Use this guide to plant a successful vegetable garden. The information has been developed after considerable research and practical experience. (PDF Format Only)

Louisiana summers are a tough time for tomatoes to set and hold fruit. The heat causes irregular flower growth in most cultivars, and the result is poor fruit set, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

A short description on how and why to prune your home-grown tomatoes

To our Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide, please add these new possibilities for 2009.

This publication has information on the varieties, pollination, soil preparation, planting and cultivation of vegetable pears. (PDF Format Only)

These NEW cultivars were some of those added to the 2008 LSU AgCenter Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide.

A home garden tomato variety trial to determine the best tomato for growing in containers.

When I was a child my family lived in Germany for a time. I remember attending the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, where thinly-sliced white radishes were served with salt as a nibbler to accompany the famed draft beer. Although I couldn’t appreciate the beer at that age, I loved the radishes. I also think of radishes in October for another reason, because this is a great time to plant them in your garden, and there are no vegetables easier to grow.

Swiss chard, often just called chard, can be grown easily in most gardens. This cool-season green vegetable also has good heat resistance, so it’s really a year-round producer.

Garlic is thought to have many uses from warding off cancer to protecting from evil. In Louisiana, we use it to flavor food and boil shellfish. Here are some tips on how to grow garlic in the home garden.

Snap beans are adapted to a wide range of soils in Louisiana and make an excellent crop for the home garden. Their freshness is a real treat at the dinner table and some new varieties are available for 2010.

In the summers of 2002 and 2003, LSU AgCenter's Dr. James Boudreaux tested 14 sugar enhanced (se) and 11 supersweet (sh2) corn cultivars. They were evaluated for their large ears (about 8") and husk cover. The 2009 top cultivars are also mentioned.

Southern peas are an option for Louisiana summer gardens, because they can take the heat and prefer less fertile soils, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

Canavalias are large, climbing, trifoliate vines producing thick and long (1 foot or longer) pods. I first heard them described as "Texas butterbeans," but don't try to eat them.

Cucurbita and Lagenaria gourds, when mature, are ready to harvest and process into decorations or utensils.

June is a pivotal time for Louisiana vegetable gardens. It’s the transition from spring to hot summer conditions. At this time many crops are fully in harvest or have been pulled out to make room for new crops.

Okra is a warm-season crop that grows well in Louisiana gardens. A good start is important for successful okra production.

September is Louisiana’s last chance to plant a relatively diversified vegetable garden before next spring. During this month we can detect the first signs of cooler weather that accompanies the fall, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

The southern pea is also known as cowpea and field pea and various names like blackeyes, crowders, peas, etc.

In the 1970s, actor Bill Saluga used the line: “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay. . .” When talking about Louisiana sweet potatoes or yams, there seems to be a similar confusion.

Why do people eat sweet potatoes? Because they are sweet! A new variety, Evangeline, just released by the LSU AgCenter, will satisfy those who want a really sweet sweet potato.