Plant Info for the Garden

The season of fall is here and will it come many vegetables for us to grow and harvest. Among those plants are my 3 favorite greens are lettuce, collard greens, and chard. These three plants have many similarities in terms of gardening. They all grow in autumn, given a 4x5 foot area, they will all produce one bunch per week, and they all grow well in loose, rich, fertile loam with a pH of 6.5-6.8. These three plants all are planted 3-4 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart from each other in soil that is 10-27 degrees Celsius. All three of these plants grow better in sunny areas and will work well in the San Diego climate. All three plants have large leaves that can block water from getting to the roots and so they should be watered using drip irrigation. None of these plants are companions with each other, but they all are companions with cabbage, peas, and strawberries. Lettuce and chard take anywhere from a month to a month and a half to reach maturity while collard greens take a month or less. I would say that it is very reasonable to include these three plants in our garden for a harvest at the end of the semester.

Lettuce:

• Type: Vegetable
• Nutrition Facts (varies from species of lettuce):
• Vitamin A: 7-10%
• Vitamin C: 1-3%
• Calcium: 0-1%
• Iron: 0-2%
• Other: Mostly water
• Growing climate: Sunny, warmer temperatures
• Space Requirements:
• rows 12 inches apart
• seeds 3-4 inches apart
• Soil:
• Rich, Fertile, Loam
• 10-27 degrees Celsius
• pH: 6.5-6.8
• N-P-K ratio:  Unknown
• Watering Method: Drip Irrigation
• Companion Plants:  cabbage, peas, strawberries

Collard Greens:

• Type: Vegetable
• Nutrition Facts:
• Vitamin A: 48%
• Vitamin C: 21%
• Calcium: 5%
• Iron: 0%
• Other: Great source of vitamin K
• Growing climate: Sunny, warmer temperatures
• Space Requirements:
• rows 12 inches apart
• seeds 3-4 inches apart
• Soil:
• Rich, Fertile, Loam
• 10-27 degrees Celsius
• pH: 6.5-6.8
• N-P-K ratio:  Unknown
• Watering Method: Drip Irrigation
• Companion Plants:  cabbage, peas, strawberries

Chard:

• Type: Vegetable
• Nutrition Facts:
• Vitamin A: 44%
• Vitamin C: 18%
• Calcium: 2%
• Iron: 4%
• Other: Lots of sodium
• Growing climate: Sunny, warmer temperatures
• Space Requirements:
• rows 12 inches apart
• seeds 3-4 inches apart
• Soil:
• Rich, Fertile, Loam
• 10-27 degrees Celsius
• pH: 6.5-6.8
• N-P-K ratio: Unknown
• Watering Method: Drip Irrigation
• Companion Plants:  cabbage, peas, strawberries