AZ Master Gardener Manual: Vegetable Garden

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AZ Master Gardener Manual: Vegetable Garden
Arizona Cooperative Extension
College of Agriculture
The University of Arizona

When planning your garden, it is important to ask a few basic questions:

Who will be doing the work? Will the garden be a group project with family members or friends who will work willingly through the season to a fall harvest, or will you be handling the hoe alone, in between camping and swimming? Remember, a small weed-free garden will produce more than a large weedy mess.

What do you and your family like to eat? Although the pictures in the garden catalog look delicious, there is no value in taking up gardening space with vegetables that no one eats. Make a list of your family's favorite vegetables, ranked in order of preference. This will make a useful guide in deciding how much to plant of each. Successive plantings of certain crops, such as beans, will give a longer harvest period and increase your yield. List recommended varieties and planting dates.

How do you plan to use the produce from your garden? If you plan to can, freeze, dry, or store part of the produce, this will be a factor not only in planning the size of the garden but also in selecting the varieties grown. Some varieties have much better keeping quality than others. Care should be used in choosing the seeds, making sure the varieties you select are adapted to your area and intended use.

How much space is available? That is, how much area can be converted into usable garden space, not simply how much empty ground is available.

Chapter 10 Index:

Introduction
Soil Preparation

Seed For The Garden
[ Seed | Soil Temperature ]

Transplants For The Garden

Irrigating The Garden
[ Irrigating | Rooting ]

Fertilizing The Garden

Weed Control In The Garden

Vegetable Planting Guide and Recommended Planting Dates
[ Guide | Regions 1 - 3 | Regions 4 - 6 ]

Intensive Gardening Methods

Container Garden

Vegetable Gardening In The Fall (Winter In The Hotter Regions)
[ Fall | Season ]

Selected Vegetable Crops
[ Intro | Asparagus | Beans | Broccoli | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Sweet Corn | Cucumbers | Eggplant | Lettuce | Melons | Onions | Peppers | Potatoes | Squash | Tomatoes | Herbs | Herb Use ]

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