Vegetable Garden

As the weather grows warmer and the days longer, thoughts turn to gardening and, more specifically, to vegetable gardening. There are many information resources available for the Mercer County gardener. A good source of general information is the Home, Lawn and Garden Section of the Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station. https://njaes.rutgers.edu/home-lawn-garden/ Another good source is the Master Gardeners of New Jersey Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County – Providing horticultural information and programs to the community (mgofmc.org), who are located at 1440 Parkside Avenue in Ewing, NJ, and are available Monday through Thursday from 9am-3pm and Friday from 9am to noon. They can be reached by phone at (609) 989-6853. If you come to the office in person, a photo or sample is very helpful. 

A book from our collection that focuses on growing vegetables in New Jersey is:

Grow Great Vegetables in New Jersey by Marie Ianotti

This book is a step by step guide to growing vegetables in the Garden State. It opens with basic preparations such as soil testing and composting. It continues with a section on Garden Planning, addressing such issues as deciding what to grow, seeds vs. seedlings and different garden designs. The book then presents a month-by-month summary of what to do from January to December. Each month’s entry addresses issues such as planning, preparing, maintaining and harvesting (including harvesting from storage). The book concludes with a section on edibles from A to Z which is a guide to planting and harvesting vegetables in New Jersey’s different climate zones. Following this, there is a section on more than 45 different vegetables and a brief discussion of fruit trees.

Vegetables can be grown in a variety of settings - from a dedicated backyard garden plot to a container on a porch or even sprouts made in jar. For all gardeners, but particularly those with limited space, The Speedy Vegetable Garden by Mark Diacono can prove helpful.

This book concentrates on quickly harvesting soaks, sprouts and varieties of vegetables that are quick growing. It starts with pumpkin seeds and continues with sprouts and herbs that are among the fastest seeds to soak and that will transform in an hour or so. The book also covers microgreens and the small seedlings of plants and herbs. Diacono continues with coverage of edible flowers and greens and finishes with plants that can be harvested early when small or that naturally grow small like cherry tomatoes. The book is abundantly illustrated and also includes recipes to utilize the harvest.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcomb

Also focusing on small scale gardens, The Postage Stamp Garden assume a 4’x4’ growing space. It takes the reader through the steps necessary to prepare the garden space for selected vegetable varieties. It then discusses the fertilization and cultivation of the soil and the planting and cultivation of the plants. The book also discusses the sowing and cultivation of heirloom varieties.

Another book for those with limited space:

Small-Plot; High-Yield Gardening by Sal Gilbertie

This book offers a comprehensive guide for the home gardener. It assumes nothing; starting with the process of converting lawn into your first-year garden and then provides suggestions on expanding your growing space. The coverage is step-by-step, beginning with preparation of the site and amending the soil, and then discussing the various vegetable families and when they can be planted. It also covers questions of space, discussing which plants have a fairly compact growing habit and which require a larger garden.

For those looking for ideas on overall garden design:

Groundbreaking Food Gardens by Niki Jabbour highlights the garden plans of 73 different gardens with a wide variety of different goals. Each plan includes suggested varieties and advice specific to the plants being grown. Among others, there are plans for herb gardens, pollinator friendly gardens, partial shade gardens and gardens grown from seeds from the grocery store. For those with no garden space, there is a garden based on growing in suspended rain gutters. There are also plans for Asian gardens, urban shade gardens, a year-round salad garden and a roof-top farm among others. This book is a treasury of advice and resources seemingly no matter your specific interest.

For those want to widen their view a bit:

The Tao of Vegetable Gardening by Carol Deppe

This book discusses both the specifics of gardening and what might be called the inner game of gardening. It begins with a careful consideration of the land and the preparation of the land. It then goes on to general considerations, what settings certain vegetables like and how they are best planted within such settings. Deppe covers specifics as well as more general directions for flexibility and balance and discusses popular vegetables, such a tomatoes and greens, and focuses on varieties for various conditions and results. She also spends time on the intangible satisfactions of growing and the unexpected pleasures of weeding.

Heirloom Plants by Thomas Etty

Heirloom Plants is based on the seed catalogs put out by Thomas Etty in the nineteenth century. It has descriptions and growing information on hundreds of different plants, including sometimes obscure varieties within well-known plant families. Extensively illustrated, it provides the potential gardener with a visual treat along with access to lesser known varieties of well-known plants.

- by Matt, Lawrence Branch