Spinach forms a rosette of foliage 8 to 10 inches across. It comes in two types-smooth-leaved and crinkle-leaved (or savoy). The plants require cool weather and must be grown in spring or fall. In hot weather, they bolt-that is, they blossom and form seeds instead of developing into useful vegetables. America (savoy) and Viking (smooth) are good for spring planting. Hybrid No. 7 and Winter Bloomsdale (both savoy) can be planted in spring or fall. A 10-foot row yields about 3 pounds over two weeks.
Grow crops from roots of named varieties, rather than from seeds. Most varieties send up edible stalks and 3- to 4-foot-long seedstalks, which steal strength from the roots unless cut off at ground level before the seeds mature. Fine varieties are Chipman's Canada Red and Honeyred, which do not send up seedstalks; MacDonald and Valentine; and Cherry, good for the mild winters on the West Coast. A plant yields 6 to 8 pounds over six weeks.
Radishes grow best in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. They grow fast; fertilizer applied after planting will not reach roots, so prepare the soil before sowing: dig about 2 inches of compost or 4 inches of cow manure into a strip 12 to 18 inches wide and 8 inches deep, then add 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer to each 10 feet of row.
In most of the U.S. and Canada, where frost is expected in winter, sow seeds of ordinary varieties in early spring when the soil can be worked and continue to plant every 10 days until a month before maximum daytime temperatures are expected to average over 80. In late summer, when maximum daytime temperatures average below 80, start successive plantings of ordinary radishes again and continue until night temperatures drop to about 40.
Wait two years after planting before starting to pull stalks for eating. From then on, harvest in spring only the leafstalks that are 1 inch or more in diameter; the smaller ones will continue to grow and will die down to the ground in winter, rebuilding the plants' strength for another year. Cut off seedstalks at ground level as soon as they appear. Harvest rhubarb by grasping each stalk near its base and giving it a sideward twisting tug; the stalk will separate cleanly from the top of the roots.
Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep. Space ordinary varieties 1/2 inch apart in rows 4 to 6 inches apart. When seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, thin them to stand 1 inch apart. When sowing winter varieties, group three or four seeds in a spot; set each group 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. When seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, cut off all but the strongest in each group. Keep the soil moist. Harvest radishes when the diameters of the roots reach the size listed for each variety, before they become tough and woody. Pull up ordinary varieties 25 to 30 days after sowing, winter varieties after 60 days.
Grow crops from roots of named varieties, rather than from seeds. Most varieties send up edible stalks and 3- to 4-foot-long seedstalks, which steal strength from the roots unless cut off at ground level before the seeds mature. Fine varieties are Chipman's Canada Red and Honeyred, which do not send up seedstalks; MacDonald and Valentine; and Cherry, good for the mild winters on the West Coast. A plant yields 6 to 8 pounds over six weeks.
Radishes grow best in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. They grow fast; fertilizer applied after planting will not reach roots, so prepare the soil before sowing: dig about 2 inches of compost or 4 inches of cow manure into a strip 12 to 18 inches wide and 8 inches deep, then add 1 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer to each 10 feet of row.
In most of the U.S. and Canada, where frost is expected in winter, sow seeds of ordinary varieties in early spring when the soil can be worked and continue to plant every 10 days until a month before maximum daytime temperatures are expected to average over 80. In late summer, when maximum daytime temperatures average below 80, start successive plantings of ordinary radishes again and continue until night temperatures drop to about 40.
Wait two years after planting before starting to pull stalks for eating. From then on, harvest in spring only the leafstalks that are 1 inch or more in diameter; the smaller ones will continue to grow and will die down to the ground in winter, rebuilding the plants' strength for another year. Cut off seedstalks at ground level as soon as they appear. Harvest rhubarb by grasping each stalk near its base and giving it a sideward twisting tug; the stalk will separate cleanly from the top of the roots.
Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep. Space ordinary varieties 1/2 inch apart in rows 4 to 6 inches apart. When seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, thin them to stand 1 inch apart. When sowing winter varieties, group three or four seeds in a spot; set each group 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. When seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, cut off all but the strongest in each group. Keep the soil moist. Harvest radishes when the diameters of the roots reach the size listed for each variety, before they become tough and woody. Pull up ordinary varieties 25 to 30 days after sowing, winter varieties after 60 days.
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A gardening tip is that you can control the weeds in your vegetable garden is to cultivate the soil, uprooting or cutting off the weeds while they are still small.
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