Horticulture
Using a Planting Calendar
A well-planned, properly tended vegetable garden can provide not only an excellent source of fresh, nutritious vegetables, but also relaxation and enjoyment for the entire family. With a few simple tools, a little space, and a desire to assist nature in plant growth, anyone can be a successful home gardener. The vegetable garden calendar is a brief guide to planting timeline information.
The Kansas Healthy Yards website has a gardening calendar that many gardeners find helpful. It lists all the months of the year and the chores that can be done during that month. Each month is divided into separate sections such as Vegetables and Fruits, Flowers, Lawns, Trees and Shrubs and Houseplants, so this calendar will include more details. Not all suggestions will be helpful each year but are important to have included. For example, one of the January tips is on removing snow and ice on limbs. You may brush off the snow, if desired, but ice should be allowed to melt naturally. To find the gardening calendar, go to http://kansashealthyyards.org/ and click on “Gardening Calendar” in the gray bar at the top of the page.
Steps to a More Successful Home Garden
• Use mulches to conserve moisture, control weeds and reduce rots.
• Keep plants free of insects and diseases.
• Examine plants often to keep ahead of potential problems.
• Keep weeds out.
• Remove tomato suckers as soon as they form (1 to 2 inches long).
• Sample soil and have it tested every three to four years.
• Apply fertilizer to garden area in recommended manner.
• Thin when plants are small.
• Avoid excessive walking and working in the garden when the foliage and soil are wet.
• Wash and clean sprayer well after each use.
Plants Recommended for Kansas
If you are having trouble finding the best plants that are recommended for Kansas, visit our webpages devoted to this topic. We have links to a wide variety of plants including annual flowers, perennial flowers, fruits, vegetables, turfgrass, low-maintenance roses and tree recommendations that are broken out by areas of the state. We also list recommend low water use plants.
You can find this page at http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=731
Annual flowers recommended for Kansas:
http://www.prairiestarflowers.com/Prairie_Star_nav.html
Perennial flowers recommended for Kansas:
http://www.prairiestarflowers.com/Prairie_Bloom_nav.html