Planting Tips to Get You Started Off Right!
Thank you for supporting Plant 4 Good! Your vegetable plants have been outside for the last week during the day but if there is a chilly night, they come inside. It is best to wait until the nighttime low temperature is in the high 50s to 60 to plant your plants outside. Our nights have been chilly this spring so be patient! Below are some tips to get you off to a good start.
Your plants are stronger and more mature than a seedling that you buy in a 6 pack at a garden center. This gives them a better chance of survival out there in the wild! Keep an eye on them, checking for any pests or 4 legged critter damage.
If you struggle with bunnies, chipmunks or other snackers, you can put a piece of chicken wire around the plant to keep them at bay while the plant gets established.
For all plants, try to water at the base of the plant and avoid wetting the leaves as this can cause fungal diseases. It can be easy to forget about watering, but this is crucial for good harvests and healthy plants!
Vegetable plants need fertilizer! Look for a general vegetable fertilizer and apply as directed. I use a granular organic fertilizer and sprinkle on the soil around the plant every 3 weeks or so. It takes a lot of nutrients to grow these yummy vegetables!
Weed regularly! Weeds compete with your plants for nutrients.
A common issue for tomatoes and squash is blossom end rot – where the bottom of the fruit turns brown before ripening. This can be related to a lack of calcium – but it does not mean you need to add calcium to your soil. It is most often caused by inconsistent watering. Plants can’t get the nutrients from the soil if they are not watered regularly.
Your plant tag has the name of the company the seed came from. You can visit their website to read more about the specific variety.
You may want to look up the “Days to harvest.” This is the average time from planting outside until you have edible fruit. This can help you better understand when to expect them.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the one plant that can grow roots from it’s stem. This means you can plant them deep to grow more roots. Remove the lowest leaves and plant it up to a few inches below the remaining leaves.
Tomatoes need support! Make sure you have a cage, trellis, or some method of support to keep you plants up and off the ground.
You can remove some leaves as the plant grows to allow air flow through the leaves/plant – this helps to cut down on diseases.
Tomatoes (and most vegetables) need fertilizer! Fertilize as above.
Eggplant & Peppers
These also need support, but not it does not have to be as strong as for a tomato. You can use a tomato cage or just a stake and loosely tie/secure the stem to the stake as it grows. A heavy eggplant or pepper can cause a plant to fall over and snap off if not supported.
Most peppers will start out green – you can eat them green or leave them on the vine to ripen to their planned color.
Read up on the size of your eggplants so that you can pick them at their prime.
Fertilize as above.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers do best if grown on a trellis or other support that keeps them off the ground. Try not to wet the leaves when watering as this can increase the chance of mildew.
Most cucumber varieties will produce fruit for a month or so and then be done. You can buy seeds and plant them when your current plant starts making fruit so the next plant will be ready to take over! (This is called succession planting)
Pick frequently at the size noted on your plant tag to keep the harvest coming.
Fertilize as above.
Squash
You can grow your squashes on the ground of up a trellis/staked.
Growing up can help with air flow and this cuts down on mildew (a white appearance on the leaves). If you notice some white leaves, just cut them off.
Growing up also keeps your fruits off the ground, away from pests and keeps them from having a “bottom” that doesn’t look as good as the top.
Fertilize as above.
Zucchini will produce more if you keep harvesting them as they grow. Harvest Black Beauty squash at 6-8 inches.
Butternut squash should be harvested in late fall when the vines begin to die back or at your first frost. You can eat them right away or you can “cure” them and they will store for many months.
To cure butternut squash, allow them to sit in the sun or a warm indoor area for 3-5 days. Then store in a cool, dark place for use all winter.
Herbs
Your basil plants have a few plants in each pot. You can put them on a sunny windowsill or outside to grow a little bigger before planting in the ground.
When you go to plant them, carefully separate the roots and plant as individual plants.
Squash grown vertically with stakes