“IT’S TIME TO GET A VEGUCATION”

Holly's Fall/Winter class discussion guide:

(Printable copy available at bottom of page)

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

1. Garden Bed Planning

2. Soil, Watering & Fertilizer

3. Insects & Critters

4. Fall/Winter Vegetables

5. Product Information

6. Tools

*Remember to invite your kids and grandkids to be a part of the vegetable gardening process. They will learn that vegetables don’t grow on supermarket shelves. They will get excited about the process and about eating some of the vegetables they would not touch otherwise. It also may inspire them to eat healthier. 

GARDEN BED PLANNING

• Finding the right location for your garden is critical because you want to make sure that you are getting the correct amount of sunlight for what you are planting

  • Vegetables want a minimum of 5-6 hours of sunlight

  • South or West facing gardens are best as long as there is no shade from trees. North or East facing gardens are ok if they are away from buildings or tall walls to allow for as much sun as possible

  • Find a spot if you can that will allow you to rotate your crops from season to season to prevent insect build up and nutrient depletion

NOTE: Growing vegetables may involve putting them anywhere you have some space in the garden including flower beds, perennial or shrub gardens, and pots.

• Raised Beds – are simply that, a bed you build up for planting using boards or blocks

  • This way of gardening is incredibly helpful if you have issues bending over or kneeling as it brings the garden up to your level

  • It is good for the gardener that has poor soil because you can control your bed by filling it with the soil you want 

  • Can warm up the soil faster which can help speed up production and seed sprouting

• Container Gardens – are great for those with limited space or no ground area to work with

  • Many vegetables can be grown in combinations in containers and the normal spacing out can be reduced somewhat, just make sure that you are not putting too much into a single container

  • Cuts down on some insects and makes it easier to treat for any potential ground critters like slugs and snails

  • Can be as portable or stationary as you wish it to be along with less bending

• Wall Gardens – a wall that has growing spaces introduced whether by hanging pots on the side, forming a wall from stacked planters, or using the holes in cinder blocks for plants

  • Excellent for those with limited space but you are often limited to planting smaller veggies that do not require as much room or root space

  • Makes a beautiful statement piece

  • Works great for lettuce, chard, parsley, chives and spinach

• Tower Gardens - a tower with small openings in the sides for plants

  • These kinds of gardens can be hydroponic or filled with soil depending on how you want to do it

  • They can be as tall or short as you want them to be and can grow even large vegetables as long as there is enough root space in the center

  • Great if you have a small area to work with but still want to grow as much as possible

  • Downside is that they can be really expensive to get started

• In Ground - just a spot in your yard where you put your veggies

  • Only limited based on how much space you have to work with

In planning out where you are going to plant your vegetables, lay them out in rows of similar plants providing the necessary spacing for each type of vegetable. Using graph paper is useful for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike as each square can be given certain dimensions and you can draw out the space needed for each plant. Some vegetables such as garlic can be planted in between other plants like broccoli as long as they can still get light and the same goes with quick crops like radishes. Planting flowers such as pansies or violas will help brighten up your garden space along with providing you edible flowers. 

• Some beautiful combinations

  • Yellow violas and parsley

  • Colorful lettuce and Iceland poppies

  • Colorful Swiss chard and pansies

When you get your hands dirty, brain working and enthusiasm sparked, you begin the process of becoming a successful gardener. You can always use a combination of different bed styles to make the best use out of the space that you have. The more you garden and gain experience, you will be able to make better adjustments and tweaks to your gardening system.

SOIL, WATERING & FERTILIZERS

SOIL

• There are four key things that a plant needs in order to grow and be healthy: soil, water, air and sunlight.

  • Soil can vary greatly from yard to yard and even within a few feet of space.

    • Soil is made up of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter. The type of soil you have depends on the concentrations of these 4 components.

    • Different types of soil will require different care to maintain the health of the soil. HEALTHY SOIL = HEALTHY PLANTS!

• Adding fresh organic matter whenever you redo your vegetable beds or pots is imperative for the health of your soil and plants. It encourages healthy insect and microbial activity that will help with the growth of your next round of veggies.

  • It also helps out with water movement through your soil and introduces fresh nutrients.

SOIL AMENDMENTS VS. POTTING SOIL

• There is often confusion when it comes to the difference between the specific soil products and what to use them for. 

  • What is a soil amendment and how is it different from potting soil?

  • A soil amendment enhances existing soil, whereas potting soil is a standalone product designed for potting plants and providing optimal aeration, drainage, and moisture retention in confined spaces.  

  • What is the purpose of a soil amendment?

  • To improve the quality of existing soil by enhancing structure, aeration, drainage, water retention, or by adjusting pH and adding nutrients. They are additions to native soil, such as compost, manure, peat moss, shredded bark, perlite, or vermiculite, and must be thoroughly mixed into the soil to be effective. Specific amendments will focus on different improvements so always be sure to ask which one will best suit your needs.

  • Where can you use soil amendments?

  • Ideal for garden beds, lawns, and raised beds.

  • What is the purpose of potting soil?

  • To provide a lightweight, sterile, and nutrient-balanced growing environment for plants in containers or raised beds. 

  • What makes up a potting soil?

  • A proprietary blend of ingredients like compost, peat moss or coconut coir, perlite, vermiculite, and fertilizers, designed for aeration, drainage, and moisture retention.

  • Can I use potting soil in the ground?

  • No. It is specifically for potted plants and container gardening, as it's designed to prevent compaction and provide essential air and water to roots in a confined space. 

  • Why do they use a lot of the same ingredients if they are different?

  • While soil amendments and potting soils use many of the same ingredients for the same purposes even, the ratio in which they are used is vastly different in order to change the overall effects.

• For in ground, we recommend using HARVEST SUPREME 

We also recommend using DOWN TO EARTH VEGETABLE FERTILIZER (4-4-4) for further nutrient enrichment

• For raised beds, use HARVEST SUPREME, RECIPE 420, MASTER’S PRIDE POTTING SOIL, and/or E.B. STONE RAISED BED MIX

  • Any of these may be mixed together to create a blend just right for you. For new raised beds, make sure that only about 25-35% of your soil mass is HARVEST SUPREME and the rest is a potting soil blend to ensure a good balance

• For pots, a mixture of HARVEST SUPREME with our MASTER’S PRIDE POTTING SOIL is recommended (no more than ⅓ : ⅔ ratio in favor of the potting soil)

  • RECIPE 420 is also a great product for pots. Just make sure you DO NOT add more fertilizer to the mix when you first plant because it is already packed with nutrients. Wait about 6 weeks before considering adding anything. You can also use this as a standalone product

FERTILIZER

• Fall and winter veggies are primarily leafy greens so you will want to focus on fertilizers that are higher in nitrogen to encourage vegetative growth

  • When looking at fertilizers you will often notice that there are 3 numbers with dashes on the front. These refer to the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content percentage

    • The first number is nitrogen. Nitrogen is important for keeping your plants green and growing. It also helps with healthy cell growth, photosynthesis, and root development

    • The second number is phosphorus. Phosphorus is a key nutrient for healthy growth for roots, bloom and seed development, disease resistance, stress tolerance (heat, drought, salts), and improving the strength of stems and stalks

    • The third number is potassium. Potassium is a nutrient that is essential for many different plant processes. It helps with water regulation within the plant, transfer and utilization of other nutrients, activates various enzyme processes that are key for plant health like producing starch or photosynthesis, and helps with resistance to diseases or other stressors for plants 

  • Granular fertilizers

    • DOWN TO EARTH VEGETABLE FERTILIZER (4-4-4) is an all-organic plant food derived from fish bone meal, feather meal, kelp meal, and seaweed extract

    • DOWN TO EARTH BLOOD MEAL (12-0-0) is excellent for heavy nitrogen feeders like spinach, broccoli, and corn

    • It is best to mix soil and granular fertilizers in at the time of planting according to the label’s directions 

  • Liquid fertilizers can be added during the growing season for small, more consistent boosts of nutrients by using SEAWEED EXTRACT (0.1-0-0.44), FISH EMULSION (4-1-1), LIQUID GOLD (15-6-3),  or FOX FARMS GROW BIG (6-4-4) . They can be used in addition to granular fertilizer as long as the doses are smaller to prevent over fertilization

• Vegetables like the pH levels to be between 6.5 to 7.5. If the soil is too acidic, raise the pH with DOLOMITE LIME. If the pH is too high, lower it with SOIL SULFUR

• For raised gardens beds or container planting we always recommend adding some fresh soil to the area to help with keeping your soil and nutrient levels where they need to be.

WATERING

Watering is one of the most critical concerns for any garden.

• Too little causes the plants to wilt, bolt and go to seed, or stop production altogether

  • Soil can become hydrophobic when it gets dry which means that it is harder to get the soil saturated again. If this happens, especially in pots, make sure that you try to soak the area 3-4 times with a few minutes between each attempt until the soil is able to hold water again

• Too much causes plants to wilt also so your natural response is to add more water, filling up the air spaces in the soil and slowly drowning your plant. 

  • To check for this as your cause of wilt, dig down a few inches near the base of the plant without disturbing the roots too much and check the moisture. Often if there is an issue of overwatering, the soil will smell like it is rotting when you dig down and water may pool in the hole

• It is better to water clay or loam soils deeply but less often as they hold onto water longer

  • Watering once or twice a week in clay soils should be plenty once plants are established in the ground

    • You may even skip weeks depending on the amount of rainfall we receive

• Sandy soils need water more frequently so shorter bursts with a greater frequency works best

  • You may have to water up to 2-4 times per week at 2x a day for about 10-20 minutes depending on the weather. 

    • Hot weather – 3-4 times a week, 2x a day

    • Cool weather – 2-3 times a week, 1-2x a day, stop if there is rain

  • For pots make sure that you see that water drains out from the bottom and treat it much as you would if you had sandy soil (i.e. daily watering in the morning during warm weather) 

    • Pots should be watered 3-4 times a week to daily depending on the weather. They are more likely to dry out than plants in the ground so always keep an out for that

• You can flood furrows along a row or place a drip line along a seedling row or for larger plants install a dripper by each plant

• Mulching the top of your beds with straw or compost can help cut down on the need to water along with weed prevention

INSECTS & CRITTERS

UNDESIRABLES

• Caterpillars are the biggest problem insect for fall and winter vegetables

  • Cabbage loopers are small green worms that hatch from eggs laid by the small white butterflies. They eat holes in leaves or entire leaves which reduces production and photosynthesis

  • Use: MONTEREY B.T. or product with the same bacteria contained within

• Aphids suck the life juices out of plants and cause a sticky mess

  • Many times, ants can bring in aphids from elsewhere to your plants during the warmer parts of the season. Treat for them as well as the aphids if they are still active

  • Use: TAKE DOWN (organic), PEST FIGHTER (organic), EIGHT (chemical)

• Slugs and Snails can devour young plants overnight. They also make quite a mess of lettuce, chard, and other leafy crops

  • Use: SLUGGO, SLUGGO PLUS, CORRY’S, DIATOMACEOUS EARTH

• Earwigs are an often-encountered nuisance in the garden that chew holes in your plants or eat them to the ground.

  • In small amounts, earwigs can be considered a beneficial bug in your garden as they will eat other insects and help break down rotting debris. In large numbers though they are certainly a pest and can damage your crops.

  • Use: SLUGGO PLUS

For products to control infestations, see one of our specialists but remember healthy, well cared for plants can fight off infestations and disease better than struggling ones.

DESIRABLES

• Praying Mantis eat aphids, caterpillars, and other harmful insects that they can catch

• Lady Bugs (Ladybird Beetles) eat aphids. Both adults and larvae have big appetites

• Ground Beetles eat many harmful insects including plant eating beetles as they search for prey in litter and debris on the ground

• Lacewings are long winged green flying insects that are greedy aphid eaters and are sometimes called aphid lions

NOTE: Many of these beneficial insects can only be purchased and introduced to your garden in the spring or summer. By the time of fall or winter plantings they may not be found for purchase commercially so plan accordingly during the year.

FALL/WINTER VEGETABLES

These veggies are best for cooler temperatures so here in the Central Valley, we plant them in our Fall or Winter. They are not harmed by frost so there is no need to worry about that.

Cole or Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae)

Six to twelve of each of these vegetables is adequate for most families

Most need to be planted between mid to late August and mid October for best results.

• Broccoli – 60-85 days to mature from seed (Green Comet, Marathon, Arcadia, Romanesco)

  • Plant 12 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart

  • Harvest the center green bud cluster while the buds are still tight and before they turn yellow

  • Broccoli will continue to produce bonus shoots as long as the harvested shoots are not cut back to the main stem

  • Leave the base of the shoot and a couple of leaves to allow new growth. This can extend the season a month or more

  • Young leaves can be eaten just like you would eat kale

• Brussels Sprouts – 90-105 days to mature (Long Island, Jade E. Cross)

  • Plant 12 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart

  • Sprouts mature in sequence from bottom up

  • Remove leaves beneath the lowest sprouts and those sprouts will continue to develop

  • Pinch out the growing tip when plants are 15”-20” tall

  • Tender greens at the top of the plant may be used after harvest is complete

  • These should not be planted past the last week of Sept./first week of Oct. as most years we start to cool down too much for them to do anything by this point

• Cabbage – 63-85 days to mature (Copenhagen, Red Acre, Savoy)

  • Plant 12 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart

  • Harvest when heads are firm and about softball size

  • Harvest by cutting above several basal leaves so side sprouts can develop additional heads. This is not a guaranteed occurrence but always worth to try

  • Cabbage responds very favorably to cool moist soil under a mulch of straw. This can also help control weed growth

• Cauliflower – 60-85 days to mature (Snowball, Cheddar, Graffiti)

  • Plant 12 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart

  • For the most vigorous growth cauliflower is almost always grown from transplants

  • When the curd head begins to develop gather the leaves over it and tie with soft twine

  • This is called blanching because with the light excluded the curd will remain whiter and more tender

• Chinese (Napa) Cabbage – 75-80 days to mature (Chinese Blues)

  • Plant 18 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart

  • It has a flavor between celery and cabbage

  • It is traditional in oriental soups and stir-fries

• Collards – 70-80 days to mature (Top Bunch, Tree, Georgia)

  • Plant seeds 7 inches apart and harvest the leaves as needed, eventually harvesting plants to create 15 inch spacing

  • They are one of the most productive vegetables

  • Leaves can be harvested from the bottom up after plants are about 12 inches high

  • Like Kale, this is one of the oldest plants in the Cabbage family dating back 4,000 years and in its current form 2,000 years

• Kale – 55 days to harvest (Blue Vates, Lacinato, Red Russian)

  • Plant 8-12 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart

  • This is the closest relative to the wild cabbage, from which all cole crops have developed and have been raised as long as man has raised any vegetable

  • To prepare, remove tough stems and mid ribs, chops leaves and cook like spinach

• Kohlrabi – 58 days to maturity

  • Plant 6 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart

  • This unusual and little-known vegetable deserves to be grown and appreciated more

  • It looks like a turnip growing above ground

  • The flavor is similar to both turnip and cabbage but sweeter than either

  • Use the roots, discarding the stems and leaves

• Mustard – 25-40 days to maturity

  • Plant 12-14 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart

  • Treat the same as lettuce

  • For tender plants give them plenty of water and fertilizer along with harvesting them before they are full grown

  • The flowers are also edible

Other Fall/Winter Vegetables

These are typically planted a little later than the Brassica group and can be planted later into our cooler weather with success. Seeds are best planted in fall or spring.

BEST PLANTED BY SEED

• Beets – 55-68 days to maturity

  • Plant seeds 2 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart

  • Each seed ball will produce 3-5 seedlings in a tight clump so thinning should be done early

  • Stringy tough beets are a result of lack of moisture

  • They need to grow at full speed without a letup

  • Beet tops can be used as any other green and are popular to use as part of a microgreen mixture

• Carrots – 60-85 days to maturity

  • Plant seeds ¼” – ½” deep and thin as they sprout to 2 inches apart by harvesting mini carrots in between

  • Small plantings at 3-week intervals will ensure a continuous harvest

  • Carrots are adaptable and tolerant of mis-management and unequaled for supplying food over a long period

  • Using nothing more complicated for storage than the soil with which they were grown

• Radish – 22-25 days to maturity

  • Plant seeds ¼” – ½” deep in rows 12 inches apart

  • Thin to 1-2 inches apart

  • Plant small crops every 10 days for a continuous supply of crisp roots

  • Easiest of all the vegetables to grow. Give a package to a youngster and say go plant and you will have radishes

• Turnips – 35-45 days to maturity

  • Sow ½” deep and thin to 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart

  • The tops of turnips are an outstanding source of vitamins A and C

GROWN BY STARTS OR BULBS

• Garlic – approx. 150 days to maturity

  • Plant cloves 4 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart

  • Similar to onions, they were known as a poor man’s cure all and were used for a variety of maladies as medicine

  • Cut off the flower heads when they form and cook with them as they are edible and have a similar flavor to the bulb. Same goes for onions

  • Harvest when tops fall over and leave them to cure in a cool, dry, shady spot for a week. Then braid them into string or tie them in bunches for easy storage

  • With Halloween coming it is always a good idea to have some just in case

• Leeks – 140 days to maturity (King Richard, American Flag)

  • Plant 3-4 inches apart

  • To get long white stems, plant them in trenches 4”-6” deep and hill up on the plants when they are fairly established

  • Known in France as the asparagus of the poor

• Onions – 90-120 days to maturity (Red Burger, Walla Walla, Sierra Blanca, Yellow Spanish)

  • Plant transplants 6 inches apart in rows 12-24 inches apart

  • Onions fed the sweating builders of the pyramids and the conquering troops of Alexander the Great

  • General Grant wrote in a dispatch to the War Dept. “I will not move my armies without onions.”

An enthusiastic 19^th century gourmet said it all for onion lovers everywhere: “Without onions there would be no gastronomic art. Banish it from the kitchen and all pleasure of eating flies with it… its absence reduces the rarest dainty to insipidity, and the diner to despair.”

• Used to be called the Poor Man’s Elixir as eating them and using them was believed to help with everything from digestion to helping stave off infections

• Onions are heavy feeders, they need plenty of fertilizer, manure and water

• Shallots – 90-120 days to maturity

  • Plant cloves 1” deep 4 inches apart in rows 12-15 inches apart

  • Harvest when the tops die down

  • French knights returning from the Crusades are credited with introducing shallots to Europe

• Artichokes – 85-100 to harvest

  • Plant starts 3 feet apart in rows 4-5 feet apart

  • They become large plants and require several square feet to reach their mature size

  • Cut plants back after harvesting the buds and they will regrow to produce again another year

• Celery – 70-125 days to harvest

  • Demands more attention than most vegetables

  • Needs constant supply of moisture

  • Can grow in almost boggy conditions

  • DO NOT grow near root crops

  • Helps deter cabbage moths and white flies

•  Lettuce – 40-70 days to maturity

  • Plant seeds ¼”- ½” deep, thin 12-14 inches apart in rows 18-24 inches apart

  • Plants need adequate moisture. If you let them dry out or suffer from lack of nutrients, they are toast

  • Thin properly leaving only one head per space or you will come up empty. “Lettuce not forget.” -Ron

• Spinach – 40-50 days to maturity

  • Sow seeds ½” deep and thin to 6-8 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart

  • It came from Iran and adjacent areas and spread to China in 647 AD and Spain by 1100 AD and America with the first colonies

• Sugar Peas – 60-72 days to maturity

  • Dwarf varieties can grow up to 2 feet without staking

  • Tall varieties can be grown on trellises or cages

  • Edible pod peas must be harvested when pods begin to firm, while still a little tender

• Swiss Chard – 60 days to maturity

  • Plant 8 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart

  • It is a kind of beet that produces leaves instead of roots

  • It was popular long before Roman times

  • It can take high summer heat

  • Leaves can be cut continuously over many months

  • Even if the entire plant is cut off 1-2” above the crown, new leaves will sprout

  • Stalks can be used like celery and leaves like spinach

PRODUCT INFORMATION

DOWN TO EARTH VEGETABLE FERTILIZER (4-4-4)

• Use this for most of your vegetable fertilizing needs

• Thoroughly mix this into the soil when you first plant your vegetables. It contains living organisms that do not survive in direct sunlight

• Works best when used with HARVEST SUPREME

DOWN TO EARTH BLOOD MEAL (12-0-0)

• Excellent for plants that are heavy nitrogen users

• Best if mixed into the soil at the time of planting

SEAWEED EXTRACT (0.1-0-0.44)

• Can be used as an additional fertilizer later in your vegetable season

• Is a nice mild fertilizer that can be used for every watering if desired

LIQUID GOLD (15-6-3)

• Can be used as an additional fertilizer later in your vegetable season

• Fish based fertilizer that also contains zinc, iron, manganese, and a soil penetrant to help soak it in

FISH EMULSION (4-1-1)

• Can be used as an additional fertilizer later in your vegetable season

• Good for all plants

HARVEST SUPREME

• Is a mixture of recycled forest products, composted chicken manure, bark fines, rice hulls, oyster shell lime (as pH adjuster), worm castings, bat guano, kelp meal, and mycorrhizae

• Contains 15% composted chicken manure which is great for creating big leafy vegetables

• Helps break up clay soil when used consistently over the years

• Works best when used with DOWN TO EARTH VEGETABLE FERTILIZER

MASTER’S PRIDE POTTING SOIL

• Excellent for container gardening. Can be mixed with HARVEST SUPREME for better results

PAYDIRT

• a unique blend of chicken manure, redwood sawdust, peat moss, and mushroom compost

• adds organic matter to the soil, helps loosen hard soils, improves water and root penetration, and enhances the bacterial action in the soil

RECIPE 420

• Aged forest products, coir, sphagnum peat moss, pumice, earthworm castings, feather meal, seabird guano, crab meal, fish bone meal, oyster shell, lime (pH adjuster), dolomite lime (pH adjuster), bat guano, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and wetting agent

• Best for container gardening

• It is not recommended to fertilize immediately when using this product as you can accidentally over fertilize your plants, killing them

MONTEREY B.T.

• The biggest pest for your Brassicas is the Cabbage Looper and it can be controlled with a regular spraying of MONTEREY B.T.

• This product contains a bacterium that upon consumption by the caterpillar kills it. This bacterium has no effect on humans and is perfectly safe to use for organic gardening

TAKE DOWN GARDEN SPRAY

• Works well on many insects including whiteflies, mealy bugs, and aphids

• Good for organic gardening

SLUGGO/SLUGGO PLUS

• Helps control slugs and snails in the garden. SLUGGO PLUS will also take care of earwigs, pill bugs, and some ants among other insects

• Only SLUGGO is labeled as safe for pets

GROUND BREAKER

• Wonderful if you have clay and hardpan soils

• Has calcium and soil penetrants that work on breaking apart your tight soil aggregates to help improve your drainage

DOLOMITE LIME

• Raises your soil pH

SOIL SULFUR

• Lowers your soil pH

• Excellent for acid loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas, and gardenias

TOOLS

As whenever you do something, having the proper equipment is key for success. Here is a list of tools that every gardener should have to help them along their journey among the plants.

• Trowel – excellent for creating those small holes to put your young plants into

• Gardening Fork – helps loosen soil in the areas that you want without going too deep. It also helps grab onto weeds by catching in their roots

• Hose or Drip Irrigation System – water is life for your plants just as much as it is for you. Always make sure you have some way of delivering it to your plants

• Shears – from small scissor shears to regular pruners, having one to trim up your veggies is ideal. There are going to be times where you need to trim off diseased or infected portions of your plants

• Gloves – protect your hands. Sometimes there are unsavory things that are in our soil (especially if you have animals that wander in) so wearing gloves helps keep your hands cleaner and safer

• Shovel – great for turning over larger patches of soil or digging big holes

• Rake – use this to clear out debris or evenly spread out compost and mulch

• Wheelbarrow – gardening can produce a lot of debris so it helps to have some way to transport it

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