Store in a moisture–proof, air–tight container. Beans will stale and toughen over time even when stored properly.
Berries

Never rinse before storage. It washes off the thin, protective epidermal layer. Store berries in a cool, dry place; refrigeration promotes mold as a result of condensation on their surfaces.
Herbs

Dill and parsley will keep for about two weeks with stems immersed in a glass of water tented with a plastic bag. Most other herbs (and greens) will keep for short periods unwashed and refrigerated in tightly–sealed plastic bags with just enough moisture to prevent wilting. For longer storage, use moisture– and gas–permeable paper and cellophane. Plastic cuts off oxygen to the plants and promotes spoilage.
Mushrooms

Keep them in the refrigerator in a paper bag. The bag absorbs some of the moisture and keeps the mushrooms from spoiling.
Onions and Garlic

Mature, dry–skinned bulbs like it cool and dry—so don’t store them with apples or potatoes. French–braided onions and garlic are handy and free to get some ventilation as well.
Pumpkins and Winter Squash

Squashes don’t like to be quite as cool as root crops do. They like a temperature of about 50°F to 65°F. If you have a cool–ish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well!
Root Crops

Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, beets, and other root crops should be brushed clean of any clinging soil and stored in a cool, dark place. Never refrigerate potatoes—it will turn their starch to sugar. Don’t store apples and potatoes together; the apples give off ethylene gas that will spoil the potatoes. Clipping the tops of parsnips, carrots, beets, and turnips will keep them fresher longer.

If you have an overabundance of beets, make homemade borscht, the classic beet soup, and freeze. To grate the beets more easily, cook them first. A little vinegar intensifies the color.
Spices and Dried Herbs

Store in a cool, dry place, not above the stove or right next to the burners where heat and steam will cause them to lose flavor dramatically.
Tomatoes

Store at cool room temperature out of direct sunlight. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. If you have an abundance of tomatoes: for variety, dry tomatoes and/or marinate them in oil; or can them as salsa, ketchup, or juice.
Tropical Fruits

Tropical fruits do not keep well in the cold. Store bananas, avocados, and citrus fruit, as well as pineapples, melons, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers, and beans at about 50°F if possible.
Other Tips

* Baby lima beans (not the big, starchy ones) freeze nicely and are much tastier than commercial brands.
* Rhubarb, petite peas, sweet corn, and diagonally sliced or French–cut green beans are easy to blanch and freeze—and still taste great when thawed.
* Tomatoes, rhubarb, cucumbers, beets, cranberries, and virtually all fruits (especially peaches) are well–suited to canning, and their subsequent taste tends to be worth the added trouble. As folksinger Greg Brown put it, “Taste a little of the summer . . . Grandma’s put it all in jars.”

article source : www.almanac.com

Zone maps do have shortfalls; if the information is inaccurate, you may live in a microclimate. Soil, moisture, humidity, heat, wind, and other conditions also affect the viability of individual plants.

Here are three zone maps to reference:

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is generally considered the standard measure of plant hardiness. The map divides North America into 11 areas based on a 10°F difference in the average minimal fahrenheit temperatures.

The National Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone Map is another reference. In general, this map relies on a data set that reflects warmer recent temperatures in many parts of the country.

The Agriculture Canada Plant Hardiness Zones Map outlines the different zones in Canada where plants will most likely survive. Unlike the USDA map which is based only on minimum winter temperatures, the Agriculture Canada map considers a wider range of climatic variables, including maximum temperatures and the length of the frost-free period.

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As you get ready for your planting season, make sure you have these basic garden tools on hand!

* Garden gloves
* Spading fork
* Rake
* Hoe
* Hand cultivator or trowel
* Garden hose
* Shovel
* Wheelbarrow or garden cart

Planting Techniques

* As soon as your soil can be worked, stir it well and let it sit for several days.
* Then top-dress the soil with a 1-inch-thick layer of compost over the entire garden area.
* Using a spading fork, loosen the soil in the bed. Mix in compost.
* Smooth out the soil with a rake, getting rid of stones and debris.
* A good-size vegetable garden for a beginner is 10×16 feet.
* Check your seed packets for the best time to plant. Some vegetables are best planted in cool weather, and others in warm weather.
* Make rows for vegetable seeds with a hoe.
* Transplant seedlings using a hand cultivator or trowel.

Here’s advice on how deep to plant your seeds:

* The depth of your fingernail on your index finger for lettuce, Spanish onions, and radishes.
* The depth of your first knuckle for cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumbers, and squash.
* The depth of your second knuckle for bush or pole beans and corn.
* For tomatoes, plant deeper, as they root along the stem.

After you sow, lightly press the soil around the seedlings. Water well!

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* Grab a handful of your garden soil. If you can form it into a ball, the soil is too wet for planting. (Chances are the seeds will rot.) If it crumbles through your fingers, it’s ready for planting.
* Here’s another soil test. Make a ball of soil and drop it. If the ball crumbles, your garden is ready for seeds. If it holds its shape or breaks into two clumps, it’s still too wet for planning.
* You can also step into the garden and then step back and look at the footprint you’ve left in the soil. If it’s shiny, then there’s too much water near the soil’s surface to dig and plant. If it’s dull, then excess water has drained away and it’s time to plant.
* Old farmers had an even easier guideline: When the weeds start to grow in your garden, it’s time to plant your hardy vegetables.
* See our “Best Dates for Planting Seeds” chart and check the approximate safe planting days for your area.

As soon as the soil is ready for planting, stir it well and let it sit for several days. Then top-dress it with compost or well-rotted manure and get to work.

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Sow seeds of crops such as radish, lettuce, endive, and scallions directly in the frame for an early or late harvest. You can even raise them there all summer as long as the cover is removed when warm weather arrives.
Make a Cold Frame

* Construct a bottomless box and set it in the garden or atop other good soil in a sunny location.
* Frames are usually made from scrap lumber, but concrete blocks or bricks can also be used.
* Top the box either with glass (perhaps an old storm window) or a frame covered with clear plastic.
* Hinge the cover so that it may be opened for ventilation on warm days.
* Temporary frames or “cloches” can also be made by leaning old storm windows tent-style over the plants along the length of the garden row.
* To protect individual seedlings, cut the bottoms out of plastic milk jugs and place them over individual plants, holding the jugs in place with mounded soil. During sunny days, remove the caps for ventilation.

A Hot Bed

A hot bed is a cold frame that is heated. The method of using horse manure or compost works well and is more economical than electric heating cables.

* For a nonelectric hot bed, excavate 18 to 24 inches under the frame and add fresh manure or compost.
* Turn and moisten this material every couple of days for a week until it settles, then cover it with 6 inches of soil.
* As the manure or compost decomposes, it will generate enough heat to protect against early or late frosts.

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One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic, plan carefully. Start small.
The Very Basics

Here are some very basic concepts on topics you’ll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener extraordinaire:

* Vegetables love the sun. They require six hours (continuous, if possible) of sunlight each day, at least.
* Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Check with your local nursery or county extension office about soil testing, soil types, and soil enrichment.
* Placement is everything. Like humans, vegetables need proper nutrition. A vegetable garden too near a tree will lose its nutrients to the tree’s greedy root system. On the other hand, a garden close to the house will help to discourage wild animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
* Vegetables need lots of water, at least one inch of water a week. In the early spring, walk around your property to see where the snow melts first, when the sun catches in warm pockets. This will make a difference in how well your vegetables grow.
* Study those seed catalogs and order early.

Deciding How Big

A good-size beginner vegetable garden is 10×16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested below, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing (or giving away).

Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.

Make your garden 11 rows of 10 feet each of the following veggies:

* Tomatoes — 5 plants staked
* Zucchini squash — 4 plants
* Peppers — 6 plants
* Cabbage
* Bush beans
* Lettuce, leaf and/or Bibb
* Beets
* Carrots
* Chard
* Radish
* Marigolds to discourage rabbits!

Leave 2 feet between bush beans, 1/2 foot between bush beans and lettuce, and 1 foot between all of the rest.

(Note: If this garden is too large for your needs, you do not have to plant all 11 rows, and you can also make the rows shorter. You can choose the veggies that you’d like to grow!)

If you’re interested in planting potatoes, just remember that tomatoes and potatoes are not ideal companions and need “distance.”

article source : www.almanac.com

When it’s nearly time to plant, you’ll want to prepare your garden soil. Soil is more than dirt! Soil needs to be nutrient-rich, to enable your plants to absorb moisture and anchor roots. If your soil needs help, here are some tips on soil fixes and soil amendments:
Soil Fixes

* If you have clay soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand), compost, and peat moss.
* If you have sandy soil, add humus or aged manure, peat moss, or sawdust with some extra nitrogen. Heavy, clay-rich soil can also be added to improve the soil.
* If you have silt soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand) or gravel and compost, or well-rotted horse manure mixed with fresh straw.

Soil Amendments and Benefits

* Bark, ground: made from various tree barks. Improves soil structure.
* Compost: excellent conditioner.
* Leaf mold: decomposed leaves that add nutrients and structure to soil.
* Lime: raises the pH of acid soil and helps loosen clay soil.
* Manure: best if composted. Good conditioner.
* Peat moss: conditioner that helps soil retain water.
* Sand: improves drainage in clay soil.
* Topsoil: usually used with another amendment. Replaces existing soil.

Don’t Forget Fertilizers

The next step is to add fertilizer. Nitrogen (N) is needed for leaf growth and is responsible for making plants greener. Phosphorus (P) is associated with root growth and fruit production. Potassium (K), also known as potash, helps the plant fight off diseases and keeps it vigorous.

Fertilizers are labeled to show the percentages by weight of the fertilizer. A 100-pound bag of 10-5-10 contains 10 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potassium. The rest is filler, which gives it bulk and makes it easier to spread.

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* Team up with a neighbor for starting seeds, since a packet often yields much more than you will need.
* Don’t start your seeds too early, especially tomatoes! Most annual flowers and vegetables should be sown indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost in your area.
* Consult your seed packet for best time for planting.
* You may have to soak, scratch, or chill seeds before planting, as directed on packet.
* Use clean containers. Most seed catalogs offer seedling flats, peat pots, and other growing containers, but egg carton compartments make good containers, too. Be sure to poke holes in the sides near the bottom of the containers you use.
* Label your containers now! There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting what you planted.
* Fill clean containers with seedling mix. Use soilless peat moss and mix in equal parts vermiculite and perlite to hold enough water and allow oxygen to flow. Don’t use potting soil.
* Pour soilless mix into a large bucket and moisten with warm water. Fill your containers to just below the rim.
* Plant your seeds according to your seed packet. Most seeds can simply be gently pressed into the mixture; you can use the eraser end of a pencil to push in seeds.

Seed Tip: When planting seeds, plant the largest seeds in the package to get the best germination rate.

* Cover containers with plastic. Prick holes with a toothpick for ventilation. Water as directed.
* Find a place in the kitchen where there is natural bottom heat—on top of the refrigerator or near the oven. (Move the tray if the oven is on, as it may become too hot.)
* Seeds sprout best at temperatures of 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C).
* When seedlings appear, remove the plastic and move containers into bright light.
* When the seedlings get their second pair of leaves, prepare individual pots filled with a potting mix with plenty of compost. Move the seedlings carefully to the new pots and water well. Keep pots out of direct sun for a few days.

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* Be sure the plants harden off; that is, gradually get used to unsheltered life outdoors.
* During their last week indoors, withhold fertilizer and water less often.
* 7 to 10 days before transplanting, set the seedlings outdoors in dappled shade that is protected from winds for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their exposure to full sun and windy conditions.
* Keep the soil moist at all times during the hardening-off period. Dry air and spring breezes can result in rapid transpiration.
* If possible, transplant on overcast days or in the early morning.
* Set transplants into loose, well-aerated soil that will capture and retain moisture, drain well, and allow easy penetration by seedling roots.
* Soak the soil around new seedings immediately after transplanting.
* Spread mulch to reduce soil-moisture loss.
* To ensure that phosphorus—which promotes strong root development—is available in the root zone of new transplants, mix two tablespoons of a 15-30-15 starter fertilizer into a gallon of water (one tablespoon for vining crops such as melons and cucumbers), and give each seedling a cup of the solution after transplanting.
* Anything that raises soil temperature will help plants adjust to the shock of cold ground. Try raised planting beds and plastic mulch to boost soil temperature.

See our chart on minimum soil temperature for seeds to germinate.

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* Obtain catalogs from companies located in your part of the world as well as from distant businesses, and compare their offerings and prices. Some of the small regional seed sources carry heirlooms and special varieties best suited to your area.
* Before you order, contact your local county cooperative extension service office and ask about varieties that are known to do well in your area. Discuss any specific problems you’ve had with pests or disease.
* Make a list of what you’d like to grow, but check it twice before you order. A pause or two will give you a chance to change your mind. Remember that the garden is actually one-quarter the size you think it is.
* Plan to buy enough seeds to sow them thickly. Inevitably, you’ll suffer some losses (bugs, birds, weather), and you can always thin later if you end up with an excess.
* Pay careful attention to the number of days to maturity included in every catalog description. If your growing season has 85 predictable frost-free days, chances are you won’t harvest a watermelon that needs 120 days to ripen.
* Avoid discounted seeds sold at chain stores. They probably haven’t been stored under ideal conditions, and you may find germination to be spotty.

article source : www.almanac.com