
Collards Champion, Flash, Cool Moderate Moderate Heavy X Top Bunch (60-85)
Cucumber Pickling: Warm Short (50- Moderate if Heavy Alibi, Calypso 70) trellised (PM), Cross Country, H-19 Little Leaf Slicing: Warm Short (50- Moderate if Heavy Dasher II (PM), 70) trellised Diva, General Lee, Marketmore 76 (PM)
Dill Banquet, Warm Moderate Least Light Fernleaf Foliage (70) Seeds (90)
Eggplant Black Bell, Fairy Warn Long (70- Moderate Heavy Tale, Orient 85 from Express, Vittoria transplant)
Endive Bianca Riccia, Cool Long Least Light Lorca, Salad (85-100) King
Escarole Full Heart, Nataly Cool Long Least Light (85-100)
Garlic German Extra Cool Short Least Light X Hardy, Russian (40) Red
Kale Blue Ridge, Red Cool Short (50- Moderate Light X Russian, 55) Toscano, Winterbor
Kohlrabi Early White Cool Short (42- Moderate Light X Vienna, Gigante, 70) Winner
Leek Lincoln, King Cool Long Least Light Richard (100-120)
Lettuce Butterhead Cool Short (60- Least Light 70)
Leaf Cool Short (50- Least Light 60)
Romaine Cool Short (65- Least Light 70)
Melon Canteloupe: Warm Moderate Most Heavy Burpee Hybrid, (85) (High N Harper Hybrid before (AL, F,M) flowering, lower after) Honeydew: Warm Moderate Heavy Jenny LInd, (75-80) (High N Morning Ice before (F,PM), Passport Most flowering, low after)
Watermelon: Warm Long Most Heavy Sweet Favorite, (95) Moon & Stars
Mustard Giant Red, Green Cool Short Least Light Wave, Osaka Greens Purple (30-40) Seeds (8095)
Onions Yellow: Cool Long Least Light Candy, Copra, (100-175) Frontier
Red: Cool Long Least Light Bennie's Red, (100-175) Mars
Green: Scallion Cool Short (20- Least Light 30)
Okra Cajun Delight, Warm Short (50- Moderate Heavy Clemson 60) Spineless
Parsley Dark Green Warm Moderate Least Light Italian, Titan, (70-90) Forest Green
Parsnip Andover, Lancer Cool Long Least Light X (100-120)
Peas Early: Cool Short Least Light Coral, Dakota, (60) Spring
Late:Lincoln, Mr. Cool Moderate Least Light BIg, Tall (65-75) Telephone
Snap: Cool Moderate Least Light Cascadia, Sugar (60-75) Ann, Sugarsnap
Snow Pea: Cool Moderate Least Light Little Sweetie, (60-80) Oregon Giant Peppers Sweet Bell: Warm Moderate Moderate Light, avoid New Ace, Red (60-95) high N Knight, King of the North
Sweet Long: Warm Moderate Moderate Light, avoid Big Bertha, Giant (75-90) high N Marconi, Lipstick
Hot Long: Warm Moderate Moderate Light, avoid Anaheim, Long (65-90) high N Red Slim, Super Chili, Thai Hot
Hot Round Warm Moderate Moderate Light, avoid (65-90) high N
Pumpkin Large: Warm Long Most Heavy Howden, (90-120) Connecticut Field
Small: Warm Long Most Heavy Baby Bear, Wee- (95-100) Be-Little
Novelty: Warm Long Most Heavy Prizewinner, (110) Atlantic Giant, Jarrahdale
Radish Cherriette, Easter Cool Short (25- Least Light X Egg, Everest 70)
Rutabaga Laurentian, Joan, Cool Long Light X Purple Top (90-110) Most
Rhubarb McDonald Strain, Cool Moderate Moderate Light Victoria When stalks are 12-18"
Spinach Spring: Cool Short (40- Least Light X Bloomsdale, 50) Longstanding, Tyee
Fall: Cool Short (40- Least Light X Giant Winter, 50) Melody, Olympus Squash Summer, Yellow: Warm Moderate Most Moderate Early Profilic (60) Straightneck, Sunray (PM), Goldrush
Summer, Green: Warm Moderate Most Moderate Ambassador (60) (PM), Cocozelle, Spineless Beauty, Eight Ball, Raven
Bush, Scallop: Warm Moderate Most Moderate Peter Pan, (50-70) Sunburst, Sunny Delight
Winter: Warm Long Most Heavy Betternut (PM), (60-100) Bon Bon, Waltham Butternut, Sunshine, Table Queen, Cream of the Crop, New England Blue Hubbard
Swiss Bright Knights, Cool Short (55- Least Light X Chard Fordhook Giant, 65) Rhubarb Chard
Tomato Early: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Early Girl, Pilgrim (65-70) (F,V), Early Cascade, 4th of July
Midseason: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Jet Star (F,V), (70-80) Ultraboy (F,N,V), Celebrity (F,M,V), Mountain Magic (AL) Mountain Pride (F, V) Mountain Supreme (AL)
Late: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Supersonic (F,V), (80-90) Better Boy (F,V), Super Beefsteak (F,N,V), Burpee's Super Stake Hybrid (F,N,V)
Orange: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Sweet Tangerine, (70-80) Orange Blossom
Yellow: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Golden Delight, (70-80) Taxi, Yellow Stuffer
Paste: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Roma (F,V), (75-80) Amish Paste Plum Dandy (AL) Salad: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Bellstar, Juliet (75-80)
Cherry: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Pixie (F,V), (70) Sweet 100, Sun Gold
Pear: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Red, Yellow (85)
Plum: Warm Moderate Moderate Moderate Red, Yellow (75-80)
Turnip Purple Top, Cool Moderate Least Light White Globe, (50-60) White Lady, Tokyo Cross
Revised by the UConn Home and Garden Education Center 2017 Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Dean of the College, Cooperative Extension System, University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Connecticut Cooperative Extension System is an equal opportunity employer and program provider. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, Stop Code 9410, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964.