Vegetable planting, like any other work in the garden or vegetable plot, has its specifics. Survival ability and yields can be increased only if you take into consideration all the nuances of growing specific crops.
To ensure optimal conditions and proper care, it is important to observe all the factors that influence the development of plants. Let’s look at all of them.
Planting time
All seeds germinate only at a certain temperature, and that is why early planting is not good for all crops. Seeds planted at the wrong time will be waiting for their right time, and their sprouts may be weak and damaged by pests and also vulnerable to diseases.
Therefore, the first to be planted are cold-resistant vegetables: carrot, radish, kohlrabi, etc. Their seeds are adapted to cold weather, while their sprouts can withstand short-term frosts.
Each region has its own time. Let us give average data. In late April, potatoes, beet roots, tomato seedlings and others are planted. Starting from mid-May, cucumbers, patty pan and marrow squashes, pumpkins and other heat-loving crops are planted in the open soil.
The size of furrows and seedbeds
Seeding depth depends on the size of seeds. Before seeding, be sure to read the recommendations for a particular crop. Manufacturers usually put such tips on bags with seeds. There you can also find information not only about the planting system, but also about plant care.
If there are no tips, you can follow general recommendations.
Small-seeded vegetables (carrot and turnip) are planted to a depth of no more than 3 cm, and from above they are dusted with a mixture of soil and mull or peat. After seeding, it is better to cover the bed with a mulching material. This will help to get an earlier harvest, as the soil will not become too dry and will be thoroughly warmed.
For the record:
The soil of the beds must be prepared in advance — it is necessary not only to dig it up and to make furrows, but also to add ash to improve the qualities of the substrate. Ash helps increase yields and destroys harmful microorganisms.
It is best to use coated seeds as seed material, as they are easier to plant, particularly in cold weather. They also make it possible to plant exactly at intervals of 3-5 cm, — seedlings will not have to be thinned out later.
Middle-sized seeds (peas, beans) are planted to a depth of 3-5 cm, with seedbeds well-watered beforehand.
Please note that small seeds are not soaked before planting, while middle-sized seeds need to be “awakened”. For example, beans are soaked in water for 3-4 hours. But it is better not let them sprout because they fall into two halves.
Improving soil quality
If you fertilized the soil in the autumn, you can be sure that it rested during the winter but is still impoverished, because last year’s harvest took nutrients out of it. They need to be replenished. Ideally, it is best to improve the structure of the soil and fertilize it both in autumn and in spring, and it is imperative to take into account the type of soil on the plot and what kind of crop will grow in one place or another.
Acid soil should be treated with chalk or dolomite powder and heavy soil, with ash.
Moreover, different crops need different proportions of nutrients. This should be taken into consideration when preparing the soil of beds. Vegetables can be divided into three groups according to the amount of nitrogen fertilizers consumed which are put in a great depth before planting to increase yields. Big nitrogen consumers are green, white and red cabbage, Chinese leaves, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, celery, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. The group of medium nitrogen consumers includes carrot, radish, red beet, kohlrabi, potatoes and egg-plants. Among lesser nitrogen consumers are beans, peas and small radish.
Crop rotation
In addition to enriching soil in the right way and improving its qualities, experienced allotment gardeners normally bear in mind one more thing: when planting, it is necessary to take into consideration what grew earlier in the place where you are going to plant another crop so that the soil was not used one-way.
For greenery | Good predecessors in garden beds meant for greenery are cabbage, tomatoes and onions, while bad ones are celery and carrots. The soil must be deoxidized, and organic and mineral fertilizers must be added. The depth of digging should be small (20-25 cm). After digging in the autumn, it is desirable to put straw or spruce branches on the beds to retain snow. |
For tomatoes   | The best predecessors for tomatoes are beets, cucumbers, onions, legumes, carrots, greens, peas, maize, and marrow squashes. The bad ones are potatoes, late cabbage, peppers and egg-plants. The soil should be dug up, and deoxidizing additives should be inserted. Superphosphate, which is very good for tomatoes, can be just spread out on the surface of the soil. |
For cucumbers   | The best predecessors are tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, onions, legumes, spinach, rhubarb, early cabbage and cauliflower, beets, carrots and greens. The bad predecessors are cucumbers, patty pan and marrow squashes, pumpkins, melons and water melons. For cucumbers it is better to make light beds. For this, the soil should be dug up to the full spade’s depth and enriched with organic fertilizer. If the soil is heavy or clayish, a bucket of river sand per m2 should be put into it. |
For red beets   | The best predecessors of red beets are cucumbers, marrow squashes, early potatoes, early varieties of sweet pepper and egg-plant, and early tomatoes. It’s no good planting red beets after spinach, carrots and cabbage. Beds for red beets should have neutral acidity. Beets do not grow well in heavy soil, even if they get enough nutrition. Acidified soil, large bodies of water and water stagnation are not suitable for beets. In autumn, when preparing soil for beets, it is desirable to add organic fertilizer – artificial manure or SOM – in the amount of half a bucket per square meter. |
For carrots   | The best predecessors are cucumbers, onions, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, leek, beets, and beans. A bed is dug up to a depth of 1.5-2 spades; the soil must be loose. Simultaneously with digging, soil organic matter or artificial manure is put into the soil: 10-15 kg per m2 in case of lean soil; 4-5 kg per m2 if the soil is normal. It is also recommended to add ash in the amount of 10-15 g per 1 m2. Also, it is necessary to add dolomite powder or chalk (for deoxidation). |
For pumpkins and marrow squashes   | The best predecessors are potatoes, onions, cabbage, root crops, and beans. The worst ones are cucumbers, marrow and patty pan squashes When digging, artificial manure can be put into the soil (not more than 3-4 kg per m2). Chalk or dolomite powder must be put in acid soils. |
Why a different crop? – The point is that if you plant the same vegetables in the same place year after year, the soil will be substantially exhausted, since these plants use the same nutrients. There is also a risk of increasing on this plot of land the population of bacteria and pests that attack this particular plant. The plants will be sick, which will lead to a serious decrease in crops.
Therefore, it is very important to organize the right crop rotation, i.e. alternation of plants on one particular plot during several seasons. Each vegetable should return to its former place only in 3 or 4 years (the noncritical minimum is 2 years). This approach to vegetable growing helps maintain soil fertility and prevent soil depletion, because the change of vegetables ensures even consumption of different useful substances.
For instance, it is not recommended to plant crucifers (all varieties of cabbage, radish and small radish) in the same place, because harmful bacteria and pests parasitize on these plants.
There are very many nuances. It is easy to become enmeshed in all this, and therefore we have prepared for your convenience a note saying what crop should be planted in what bed. This note should be used in spring and autumn when planning beds.
If in autumn you do not plan planting for the nest season, you can fertilize all the beds in the following way: apply artificial manure and well-rotted organic matter (in the amount of 3-4 kg per m2) and add wood ash (250-300 g per m2).
Protection from weeds
To optimize work effort and save time on weeding, the Agrotex unwoven mulching material is used (60-80g/m² of black or white and black material); its fabric is porous, which does not obstruct air and water exchange.
Put the material right on the beds and make in it X- or O-shaped apertures, in which plants will be set. Or take the Agrotex perforated material, in which there are ready round orifices.
Around the perimeter, the material is fixed with P-shaped peg or any other means at hand.
The Agrotex mulching material is used when planting a big variety of vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, marrow squashes, strawberries, etc.) in order to get a good harvest and to save time on weeding. Thanks to this black material, weeds have no access to sunlight, and the absence of photosynthesis retards their development and stops growth. Also, the material protects fruits of some crops from contacting soil. For instance, strawberries remain clean and do not rot or putrefy.
Covering beds
Beds are covered to protect them from changes in temperature, sun burns, night frosts and harmful insects.
For this purpose, we recommend to use the white Agrotex unwoven material of low density (17 and 30). As they grow, the plants will neatly raise the light cloth without damaging leaves, fruits or stems. At the same time, the material will create the optimal microclimate for the growth, development and fruitification of plants, because the unwoven material passes through water and air without condensate formation on the inner side.
The covering material can be put on arcs as well. For this, take the thicker and stronger white Agrotex material (42–60).
