There are two man-made ways to fight vegetable garden enemies: mechanical and chemical.

On the mechanical front, a covered frame is good protection for young plants.  To create a covered frame you simply create the framework for a box and cover it with Plexiglas, cloth, or mosquito netting. The coverings also help to retain heat and protect from Frost, allowing the gardener to start vine vegetables a bit earlier.

You may also choose to make a simpler cover to protect new plants.  A simple paper collar is set around the stem of tomatoes or cabbages can be enough to keep cut-worms away.  A Dixie cup with the bottom cut out and sliced down the side, then set into the dirt around a young tomato plant is one inexpensive and easy worm repellant.

If you use chemicals, you’ll need a way to apply them.  The least expensive and most helpful tool for applying insecticides and fungicides is a hand power compressed air sprayer. Make sure that you get one with a mist spray nozzle that won’t clog easily. You mix the insecticide, pour it into the barrel of the sprayer, replace the lid, pump the handle a few times, and you are good to go.  There are larger pumps available which are mounted on wheels, but for the average home garden a smaller portable one will do.

Of course, you should always be very careful when dealing with any insecticide or poisonous substance. Always use gloves, eye protection, and even a mask to prevent unnecessary inhalation of toxic fumes.

Chapin Work Pro Farm Spray – 2 Gallon

Poly unit comes with 42 nylon reinforced hose 12 brass wand and nozzle.Features a sure spray anti-clog filter and a clean and easy designed wide mouth for no-mess filling and cleaning.

Also has an auto or manual high pressure relief valve adjustable nozzle that sprays a fine mist to coarse stream.  Use this one to get rid of your vegetable garden enemies.

There are a number of considerations that affect planting vegetables.  You need to investigate the vegetables that grow well in your climate.  You will want to take note of the sunlight on your chosen garden spot.  And you would be well-advised to take a soil sample to your local county extension office to determine the best fertilizer for your garden.

A Dozen of the Most Nutritious Vegetables You Can Grow

1. Beet greens provide calcium, iron, potassium, and B vitamins. They are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C.
2. Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C and provides calcium, iron, potassium, and B vitamins. Try it raw in salads and dips.
3. Collards are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C and provide calcium, B vitamins, potassium, and iron.
4. Kale provides potassium, calcium, B vitamins, and iron, along with a good supply of vitamin A and vitamin C. Cook it as you would any leafy green vegetable.
5. Lima beans provide iron, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, and some high-quality protein when teamed with whole grains, corn, soybeans, or animal products.
6. Mustard greens are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A. Also, they provide calcium, iron, potassium, and B vitamins.
7. Peas provide iron, phosphorus, B vitamins, and vitamin C.
8. Potatoes as a vitamin-C source are excellent, if baked; good, if boiled; and fair, if French fried. All forms are a good source of potassium.
9. Soybeans combine with grains, seeds, and animal products to provide high-quality protein. Use them to replace meat or extend meat dishes. Also, they contain B vitamins, iron, potassium, and phosphorus.
10. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C and provides some iron and potassium.
11. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, a very good source of vitamin C, and provide potassium, also.
12. Turnip greens are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C, calcium, B vitamins, and iron. The turnips provide vitamin C.
13. All vegetables,raw and cooked,are good sources of fiber.

For a great harvest and optimal nutrition, keep variety in mind when you start planting vegetables.

Growing spinach is really pretty easy.  Spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens are all cool-season crops. Turnip greens are a root vegetable and are harvested from the primary vegetable, turnips.  Collard greens tolerate heat as well as cold and so do well in the south.

Leafy greens like rich, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Unless otherwise noted, work two inches (5 cm) of compost into the soil before planting. Add a nitrogen-rich fertilizeer to the soil, as well as enough lime to reach the proper pH.

Most leafy greens can be directly seeded into the garden, but you may also start them indoors and transplant the seedlings after about a month.  Many leafy greens have shallow roots, so hoe carefully. Keep soil consistently moist.

When a plant ‘bolts’ it sends up a flower stalk which then goes to seed.   When that happens, the leaves of the plant lose their good taste and become bitter tasting.  Since spinach is quick to bolt, it must be planted early in the spring.  It’s easier to grow a fall crop, which should be planted eight to ten weeks before the first hard frost. Spinach is very cold hardy – young plants can survive in temperatures as low as 15 to 20 Fahrenheit. Planted in the fall, spinach will even winter over and come up in the spring.

After you have worked one to two inches of compost into the soil. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep (1.25 cm) and one inch (2.5 cm) apart, with 12 to 18 inches (30-45 cm) between rows. Thin, to four to six inches (10-15 cm) apart. Keep the greens watered well, as they need constant moisture to prevent bolting.  Keep these tips in mind and growing spinach will be a breeze.

In today’s economy, one solution to the budget is to engage in container vegetable gardening. Even the smallest apartment or home on a small piece of land has enough space for container vegetables. If you have a patio or window sill or any place to hold a small container, then you have enough room to grow some vegetables.

You can use any kind of container deep enough to hold potting soil in which to plant your vegetables. With a bit of creativity, your container garden can also be a work of art. Use found containers or junkyard treasures as planters for your vegetables.  Lighter colored containers absorb less heat and often work better than darker ones for growing vegetables. Make sure that you put holes in the bottom of your container to allow for drainage and set it up on blocks or breaks to allow the water to flow freely.

Almost all of the vegetables that you can grow in your garden can be grown in a container garden as well. Tomatoes, peppers, and many herbs grow very well in containers. A 5 gallon container is just the right size for a tomato plant. Check with your local garden center or county extension office to get some good ideas of the varieties of plants that work well in your area.

Other vegetables that you may want to consider for your container vegetable garden include beans and cucumbers. You may also try hot peppers such as those of the cayenne variety.

Choose a potting mix that is loose and light weight. You want a mixture that drains easily. You’ll need to water often and fertilize regularly. Choose your favorite vegetables, plan your container vegetable garden, and enjoy the fruits of your labor all summer long!
 

A colorful introduction to outdoor container vegetable gardening, as well as other container gardening, Pots in the Garden offers helpful advice and creative suggestions that encompass an exploration of fundamental principles of good garden design, including how to use color, form and mass, texture, line and repetition, spacing and siting, focal points, water features, and a range of containers in a landscape.

Here is a sample vegetable garden layout, courtesy of Michigan State University.  This is just a basic plan, not accurate for every climate zone, but a good starting place as you begin to plan your vegetable garden layout.  If you live in the south or southwest, you can plant much earlier.  You may want to plan successive plantings a couple of weeks apart to keep the vegetables ripening all summer long.

Here is a great link to a free vegetable garden planner!

Take your time as you plan your garden.  Check out video #9 in the collection to the right. 

You will see another presentation — quite different from the one above — of a vegetable garden layout.

There are several elements that are important to the success of your tomato gardening. Some of the things to consider are plant variety, soil composition, spacing, fertilization, and plant support.

There are so many varieties of tomatoes to choose from that sometimes it can be hard to know which ones are best for your area. You also have a decision to make between indeterminate and determinate varieties. Determinate varieties are limited in their height (good for containers or hanging plants), while indeterminate varieties grow to greater heights or act as vines. Whatever your choices, select a variety or varieties that have been proven to do well in your area. Big Boy, Better Boy, Celebrity, are all just some of the varieties that have been proven to do well year after year. Also look for the VFN notation, which means they carry resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and root-knot nematodes.

Tomatoes need the best soil you can give them in order to produce well. Use compost or some other form of organic material worked into the dirt to improve the top 6 to 9 inches of soil. Apply 1/2 cup of balanced fertilizer for each plant. You may also want to apply 3/4 cup of lime for each plant. Lime helps balance calcium and will help control blossom rot.

If you plant your tomatoes in rows, leave 3 to 4 feet between the rows. Space your tomato plants 18 to 24 inches apart within the row. If your seedlings are in peat pots, make sure that hole is deep enough to cover the pot with 1 inch of soil. If your plants aretaller when you plant them, you should use trench planting. Just dig a long trench for the plants instead of individual holes. Remove all of the leaves from each plant up to the top cluster, leaving just 4 to 5 leaves. Put the plants on their sides in the trench and cover the stem with soil, being careful not to cover the top leaf cluster. Press the soil around the stem, being careful to support it without breaking it.

Here’s a great tool to have on hand to make your Tomato Gardening easier.  The Fiskars Sit and Store Garden Caddy and Seat is extremely versatile and efficiently transports tools and materials for gardening, car washing, household chores, and other recreational activities. The 6-Gallon / 30lb capacity internal storage area may be used for hand tools, gloves, and many other small items. The ride-along tool bin with drink holder stores inside the caddy and attaches to the outside of the cart to make tools and drinks more accessible while working. The cart can be used as a handy rolling seat for weeding, planting, and harvesting along your garden edges. In addition, there is a built-in dock for a 5-Gallon Bucket (not included) that can be used to collect weeds, harvest vegetables, carry additional tools or anything else that comes to mind. The pull cord facilitates easy transport and allows the cart lid to be used to carry mulch bags, fertilizer, seedling trays, etc.

Fertilizing for young plants should be approached with more care than you might give to mature plants. A starter solution of 1 pound of balanced fertilizer mixed in 10 gallons of water may be used to ensure proper fertilization for young plants. You may want to use a commercial starter solution instead. Use 1 cup of fertilizer solution or less per plant so that you don’t run the risk of burning the root system.

Now you have to decide whether to stake the plants or cage them. If you want fewer tomatoes that are bigger than you should use staking.  Caging will give you more tomatoes, but they won’t be quite as big.

If you decide to stake, use a 6 foot tomato stake for each plant. Drive a stake into the soil about a foot deep and 5 inches away from your plant. Use a soft cloth or nylons to tie the plants to the stake.

Pasture wire and chicken wire are both good choices for tomato cages. Cut a length of 5 1/2 feet, cut off the bottom edge of the wire, form a circle and push the ends into the ground. Drive a few short pieces of wood into the ground around the cage to give it extra support.

When the fruit starts to appear on the vines, fertilize each plant with 2 or 3 tablespoons of a balanced fertilizer. Repeat this every 4 to 6 weeks. Make sure to fertilize the soil and not the stem of the plant.  You don’t want to burn the plant.

Keep the tomatoes well watered by soaking the soil at least 6 inches down once a week. Composting or mulching also a good idea, especially during the hottest part of the summer.

With just a bit of good vegetable garden planning for your tomatoes, your tomato gardening will provide a bountiful harvest that will allow you to eat all you like and still put put plenty of way for winter.