Plant Supports Yield and quality of some vegetables are higher when plants are supported or trellised. Trellising also reduces fruit rots and other diseases. Types of supports include: – Woven wire fencing or concrete reinforcing wire – Livestock panels – Netting – Cages

Intensive Gardening Techniques: Container Gardening Advantages – You can move the plants where you want them. – Garden in locations that would forbid normal gardening, (an apartment balcony). Disadvantages – Containers require large volumes of media to fill. – Containers may be heavy. – Containers require frequent watering.

Intensive Gardening Techniques: Successive Plantings To extend the harvest season of some vegetables it is necessary to make successive plantings. – Examples Leaf Lettuce Radishes Sweet Corn (most common) – Formula for Sweet Corn When plants reach the 3 leaf stage, plant again.

Intensive Gardening Techniques: Multiple Rows Advantages – Increase yield of small areas – Reduce the area to be: Weeded Fertilized Watered – Very useful if gardening in a limited area.

Intensive Gardening Techniques: Intercropping Intercropping is when 2 or more vegetables are grown in the same place at the same time. – Different vegetable crops utilize different nutrients – One crop can support another (corn and pole beans) – Warm-Season and Cool- Season – Slowing the spread of insects and disease

Intensive Gardening Techniques: Raised Beds Raised beds are often used for production in the early spring. – They warm up earlier in the spring. – They dry out earlier in the spring. – So you can work them from the edges, do not make them more than 4 ft. wide. – If possible, never step in the bed. – Since they have a tendency to dry out quickly, be ready to water when the temperatures warm.

Crop Overviews

Asparagus Perennial Plant dormant crowns early spring Cultivars: – Jersey Knight – Jersey Giant – Jersey Centennial Harvest after 3 years Key Pest: – Asparagus Beetle

Beans, Pole 1991 – ‘Kentucky Blue’ Pole Beans – Require staking – Longer harvest – Drops flowers and pods in hot humid weather Cultivars: – Kentucky Blue (cross between KY Wonder X Blue Lake) Key Pests: – Root rots – Mexican Bean Beetle

Beans, Bush Bush Beans – Good choice for large yields in a short time (canning) – No staking – Require more space than Pole Cultivars: – Derby Key Pests: – Root Rot – Mexican Bean Beetle 1990 – ‘Derby’

Broccoli Grow in spring or fall Needs extra nitrogen Cultivars: – Premium Crop – Green Comet – Packman

Cabbage Choices: – Large or small heads – Flat or Round or Pointed – Smooth or Savoy – Green or Purple Key Pest: – Cabbage worm 1997 – ‘Dynamo’ 2000 – ‘Savoy Express’

Carrots Require cool night temperatures Tend to split around obstacles Try growing in the fall 1992 – ‘Thumbelina’