Vegetable Gardening for Beginners Your Garden Throughout the Year

You don’t need a green thumb to garden!  Nature does it for you!  The goal of this series is to help even the most inexperienced gardener successfully raise as many vegetables as they would like.  Looking for a new and productive hobby? Try gardening!  Nature does it for you!  The goal of this series is to help even the most inexperienced gardener successfully raise as many vegetables as they would like.  Looking for a new and productive hobby? Try gardening!

Why garden?  Fresh vegetables!  Save money!  Try new varieties!  Exercise!  Build family and community ties!  Fresh vegetables!  Save money!  Try new varieties!  Exercise!  Build family and community ties!

What do plants need?  Light  Water  Growing medium with available nutrients  Light  Water  Growing medium with available nutrients

Positive inputs  Proper soil (proper nutrients and texture)  Temperature  Proper day length  Biology in the soil, such as mycorrhizae  Proper soil (proper nutrients and texture)  Temperature  Proper day length  Biology in the soil, such as mycorrhizae

Negative inputs  Weeds: competition for nutrients  Pests: eats plants or deprives it of sugar and nutrients  Disease: any bacteria, virus, or fungus that attacks a plant by feeding on it.  Toxins: soil contaminants, inorganic or organic in origin  Weeds: competition for nutrients  Pests: eats plants or deprives it of sugar and nutrients  Disease: any bacteria, virus, or fungus that attacks a plant by feeding on it.  Toxins: soil contaminants, inorganic or organic in origin

Best time of year for different actions  Based on the needs of the plants  Based on your own needs, ie time management.  Based on the needs of the plants  Based on your own needs, ie time management.

January  High 47, low 30  Plan, learn, and read!  Map your yard and plan your garden  Learn by asking UT Gardens staff, extension agents, or Master Gardeners  Read seed catalogs to learn the differences between plants. Look for “cultural” information.  High 47, low 30  Plan, learn, and read!  Map your yard and plan your garden  Learn by asking UT Gardens staff, extension agents, or Master Gardeners  Read seed catalogs to learn the differences between plants. Look for “cultural” information.

February  High 52. Low 33  You can till/prepare your garden plot toward the end of the month if conditions are right.  Order seeds!  High 52. Low 33  You can till/prepare your garden plot toward the end of the month if conditions are right.  Order seeds!

March  High 61, Low 40  Start seeds indoors according to the recommendation for each variety. This is usually dependent on frost date, which in Knox county is around April  Depending on weather, plant potatoes, peas, and onions around St. Patrick’s Day.  High 61, Low 40  Start seeds indoors according to the recommendation for each variety. This is usually dependent on frost date, which in Knox county is around April  Depending on weather, plant potatoes, peas, and onions around St. Patrick’s Day.

Example  This is from my packet of cherry tomato seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds  Six weeks before April 15 th is about March 2 nd.  This is from my packet of cherry tomato seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds  Six weeks before April 15 th is about March 2 nd.

April  High 71, low 40  Cool-weather crops such as lettuce, cole crops, beets, carrots, and radishes love this month.  Plant onion sets, plants, or transplant out onions you have started yourself. Due to our southern latitude, pick a “short day” or “day neutral” onion.  Mulch now to save yourself weeding time later.  High 71, low 40  Cool-weather crops such as lettuce, cole crops, beets, carrots, and radishes love this month.  Plant onion sets, plants, or transplant out onions you have started yourself. Due to our southern latitude, pick a “short day” or “day neutral” onion.  Mulch now to save yourself weeding time later.

May  High 78, Low 57  Watch out for high temperatures this month, and water appropriately.  Plant warm-season seeds such as beans, corn, and okra  Plant out hot-weather transplants such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.  Peppers and eggplants love warm soil and long days.  High 78, Low 57  Watch out for high temperatures this month, and water appropriately.  Plant warm-season seeds such as beans, corn, and okra  Plant out hot-weather transplants such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.  Peppers and eggplants love warm soil and long days.

June  High 85, Low 65  If you’re lucky, harvesting will be your main work for the next few months.  You may begin to see summer squash, cucumbers, beans, and similar crops ready for harvest.  Keep those weeds under control!  Keep track of rain and water when appropriate.  Write down when it rains in your garden journal.  A drink of one inch of water once a week is normal for many plants.  High 85, Low 65  If you’re lucky, harvesting will be your main work for the next few months.  You may begin to see summer squash, cucumbers, beans, and similar crops ready for harvest.  Keep those weeds under control!  Keep track of rain and water when appropriate.  Write down when it rains in your garden journal.  A drink of one inch of water once a week is normal for many plants.

July  Average high 88, low 69  Expect squash and beans to continue to produce early in the month, with sweet corn and tomatoes coming in later.  Therefore, garden in the morning if possible.  This month, your focus will be on pest prevention and disease prevention.  If possible, water in the morning rather than in the evening.  Average high 88, low 69  Expect squash and beans to continue to produce early in the month, with sweet corn and tomatoes coming in later.  Therefore, garden in the morning if possible.  This month, your focus will be on pest prevention and disease prevention.  If possible, water in the morning rather than in the evening.

August  Average high 87, low 68  Still hot and still a high-production month. Hopefully you will get lots of tomatoes!  Task for August:  See which plants can’t take the heat anymore and cull them from your garden. Examples are cucumbers and beets.  Average high 87, low 68  Still hot and still a high-production month. Hopefully you will get lots of tomatoes!  Task for August:  See which plants can’t take the heat anymore and cull them from your garden. Examples are cucumbers and beets.

September  Average high 81, low 62  In Tennessee, our growing season is so long that we can squeeze in an extra set of cool- season vegetables!  Continue to clear out space for your fall garden and research what you would like to grow.  In my experience, you can have success with kale and collards, as well as lettuce. Try some green onions, beets, and carrots.  Average high 81, low 62  In Tennessee, our growing season is so long that we can squeeze in an extra set of cool- season vegetables!  Continue to clear out space for your fall garden and research what you would like to grow.  In my experience, you can have success with kale and collards, as well as lettuce. Try some green onions, beets, and carrots.

October  Average high 71, Low 49  Cooler nighttime lows mean a dip in pest pressure!  Now is the time to set out those cole-crop transplants.  Average high 71, Low 49  Cooler nighttime lows mean a dip in pest pressure!  Now is the time to set out those cole-crop transplants.

November  Average High 60, low 41  We usually get a hard freeze around the middle of November, effectively ending most of the work for the growing season.  You can use season extenders such as row covers or a cold frame, or you can let the cycle begin again.  Freezing soils does benefit the garden in reducing the amount of pests that can overwinter in the soil.  Average High 60, low 41  We usually get a hard freeze around the middle of November, effectively ending most of the work for the growing season.  You can use season extenders such as row covers or a cold frame, or you can let the cycle begin again.  Freezing soils does benefit the garden in reducing the amount of pests that can overwinter in the soil.

Conclusion  For everything there is a season.  Take time to enjoy your garden!  For everything there is a season.  Take time to enjoy your garden!