By Doug Carter, Rankin County Extension Agent
What should be planted in a home garden? While Mississippi’s climate is not suitable for all fruits and vegetables, one can easily grow a tremendous assortment.
Gardeners can enjoy produce from their own garden. Sometimes only minutes elapse between harvest, preparation and consumption. Even if you do not consume the food on the day of the harvest, it typically lasts longer in storage than store-bought items. Additionally, diversified gardeners have more available to them and are not limited to what is in stock at the store.
Once a person decides what to plant, they should consider how much to plant. The decision is based on the number of days required for a plant to reach maturity. It also depends on how much of each vegetable a family can eat and the amount of garden space available. Some vegetables take a lot of garden space and a long time before being harvested. Others are planted and harvested in a short time, producing abundantly with a small space.
Most melons, pumpkins, vining types of squash and sweet potatoes take several months to mature and take up a large amount of garden space. Most okra, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and pole beans also grow for several months in a garden, but they typically can be harvested continuously. Sweet corn takes a considerable amount of space, but many home gardeners feel the pros outweigh the cons.
For gardeners with limited space, consider planting smaller vegetables: bush, snap and lima beans; leafy green vegetables like spinach, mustard, collards, and turnips; green onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplant. As space permits, add broccoli, cabbage, hot peppers, okra, summer squash, southern peas and pole beans.
Vegetables grown for their fruits or seeds, such as sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, beans and peas, should be planted in the sunniest spots. Vegetables grown for their leaves or roots, such as beets, cabbage, lettuce, mustard, spinach and turnips, can grow in partial shade, though they perform better in direct sunlight.
Source: “Mississippi Vegetable Gardener’s Guide,” Mississippi State University, Extension Service, Publication, 3616
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