Common Crops for Community Gardens – People + Plants
Want to maximize your garden’s productivity and minimize potential crop problems? This publication will walk you through the basics of the most common crops grown in community gardens.
Vegetables
It’s easy to grow fresh, nutritious and tasty vegetables in your own yard, community garden plot, or even in containers on a deck or patio. The University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension offers home vegetable gardeners a tremendous number of resources to learn how to grow vegetables, as well as how to prevent and control diseases and insects. Browsing our publications and fact sheets will help you be successful in achieving a bountiful harvest.
Featured Vegetable Articles
Supporting Native Bees: Our Essential Pollinators
This free publication describes the importance of bees in pollinating major food crops, how to attract and support native pollinators, and how to construct, place, and maintain nests.
Making and Using Compost in the Garden
Making your own compost is an easy, practical, and satisfying way to make use of yard waste and table scraps. With this publication, designed for the home gardener, you’ll be composting like a pro in no time!
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Articles
Growing Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Other Cole Crops in Wisconsin
This detailed publication is packed with practical information for organic and conventional growers of cole crops, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi.
Growing Carrots, Beets, Radishes, and Other Root Crops in Wisconsin
This detailed publication provides practical information for organic and conventional growers of root crops including carrots, radishes, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips.
Growing Pumpkins and Other Vine Crops in Wisconsin
This pulication has detailed information for growers of vine crops such as pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, gourds and squash, including selecting, planting, managing and harvesting in Wisconsin.
Vegetable Varieties for Containers
Growing plants in containers (referred to as container gardening) is an easy way to grow and maintain vegetables. Find suggested varieties suitable for container gardening here.
Home Vegetable Garden Fungicides
While cultural methods are the preferred options for disease management in vegetable gardens, fungicide treatments are also an option. This guide identifies some of the common, and most suitable, fungicides.
A Pepper for Every Pot
There’s a plethora of peppers out there, and they’re not all just for eating. Learn more about what’s going on in ornamental pepper development in this article…
Rhubarb, Rheum rhabarbarum
Rhubarb is the first “fruit” of the season – used as a fruit, but grows like a vegetable. This old fashioned perennial is very easy to grow. To learn more about rhubarb, read this article…
Lemon-scented Plants
If you want to add some lemon zest to your garden, but can’t grow a lemon tree, consider trying some lemon-scented herbs or other plants. This article covers plants that have scents suggesting lemons.
Grow Your Own Salad Greens
Nothing tastes quite like a salad fresh from your own garden. Lettuce, and many other salad greens, are very easy to grow. Learn more about growing salad greens in a home garden or container in this article…
Hot-Water Seed Treatment for Disease Management
Growing vegetables from seed is common for many home gardeners, but seed can sometimes be contaminated with disease-causing organisms. Learn about hot water seed treatment to reduce pathogens in this guide.
Bacterial Spot of Tomato
Bacterial spot of tomato can lead to unmarketable fruit and even plant death. It’s found most frequently in warm, wet climates, as well as in greenhouses. Symptoms and management are covered in this factsheet.
