Variety Selection of Crops

for Community Gardens

Obadiah Njue, Ph.D.

Extension Horticulture Specialist
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
njueo@uapb.edu; 870-575-8152

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits
Production

Potential Fruits for Small Farms

Blackberries
Muscadine Grapes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Plums

Blackberries

Blackberry Varieties for Arkansas

Chickasaw Thorny
Kiowa Thorny
Ouachita Thornless
Apache -Thornless

Chickasaw

Muscadine
Grapes

10

Muscadine Grapes
Training
Muscadines grow vigorously compared to
bunch grapes.
Proper training and pruning ensures fruit
quality and quantity.
Prune the vine to a single vigorous stem at
planting.
Train the trunk in a straight upright position,
removing lateral (side) shoots.
11

Muscadine Grapes
Training
Pinch back the trunk when it reaches the
trellis wire (about 4 inches below the wire).
Train the top two strong lateral shoots to the
trellis wire to form permanent fruiting arms or
codons.
Allow the arms to meet half way.

12

Muscadine Grapes
Trellising
Erect trellises before or immediately after
planting.
5 feet from ground level to trellise wire is
recommended.
Types of trellise
One-wire trellise - recommended.
Double-wire not recommended
Double Curtain Can increase yields by about
25%.
13

Single Wire Trellise

Eric Stafne & Becky Carroll
Oklahoma State University14

15

Single Wire Trellise

16

Double Wire Trellise

-Not Recommended17

Double Wire Trellise

-Not Recommended18

Double Curtain Trellise

Eric Stafne & Becky Carroll
19
Oklahoma State University

Double Curtain Trellise

20

Double Curtain Trellise

21

Muscadine Grapes
Pruning
You can prune Muscadine any time they are
dormant.
Late spring pruning reduce the potential for
winter injury.
Muscadines produce fruit from basal buds of
last years shoots.
Cut one-year old shoots back to 2 3 node
spurs.
Remove overcrowded and weak spurs in
22
older vines.

Muscadine Varieties

Carlos
Black beauty
Fry
Hunt

23

Blueberries

24

Blueberries

Blueberries
Grow well in all parts of Arkansas
3 Types
Nothern highbush northern AR require
cooler nights when fruit is maturing.
Southern highbush hybrids between
northern high bush and species native to
Southern U.S.A. Southern AR
Rabbiteye southern AR heat and disease
tolerance native to Southern U.S.A.
Central AR transition zone, all types can be
grown depending on site.

Blueberries Variety Selection

Northern High Bush (Central and Northern
Arkanasa).
Duke very early ripening (Mid late May in
central AR)
Collins productive with medium sized fruits
- ripens after Duke
Blueray
Bluecrop
Elliott

Blueberries Variety Selection

Southern High Bush (Central and
Southern Arkansas)
Legacy
Summit
Ozarkblue

Blueberries Variety Selection

Rabbiteye (Central and Southern
Arkansas)
Climax
Premier
Brightwell
Tifblue

Establishing the Planting

Site free of grass, good air flow to
prevent frost damage
Soils Do a soil test and follow
recommendations
well drained acidic soils (pH 5.0 5.4)
Add wettable sulfur before planting if
recommended

Irrigation essential blueberries have

shallow root systems

31

COOL AND WARM-SEASON

VEGETABLE CROPS

32

Cool-Season Vegetables Crops

-definition
Vegetables that grow best under cool and
moderate temperatures (60 65 0F)
Can withstand light to moderate frost
Are intolerant of high summer
temperatures
Usually have a shallow root system

33

Examples of Cool-Season
Vegetable Crops
Cole crops Brocolli, cabbage, collards,
cauliflower, kale, mustard, radish, turnips.
Asparagus
Onions, garlic
Leek
Lettuce
Peas (Garden peas)
Potatoes
34

WARM-SEASON
VEGETABLE CROPS

35

Warm-Season Vegetable Crops

-definition
Vegetables that make optimum growth
under average temperatures of 65 to 86 oF
They are injured or killed by frost
They are mostly grown for their fruits
exceptions - sweet potato
Most are subject to post-harvest chilling
injury at storage temperatures between 32
and 50oF exception sweet corn
36

Examples of Warm-Season
Vegetable Crops
Beans
Corn
Cucurbits Squash, cucumber, melons,
pumpkins
Egg plants
Peppers
Tomatoes
Sweet potatoes
Southern peas
37

38

Preparing the Soil

Preparing the Soil

Fertile, well drained soil is necessary for a
successful garden.
Soil should be well drained, well supplied
with organic matter, reasonably free of
stones, and hold moisture well.
When manure is added to the soil, it must
be well composted prior to planting.
Soil test your garden and amend as
needed.

Preparing the Soil (continued)

Fertilizer rates should be applied with
great caution more isnt always better!
Crops have varying fertilizer needs roots
or tubers, leafy greens, flowers, seeds.
Always follow directions on the label!

Planting Your Vegetables

Establish pathways avoid compacting the soil.
Know planting dates for your plants.
Refer to the Year-Round Home Garden
Planting Guide for planting dates.
Consider shading effect by taller plants garden
orientation is important.
Consider growth habits of your plants

Cool-Season Vegetable Crops

44

Asparagus

45

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis altilis)

A perennial temperate vegetable
Can last up to 30 years
Plant one-year-old crowns seeds will
take 1 to 2 years longer
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches wide trench, 9 to
12 inches deep, crowns spaced 18 to 24
inches apart
Cover crowns with 1 to 2 inches of soil
46

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis altilis)

Plants are dioecious (male and female plants
separate).
Plant both sexes at 1:1 ratio yields of spears
are about the same.
Fertilizer: 10 to 12 lbs per 100 ft row of 13-13-13
incorporated with cultivation.
Harvest starts the 2nd year after planting crowns.
Stop harvesting when spears are less than
pencil thick.
Pests: asparagus beetle, cutworms and rust.
Storage: refrigerate immediately, can or freeze.
47

Asparagus Varieties
Variety

Days to maturity Disease resistance

/ tolerance

Remarks

Mary
Washington

Perennial

Rust

Good quality

UC157-F2

Perennial

Rust, Fusarium rot

Good quality
and yield

Jersey Giant Perennial

Rust, Fusarium rot

All male hybrids,

large uniform
spears
48

Beet

49

Beet (Beta vulgaris)

Tops are a good source of vitamin A and
roots are rich in vitamin C
Are frost-handy
Seedlings establish better under cool,
moist conditions (65 75 oF)
Spacing: 2 to 3 inches apart and 12 to 18
inches between rows
They need fertile soils high in potassium
(K)
50

Beet - Harvesting
Harvest when they grow to desired size
(they reach 1.5 inches in diameter in about 60
days)
For storage, cut off the top one inch above
the root.
They store best at 32 oF and 95% humidity

51

Beet - Varieties
Ruby Queen 54 days to maturity, round,
deep red color, good quality and yield

Detroit Dark Red 68 days to maturity, globe,

dark red, good yield and quality

52

Broccoli

53

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea, Italica)

High in vitamins A and D
Optimum temperature 57oF to 68oF
warmer temperatures result in poor quality
and heads may not form above 77oF
Transplants are recommended plant in
early spring (February March) or early
September for fall

54

Broccoli - Harvesting
Cut the central head with 5 or 6 inches of
stem while the inflorescence is immature
and compact, before individual flowers
open.
Side shoots (secondary heads) will
develop for later harvesting

55

Broccoli - Varieties
Spartan Early 55 days, short, good yields
and quality and medium-sized head

Premium Crop Hybrid 75 days, allAmerican winner, good yield and quality and
large, tight head

Green Comet Hybrid 68 days, good yield

and quality and large, tight head

Packman Hybrid 50 days, high yield, large

head
56

Brussels sprouts

57

Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea,

gemmifera)

Very hardy and withstands light freeze

Require a longer growing season use
transplants to shorten the growing season
Cool temperatures are important for
development of compact quality buds
They are susceptible to all pests and
physiological disorders that affect other cole
crops
Spacing: 12 to 18 inch between plants and 24 to
30 inch between rows
58

Brussels Sprouts - Harvesting

Harvest when sprouts are firm and well
developed (1 to 2 inches in diameter)
Can make several successive harvests by
hand from the same plant
Remove the lower leaves below the
sprouts
Sprouts can be stored for 3 to 5 weeks at
32oF and 95 100% humidity
59

Brussels Sprouts - Varieties

Jade Cross Hybrid 95 days, uniform
maturity and good yields
Long Island Improved 95 days, good
yields

60

Cabbage

61

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea, Capitata)

A good source of vitamin A and C and calcium
There are several types, pointed, flat, green, red
or savoy
Transplanted or seeded directly
Develops head during the cool weather
Spacing: 15 to 18 inches between plants and 30
to 36 inches between rows depending on
variety and size of head needed
Respond well to starter fertilizers high in
phosphorus
62

Cabbage

63

Cabbage Common Problems

Insects cabbage worms, aphids,
cabbage maggots and thrips
Diseases black rot, black leg, brown or
black spots (Alternaria), club root, yellows
(Fusarium wilt)

64

Cabbage - Varieties
Days to
Maturity

Disease
Remarks All
American
Plants/100 ft of resistance
or Tolerance Selection
row
(AAS)

Stonehead
Hybrid

60

63 125

Emerald
Cross
Hybrid

63

63 125

AAS, vigorous
and well
adapted

Savoy King
Hybrid

82

63 125

AAS, vigorous
and excellent
quality

Resistant
64
Golden Acre

63 125

Variety

Fusarium
yellows

Fusarium
yellows

AAS, very
compact, solid
head

Widely
adapted

65

Carrots

66

Carrots (Daucus carota)

Rich in carotene and high in sugar
For optimum yield and quality, grows between
59 to 65 oF
Spacing: 1 to 3 inches between plants and 12 to
18 inches apart smaller spacing may be used
for finger carrots
Seed bed should be worked uniformly to a depth
of 8 to 9 inches
Germination is best in warm, moist soil cover
seedbed with clear polyehtylene. Remove film
when seedlings appear
67

Carrots - Harvesting
Can be harvested when roots are more
than 0.5 inches in diameter. Finger carrots
are harvested between 50 to 60 days
Cut off the top 1 inch above the root
Can store well at 32 oF with high humidity

68

Carrots - Varieties
Partan Bonus 66 days, good color and
quality, hybrid, good yields, blunt tapered
roots
Danvers 75 days, good color and yields,
blunt tapered roots
Nantes good quality, cylindrical roots

69

Cauliflower

70

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea, Botrytis)

Grown for its white head, the curd a highly
branched, prefloral, undifferentiated shoot
apices.
Optimum temperature for curd formation is 57 to
68 oF. Above 77 oF curds may not form and at
temperatures near 32 oF, freezing injury may
result in no curd development
It is more difficult to grow than its relatives
Spacing: 15 to 24 inches between plants and 24
to 36 inches between rows
71

Cauliflower - Blanching
Blanching is the excluding of light from
plants or plant parts resulting in loss of
color
Blanch when the head begins to form (2 to
3 inches of white curd in the leaves)
Some snowball varieties are self blanching
The curd matures in 7 to 12 days after
blanching harvest the curds when they
grow to 6 to 8 inches in diameter
72

Cauliflower - Variety
Snowball cutivars 66 days, good yield
and medium size white head

73

Swiss Chard

74

Chard (Beta vulgaris, Cicla)

Related to beets (Chenopodiacea)
Tolerant to moderate frost
Leaf stalks (green, white or red) may be cooked
like asparagus and leaf blades are prepared like
spinach
May be transplanted after danger of frost or
seeded directly in April through early May
Harvesting cut off outer leaves 1.5 inches
above the ground dont damage the terminal
bud
75

Chard Varieties
Fordhook Giant, White Mid-Rib 60 days,
large leaf stalks
Lucullus 60 days, heat tolerant

76

Mustard Greens

Collard Greens

77

Collards (Brassica oleracea, Acephala)

Leafy, non-heading cabbages
Rich in vitamins and minerals
Grow better in warm weather but can
tolerate frost unlike other members of the
family
Spacing: 6 to 12 inches between plants
and at least 3 feet between rows
Harvesting may include whole rosettes or
individual leaves
78

Collards - Varieties
Georgia 75 days, large crumpled bluegreen leaves, good yield, tolerant to heat
and cold
Vates 75 days, large crumpled darkgreen leaves, holds color in cold weather,
resistant to bolting, good yield

79

Kale

80

81

82

Kale (Brassica oleracea, Acephala)

Rich in vitamin A and C
Also called non-heading cabbage
Plants biennials, but grown as annuals for
their curled and succulent leaves
Cultural practices much similar to collards

83

Kale - Varieties
Scotch 40 to 50 days, much curled,
crumpled foliage of greyish-green color
Siberian 40 to 50 days, less crinkled,
bluish-green
Both varieties have dwarf and tall forms

84

Lettuce

85

86

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Belongs to the sunflower family
There are different types:
Loose-leaf or bunching lettuce
Crisphead lettuce
Butterhead lettuce
Cos or Romaine lettuce
Stem or asparagus lettuce

87

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Plant seeds - inches deep
Spacing
4 between plants leaf lettuce
6 8 between plants Cos or Butterhead
12 18 between rows

88

Lettuce - Varieties

Grand Rapids 45 days

Salad Bowl - 45 days
Bibb - 60 days
Buttercrunch - 65 days
Ruby - 45 days

89

Mustard Greens

90

Mustard Greens (Brassica juncea)

Also called mustard spinach, leaf mustard
and white mustard
They are biennuals but grown as annuals
High in Vitamin A and C
They grow rapidly fertilize and provide
enough moisture
Harvest leaves when young and tender
91

Mustard Greens - Varieties

Southern Giant Curled - 50 days
Tendergreen 40 days
SloBolt 50 days

92

Onions

93

Onions (Allium cepa)

Bulbs - grown from sets, transplants or
seeds. Transplants and sets are
recommended
Formation of bulbs is affected by day
length
Different varieties have different daylenth
requirement
Bulb curing require high temperature and
low humidity
94

Evergreen Onion Non-bulbing

95

Onion - Varieties
Yellow Bermuda 80 days, short-day, Flat, very
mild
White Bermuda 80 days, short-day, Flat, very
mild
Texas Grano 1015y 88 days, short-day, sweet,
globe-shaped, best adapted grano type
Red Creole 90 days, short-day, red bulb,
pungent, stores well
Evergreen 120 days, non-bulbing, long white
stems, slow bolting
96

Garden Peas

97

Garden Peas (Pisum sativum)

Have smooth or wrinkled seeds
Love cool, moist weather higher yields in
early planting than later planting
May be planted when soil temperature is
45 oF
Germinating seedlings are delicate

98

Pea - Varieties

Little Marvel 62 days

Wando 60 days
Dwarf Gray Sugar 65 days
Sugar Snap -70 days

99

Potatoes

100

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)

One of the most important staples in
human diet
They are tubers underground stems
Maximum tuber formation occurs at 60oF
to 70oF. Tubers fail to form at higher
temperatures

101

Potatoes - Varieties
Over 100 varieties
Most common have white flesh and light
brown or red skin
Days to maturity -100 120
Grown from seed piece and not true
seed exception Homestead Hybrid is
grown from true seed
102

Radishes

103

Radishes (Raphanus sativus)

Grown all over the world

Liked for their pungent flavor
Easy to grow and are fast growing
Grow best in the spring, but can be planted for
summer and winter
Spacing thin to - 1 inch between plants
(spring) or 2 4 inches (winter)
Pull when relatively young for use become
pithy(spongy) and hot when overgrown
104

Spinach

105

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

One of the most important vegetable for
greens for salad and cooking
Rich in vitamins
Grown in early spring or late fall bolts in
hot summer
Spacing
12 to 15 seeds per foot thin to 2 4 inches
apart
Closer spacing when entire plant is harvested
106

107

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

- Varieties

Bounty 42 days
Hybrid 612 - 42 days
Bloomsdale Long Standing - 42 days
Fall Green - 42 days

Check for disease resistance/tolerance

108

WARM-SEASON
VEGETABLE CROPS

109

Beans

110

Beans (Phaseolus sp.)

Tender warm-season vegetables
2nd most popular in home gardens
Classification:
Growth habit bush or pole beans
Use mature pods, shellouts or dry beans
Types green and yellow pods

Plant after all danger of frost is past (mid

to late April in southern Arkansas)
111

Beans - Harvesting
Green and Wax beans harvest pods when
firm and crisp with undeveloped seeds.
Lima beans harvest pods when plumb and
firm.
Horticulture beans harvest when pods start
changing from green to yellow when beans
(shellouts) are fully formed.
Dry beans pull vines when leaves turn yellow
and begin to drop. Dry on a clean floor pods
will split when dry.
112

Beans Common Problems

Bean mosaic viral - use resistant varieties
Yellow or brown spots on leaves or water
soaked spots on pods bacterial blight use
disease-free seed
Bean leaf beetles use suggested insecticide
Over fertilization high N-levels reduce pod set
and yield and increase disease susceptibility

113

Beans - Varieties
(Refer to your MG handbook)

114

Corn

Sweet-Corn

115

Male

Female

116

Sweet Corn (Zea mays)

Three distinct varieties (based on genetic
background)
Standard
Super sweet
Sugar enhanced

Planting early spring (soil temperatures above

55 oF) to early August
Spacing 9 to 12 inches between kernels and
30 to 36 inches between rows
Needs adequate water during emergence of
tassels, silking and maturation of years
117

Sweet Corn - Harvesting

Picked during the milk stage (20 days after
the appearance of the first silk strands), or
when silks start to brown, ears become
firm
Snap off years with a quick, firm,
downward push
Ears should be eaten, processed or
refrigerated as soon as possible
118

Sweet Corn - Varieties

Variety

Days to Maturity

Disease
Resistance or
Tolerance

Remarks

Silver Queen

94

Maize dwarf
mosaic virus

Large, white ears,

excellent quality,
widely adapted

Jubilee

84

Maize dwarf
mosaic virus

Large yellow ears,

good yields, good
quality

How Sweet It Is

80

White super
sweet, plant in
warm soil, AllAmerican winner
119

Cucumbers

120

121

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativas)

Shares the family with squash, melons and
pumpkins
Bitterness due to cucurbitacins
Slicing and pickle types
Warm soil (above 60F) is necessary for seed
germination and growth
Spacing is dependent on planting method 12
inches between plants in a row, 36 inches
between hills of 3 plants and 4 to 5 seeds per
foot if trellised
122

Cucumbers
Heavy feeders and respond well to organic
matter and mulching
Require adequate soil moisture
Trellising is recommended gets the fruit off the
soil, prevents diseases and results in straight
fruits
Male and female flowers separate, some
varieties are gynoecious (female plants)
Bees are important for pollination
Parthenocarpic seedless cucumbers
123

124

Cucumbers Common Problems

Diseases
Bacterial wilt (spread by cucumber beetles), mosaic,
leaf spot, anthracnose, scab and powdery mildew

Insects
Cucumber beetles, aphids, flea beetles and
pickleworms

Cultural
Shapeless low fertility or poor pollination
Failure to set fruits no pollination no or too few
bees or pollinating plants for gynoecious hybrids
125

Cucumber Varieties
Variety

Days to Maturity

Disease Resistance or Tolerance

Poinsett76

63

Powderly and downy mildew, angular

leaf spot, anthracnose

Marketmore80

68

Scab, mosaic, powderly and downy

mildew

Sweet Success

55

Scab and mosaic

Calypso

51

Scab, mosaic, anthracnose, angular leaf

spot, powderly and downy mildew

Pickle Bush

53

Mosaic and powderly mildew

Carolina

52

Mosaic, anthracnose, angular leaf spot,

powderly and downy mildew

H-19 Little Leaf

65

Anthracnose, belly rot, powderly mildew,

angular leaf spot
126

Egg Plants

127

Egg Plant (Solanum melongena)

A tender, heavy feeder and requires a long
season (100 150 days)
Share cultural practices with tomatoes, but
more sensitive to low temperatures
Transplants recommended planted at 18
to 20 inches apart and 30 to 36 inches
between rows

128

Egg Plant Common Problems

Diseases
Verticillium wilt yellowing, wilting and death
of plants

Insects
Flea beetles, aphids, lace bugs,red spider
mites, Colorado potato beetle

129

Egg Plant Varieties

Classic
76 days to maturity
A very productive hybrid, long slim fruit with glossy
black color

Jersey King Hybrid

73 days to maturity
Long slim fruits with good quality

Dusky Hybrid
63 days to maturity
Resistant or tolerant to mosaic
An early hybrid with an attractive oval fruit
130

Melons

Honeydews

131

Melons
Muskmelons, Cantaloupes, Watermelons
and Honeydews
All have similar plant habit and culture
All are warm season and very susceptible
to cold injury
All are grown for their enlarged fruits that
accumulate sugars at maturity
132

Musk Melons

133

Musk Melons (Cucumis melo)

Honeydews and cantaloupes
Several subdivisions 2 most important in the
U.S. are
Reticulatus group

All melons with netting

orange flesh
Musky, fragrant odor
Stem separates from fruit at maturity

True cantaloupe medium-sized fruit, with a

hard, rough-warty rind and is not netted
134

Musk Melons (Cucumis melo)

Inodorus group
Honeydews
Flesh is white or green
Skin brightly colored, smooth and covering a hard
rind
Stem does not separate from fruit

135

Water Melons

136

Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus)

Grows well where there are warm and
long seasons
Prefers coarse soils that warm quickly
responds well to black plastic mulch
Plant 6 ft apart and 7 to 10 ft between
rows
Plants are deep-rooted frequent
watering is not necessary later in the
growing season
137

Watermelon Varieties

Minilee 75 days to maturity

Mickey lee 82 days to maturity
Crimson Sweet 85 days to maturity
Charleston Gray 85 days to maturity
Jubilee 90 days to maturity
Dixielee 92 days to maturity
All are resistant/tolerant to fusarium wilt
and anthracnose
138

Peppers

139

Peppers (Capsicum annuum)

Have a wide variation in fruit size, shape
and color and are classified into the
following groups:
Bell peppers
Red paprika peppers
Pimiento peppers hot
Jalapeno, hot bird pepper, habanero pepper

Plants are spaced 12 to 24 inches apart and 36

to 40 inches between rows
140

Summer Squash

Squash

Winter Squash

141

142

143

Summer Squashes (C. pepo)

Eaten in the immature stages when the
rinds are very soft
Harvested when immature and do not
store well
They include:
Yellow summer squash (crooknecks &
straightnecks
Scallop Squash
Zucchini
144

Winter Squash (All Cucurbita species)

Harvested in the mature fruit stage rinds
are hard
Used in pies, as a table vegetable or feed
for livestock
Store well throughout winter

145

Tomatoes

146

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

The most popular garden vegetable
Transplants recommended
Spacing depends on the variety and
cultural method:
Dwarf plants 12 inches apart
Staked plants 15 to 24 inches apart
Wire caged plants 24 to 36 inches apart
Ground bed plants - 24 to 36 inches apart
147

Lateral shoot

148

149

150

For More Information, Contact:

Obadiah Njue @
njueo@uapb.edu;
151
870-575-8152