Fruit, Vegetable, and Herb Growing Guides

You’ve done all of the work to grow great vegetables and fruits. Now, how do you know when to harvest them? Are there ways to store part of the harvest to enjoy during fall and winter time?

Managing pests in peaches and nectarines for the backyard orchard (en español).

How to grow potatoes in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

How to grow tomatoes in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

How to grow sweet corn in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious crop that is high in vitamin content. It is a warm season crop that grows best in long, hot growing seasons.

Watermelons grow best in sunny locations and in fertile, well-drained soils. There are several varieties of watermelon, and most grow well in Utah.

Carrots are cool season vegetables that prefer sunny locations and fertile, deep, well-drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

How to grow summer and winer squash in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialists Dan Drost and Rick Heflebower.

This article describes basil in the garden, varieties, how to grow, problems, harvesting and storage, productivity, nutrition, and frequently asked questions.

Broccoli is a cool season vegetable that prefers sunny locations and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate some organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

Grapes are a wonderful addition to the home garden. Learn basic pruning information and two common training methods suitable for the Utah home garden.

Peas are a great addition to your garden. Learn about the different varieties, ideal soil conditions, and how to prevents weeds and insects.

Cilantro/coriander is a cool-season herb that grows best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soils. Explore the best varieties to grow in Utah, and learn how to properly care for the herb to get a great harvest.

Calendula, also called pot marigold, is an annual herb grown for its medicinal blooms, edible leaves and stems. It grows best in fertile, well drained soils from full sun to part shade.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is an easy to grow herb that requires warm, humid conditions, full sunlight and plenty of moisture. It is a tender perennial that is commonly grown as an annual in cooler areas of Utah.

Garden cress or pepper-grass is an annual herb that was introduced to the United States from China. Garden cress grows best in cultivated areas that receive full sun or partial shade with moist soils.

Mint is a rapid growing perennial herb with many varieties that grow up to 3 feet tall and are quite invasive. Mint grows best in full sun to partial shade, should be planted early in the growing season and is generally hardy to -20° F.

Peppers are a great addition to any garden. Explore tips for growing and harvesting peppers, including which variety to plant and how to prevent insects and diseases.

Cantaloupes grow best in sunny locations and in fertile, well-drained soils. Incorporate organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

Chicory is a cool-season vegetable that prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soils. Two garden types of chicory include witloof (grown for its root), and radicchio (grown for its head of leaves).

Cucumbers grow best in sunny locations and in fertile, well drained soils. Incorporate organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

How to grow Swiss chard in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

Artichoke prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soils. Learn how to grow artichoke successfully, and how to avoid problems with weeds and pests.

Walnuts are commonly found across much of the United States When purchasing walnut trees for nut production, two important aspects to consider include approximate flowering and ripening times.

Eggplant prefers a sunny location, a long growing season, and fertile, well-drained soil for best yields. Do not plant too early as plants are killed by light frost and grow poorly in cool conditions.

How to grow asparagus in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

Spinach is a cool-season vegetable that prefers sunny locations and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant seeds ½ inch deep, 2-3 weeks before the last frost in the spring.

Brussels sprouts are cool season vegetables that prefer a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soil. Get tips and tricks for growing and caring for brussel sprouts so that you have a successful harvest.

Hops are a perennial plant that can be harvested for many years. Growing hops is relatively easy if plants are grown in soil rich in organic matter and provided with sufficient vertical space for vine extension. Hops are a vigorous growing vine that requi...

This article describes peaches and includes recommended cultivars for Utah, how to grow them; pests and disease;, and harvest, storage and use information.

Summary Haskap berries are a relatively new crop in the United States and subsequently, the home garden. Haskaps, Lonicera caerulea L., are a long-lived, extremely hardy shrub

This fact sheet describes onions, recommended varieties, how to grow, planting and spacing, problems, harvest and storage, and nutrition.

Growing goji in Utah by USU Extension educators.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a common, aromatic garden herb, known for its culinary and medicinal properties. Dill prefers full sun, welldrained, low fertility soils and grows best from seed. Cover seeds lightly with soil.

Leek is a hardy cool-season biennial that prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting

Celery grows to a height of 18 to 24 inches and is composed of leaf topped stalks arranged in a cone that are joined at a common base. The stalks have a crunchy texture and a delicate, but mildly salty taste

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), also called heart’s delight, lemon mint, balm mint, blue balm, garden balm, or sweet balm, is a useful perennial herb for the garden.

Horseradish is a hardy perennial vegetable that is grown for its thick yellowish to white taproot

Cabbage is a cool season vegetable that prefers sunny locations and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate some organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting. Plant seeds ¼-½ inch deep, 2-3 weeks before the last fro

Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a tender drought hardy perennial and a member of the mint family

Cauliflower is a cool season vegetable that prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

Referred as “a chef’s best friend,” French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is an essential aromatic herb. Other common names include estragon, dragon sagewort, or German tarragon, but it should not be confused with the closely related Russian tarragon.

Black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica), is also known as Spanish salsify. Black salsify is a cool season crop grown primarily for its long, brown-black roots, but its leaves can also be used as fresh greens for salads

Fennel contributes a fragrant licorice flavor to Mediterranean and Italian cooking and fennel seed is commonly used as a seasoning in sausage. Varieties of common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) are grown for seed and plants have an appearance similar to dill...

Parsnips are cool season vegetables that prefer sunny locations and fertile, deep, well-drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and an all-purpose fertilizer into the area before planting

Kohlrabi is a cool season vegetable that prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate some organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

How to grow popcorn in the garden by Utah State University Extension faculty.

Poppy (Papever somniferum) is a 2 to 3 feet tall hardy annual, grown for its seeds, which are used for culinary purposes. Poppy grows best in full sun and requires well-drained, fertile soil.

Okra is a warm-season crop often grown in southern gardens where summers are hot and long. However, some varieties are well suited for Utah gardens.

Lettuce is a cool-season vegetable that prefers sunny locations and fertile, well-drained soil. Plant seeds ¼-½ inch deep, 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Final spacing for head lettuce should be 8-12 inches apart in the row with rows 12-18 inches apart....

Apricots (Prunus armeniaca) originated in China, but can be grown in most of the western world including much of Utah. Like peaches, plums, and cherries, apricots have a large, hard pit or ‘stone’ in the fruit and are considered ‘stone fruits’.

This bulletin presents appropriate information pertaining to growing apple trees in the home orchard. Success depends on several key factors.

Training and pruning are critical parts of growing a productive apple tree. The rewards of proper training are a tree that is easy to harvest, has sustained high yields, and quality fruit.

Wasabia japonica is a challenging plant to grow successfully in Utah due to the hot arid climate combined with freezing winters. It is thought to be one of the rarest and most difficult vegetables to grow in the world.

The Wasatch Front is the urban corridor in Utah extending from Brigham City to Payson along the Wasatch Mountain Range. Roughly 80% of Utah’s population lives in this region.

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum L.) has been cultivated for thousands of years and was introduced to North America in the seventeenth century. Rhubarb is an easy to grow, nutritious vegetable that can live in the garden for 10 to 15 years, and deserves more at...

Almonds (Prunus dulcis) are a close cousin to peaches and nectarines, but are not generally as cold tolerant. Almonds are currently not a recommended crop in northern Utah, including the warmest parts of the Wasatch Front.

Red currants are hardy and relatively easy to grow in Utah. A few plants will produce enough to supply a family with plenty of antioxidant-rich berries. They are easy to tuck into a landscape and are a wonderful addition as a border plant or on their own ...

Three types of plum are commonly grown in Utah: European, Japanese and American species. These species vary in where they are successfully grown and for what the fruit will be used for. Before planting in the home orchard, planning helps ensure success.

Cosmos is native to Mexico with daisy like flowers that come in an array of colors. Once established, Cosmos needs little water, no fertilizer and not much care, which makes it well suited to Utah’s climate.

Historically, Utah has not been a significant blackberry producer. This is likely due to harsh winters and frequent late spring frosts, which result in significant crop loss.

Hazelnuts or filberts can be useful crops for home food production or hobbyists in Utah. Several species have nuts with good flavor, with American, beaked and certain hybrid types most likely to produce consistently.

There are so many vegetable varieties available, how do you select good ones for the home garden? Which ones are adapted and grow well in my area? This article gives you some answers to these questions.

BCTV causes the disease known as curly top of tomato. This virus can infect a wide range of host plants and usually occurs in semiarid areas in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. BLH can transmit the disease to a wide variety of plants, includi...

Gooseberries are relatively easy to grow and yield rewarding, tart berries perfect for pies and jellies. Gooseberry bushes have arching branches and are usually 3 to 5 feet high and wide. They have inconspicuous small green and pink flowers that are self-...

Blackberries can be grown successfully in Utah but careful cultivar selection and care is needed. Harsh winters and frequent late spring frosts often result in significant blackberry cane damage and crop loss.

Learn how to grow radishes in Utah gardens.

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), also known as bitter-berry or wild cherry, is usually grown as a large shrub but can also be trained to be a small tree.

Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) is native to northern China and naturalized in Japan, Russia, and other northern regions of the continent. It has become a staple back yard garden plant in Russia and much of Eastern Europe.

Pomegranates prefer full sun and although they will grow in part-shade the sun is needed to produce sugars and reach full flavor.

Watercress is a sun and water loving perennial that grows naturally along running waterways. Watercress has a preferred pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. The plant does well in varying soil conditions provided the soils stay saturated with water.

Learn how to grow strawberries in Utah gardens.

How to grow pumpkins in the garden by Utah State University Extension faculty.

Mustard is a cool season vegetable that prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soils. Plant seeds ½ inch deep. Thin seedlings or transplant mustard 3 inches apart in row with rows 12 inches apart.

Kale is a cool season vegetable that prefers a sunny location and fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting.

Beans are a great addition to your garden. Learn what varieties grow best in Utah, how to grow beans successfully, and how to control weeds and pests.

Garlic is a hardy perennial that grows best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soils. Explore the best methods for planting and ensuring a great harvest.

New Zealand spinach is a warm season alternative to regular spinach that does well in hot, dry conditions. Soak seeds in water for 24 hours prior to planting to hasten germination.

How to grow beets in the garden by USU Extension Vegetable Specialist Dan Drost.

Chives are cool-season, cold-tolerant perennials that prefer full sun and fertile, well-drained soils. Seeds should be planted ¼ inch deep and final plant spacing should be 4-6 inches apart in all directions.

Rutabagas and turnips are cool season vegetables that prefer sunny locations and fertile, deep, well-drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and an all-purpose fertilizer into the area before planting.

Peanuts are not commonly grown in Utah, but certain types can be productive when the frost-free growing season is more than 110. Learn more types and tricks for growing peanuts in your own garden!

Learn how to grow raspberries in Utah from USU Extension.

Winter melons grow best in sunny locations and in fertile, well-drained soils. Incorporate organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting. Plant 4-6 seeds directly in the garden when soils are 65°F. Seeds should be planted 1-1½ inc...

Tomatillos are easy to grow and have a tangy, citrus flavor that is slightly acidic. Green or purple fruits are encased in a papery husk. The plants require little maintenance or effort to produce high yield. They prefer full sun and well-drained soils. T...