These veggies demand more attending , but their homegrown flavor is deserving the extra effort .
Photo : Kindra Clineff
Some vegetables are so soft - going that you cangrow them in full sunor light tone and reap their stems , leaf , or stem just a few weeks after planting . However , other vegetables are pickier about their spring up requirements and can potentially take years to produce an eatable harvest . However , with a act of know - how and the right grow condition , even start gardeners can develop these challenging vegetables to love their delicious homegrown smell .
Credit:Photo: Kindra Clineff
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Asparagus
Photo : Bob Stefko
Planting Asparagus officinales is an investment in the future of your garden , as these slow - grow plant life can take years to reach harvestable sizing . Whengrowing asparagus from seed , plan to wait about four years before enjoy a harvesting . However , you canharvest asparagus spearsabout two to three days after planting if you grow asparagus from crowns alternatively of seeds . These plants demand a lot of blank space in the garden , butinterplanting asparaguswith tight - growing herbs , such as coriander and parsley , can keep your originate place productive while you wait for your bounty of spears .
Celery
picture : Dean Schoeppner
Apium graveolens dulce grows good in cool , moist weather condition and does n’t fare well in hot conditions . passion and urine stress can turn these plant life acerb or cause them to evolve hollow or stringy stems that are n’t pleasant to eat . To ward off this , sow celery seeds earlyin the season , keep the plants well - watered and mulched , and shelter them with spectre cloth during menstruum of high oestrus .
Celery needs around 1 to 2 inches of piddle per workweek , sometimes more during the hottest weather .
Credit:Photo: Bob Stefko
Cauliflower
Photo : Marty Baldwin
Cauliflower plants are also highly sensitive to heat and can bolt in hot weather or develop stunted or misshapen heads that do n’t seem like anything you ’d discover at the grocery store . fortuitously , you’re able to head off bolting bystarting Brassica oleracea botrytis early in springor in June 21 for an fall harvest , and prevent most buggy issues by growing cauliflower underrow cover .
Like other brassicas , cauliflower plants are particularly susceptible to pests that feed on the flora ’s leaves and damage the Brassica oleracea botrytis heads . Be on the lookout for lucre loopers , aphids , and cutworms . Even deer and rabbits will munch on the seedling and plant if sacrifice the chance .
Credit:Photo: Dean Schoeppner
Brussels Sprouts
One of the most coarse issues gardener encounter whengrowing Brussels sproutsis that their plant life perform poorly and develop undersize sprouts . This is usually due to temperature offspring , but it can also be triggered by arise Brussels sprouts in small containers or in poor - quality soil that lacks sufficient nutrients for these hungry plants . To produce large sprouts , enrich your garden beds with compost before planting , fertilize the flora regularly , and sow Brussels sprout seeds early in the season so they have meter to maturate before the hot weather arrives .
If you live in a warm wintertime area , plant Brussels stock in the dip and harvest them as a spring craw .
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoesare usually grow from slip-up , which are highly sensitive to cold conditions and should only be planted outdoors several weeks after yourlast give icing . Unfortunately , this intend that mellifluous potatoes may not have enough time to reach a harvestable size of it before fall if you live in an area with a short produce season . To speed things along , start sweet potato slipsindoors in spring and transplant them into soil better with compost to give your flora more energy to grow .
In areas with cool summers , embrace the planting expanse with black plastic and plant the slips through twat in the credit card , which warm up the soil and speeds ontogeny .
Heading Lettuce
Photo : Julie Maris Semarco
Most types of lettucebolt in hot weather , but this inclination is more pronounced inheading - type lettuces , such as cos lettuce and iceberg . If you do n’t get these plants in the ground early enough in spring or if hot weather strike unexpectedly , your moolah plant wo n’t mold heads , and they ’ll turn acid . If you live in a raging climate , slow down bolting by take off wampum seeds as early as possible , set plants in light shade , and watering often .
Sweet Corn
Different varieties of Indian corn can sometimes sweep - pollinate with each other and produce cobs and meat that are n’t tasty . Growing only onetype of cornin your garden can avoid this military issue , but it ’s still important to found clavus the right agency . These plants are wind - pollenate and often need turn in large group or squares to insure proper pollination . They may also require fencing or other supports to keep their stalks from topple over in high-pitched winds .
Artichokes
Like asparagus , artichokes are one of the fewvegetable crops that grow perennially . These slow - grow plants unremarkably do n’t produce their edible flower buds until their 2nd or even third year of growth . artichoke need a spate of space in the garden , and they ’re not peculiarly frigid - tolerant , which means you might need to provide them with wintertime protection or skip growing them entirely if you last in a cold climate .
Onions from Seed
Onions are typically grown from set or pre - started plants for other harvesting , but they can be grown from seed if you do n’t mind expect a little longer and investing more clock time in your Allium cepa crop . The problem is thatonion seed often have poor sprouting rates , so it ’s essential to overseed when planting , substitute onion cum per year , and increase airflow in indoor turn elbow room to protect onion seedling fromdamping off .
Credit:Photo: Marty Baldwin
Credit:Photo: Kindra Clineff
Credit:Photo: Marty Baldwin
Credit:Photo: Julie Maris Semarco
Credit:Photo: Dean Schoeppner
Credit:Photo: Bob Stefko
