If you are a beginner with gardening, there are probably a few things you would like out of your first garden. You would like it to be relatively little work, you would prefer that the crops don’t take months to grow and yield, and cool weather crops would allow you get started early in the spring while the weather is just thawing out.
In addition, a great way to begin gardening is to start with a container garden, which can be put about anywhere like a patio or balcony, but doesn’t require a lot of tilling or soil preparation. And you can control the exposure to the sun better with a container.
Two crops that fit this description are radishes and lettuce. If you plant the two of these, you can harvest your own garden. There are 4 main types of lettuce you can grow, but for a beginner leaf lettuce in particular is easy to grow.
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April 12th, 2015 | Posted in Growing Lettuce, Growing Radishes | No Comments
If you are new to gardening, radishes might be one of the first vegetables you should try to grow. They are typically not very difficult to grow. They mature and are ready to be harvested in a short amount of time. They are often easy to keep healthy even when facing various weather and soil condition. In fact, you can actually plant them up to six weeks before the last frost of the winter.
They can be grown in containers as long as the growing pot is about 12 inches in depth. You can also grow them within raised beds or you can grow them directly in the ground. Compost can be worked into the soil before you start planting. Remove any possible obstructions from the soil before planting seeds about ½ inch into the ground. Seeds can be placed relatively close together with a distance of only about 3 inches needed between plants.
You will want to plant them in an area where they can receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. If you live in an area where the temperature will often rise above 75 degrees, you will want the plants to grow in a location where they can receive some shade during the day. Make certain that they receive at least an inch of water each week. In most cases you will only need to use garden feed once during the growth of your plants.
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April 12th, 2015 | Posted in Featured Content, Growing Radishes | No Comments
Imagine being in a world where very large and delicious looking plants developed that are poisonous to your kind. Then one generation, some of you gain the ability to eat this plant. Suddenly you have all of this great food that only your species can have. Even your predators can’t stand it, they begin avoiding eating your kind because your body contents have become toxic to them. You are free to survive with low competition and you evolve to love the plants more and more.
And this is roughly the hypothetical history of the striped cucumber beetle, who may become your enemy in your squash garden or squash farm. Despite their name, they definitely do not only feed on cucumbers. The striped cucumber beetle is a pest of cucurbit crops, or the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squashes, melons and gourds. These plants contain cucurbitacin, which is really an anti-herbivore defense. This is precisely the “poison” that the striped cucumber beetles are after.
The striped cucumber beetle can do damage to your squash crops in a number of different ways. As larvae, they feast on the roots. As adults, they will eat the leaves and flowers. If the flower is ruined, the fruit will not develop. And as if those aren’t bad enough, the striped cucumber beetle, along with the spotted cucumber beetle are the two known vectors of bacterial wilt.
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April 11th, 2015 | Posted in Growing Squash | No Comments
Indeed, what is organic gardening? Chemically, organic matter is matter with carbon atoms in it-naturally occurring materials. The term “synthetic” refers to any material that is produced in a laboratory, rather than in a living thing. “Organic Gardening” literally means not using synthetically produced items in the garden. The USDA has specific definitions for organic products, commercially grown, but there is no definition of “organic” for home gardeners. The entire issue is fairly murky-with many people saying that “industrially produced” organic food items are no more healthy for the environment than other commercially produced items.
At the heart of the organic gardening movement, and the philosophy behind organic gardens is seeing the garden as more than just an isolated plot of land, but rather a piece of a larger ecosystem. A garden is part of a larger ecosystem, whether the gardener views it that way, or not. You could say that a garden that is cared for organically is more in harmony with the rest of its surroundings. Inputs are carefully considered, not just for their effects on the target plant or pest, but on the surrounding environment as a whole.
Gardening Naturally
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April 11th, 2015 | Posted in Featured Content, Organic Gardening | No Comments
Radishes are one of the quickest and tastiest crops to grow in early spring and again in fall. See how easy it is to grow in your garden.
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June 19th, 2013 | Posted in Growing Radishes | No Comments
As you no doubt know, Basil is a great herb! It can flourish almost anywhere in the world, and is really easy to grow!
It’s an essential ingredient in most of your favourite recipes, you can add it as a finishing touch to any dish and it even looks great as a garden or kitchen decoration!
Here’s some great reasons why you should consider growing basil at home:
– Simply put, basil is just the best cooking herb! You can use it in all kinds of dishes, from the simple but magical combination of tomatoes and basil to the equally delicious home made pesto and thai curry – its a great addition to many dishes!
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June 19th, 2013 | Posted in Growing Basil | No Comments
Just as in the local grocery store, carrots range from long, slender and tapered to short, stubby and almost beet-shaped carrots. When you think of all the sizes, carrots are amongst the most versatile home vegetables to grow and you can take your pick of the varieties of seeds – just polish up your green thumb if you can.
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June 19th, 2013 | Posted in Growing Carrots | No Comments
There are a few gardening tips that have worked for me in the past that I am going to share with you because when starting your own garden there is no reason to head in with your eyes closed. There is plenty of information about gardening in your arsenal. The Internet, gardening clubs, books, magazines and the help of your local nursery are all great caches of gardening tips. The main thing that I have noticed is that planning your garden on paper is a must. You will then need to decide on the place and size to make it perfect for the amount of area available. You will also need to figure out how much sun this plot will be getting during the day. Then you will get tip on fertilizer, mulch and the type of soil. Also the tools necessary will have to be decided including what kind of tiller you need plus the type of watering system.
Tip1: Pull out the paper and start planning your garden. The time this will save will be huge. Grab a friend and head on out to the place you are thinking about and have a long look at the area. Having a friend there for advice and as a soundboard and then having the area in front of you will really get the brainstorm started. Make sure to take into consideration the views to the place, how far the hose is from it, if there and any sprinklers around, and anything else you can think of.
Tip 2: The preparation of the soil is a major piece of the garden puzzle and has huge effects on the success of your garden. Different types of plants prefer different types of soil so make sure you take that into consideration. Also make sure that if it is going to be a veggie or an herb garden you try and use organic fertilizer because it will not effect that flavor of the food. A good compost or even wood chip mulch is preferred over the ordinary fertilizer. I recommend using a good tiller to mix it all together it is much easier to do it that way then by hand.
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June 18th, 2013 | Posted in Gardening Tips | No Comments
Growing Radish
Radish are a tasty addition to any salad dish, they give it bite, spice and of course add colour, texture and variety. They are easy to grow; in fact they were the first vegetable crop I grew as a child.
There are two main types of radish: the large winter kind and the small varieties that are specifically grown for use in salads. The winter varieties are giants in comparison to the summer ones, they can reach a length of 12in. (30cm) and have either white, black or pink skins. On the other hand the summer varieties maybe globular, intermediate and long with red or white skins; some types have a peppery bite, others are milder in taste.
Soil Preparation
Radishes are easy to grow, they are not too demanding and they are a quick crop as they are not in the ground for long, often used as a catch crop in-between other crops. They do not require a deep soil either but they do need plenty of fine organic matter in the top 3 or 4 in. (76mm – 101mm) so that they are able to grow quickly and they must never be allowed to go short of moisture.
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June 18th, 2013 | Posted in Growing Radishes | No Comments
Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens.
1.Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.
2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plants are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.
3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.
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June 17th, 2013 | Posted in Gardening Tips | No Comments