Establish planting using transplants

I got hooked
on radishes and
then got strung
out on turnips!

‘I couldn’t
stop - but it
always seemed
as if I was getting
ahead!
Take comfort
In knowing
there is help!

Perennial Crops
Spring
Crops
Trellised Crops

Soil should be friable, well drained,
and high in organic matter
High clay content will cause problems
with seedling emergence and drainage
Compost, peat, and other soil
amendments can improve garden
performance
Take a soil test!!

Try to buy only what you need
Method of storage has a great impact on viability
(ex. garage, basement, refrigerator)
Conduct a germination test before
planting

Genetic Types
su - Normal sugary sweet creamy
se - Sugary enhancer sweeter creamy
sh2 - Supersweet
sweetest crunchy

A general rule of thumb is
that planting depth should
be 4 -5 x the lateral width
of the seed.
Lateral width
of seed

Too Shallow Too Deep
Susceptible to desiccation Poor emergence
Poor root development Delayed emergence
Poor plant stature Susceptible to soil pathogens
Influenced by mild soil Less competitive with weeds
moisture fluctuations

Row planting
Equidistant or Broadcast
planting
Hill planting

Prepare a furrow with a uniform depth
Evenly distribute the seed
Firm the soil over the furrow after planting
Water lightly, but thoroughly

Ensures the most efficient use of space
Improves uniformity
Enables the growing of long season
vegetables
Good fit for slow germinating vegetables
Overcomes vernalization effects in some
vegetables

Improves competitiveness with weeds
Gives greater control in scheduling your harvest
Avoid transplant shock – “harden” plants
Transplant in evening or on a cloudy day
Know which crops do not transplant well
Avoid excessive wind

Annuals
Most vegetable transplants are 3-4 weeks old
Transplants should appear stocky (not spindly or leggy)
Transplants should be free of any obvious disease and have
a well developed root system but not root bound
Dig a hole just large enough to accommodate the roots and
plant slightly deeper than before
(Caution! – danger of moisture wicking)

Perennials
“Buyer beware” of mail order catalogues that sell varieties that
do not do well in Minnesota
Do some homework to familiarize yourself with the disease and
insect problems of the crop
Asparagus, one of the most common perennials in the home
vegetable garden, are usually planted as 1-2 yr. old crowns
Roots should appear healthy with good color

Check crowns for viable buds
Until planting, store the crowns in a cool place and keep
the roots moist but not wet
Use good transplanting principles when placing them
in your garden

Water thoroughly (1-2”/week)
Water is the most essential to plant growth
(nutrient uptake, root growth)
Monitor regularly with a rain gauge

Crop
Asparagus
Broccoli / Cabbage
Cauliflower
Beans / Peas
Carrot
Sweet Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant / Tomato
Lettuce
Melons
Stage of Development
spear / fern growth
head development
head development
pod filling
emergence / growth
silking / tasseling / ear growth
flowering / fruit development
flowering / fruit development
emergence / head development
flowering / fruit development

Isn’t This Just More Work??!
Maximize yield
Create the best plant environment
Less labor requirements
Raised Beds
Basic Methods
Interplanting
Vertical Gardening
Succession or Relay Planting

Improves Soil Drainage
Fast Spring Warm Up
Reduces Compaction
Easily Customize Special Planting

Mobile or permanent
Usually 3-4 ft. wide
Mix topsoil with composted manure and other
amendments
Final height of 8-12”
Great for equidistant planting configurations

What is it?
Use of trellises, nets, strings, cages, or poles to maximize
crop growth and quality
How to use it
Vining crops are prime candidates (“space hogs”)
(ex. melons, cucumbers, mini pumpkins)
Monitor soil moisture closely
Protection from excessive wind is really important

What is it?
The growing of two or more vegetables in the same
space at the same time
Key relationships between different crops to consider
Length of growing season
Growth patterns
Potential negative effects on growth
Preferred season of production
Light, nutrient, and moisture requirements

How to use it
Accomplished by alternating rows, different plants within
a row,or a randomized planting
Some Examples
Carrots and Radishes
Radishes and Broccoli
Cabbage and Spinach
How do these crops uniquely
relate to each other?

What are they?
Succession
Planting of one crop in a space that was previously
vacated by an earlier crop
Relay
Overlapping plantings of one crop
Based on planting intervals
Based on relative maturities (heat units)

Grow vegetables that:
(Is Space Really Limiting?)
Take up little space
Bear fruit over a long period of time
Have a dwarf type growth habit
Light exposure on your deck or patio should be 8 – 10
hours of direct sunlight
Aluminum foil and other things can be used to direct more
sunlight to the plant

Key points to remember:
Protect plants from excessive heat, wind, and rain
Be certain that pots and planter boxes are large
Enough to provide adequate moisture for a couple
of days

Why Use Them?
Commonly used to harden off plants grown in a greenhouse
Can also be used to produce cool season vegetable transplants

N
lath or netting

Wood (no creosote or pentachlorophenol treated lumber)
Strong sturdy sashes (plastic, glass, lexane)
Simple system for draping lath or netting if needed

Does not require any outside energy source
Underground heating cables significantly improves
performance (Hot Bed)
Locate in an area with good drainage
Protect from excessive winds (personal experience)
Provide ventilation if outside temperatures exceed 45 F

Dig out an area 8 - 9” deep
Lay cable in 6 - 8” loops being careful not to cross over
Cover with 2” of sand
Lay down hardware cloth to protect from damage
Cover with another 4 - 6” of soil

Key Benefits
► trap solar radiation and soil moisture
► lightweight and reusable
► can ventilate during day
► can heat during night
► protect against insects (But…)

VS.
Hoops required
Removal is time critical
Polyethylene
(Slit vs. Perforated)
Crop supported
Raises with crop
Spunbonded fabric

Application is crop dependent ! !
VS.

Principally used to increase soil temperature and
provide weed control
Black plastic is the predominant material used in the U.S.
Clear plastic is superior in soil warming capabilities however,
herbicides are required for weed control
Paper mulches continue to develop

RETRIEVABLE vs. DEGRADABLE
High labor requirements Low labor requirements
Reusable
Disposable
Special equipment needed No equipment needed
Disposal problem
Environment friendly
Calibration concerns

Photodegradable
Biodegradable
UV light Microbe activity
Unpredictable Slow process
Crop dependent
Residual degradation products
Covered edges don’t degrade

IRT (Infrared Radiation Transmitting)
SLT (Selective Light Transmission)
Blocks solar radiation which promotes weed growth
but allows infrared radiation to penetrate, warming
the soil
IRT / SLT mulches eliminate the need for chemical weed
contrtol
Color mulches change light quality in the plant canopy

Cucumbers on Green IRT Mulch

Watermelon on Green IRT Mulch

Peppers on Green IRT Mulch

Colored
Black

Pr
Red
Far Red
Pfr

How does phytochrome impact plant growth?
FR / R
FR /R

Tomatoes
Potatoes
Turnips

(Asparagus officinalis)
•A perennial crop
•Planted through either transplants or 1-2 yr. old
crowns
•Can continue to produce for 15yrs. and longer provided
it is well cared for

•Choose a site with good drainage and full sun
•Dig a trench 12-18” wide, trenches 4-5’ apart
•Enrich top soil with composted manure, etc.
•Refill trench with 2” of enriched top soil
•Space crowns 18” apart with crown slightly
elevated above the remaining root system

•Cover crowns with 2” soil
•As plants grow, continue to add soil over the crowns
(Why?)
•Weed the planting in early spring to avoid damage
to any emerging spears
•Refrain from harvesting until the third year of production
(Why?)

•In first year, harvest for only ~4 weeks (Why?)
•Wait an additional year if transplants were used
•Once 4yrs. old, the typical harvest lasts 6-8 weeks
•Snap, don’t cut the spears just below the soil surface when
they are 6-8” tall

•Promote excellent fern growth
•Monitor for insect problems
•Cut the fern down when it yellows, before the berries
fall off, creating a “perennial” weed problem
•Mulch with leaves, compost, etc.

Aphids
Fusarium ‘Dieback’
Asparagus Beetle

(Phaseolus vulgaris)
•Bush snap bean is the most common garden type
(green, wax, purple, etc.)
•Romano types are very desirable to the home
gardener
•Other types of “beans” include scarlet runner
and yard long beans

•After planting, avoid soil crusting
•Keep maturing pods off of soil surface to avoid
mold problems
•Harvest before the “meat” between seeds becomes
white and cottony in appearance

White Mold
Bacterial Brown Spot
Rhizoctonia
Fusarium
Pythium

(Brassica oleracea)
(cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
•Cool season crops
•Require timely nitrogen feedings for sustained growth
•Rooting system is often shallow and fibrous
•Sensitive to soil moisture fluctuations especially
when plants are small

(Brassica oleracea var. italica)
•Use of transplants is the best method to establish the planting
•Seedlings 3-4 weeks old are transplanted 18 and 30” apart,
within and between rows, respectively
•Due to the shallow and fibrous root system, extreme care
should be taken when cultivating
•Harvest the head before it begins to get loose and flower buds
swell or turn yellow

(Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
•Use transplants to establish planting
•Seedlings 3-4 weeks old are transplanted
15-18” and 30” apart, within and between rows,
respectively
•Heads are harvested when they are firm
Caution! - Watch out for cracking or splitting heads
which occurs from excessive water uptake near maturity

(Brassica oleracea var.botrytis)
•Establish through the use of transplants
•Space seedlings similar to other cole crops
•Once curd formation has begun, blanching is necessary
to produce the white curd
•Some self-blanching varieties are available
Caution! – Watch out for small curd formation
called “buttoning” , brought on by stress

Downy Mildew
Club Root
Fusarium Yellows

Alternaria Spot
Black Leg

Rhizoctonia (damping off)
Sclerotinia (white mold/rot)

Diamondback Moth
Imported Cabbage Worm
Cabbage Looper

Cabbage Aphid
Cabbage Maggot
Flea Beetle

(Zea mays var. rugosa)
•Three main genetic types
•Isolation requirements are essential to maintain
quality for some genetic types
•Plant in multiple rows instead of single, long
rows for better pollination
•Some varieties do not do well in cold spring soils

•Isolation is critical to maintaining sweet corn quality
(accomplished by space or time)
•Establish by direct seeding
•Plant seed in furrow 8-9” apart and in 30” rows
•Can be transplanted
•“Supersweet” varieties will not perform well if planted
too early in the spring (soil temps.

•Maintain at least 250ft. between supersweet varieties
from other sweet corn genotypes or field corn
•About 3 weeks difference in projected harvest is also
effective in preventing cross pollination
•Ready to harvest at about 21 days after silking and tasseling
(thumb nail test)
•Protect quality by rapid cooling after harvest (Why?)

European Corn Borer
Corn Earworm
Aphids

Redwinged Blackbirds
YUM!
YUM!
Raccoons

Common Smut
Common Rust
Caution! – Poor tip fill can be due to poor pollination brought on
by silk clipping, planting too close, poor fertility, and weather
Lodging

(Lycopersicon esculentum)
•Most popular vegetable in the garden
•Each plant can yield up to 15 lbs. of fruit
•Types and sizes are endless and can be either
determinate or indeterminate in growth pattern
•Great for containerized gardening
•Self pollinated (very efficient)
•Spontaneous mutations have produced a variety
of colors

•Establish planting using transplants
•Avoid producing spindly plants (What causes this?)
•Harden off the transplants for about 2 weeks (How?)
•Plants should be 6-7 weeks old when placed in the
garden (after danger of frost)
•Plant seedlings deep so they are well covered by the soil
(roots will be produced along the buried stem)
•With peat pot transplants – tear one side of the pot to
encourage root growth

•Space staked or trellised plants 24” apart in rows
3 ft. apart (reduces fruit rot)
•Prune staked plants to 1 or 2 main stems
•Remove other suckers
•Cages also work well
•Ventilation between plants is important (Why?)
•Harvest when vine-ripe and before cracking
•Leave pedicel on fruit (Why?)

Verticillium
Early Blight
Late Blight

Bacterial Spot
Fusarium Wilt
Bacterial Speck
Tobacco Masaic Virus

Aphids
Whiteflies
Colorado Potato
Beetle
Flea Beetle
Hornworm

Blossom End Rot
Sunscald
Walnut Wilt
Fruit Cracking

(Solanum tuberosum)
•White, yellow, red, and purple varieties
•Russets, white, and yellow flesh
•Grow for either a new crop or a full season
storage crop
•Vegetatively grown
•Stores well

•Establish planting with seed pieces (2 oz.)
•Use only certified seed (Why?)
•Seed potatoes should be firm and not yet
sprouted and have at least 1 eye
•Plant in furrows cut side down, 3-5” deep 8-9”
apart in rows spaced ~36” apart
•Build soil around plants as you cultivate
to protect future tubers from sun exposure

•Harvest when most tubers have reached
2” in diameter
•Remove the vines and allow to set 1-2 weeks
for skin set to be completed (bruising will
also be reduced)
•After harvest, heal (suberize) potatoes by
storing at a minimum of 50ºF for 2-3 weeks
•Afterwards, store at 40ºF

Cautions!
•Green skin is due to sun exposure
•Hollow heart is due to soil moisture fluctuations
•Black walnut wilt

Colorado Potato
Beetle
Leafhoppers
Late Blight
Early Blight
Soft Rot
Viruses
Flea Beetle
Wilts

(Solanum melongena)
•Warm season vegetable
•Many types
•Prime candidate for plastic mulch and
row covers
Caution! – Poor fruit set is due to high temperatures during
flowering and dry conditions

•Establish planting using transplants
•Seedlings should be 8-10 weeks old
•Effective hardening of the plants is crucial
•Plant 15-18” apart in 30” rows
•Pinch main growing point when 6-8” tall
to encourage branching (if not trellised)
•Harvest when fruit is 8-9” long and glossy

(Capsicum annuum)
•Endless number of types and colors
•Warm season crop
•Effective “hardening” period is crucial in establishment
•Very slow seed germination rate

•Establish planting using transplants
•Seedlings should be 7-8 weeks old
•Plant 15-18” apart within the rows spaced 30” apart
•Production could be enhance with plastic mulch and
row cover systems
•Harvest as either immature or mature fruit
Caution! – Blossom end rot can be due to soil moisture
fluctuations, high night temperatures, and excessive fruit set

(Cucumis melo)
•Warm season crop
•Muskmelon, cantaloupe, watermelon,
honeydew, etc.
•Monoecious flowering habit
•Requires “pollinators” for effective fruit set

•Establish planting using transplants
•Transplants 2-3 seedlings into hills spaced 2-3 feet
apart in rows 5 feet apart
•Yield potential is improved on plastic mulch and
fruit remain clean
•Can be trellised but each fruit should be supported
•Keep the belly of the fruit from becoming wet for
extended periods (boards, plastic, trellising, straw, etc.)

•Fruit quality is maximized at “full slip”
•After harvest, plunge the fruit into
cold water and store at 40ºF from
4-10 days

Fusarium Wilt
Powdery Mildew
Downy Mildew
Remove from
Garden!
Bacterial Wilt and the Spotted
and Striped Cucumber Beetles
Alternaria Leaf Spot
Angular Leaf Spot

Flea Beetles
Cucumber Beetles
Vine Borer
Squash Bug

(Allium cepa)
•Yellow, white, and red colors
•Pungent and sweet types, green onions
•Bulbing is initiated by daylength
•Shallow rooted
•Candidate for raised beds and broadcast
seeding

•Establish planting by direct seeding ,
the use of sets, or transplants
•Plant 12 seeds per foot in rows spaced
12-14” apart
•Protect from ‘blow out’ (What is this?)
•Plant sets 1-2” apart in rows 1-2” deep
•Planting sets too early in the spring will
cause bolting to occur

•Use only ‘long day’ varieties!
•Harvest when 2/3 of the tops have fallen
•‘Curing’ is essential to long term quality
storage (What is this?)
•Sweet varieties do not store as well as
pungent varieties
Caution! – Split or double bulbing is due to dry conditions
Small bulbs are due to planting too close or too late

Alternaria Purple Blotch
Botrytis
Onion Maggot
Smut
Thrips

(Cucurbita sp.)
•Warm season vegetable crops
•‘Winter’ varieties and types are numerous
•Many ‘summer’ varieties and types
•Monoecious flowering habit
•Requires pollinators

•Establish planting using transplants
•Seedling age should be 3-4 weeks old
•Older seedlings that are hardened off
will not transplant well and growth will slow
•Plastic mulches are commonly used
•Plant in a area sheltered from wind
•Squash store easily in cool areas / protect
from frost

•Flower drop due to heavy fruit set (or male flowers)
•Blossom end rot due to soil moisture fluctuations

(Cucumis sativus)
•Warm season vegetable
•Monoecious flowering habit
•Slicers and picklers
•Parthenocarpic and gynoecious varieties
•Performs well on plastic mulch
•Sandy soils work very well
•Spreading plant growth habit however
some bush types are available

•Establish planting by direct seeding
•Plant seeds and later thin to 9-12” apart when
seedlings are 5” tall
•If trellised, plant 4-5 seeds per foot in rows
spaced 30” apart
•Responds well to plastic mulch systems
•Due to “apical dominance”, multiple harvests
maximize yield potential (What is this?)

•Misshapen fruit due to low fertility, poor
pollination, and big fluctuations in temperature

(Lactuca sativa)
•Cool season crop
•Many types (bibb, romaine, leaf, etc.)
•Easy to grow
•Bolts in high temperatures
•Head types are difficult to grow due to
heat stress
•Practice succession planting for continued
harvest

•Establish through direct seeding (can transplant)
•Plant 10-20 seeds per foot in rows spaced 8-12”
apart, later, thin seedlings to 4-8” apart
•Candidate for raised beds and broadcast seeding
•Use frequent and light waterings
•Use other crops to shade during heat of the day
Caution! – Tip burn is due to variation in
soil moisture, onset of bolting, and high
temperatures

Anthracnose
Aphids
Sclerotinia
Botrytis (Gray Mold)
Stem and Leaf Rots

Cole Slaw Anyone??