Crop Reference

(Swiss chard is actually a type of beet which is grown for greens.)

Beets are a delicious root crop with a long growing season and are loaded with folates, antioxidants, and B-complex vitamins like niacin and pantothenic acid. We like to sow beet seeds two or three at a time ~6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. A beet “seed” is actually a tiny fruit which contains several individual seeds so you will get plenty of plants this way. When they start to grow leaves, thin them down to one per station for beets. Chard can be left in small clusters and individual leaves can be harvested at any time as the plants grow new ones. Sow a few more every week throughout the season if you enjoy eating beets. They will be ready to harvest in 50 to 60 days. Pull them up by the tops or dig them up from underneath. The greens can be eaten raw in a salad or sautéed. Roots can be washed thoroughly (peeling is optional), cut into cubes, and roasted in the oven.

These plants are very tolerant of cold and are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C and B6 as well as beta-carotene, . We like to start kale and collards indoors about 6 weeks before we intend to plant them out in the garden. This means starting the very first seeds in early February and planting them out in mid March. From there, begin seeding them directly in the garden. Give each plant about 12 inches of space on all sides. Kale will be best when the weather is still cool while collards will continue to have better flavor into the warmer months. They can be eaten raw in a salad or sautéed. Kohlrabi is best planted beginning in mid-Summer and will produce edible globes that can be harvested and peeled for fresh eating or roasting as the fall season progresses.

Lettuce can be transplanted on a schedule similar to cabbage family crops, but planted slightly closer together (~6 inches between plants is enough). Fresh lettuce leaves provide tons of vitamin A and beta-carotene as well as folates, vitamin C, and vitamin K. The leaves can be eaten fresh at any time, even when very small. Just pull or cut the outer leaves and let the plant grow some more. After doing this a few times you may want to harvest the whole plant and turn that space over to more lettuce or some other crop. The key to growing lettuce is growing it quickly in fertile, well irrigated soil and rotating new plants in frequently as you harvest older ones. Lettuce will tolerate the cold pretty well but not heat or drought. Plants that get too old, stressed, or start to flower (bolt) will not have good flavor. Planting your lettuce in a shaded spot will allow you to harvest it longer into the summer months.

Legumes like peas and beans need certain microbes to be present in the soil in order to grow properly. If you are starting a new garden in a spot that does not already have lots of organic matter in it, apply a legume inoculant to the soil before planting them for best results. Peas and beans often do not do well when transplanted so we usually sow these directly in the garden. Peas will tolerate cold a bit and can be planted early, while beans should be planted after any risk of frost has passed. For this reason, we like to plant peas early in the season (mid March into April), plant beans after last frost in May, and then plant more peas for the fall in August. This way you will have either beans or peas to eat all season long. There are many different types of both of these crops. As a rule, bush types of bean will be easier to harvest and do not require support, while vining “pole” varieties will need stakes or trellises to climb and will produce better tasting fruit over a longer harvest period. Plant them 3 or 4 inches apart. Harvest “snow” or “snap” peas early to be eaten pods and all. “Shelling” peas must be removed from the pods before eating and should not be harvested until they are ripe. Similarly, “green beans” or “filet beans” are harvested early and eaten with the pod while “dry beans” should be ripened fully, shelled, and can then be stored dry until soaked and cooked.

Hands-down the best crop for growing calories, potatoes will grow more per square foot than any other crop. These are not grown from seeds, but rather from existing potatoes whose “eyes” form new shoots. Ideally, you should start with certified, disease-free seed potatoes, but using organic potatoes from the supermarket does work (non-organic potatoes are sprayed with a chemical which prevents the eyes from sprouting, making them difficult to grow). Chop seed potatoes into chunks with 2 or 3 eyes each and let them sit out in a cool, dry place until the cuts dry out. Potatoes with only 2 or 3 eyes can be planted whole. We recommend that you plant these a little deeper than is usually recommended, about 6 or 8 inches deep and 12 to 18 inches apart. This should be done a few weeks before last frost (mid to late March for us). It will take a little time for these to come up, but they will grow very quickly once they do. Covering the soil surface with mulch helps when growing potatoes. Keep the plants well watered and wait until they start to produce little purple flowers (usually mid to late summer). Any time after this, you can carefully dig up the base of the plants and pull out the potato tubers. Don’t wait too long or they may start to rot. Dig around thoroughly because it can be hard to find all of them. Wash them well and store in a cool place. Undamaged tubers will keep for quite a while and can be boiled, baked, or fried in oil.

These plants sprout and grow quickly and should be sown directly in the garden, rather than transplanted. Sow them close together in a shallow furrow about 1/2 inch deep. Once they have sprouted and start growing leaves, thin them so they are two inches apart in the row. The roots are usually ready in 25 to 35 days depending on the variety. Sow a new row or two of these every week during the spring but stop when the weather starts to get hot or your radishes will develop a spicy/bitter flavor. To harvest, just pull them up by their tops and wash the dirt off. They are good fresh on salads or tacos.

These are all similar, closely related plants which grow edible fruit on broad-leaved vines. They are not at all tolerant of the cold and should be planted out after any risk of frost has passed (usually the middle of May or later for us). Summer squash, Zucchini, and cucumbers must be harvested frequently when still small and eaten quickly after harvest. They should not be allowed to grow too large or they will not taste very good. Pumpkins and winter squash, on the other hand, must be allowed to ripen fully and can be stored well into the fall and winter. Pumpkins and Butternut squash are particularly good to store and can keep for several months. These can be peeled, cubed, and oven-roasted. Melons can be difficult in our climate and an early-ripening or cold-tolerant variety is a necessity. All of these plants require plenty of water and at least 3 or 4 feet of space on all sides.

These plants are all members of the “nightshade” family. Like the squash and melons, they should be transplanted out after the last frost has passed (usually middle of May). Start them indoors 6 weeks or so before this. They will usually take at least 55 or 60 days before providing edible fruit so getting an early start is important. Tomatoes will require a lot of water but we find that peppers thrive when it is hot and dry. When growing eggplant, “Japanese” varieties which produce small, long fruit are far easier than more traditional types and are usually ready to harvest earlier. Give all of these plants at least 2 or 3 feet of space on all sides. When growing tomatoes, be aware that there are two different types of tomato plant. “Determinate” varieties will stay smaller and more compact, ripening most of their fruit all at once, while “indeterminate” varieties will grow tall vines and continue growing and producing new fruit after older fruit has ripened. This makes determinate tomatoes better for containers and small tomato cages, while indeterminate types should be planted in the ground and supported by larger cages or trellises. For best results, we strongly recommend trimming off any shoots or branches that fall below or outside of your tomato cage. (Click here for more details about pruning tomatoes) Tomatoes and peppers can be eaten fresh or cooked into sauces. Eggplant can be cut into cubes or disks and sautéed or breaded and fried.