SOWING VEGETABLE SEEDS

SOW OR PLANT IN COOL WEATHER

Beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, turnips

SOW OR PLANT IN WARM WEATHER

Beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, squashes, tomatoes

SOW OR PLANT FOR ONE CROP PER SEASON

Corn, eggplant, leeks, melons, peppers, potatoes, spinach (New Zealand), squashes, tomatoes

RESOW FOR ADDITIONAL CROPS

Beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, turnips

A Beginner's Vegetable Garden

The vegetables suggested below are common, easy-to-grow crops. Make 11 rows, 10 feet long, with at least 18 inches between them. Ideally, the rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun. This garden, planted as suggested, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing or giving away.

ROW

1 Zucchini (4 plants)

2 Tomatoes (5 plants, staked)

3 Peppers (6 plants)

4 Cabbage

6 Lettuce

7 Beets

8 Carrots

9 Swiss chard

10 Radishes

11 Marigolds (to discourage rabbits!)

SOIL FIXES

If you have sandy soil, amend with compost; humus; aged manure; sawdust with extra nitrogen; heavy, clay-rich soil.

If your soil contains a lot of silt, amend with coarse sand (not beach sand) or gravel and compost, or aged horse manure mixed with fresh straw.

If your soil is dense with clay, amend with coarse sand (not beach sand) and compost.

TO IMPROVE YOUR SOIL, ADD THE PROPER AMENDMENT(S) . . .

bark, ground: made from various tree barks; improves soil structure

compost: an excellent conditioner

leaf mold: decomposed leaves, which add nutrients and structure to soil

lime: raises the pH of acidic soil and helps to loosen clay soil.

coarse sand (not beach sand): improves drainage in clay soil

topsoil: usually used with another amendment; replaces existing soil