Vegetables

Find comprehensive resources on vegetable production below. Also visit our local foods section to find locally grown produce.

Vegetable Varieties

Curious which vegetable varieties might grow best in your garden? Cornell researchers are, too. Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners (VVfG) is a web-based tool that compiles information from gardeners to help you decide what to grow. The information you supply may also influence breeding efforts and seed availability. Check out this list from Cornell's Garden Based Learning Program to see what varieties they recommend as being well-suited to NY State gardens for 2019!

2019 Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners (pdf)

Food Gardening

Growing your own food can be a very satisfying effort that pays off in a number of ways: your fruits and vegetables are fresher and you can choose the exact varieties that you and your family enjoy. Plus, you can save substantial amounts of money over purchasing them at the grocery or farmers' markets. We can provide resources and advice to help you start small, and gradually move up to producing more of your families food. Visit our pages in this section for more information on the first and last dates for planting vegetables in our area, setting up a rotation for your vegetable beds, and much more. 

Cornell Garden Learning offers a page on Food Gardening that includes vegetable growing guides, suggested vegetable varieties for NYS gardeners, tomato varieties that are resistant to Late Blight, information on indoor vegetable seed starting, plans for a low-cost light frame, suggested cover crops for vegetable growers, and additional resources on home fruit growing and agroforestry.

More Cornell Resources

Cornell's Home Gardening website has links to excellent resources, including the Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners, Vegetable MD Online, Vegetable Disease Factsheets, and -to growing guides for more than 50 different vegetables. http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene0391.html

You've gotten your soil tested, now how do you use the results? This handout from Cornell Gardening will help you match your test results with appropriate soil amendments to improve the soil in your vegetable garden! Getting the Most out of Your Vegetable Garden Soil Test Report

• Cornell Vegetable Website
• 2023 Cornell Integrated Crop & Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production
• Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers

Seeds

Seed Starting. Indoor Vegetable Seed Starting (January 2015) is a 2-page handout from Lori Brewer/Cornell's Garden Based Learning program that covers selecting seed varieties, supplies you'll need to start seeds indoors, germination specifics, and more.

Seed Saving. This Cornell University Library Guide on "Seed Saving" compiled by Jeff Piestrak includes links to relevant Cornell University initiatives, Conservation & Biodiversity Groups, Grower Resources/Directories/Support, Industry/Trade Groups & Resources, Seed Libraries, Seed Sovereignty, Other Seed Saving Organizations/Networks/Events, and General Learning Materials on saving seeds.

Rotating Vegetables

Rotating Vegetables (link to CCE Tompkins County)

From CCE Tompkins: Rotating vegetables is always recommended, but to do it properly, one needs to know which vegetables are in the same family. Related vegetables share disease problems, so a true rotation needs to be between vegetable families. Usually a 3-year rotation is advised, meaning that there will be 2 years of unrelated vegetables in the middle, between related vegetables.

Other Resources

• Vegetable Resources (Purdue U.)
• Vegetable Notes Newsletter (U. Massachusetts)

Economics & Marketing

• GAPS - Good Agricultural Practices (Cornell U.)
• USDA Fruit & Vegetable Market News

Organic Production

• Organic Guides for Fruit, Vegetables & Dairy(NYS IPM)
• Resource Guide for Organic Insect & Disease Management (Cornell U.)
• 2012 Production Guide for Storage of Organic Fruits & Vegetables (NYS IPM)

Last updated December 7, 2023