Essentials to Vegetable Gardening Success

Growing your own vegetables is a popular and rewarding gardening activity for the entire family. Getting started is not difficult, and addressing some essentials helps ensure successful harvests throughout the season.

Finding a site that receives adequate sunlight is the essential first step to success when growing vegetables. Consider 6 hours of sunlight as a minimum, and more is better. Nearby trees not only block sunlight, but underground roots may compete with vegetables for water. Avoid areas near black walnuts, as they release juglone, a chemical that is toxic to many crops, in particular tomatoes. Having an irrigation source nearby is also key for quality crop growth.

Good soil conditions, in particular good drainage, lay the foundation for healthy vegetable plants. Adding organic matter, such as compost, improves drainage and workability of high clay soils. Likewise, adding organic matter to sandy soils improves water holding capacity for plant use. Various raised bed structures or container gardens filled with higher quality soils provide additional options in dealing with adverse sites, or gardening on decks or patios.

When choosing specific vegetable cultivars, prioritize using characteristics or features of each, starting with disease resistance. Disease resistant cultivars are the simplest and most effective disease management tool. Days until harvest is also high priority for vegetable gardening in Wisconsin. Look for cultivars often designated for northern gardens or having shorter days from planting to harvest. In addition, cultivars with space saving characteristics are quite useful, especially in containers or smaller gardens.

In addition to compact varieties, other techniques maximize available space. Consider successive plantings or following a crop that has a brief time until harvest with a second crop that same season. Vertical gardening—using trellis, cages, or fencing—is ideal for vining crops that traditionally use lots of space. Make sure structures are solid to hold weight of developing plants and be aware more frequent irrigation might be needed.

Another factor to consider when choosing crops, especially when just starting out or involving children, is the likelihood of experiencing insect problems. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, cucumber, cantaloupe, eggplant, squash, and sweet corn are highly likely to encounter insect pests. In contrast, carrots, green onions, lettuce, peas, and radish rarely encounter serious insect issues; while beans, peppers, spinach, and tomatoes fall in-between.

Finally, mulching vegetable gardens is essential. Weeds are inevitable and controlling them tops the list of reasons to mulch. Mulches also conserve soil moisture, maintain uniform soil temperature, improve plant growth and yields, keep vegetables clean, and reduce disease from soil splashing. Straw is often used for most crops. Black plastic is good for warm-loving crops like tomatoes and melons.