Steps to Growing Successful Gourmet Fruit & Vegetables

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Asparagus

Asparagus plants are ideal at the edge of a garden or along a fence.

Choose a full sun location with well-draining soil. After the soil has been tilled, set rows 36” (90 cm) apart. Dig rows 4” (10 cm) wide and 6” (15 cm) deep. Set the crowns 20” (50 cm) apart in the row, spreading out the roots, and cover with 2” (5 cm) of soil. Don’t fill in the entire row with soil all at once. Water thoroughly. Fill in the row with more soil as new shoots gradually grow, until the row is completely filled to ground level. Water frequently and deeply.

Asparagus beds come into full production after three years. Avoid picking stalks during the first year of growth, and lightly harvest during the second year. A full harvest may be enjoyed in the third year. Harvest stalks in April and May. To harvest run a knife just below the ground level, about the crown. Stop harvest cuttings in June and allow the stalks to grow into fern-like foliage to replenish nutrients for next year’s spears. In the fall, remove the fern-like foliage.

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Rhubarb

Rhubarb is easy to grow and maintain and exceptionally hardy.

Plant rhubarb in the early spring in well-draining and fertile soil. Choose a full sun or partially shaded location. Space rhubarb plants 24-36” (60-90 cm) apart in rows (36-40”) (90-100 cm) apart. Dig a large hole. Mix the soil with composted manure and organic fertilizers. Fill the hole with the prepared soil. Set the crown and spread out the roots 5 cm (2”) below the surface of the soil. Firm the soil around the roots but keep it loose over the crown. Water thoroughly. A top dressing of 5-10-10 fertilizer can applied at the time of planting.

Pick minimal amounts the first year of growth. A full harvest may be enjoyed in the second year of growth.

Caution: Stalks are safe to eat, but rhubarb leaves contain oxalate which is toxic in large quantities. When harvesting, remove the leaves from the stalks and wash well.  Teach children the safe parts to eat and keep an eye on pets in the garden. Avoid rhubarb that has frost damage as the oxalate may have leached from the leaves into the stalk.

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Raspberries

While you’re preparing the hole, let the roots soak in a bucket of warm water 3-4 hours before planting.

Choose a full sun location with well-draining soil. Set the canes 24” (60 cm) apart. Dig a hole roomy and deep enough to allow the roots to spread. Place the roots in the hole keeping the crown at ground level, and firm the soil in around the roots. Water thoroughly. Raspberries enjoy 1-2” of water a week, for best growth continue to water regularly.

Canes benefit from a trellis or support for the heavy berry crops. Feed by mulching compost or well-rotted manure around the base of the plant.

Ever-bearing raspberries may produce a small crop of fruit during their first year of growth in the fall. In the second year of growth, plants fruit in the summer, and again, in the fall. After the fall harvest, prune or mow down canes to the ground.

Harvest berries as they ripen.

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Blueberries

While you’re preparing the hole, let the roots soak in a bucket of warm water 3-4 hours before planting.

Choose a full sun location with well-draining soil. Dig a hole at least 12” (30 cm) deep and wide enough to easily spread the roots. Mix the soil with wet peat moss. A good ratio is 40% peat moss to 60% soil. Fill half the hole with the prepared soil mixture. Place the bush at the same soil level as it was in the pot and firm the soil mixture in around the roots. Top off the planting with 2” inches of straight soil around the plant base. Water in thoroughly.

Continue to water regularly for best growth. Keep the plant base clear of weeds. You can fertilize the bush 4-6 weeks after planting. Mulch with a 4” layer of untreated, older wood chips.

Your blueberry bush doesn’t need pruning during the first four growing years. Remove blossoms in the first and second years to stimulate vigorous plant growth. Enjoy a light berry harvest in the third year, with increasing yields in the future. After four years, prune the bush annually in late winter.

Harvest blueberries as they ripen in late July to mid-August.

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Garlic

Garlic is grown for culinary uses and health benefits.

Choose a full sun location with well-draining soil. In late fall or early spring, plant garlic in rows spaced 12” (30 cm) apart. Dig the rows 3” (8 cm) deep. Break apart garlic heads into cloves, keeping the peel intact. Place the clove, tip pointed up in the soil. Space the cloves 6-8” (15-20 cm) apart. Cover with soil and tamp down gently. Water gently so that the freshly planted cloves are not displaced.

Green shoots emerge and actively begin to grow in April. Continue to water gently on a regular basis. It is not necessary to water every day. Stop watering in July.

In late summer, when 3-4 strappy leaves have turned yellow, harvest the garlic by lifting the bulbs gently from the soil. Shake off any clumps of remaining soil. Through dry before storing.

Simple Steps to Growing Successful Strawberries