Vegetables

There just isn't anything better than eating fresh vegetables from your own garden. We carry a wide variety of vegetables throughout the entire year. We also have a large selection of vegetable seeds available year round. We hope this page helps you in preparing and planting your vegetable garden.

Below are some things to consider when planting vegetables.

Where to Plant Vegetables

Most vegetables grow best in the sun. So look for a sunny location in your yard. Ideally, an area that gets about eight hours or more of direct sunlight. However, depending on the time of year, some vegetables (especially leafy vegetables) can handle areas that are more shady. When choosing an area, choose a place that has good drainage. If the area you want to grow your vegetables doesn’t drain well or is always wet, you may want to create raised planting areas or grow your vegetables in containers.

When to Plant Vegetables

In our area, we can grow vegetables all year. Of course, not all vegetables can grow year round. Typically, we have what we refer to as summer vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash, that are typically planted in the spring and harvested throughout the summer months. Then there are the fall and winter vegetables that are planted in the fall and winter months that produce through the winter and early spring months. These vegetables include lettuces, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas, and other leafy veggies. For a more comprehensive list, go to the What and When To Plant Vegetable Guide.

Things to Consider

Soil preparation is very important for a successful vegetable garden. Visit our Vegetable Planting Guide for recommended ammendments. In addition, insects or other critters can cause problems in the garden. For organic control of earwigs, sowbugs, snails, and slugs, we recommend the Sluggo Plus, Diatomaceous Earth, or Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew Dust.

Quick Links

What and When To Plant Vegetable Guide

Vegetable Planting Guide

Below is some more information we hope you find helpful.

Tomtatoes

Tomatoes

There are literally hundreds of varieties of tomatoes. Every Spring we carry well over 50 varieties including heirlooms, classic hybrids, as well as new hybrids.

Tomatoes are generally planted in the months of April, May, and June for summer harvests. Sometimes our weather allows planting in early to mid March. For those who want to have the first tomato in the neighborhood, you can start indoors or in a greenhouse in late February.

Indeterminate versus determinate - Determinate tomatoes are generally referred to as bush tomatoes because they are generally more compact in their growth habit. Also, determinate tomatoes tend to bear all at once and require minimal caging or staking and do well in containers. Indeterminate tomatoes are often referred to as vining tomatoes and require substantial staking or caging for support. They tend to produce over longer periods and will usually produce until the first heavy frosts.

Peppers

Bell Peppers

Whether you are making salsa, throwing them into a salad, or stuffing them, or just eating them fresh, peppers make a great addition to any meal. Peppers are best planted April through June. Although, sometimes they can be planted earlier (March) if the weather is good. They often produce until the late fall.
We carry a large selection of mild to very hot peppers. Fresno, Thai Hot, Sweet Banana, Serrano, Jalapeño, Green Bell, Red Bell, Yellow Bell, Scorpion, Habañero, Poblano, Mulato Isleno, Gypsy, Hungarian Wax, and Italian Wax are just a few varieties that we carry each year.

Availability of Certain Vegetables

Bell Peppers

Some vegetables are only available for a limited time, and it can be easy to miss out. Below are a few vegetables and their availability.

Artichokes - They are available as roots starting in December and are available until late January. They are available as plants usually beginning in late March through the summer.
Asparagus - The roots are only available beginning in early December or early January through the first part of February.
Potatoes - We have the reds, yukon gold, whites, yellows, blues, fingerlings, and russett potatoes beginning in late January through the first part of March typically.
Rhubarb - Generally rhubarb is available as a root beginning in December through late January.

Onions & Garlic

California Garlic

Onions can be planted just about any time of the year in our area. However, not all onions are available year round.

Onion Sets - These are the onion bulbs, generally the spanish sweet onions that are available in white, red, and yellow bulbs. They are available in late January through February and again in September through early October.

Stockton Onions - These are one of our most popular onions. The bundles (the greens that have been barerooted and sold in bundles) are only available in the month of November. 6pack starts of these onions are available in the spring and early summer.

Garlic - The garlic sets are available generally in September through early November and again in late January through February. Sometimes 6packs of garlic are available in the spring and fall months. We often get California White, Italian Late, Silver Rose, and Elephant Garlic.

Leafy Greens

Pak Choi

In our climate, we can grow leafy vegetables almost all year long. That means you can practically have the ingredients for a fresh salad all year long. You can grow lettuce, spinach, cabbage, mustard, kale, and pak choi just about every month of the year.

In hotter areas, like Vacaville, Napa, and parts of Fairfield, some leafy vegetables won't do as well in the middle of the Summer. However, you can get around that by planting your leafy greens in an area that gets afternoon shade to protect them from the intense summer heat.

In the early Spring, watch for moths that can put holes in the leaves and later in the year watch for caterpillars that can do damage to tender plants. Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew is a good organic option for controlling these pests and is available in a liquid and powder.