Vegetable Gardening Tips Cheat Sheet
Credit goes to The Garden Helper for this great chart – all this information together in one place.
-editor
www.HowToGardenBetter.com
Vegetable Gardening Tips
Guidelines for Planting Dates, Plant Spacing, Time to Mature and other Notes.
This information is a basic overview for planting vegetables. Dates are approximate. Times are generally based on the temperature of the soil. Since there are numerous hybrids, you should read the detailed information from each seed packet for the actual timing and planting instructions for your specific area.
Other things to consider:
Soil Planning, Prep & Planting
Soil pH for Different Garden Vegetables
~ Vegetable Cheat Sheet ~
| Plant | Start Indoors | Start in Garden | Plant Spacing Row Spacing |
Seed Depth | Matures | Notes |
| Asparagus | N/A | Perennial plant in early Spring |
P=14″ R=24 – 36″ |
4 – 5″ | Second year | Do not harvest first year. Allow plant to become established. Apply heavy mulch in winter to help prevent roots from heaving. |
| Bush beans | N/A | April – May | P=4″ R=18 – 24″ |
1 1/2″ | 60 days | Harvest when young and tender. Plant a Fall vegetable in area after harvest. |
| Pole beans | N/A | May | P=36″ R=48″ |
1 1/2 – 2″ | 60 days | Plant 4 – 6 seeds around a 6 – 8 inch pole or use a trellis. |
| Beets | N/A | April & again in June | P=4″ R=18″ |
1/2″ | 40 – 70 days | Thinned plants and beet tops may also be eaten. Dig and store in cool place prior to the first freeze. |
| Broccoli | N/A | April – May | P=24″ R=30 – 36″ |
1/2 – 1″ | 4 – 5 months | Harvest the main Broccoli heads before they open. The plant will produce an extended crop of smaller heads through remainder of summer. |
| Cabbage | Feb – March Set in garden in May |
April | P=24″ R=24 – 36″ |
1/2″ | 4 – 5 months | Requires a soil pH of 5.5 or higher. Feed with high nitrogen fertilizer every 4 weeks. |
| Carrots | N/A | April & again in July | P=2 – 4″ R=18 – 24″ |
1/2″ | 90 days | Sow early, harvest when young. Sow successive plantings every three weeks. |
| Cauliflower | Jan – Feb Set in garden in May |
May | P=15″ R=24 – 36″ |
1/2″ | 4 – 5 months | Will not tolerate high temperatures. Harvest before head opens up. Sow seeds for a second crop in May. |
| Corn (sweet) |
N/A | May Successive plantings every 2 weeks |
P=3″ R=24″ |
1″ | 2 – 3 months | Should be planted closely together in blocks rather than rows to insure good pollination. Corn is its sweetest the moment it is picked. |
| Cucumbers | N/A | May – June | P=36 – 48″ R=36 – 48″ 3 – 4 plants per mound |
1″ | 2 – 3 months | Spread black plastic on area before the vines begin to spread. Prompt harvesting will prolong the fruiting period. |
| Eggplants | Feb – March Set in garden in May |
N/A | P=24″ R=36″ |
1/2″ | 4 – 5+ months | Needs excellent drainge, long growing season and warm soil. |
| Lettuce | Feb – March Set in garden in early April |
April | P=8 – 12″ R=18 – 24″ |
1/4″ | 70 – 90 days | Grows best in the cool temperatures of Spring and Fall. Needs very rich soil and lots of moisture. Plant successive crops every two weeks until the end of April. |
| Onions | Feb Set in garden in April |
Plant onion sets in April | P=3″ R=12 – 18″ |
1/2″ | seeds 3 – 4 months sets 50 – 60 days |
Plant as early as possible. Apply a fertilizer high in phosphorus and potash. Onion sets may also be grown in planters. |
| Peas | N/A | April Successive plantings every 2 weeks |
P=3 – 6″ (doubled rows) R=72″ |
1 1/2 – 2″ | 60 days | Does best in cool temperatures, so plant early and harvest when the peas are young. |
| Peppers | Feb – March Set in garden in May |
May | P=24″ R=24″ |
1/2″ | 4 – 5 months | Do not provide too much nitrogen or you’ll have lots of plant and very little fruit. A black plastic cover will warm the soil and promote good growth. |
| Potatoes | N/A | April – May | P=8″ R=36″ |
3 – 6″ | 90 – 150 days | Plant a chunk of a ‘seed’ potato, containing 2 or more eyes. Harvest when the vine begins to die or has died completely. Leave the potatoes laying on the ground for a day to harden them and prevent bruising. |
| Pumpkins | N/A | May | P=6 – 8″ R=36″ |
3 – 4″ | 4 – 5 months | Pumpkins take up a lot of room, so it is better to plant them outside garden limits. Will tolerate a small amount of shade. |
| Radishes | Feb – March Set in garden in early April |
April | P=1 – 3″ R=18 – 24″ |
1/2″ | 30 days | Plant radishes early. They will go to flower when the warm temperatures arrive. |
| Rhubarb | N/A | Perennial plant in early spring |
P=24″ R=24 – 36″ |
3/4″ | Second Spring | Ready to harvest early in Spring. Rhubarb likes soil high in organic material. Keep the bloom spikes cut off. Easily dividable. |
| Spinach | N/A | April | P=6″ R=12 – 18″ |
1/2″ | 90 days | Soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.7. Apply nitrate of soda between the rows to stimulate growth. Harvest spinach when young or the plants will go to seed. |
| Squash | N/A | May – June | P=36″ R=36″ 3 – 4 plants per mound |
1/2 – 1″ | 4 – 5 months | Grows well in warm areas, prefers rich organic soil. |
| Tomatoes | March | May | P=30 – 36″ R=30 – 36″ |
1/2″ | 4 – 5 months | Provide frost protection when first planted. Tomato plants may be trained on stakes, grown in cages, or allowed to crawl along the ground. Tomatoes will ripen after they have been picked. |
| Watermelons & muskmelons |
N/A | May | P=72″ R=72″ 1 – 2 plants per mound |
1″ | 4 – 5 months | Does best in sandy soil with plenty of added manure. Top dress with high nitrogen/potash fertilizer. Needs warm temperatures to mature. |
How to Build a Tomato Trellis for Easy Harvesting
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