How to Grow Vegetables in the Midwest

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Decide during the winter which types of vegetables

   Take into account the size of your garden and the amount of sunlight it gets.
2. 2

   Step 2: fruits

   You may have to pare down your list or enlarge your garden space., Order seeds from a seed catalog or visit your local greenhouse nursery for seeds (and for transplants in late spring). , You will have to start all seeds indoors that require a long maturation; vegetables like like cool weather, such as spinach, can be sown directly in the ground in early spring.
   
   Germinate seeds in peat pots, small clay flower pots or a shallow pan.
   
   Water the seeds thoroughly, but gently using a fine mist spray bottle.
   
   Place the containers in a sunny window that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
   
   You can supplement sunlight with fluorescent tube lighting.
   
   Place the lights about 8” (203.2 mm) above the seed containers.
   
   Seal off all drafts from the window and keep the room reasonably warm or the seeds won’t sprout.
   
   Keep the soil moist; never let the soil dry out.
   
   Transplant your seedlings to larger containers once they have developed leaves.
   
   Harden your plants gradually or several weeks before you put them in the ground.
   
   Hardening, or toughening, prepares your vegetables to withstand the outdoor weather.
   
   You can harden the plants by placing them outside on a porch or patio for a few hours each day, or by decreasing the amount of water you’ve been giving them.
   
   Lowering the temperature in the room they grow in will also help toughen them up. , Contact your local agricultural extension service to see if they perform soil samples, otherwise check your local garden store to see if they offer that service. , This often means simply adding organic compost matter to enrich the soil. , These can be planted before danger of frost is over. , In some parts of the Midwest, you may not be able to do this until mid-June. , A thick layer of mulch around the plants will help the soil retain moisture and control weeds.
3. 3

   Step 3: and herbs you wish to grow.

4. 4

   Step 4: Calculate how much space your vegetables will require by the time they mature.

5. 5

   Step 5: Buy all the seeds you will need to plant your garden.

6. 6

   Step 6: Start sowing seeds indoors no later than February.

7. 7

   Step 7: Test your garden soil to make sure it contains all the proper nutrients.

8. 8

   Step 8: Amend your soil as needed.

9. 9

   Step 9: Plant all cool-season vegetables and herbs as soon as the ground can be worked.

10. 10

    Step 10: Transplant your hardened seedlings after all danger of frost is over.

11. 11

    Step 11: Keep your garden mulched.

Detailed Guide

About the Author