Advanced Vegetable Gardening

Updated 01/2024

This class is designed for gardeners who have experience growing vegetables. Learn some of the advanced techniques for improving your vegetable garden harvest, like ways to extend the growing season, how to start seeds indoors, and suggestions for increasing your total harvest.

This class topic is part of the Local Food priority of the Master Gardener program.

If you enjoyed this class, please join us for another. Current and upcoming classes are posted on our website.

Class Handouts

• Slide Presentation (Slide print-out)

• Participant Class Handout

Related Resources

PRO-TIP: Google “site:edu vegetable gardens” (or site:gov) for more research-based advice

• Vegetable Garden Planning

  • Vegetable Garden Planner (University of Minnesota Extension; Ramsey County Master Gardeners)

  • Home Garden Productivity Guide  (University of Minnesota Extension; Hennepin & Ramsey County Master Gardeners))

  • U of MN Seed Trial Winners (University of Minnesota Extension)

  • Square-Foot Gardening (North Dakota State University Extension Service)

  • Square-Foot Gardening (University of Missouri Extension; Clinton County Master Gardeners)

• Soil Amendments

  • Compost and soil organic matter: The more, the merrier? (University of Minnesota Extension)

  • How to correct problems caused by using too much compost and manure (University of Minnesota Extension)

• Intercropping & Mulching Suggestions

  • Companion Planting (Cornell Cooperative Extension)

  • Cover crops and green manures in home gardens (University of Minnesota Extension)

  • Cover crop selection for vegetable growers (University of Minnesota Extension)

  • Cover Crops (University of Georgia Extension)

  • Plastic Mulch, Row Covers and Low Tunnels (University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension)

  • Mulching Vegetables (University of Georgia Extension)

• Harvest & Storage

  • Planting and Harvesting Times for Garden Vegetables (Iowa State University Extension & Outreach)

  • Storing Garden Vegetables at Home (University of Wisconsin-Extension)

Online Resources

• University of MN Extension Program: Yard and Garden (information)

• University of MN Extension Program: Yard and Garden (videos)

• University of MN Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors

• Ramsey County Yard Waste Sites

• University of MN Extension Soil Testing Laboratory 

• Extension's Ask An Expert 

Books

• Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward Smith

• Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

• Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour

• Bountiful Container by Maggie Stuckey & Rose Marie Nichols McGee

• Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat by Meg Cowden