A bountiful garden of easy-care favorites to please young and old alike. Fresh and juicy tomatoes, sweet peppers, green beans, broccoli, salad greens and more.
Planting Guide:
Tomato
- Plant seeds 1/4″ deep indoors, six to eight weeks before last frost
- Transplant into garden one to two weeks after last frost or when soil reaches 65 degrees F.
- Spacing: one plant per sq. ft. Grow early season crops nearby to allow more room later.
- Days to harvest: 55 to 100 days from transplanting, depending on variety. Not frost-hardy
- Hint: Remove lower leaves before planting and bury extra stem.
Peppers
- Start seeds indoors 1/4″ deep 10 to 12 weeks before last frost.
- Transplant into garden three weeks after last frost or when soil reaches 70 degrees F.
- Fruits are edible from early green to full-color maturity.
- Spacing: one plant per sq. ft.
- Days to harvest: 50 to 65 days green, 80 to 85 days to full color. Not frost-hardy.
Spinach
- Plant seeds 1/2″ deep directly in garden up to six weeks before last frost.
- Sow spinach every two weeks in spring and again in late summer for fall crops.
- Spacing: sow 18 seeds per sq. ft.; thin to nine plants per sq. ft.
- Days to harvest: 30 to 40 days from germination. Very frost-hardy.
- Hint: Spinach bolts in hot weather, so harvest early. Keep soil cool and moist with mulch or shade netting.
Beans
- Sow seeds 1″ deep directly in garden after all danger of frost.
- Spacing: four plants per sq. ft. for bush beans, six to eight plants per sq. ft. for pole beans
- Plant second crop of bush beans (if needed) two weeks after first planting
- Days to harvest: 50-80 days from seed, depending on variety. Not frost-hardy.
- Hint: Add a legume inoculant when planting to increase vigor and yield.
Basil
- Plant seeds 1/4″ deep indoors six weeks before last frost; outdoors two weeks after last frost.
- Transplant seedlings two to three weeks after last frost or when soil reaches 70 degrees F.
- Replant if you have space and want more.
- Spacing: two plants per sq. ft.
- Days to harvest: 40-55 days from transplant. Harvest leaves as desired. Not frost-hardy.
- Hint: Pinch stems early and often to stimulate branching and bushy growth.
Broccoli
- Sow seeds 1/4″ deep indoors, six weeks before last spring frost.
- Transplant into garden when seedlings have two sets of leaves.
- Spacing: one plant per sq. ft.
- Days to harvest: 50 to 70 days from transplant. Frost-hardy.
- Plant a second broccoli crop eight weeks before first fall frost.
- Hint: Row covers are an effective control for cabbage worms.
Kale
- Sow seeds 1/2″ deep indoors eight weeks before last frost or in garden six weeks before last frost.
- Transplant seedlings into garden up to six weeks before last frost. Very frost-hardy.
- Spacing: two plants per sq. ft. Can be planted midsummer wherever early crops are removed.
- Kale continues to grow and produce leaves until late fall.
- Days to harvest: 60 days. Very frost-hardy.
- Hint: Kale can be grown in part shade. It needs plenty of moisture, so mulch well.
Swiss chard
- Plant seeds 1/2″ deep indoors six weeks before last frost, or in garden two weeks before last frost
- Transplant: Around the time of last frost
- Plant a second crop to ensure a plentiful supply of tender leaves.
- Spacing: two plants per sq. ft.
- Days to harvest: 30 days from seed for baby; 50 days to full size. Frost-hardy.
- Hint: Good source of summer greens, chard is not bothered by heat.
Parsley
- Start seeds 1/4″ deep indoors 10 to 12 weeks before last frost.
- Transplant seedlings into garden up to a month before last frost.
- Spacing: two plants per sq. ft.
- Edible all summer and into winter.
- Biennial: plants will go to seed second year.
- Days to harvest: 75. Begin harvesting foliage at any time. Very frost-hardy.
- Hint: Parsley takes up to 21 days to germinate. Treat seeds with hot water before planting.
Beet
- Sow seeds 1/2″ deep directly in garden five to six weeks before last frost.
- Spacing: Plant seeds 18 per sq. ft., thin to nine plants
- Plant more in midsummer for a fall harvest
- Days to harvest: 45 to 60. Frost-hardy.
- Hint: The longer you wait to harvest, the bigger the beets. Tops and thinnings are flavorful. Beet greens also make a great "wrap" for grilled proteins and veggies.
Lettuce
- Sow seed indoors 1/4″ deep, eight weeks before last frost or in garden when soil is 50 degrees F.
- Transplant seedlings when four weeks old.
- Spacing: Start with five seedlings, eat four as they grow and let one head mature to full size.
- Plant more lettuce seeds every two to four weeks for a continuous supply
- Days to harvest: 50 days to full size. Edible anytime. Replant every two weeks. Frost-hardy.
- Hint: Lettuce dislikes heat. Give plants afternoon shade and lots of water.