Growing Vegetables

• Vegetables need a minimum of 6 hours direct sun per day.
• Plant away from tree roots, in well-drained, level soil with easy access to a garden hose.
• Add 20 cm - 30 cm (8” - 12”) peat moss, manure, and/or compost as well as granular Parkwood® Garden-All 4-12-8 to the top of your soil to improve the condition and fertility before you plant.
   

• Decide what you want to grow and sketch it out on graph paper.
• Group the vegetable crops according to height to prevent one from shading another.
• Plan to put the small-growing, quick-maturing ones together as well.
• Keep in mind that some vegetables really like to sprawl.

• You can start vegetables from seed in propagation trays in your home starting in March/April.
• You can sow seeds directly into cool soil in April for the best yields of peas, lettuce, onions, radishes, beets, and spinach. These particular seeds can be sown again in late August for a second “cool-weather” crop that matures in fall.
• You can purchase plants that are started in May at a Sheridan Nurseries Garden Centre.
• It’s very important to read the seed package or growing tag to know exactly how much space to leave between each plant and the correct distance between rows. Some vegetables like carrots, that grow profusely and quickly, need to be thinned out so they have sufficient room to mature. This kind of information is also clearly indicated.
• At the time of planting your started vegetables, water in Parkwood® Transplanter 5-15-5 to minimize transplant shock and establish strong roots.
   

• Four weeks after planting, apply more granular Parkwood®Garden-All 4-12-8 for a slow, steady release of nutrients all summer long.
• Vegetables will not tolerate competition from weeds so keep the area weed-free. This can be done by laying down porous landscape fabric and/or a thick layer of mulch such as cedar mulch, pine needles, or bark chips between rows.
• If necessary, pull weeds by hand or gently cultivate with a hoe without disturbing shallow roots.
• Watering is crucial to success, so never allow the soil to dry out completely. It should be moist at all times. Feel the surface with your hand for coolness or dig down 10 cm (4”) to see exactly how far water has penetrated.
• Watch carefully for insects and disease. Sheridan Nurseries sells several lines of natural environmentally friendly insecticides and fungicides that can be used safely by simply following the package directions. Consult one of our experts for easy solutions to your questions.
• Harvest your vegetables promptly when they’re at their peak. You can freeze or give away the surplus.
   

Selecting which tomato varieties you wish to grow depends on your preference for such things as sweetness, meatiness (as in Beefsteak types), and quickness to maturity.

• The early tomatoes ripen 8 to 10 weeks after planting while the later varieties ripen in about 12 weeks.
• Tomatoes are very frost sensitive.
• Tomatoes need to gradually get used to the light, wind, and variable spring temperatures. You can do this by setting them out during the day in shade and moving them into a bit more sun each day for 5 days. Take them back inside or into the garage overnight if freezing temperatures are predicted. This is called “hardening off”.
• You can plant them directly into the garden on the May long weekend or when all risk of frost has passed.
• For all varieties (except Cherry Tomatoes) insert a strong stake into the ground right beside the plant so you won’t damage the root system with insertion later. Another option is to place a tomato cage over the whole plant. As the tomato grows larger, tie the main stem securely to the stake with rags or old pantyhose. Don’t use rope or a twist tie that can cut into tender plant tissue.
• Since diseases can build up in the soil, grow your tomatoes in a different part of your vegetable garden every year or at least every 2 years. This is known as “crop rotation” and it’s a good idea for all the vegetables you grow.