Plucking fresh veggies out of a backyard garden can be one of the highlights of summer.
Couple the great taste with how much money you’ll save, and growing your own veggies makes perfect sense.  Here’s how to ensure a successful vegetable garden:

• Choose a sunny site.  Vegetable plants need at least six hours of sun per day.  Without
  Sufficient sunlight, the plants will grow spindly and won’t produce well.
• Start small and build on your success.
• Have a pH test done and lime accordingly.
• Follow the directions on the back of the seed packet or nursery tag for optimum planting times and spacing requirements.
• Loosen the soil to 6 to 8 inches deep, loosening and turning it over, work in composted manure, compost or other organic material.
• Fertilize the garden with natural fertilizer, paying special attention to the proper proportions indicated on the package.
• When watering, remember that too much or too little can ultimately kill a plant.
  Water deeply less often- every five days in cooler weather, every three or so in hot temps.
• Don’t depend on rain as a water source.
• Pull weeds weekly to prevent them from becoming a major problem.
• If desired, use a bark or wood-chip mulch to help keep plants healthy and reduce weeds. 
• Harvest vegetables when they’re ripe.  They should pull off the vine easily.

Scenic Roots

Zucchini is an easy, rewarding crop to grow, but it has some quirks that are important to understand for a successful harvest.

• All zucchini are not created equal.  Fruits can be round, cylindrical, or bulbous, with speckled, striped, or solid skin, and colors ranging from light yellow to nearly black.  Flavors range from mild and buttery to full and nutty.  So don’t assume that zucchini you buy will produce regular green fruits like those in the grocery store.  Research varieties before you buy and don’t be afraid to experiment!
• Avoiding being inundated with zukes is as simple as not over planting.  Many people think that they’ll harvest six or seven zucchinis per plant, when in fact, a zucchini plant typically produces 6 to 10 pounds of fruit per plant.
• Sun, sun, sun.
• If your fruits are growing in the shape of an hourglass, that’s a sure sign of inconsistent watering.  Fruits swell when they get plenty of water, then shrink when they don’t get enough.
• Cold weather can hamper zucchini production and fruit quality.  Wait until the weather has warmed and the soil temperature is at least 60 degrees.  Fruit that’s been exposed to cold temperatures for several days can wind up with pitting on the skin surface.
• Zucchini can suffer from blossom-end rot just as tomatoes can, which is the result of irregular watering,  poor water uptake, or calcium deficiency.

How soon after planting may asparagus be cut?

Only after the bed is well established.  Generally a few spears may be cut the second year, for several weeks the third year and a full crop the fourth year.

Why does broccoli flower without forming heads?

Usually the plants have been stunted by poor growing conditions or have been set out too late in the spring. Broccoli needs cool weather for best head formation.

Why do ears of corn not fill properly?

Hot, dry weather results in poor pollination.  Periods of heavy rain at pollen shedding, nutrient imbalances, particularly high nitrogen and low potassium, or planting a small patch or single row may all lead to poor filing of the ears.

Is it necessary to pull the suckers from the base of the corn stalk?

No.  There is no benefit and the crop may even be reduced.

Why do cucumber flowers drop without producing fruit?

Cucumbers have male and female flowers.  Common types of cucumbers first produce 10 to 20 male blooms before the female blooms.  As a result these first blooms drop without any fruit production.

What causes deformed cucumbers?

Drought conditions, hot weather, bacterial wilt or cucumber mosaic may lead to deformed fruit.  Poor pollination is the main cause of poor fruit.

Why is lettuce tough or bitter?

Slow growth is a result.  Crowding, low fertility,  late planting and hot weather all stunt growth and reduce quality.

Onion seeds, onion plants, or onion sets?

Onion sets are the easiest to handle and develop quickly for green onions as well as onions for storage. 

Why do peppers flower but not set fruit?

Peppers are sensitive to high temperatures, low humidity and drying winds.  Plants of many varieties will not set fruit well and flowers drop off.

How can I grow the biggest pumpkin?

Remove all blossoms and fruit except one, so that all the strength goes into the one fruit.  Provide the best possible moisture and fertility conditions.

Can you really eat the blossoms of squash?

Yes.  Wash, dip in batter and deep fry.  You can also use them in salads or coat with sugar and decorate cakes with them.

My tomatoes have a ton of flowers, but drop without producing fruit.

Night temperatures below 60 degrees and day temperatures above 90 degrees will keep flowers from setting fruit.

What is causing my tomatoes to crack?

Cracking in susceptible varieties is more severe after periods of heavy rain and humidity.

What causes the black spot on the bottom of my tomatoes?

Blossom-end rot, is caused by moisture fluctuation.  Keep plants well watered and mulched to reduce this problem. 

Do I stake or cage my tomato plants?

Caging a tomato plant simply surrounds the tomato seedling with a wire cage that is well anchored in the soil.  As the plant grows, it will remain inside the cage.   With staking you must continue to tie up the vines and remove suckers from the plant.  Be sure to use sturdy tomato stakes.

Should I compost during cold months?

You can compost all year long, but you need to remember to turn the pile regularly, regardless of the season.