How to Grow Vegetables in Indiana

Every vegetable has an ideal starting date.

Outdoor vegetable gardens require certain conditions, including the right soil mixture, space, light, nutrition and watering schedule. They also require the right timing in regard to season and length of growing time. In parts of Indiana where summers are warm and short, gardeners must plant early and choose the right vegetables for a successful vegetable harvest.

Things You'll Need

• Garden fork
• Organic compost
• Fertilizer
• Organic mulch

Instructions

1. Start preparing the Indiana vegetable garden in late winter, when the ground begins to thaw. Your first planting will take place up to a month before the last frost, so begin your planning in early March in south Indiana and late March in north Indiana.

2. Find a spot for your garden. Mark out a site that gives you around 20 to 25 square feet of planting space and gets full sun for eight hours every day. The site must sit on level ground and get full drainage throughout.

3. Dig into the top 10 inches of soil to break it up, and add 3 inches of organic compost to the natural soil. This amendment gives vegetables the loose, rich and quick-draining soil they prefer. Add starter or balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer to the top 2 inches of soil to increase nutrition and encourage rooting.

4. Plant asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, brussels sprouts, chard, chives, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, peas, potatoes, onions, radishes and rhubarb immediately. These are cool-weather crops that do best with a cool-weather start. Mulch the garden with 3 inches of organic mulch to maintain soil conditions, and put the entire plot on a schedule of 2 to 3 inches of water every week.

5. Plant tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, peppers, corn, pumpkins, okra, celery, spinach and watermelons only after the last frost is past. These are warm-season vegetables that require temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and higher for their start. In north Indiana, where summers are shorter, plant quick cultivars if you want to grow long-season vegetables like tomatoes, corn and pumpkins.

6. Maintain your mulch layer through the summer to discourage weed growth and to keep the soil consistently moist. Water the garden with 2 to 3 inches of water, once a week, and fertilize the plants when they are halfway through their growing season. The fertilizer schedule will differ with the plant.

References

• North Carolina State University; Home Vegetable Gardening; Larry Bass
• Purdue University Department of Horticulture; Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar; Michael N. Dana, et al.
• Purdue University Department of Horticulture; Home Gardener's Guide; B. Rosie Lerner, et al.
• Victory Seeds: Average First and Last Frost Dates for Indiana