Gardening

Getting Ready for Fall

Putting the garden to bed in fall is the first step to a successful garden the following spring. Around the lawn, fall also makes a good time for some general cleanup and preparation for next year.

Five Recommendations to Prepare for Next Year
Three Fall Cleanup Tasks for Next Spring

Growing Basil

Basil is seeded or transplanted outside after the last frost in spring in West Virginia (late May) or earlier if started in a high or low tunnel.

Planting Basil
Basil Care & Maintenance
Harvesting Basil

Growing Beets

Beets should be seeded early or late enough in the year to grow under cool weather conditions in West Virginia which favors both yield and quality.

Choosing a Beet
Planting Beets
Growing Beets in High or Low Tunnels
Beet Variety Selection
Harvesting Your Beets

Growing Cauliflower

Cauliflower can be grown as a spring or fall crop and it grows best in cool growing environments. Learn suggested varieties for West Virginia.

Cauliflower Varieties
Transplants & Planting Cauliflower
Pest Management in Cauliflower
Cauliflower Harvest & Post Harvest

Growing Melons

Many melon varieties are well-suited to West Virginia’s climate and growing season. When choosing a variety to grow, consider the length of your growing season as well as your flavor preference.

Melon Production
Nutrition of Melons
Choosing Melons
Melon Varieties
Other Considerations for Melons

Growing Popcorn

Two types of popcorn are grown: pearl and rice. Pearl popcorn has round smooth kernels, while rice popcorn kernels are elongated.

Growing Popcorn
Pollination Considerations for Popcorn
Popcorn Cultivars
Disease Concern for Popcorn
Harvest of Popcorn
Popcorn Storage
Popcorn Nutrition & Cooking Considerations

Growing Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is distin­guished from other corns by its high sugar content when in the milk, by its early dough stages and by its wrin­kled, translucent kernels when dry.

Sweet Corn Planting Time 

Sweet Corn Spacing and Depth of Planting
Soil Preparation for Sweet Corn
Care for Sweet Corn 
Cultivars of Sweet Corn 
Harvesting Sweet Corn 
Storage of Sweet Corn 
Preservation of Sweet Corn

Fall Planting or Spring Planting

People often wonder when the best time to plant is – fall or spring. Both seasons are excellent for planting trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials.

Fall Planting
Fall Planting Tips
Spring Planting
Spring Planting Tips

Back to Garden Basics

The WVU Extension Service Garden Calendar is produced and distributed each year as a service to West Virginia’s many home gardeners and agricultural producers. The annual calendar is just one of many meaningful projects, programs and outreach efforts provided by WVU Extension Service throughout West Virginia’s 55 counties.

If you have gardening questions or want more information, please contact your county’s WVU Extension Service office.

Enjoy this year’s Garden Calendar!

Fresh from the Garden Calendar

Choosing a Garden Site

Selecting the right garden site can mean the difference between a rewarding experience with healthy, productive plants or one that brings trouble with stressed plants, diseases and insect problems. Examine your site and assess your abilities in order to best place a garden. Think about how far you will travel to get to the garden and how much time you can invest in maintaining it. It is much more rewarding to have a small productive garden close by, than a large garden out of sight that gets away from you.

Start by sketching the property. Note locations of buildings, hose bibs, septic fields, sidewalks, trees and any other significant items. Think about how each of these things could impact your garden site. For example, sidewalks that are de-iced in the winter can cause toxic buildups of salts in nearby soils, damaging sensitive garden plants. Also, tree roots live in the top 6 to 10 inches of soil and tilling through them to install a garden may kill your tree.

Extension Master Gardener Program

We’re growing

The WVU Extension Master Gardener Program provides people interested in gardening with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and sharpen their skills by taking part in Basic/Level 1 and Advanced/Level 2 training programs that provide in-depth training in various aspects of horticulture.

The program helps residents better understand horticultural and environmental issues through community engagement in gardening and beautification projects at schools, parks, public institutions, community organizations, and locations throughout the state.