When is the best time to build a Vermont garden?

Anytime the ground is not frozen you can build and do soil work on Vermont gardens. We like to start building gardens most years at the end of March / early April and continue until late fall.

When is the best time to plant a Vermont garden?

Vermont is in zones 3-5 with an average growing season of 150 days between last and first frosts. That said, we like to start planting some hardy plants and seeds in early May. Then do the bulk of the planting at the end of May into June with a second planting mid July for a fall harvest.

What are the best vegetables to grow in Vermont?

Planted directly in the ground from seed: arugula, beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, dill, garlic sets, lettuce, melons, mesclun blends, onion sets, peas, radishes, spinach, squash, swiss chard, turnips, and zucchini.

Planted from starts: basil, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, kale, oregano, parsley, peppers, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes;

What is companion planting?

Companion planting is when you plant different varieties close together for mutual benefit to: reduce pests, attract pollinators, and to increase yields in a small garden space. The following are pairs or groups we plant together: basil and tomatoes; beets and kohlrabi; cabbage family with dill sage thyme rosemary; carrots with lettuce broccoli; cukes with beans and corn; dill with cabbage cucumbers; eggplant with beans, marigolds with everyone! onions with swiss chard; thyme with cabbage family; tomatoes with basil onion marigolds, all plants like growing with lettuces and mesclun and lastly turnips with peas.

What is square foot gardening?

Square foot gardening is a raised bed planting concept where you plant in one foot squares instead of in rows. One plant squares: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, eggplant …Two plant squares: cucumbers and squash that vine…Four plant squares: swiss chard, basil…Nine plant squares: beets, spinach…sixteen plant squares: carrots, radishes, onions, lettuce.

What is succession planting?

Succession planting greatly increases yields in a small garden space. Every time you have something you replace it by planting more seed or adding a new start. The best plants for succession planting in Vermont: arugula, basil clones, bush beans, beets, broccoli starts, carrots, dill, green onion sets, kale starts, lettuce mixes, radish, spinach (early spring and late summer), swiss chard and turnips

What vegetables are easy to grow in Vermont?

The following do well in Vermont and are easy to grow: beets, lettuce, kale, cucumbers, peas, bush and pole beans, radishes, summer & winter squash.

What vegetable plants yield the most food?

High yield plants that do well in Vermont include: cucumbers on trellis, bush beans on a fence, pole beans, peas on a fence, radishes, lettuce, squash, tomatoes and zucchini.

How big should my first garden be?

It is easy to bite off more than you can chew. It’s a long season and it can be overwhelming in the beginning for some. A great start would be to have a 100 square foot garden space and expand in following years.

How many plants should I have for 2 people to eat fresh, in season, all summer?

Green beans 32, Cabbage family (ie broccoli, cauliflower) 6-12, cucumbers 3-4 per hill, eggplant 4, peppers 12 of each variety you love, tomato slicers 3, roma/plums 3-6 for canning, one cherry tomato squash 4 per hill, kale 3, swiss chard 12, lettuce 2’X4’ space.