Tomatoes
There is nothing more I anticipate growing in my garden every year than fresh, sweet tomatoes. I think this is one plant that everyone enjoys growing. I love to eat a tomato on a sandwich with mayonnaise, or sliced and enjoyed as a side with a meal. My grandmother used to make tomato dumplings, which were a real treat for me as a kid however, nowadays, I don't think kids would think of this as a treat. I also like to grow grape tomatoes and eat them as a snack. Any way you slice it, tomatoes are fantastic!
Tomato plants are rooted deep in the soil and require lots of water and nutrients. They flourish in rich organic soil, with the ground amended with nutrients to nurture them through the growing season, developing optimal growth, and higher yields. In order to develop the soil that is most suitable to cultivate that bumper tomato crop, you must test the soil and have proper PH levels that tomatoes thrive in. The more acidic your soil is, the lower the number will be. The soil tomatoes like best is a natural soil that is marginally acidic which would be a PH level reading of 6.0 to 7.0. In order to adjust the PH level of soil if your PH level is high, sulfur can be added to your soil. If your PH level is too low, adding lime can correct the PH.
Tomatoes need a uniform amount of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus to have a good harvest yield. To tell if the nitrogen level is too low, look at the leaves of the plant, if the leaves are turning yellow, you may have a nitrogen deficiency. Organic sources of nitrogen you can add are compost, leaf mold, alfalfa meal, and feather meal. To have a strong plant, phosphorus is necessary as it aids in the formation of the roots and the seeds. If phosphorus is low in your soil, you need to look at the roots of your plants, and if they are red in color, and the plant seems to have slow growth, add an organic phosphorus source to your soil, you will also need to add bone meal, compost, or pulverized rock phosphate. In order to keep your tomato plants healthy and disease resistant, potassium is needed. Low potassium will cause the plant to weaken, and growth will be slower. To add an amendment of potassium to your soil, add wood ash or potassium sulfate.
Cucumbers
Growing my own cucumber is very important to me. I love cucumbers, but I don't like eating them from the grocery store. Cucumbers are on the dirty dozen list which means they are high in insecticides. Peeling away the skin doesn't do much to make them any healthier. To get the best cucumber harvest, plant your cucumbers in full sunlight in well-drained, sandy loam soil. Sandy soil allows for good oxygenation and it also warms faster than heavier soils. Adding compost rich in nutrients during planting will help the soil retain moisture. Use worm castings to add to the fertility of your soil. Try adding them to the holes as you plant, and be sure to mulch around each plant with additional compost. It is important also to add fertilizer to each hill. After the plants begin to bloom, side dress with 1 tbsp. fo ammonium nitrate, repeat in 3 weeks.
Like tomatoes, cucumbers grow best in neutral soil with a PH level of 6.0 to7.0. It is important before using amendments such as sulfur or lime to always check PH with a PH soil kit first because you can damage the soil. Cucumbers also need lots of mineral nutrients to thrive. In early spring before you plant anything in your garden, spread a good compost or manure and till or turn the amendments at least 6 inches deep. Cucumbers demand little nitrogen, however, they require high potassium. Using a fertilizer with a high concentration of nitrogen will cause your plants to grow fast, but will diminish fruit production. Instead of putting energy toward producing blossoms, it will expend its energy on the vines, shoots, and leaves. A good organic fertilizer option for cucumbers is adding 1 part bone meal, rock phosphate, and a 1/2 to 1 part kelp meal.
Crookneck Squash
Crookneck or summer squash do better in well-drained soil and rich compost. They need full sun in order to produce fruit. These plants like to stay moist, but do not overwater them. Water on the leaves can cause disease and attract unwanted pests so water early in the morning in order to give them time to dry before dark. Crookneck needs a soil PH of 5.8 to 6.8. so test your soil's PH to see if any key nutrients are deficient. This plant is a heavy feeder, but it doesn't need a lot of nitrogen, however, it does need a fairly high amount of phosphorus and potassium for producing fruit.
It is recommended that you amend your soil with 4 inches of organic compost. When planting add an organic fertilizer to each hill. Use a granular fertilizer t like 10-10-10 and follow manufacturer suggests for use. Water the plants and allow the fertilizer to soak into the soil. mulching around your plants helps with moisture retainment and discourages weeds. Mulch will decompose and add additional nutrients to your soil.
Bell Peppers
Who doesn't like a good pepper? They are so versatile and can add flavor to a variety of dishes. These plants are fairly easy to grow, taking care of peppers during the early stage of planting is crucial. Peppers do best in a loamy, sandy soil that is warm and well-drained. Water peppers well, however never allow them to be soggy. Watering your peppers well when the blooms turn into tiny peppers helps them to stay healthy and firm. Peppers require full sunlight for at least 6 to 8 hours per day to produce and ripen their fruit.
The PH level for peppers should be at 6.0 to 6.8. Phosphorus and calcium are also important nutrients that are needed to produce a bountiful harvest of peppers. Soil testing will reveal any added amends you will need for your peppers. If you have low PH, add lime. If you have good PH, adding Gypsum leaves will leave the PH level constant and add calcium which is necessary for control of bloom end rot disease. Again, high nitrogen should be avoided because it will cause leaves to grow fast, but will stun fruit production.
Peas
Soil condition is very important when planting peas. Many kinds of soils from clay to sandy are good for growing peas. Whatever soil you are planting in, make sure you have good drainage and plant in full sun. Peas need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Adding rich compost is important for anything you are planting in your garden. You may have heard that peas and beans can help fix nitrogen in the soil, however, you must use a legume inoculant which is a bacteria that is added to the soil when planting in order to multiply the bacteria which fixes nitrogen in the soil. It works by infecting the legumes and causes the legumes or peas to form nitrogen-fixing nodules. The healthier your soil the better your harvest will be.
Peas like a soil PH of 5.8 to 7.0. The PH scale is 0 to 14. A reading of 7.0 is neutral, and a reading of 5.8 means your soil is more acidic. Testing your soil every couple of years is a good idea in order to keep your soil balanced. Peas don't need as much fertilizing as other plants do so adding a good rich compost will be all that is needed. Peas are cool weather plants, so plant them as soon as the ground is workable. Pea needs at least an inch of water per week so unless you have a dry spring, or sandy soil you may not need to water them. Mulch around the plants to retain moisture levels in the soil and help deter weeds. To keep plants healthy from disease only water the base of the plants.
Green Beans
A garden favorite, green beans are grown in almost every backyard garden. When planting green beans keep in mind that they do best in sandy and loam soil. However, they will grow in any soil except clay soil. To make clay soil more inhabitable for green bean plants, you can amend it with sand or peat moss. Green beans should be planted in well-drained areas. When watering your plants, you should keep them moist, but not soggy which could cause root rot.
Green beans grow best in neutral to slightly acidic soil with a PH of 6.5. to 7.0, Green beans aren't heavy feeders, so they will grow in less fertile soil, so just simply adding a rich compost will feed all the nutrients your plants will need for the season. Since green beans have shallow roots, watering them is key to having healthy plants. Green beans need at least 1 inch of water a week, and always water at the base of the plant, not the foliage. Mulching each plant will help retain moisture, and will help keep the ground warmer. Plant green beans in full sun with a minimum of 6 hours of daylight. As with peas, you can add a legume inoculant to encourage bacteria growth that is nitrogen-fixing so they provide their own fertilizer.
Corn
In small backyard gardens, corn should be planted in small blocks, not long rows which will help it cross-pollinate. Plant corn in an area that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, and good drainage is very important. The soil that corn prefers is a PH level of 5.5 to 7.0. It is ideal to plant corn in sandy soil at first because sandy soil warms faster and causes faster germination. When the corn has 3 or more leaves, replant the corn in heavier soil. Leaving the corn in sandy or loamy soil may cause a magnesium deficiency in your plants.
Planting your corn with the three sisters method is helpful in many ways. Corn provides the support or trellis for the beans, the beans provide natural fertilizer for the three plants, and the squash provides ground cover to help with weed control and moisture retainment. To fertilize the corn plants use a 10-10-10 per 100 square feet, and work into the soil 4 inches deep. It is important to keep corn watered, especially when the kernels are forming. When the corn gets 2 feet high, fertilize again with 1 cup of fertilizer for every 10 feet and lightly mix into the soil.
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