This week we have a special announcement for all of our dear readers.
We've been working on a new blog site for a while, and it's finally LIVE!
The new site is a place where we can share more recent news, tips, and helpful articles on sustainable and organic gardening, as well as urban gardening, and gardening in small spaces. It has a fresh, new look, and more frequent updates, so you can find the information you need to grow a successful garden - no matter where you live!
Check it out now at www.sustainablegardeningnews.com.
And also be sure to Like our new Facebook page - dedicated solely to sustainable and organic gardening topics!
We've enjoyed providing valuable gardening resources to you for all these years, and we look forward to continuing to do so on our new site, so we hope you will check us out, download the free small space gardening report, and follow us on Facebook to stay updated.
You can also submit a contact form on the new website and ask us your gardening questions!
See you on the new site!
Rose.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Make Gardening a Family Affair - Part 4: Have Fun!
There are a lot of things you can do in the garden that can be a lot of fun for your whole family, while making your garden even better!
For example, composting can be a fun project for adults or kids. Even though it does require some patience and effort, it’s something that kids will enjoy getting to help with. If you have depleted soil, you can give it back its natural vitality and health by using compost.
You can easily make your own compost, and it’s a great thing to add to the soil to grow better fruits and vegetables. You can get everyone involved in helping save the household waste that can go into the composting pile instead of into the garbage can.
Your family can learn how composting helps the garden by helping the soil retain moisture so that plants get the water that they need. Kids can learn how to tell when a compost pile is ready and which containers are best or easiest to use when creating a compost pile.
Gardening can be a fun family project when you allow your children to decorate their designated spaces in the garden. They can decorate with little toy butterflies or birds, and of course they can grow flowers as natural decorations!
You can let your child plant a fairy garden somewhere in their garden, and there are kits to help you do this. They can also use small decorative lights in the garden. Just make sure they’re placed far enough away from the plants so nothing hinders their growth.
Another fun thing that you can do is to make sure that every family member has his or her own gardening tools. Kids especially love this idea. You can even get a gardening bag that’s monogrammed with his or her name on it.
Child sized rakes, shovels, watering cans and hoes are good items to get, especially if the children are small - because they won’t be able to use many of the standard full-sized gardening tools.
When they have their own tools, kids will feel more involved in the process. Plus, child-size gardening tools also come in fun colors, which will help make it more interesting for your child. They’re also much safer for small children to use than standard adult-size gardening tools.
Encourage your child to learn how to take care of his tools, how to clean them, and then keep them safely stored with yours until the next time they’re needed.
By teaching your child about the joy of gardening, they’re more likely to enjoy healthier food later in life.
Gardening will also open your child up to the huge variety of different fruits and vegetables available to choose from when it comes to eating. Instead of having to eat standard vegetables like peas and carrots all the time, your child may be open to trying more exotic and unique ones. This is a good way to get your child to eat vegetables. Many times kids don’t like standard vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, but if you introduce them to different ones - especially vegetables they grew themselves, they may be a lot more open to eating them.
The fun doesn’t have to stop when the garden items are harvested, either. You can teach your child how to make their favorite dishes with the vegetables and fruits that they grew as well! If you have a lot of berries, you can also teach your child how to make jam - or tasty smoothies using fresh fruit from the garden.
Not only can gardening help create special time together, but you’ll also be eating healthier as a family, and teaching your kids healthy habits that can last a lifetime. There's no better gift you can give!
Gardening Tools for Kids:
For example, composting can be a fun project for adults or kids. Even though it does require some patience and effort, it’s something that kids will enjoy getting to help with. If you have depleted soil, you can give it back its natural vitality and health by using compost.
 |
| Compost scraps in a bin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Your family can learn how composting helps the garden by helping the soil retain moisture so that plants get the water that they need. Kids can learn how to tell when a compost pile is ready and which containers are best or easiest to use when creating a compost pile.
Gardening can be a fun family project when you allow your children to decorate their designated spaces in the garden. They can decorate with little toy butterflies or birds, and of course they can grow flowers as natural decorations!
You can let your child plant a fairy garden somewhere in their garden, and there are kits to help you do this. They can also use small decorative lights in the garden. Just make sure they’re placed far enough away from the plants so nothing hinders their growth.
Another fun thing that you can do is to make sure that every family member has his or her own gardening tools. Kids especially love this idea. You can even get a gardening bag that’s monogrammed with his or her name on it.
Child sized rakes, shovels, watering cans and hoes are good items to get, especially if the children are small - because they won’t be able to use many of the standard full-sized gardening tools.
When they have their own tools, kids will feel more involved in the process. Plus, child-size gardening tools also come in fun colors, which will help make it more interesting for your child. They’re also much safer for small children to use than standard adult-size gardening tools.
 |
| Toys gardening together. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
By teaching your child about the joy of gardening, they’re more likely to enjoy healthier food later in life.
Gardening will also open your child up to the huge variety of different fruits and vegetables available to choose from when it comes to eating. Instead of having to eat standard vegetables like peas and carrots all the time, your child may be open to trying more exotic and unique ones. This is a good way to get your child to eat vegetables. Many times kids don’t like standard vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, but if you introduce them to different ones - especially vegetables they grew themselves, they may be a lot more open to eating them.
The fun doesn’t have to stop when the garden items are harvested, either. You can teach your child how to make their favorite dishes with the vegetables and fruits that they grew as well! If you have a lot of berries, you can also teach your child how to make jam - or tasty smoothies using fresh fruit from the garden.
Not only can gardening help create special time together, but you’ll also be eating healthier as a family, and teaching your kids healthy habits that can last a lifetime. There's no better gift you can give!
Gardening Tools for Kids:
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Make Gardening a Family Affair - Part 3: Get the Whole Family Involved
It may seem easier to do some of the harder steps of growing a garden by yourself - especially if you’ve had some experience gardening and can get it done faster. However, if you want to garden together as a family, and receive all of the benefits this can bring, it’s important that the others in your family also know how to do all of the steps.
They’re more likely to appreciate the end result more when they’ve been involved every step of the way. Also, if they only know the easy steps, they won’t know everything they need to know to begin their own garden!
By letting your family help in every step, they learn all the basics of gardening. They also learn the tips like when the best time is to plant certain seeds and what type of fruits and vegetables are the easiest to grow. They’ll learn how to prepare the soil and how to test it to make sure that it’s ready for growing things.
Your family will enjoy telling friends that they know how to garden. Many of the fruits and vegetables can be harvested and then canned or frozen. You can share them that way or in their fresh-from-the-garden state with family or friends. Giving a basket full of freshly grown food to someone can also teach your family about the importance of sharing and giving.
When the family is working in the garden, especially when it’s gardening with children, you want to make sure that they’re actually working in the gardening during that time. You want to check on them, but you also want to make sure that you’re giving them the freedom to learn and make discoveries on their own. It can be easy to hover over your children and tell them what to do every step of the way.
However, that should only be done the first few times you work in the garden together. If you continually hover, your child won’t learn how to work on his own and his accomplishment at having grown fruits and vegetables won’t be “just his.”
It’s important that you teach your child every step, make sure he or she understands, and then let him work on his own. If you’re worried that your child won’t remember to do certain things in the garden, you can make a colorful calendar for him!
Mark the days when he needs to water the plants or pull weeds. This way, you don’t have to continually remind him and he feels as though he’s accomplishing something on his own.
If you’re working in the garden with your spouse, remember that everyone has a way they like to do things, and not everything has to be done "your way." While this can be challenging if you're used to gardening on your own, if you approach it the right way, this can actually bring a fun and unique twist to gardening as a family.
Keep in mind that even though the garden might be hard work, it should still be something that all of you find fun and enjoy doing together. One of the ways that you can make sure your family enjoys gardening is to make sure that you do what you can to have fun throughout the process!
Next week, we'll cover some ways to make gardening fun for the whole family!
They’re more likely to appreciate the end result more when they’ve been involved every step of the way. Also, if they only know the easy steps, they won’t know everything they need to know to begin their own garden!
By letting your family help in every step, they learn all the basics of gardening. They also learn the tips like when the best time is to plant certain seeds and what type of fruits and vegetables are the easiest to grow. They’ll learn how to prepare the soil and how to test it to make sure that it’s ready for growing things.
 |
| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When the family is working in the garden, especially when it’s gardening with children, you want to make sure that they’re actually working in the gardening during that time. You want to check on them, but you also want to make sure that you’re giving them the freedom to learn and make discoveries on their own. It can be easy to hover over your children and tell them what to do every step of the way.
However, that should only be done the first few times you work in the garden together. If you continually hover, your child won’t learn how to work on his own and his accomplishment at having grown fruits and vegetables won’t be “just his.”
It’s important that you teach your child every step, make sure he or she understands, and then let him work on his own. If you’re worried that your child won’t remember to do certain things in the garden, you can make a colorful calendar for him!
Mark the days when he needs to water the plants or pull weeds. This way, you don’t have to continually remind him and he feels as though he’s accomplishing something on his own.
If you’re working in the garden with your spouse, remember that everyone has a way they like to do things, and not everything has to be done "your way." While this can be challenging if you're used to gardening on your own, if you approach it the right way, this can actually bring a fun and unique twist to gardening as a family.
Keep in mind that even though the garden might be hard work, it should still be something that all of you find fun and enjoy doing together. One of the ways that you can make sure your family enjoys gardening is to make sure that you do what you can to have fun throughout the process!
Next week, we'll cover some ways to make gardening fun for the whole family!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Make Gardening a Family Affair - Part 2: Getting the Kids Involved
It isn’t always easy to get the kids to help around the house or work outside. Gardening can be a great way to change that. Let your entire family be involved from start to finish.
If you’re starting a garden from scratch, it’s a good idea to include your family members when picking a spot for the garden. This will help them feel needed in the garden and will get them excited at the thought of planting.
Make sure you involve the kids when you’re picking out most of the fruits and vegetables to grow. While you may choose something more useful, or a vegetable everyone in the family will eat, younger kids will enjoy a variety of plants. Some kids can have fun picking brightly colored fruits and vegetables.
Bell peppers are great for small children because they’re some of the easiest vegetables to grow. Radishes are also very easy to grow and brightly colored. Snow peas are another great crop to garden with kids.
Both radishes and snow peas grow during the cool seasons. Kids tend to enjoy fruits more than vegetables, so strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are great choices. Others may like getting fruits and vegetables that are more unique and that they aren’t used to seeing daily.
Also, you can look into miniature vegetables, like baby carrots and potatoes, baby cauliflower, and baby lettuce. These are perfect for little hands and they come in a variety of colors.
Baby vegetables are perfect for helping your child feel more confident when working in the garden because they’re easier. You don’t want to overwhelm him or her by starting with large fruits and vegetables that may be more difficult to care for.
Be careful that you don’t overwhelm your family if you’re someone who’s been gardening for awhile. Keep in mind that a medium-sized garden to you can seem huge to a child and a large garden can seem like it’s a daunting task to someone who isn’t used to it.
A good way to handle this is, if your children are very young, you can assign them each their own “spots” or “plants” in the garden. This way, you can look over them in the overall larger garden, but they’ll be learning how to water and care for a vegetable or fruit on their own, without feeling too overwhelmed.
As your children get older, you can expand their garden spaces so they’re growing more plants. You can also help to make sure as the space expands, that your children learn how to grow a wider variety of fruits and vegetables.
You can also broaden their cultural knowledge by planting fruits and vegetables that are used in different ethnic meals. You can introduce your family to several different vegetables when growing them.
Experimenting with different dishes is a great way to have some fun with your family. Your kids will enjoy picking out new dinners based on the foods that were grown in the garden!
Aside from picking out the seeds to plant, your family can help with the preparation. Kids especially like this part. Most kids love to help with getting the soil ready for planting. Digging is often a kid’s favorite part of working outside, but don’t limit him to just working in the dirt. Kids are very resourceful and will enjoy learning about and working in all parts of the garden.
If your children are very young, make sure to let them know they’re doing a great job whenever they’re working. It will help them feel more confident about what they’re doing.
Children can also help plant the seeds and water the fruits and vegetables as they grow. If your children are little, you can purchase tiny plastic watering cans so they’re able to water the plants along with you.
You can also keep a small corner of the garden for growing flowers along with the food items that your family chooses to use. Marigolds are great for gardens because they’re low maintenance and easy to care for.
Whatever flower you decide on, make sure it’s non-toxic if you’re gardening with small kids. When planting and caring for a garden, remember that while you know better, if you’re working with younger ones, they might not realize that they can’t put everything from the garden into their mouths. Some vegetable tops can make a child sick. So make sure they understand the importance of not eating out of the garden unless it’s an appropriate food item and has been washed first.
Engaging your kids in the process of growing a garden can be a great way to help them learn about the world and become more self-sufficient!
It's also a good way to keep your family involved with one another, and give everyone a sense of responsibility over their own area of the garden. We'll discuss this aspect more next week, so be sure to check back then for some more family-friendly gardening tips!
If you’re starting a garden from scratch, it’s a good idea to include your family members when picking a spot for the garden. This will help them feel needed in the garden and will get them excited at the thought of planting.
Make sure you involve the kids when you’re picking out most of the fruits and vegetables to grow. While you may choose something more useful, or a vegetable everyone in the family will eat, younger kids will enjoy a variety of plants. Some kids can have fun picking brightly colored fruits and vegetables.
 |
| Miniature bell peppers (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Both radishes and snow peas grow during the cool seasons. Kids tend to enjoy fruits more than vegetables, so strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are great choices. Others may like getting fruits and vegetables that are more unique and that they aren’t used to seeing daily.
Also, you can look into miniature vegetables, like baby carrots and potatoes, baby cauliflower, and baby lettuce. These are perfect for little hands and they come in a variety of colors.
Baby vegetables are perfect for helping your child feel more confident when working in the garden because they’re easier. You don’t want to overwhelm him or her by starting with large fruits and vegetables that may be more difficult to care for.
Be careful that you don’t overwhelm your family if you’re someone who’s been gardening for awhile. Keep in mind that a medium-sized garden to you can seem huge to a child and a large garden can seem like it’s a daunting task to someone who isn’t used to it.
A good way to handle this is, if your children are very young, you can assign them each their own “spots” or “plants” in the garden. This way, you can look over them in the overall larger garden, but they’ll be learning how to water and care for a vegetable or fruit on their own, without feeling too overwhelmed.
As your children get older, you can expand their garden spaces so they’re growing more plants. You can also help to make sure as the space expands, that your children learn how to grow a wider variety of fruits and vegetables.
You can also broaden their cultural knowledge by planting fruits and vegetables that are used in different ethnic meals. You can introduce your family to several different vegetables when growing them.
Experimenting with different dishes is a great way to have some fun with your family. Your kids will enjoy picking out new dinners based on the foods that were grown in the garden!
Aside from picking out the seeds to plant, your family can help with the preparation. Kids especially like this part. Most kids love to help with getting the soil ready for planting. Digging is often a kid’s favorite part of working outside, but don’t limit him to just working in the dirt. Kids are very resourceful and will enjoy learning about and working in all parts of the garden.
 |
| Girl with Watering Can (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Children can also help plant the seeds and water the fruits and vegetables as they grow. If your children are little, you can purchase tiny plastic watering cans so they’re able to water the plants along with you.
You can also keep a small corner of the garden for growing flowers along with the food items that your family chooses to use. Marigolds are great for gardens because they’re low maintenance and easy to care for.
Whatever flower you decide on, make sure it’s non-toxic if you’re gardening with small kids. When planting and caring for a garden, remember that while you know better, if you’re working with younger ones, they might not realize that they can’t put everything from the garden into their mouths. Some vegetable tops can make a child sick. So make sure they understand the importance of not eating out of the garden unless it’s an appropriate food item and has been washed first.
Engaging your kids in the process of growing a garden can be a great way to help them learn about the world and become more self-sufficient!
It's also a good way to keep your family involved with one another, and give everyone a sense of responsibility over their own area of the garden. We'll discuss this aspect more next week, so be sure to check back then for some more family-friendly gardening tips!
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Make Gardening a Family Affair - Part 1: Why Gardening Is Good for the Whole Family!
Gardening offers so many benefits for those who make it a part of their lives! It can put some extra food on the table, offer nutritious foods for your family’s good health, and it can be a fun hobby, too. However, not only can it be a great activity for one person, but it can also be a bonding experience for the whole family to do together.
When you involve your loved ones in gardening, it also lightens the workload of one person having to prepare and care for a garden, and it will give your family time to support each other, offer praise, and share excitement – all in a peaceful setting without the intrusion of electronics.
It’s easy to get your whole family involved in creating and maintaining a sustainable garden. Your spouse and children can help take care of the garden as a whole - with everyone working side by side, or you can split up portions of the garden into different sections and rotate it among family members so that each person spends time helping another person in your family.
Why Gardening Is Good for the Family
Gardening isn’t just a good hobby. You can learn a lot of different things through gardening, including self-sufficiency. When you involve your family in the process of growing their own fruits and vegetables, you’ll be helping them learn many useful things that can benefit them now as well as later on in life.
When your family gardens, everyone will have to learn which fruits and vegetables are best grown in the spring and summer, and which ones are best grown in the fall. You can give everyone a lesson on planting zones and how to choose which produce grows best in your area.
You will also learn how weather can affect plants, how water and sunshine help the plant to grow, and what bugs are attracted to certain plants. These facts will interest teens as well as younger kids.
You can learn more than just the facts and benefits of plants for food. When you garden with your family, you can learn other uses for a plant. For instance, some of them have been used throughout human history to treat certain health issues.
Teach them that the basil they’re growing can possibly help treat headaches. Let them know that the lavender they see sprouting up is something that can help calm and soothe them after a stressful day, even helping them sleep better at night!
As you work with your family to plant and care for a garden, let them learn which fruits and vegetables work best with certain dishes and which ones they like most. You don’t want to plant something no one likes and that you’ll never eat!
Gardening is also a great way to explore and learn brand new foods to try. If you’re first starting out, use fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow, such as beets, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, and blackberries.
Once you’ve been gardening for awhile, don’t be afraid to experiment with different fruits and vegetables. Mix up your garden to create some color and variety. Have fun letting others in your family choose what to plant in the garden! Teens and younger kids will especially enjoy having this choice.
Another benefit of gardening is getting to watch your kids become self-confident when they learn to grow a vegetable or fruit on their own.
You’ll also get to see your child become more responsible as they take care to water the plants and pull weeds to help the garden grow.
Let your family members each be responsible for their own fruits and vegetables. Allow them to learn and to research the care that different types of plants need.
Gardening can also help open up communication. If you have older kids and teenagers, many parents find it hard to communicate with them. But if you can have them help you in the garden, it creates time you can spend with them one on one – without friends texting them or the TV blaring in the background. Sometimes, all it takes is doing an activity together to help strengthen family bonds!
Not only does gardening help with communication, but it also opens your family up to having something they all share. It helps bring the family together and adds closeness.
This works the same with your spouse.
If you both work, time with each other can be limited. But having something that you both take care of together can offer a time for communication as well as a fun hobby.
Just keep in mind that different family members will enjoy certain tasks more than others. While you might enjoy pulling weeds, another family member might not be so thrilled with it. Make sure to split up the tasks so no one gets stuck doing something he or she hates.
As you can see, gardening together as a family has many benefits for everyone, and can help bring your family closer together doing something productive that you all can enjoy!
Be sure to check back next week for some more helpful tips on getting your kids involved in the garden....
When you involve your loved ones in gardening, it also lightens the workload of one person having to prepare and care for a garden, and it will give your family time to support each other, offer praise, and share excitement – all in a peaceful setting without the intrusion of electronics.
It’s easy to get your whole family involved in creating and maintaining a sustainable garden. Your spouse and children can help take care of the garden as a whole - with everyone working side by side, or you can split up portions of the garden into different sections and rotate it among family members so that each person spends time helping another person in your family.
Why Gardening Is Good for the Family
 |
| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When your family gardens, everyone will have to learn which fruits and vegetables are best grown in the spring and summer, and which ones are best grown in the fall. You can give everyone a lesson on planting zones and how to choose which produce grows best in your area.
You will also learn how weather can affect plants, how water and sunshine help the plant to grow, and what bugs are attracted to certain plants. These facts will interest teens as well as younger kids.
You can learn more than just the facts and benefits of plants for food. When you garden with your family, you can learn other uses for a plant. For instance, some of them have been used throughout human history to treat certain health issues.
Teach them that the basil they’re growing can possibly help treat headaches. Let them know that the lavender they see sprouting up is something that can help calm and soothe them after a stressful day, even helping them sleep better at night!
As you work with your family to plant and care for a garden, let them learn which fruits and vegetables work best with certain dishes and which ones they like most. You don’t want to plant something no one likes and that you’ll never eat!
Gardening is also a great way to explore and learn brand new foods to try. If you’re first starting out, use fruits and vegetables that are easy to grow, such as beets, carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, and blackberries.
Once you’ve been gardening for awhile, don’t be afraid to experiment with different fruits and vegetables. Mix up your garden to create some color and variety. Have fun letting others in your family choose what to plant in the garden! Teens and younger kids will especially enjoy having this choice.
Another benefit of gardening is getting to watch your kids become self-confident when they learn to grow a vegetable or fruit on their own.
You’ll also get to see your child become more responsible as they take care to water the plants and pull weeds to help the garden grow.
Let your family members each be responsible for their own fruits and vegetables. Allow them to learn and to research the care that different types of plants need.
 |
| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Not only does gardening help with communication, but it also opens your family up to having something they all share. It helps bring the family together and adds closeness.
This works the same with your spouse.
If you both work, time with each other can be limited. But having something that you both take care of together can offer a time for communication as well as a fun hobby.
Just keep in mind that different family members will enjoy certain tasks more than others. While you might enjoy pulling weeds, another family member might not be so thrilled with it. Make sure to split up the tasks so no one gets stuck doing something he or she hates.
As you can see, gardening together as a family has many benefits for everyone, and can help bring your family closer together doing something productive that you all can enjoy!
Be sure to check back next week for some more helpful tips on getting your kids involved in the garden....
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
14 Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips
Gardening is one of those pastimes that is more than a hobby - it's personal! And to complicate it, Mother Nature doesn't always help you out. How, then, do you succeed with your vegetable garden? It's never a sure thing, but these gardening tips and bits of advice might help.
1. Keep a journal. Record when you plant, how much you planted, how much you harvested, any bug or disease issues and what you think you might do differently next year. Then next year, refer back to what you wrote. You'll be surprised by how much you can forget in a year if you don't write it down.
2. Keep a positive attitude. That total fail with your tomatoes this year? It will make a good discussion piece with other gardeners. And next year can only be better. Hopefully.
3. Tis better to cover your tender plants before the heavy rain and hail starts, not during. Keep your eye to the sky and take weather forecasts seriously.
4. Every year is different. Don't ever think you've got this thing in the bag, because if you do, you're jinxing your next crop.
5. Plan for moderation. When planning out your garden during the winter, reduce the size and number of plantings you think you want. Looking at those seed catalogs makes you go overboard - I know from experience!
6. It starts and ends with your soil. (I would double-bold that if I could.) The health of your soil is more important than you might realize. Healthy soil makes healthy disease-resistant plants that give a good yield.
Also, it's soil, not dirt. :-)
7. Kitchen gardens are placed near the kitchen for a reason. Gardeners who break their backs digging, hoeing and weeding, don't want to walk too far to pick a few things to go in the dinner.
8. When seed packs say not to plant outside before the first frost date, they mean it. But sometimes you can get away with starting before the approved planting date by using row covers, cold frames, or Wall O' Waters. It's up to you if you want to take your chances.
9. If you're planting a seedling, peat pot and all, tear off the bottom of the pot. The pots are supposed to decompose but that can take a while and you don't want your seedlings to become root-bound.
10. Pole beans aren't the only thing that can climb a trellis; so can cucumbers, melons and squash. Think vertical - especially when you're space-challenged.
11. If you have raised beds, you can use an old window or door screen to cover small seedlings so they're protected from birds, bunnies and bugs.
12. Worms in your garden are a good sign. Slugs are not.
13. Your tomatoes will never taste exactly the same from year to year; it's going to depend on the weather and water conditions.
14. Water your vegetables in the early mornings. Midday watering can mean evaporation in the hot sun, and can sometimes burn the leaves if they get wet, and nighttime watering might give your plants powdery mildew problems from being moist all night.
These vegetable gardening tips should give you a leg up, but they're only the beginning. For more, get yourself a gardening app for your phone or iPad, read gardening books and magazines, talk to experienced old-timers, and get out there and experience it firsthand. There's nothing more rewarding than growing a successful garden!
1. Keep a journal. Record when you plant, how much you planted, how much you harvested, any bug or disease issues and what you think you might do differently next year. Then next year, refer back to what you wrote. You'll be surprised by how much you can forget in a year if you don't write it down.
 |
| Raised bed of lettuce, tomatoes, 6 different types of basil, marigolds, zinnias, garlic chives, zucchini. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
3. Tis better to cover your tender plants before the heavy rain and hail starts, not during. Keep your eye to the sky and take weather forecasts seriously.
4. Every year is different. Don't ever think you've got this thing in the bag, because if you do, you're jinxing your next crop.
5. Plan for moderation. When planning out your garden during the winter, reduce the size and number of plantings you think you want. Looking at those seed catalogs makes you go overboard - I know from experience!
6. It starts and ends with your soil. (I would double-bold that if I could.) The health of your soil is more important than you might realize. Healthy soil makes healthy disease-resistant plants that give a good yield.
Also, it's soil, not dirt. :-)
7. Kitchen gardens are placed near the kitchen for a reason. Gardeners who break their backs digging, hoeing and weeding, don't want to walk too far to pick a few things to go in the dinner.
8. When seed packs say not to plant outside before the first frost date, they mean it. But sometimes you can get away with starting before the approved planting date by using row covers, cold frames, or Wall O' Waters. It's up to you if you want to take your chances.
9. If you're planting a seedling, peat pot and all, tear off the bottom of the pot. The pots are supposed to decompose but that can take a while and you don't want your seedlings to become root-bound.
10. Pole beans aren't the only thing that can climb a trellis; so can cucumbers, melons and squash. Think vertical - especially when you're space-challenged.
11. If you have raised beds, you can use an old window or door screen to cover small seedlings so they're protected from birds, bunnies and bugs.
 |
| Powdery Mildew on a tomato plant. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
13. Your tomatoes will never taste exactly the same from year to year; it's going to depend on the weather and water conditions.
14. Water your vegetables in the early mornings. Midday watering can mean evaporation in the hot sun, and can sometimes burn the leaves if they get wet, and nighttime watering might give your plants powdery mildew problems from being moist all night.
These vegetable gardening tips should give you a leg up, but they're only the beginning. For more, get yourself a gardening app for your phone or iPad, read gardening books and magazines, talk to experienced old-timers, and get out there and experience it firsthand. There's nothing more rewarding than growing a successful garden!
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Product Review: Forest City Yimby Tumbling Composter
Composting is one of those things that
all gardeners know they should be doing, but a lot avoid. Most say
they don’t know how to set up an area to compost, they don’t know
what to do, or they simply don’t have anywhere to set up a compost
pit. One of the easiest ways to compost is with a tumbling composter.
A tumbling composter is basically a
canister on its side. You put all of the things you want to compost
in there and you can mix it by spinning the chamber. With a normal
composting bin, turning your compost is by far the most unpleasant
part of the entire experience.
I have an Envirocycle, but I don't think they make these anymore, so I wanted to find one I could recommend to our readers, and this one seems to be a highly-reviewed model.
Features of the Forest City (Yimby) Tumbling Composter
Dual canisters mean you can start using
your compost sooner. Once you start seeing good soil in the first
canister you can start putting your vegetable matter in the second
canister. By the time you finish up using the first batch the second
will be well on its way to being ready.
A sturdy steel frame means you don’t
need to worry about it falling over as you fill up the barrel.
Easily remove the compost by opening up
the door of the chamber that’s ready and turn it so it can pour out
into your cart, wheelbarrow, or bucket. (I do wish my Envirocycle had this feature - since it's not on a raised frame, it gets very hard to empty when it's full and heavy.)
This one can hold up to 37 gallons which is
enough for the average family even if you eat a lot of vegetables.
Adjustable air vents mean you can
control how much airflow is going through the compost.
The tumbler is built to resist rodents.
No one likes rats in their compost! Raccoons shouldn’t be able to
get in either.
Are There Any Downsides?
You will need to do some assembly. It’s
mostly just setting up the legs and then attaching the barrel. Some
people say it’s difficult, others say it was a breeze. It probably
depends on how good you are at putting things together based on paper
instructions.
I’ve noticed some people complaining
about an odor from the composter but I doubt it’s actually the
tumbler. Any compost will smell if you’re only using food scraps
and not also adding enough yard clippings, shredded paper or leaves, and stuff like
that.
While you won’t have issues with
rodents, this composter isn’t water proof. A little rain won’t
hurt your compost but a lot of rain will slow it down because it
won’t be dry enough to decompose. Make sure you put it somewhere
sunny so if it does get rained on it dries quickly and can get back
to doing what it needs to do.
Conclusion
If you live somewhere where it rains
nearly every day this might not work to well for you, though if it
rains that much you may have trouble composting no matter how you do
it. Otherwise, this is a great tumbler that doesn’t take up much
room.
The dual chambers are something that sounds really cool. Being able to load up one and just
let it decompose while I’m still adding to chamber two would be a great asset.
As an added bonus, the Forest City (Yimby) Tumbling Composter is priced just right for someone getting into
composting for the first time or just looking for a more efficient
way to make enough compost for their own gardens. I wouldn't see why it couldn't provide a lifetime of composty goodness for your garden!
is priced just right for someone getting into
composting for the first time or just looking for a more efficient
way to make enough compost for their own gardens. I wouldn't see why it couldn't provide a lifetime of composty goodness for your garden!Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Organic Tips for Keeping Harmful Bugs Out of Your Vegetable Garden
There's nothing more annoying than working for hours and hours preparing and planting your garden - only to have those annoying pests move in and destroy what you worked so hard to build! Insects can damage your plants within a matter of hours once they’ve found the fruits of your labor.
The best way to control these bugs is to keep them out of your garden to begin with. There are many pesticides that you can use to keep the bugs away, but you need to make sure they’re safe to use.
Some of the sprays can be harmful to the health of other animals and possibly small children. Even some organic insecticides aren't healthy for you to breathe in, so take care when applying these, even if they are all-natural - and don't use anything that's not marked "OMRI Certified," or "Safe for organic gardening".
When getting rid of insects from your garden, you also want to make sure you don’t get rid of all of them, since there are some bugs that you actually want to keep in your garden.
Some of these helpful insects, such as ladybugs and spiders, feed on the annoying insects that damage your plants. They’re essentially the best bodyguards you could have for your garden.
In fact, one of the best ways to control the insects and pests that damage the plants in your garden is by allowing helpful buts in that will drive the harmful ones away - or eat them.
By planting inviting plants or “homes” for the helpful insects, you can keep the harmful ones at bay quite efficiently. Check with your local gardening center on which plants attract the good insects.
Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your garden clean. The harmful pests are often attracted to piles of leaves, and dense spots of weeds. These pests can thrive in those areas, so weed your garden regularly.
Some organic gardeners use a natural hot pepper wax that they lightly spray on the leaves of their plants. The oils from the spicy contents of this wax wards off the harmful insects and other pests as well.
The wax solution is safe for most plants and doesn’t affect the produce at all, so don’t worry about “spicing” up your vegetables. As long as you properly clean them before consuming them, you won’t notice any residue.
There are some plants that give off a scent that repels harmful bugs and keeps them away from your precious produce. Such plants - like marigolds and the borage herb plant - are very effective at keeping those pests away from your tomato plants. Plant them nearby and watch your tomato plants grow to be healthy and robust.
Every gardener wants to see their garden thrive after putting a lot of hours of hard work and dedication into it. No one wants to see that labor go down the drain by losing their plants to those annoying pests that move into your garden.
Before planting your garden, do your research and find the best companion plants to repel the annoying pests, as well as the ones that invite the good insects in according to your geographic location.
The best way to control these bugs is to keep them out of your garden to begin with. There are many pesticides that you can use to keep the bugs away, but you need to make sure they’re safe to use.
 |
| A ladybug eating aphids on a weed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
When getting rid of insects from your garden, you also want to make sure you don’t get rid of all of them, since there are some bugs that you actually want to keep in your garden.
Some of these helpful insects, such as ladybugs and spiders, feed on the annoying insects that damage your plants. They’re essentially the best bodyguards you could have for your garden.
In fact, one of the best ways to control the insects and pests that damage the plants in your garden is by allowing helpful buts in that will drive the harmful ones away - or eat them.
By planting inviting plants or “homes” for the helpful insects, you can keep the harmful ones at bay quite efficiently. Check with your local gardening center on which plants attract the good insects.
Another thing to keep in mind is to keep your garden clean. The harmful pests are often attracted to piles of leaves, and dense spots of weeds. These pests can thrive in those areas, so weed your garden regularly.
Some organic gardeners use a natural hot pepper wax that they lightly spray on the leaves of their plants. The oils from the spicy contents of this wax wards off the harmful insects and other pests as well.
The wax solution is safe for most plants and doesn’t affect the produce at all, so don’t worry about “spicing” up your vegetables. As long as you properly clean them before consuming them, you won’t notice any residue.
 |
| Borage. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Every gardener wants to see their garden thrive after putting a lot of hours of hard work and dedication into it. No one wants to see that labor go down the drain by losing their plants to those annoying pests that move into your garden.
Before planting your garden, do your research and find the best companion plants to repel the annoying pests, as well as the ones that invite the good insects in according to your geographic location.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Provide Safe Food for Your Family By Growing An Organic Vegetable Garden
Organic gardens are gardens that produce plants and vegetables that are grown and handled naturally - without any chemical inputs. There are many people who are understandably concerned about the chemicals that are sprayed on commercial fruits and vegetables and the additives that are used to keep them fresh.
We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthy for our mind and bodies, but what about those chemicals and additives that are placed on commercially grown food? They sometimes cancel out the benefits they provide because they cause damage to our systems.
Organic gardening helps to ensure that we’re consuming fresh, natural foods that provide the necessary nutrients for our bodies. Organic gardening doesn’t use any chemicals or additives, so you can enjoy an all-natural diet, without polluting the environment or your body.
Many commercially grown fruits and vegetables use chemicals to keep the insects and other pests away from the food, and additives are used to keep them fresher longer from the harvesting field to a consumer’s table.
In truth, there are other ways to produce food for the population without tainting it with chemicals and additives. In fact, if you grow your own organic garden, you have the benefit of eating the produce right away, which would eliminate the need for any additives or preservatives.
There’s also no need for chemicals to rid the plants of pests. With the proper use of plants in your garden that deter harmful insects and attract beneficial ones that will rid your garden of insects that would harm the food, you can grow vegetables without the use of chemical pesticides.
There’s also no need to use artificial fertilizers to help the plants grow. You can use natural fertilizers that you can recycle over and over, keeping waste under control as well as feeding your garden. And it's easy - all you need is leaves, grass clippings and table scraps to be stored for composting!
One of the biggest advantages of having an organic garden is that because there are no chemicals used in your soil, there’s less danger to the plant life, wildlife, water supply, and humans.
Organic gardening allows you to put food on the table for your family and know exactly what you’re putting on the table instead of just taking a chance, and hoping that you’re not putting anything harmful into your family’s mouths.
Take control and make sure your family is safe with the food you prepare for them. Do you want to risk harming them with traces of sprayed chemicals - or do you want them to benefit from the nutrients an organic garden provides?
Be sure to check back next week, as we will be providing some helpful tips for growing an organic vegetable garden this month.
We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthy for our mind and bodies, but what about those chemicals and additives that are placed on commercially grown food? They sometimes cancel out the benefits they provide because they cause damage to our systems.
 |
| Growing an organic vegetable garden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Many commercially grown fruits and vegetables use chemicals to keep the insects and other pests away from the food, and additives are used to keep them fresher longer from the harvesting field to a consumer’s table.
In truth, there are other ways to produce food for the population without tainting it with chemicals and additives. In fact, if you grow your own organic garden, you have the benefit of eating the produce right away, which would eliminate the need for any additives or preservatives.
There’s also no need for chemicals to rid the plants of pests. With the proper use of plants in your garden that deter harmful insects and attract beneficial ones that will rid your garden of insects that would harm the food, you can grow vegetables without the use of chemical pesticides.
 |
| Red earthworm in soil from organic garden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
One of the biggest advantages of having an organic garden is that because there are no chemicals used in your soil, there’s less danger to the plant life, wildlife, water supply, and humans.
Organic gardening allows you to put food on the table for your family and know exactly what you’re putting on the table instead of just taking a chance, and hoping that you’re not putting anything harmful into your family’s mouths.
Take control and make sure your family is safe with the food you prepare for them. Do you want to risk harming them with traces of sprayed chemicals - or do you want them to benefit from the nutrients an organic garden provides?
Be sure to check back next week, as we will be providing some helpful tips for growing an organic vegetable garden this month.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Growing Squash, Pumpkins And Zucchini
Growing squash, pumpkins and zucchini (a.k.a. courgettes) is rewarding if you have enough room in your garden. The plants are rather demanding in terms of the space that they need but you can harvest many delicious examples from one plant so most gardeners find them a very rewarding vegetable crop.
Squash, pumpkins and zucchini are all members of the same plant genus, Cucurbita, along with cucumbers, watermelons and gourds. They grow on vines. Technically they are fruit, not vegetables at all. However, they are often treated as vegetables in the kitchen.
Growing Squash
Squash is a wide term that covers many different fruits but zucchini is a type of summer squash which will be covered later in this article. Therefore, under this heading of growing squash we will consider only winter squash such as butternut squash, acorn squash etc. Although these are called 'winter squash' they are grown in the warm season and harvested only a little later than zucchini.
A sunny corner of the vegetable garden is a good place for growing squash, pumpkins and zucchini. You can train the vines to grow out of the vegetable bed so that they do not take over too much of your precious composted soil. If you have more than one plant, they should be at least two feet apart, depending on the variety.
Water them regularly but do not allow the ground to become waterlogged. Harvest them when the vines that they are growing on start to become dry and shriveled.
Growing Pumpkins
Pumpkins are native to North America which is part of the reason why they have become so strongly identified with American traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving. They will grow pretty much anywhere in the States except for Alaska. They prefer slightly acidic soil, pH 6.0 to 6.8.
Pumpkins like warm weather. In most climates you can plant in June or July for harvest in the fall. They like a certain amount of water but not too much. If the ground is too wet, the fruit can rot. On the other hand if the soil is very sandy or there is not enough water, the fruit will not grow well.
Growing Zucchini Or Courgettes
Zucchini is a summer squash thought to have originated in Italy. It is less sweet than pumpkins and most winter squashes and belongs to a different family in the same genus. The name 'zucchini' is used in North America and Australia and comes from the Italian (plural in Italian, but used for both singular and plural in English). The French name 'courgette' is used in all other English-speaking countries. Both 'zucchini' and 'courgette' mean 'small pumpkin'.
Zucchini are very easy to grow and often produce bumper crops for home gardeners. The flowers can also be eaten and make a beautiful garnish for salads. If you do pick the flowers, you will have fewer fruit. This can be an advantage if you tend to have a glut of zucchini each year.
One or two starter plants is enough for most gardens. You can grow them from seed and plant out as seedlings. They should have three months of frost-free growth outdoors when daytime temperatures are warm but not scorching hot.
Zucchini can grow to 2-3 feet long but they are usually harvested at around 8 inches when immature. If left to grow too long they become more fibrous and the seeds become harder.
Growing squash, pumpkins and zucchini relies on good pollination. This is naturally done by bees but if the bee population is not numerous in your area, you can help it along by hand pollination. Insufficient pollination will result in fruit that does not develop properly.
Squash, pumpkins and zucchini are all members of the same plant genus, Cucurbita, along with cucumbers, watermelons and gourds. They grow on vines. Technically they are fruit, not vegetables at all. However, they are often treated as vegetables in the kitchen.
Growing Squash
 |
| Squash growing on vine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
A sunny corner of the vegetable garden is a good place for growing squash, pumpkins and zucchini. You can train the vines to grow out of the vegetable bed so that they do not take over too much of your precious composted soil. If you have more than one plant, they should be at least two feet apart, depending on the variety.
Water them regularly but do not allow the ground to become waterlogged. Harvest them when the vines that they are growing on start to become dry and shriveled.
Growing Pumpkins
Pumpkins are native to North America which is part of the reason why they have become so strongly identified with American traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving. They will grow pretty much anywhere in the States except for Alaska. They prefer slightly acidic soil, pH 6.0 to 6.8.
Pumpkins like warm weather. In most climates you can plant in June or July for harvest in the fall. They like a certain amount of water but not too much. If the ground is too wet, the fruit can rot. On the other hand if the soil is very sandy or there is not enough water, the fruit will not grow well.
Growing Zucchini Or Courgettes
Zucchini is a summer squash thought to have originated in Italy. It is less sweet than pumpkins and most winter squashes and belongs to a different family in the same genus. The name 'zucchini' is used in North America and Australia and comes from the Italian (plural in Italian, but used for both singular and plural in English). The French name 'courgette' is used in all other English-speaking countries. Both 'zucchini' and 'courgette' mean 'small pumpkin'.
 |
| Zucchini flower being pollinated by a honey bee (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
One or two starter plants is enough for most gardens. You can grow them from seed and plant out as seedlings. They should have three months of frost-free growth outdoors when daytime temperatures are warm but not scorching hot.
Zucchini can grow to 2-3 feet long but they are usually harvested at around 8 inches when immature. If left to grow too long they become more fibrous and the seeds become harder.
Growing squash, pumpkins and zucchini relies on good pollination. This is naturally done by bees but if the bee population is not numerous in your area, you can help it along by hand pollination. Insufficient pollination will result in fruit that does not develop properly.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Review: Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Garden Cart
Gardening is fun and rewarding but it
can also sure be a lot of hard work, especially when it comes time to
haul all of the plants, fertilizer, and soil around! It is such a pain picking up each bag and moving it by hand so I've been looking for some kind of cart to make it a bit easier. We have a wheelbarrow, but it's kind of hard on my back, and difficult to lift things in and out of.
After looking around online and finding
tons of flimsy carts that didn’t look like they’d last even one
full season I came across something that looks fantastic. It’s called a
“Gorilla Cart” and it’s a heavy duty gardening cart with a
convertible handle and build in dumping feature. Don’t worry; I’ll
explain what that means.
What Makes This Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Garden Dump Cart 
So Attractive?
So Attractive? |
| Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Dump Cart |
- It’s the definition of “heavy duty.” It’s got a steel frame and is made of a high strength and rust resistant material. It claims a 1,200 pound hauling capacity. I don’t know of anything that heavy you’d be hauling for gardening, but it sounds pretty capable!
- The convertible handle should make hauling easy. By convertible handle it means you can grab it and pull it by hand or easily attach it to a lawn tractor or ATV.
- There is also a quick release for easy dumping. The big downside of most carts is having to lift the stuff you’re hauling back out and you won’t need to with this one.
- Very durable tires. They are filled with air so they can be punctured but reviewers report that they haul over rocks and bumpy terrain with no issues.
Are There Any Issues?
The only downside I’ve found so far
is the assembly. You do need to put this cart together and most
people say it takes around 30-45 minutes to do so and you’ll
probably want a second person to help out. I'm pretty good at putting things together, so I'm not too worried about it!
Some people have reported issues if they pull it
too quickly but the average lawn mower won’t pull fast enough to
cause problems. If you’re pulling on an ATV you’ll probably want to be
careful not to go too fast for the cart.
The cart also has a bit of a smell when
you first open it up. You may want to store it outside for the first
few days before putting it in the garage if it bothers you.
Conclusion
I haven’t been able to find a good,
heavy duty cart that looks better than this one. The price is great for the quality, and the dump feature and handle solve the two main problems I was having.
(Needing to lift everything twice and needing separate carts for
hauling by hand or hauling with the wheelbarrow.) Any that didn’t
need assembly were 2-3 times the price.
This looks like a perfect cart for both heavy gardening
and day-to-day use. It’s easy to care for since you don’t need to
worry about protecting it from rust. It’ll hold however much you
need to haul. All-in-all it seems like the best gardening cart
you’ll find, but I'll report more when we've got ours ready to use!
You Can Buy It Here On Amazon.com...
You Can Buy It Here On Amazon.com...
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
How To Grow Onions And Leeks
Are you interested in finding out how to grow onions and leeks in your vegetable garden? If so, you're in the right place, as we've got a helpful article for you today on doing just that!
Onions and leeks are part of the allium family of plants, along with garlic and chives. They grow upward from a bulb and are mostly quite simple to grow. They are also great for fitting into a small space because of their upright growth.
To grow onions and leeks successfully you will need a relatively sunny site that is well drained. If your soil tends more to clay, you can still grow them but you will need to dig some grit into the soil first to help with the drainage.
How To Grow Onions
To grow onions you can either start from seeds or from immature onions that are supplied as small dried bulbs known as "sets." If you start from seeds, germinate them in a seed tray first and pick the strongest looking specimens to plant out.
Do not add manure or other fertilizers that are heavy in nitrogen. Onions do not like very nitrogenous or acid soil. They will rot if too wet, and unless the weather is very dry, they do not require much watering.
It is possible to grow onions all year round if you have good drainage. You can plant once in the spring and again in early fall. There is no advantage in harvesting them when they are small. Leave them until the leaves begin to die off and turn yellow.
To harvest, dig them up with the leaves intact and let them dry for a couple of weeks until the leaves are completely dried. You can then tie them by the leaves or hang them in nets to store. Most onions store well, but those with thick necks should be used first.
How To Grow Leeks
Leeks like a little more fertilizer than onions. Dig the fertilizer or compost well into the bed and allow a couple of weeks before planting. Leeks also require more water than onions.
Most gardeners grow leeks from seed planted directly into the bed in spring. Spread the seed in rows with about a foot between rows. Thin out the seedlings so that you have a row of plants about 6 inches apart. Be careful when weeding at this stage, because leek seedlings look a lot like grass!
Different varieties of leeks require different growing times so you can spread your harvest by mixing the varieties in your garden. You will probably want some if not all of them to be winter harvesting leeks, which can be ready at a time when your garden is not producing many other vegetables.
Both onions and leeks will suffer if they are surrounded by weeds. They do not have a very strong root system and are easily overwhelmed by competition. Therefore, be sure to weed around them frequently.
To grow onions and leeks successfully year after year, be sure to rotate them to different places in the garden. This will help to protect them from the fungal diseases that they can suffer from.
Plants of the allium family are good for repelling pests that do not like the strong smell, so you can often help other vegetable plants if you grow onions and leeks or garlic around them in a companion planting.
Onions and leeks are part of the allium family of plants, along with garlic and chives. They grow upward from a bulb and are mostly quite simple to grow. They are also great for fitting into a small space because of their upright growth.
To grow onions and leeks successfully you will need a relatively sunny site that is well drained. If your soil tends more to clay, you can still grow them but you will need to dig some grit into the soil first to help with the drainage.
How To Grow Onions
 |
| Freshly harvested golden sweet onions. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Do not add manure or other fertilizers that are heavy in nitrogen. Onions do not like very nitrogenous or acid soil. They will rot if too wet, and unless the weather is very dry, they do not require much watering.
It is possible to grow onions all year round if you have good drainage. You can plant once in the spring and again in early fall. There is no advantage in harvesting them when they are small. Leave them until the leaves begin to die off and turn yellow.
To harvest, dig them up with the leaves intact and let them dry for a couple of weeks until the leaves are completely dried. You can then tie them by the leaves or hang them in nets to store. Most onions store well, but those with thick necks should be used first.
 |
| Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Leeks like a little more fertilizer than onions. Dig the fertilizer or compost well into the bed and allow a couple of weeks before planting. Leeks also require more water than onions.
Most gardeners grow leeks from seed planted directly into the bed in spring. Spread the seed in rows with about a foot between rows. Thin out the seedlings so that you have a row of plants about 6 inches apart. Be careful when weeding at this stage, because leek seedlings look a lot like grass!
Different varieties of leeks require different growing times so you can spread your harvest by mixing the varieties in your garden. You will probably want some if not all of them to be winter harvesting leeks, which can be ready at a time when your garden is not producing many other vegetables.
Both onions and leeks will suffer if they are surrounded by weeds. They do not have a very strong root system and are easily overwhelmed by competition. Therefore, be sure to weed around them frequently.
To grow onions and leeks successfully year after year, be sure to rotate them to different places in the garden. This will help to protect them from the fungal diseases that they can suffer from.
Plants of the allium family are good for repelling pests that do not like the strong smell, so you can often help other vegetable plants if you grow onions and leeks or garlic around them in a companion planting.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
How Does My Garden Grow...
It's been a long, cool spring, so we've been waiting for weather like this! Once May hit, it was full-speed ahead, with tilling, mulching, and planting waiting to fill our every weekend.
I always like to share some pictures of my garden's progress throughout the season, so here is the first batch of spring garden photos - these were taken last week, so they're already out of date - things grow so fast when it's up in the 50's at night!
There you have it! The start of my garden on the new homestead....
Stay tuned as I update this blog (and our main blog at http://www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html throughout the summer to let you know how our new gardening adventure goes! And be sure to also Like us on Facebook for more up-to-date pictures throughout the season!
I always like to share some pictures of my garden's progress throughout the season, so here is the first batch of spring garden photos - these were taken last week, so they're already out of date - things grow so fast when it's up in the 50's at night!
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| My beloved spring bulbs - including new surprises like the white & apricot narcissus which were apparently planted everywhere in the front flower bed before we moved here! |
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| The gorgeous flower bed full of spring bulbs - the first lush and colorful sign of summer, which I look forward to all winter long! |
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| Another bulb picture, but I could not resist the beauty of this stripey tulip! |
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| Our future garden site! (Fencing in progress...) |
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| My mint - which I transplanted and brought with me from my old apartment; after a long cold winter, it is coming back strong! |
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| After losing some to frost :-( the remaining potatoes are growing like weeds! Seriously - they're bigger every day! This is our first hay-bale gardening experiment, and so far, so good.... |
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| Like the potatoes, the peas are visibly growing daily! I have a piece of wire fencing over them to protect them from the deer until the fencing project is complete, but will need to trellis them soon. |
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| Although some of the strawberry blooms got clobbered by frost last week, they are growing strong, covered with buds and new flowers, and I am so excited for strawberries this year! |
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| Tomato, pepper, eggplant, and celery seedlings - growing strong, and awaiting transplanting to their new summer home in a week or so! |
Stay tuned as I update this blog (and our main blog at http://www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html throughout the summer to let you know how our new gardening adventure goes! And be sure to also Like us on Facebook for more up-to-date pictures throughout the season!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
How To Plant Tomatoes
It's almost tomato planting season! In some areas, you may be able to put tomatoes outside right now. Here in Central Ohio, Mother's Day is the traditional date, but my seedlings are growing nicely in the window in preparation for moving outdoors. So today I'm sharing some tips on how to plant tomatoes, America's most popular home-grown crop - and possibly my favorite!
It is wonderful to be able to eat and serve your own succulent tomatoes from the garden. They have a sweet and rich flavor that store-bought tomatoes almost always lack. However, they are not always as simple to grow as you might expect.
How To Plant Tomatoes Outdoors
Tomatoes are a climbing plant. You can grow them either in containers or in the ground, but they need to have a trellis or other support to climb.
They also like warmth and plenty of direct sunlight. They will grow in most parts of the USA from zone 3 and in the UK and Europe, but in cooler climates you should choose a suitable variety and be sure to plan a sheltered, sunny spot for them. Do not plant them outside until you are sure that there will be no more frost. Planting in containers has the advantage that you can easily move them into a greenhouse or into the house at night, if cold weather threatens.
It is possible to grow tomatoes from seed, but most people start with small plants from the nursery. Check plants carefully for any signs of disease. If you see any, go to a different nursery.
Soil pH should be from 6.0 to 7.0. You can check this with a soil testing kit from any nursery. If your soil tests outside of this range, either add product to alter its acidity level or plant your tomatoes in containers in compost of the right pH.
If planting in the ground, dig plenty of tomato compost into your soil, then dig a hole about a foot diameter for each plant. The holes should be 12 to 18 inches apart according to the variety of tomato (the label should instruct you on this).
Put in the bottom of each hole a little compost followed by broken eggshells or calcium product from the nursery. Set the plants into the holes and fill with compost. It's fine to cover the lower branches of the growing plant, but at least 3-4 branches should be above ground.
Water them, then place a paper collar around the stalk at ground level to deter crawling pests, and cover with a cloche if your climate is cool. After a couple of weeks remove the cloche and collar, cover the soil with a layer of mulch and set up whatever supports your plant variety needs.
Tomato plants love water and need 1-2 inches of rain per week. If you get less than this, be sure to water them often.
How To Plant Tomatoes Indoors
Tomatoes can also be grown inside the house in containers, but they need lots of direct sunlight so you will need to position them carefully. They should get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day in order to grow well and produce good fruit.
Additional Tips On Planting Tomatoes
If you are growing tomatoes in the ground, be sure to rotate them to different parts of the garden each year. They are very prone to disease and moving them around will help to stop the common tomato diseases from becoming established.
For the same reason, if you are growing them in containers it is best to discard the compost and clean the container, as well as burning the remains of the plant, at the end of each season.
Warning: although tomato fruits are safe to eat, other parts of the plant can be poisonous. Protect from young children and pets.
Good luck with your tomato plants. I hope you have a bountiful and delicious crop!
It is wonderful to be able to eat and serve your own succulent tomatoes from the garden. They have a sweet and rich flavor that store-bought tomatoes almost always lack. However, they are not always as simple to grow as you might expect.
How To Plant Tomatoes Outdoors
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| Cherry tomatoes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
They also like warmth and plenty of direct sunlight. They will grow in most parts of the USA from zone 3 and in the UK and Europe, but in cooler climates you should choose a suitable variety and be sure to plan a sheltered, sunny spot for them. Do not plant them outside until you are sure that there will be no more frost. Planting in containers has the advantage that you can easily move them into a greenhouse or into the house at night, if cold weather threatens.
It is possible to grow tomatoes from seed, but most people start with small plants from the nursery. Check plants carefully for any signs of disease. If you see any, go to a different nursery.
Soil pH should be from 6.0 to 7.0. You can check this with a soil testing kit from any nursery. If your soil tests outside of this range, either add product to alter its acidity level or plant your tomatoes in containers in compost of the right pH.
If planting in the ground, dig plenty of tomato compost into your soil, then dig a hole about a foot diameter for each plant. The holes should be 12 to 18 inches apart according to the variety of tomato (the label should instruct you on this).
Put in the bottom of each hole a little compost followed by broken eggshells or calcium product from the nursery. Set the plants into the holes and fill with compost. It's fine to cover the lower branches of the growing plant, but at least 3-4 branches should be above ground.
Water them, then place a paper collar around the stalk at ground level to deter crawling pests, and cover with a cloche if your climate is cool. After a couple of weeks remove the cloche and collar, cover the soil with a layer of mulch and set up whatever supports your plant variety needs.
Tomato plants love water and need 1-2 inches of rain per week. If you get less than this, be sure to water them often.
 |
| State fruit - Tomato (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Tomatoes can also be grown inside the house in containers, but they need lots of direct sunlight so you will need to position them carefully. They should get at least 6 hours of sunlight per day in order to grow well and produce good fruit.
Additional Tips On Planting Tomatoes
If you are growing tomatoes in the ground, be sure to rotate them to different parts of the garden each year. They are very prone to disease and moving them around will help to stop the common tomato diseases from becoming established.
For the same reason, if you are growing them in containers it is best to discard the compost and clean the container, as well as burning the remains of the plant, at the end of each season.
Warning: although tomato fruits are safe to eat, other parts of the plant can be poisonous. Protect from young children and pets.
Good luck with your tomato plants. I hope you have a bountiful and delicious crop!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Small Garden Succession Planting Tips for Success
Succession planting is a growing method designed to maximize the amount of fresh produce that can be harvested from a particular growing area. It is all about the efficient use of time and space to produce high level results. For this reason, succession planting is worth a look if you have limited space or if you just want to get as much reward as possible from your gardening efforts.
Single Crop vs. Multiple Crop Strategies
There are a couple of ways you can approach succession planting. One option is to focus on growing a single crop in a defined area. The other option is to inter-plant several complementary plant species within the same area. Regardless of which option you choose, it’s a good idea to start small with one or two beds until you get the hang of creating a planting schedule that works for you. In general, experimenting with a single type of plant or several that are closely related, such as different types of salad greens, is also recommended.
Successive Planting vs. Simultaneous Planting
Depending on what plants you plan to grow, you can either employ successive planting, simultaneous planting, or a combination of the two. Successive planting refers to planting small amounts of seeds over and over again throughout the season. The seeds planted can be either from the same plant or from two or more complementary varieties or species.
On the other hand, simultaneous planting involves planting several varieties of either the same or different types of plants with varying maturity dates at once. Diverse plants with early, mid and late maturity varieties are ideal for simultaneous planting. Tomatoes are good examples.
Ideal Plants for Successive Planting
Lettuce and other salad greens are perfect choices for successive planting thanks to their fast growth cycle. The same can also be said for many herbs, such as basil and cilantro. The primary benefit to planting new seeds or seedlings every few weeks is that it ensures a continuous supply of fresh produce all season long.
Temperature preference is another factor to consider when choosing two or more plants for successive planting. Some plants thrive during cooler seasons, while others are more tolerant of hot summer weather. By understanding what conditions your plants prefer, you can make the best use of your available growing space.
For example, you can plant cool weather crops like radishes and carrots early in the year and then again in late summer or early fall. In between, you can fill those beds with more heat-tolerant transplants such like eggplant or hot peppers.
Selecting Plants for Simultaneous Planting
The key to a successful simultaneous planting is to choose non-competing plants with different maturity dates. You’ll also want to note what type of root structure they have (shallow versus a single, deep tap root), how much water and sunlight they need, and which nutrients they require. If you get stuck, you may want to pick up a reputable companion planting resource to answer any specific questions you may have.
Although this may seem like a lot of information to absorb, don’t get discouraged and feel like you need to know everything at once. Start small with only a few plants and work your way up as your knowledge and skill increases.
Helpful Resources for Succession & Companion Planting:
 |
| Companion planting of carrots and onions (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
There are a couple of ways you can approach succession planting. One option is to focus on growing a single crop in a defined area. The other option is to inter-plant several complementary plant species within the same area. Regardless of which option you choose, it’s a good idea to start small with one or two beds until you get the hang of creating a planting schedule that works for you. In general, experimenting with a single type of plant or several that are closely related, such as different types of salad greens, is also recommended.
Successive Planting vs. Simultaneous Planting
Depending on what plants you plan to grow, you can either employ successive planting, simultaneous planting, or a combination of the two. Successive planting refers to planting small amounts of seeds over and over again throughout the season. The seeds planted can be either from the same plant or from two or more complementary varieties or species.
On the other hand, simultaneous planting involves planting several varieties of either the same or different types of plants with varying maturity dates at once. Diverse plants with early, mid and late maturity varieties are ideal for simultaneous planting. Tomatoes are good examples.
Ideal Plants for Successive Planting
Lettuce and other salad greens are perfect choices for successive planting thanks to their fast growth cycle. The same can also be said for many herbs, such as basil and cilantro. The primary benefit to planting new seeds or seedlings every few weeks is that it ensures a continuous supply of fresh produce all season long.
Temperature preference is another factor to consider when choosing two or more plants for successive planting. Some plants thrive during cooler seasons, while others are more tolerant of hot summer weather. By understanding what conditions your plants prefer, you can make the best use of your available growing space.
For example, you can plant cool weather crops like radishes and carrots early in the year and then again in late summer or early fall. In between, you can fill those beds with more heat-tolerant transplants such like eggplant or hot peppers.
Selecting Plants for Simultaneous Planting The key to a successful simultaneous planting is to choose non-competing plants with different maturity dates. You’ll also want to note what type of root structure they have (shallow versus a single, deep tap root), how much water and sunlight they need, and which nutrients they require. If you get stuck, you may want to pick up a reputable companion planting resource to answer any specific questions you may have.
Although this may seem like a lot of information to absorb, don’t get discouraged and feel like you need to know everything at once. Start small with only a few plants and work your way up as your knowledge and skill increases.
Helpful Resources for Succession & Companion Planting:
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Must-Have Gardening Tools & Accessories for Small Gardens
You wouldn’t try to carve a roast chicken with a spoon, would you?
Of course not!
This same philosophy applies to gardening, as well. Having the right equipment to do the job at hand will save you countless hours and tons of frustration in the long run. Any experienced gardener will tell you how much easier it is to grow your own fruits and vegetables if you have the right tools and accessories in your arsenal.
The gardening tools and accessories you need will depend on the type and scale of gardening you plan to do. If you have a large garden with lots of ground-level beds, you will need an assortment of shovels for digging, edging and moving piles of material. You’ll also need a good hoe to keep weeds at bay and maybe a pick ax to break up tough soil. A durable wheelbarrow to haul mulch and other materials in and around your garden area is also important. Over time, this limited collection of tools and accessories will undoubtedly grow to suit your individual gardening style.
However, if you only have a small area to plant or prefer to limit your gardening to containers, you will need a slightly different set of gardening tools. The following items are ideal for small space gardening.
A Good Collection of Gardening Hand-Tools
Short-handled, ergonomically designed gardening tools are great for hand planting and small digging jobs. There are a number of hand-held gardening tools on the market. Here are three you’ll want to consider:
1. Short-Handled Trowel
A good trowel is an indispensible tool for any garden, regardless of its size. Look for one with a pointy tip, which makes it useful for planting seeds, digging out stubborn weeds and loosening planting soil.
2. A Three-Pronged Cultivator This tool features 3 individual rake-like prongs designed to loosen soil and create uniform burrows for planting. It can also be used to pull up shallow-rooted weeds.
3. A Transplanter This tool is designed to make transplanting smaller plants easier. Some styles feature gradation marks to ensure you are planting each plant at the appropriate depth.
To save time, you can look for a high quality and affordable pre-packaged hand tool set. For example, you can pick up the highly rated Fiskars 7067 3-Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set for approximately $18 or the Radius Ergonomic 4-Piece Garden Set for $32.
When evaluating hand-held gardening tools, look for those that offer ergonomic design features, such as soft contoured handles designed to hold your wrist in a neutral position. This will reduce unnecessary strain on your hands and wrists while you are gardening.
Proper Gardening Attire
Although it is fun and relaxing, gardening is still “dirty” work. As a result, gardeners are prone to insect bites, cuts, scrapes and randomly stepping on sharp objects. So no matter how big (or small) your garden may be, you need to have the proper attire.
For starters, you’ll need a good set of gloves and protective footwear. When looking for gardening gloves, look for a pair that fits properly and offers some protection from sharp thorns and prickly shrubs. Fabric gloves with a protective rubberized coating along your palms and fingertips are a great option because they dry easily and fit well enough to maintain finger dexterity. My dad gave me a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty much never in the garden without them! They are waterproof, and very thin and flexible, so they're great for weeding, planting, mulching, or getting muddy. The only drawback is they will make your hands sweaty if it's hot outside.
If you are doing a lot of heavy digging, a good pair of durable boots will make your job much easier and safer. As you stomp down on the shovel for a little extra leverage, you’ll be glad for that added layer of protection. Otherwise, a good pair of rubber gardening clogs are wonderful to have. They keep your feet dry and are easy to hose off when you are done digging in the dirt - plus they are pretty stiff and heavy duty so they protect your feet from just about everything. I absolutely love mine! I have worn them for years and they never seem to wear out. If they're caked with mud, they're easy to kick off outside the door, and I can leave them out in the rain to rinse off.
Finally, every gardener needs a good hat. Look for one with a wide brim to protect your face and ears from too much sun exposure as you work outside. Beyond that, have fun and let your personal style shine through!
Visit our Sustainable Gardening page for some more great gardening tools & accessories.
Of course not!
This same philosophy applies to gardening, as well. Having the right equipment to do the job at hand will save you countless hours and tons of frustration in the long run. Any experienced gardener will tell you how much easier it is to grow your own fruits and vegetables if you have the right tools and accessories in your arsenal.
The gardening tools and accessories you need will depend on the type and scale of gardening you plan to do. If you have a large garden with lots of ground-level beds, you will need an assortment of shovels for digging, edging and moving piles of material. You’ll also need a good hoe to keep weeds at bay and maybe a pick ax to break up tough soil. A durable wheelbarrow to haul mulch and other materials in and around your garden area is also important. Over time, this limited collection of tools and accessories will undoubtedly grow to suit your individual gardening style.
However, if you only have a small area to plant or prefer to limit your gardening to containers, you will need a slightly different set of gardening tools. The following items are ideal for small space gardening.
A Good Collection of Gardening Hand-Tools
Short-handled, ergonomically designed gardening tools are great for hand planting and small digging jobs. There are a number of hand-held gardening tools on the market. Here are three you’ll want to consider:
 |
| Radius Ergonomic 4-Piece Hand Tool Set |
1. Short-Handled Trowel A good trowel is an indispensible tool for any garden, regardless of its size. Look for one with a pointy tip, which makes it useful for planting seeds, digging out stubborn weeds and loosening planting soil. 2. A Three-Pronged Cultivator
This tool features 3 individual rake-like prongs designed to loosen soil and create uniform burrows for planting. It can also be used to pull up shallow-rooted weeds. 3. A Transplanter
This tool is designed to make transplanting smaller plants easier. Some styles feature gradation marks to ensure you are planting each plant at the appropriate depth. To save time, you can look for a high quality and affordable pre-packaged hand tool set. For example, you can pick up the highly rated Fiskars 7067 3-Piece Softouch Garden Tool Set for approximately $18 or the Radius Ergonomic 4-Piece Garden Set for $32.
When evaluating hand-held gardening tools, look for those that offer ergonomic design features, such as soft contoured handles designed to hold your wrist in a neutral position. This will reduce unnecessary strain on your hands and wrists while you are gardening.
Proper Gardening Attire
Although it is fun and relaxing, gardening is still “dirty” work. As a result, gardeners are prone to insect bites, cuts, scrapes and randomly stepping on sharp objects. So no matter how big (or small) your garden may be, you need to have the proper attire.
 |
| Sloggers Women's Premium Garden Clog |
For starters, you’ll need a good set of gloves and protective footwear. When looking for gardening gloves, look for a pair that fits properly and offers some protection from sharp thorns and prickly shrubs. Fabric gloves with a protective rubberized coating along your palms and fingertips are a great option because they dry easily and fit well enough to maintain finger dexterity. My dad gave me a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty much never in the garden without them! They are waterproof, and very thin and flexible, so they're great for weeding, planting, mulching, or getting muddy. The only drawback is they will make your hands sweaty if it's hot outside.If you are doing a lot of heavy digging, a good pair of durable boots will make your job much easier and safer. As you stomp down on the shovel for a little extra leverage, you’ll be glad for that added layer of protection. Otherwise, a good pair of rubber gardening clogs are wonderful to have. They keep your feet dry and are easy to hose off when you are done digging in the dirt - plus they are pretty stiff and heavy duty so they protect your feet from just about everything. I absolutely love mine! I have worn them for years and they never seem to wear out. If they're caked with mud, they're easy to kick off outside the door, and I can leave them out in the rain to rinse off.
Finally, every gardener needs a good hat. Look for one with a wide brim to protect your face and ears from too much sun exposure as you work outside. Beyond that, have fun and let your personal style shine through!
Visit our Sustainable Gardening page for some more great gardening tools & accessories.
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