Guide to Growing a Garden in Indiana

It's springtime again in Indiana, and that means that the gardening season has finally arrived! Indiana, which includes both zones five and six on the plant hardiness scale, has a fairly long growing season, making it ideal for a variety of crops. From corn and potatoes to peppers and tomatoes, it's easy to maintain a garden that can sustain a family throughout the rest of the year.

Onions: A cold crop, onions are one of the earliest plantings in the garden, being sown in early to mid April. They use the cooler weather to form their leaves and the warmer weather following to grow their bulbs. They prefer a rich soil and, since they have shallow roots, they need a lot of nourishment in the top four inches of soil. If at all possible, the bed should be prepared the previous fall using manure, wood ash, or soot. Plant your onion bulbs three inches apart with the pointed end facing up. They are ready to harvest when at least half of the tops have fallen over, about 60 days after planting. When this happens, gently bend the remaining tops down and leave the onions in the ground to dry for a couple of days. Instead of pulling your onions, use a small garden shovel to dig around them and remove them from the ground. Eat them fresh or braid the tops together and hang in bunches in a cool, dry place to be used throughout the year.

Tomatoes: Perhaps one of the most popular addition to a garden, tomatoes are versatile and extremely useful in any kitchen. From large beefsteak to small grape or cherry, there are many varieties from which to choose. If you're growing your tomatoes to eat fresh, try Better Boy or Beefsteak. If you are planning to use them for salsa or sauce, Roma tomatoes are the way to go. Tomato plants can be bought from any garden center, or you can grow your own from seed, although it takes patience, time and a lot of tending to. At the end of March, sow each seed in its own peat pot (found at any Wal-mart). The seeds need heat to germinate, so if your house is chilly, your tray of seeds will have to be on a heat mat. After they have sprouted, move them to a place with plenty of sunlight or under a UV light. Your plants are ready for the outdoors when they have four true leaves and when all danger of frost is past (usually mid-May). Before transplanting them to the garden, allow them to harden off by placing them outside on a sunny day for an hour. Gradually increase the amount of time your plants stay outside, then plant them in your garden twelve inches apart. Stake your plants or put cages over them to give them more support. Can the tomatoes whole, juice them, or make sauce.

Peppers: With just as many uses as tomatoes, peppers are every bit as popular. Choose from sweet bells, spicy jalapeno, or kicking habanero depending on your preference and intentions for use. You can buy pepper plants or start them from seed just like you would tomatoes. Plant them in the garden after danger of frost has passed. Peppers can be frozen or canned whole or sliced. Hot peppers can be dried then ground or crushed to add a kick to any dish.

Any one of these will make a great addition to your garden. Grow all of them and you have everything you need for homemade salsa or pasta sauce. The possibilities are endless, so get growing.