Tip from county extension agency:
WVU Extension Horticulture Specialist Lewis Jettreports broccoli and cabbage can be planted outside after April 8. For bulb onions, transplants or sets can be planted April 1-15. Scallions can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring through June.
Tomatoes:
1. Place 1-2 Tb Epsom salts in planting holes.
2. Spray every 2 weeks with solution of 1 Tb Epsom salt and a gallon of water.
3. Use powdered lime in soil you plant maters in to avoid blossom end rot. I also put a hefty ring of
lime on top the soil around each plant,to soak in over the entire growing season. Had zero BER
using this method.
Peppers:
1. Place 1-2 Tb epsom salt in planting hole.
2. For larger fruits, spray plants with a solution of 1 TB Epspm salts in a gallon of water. Once it
begins to bloom and again 10 days later.
2. The longer the fruit is left on the plant, the sweeter it will be.
3. Plant 2 plants together to shade the fruit more.
Corn:
1. Plant in blocks of at least 4 rows, rather than long rows.
Beans:
1. For harvesting all summer, plant every 2 weeks.
2. Water on sunny days so foilage does not remain wet.
Broccoli:
1. Fertilize 3 weeks after transplanting.
2. water regularly but do not get developing heads wet.
3. Mulch to hold in moisture and keep soil temperature down.
4. can be blanched and frozen for up to 1 yr.
Cabbage:
1. Mulch thickly to retain moisture and keep soil cool.
2. Avoid proximity to strawberries, tomatoes,broccoli, and cauliflower. Can be grown near beans
and cucumbers.
3. fertilize 3 weeks after transplanting.
4. will keep in a root cellar up to 3 months.
5. To get more crops from early plants, cut the head out with a knife, leaving outer leaves and
roots. It will send up more heads. Pinch off till only 4 or so remain and these will develop into
tennis ball size heads.
Carrots:
1. Make sure soil is free of stones and deeply tilled.
2. Mulch
3. when plants are an inch tall, snip off some to thin plants to 3" apart.
4. fertilize 5-6 weeks after sowing.
5. Carrots taste better after a couple of frosts. after the first hard frosts in fall, cover rows with
18" of shredded leaves for harvesting later.
6. You may leave mature carrots in ground for storage if soil will not freeze.
7. Carrots can be stored in moist sand for winter use.
8. Cut off tops, and wash under running water, and store in ziplock bags while still wet, and will
stay crisp 3-5 months in the fridge.
Cabbage:
1. side dress plants with nitrogen fertilizer and water regularly.
2. when the white head is 2-3 inches in diameter, tie outer leaves together with twine or tape to
protect the head. Plant is usually ready to harvest 7- 12 days after this blanching.
3. For long time storage you can freeze or pickle heads.
Celery:
1. Start seeds indoors for the best success rates. Soak seeds in warm water overnight to increase
germination.
2. Mulch
3. Fertilize and mulch regularly, they are heavy feeders.
4. Tie stalks together to keep them from sprawling.
5. You can easily root store bought celery by cutting off the base, soak in water for two weeks and
roots will develop.
Cucumbers:
1. when seedlings emerge water regularly, and fruit develops increase to a gallon a week.
2. Mulch to hold in moisture.
3. Spray plants with sugar water to attract bees and set more flowers. Can also plant with flowers.
4. harvest when about 6" long
5. They are heavy feeders, side dress with rotted manure or add diluted liquid fish emulsion every
other week during growing season.
Garlic:
1. Plant in fall 6-8 weeks before 1st hard frost, about one month before ground freezes.
2. Break cloves apart a couple of days before planting and leave on papery husks.
3. Plant 4" apart and 2" deep.
4. Cut off flower shoots to increase bulb size.
5. Water every 3-4 days during bulbing in mid may thru june.
6. harvest when tops begin to turn yellow and flop over.
7. Let them air dry in cool shady place for 1-2 weeks to cure
8. Store in cool dry place.
Onion:
1. Dont bury more than the bottom third of and onion below ground.
2. Fertilize when bulbs begin to swell, then again when one foot tall.
3. Mulch, For sweeter onions, water more.
4. Cut or pull onions that send up flower stalks.
5. when onions turn yellow and start to flop, bend down and stomp on them to speed ripening.
6. loosen soil to begin drying, then in a few days turn up and allow to dry on top of the ground.Be careful
not to bruise or it will encourage rot. When tops are brown,pull onions.
7. Harvest in late summer before Fall.
8. allow to dry for several weeks on an open screen before storing in cellar. Dont store with apples
or potatoes.
Potatoes:
1. Hill plants when they are about 6" tall, then every couple of weeks.
2. do not wash until just before use. Just brush off lose dirt before storing.
According to http://www.tomatodirt.com/seed-starting-timetable.html
I will start my tomato seeds about:
Zone 7: Start seeds indoors in mid February
Zone 6: Start seeds indoors in late February
And transplant to the garden: 1 to 2 weeks after last spring frost
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