Last week I finally found some time to plant my seedlings, so this week, I will go over some pointers for plant care.
Tomatoes are a staple fruit in most vegetable gardens — tomatoes like well-drained, loose, and fluffy soil. Tomatoes require 6-8 hours of sunlight per day and grow well when supported with a stake or cage. I recommend when using a cage or stake that is at least 6 feet tall. Some tomatoes can outgrow a cage or stake within weeks, so it is best to leave room for them to grow. Pruning a tomato plant can be scary, but it is necessary for the health and growth of the plant. If you are unsure about pruning, simply remove any branches that touch the soil. The “suckers” should also be removed. These are the small leaves that grow in the forks between the main stem and the stem that is producing blossoms or tomatoes. Pruning tomato plants should provide you with larger fruit and less disease.
Lettuce is another very simple vegetable to grow, and most can be harvested in 30-70 days. Spacing is important with lettuce. Romaine, and other tall lettuce plants, should be planted 6-8 inches apart, whereas iceberg and other head lettuce should be planted 12-18 inches apart. Lettuce grows well in loose, well-draining soil and should be lightly watered every day. Lettuce can grow in a shady part of the garden, requiring only 5-6 hours of sunlight per day.
Potatoes are fun to grow. Since these are root vegetables, you will not know what you have until it’s time to dig them up. Potatoes can be harvested around 60-90 days. They should be planted in very loose soil, at least 8 inches deep and 12 inches apart. Depending on the variety, most potato plants will produce 3 to 5 pounds of potato per plant. As they grow, I remove the blossoms from the leaves, making the potatoes larger and healthier.
Most cucumber plants will grow similarly to tomato plants. They can be trained to climb up a trellis, fence, or stake. Depending on the variety, most cucumbers are ready to harvest in 50-70 days. If you prefer a sweeter cucumber, harvest them when they are small. Around days 30-40, cucumber plants will begin to grow male flowers. A few days later, they will then begin to grow female flowers. To tell the difference, the female flower will have a very small cucumber behind the flower. Within 10-12 days, the female flower will be pollinated, then the female flower will fall off, and the cucumber will begin to grow.
Pepper plants are easy to grow but sometimes difficult to get started. Peppers love the heat and typically thrive as a late summer plant. The harvest date will depend a lot on the weather, but most pepper plants can be harvested around 60-90 days. Pepper plants like slightly dry but moist ground. Each plant should yield 5-10 peppers, depending on the variety. Since peppers can sometimes be heavy, it may helpful to stake the pepper plants to provide support and keep them from touching the ground. Pepper plants require very little pruning. I only prune leaves that turn yellow or develop spots. I find that it’s best to keep as many leaves as possible since they provide shade to the growing peppers, bell peppers are normally picked when green, but if left on the plant longer, they will turn shades of red, yellow, or even orange. As they change colors, they become sweeter. Happy Gardening. #70
