Gardening Tips For Growing Bell Peppers and Strawberries
Posted on Mar 11, 2010 under Gardening Tips | 9 Comments
Bell peppers need nutrient rich soil. They do best in well drained soil, and lots of sun. Raised beds are great for bell peppers, with good topsoil, compost, and rotted manure mixed in.
Your bell peppers grow into small bushes, and need lots of air circulation. Give them enough room by spacing them between 12 and 18 inches apart, and in rows at least 24 to 36 inches apart.
Bell peppers need lots of water during germination. You’ll need to keep them moist but not soggy. If they don’t get enough water, they’ll have a bitter taste. You can use mulches to help keep the soil moist.
You’ll know that your bell peppers are ready to harvest when they turn their final color. They can be red, orange, yellow, green, or purple depending on the variety. The more you harvest, the more will grow, so pick them regularly.
Watermelons
Plant your watermelon after the soil is warm and there’s no danger of frost. Watermelons grow best on a sandy soil, and it’s important to plant them on raised mounds.
Watermelon vines need lots of space. Plant seeds one inch deep in hills spaced 6 feet apart. Make your rows 7 to 10 feet apart. After the seedlings start sprouting, it’s a good idea to thin them to about three plants per hill.
Watermelons have deep roots, so you seldom need to water them. In cooler areas, you can get floating row covers, drip irrigation and black plastic mulch to help produce a great crop in a short season.
Watermelons can be hard to tell when they’re ripe. Here’s a list of things to look for:
# Light green, curly tendrils on the stem
# Surface color of the fruit turns dull
# the skin is tough and resist the thumbnail
# The bottom turns a yellowish color.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are sensitive to grow. The seeds need warm soil, and frost can really injure the seedlings. If you want pumpkins for Halloween, plant the seeds from late May in northern locations to early July in southern places.
Pumpkins need a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep, and four or five seeds per hill. Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. Once they have sprouted, thin each hill to the best two or three plants.
Pumpkin plants need to be kept weed-free by hoeing and shallow cultivation. They do okay with short periods of hot, dry weather.
You’ll know when your pumpkins are ready to be harvested when they are a deep, solid orange, and the rind is hard. This will usually be in late September or early October, before heavy frosts. Cut the pumpkins carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife, and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached.
Summer Squash
Summer squash needs warm, fertile, and aerated soil. They do well with soil that has compost or well-rotted manure added to it.
One way to grow summer squash is to plant them in a corner of the garden and train the vines to grow outside of the garden. Plant them about 2 feet apart and in rows that are 2 feet apart.
Summer squash need lots of water throughout the growing season. Water them deeply during dry spells. Only water the roots; not the foliage. Watering them early morning helps prevent mildew.
Summer squash are ready to harvest when they turn their mature color (usually green or yellow). Straightneck, crookneck, and zucchini summer squash are ready when they reach 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, while scallop summer squash are ideal at 3 to 4 inches in diameter.
Strawberries
Plant your strawberries in the spring. If you’re planting young plants, be sure that they’re certified and disease frees. Select plants with large crowns with healthy, light-colored roots. Prepare your soil with 1-2 inches of organic matter (like compost, or well rotted manure).
To plant your strawberry plants, make a hole big enough to spread the roots. Make the center of the hole into a hill, and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots downward, and bury the strawberry plant so that the soil goes half way up the crown.
Your strawberries will need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. This is especially important during the formation of the strawberry, from early bloom until it’s time to pick them.
Pick your strawberries when they’re fully ripened. This means leaving the berries on the plant for a day or two after they are fully colored. To pick them, snap the stem directly above the berry, rather than pulling on the berry itself.
Allan Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/gardening-tips-for-growing-bell-peppers-and-strawberries-129846.html
March 11th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
First time veggie garden.. Tips, advice, anything….? lol =)?
Hey all… This is my first year to start a veggie garden. So far, I have a couple tomato plants, and some strawberry plants. But.. I’m getting ready to plant a variety.. I have a few more tomato plants, 4 squash, 10 watermelon, 4 cucumber, 1 Habanero, 4 Jalapeno, 4 bell pepper, 4 broccoli, 4 cauliflower… And then all of the above in seeds, plus cabbage, corn, radish, carrot, cantaloupe, spinach, lettuce, peas, beans, brussell sprouts, pumpkin, sunflower, and a few others.
Of these, do any do well in partial shade? Is it too late or early to plant any of these? Any of these need special care/more difficult to grow?
Just any advice from experience veggie gardeners would be appreciated!!
Thanks =)
Zone 6 – Southwestern Virginia
March 12th, 2010 at 4:38 am
Timing depends what zone you are in.
I’m in zone 6 and now is the time to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and squash. I started my seeds indoors 5 weeks ago though. Are you planting seeds or plants?
If you plant seeds now..you wont have the veggies I mentioned until late summer. (I’m not sure if you have seeds or plants though)
Lettuce and a few others you mention are cool weather crops.You would be better off waiting until september to plant those.
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:40 am
This is a good site to help you out…with all those plants you need to make sure you provide adequate space in between your plants
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/vegtips.html
Also make sure you provide enough water for your plants…and make sure you provide adequate food for them…i use a mixture of time released plant food and my own home grown compost…..your just about right for planting most of those plants…. brocolli likes cooler temps and as does spinach/lettuce….you should be fine however….
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:42 am
Quite a variety. Probably too late for spinach – it is hard to grow anyway. Peas also prefer to be planted in early spriong.. Brocc, cauli, brussells, cabbage and lettuce will take some shade. Watermelon, cantelope needs sun, rich soil and mositure. Watch out, squash plants can get quite large. Tomatoes, beans and peppers are easiest. Cukes are pretty easy, but will likely succumb to disease later in the summer. Enjoy.
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:44 am
It depends where you are in the country, but you are pretty much too late now for peas to be successful anywhere, and if you grow lettuce and other leafy vegetables, they will need some protection from the full sun, and to be kept well watered.
Carrots and radishes (root vegetables) need soft sandy soil, otherwise they will turn out distorted. They also need plenty of water to row well.
Brussels sprouts and cabbage are not easy. They need a long cool growing season and sprouts need to be frosted to taste good.
Pretty much everything should be in the ground now, but you many need to protect the tender plants (peppers and melons) from cold nights. I find that plastic gallon milk bottles with the bottom cut off and no caps do very well as miniature greenhouses.
You are being very ambitious for a first time vegetable gardener. I think it is always better to start with some easier plants (tomatoes, peppers, green beans) then add each year. Also, only grow the things you really like to eat and that are more expensive in the stores. That is why I never bother with carrots and cabbage.
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:46 am
Soil preparation is also very important. Dig your garden plot up well and then amend the soil with a compost such as sheep or cow manure(no, it doesn’t stink). Work that in really well and plan your rows before you plant.
References :
http://wwwbhg.com/home/Vegetable-Gardening.html
March 12th, 2010 at 4:48 am
I would start the tomatoes and peppers inside and all the others in the field.
Not sure but you might end up with fall tomatoes.
If you plant all the seeds on your list you will need a good hoe, an umbrella for a shade brake with a gallon of lemonade per day. LOL
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:50 am
Wow That is a Huge Garden and Sounds Delicious
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March 12th, 2010 at 4:52 am
"Best Answer – Chosen by Asker
I think starting a garden is an excellent way to get your veggies without spending a lot of money… and for me it’s turned into a therapeutic hobby too.
There are a lot of factors– type of soil you have, amount of sun, wat size garden, what you want to grow, etc, etc….
Here’s some general advice— (the best I can do without knowing more about your yard)
Find the sunniest spot in your yard…. rent a tiller to turn the soil….
Then, see what the neighbors are growing (chances are they have the same type of soil you do)….. or take a soil sample to your local nursery and ask them, "what will grow in this type of ground"?
As for maintenance….. put down a lot of mulch…. it will keep the water in and reduce the number of weeds….. if you want to get fancy, they have plastic or burlap tarps you can put over the garden to keep weeds down.
The south east is a great climate because you have a longer growing season…. if you have good soil, you should have a bountiful garden.
Here’s a link to an ebook that may help you– it’s pretty thorough and offers some good advice. It’s titled Vegetable Garden Secrets. http://www.iwantateachingjob.com/garden.html
Maybe the book can help you get started.
Best of luck!!
1 year ago"
"Best Answer – Chosen by Voters
I did some research on this very subject a few days ago and here is what I found….The following is a list of vegetables of partial shade-tolerant vegetables. While productions may be greater in the sun, these plants will produce an edible crop when grown in a shady location. However, remember that nothing will grow in complete shade. Plants will need some morning, evening or filtered sun; a total of two to six hours of direct sun is the minimum.
Arugala Rhubarb Beans Rutabagas Beets Salad Burnet Broccoli Salsify Brussels sprouts Sorrel cabbage Spinach Cauliflower Summer Squash Celery Turnips Cress Endive HERBS Garlic Angelica Kale Borage Kohlrabi Caraway Leaf Lettuce Chervil Leeks Coriander Parsley Lemon Balm Parsnips Lovage Peas Mint Potatoes Tarrgon Pumpkins Thyme Radish
blueberries, raspberries, and several kinds of pears
In general, leafy vegetables are the most shade-tolerant, while those that fruit from a flower (tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants) are the least. In between are the root vegetables requiring at least a half day of full sun: potatoes, beets, carrots and turnips. Shade tolerant leafy vegetables include lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, endive and radiccio. Broccoli (and its relatives — kale, kohlrabi, turnips, mustard and cabbage — also grow in partial shade.
Good Luck"
Note: Crisphead, also known as iceberg, has a tightly compacted head with crisp, light green leaves. Many gardeners find this type difficult to grow due to high temperatures.
References :
Ref: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070318103112AALsVv2