Some tips to help you with planting and growing your favorite crops:

Asian Greens - full sun to partial shade - good drainage and air circulation - plant in rich soil for most successful crops. most asian greens can be harvested repeatedly for 5-8 weeks. they prefer cooler weather, so plant in spring or late summer. premature bolting may occur if young plants are exposed to very cold temperatures at night.

Beans - beans are one of the easiest crops to grow. they are light feeders so don’t need a super fertile soil, avoid excess nitrogen in the soil or they will produce too much leaf and very little pod. keep their soil moist (mulch, if possible) as they have very shallow roots. keep bush beans and pole beans separate as they can stunt each other.

Soybeans, Lima Beans - these beans require extra attention in the PNW. they are heat lovers, so anything you can do to warm the soil for them will increase production. Cover soil with black plastic or cloche the bed until the height of summer (july), but don't forget to keep them watered!

Broccoli, Kohlrabi- full sun to partial shade - good drainage and air circulation - plant with shovelful of manure or compost and some limestone in the hole - plant about 18 inches apart - mulch to retain moisture and give a good long soak during drought. avoid planting in May or June as woody stems will result.

Brussels Sprouts - plant in sunny, well-drained plot - plant with shovelful of manure or compost and some limestone in the hole - firm down soil around roots - space about 2 feet apart - make collars to foil cutworms.

Cabbage - prefers sun but can tolerate some shade - heavy feeder, likes rich soil with plenty of organic matter dug in - but if soil is excessively rich, the heads may crack - early crops can tolerate more richness - plant 2-3 feet apart and be sure to plant roots deep, right up to first leaves.

Cauliflower - likes a sunny well-drained plot and mild temperatures - avoid extremes - heavy feeder needs rich fertile soil - plant with shovelful of well-rotted manure or compost and some limestone in the hole - plant 18-24 inches apart.

Collards, Kale, Mustard Greens, Swiss Chard - give a rich-humusy soil and side dress with manure tea or liquid fertilizer if growth slows down - add lime if your soil is acidy, like here in the PNW - keep the moisture constant. These can all be grown year-round though swiss chard is the best choice for summer.

Corn - generously amend soil with compost and side dress with manure tea or liquid fertilizer if growth slows down - add lime if your soil is acidy, like here in the PNW - keep the moisture constant. In early June, after danger of frost has passed, plant in blocks, clusters, or spirals to insure wind pollination.

Cucumbers - cucumbers like warm weather, but not intense dry heat. They are not frost hardy but grow and mature quickly so it’s easy to get a crop even with a short season. Allow 9 square feet per plant if you leave them on the ground, or grow them up a fence or trellis planted about 1 foot apart. Cucumber roots are very sensitive so try not to disturb their roots when planting or weeding.

Eggplant - grow eggplant in the sunniest spot you can find, where tomatoes, peppers or potatoes have not grown recently - raised beds or large containers are best for eggplants - with well-drained rich soil, a little on the sandy side - don’t plant until the weather is really warm or plant under a cloche - plant 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart - fertilize when plants start to bloom and continue at least once a month until harvest.

Gourds - gourds need alot of sun and heat to mature properly. if possible, grow on a trellis against a south-facing wall. see “Squash” for soil and water needs.

Gourmet Greens - most gourmet greens have similar growing needs as lettuce, but many can tolerate substantially more sun. add lots of nitrogen to the soil by tilling in rotted manure or compost and top-dress with bloodmeal, cottonseed meal or fish emulsion.

Grains - require modest levels of nutrition to produce good quality proteins. excessive soil fertility will cause lower protein levels and may cause heads to fall over. extremely hardy and drought-tolerant - don't overwater. grains should be harvested when tops are beginning to dry. cut and dry indoors if fall rains threaten.

Green Onions, Leeks - all of the onion family likes pretty much the same thing, sandy fertile soil, good moisture and drainage, cool weather to grow the tops and warm weather to ripen the bulbs. you probably want to throw in alittle lime when you plant them along with alittle organic fertilizer. be careful to plant them where you don’t expect too many weed roots to appear. blanch leeks by planting them deeply and building up soil around them as they grow.

Lettuce - lettuce prefers to get it’s sun in the morning and afternoon, rather than the hottest midday sun, so you can plant it “behind” other taller plants - lettuce likes nitrogen-rich soil - till in well-rotted manure or compost and top dress with bloodmeal, cottonseed meal or fish emulsion - lime is probably needed to counteract acidic PNW soils.

Peas - peas will grow in a partly shaded area. early peas like warm raised beds. if you are planting them early in the spring, choose a light sandy loam that warms up quickly. alittle later planting does well in a denser clay soil that will keep the roots cool. suprisingly, peas do like a good deal of fertilizer.

Peppers - the most important ingredients for really productive peppers are temperature and water. find a bed where they can live all season long. In order not to disrupt their growth, try to warm the soil with black plastic before you plant them and keep them moist as they are spreading their roots into their new spot. some moderate fertilizer (10-10-10) is not a bad idea and magnesium is important for peppers, so dust the bed with epsom salts and dig it in before you plant. make sure to separate your sweet peppers from your chiles, to avoid cross pollination (unless you like some zing in your sweets). fertilze with liquid fertilizer if the leaf becomes pale or growth seems slow. (2 applications, 2 weeks apart).

Spinach - plant spinach in full sun if it goes in early in spring, choose partial shade as it gets warmer. dig in plenty of organic material to keep soil moist, add only alittle bit of lime and plenty of fast-releasing nitrogen such as bloodmeal, fishmeal or composted chicken manure.

Squash, Pumpkins - find a sunny spot with good drainage and plan for 3-4 diameter per plant. squash are heavy feeders and drinkers, so add a lot of manure, or dig in alot of moist coco-fiber and a generous handful of 5-10-5 fertilizer. you may want to cover the plants with agricultural cloth when they are young to protect from cucumber beetles.

Tomatoes, Tomatillos - tomatoes need sun and loose, very fertile soil. Mix plenty of organic material into their bed and throw a shovelful of manure, a handful of bonemeal and alittle lime into the planting hole. Keep tomatoes watered, but not soggy. They do best with moderate but consistant watering. you won’t need to fertilize them during the season, unless they appear to be growing very slowly.more info to come on beans, herbs and flowers