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

Creating a Pollinator Haven in your Yard and Garden

Pollinators are vital to the reproductive success of more than 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants. Hummingbirds, moths, bees, beetles, flies and butterflies are some of the common pollinators found in West Virginia.

Pollination happens when pollen grains from a flower’s male parts (anthers) are moved to the female parts (stigmas) of the same species and fertilization occurs, producing fruit and/or seeds. While wind and water can move pollen for some plants, most depend on pollinators to move it from one flower to the next. Crops, like tomatoes, peas and beans, are self-pollinating, but they still have to be shaken by the wind or need bees to release the pollen inside flowers. Other crops, like melons, cucumbers and squash, are entirely dependent on pollinators for fertilization, because they have separate male and female flowers. Without pollination, most fruits and vegetables will not set fruit, have incomplete or misshapen fruit or have a low yield.

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.