Vegetables to Grow in Georgia. Nothing compares to having a home garden to provide your family with a wide choice of healthy veggies that can be eaten fresh or canned for later use. When space is at a premium, a few well-tended plants can produce an abundant harvest of crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra.
Vegetables to Grow in Georgia
Choose a location that gets at least 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose a spot that is easily accessible and close to a water source and the residence. The soil should be well-drained and have a decent texture. Avoid areas where weeds like nutsedge and bermudagrass, which are difficult to control, have historically grown.
Create a Plan:
Before purchasing seeds, plan out your garden on paper. Choose the crops you enjoy the most for tiny spaces, and think about utilising dwarf compact kinds that will produce enough on just a few plants. Additionally, consider growing another in-season crop soon after the last one is finished to continue using the space.
To avoid shading lower-growing plants, group tall-growing plants together on the north or west side of the garden. Create a map and keep it up to date so that the veggies in the garden can be switched out from year to year. Consider leaving room between rows so that you can stroll down them to harvest the crop and care for the bed.
Plants, seeds, and Varieties
For your primary planting, make sure to choose suggested kinds. There are numerous further kinds, and new ones are continually being developed. To assess their value in your region, test out a few novel types on a limited basis. A few of the tested varieties are represented by the types listed in the vegetable planting chart. Always purchase high-quality seeds from an established supplier. Save your own seed only if it is a rare, hard-to-find kind. Buy healthy, fresh plants that are free of insects and diseases when buying plants.
Fertilizer and Lime:
To evaluate the demand for lime and fertiliser, conduct a soil test through your local county Extension office several months before planting. Applying the necessary amount of lime before preparing the soil will allow it to be combined with the soil during land preparation if the pH is low (the soil is acidic). All vegetables should have a pH between 6.0 and 6.5, with the exception of Irish potatoes, which need a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. Based on the recommended amounts of fertiliser for each category, vegetables are categorised as light, medium, or heavy feeders.
Best Vegetables to Grow in Georgia:
| HEAVY 10-10-10 Or 6-12-12 At A Rate Of 35 Lb Per 1,000 Sq Ft | MEDIUM 10-10-10 Or 6-12-12 At A Rate Of 20 Ib Per 1,000 Sq Ft | LIGHT 6-12-12 At A Rate Of 10 Lb Per 1,000 Sq Ft | |||
| Cabbage | Artichoke | Cucumbers | Pumpkin | Peas, Southern | |
| Celery | Asparagus | Eggplant | Radish | ||
| Lettuce | Beans | Greens | Rhubarb | ||
| Onions | Beets | Herbs | Squash | ||
| Potatoes, Irish | Cantaloupes | Okra | Swiss Chard | ||
| Potatoes, Sweet | Carrots | Peas, English | Watermelon | ||
| Tomatoes | Corn, Sweet | Pepper | |||
Depending on the findings of the soil test, apply fertiliser. The majority of vegetables require fertiliser both when they are first planted and again once they have started to mature. Some vegetables, like maize, require side dressing fertilisation after the plants are around knee high. Never place the side dressing directly on the plant; always place it several inches away.
| Approximate pounds of fertilizer per 100 ft* | ||||
| Pounds per acre | 24-in. rows | 30-in. rows | 36-in. rows | per 100 sq ft |
| 100 | 0.5 | 2/3 | 0.75 | 0.25 |
| 200 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| 300 | 1.5 | 1 2/3 | 2.25 | 0.75 |
| 400 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 500 | 1.5 | 3 | 3.75 | 1.25 |
| 1,000 | 5 | 6 | 7.5 | 1.5 |
| 2,000 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 5 |
The weight of a pint of mixed fertiliser is around one pound. Calculate row widths that are not specified using the rates that are provided. Apply additional nitrogen to peppers, eggplant, or tomatoes if necessary when the first fruits have a diameter of about 1 inch.
Soil Preparation:
In the fall, start preparing the soil by cutting the trash and stirring or spading it deeply to bury it.
Add more organic material, such as well-rotted sawdust or manure, compost, leaf mould, or compost.
Garden Planting
The planting chart provides details on cultivars, planting times, and spacing. To extend the harvesting season, many vegetables can be sown in succession.
Watering
To keep a consistent flow of moisture, water the garden as often as necessary. For harder soils in the absence of rain, a good soak once per week should be sufficient. A more frequent treatment may be necessary for light, sandy soils. Water in the morning so that the foliage dries out fast, which aids in the prevention of infections. To keep foliage from becoming wet and to help fight disease, use soaker hoses or irrigation tape whenever you can.
Control Nematodes, Diseases, and Insects
Insects, illnesses, and nematodes can all cause significant losses. Before the crop is planted, control steps must be implemented if nematodes are present. For infections and insects, preventative actions can be utilised, or they can be initiated as soon as issues are identified. In order to get assistance with pest identification and suggested control methods, get in touch with your county Extension agent.
Harvesting:
As soon as a vegetable is mature, harvest it. Crops like beans, okra, squash, and cucumbers will get over-mature and terminate or cease producing if they are left on the vine for an extended period of time, which will also cause disease and bug problems. After harvesting, any extra products should be canned or frozen as soon as feasible. You can get information about canning and freeze at your county extension office.
