GROWER'S LIBRARY

Summary of overwintering protection methods for low tunnels, from the experts at Johnny's Selected Seeds. Information on low tunnel covers, Quick Hoops low tunnels, electrical metal tubing (EMT), Agribon on low tunnels, low tunnel benders, PVD, Agribon-19, protection from frost, ventilating low tunnels, and 4 mil greenhouse film, relative to early spring harvest.

A review of basic high and low tunnel components, the rudiments for season extension and protected culture growing, with Lynn Byczinski and Johnny's Selected Seeds.

An illustrated set of step-by-step instructions from Eliot Coleman on how to set up and manage your Quick Hoops low tunnels from Johnny's Selected Seeds.

An overview of winter production techniques for the high tunnel, from Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Learn which of our field tomato varieties are best for high tunnel and hoophouse culture, which plant habits are best for protected-culture, and which specific varieties from our field line-up are your best bet on the basis of disease resistances. Recommendations from Johnny’s tomato research and trialing team.

Based on our extensive winter trials, this guide offers specific planting charts and guidelines for a successful winter harvest and overwintering program, with recommendations on what to plant and when to plant it.

Follow this set of guidelines for optimizing your harvest, including tips and recommendations for year-round production and harvesting, an explanation of the details of carrot season extension by variety selection, succession planting carrots, early carrots, main harvest carrots, storage carrots, and carrot types such as Nantes, Imperator, Parisian, and Kuroda, from the carrot breeding and trialing team at Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Guidelines for choosing the right tomato varieties to suit your particular growing needs and unique preferences, defining 3 key differentiating features, plus our recommended best varieties. 3 key questions: 1) Which vegetative growth habit best suits your needs? Indeterminate (tall and viney) OR determinate (bushy). 2) Where will you grow your tomatoes? Outdoors OR indoors/in a protected setting. 3) Which fruit characteristics are of greatest importance to you? Flavor, color, texture, yield...

Learn what makes a variety good for growing in greenhouses, hoophouses, and poly tunnels from the research team at Johnny's. Details include which specific plant habit, vine, fruit, and disease resistance characteristics to look for when determining which cultivars to grow in the protected-culture setting, including our crop experts' recommendations for specific tomato, pepper, cucumber, eggplant, and lettuce types and varieties.

Here are Lisa Ziegler's 5 recommended "Cool Flowers" — cold-tolerant hardy annuals for overwintering and shoulder-season growing for the earliest possible blooms in spring.

An overview of Common Tomato Pests, Diseases & Physiological Disorders to help tomato growers avoid problems — or should they arise, to be better prepared to appropriately address them — in time. We provide a brief summary of the primary living (biotic) pathogens as well as nonliving (abiotic, or physiological) disorders that are common and/or pose the greatest threat, with additional resources for further reading and assistance.

For experienced vegetable farmers looking to expand into commercial cut-flower production, as well as the more casual — yet entrepreneurial — gardener exploring ways to create a tidy income stream on the side, these personal narratives from expert farmers around the nation introduce our top-15 choices for getting started in cut flowers. Remember to take notes as you create your seed lists!