Most of the time when ordering seeds for a new growing season you will receive way more than you really need. This can cause you to sometimes have hundreds of seeds left over after planting.If you have some vegetable seeds left over from previous seasons, you may be wondering if those old ones are still good to use for starting your new vegetable garden.The germination rate drops as the seeds become older, so those that are three years … [Read more...]
Companion planting in the garden has most likely been around for as long as man has been planting seeds. It's simply a method of partnering up vegetables and herbs that benefit each other. Though companion planting isn't a cure all for garden pests, it's certainly worth the effort. Herbs and vegetables are perfect culinary partners in the kitchen as well as the garden.Let's start with easy to grow herbs and the vegetables they work well with … [Read more...]
What is succession planting, and how can it help the home gardener? An example serves as the best explanation. Peas are a cool weather crop and can be planted as soon as the garden soil can be worked. Cucumbers can't handle frost, and should be planted in the summer when the temperatures are much higher. Planting the peas early, then later pulling up the plants, when the harvest is dwindling, to sow cucumber seeds is an example of succession … [Read more...]
Many of us grew up in a time when a salad consisted of iceberg lettuce and assorted vegetables. Some restaurants still stick with the standard salad fare, but home gardeners have an amazing amount of options when it comes to growing salad greens. Space doesn't have to be an issue because spring greens can be sown directly into containers, raised beds or traditional vegetable gardens with ease.What are "spring or salad greens"? A simple answer … [Read more...]
Rotating vegetables to a new location each year gives gardeners a one up on pest control, soil health and avoiding diseases. I personally experienced this in my 4 foot by 8 foot raised garden bed, when I switched the location of the tomatoes and cucumbers one year. The season before, the cucumbers had developed a bad case of mildew. When I moved them to the other side of bed they were mildew free the entire season. The tomatoes also appeared … [Read more...]
As we get older it doesn't take long to realize we just can't do the things in the vegetable garden like we used to. After a few hours of bending over and working on your knees, you're sure to have a few aches and pains the next day.We also begin to realize that safety and ergonomics is much more important as we get older.If you have some physical disabilities or find it difficult to get down and work in the soil like you need to this … [Read more...]
One of the most important things you can do to help ensure a successful vegetable garden happens well before you ever sink a shovel in the soil.Proper vegetable garden planning is key when it comes to preparing for the new season and helping you avoid common mistakes when setting plants out in Spring.Skip the planning process and you can end up with an organic nightmare by the time you get into mid-June. Here are three tips to help get … [Read more...]
Although we are in the middle of winter, it is the perfect time to start thinking about what to grow in our 2012 vegetable gardens.One of the things that makes planning a vegetable garden so difficult is all the different varieties of vegetables there are to choose from.Seed companies certainly don't make the decisions any easier by offering new varieties of our favorite vegetables each year.Here are five awesome vegetable … [Read more...]
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I'm intrigued by heirloom vegetables, and crazy about sharing my passions with others.
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