How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mine is growing great!  It's been quite an adventure for my garden this spring.... Crazy winds, cold nights, hail, and rain, rain, rain have proved a challenge for many local gardeners. But, the garden must go on! I seem to have picked the right crop for this year - I'm focusing on mainly potatoes, and apparently they LOVE rain! Some took a couple of weeks to come up, and when it was very cool, they grew slowly, but I think they have gained 8-inches this week alone! I just finished hilling them up a bit, and did the mulching, and they look just gorgeous!

Here are a couple of  pictures of my organic garden so far this year:

Happy potato plants!

2011 Garden - late May

In this last picture, you can see the potatoes on the left. In the background are gladiolas (and other slow-growing flowers that haven't taken off yet). To the right are the remainder of my lettuces which wintered over, and cilantro. Yum!

Video - Easy Raised Bed Garden

If you don't want to cut lumber, drill holes, and all the other typical work required for building a raised-bed garden, this quick video shows a great alternative method, which takes only a few minutes, and is super-easy. This is great for Square Foot Gardening, or just creating a raised bed garden to provide some added height and ease of maintaining.

Raised Garden Bed: Natural Cedar
Watch as we assemble an innovative raised garden bed in just a few minutes. See more at www.eartheasy.com

To learn more about this nifty and easy raised-bed garden technique, visit www.eartheasy.com.

Is a Raised Garden Right for You?

Raised gardens are becoming quite popular as more and more people are renting property or find themselves in high rise apartment buildings with little to no lawn space and even less access to actual soil in which to plant the flowers and vegetables they desire to grow. There are actually quite a few pros for using raised gardens as opposed to tilling the soil for those who wish to have smaller gardens or have limited space. At the same time, those who desire bigger yields are often dissatisfied with the limits of Image by VeggieGardeningTips via Flickrraised gardens. The choice is ultimately yours but I will try to point out some of the pros and cons of this type of garden so that you may decide for yourself.

Soil compaction: Plants love to breathe and that is often difficult when placed in traditional garden rows, as we have quite a bit of difficulty avoiding the possibility of stepping onto the tilled rows in which we have planted our fruits, vegetables, or plants. By using a raised garden, which is designed to be worked from without rather than within, there is little fear of compacting the soil around the plants. At the same time many lifelong gardeners feel the inability to walk around in their gardens is a disadvantage in itself and prefer to be able to do so. This is often a matter of preference rather than practicality but a valid opposition just the same.

Numbers: You can actually plant more plants in the same amount of square footage in a raised bed because there is no need for rows. You should also be aware that plants in raised beds often tend to grow larger than plants in traditional garden rows. That being said you should resist the urge to over plant within the raised garden bed, as this will eliminate that slight benefit. (For some helpful tips on this, see info on Square Foot Gardening.)

Watering and Drainage: One huge benefit to raised beds for summer gardens in areas that are nearly saturated with excess moisture is that raised beds allow much better drainage than traditional row gardening. This is one thing that the average gardener will not argue with unless he lives in an area in which this isn't much of a problem. Most gardeners in the south though, where there is a great deal of humidity and moisture will agree that proper drainage is a problem.

Image via WikipediaMobility/Tending To Your Garden: Raised beds are less back-breaking. This is a huge benefit to those of us who are feeling the years creeping into our bones. By being above ground, raised gardens offer easier access for planting, weeding, planting, and investigating for signs of pests. Another great thing about raised gardens is that they warm more quickly, which renders them more productive and with longer growing seasons than most gardens that are placed in the ground.

Also, for those who have unusually shaped yards or growing areas, raised gardens allow the opportunity to have a beautiful summer garden in almost any shape you can build the box for. This means you are not limited to rows, as many gardens tend to be and that you have a few more options for aesthetics when planning and growing your summer garden.

The downside to raised gardens is that they are difficult to dismantle and nearly impossible to till. This means you must do all the working of the soil by hand and many gardeners do not fully appreciate the beauty of that process. The most important thing however, is that you choose a summer garden system that works for you.

You can do a traditional raised-bed garden, or try an alternative method such as straw-bale or Square Foot Gardening - either way you can reap the benefits of this unique gardening technique.

Raised Bed Gardening Resources:
    

6 EasyTips for Creating a Summer Garden on a Budget

Gardening can quickly escalate into an expensive undertaking if you do not enter into the prospect with certain and very specific budget constraints in mind. If you plan according to your budget and purchase according to your specific plans and needs you are likely to find that your summer garden is more budget-friendly than the vast majority of other gardens on the block. I hope the advice that follows will help you cut the expense of gardening and help you find budget-friendly ways to build the summer garden of your dreams.

Image via Wikipedia1. Don't buy what you don't need. It may seem simplistic, but who among us hasn't gotten seduced by a great sale? It doesn't matter how good the deal is -- if you do not need the seeds, tools, and various other items there is no real reason to purchase them. It is a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

2. Don't pay for shipping if it can be avoided. You may find a few items cheaper online but be very aware of the costs involved in shipping. If it costs more when all is said and done than it would have cost to purchase the same items locally you haven't saved anything at all. Look at the big picture rather than seeing only the cheaper asking price. It is also a good idea to support small local businesses whenever possible as they are going to be more likely to bargain, barter, and throw in freebies.

3. Check locally for free composting materials. Many communities offer these free to residents. When compared with the expense of purchasing these materials the savings can be significant over the course of a summer.

4. Work out an exchange among gardening friends. This is a great way to incorporate new plants into your summer garden without purchasing each plant you wish to include! This is also a great way to make new gardening friends, share a passion, and save money. It's a win-win situation for most gardeners!

5. Select plants that are native to your area for your summer garden. This is a huge money-saver that is often overlooked (and it's also more sustainable!) The costs of non-native plants can be excessive in the best of circumstances and the added care incurs further costs - especially if you end up not being able to keep the plants alive, or productive. Keep costs down by selecting plants that will easily thrive in your climate and those that are locally cultivated. This isn't an all-or-nothing proposition of course. If you absolutely love a couple of non-native plants, by all means incorporate them into your garden. However, if you are planning a garden from scratch choose as many native plants as possible for filler.

6. Check your local classified ads and free-cycle program for used garden tools that are in good condition. There are many reasons that people sell or give away garden tools and a bargain is a bargain on these tools that are going to be used to play in the dirt. You do not need to be incredibly picky about the tools you purchase and saving money is almost always a good thing. It's even better, of course, when you get them for no cost at all. You also might find a few free plants available through these sources too.

Image via Wikipedia7. Mulching saves time and money. Really! It saves water to mulch because the mulch holds the moisture in. This lowers the cost of watering and eliminates many of the pesky weeds that crop up-which saves time. We all know that time is money and most of us despise weeding - unless we have some truly aggressive emotions to work through, that is. :-)

By using all of the steps above you should find that you have saved a good deal of money in the planning and growing of your summer garden. Combine them with tips of your own that you discover along the way and next summer your garden should cost even less.

Video - How to Build Your Own Compost Bin

Here is a helpful video on building your own compost bin - practically for free! If you don't have any tools, you may have to pick up a couple things, but they are pretty basic, and other than the staples and twine, if you follow some of his tips for finding materials for your bin, you may spend little or nothing on making this bin.  (He actually shows you a couple of different types of bins, as well as how to start the composting process.)

I particularly like the first bin he demonstrates because, as he mentions, the sides can easily be opened/removed if needed, to remove the finished compost, and it can also be taken apart and moved to a new location.

Check it out, and see how easy it can be to make your own compost bin!

how to build a compost bin
vavrek shows how to build a large compost bin using free materials :: save the scraps, save our world !

More Composting Resources:
   

Building Your Own Compost Bin

If you would rather not purchase a bin for your compost pile, you should still devise a way to contain it.  You can easily and inexpensively build your own bin.  This will give you more control over the size of the pile and can prevent unwelcome animals helping themselves to some free food.

Image by JenWaller via FlickrIf you are using recycled lumber and it has been treated (either painted or stained) make sure it has been done using non-toxic material.  You do not want anything toxic or poisonous to come in contact with your compost, especially if you are going to be using it where you are growing food.

You will need four 4-foot sections of 2X4 and 20 3-foot sections of 1X6 boards.  Begin by hammering the 2X4 lumber pieces into the ground with a sledgehammer at the corners of what will become a 3 feet squared container (space each corner post 3 feet apart). 

Next, put five boards to every side securing each end of the board to the corner post with nails.  Be sure to leave enough room in between each board for air circulation.  You can use a piece of plywood or another flat piece of material large enough to cover the top as a cover if you wish.

Image via WikipediaAnother way to build your own bin is to use new or recycled pallets.  Find wooden pallets (you may be able to find them at a land fill site) and nail or screw them together to form a square.  If you want you can add a fifth to give the bin a bottom, but this is not necessary.

Another option is to enclose the pile with a wire mesh.  You can either create a circle with the mesh and secure with metal ties or hammer wooden posts in a circle around the pile and secure the mesh to the wooden posts.

Hopefully this gives you some good ideas for building your own compost bin. If you're still feeling confused, or you just want to see an example, come back on Saturday for a helpful how-to video!

Related Articles on Building Compost Bins:

• Compost - Garden, Yard and Household Waste [A Crash Course] (survivalfarm.wordpress.com)
• Homemade Food Compost Bin (lisaakari.wordpress.com)
• Free Compost Bins - But you have to live in Gilbert. (greenarizonabroker.com)
• Apartment Composting (chicagonow.com)

How to Choose a Composting Container

Well, summer is coming, and with it (in most areas) prime composting season! If you're not familiar with composting, browse our previous posts for some great instructions and tips, and stay tuned, as we post article on composting here fairly frequently.

Image via WikipediaOne of the first things to consider when building your compost is how you will contain it. There are many sizes, shapes, and styles of composting bins to choose from.  You can buy one fairly affordably, make one yourself, or opt for not using one at all and create a compost pile or heap.

A compost tumbler is a cylindrical shape much like a drum laid on its side.  It can be turned on a base that is supported on the flat ends.  By turning the drum you are rotating and aerating the materials at the same time.  It is an easy and effective way to rotate your compost. (This is the one I use - I've had it for 3 years, and am overall very happy with it: Envirocycle Compost Tumbler. It is easy to fill, easy to turn, and it has a collector at the bottom for "compost tea" - you WON'T want to drink it, but your plants will!)

A bio-orb container is shaped like a round ball and comes in various sizes.  The benefits of this type of container are the ease of getting it around (you can roll it over to your yard waste and roll it back to its base), and the act of rolling it also aerates and rotates the contents.  There are many small round holes in the container to let air in too.

Image via WikipediaA wooden box composter with slats or a wooden framed box with mesh sides can be purchased or easily made at home.  If you can find four wooden pallets, you can nail them together to create a compost bin very inexpensively or you can find a roll of wire mesh at your local hardware store.  Both of these options allow air to circulate as long as the contents are not too compacted. (We will post some more detailed instructions and possibly a video on this later this week, so be sure to check back for that.)

If you do not want to use a bin, start with a pile of glass clippings or leaves and start to layer your food scraps on top.  As time goes by and your pile continues to grow make sure you rotate and “stir” it frequently.  Be warned though, it is not as easy to turn a pile that is not contained.  They tend to grow in circumference over time as the pile spreads out after rotating.

Check back on Thursday for some tips on building your own composting container!


Some Examples of Good Composters:
 

Video - Starting An Organic Garden

Here is a good basic video on organic gardening, which demonstrates how to start small (important if you're a new gardener!) and prepare your soil - even if you're starting with just a big patch of lawn, which has never been gardened before. Scott covers what tools are needed, how to dig and prepare your soil for planting, how to make your soil more fertile and prevent weeds, some ideas on what to plant in late summer and fall, and more.

Check it out and get inspired to start your own organic garden!

Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden
www.howdini.com Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden What does it mean to grow vegetables organically? Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows how to plant and nurture an organic vegetable garden. Keywords: organ...

More Resources for Starting an Organic Garden:

Why Organic Vegetable Gardening Is Important

Organic vegetable gardening is becoming the trend these days as more and more people are becoming conscious of what they are eating - and becoming aware that conventional farming methods involve the use of harmful chemicals which may enter our systems and cause a host of health problems and diseases.

Cover via AmazonWith organic farming, farmers don't plant crops using genetic engineering, irradiation and sewage sludge. Instead, they rely on things like crop rotation, organic fertilizers, and the use of mulch and compost.

Crop rotation is the practice of planting a different crop in the same area another crop once occupied. This keeps the soil’s nutrients fertile so it can be used again in the following season, and helps reduce pests and diseases which tend to inflict one specific crop.

But one of the main reasons why organic vegetable gardening is so important is the fact that the crops harvested typically have 50% more nutrients and vitamins compared to that of conventional farming methods. This helps improve health immensely, and prevent a number of health problems.

You can buy organically grown vegetables from the supermarket. The sad part is the almost everywhere you go, although the packaging comes from Department of Health, Quality Assurance International, California Certified Organic Farmers or the Oregon Tilth Farm Verified Organic, many of these are only 50% to 70% organic.

This is why homeowners who want to eat 100% organic vegetables are encouraged to grow them themselves - this way you know exactly what you are getting, without having to rely on a label to tell you the truth.

You can plant your garden from seed, buy little starts (seedlings), or buy larger plants and stick them right in the ground (however, if buying plants or seedlings, these may or may not have been treated with pesticides or other chemicals already, so be wary of this). Regardless of the start method you choose, you will need to prepare the soil, use compost and mulch, and make sure that the plants are safe from threats such as insects, weeds and other animals that will eat what you have planted.

Image via WikipediaYou can fight these threats with other animals, insects, organic fertilizers, deodorant soap, or other natural methods. (For more info on these, keep an eye on this blog, and also visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html for some great resources.)

For those who don’t have a big garden, they can try growing organic vegetables in containers. These will require more water than those planted in the soil so be sure to water frequently.

There is no doubt that organic vegetables and other organic products are important to our health these days. If you value your health you will want to investigate organically grown food as well as other organic items, and growing your own garden is a great way to take control of your health and what you eat.

And for those who decide to buy organically grown vegetables, remember to wash before cooking them - even if they are organic, you still need to make sure they are clean - not to mention reducing chemical residues which may have been transferred from non-organic vegetables during storage and transport.

Organic Gardening Resources:

Are Food Products Killing Us?

Here is a great article by Scott McGuire - we shared a video on him and his magnificent garden several months ago. He has a great blog and website, if you want to check them out, and this article really hit home for me - probably because it focuses on the same things I'm always harping on about - toxic "food" substitutes killing you and the environment, local sustainability, and growing your own food!  :-)

Image via WikipediaCheck out this great article (click the link to read the whole thing), and then get your own sustainable garden started!

All You Need Is… Food
Are Food Products Killing Us. There’s a secret to surviving in these times, a secret to longevity that most of us have forgotten. It’s very simple, as most remedies for over-complexity must be. The best way to get by, day after day is to… eat food.

Ah, so obvious you say. But hardly anyone eats food anymore; everyone eats food-products. If you bought it in a carton or can, a box, baggie or seal-wrap, then it’s not food, it’s a food-product. Food would be… beans. That’s right, just beans brought to a boil. Or greens. That’s all; fresh plants chopped into a bowl, not the pseudo-nutri-garnished shredded cardboard confetti shot into a plastic clamshell and trucked all over refrigerated wastelands just so green shoppers can pretend they’re eating lower on the food chain.

This is a critical distinction to make. Food is food, and food-products are what we commonly mistake for food. This difference has been forgotten for so long, that today people cram their pie holes full of the most unrecognizable crap, and imagine that’s just the way it’s supposed to be. Well, it is for now, but not for long. What will it take to snap us out of our snack-trance delirium of auto-ingestion?

Everyone who currently confuses food-products with food is also deeply mesmerized by the common delusion regarding where food is obtained. Right now, your average eater is convinced that the only way to eat is to buy food products from a store, and not food from some person they actually know. You know, like we did for most of human history, during the dark, pre-modern days when we all had to pay personal attention to our food-supply, because food didn’t magically appear like today....
Publish Date: 04/09/2011 11:41
http://www.scottallenmcguire.com/eyeonthehorizon/food-philosphy/all-you-need-is-food/

Using Gardening to Get in Shape?

While gardening is usually thought of as a productive way to grow beautiful plants and obtain tasty fruits and vegetables, many people haven't considered the immense amounts of exercise one can get in the process of gardening. While you can get almost as much muscle (if not more) exercise as you do working out, it is very productive at the same time.

Image via WikipediaYou may wonder how gardening could possibly give you as much exercise as working out. Just think about all the various facets of preparing a garden. There are holes to be dug, bags and pots to be carried, and weeds to be pulled. Doing all of these things help to work out almost every group of muscles in your body.

I have a friend who is a fanatic about working out. Almost every time I call his house, I end up interrupting some muscle toning activity. I’ve never really enjoyed working out, though, as it seems that the constant lifting of heavy things just puts a strain on my body with no immediate positive results. But while he is into working out, I am almost equally enthusiastic about gardening. I work outside improving my garden almost every day, and it's improving my body, too!

Before you go out to work in your garden, you should always stretch out. Even if your goal isn’t to work out and get exercise, it’s still a good idea. Often gardeners spend long periods of time hunched over or bent over. This can be bad for your back. So not only should you stretch out beforehand, but you should also take frequent breaks if you’re spending long amounts of time in these positions.

Weeding and pruning are some of the best workouts a gardener can get. With the constant crouching and standing, the legs get a great workout. If your weeds are particularly resistant, your arms will become toned just from the effort required to remove them from the ground. If you plan on taking the whole workout thing very seriously, you should always be switching arms and positions to spread out the work between different areas of your body.

One of the most obvious ways to get exercise is in the transporting and lifting of bags and pots. Between the nursery and your house, you will have to move the bags multiple times (to the checkout, to your car, to your garden, and then spreading them out accordingly). As long as you remember to lift with your legs and not your back, transporting bags and pots can give you a fairly good workout, even though you probably don’t make those purchases very often.

Image via WikipediaMowing your grass can also be great exercise. If you’ve got an older mower that isn’t self propelled, just the act of pushing it through the grass will give you more of a workout than going to the gym for a few hours. During the course of mowing the grass, you use your chest, arms, back, and shoulders to keep the mower ahead of you. Your thighs and butt also get worked a lot to propel the mower. Not only do you get an all around muscle work out, but it can improve your heart’s health. It’s good for you as a cardiovascular activity, as well as a great way to lose weight due to the increased heart rate and heavy breathing.

If you plan on using gardening as a way to get in shape or lose some weight, you can hardly go wrong. Just be sure to stretch out, drink plenty of water, and avoid spending too long in the hot sun. As long as you take steps to prevent the few negative effects such as pulled muscles, dehydration and sunburn, I think you’ll have a great garden and end up being a healthier person with a more fit body because of it.

 

Related Articles on Gardening for Exercise:

• How to turn gardening into a workout (theglobeandmail.com)
• Gardening goodness - how to exercise while gardening? (telegraph.co.uk)
• Cultivating Wellness - How Does Your Garden Grow? (hofholistichealingcenters.wordpress.com)
• Wait - That's Exercise, Too? (sixuntilme.com)

A Fun Day of Planting

Lettuces & cilantro, planted last fall!

Today I thought I'd share some of my gardening fun! With all the rain lately in so many parts of the country, it has been quite a challenge to get anything done in the garden. We've had record rainfalls all month, flooding, and general sogginess. I intended to plant potatoes weeks ago, but the garden has been nothing but mud.... We've had a rare 2 days of sunshine now, so I took advantage of one dry day this weekend to get out and get the rest of the garden planted. It was still pretty chilly, but at least not raining! 

Luckily, my soil is getting pretty nice after 4 years of adding the results of my composting efforts, and it drains well - it was nice and moist, but not at all muddy. I had laid some sheets of black plastic over the area a few weeks ago, in an effort to warm up our cold Ohio soil a little faster. I think it might have worked, as the soil didn't feel all that cold while I was digging.... We shall see!

I dug trenches, put my little sprouty potatoes (left over from last fall's CSA share), and filled them most of the way in, leaving some extra piles of soil - I plan to hill them up once they start to come up, in hopes of getting a bigger yield? Perhaps?  This is my first time growing potatoes in quite a few years, and my goal is to grow enough to get me through all of next winter, with plenty of soups, stews, and yummy mashed potatoes!

Red, white, & yellow onions, and garlic chives.

So, as of today, potatoes are in, the flower bed is planted, as well as morning glories along the fence. Onions are lovely and growing well, as well as my gorgeous lettuces, which wintered over under the snow, all by themselves! Gladiolas are just starting to pop up, as well as little volunteer cilantro everywhere. I am posting a couple of pictures here of the onions and lovely lettuces - hopefully more great pictures to come, as it warms up!