Vegetable Gardening

Visit Our Garden Center for Hearty Vegetables for Your Vegetable Garden

The Garden Center at Ace Hardware & Hearth and Ace Home & Leisure stores hand-selects the best vegetable seeds, seedlings and plants from local growers. Enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits this summer, and start your vegetable garden with plants and help from Ace.

Vegetable Planting Tips

Preparation

Choose a site in full sun for your vegetable garden. Prior to planting, apply 5 lbs. of Garden-tone per 100 square feet and work into the top 4 to 5 inches of soil. When possible, organic materials such as peat moss or compost should also be worked in as well.

Arranging the Garden

Proper planning will allow you to grow a bountiful crop of vegetables. Considerations such as the season, height, and days-to-harvest should be considered for best results. Some crops, such as peas and lettuce, can be planted very early and a second, different crop can then be grown in that space. Corn and tomatoes can become quite tall and shade other crops, reducing their yield. It is best to sketch out the garden prior to planting to allow for such considerations.

Seed Starting

The selection of seed available from the garden center is often much greater than the selection of vegetable plants. Seed starting is not difficult. Choose a room that is heated to around 65-70 degrees. You can purchase a seed-starting kit and seed-starting growing media from your garden center. Sow the seed in the growing media and place in a sunny location. If the kit comes with a cover, use it to retain moisture and warmth. Keep the soil moist by watering with a misting bottle or in some similar fashion that does not disturb the soil. When the seedlings are up, thin or transplant to a peat pot and keep in a sunny location to grow size. Transplant to the garden when best for that crop. Cold season crops can go out early; tomatoes, squash, and corn should not be placed in the garden until all danger of frost has passed.

Feeding

Feed with Garden-tone when plants are placed in the garden. Garden-tone is a complex blend of organic ingredients enhanced with Bio-tone^® beneficial microbes. Its higher phosphorous and potassium will increase yields. Feed every three to four weeks throughout the growing season.

Weeds

Weeds will compete with your plants for moisture and nutrients. If allowed to grow unchecked they can also shade other plants, stunting their growth. It is best to keep the garden clean by hand-weeding or hoeing. You can reduce the amount of time spent on weeding by using a mulch of straw or grass clippings.

Watering

In general, your garden will require at least one inch of rain each week. In dry summers you will need to supplement the rainfall by watering. It is best to water in the early morning, as watering in the heat of day will cause some water to be lost to evaporation.