Ready, Set, Grow
Spring is here and everyone is getting their gardens ready.
The last 2024 spring frost for our area was projected to be April 17th, so we should be ready to start planting. Remember it is also about the warmth of the soil when planting.
Below are some tips in getting you garden ready:
READY: Having a garden plan will save time, space, work, and money. Begin your plan for this year by evaluating past gardening successes and mistakes. What worked well, what did not work, and what changes need to be made are some questions to ask yourself. Make a scale drawing of your garden, this can be one of the greatest planning aids you can have. Decide what you will plant where.
Make it stand out
SET: Once you have made your garden plan and know where you are planting each vegetable, it is ready to get them in the ground. Tennessee has three growing seasons, spring, summer and fall and two categories of crops. Cool-season crops are those that can withstand frost and grow best in spring and fall, but do not do well in the hottest part of the summer. Some vegetables to plant in the spring include lettuce, radishes, kale, collards, and peas. Fall cool seasons crops can include broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, lettuce, spinach, and turnips. Cilantro is a cool-season herb.
Warm season crops are killed by frost, but perform well in the heat of the summer. Some summer crops are beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, okra, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, and even black-eyed peas. An herb that does well in the summer is basil. Be sure to check out UT extensions’ Publication W436 “Tennessee Home Fruit and Vegetable Garden 2024 calendar” (you can use the same site above and search for W 436) for monthly tasks and guidance for the best dates to plant, plus many other helpful hints on your garden.
Make it stand out
GROW: Managing vegetable plants in the home vegetable garden is the critical link between planning and knowledge and a successful harvest. You can set up your stakes, trellises, cages, and support systems for your plants right after planting, so they will be ready to use when the plants start growing.
Properly controlling pests and diseases in the garden relies upon close and frequent observation. UT’s publications W-316 and PB 595 will guide you with pest and disease control. Managing weeds, providing adequate water, and carrying out plant maintenance is critical in the home garden, UT’s publication W-346-D Plant management practices has helpful hints on this task.
RECAP OF UT 2023 SEED TRIALS:
The Tennessee home garden variety trials are a complementary program that allows local participants to grow two varieties of vegetables side by side and report data on plant health, yield, grown and flavor. These results, if favorable, eventually allow the seeds to be marketed to the public. These data reports are released every year in a Tennessee trial report. You can find information on variety performance along with recommendations from the participants for fellow Tennessee gardeners. In 2023, there were several trials that were completed. Below is a recap of varieties tested along with the “recommend to grow percentage.”
Bush Beans: Dulcina 90% and Antigua 60%
Snap Beans: Dragon Toung 75% and Magnum 92%
Wax Beans: Capitano 80% and Goldilocks 100%
Pole Beans: Blue Lake 100% and Helda 90%
Okra: Cowhorn 75% and Velvet 83%
Slicer Cucumbers: General 100% and Poinset 100%
Pickling Cucumber Double yield 56% and max Pack 78%
Paste Tomato: Little Napoli 87% and Nova 67%
Specialty Zucchini: Magda 83% and Mexicana 83%
Zucchini: Black Op 100% and Noche 92%
Squash: Superpik 93% and Tromboncino 79%
Muskmelon: Delicious 76% Sarah’s choice 100%
Pumpkins: Wee-be-little 75% and Sarah’s choice 75%
Basil: Prospera Italian large 93% and Winner 100%
Lettuce: Cegolane 89% and Cherokee 100%
Sugar Snap Peas: Snak hero 56% and Sugar Snap 81%
Mexican Sunflower: Fiesta de sol 72% and Tithonia 94%
PLANT CLINIC IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE
Bradley Master Gardeners are always available with any plant or yard question you may have. You can call the “Plant Clinic” at 423-728-7001 or contact us at our website at www.bradleycountymastergardeners.org with your questions. A member of the team will respond to you ASAP.