Originally published by Kelly Allsup on February 11, 2020.
When do I plant? Should I plant seeds or transplants? What about seed spacing? Find what works best for backyard vegetable growers in Central Illinois!
| Vegetable | Seed/ Transplant | Spacing |
| Asparagus | Crowns (roots) | Place Crowns 12-18 inches apart, 6 inches deep, spread roots and cover crown bud with 2 inches of soil |
| Bean (Bush) | Seed | Plant seeds 2-4 inches apart, 1- inch deep |
| Bean (Pole) | Seed | Plant seeds 4-6 inches apart, 1-inch deep |
| Beet | Seed | Plant seeds ½ inch deep, 1- inch apart, soak seeds in water before planting, thin seeds to 2 inches |
| Cabbage | Transplant | Plant 12-24 inches apart |
| Carrot | Seed | Plant seeds ½ inch deep, ½ inch apart, mix with sand to spread small seed more evenly, thin to 1 inch, slow to germinate |
| Cauliflower | Transplant | Plant 18-24 inches apart |
| Chard | Seed or Transplant | Plant seed 1” deep, 2-4 inches apart, Plant 4-6” apart |
| Corn | Seed | Plant seed 1” deep, 12 inches apart |
| Cucumber | Seed | Plant seeds 1” deep, 12 inches apart |
| Eggplant | Transplant | Plant 18-24 inches apart |
| Endive | Seed | Broadcast ¼ inch deep, thin to 9 inches |
| Kale | Seed | ½ inch deep, thin seedlings to 12” |
| Kohlrabi | Seed | ¼-1/2 inch deep, thin to 4 inches apart |
| Lettuce | Seed | Broadcast seed ¼ inch deep, thin to 4 inches |
| Muskmelon | Seed | Plant 1 inch deep, thin to 24 inches |
| Mustard | Seed | Plant ½ inch deep, thin to 4 inches |
| Okra | Transplants | Plant 12-24 inches apart |
| Onion | Sets (bulbs) | For bulbs, plant 1 inch deep, 4 inches apart. For green onions, plant 1 inch deep 2 inches apart |
| Peas | Seed | 1” deep, 1 inch apart |
| Pepper | Transplant | Plant 24 inches apart. *Peppers can be planted as late as June 15. |
| Potato | Whole Potatoes or 2 oz. 'Seed' Pieces with two eyes each | Plant 12 inches apart and cover with 2 inches of soil |
| Pumpkin | Seed | Plant seed 1 inch deep, 4-5 seeds per hill, 3-6 feet between hills, thin to best 2-3 seedlings |
| Radish | Seed | Plant ½ inch deep , 1-4 inches apart |
| Rhubarb | Roots with crown bud | Plant 2 inches below surface, 3-4 feet apart |
| Rutabaga | Seed | Plant ½ inch deep, thin to 6 inches apart when plants are 2 inches tall |
| Spinach | Seed | Broadcast ½ inch deep, thin to 2-4” apart |
| Squash summer | Seed | Plant 1 inch deep, 2 seeds every 2-3’, thin the weaker seedling |
| Squash winter | Seed | Plant 1 inch deep, 4 seeds per hill, 6 feet between hills , thin hill to best two plants |
| Sweet Potato | Slips (vine transplants) | Plant 12 inches apart on raised 8 inch ridge of soil |
| Tomato | Transplant | Plant entire stem up to the top two leaves, 24-36 inches apart |
| Turnips | Seed | Plant seeds ½ inch deep, thin to 2-4 inches apart when plants are 4” tall |
| Watermelon | Seed | Plant 3-4 seeds 1 inch deep, 4- 6 feet apart, thin to two strongest seedlings |
Keywords