- Author: Chris M. Webb
The 2011 UC Master Gardener Vegetable Demonstration Garden Project has recently finished. A group of certified Master Gardeners and trainees spent time each week from January 27 through December 15 learning vegetable gardening techniques through hands-on experience.
They documented their project so that they could impart lessons learned throughout the2011 project. This article is the eighth, and final, in a series to share this knowledge.
Seed storage:
Saving and storing seeds can provide additional fun and learning opportunities to vegetable gardening.
- Be sure that seeds being used are not beyond their expiration date.
- Consider saving seeds from plants with superior characteristics (e.g., hardy during cool temperatures).
- If you plan to save the seeds from your corn plants, you need to take steps to avoid cross-pollination from other corn plants. To keep heirloom corn pure, you have two options: 1) bag the ears and tassels, and hand pollinate, or 2) arrange it so your corn blooms earlier than any other corn around you.
- The female flowers of each crop can be fertilized only by pollen from male flowers of the same species. Cross pollination, however, can occur between varieties within a species. When crosses occur between members of the same species, we do not see the effect of the cross the first year. However, if the seeds are saved and planted, the plants will produce fruit that will be different from either of the parents.
- There is no reason to soak zucchini seeds in water prior to storage since the pulp can readily be separated from the seed. The pulp on tomato seeds, however, is tightly attached to the seeds making it necessary to soak the seeds for a few days. Once the pulp begins to ferment, it is easily separated from the tomato seeds.
- After soaking tomato seeds in water for two or three days, the viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the container. Dispose of the tomato seeds that float to the surface.
- The way to tell if zucchini seeds are viable is to look for plump seeds. Small flat zucchini seeds will most likely not germinate or will be of poor quality. Since viable zucchini seeds will float in water, the float test used to differentiate poor quality tomato seeds from viable seeds should not be used.
Questions on gardening? Please contact our Master Gardener helpline at 645-1455 or contact them by email at mgventura@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The 2011 UC Master Gardener Vegetable Demonstration Garden Project has recently finished. A group of certified Master Gardeners and trainees spent time each week from January 27 through December 15 learning vegetable gardening techniques through hands-on experience.
They documented their project so that they could impart lessons learned throughout the2011 project. This article is the seventh in a series to share this knowledge.
Plant protection:
Necessity in protecting plants from vertebrae pests varies depending on location.
- Seedlings should be protected from animals with cages once planted in the soil.
- When constructing cages for plants, design them so they can be easily removed even if the plants become overgrown. Otherwise, the plants may be injured as the cages are removed.
- Be sure to bury the frame of the frame of the cage to prevent mice from crawling under it.
- Small grocery paper bags make nice collars for corn plants.
- Plants placed in soda bottles for protection from critters will eventually grow out of the bottle making them vulnerable to pests. Cages may provide better protection from rabbits and other grazing animals.
- Don’t leave cages on the plants too long. As the plants outgrow the cages, they will become difficult to remove. Also the stem of the plant will be weak since support provided by the cage does not allow full stem development.
Questions on gardening? Please contact our Master Gardener helpline at 645-1455 or contact them by email at mgventura@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The 2011 UC Master Gardener Vegetable Demonstration Garden Project has recently finished. A group of certified Master Gardeners and trainees spent time each week from January 27 through December 15 learning vegetable gardening techniques through hands-on experience.
They documented their project so that they could impart lessons learned throughout the2011 project. This article is the sixth in a series to share this knowledge.
Garden tools:
Tools in the garden can save time and effort.
- A hula hoe is a great tool to extract small weeds.
- A pocket knife is a handy tool that should be carried while gardening.
- The blades of bypass pruners and loppers should only be sharpened on one side of the blade. If they are sharpened on both sides of the blade, a small gap will be created between the blades allowing the material being cut to wedge itself between the blades and precluding a clean cut. Anvil-type pruners typically need to be sharpened on both sides of the blade. When sharpening tools, only sharpen surfaces that were originally sharpened at the factory.
Questions on gardening? Please contact our Master Gardener helpline at 645-1455 or contact them by email at mgventura@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The 2011 UC Master Gardener Vegetable Demonstration Garden Project has recently finished. A group of certified Master Gardeners and trainees spent time each week from January 27 through December 15 learning vegetable gardening techniques through hands-on experience.
They documented their project so that they could impart lessons learned throughout the2011 project. This article is the fifth in a series to share this knowledge.
Irrigation:
Proper irrigation is vital to plant health. Drip irrigation has many benefits for plants, conserves water, and reduces weed growth. Drip irrigation systems, drip hoses or tape can be used.
- Water needs should be re-evaluated as the weather changes.
- Seedlings will die easily if they dry out.
- Install 10 psi pressure regulators on irrigation systems with flat drip tape. If a 25 psi pressure regulator is used inadvertently, it is likely that the tape will balloon up and pop during operation. 25 psi pressure regulators should be used on irrigation systems that have 3/4inch tubes and emitters.
- There are various types of pressure regulators. One type has a hole in the side and discharges a steady stream of water when the incoming pressure is high, which wastes a lot of water. Look for a pressure regulator that does not discharge water.
- When inserting .710 inch O.D. tubing (blue stripe) into a .700 inch O.D. fitting (black fitting), use soapy water to reduce the resistance. Hold the tubing with sandpaper to improve your grip.
- Avoid getting dirt in irrigation tubes and fittings, since it may clog the emitters. Flush the system to make sure that any debris is forced out the end of the tubing, before closing.
- When inserting irrigation tubing into tees and elbow fittings, be careful not to push the tubing in too far. Normally, there are no stops to prevent the tubing from going in too far. Tubing that is inserted too far can cause flow restrictions.
Questions on gardening? Please contact our Master Gardener helpline at 645-1455 or contact them by email at mgventura@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The 2011 UC Master Gardener Vegetable Demonstration Garden Project has recently finished. A group of certified Master Gardeners and trainees spent time each week from January 27 through December 15 learning vegetable gardening techniques through hands-on experience.
They documented their project so that they could impart lessons learned throughout the2011 project. This article is the fourth in a series to share this knowledge.
Garden planting:
Gardens can be planted directly with seeds or seedling transplants.
- In general, you should transplant all vegetable seedings at the same depth at which they originally grew in their planting mix. However, tomatoes and peppers can be planted up to their first true leaves. Adventitious roots (link to definition) growing along the stems on these vegetables will create stronger plants.
- Seedlings need to be hardened before transplanting them to the garden.
- Corn has a better chance of survival if seeded directly into the ground.
- Grow lettuce during cool seasons to avoid bolting (link to definition).
- If you transplant seedlings that have been exposed to low levels of light to full sun without a transition period, the plants may drop all their leaves. This stress could kill the seedlings. Gradually expose the seedlings to full sunlight. This may take a week or two.
- Cucumbers, melons, and squash are especially difficult to transplant. The root system is very fragile and can be damaged if the surrounding soil falls away during transplanting. These seeds may be better handled by planting them directly into the soil where the plants will reside.
- When rooting tomato cuttings, perform the rooting procedure quickly so that the cutting does not wilt. Wilting stresses the plant, making it more difficult to survive.
- Avoid seeding an area too heavily, otherwise plants will be stunted and provide a poor yield. Thin seedlings if necessary.
- Avoid keeping plants in six-packs too long. They will become stressed and may not do well after transplanting (e.g., stunted, poorly-developed plants).
- Watermelon and cantaloupe plants should be planted early in the season to increase probability of fruit.
Questions on gardening? Please contact our Master Gardener helpline at 645-1455 or contact them by email at mgventura@ucdavis.edu.