Vegetable Gardening

Paul Hata asked:


More farmers are getting into organic vegetable gardening because it is cost effective and they are able to produce almost the same yield of crops. You to can do this at home but first, you have to understand the principles of organic vegetable gardening.

First, organic vegetable gardening does not use any fertilizers, nutrients or pesticides. Nature is your partner here because you will be using two things to make it all work namely sunlight and water. We don’t produce these ourselves but you have to find the ideal area and provide adequate drainage.

Aside from sunlight and water, you can help the crops grow by using compost heap from leftover food, chipped bark, garden compost, leaf moulds and manure. You can mix these all together and then spread this throughout your garden.

A lot of people are grossed about by manure. You don’t have to scoop this from the toilet because this is sold in stores. If you have a dog, put on some gloves and put it there. Chickens are also great to have. Just let them roam around in the garden.

Some people use dead animals or meat products. You don’t put these in the soil but leave it for a couple of weeks in the bin because maggots will soon appear and this is what you use to help fertilize your garden.

Another helpful creature is the earthworm because it digs deep into the ground and aerates the soil bringing various minerals to the surface which also provides better drainage. This long pink colored creature also leaves casting behind that experts say is five times as rich in nitrogen phosphorous and potassium. Again, this can be purchased from the gardening store.

Organic garden is challenging since you have to deal with unwanted guests. Some of these pests include armyworms, crickets, gypsy moth caterpillars, slugs and squash bugs. Before, people used fertilizer to kill them but in an organic setting, the best weapon is the toad that is known to eat more almost every type of insect. If you have caterpillars or spiders lurking in the garden, get a bird because this is not in the toad’s diet.

In some cases, you don’t have to buy a toad or a bird from the pet store. They may come in to your home as long as you set the ideal environment for them. You can put up a bird house or a small pond. Within days, you will have some new occupants protecting your garden.

Other insect killers which you can get to do the job include the preying mantis and the ladybug because they mark their territory and eat anything that dares enter their domain.

Plants can also be used to protect your vegetables. For example, the rosemary, sage or thyme is an effective deterrent against butterflies. Marigolds on the other hand are effective against nematodes.

But despite all the flowers and creatures that nature has to offer, crop rotation is seen as the best way to keep the soil fertile. If you planted this kind of vegetable for this season, change it with another and the return to the first after this one is harvested.

The principles behind organic gardening are very simple. You just have to be practice it so you can harvest the vegetables you have planted weeks ago.



Dawson

Moses Wright asked:


Vegetable gardening is a worthwhile project to undertake as the fruits of your labor can end up at your dinner table! However, you must first decide if you want to grow your vegetables indoor or outdoor. Both methods have pros and cons to it and you will need to consider conditions such as lighting and pest control as well. You need to consider your current situation to make a wise choice.

Soil preparation and maintenance can be much more difficult when gardening outdoors. Over time, nutrients in the soil can be diminished by repeated planting. Fertilizing and disease control become more challenging as well. Large tracts that need to be pH balanced or have clay materials to be broken down can be troublesome. Preparing a container and maintaining it is not needed when gardening outdoors and this is a positive aspect.

Although less is required, maintaining fertilizer levels can be tricky when gardening indoors. It’s easy to accumulate too much. A lot of care must be used when trying to achieve an equilibrium of draining away excess water and keeping needed moisture. Soil in indoor gardening will not adjust itself as easily when compared to soil outdoors. It is worse for plants when you give it too much moisture compared to when you leave it dehydrated.

When gardening outdoors, setting up an automatic watering system is easy and affordable. It can be harder to do this with indoor gardening. It is possible but it will probably cost a lot and be messy. It might not be worth all the trouble if you have too many containers.

Lighting usually isn’t an issue with outdoor gardens if they are planned correctly. You should easily be able to provide your plants with five hours of sunlight per day, depending on the climate you live in. lighting provides another challenge for indoor gardening. If you can’t find a windowsill that provides the proper amount of light and heat, you may find yourself having to move your plants around the house all day.

However, this does make controlling the amount of light received somewhat easier. If the sun gets too hot, you can easily close the shades or blinds to prevent burning. Automated systems have been designed just for this purpose. Put plants near the windows to help create a greenhouse effect of sorts and it saves you the trouble and money of building an actual greenhouse.

While diseases and insects are found in both situations, it is simpler to deal with indoors. Detailed checks and more chemicals is necessary to fight such issues when in the outdoors. Fungus is prone to grow due to condensation on the leaves on a cool evening. It’s also easier to for insects to lay their eggs undetected when outdoors.

Many of the controls available today, whether chemical or organic, have very unpleasant odors and would not be suitable for indoor use. Almost all insecticides are similar. Plant-based oils have a more pungent odor and is more expensive than chemical sprays.

Whether you decide to do your vegetable gardening indoors or outdoors will depend on your specific situation and what will work better for you. Each method has its difficulties but it is definitely worthwhile when. You’ll be enjoying fresh and healthy vegetables in no time.



Fatima

furthermore_82 asked:


I just created a small vegetable garden on my property. I looked outside the other day by chance and noticed one of the neighbourhood cats had entered the garden and urinated on some of the tomato plants. I don’t want to be eating these vegetables that have been soaked or “flavoured” with cat urine. Any ideas on how to keep them out?

Casey

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Right from the level of planting a couple of tomatoes in a large pot to the level of indulging in a large scale commercial plantation area dedicated to the gardening of a wide variety of plants like lettuce, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, tall beans etc, vegetable gardening is done on all scales.

Gardeners, while taking up vegetable gardening must be well aware about its significant aspects like the climatic conditions, proper soil analysis and the duration of growth seasons. It is true that the same vegetables that are cultivated in Florida can be produced in Alaska as well. However, both varieties will differ considerably in taste, sizes and duration of growth. The vegetables that are grown in Alaska may take shorter time due to the shorter and cooler growth season in Alaska as compared to Florida’s. With the advancement in cultivation science, it is possible to grow any vegetable in any part of the world with the assistance of methods like hot house effect etc. through which the climatic factors conducive to vegetables growth can be controlled effectively.

Owing to all these factors, unless the gardener is using very advanced and expensive methods of cultivation, he should be well aware of the seeds and plants that can be most easily grown in certain weather and soil conditions. This is where the importance of planning and general awareness comes into picture. Taking a small example, lets pick up a tomato. Tomatoes can be grown in a small pot in your backyard as well as in large array of fields dedicated to tomato cultivation. The difference will lie in the size and juice of the tomato. While the one that is grown in a small pot will be smaller in size, more apt for making dishes, the ones that are cultivated in fields, may find a place in McDonalds Hamburgers because of their large sizes and juicy nature. If one wants to grow large tomato at home, he will need equally large pots with each one dedicated to single tomato plant. Such option may not be very feasible sometimes due to space constraints and the proper care required.

Gardeners can be impatient too. Don’t believe it. We’ll tell you how. As explained earlier, vegetable gardening can be best done outdoors. However, in case, the gardener has had success with a certain plant on the mini level, and has tasted it to confirm as well, he would generally tend to go large scale with the same plant without giving much thought to the pertinent factors. In such case, too much may be attempted in one season and the eventual result can be as disastrous as the entire crop failure. A gardener venturing into vegetable gardening for the first time must consult the other gardeners in the vicinity. It may also pay off nicely to get friendly with the staff at the local garden center. They normally possess huge experience and can come handy in resolving lot of doubts of the starters.



Gary

Tania Bale asked:


For some, the home vegetable garden is a hobby and for others a great money-saving helper, especially in these days of high prices.

Formerly it was the custom for gardeners to invest their labors and achievements

with a mystery and secrecy which might well have discouraged any amateur from trespassing upon such difficult ground.

Do not feel discouraged that you cannot be promised immediate success at the start. I know from personal experience and from the experience of others that "book-gardening" is a practical thing. If you do your work carefully and thoroughly, you may be confident that a very great measure of success will reward the efforts of your first garden season.

Why should we home garden, well the home gardener can grow his own vegetables and fruits at less expense than he can buy them, that is a good fact to remember and they taste 100 per cent better.

Every garden operation was made to seem a wonderful and difficult undertaking. Now all that has changed. In fact the pendulum has swung, as it usually does, to the other extreme. Often, if you are a beginner, you have been flatteringly told in print that you could from the beginning do just as well as the experienced gardener. This garden business is a matter of common sense; and the man, or the woman, who has learned by experience how to do something, whether it is cornering the market or growing cabbages, naturally does it better than the one who has not. Do not expect the impossible.

Knowledge on the subject of gardening is also more widely diffused than ever before, and the science of photography has helped wonderfully in telling the newcomer how to do things.

And this brings us to what may be the most important reason why you should garden. It is the cheapest, healthiest, keenest pleasure there is.

Better food, better health, better living–all these the home garden offers you in abundance. And the price is only the price of every worth-while thing–honest, cheerful patient work.

But enough for now about the dream garden. Put on your old clothes, and go outdoors and look the place over, and pick out the best spot for that garden-patch of yours.

“Learn All the Trade Secrets of Successful Home Vegetable Gardening”

No patch of land is too tiny to create a superb home vegetable garden.



Davis

Bercle George asked:


Vegetable gardening tips are necessary most especially for beginners. These will surely help you achieve success in vegetable gardening if ever you want to have your own.

With the growing prices of vegetables in the market, it is quite practical that you are able to cultivate your own so that you can economize your spending and eat much healthier food. However, several constraints can hinder you in gardening and one example is the limited space. Don’t be hindered by this. All you need to have are home vegetable gardening tips and if you are new in this area, you’ll need home gardening tips for beginners.

Home vegetable-gardening has no big difference to growing flowers or herbs. That is, if vegetable gardening is done properly,you will surely achieve what you desire and will surely give you a fresher vegetables compared to what is sold in the market.

First, as part of your vegetable-gardening tips, you need to think of the size of your garden that you desire to be planted with vegetables. It must be a place of proper drainage, good soil, and appropriate sunlight. And because home vegetable gardening offers tasty food, it is vulnerable to animals such as dogs, deer, rabbit, etc. To prevent that, you make it sure that you are able to put fence around your garden to make it protected.

Vegetable-gardening for beginners can be quite laborious, however can be rewarding too. Having fresh vegetable is one thing that almost all desire to have and you are lucky if you are able to cultivate your own despite, perhaps, with limited area. You just need to be creative in order to achieve your goal in gardening. And, as I have said, home vegetable gardening tips can help you to achieve that.

Another vital thing to consider in home vegetable gardening is the garden arrangement. One strategy to maximize the space is to plant vegetables that only need limited space- those vegetables that do not expand too much. Remember also to put your tall-growing plants at the back side of your garden so that they do not block the sunlight that the small ones need.

When you are already prepared for planting, be sure that the kind of vegetables you are to plant is suitable for the specific season. You can consult books of vegetable-gardening for beginners for this. You can make an improvised place for a certain plants and get it transferred to its location when the appropriate season comes.

Vegetable gardening for beginners also include doing weeding and maintaining your garden out of foreign grasses because these can take the soil nutrients away from the vegetables. Grasses are their prime competitors. You can also protect your vegetables from insects by putting some organic chemicals.

Vegetable-gardening is one of the favorite pastimes of people. It is because, aside from being able to acquire fresh vegetables, you can also make it as a medium of exercise that is really relaxing. However, before you get started with your own, consider acquiring some vegetable gardening tips so that you can achieve the vegetable garden that you desire.



Douglas

anonymous asked:


Whether you suffer through harsh, cold winters or enjoy relatively mild ones, we are coming up on the time when you need to get ready to plant your seeds for your vegetable garden.

If you need another compost bin this time of year is great to add them, if only because there’s not much actual gardening work to do. Build one or buy one, just make sure you can easily add, remove and turn the material.

Clean up your tools. Sharpen blades if they need it. Clean off old dirt and wipe with an oiled cloth to help prevent rusting.

At this time you can also start planning your next garden. You can figure out what you want to grow and how you’re going to lay that garden out. Planning ahead can help you make the most of your garden. Getting things started at the right time for each type of plant will help your garden succeed.

If you want an early start, get some planters and sun lamps and start your seeds indoors. If you get sufficient sunlight, placing the boxes in windows can help you get that early start too.

This is a great time for looking back at how your garden did last year and your goals for this year. For example, my garden last year failed miserably due to a combination of poor soil, a neighboring shade tree that had been shading my garden being cut to pieces and an unusually hot summer.

Over the winter we’ve been preparing quick compost for the soil. This is just throwing fresh kitchen scraps into the blender with some water, then pouring it into the garden. It’s our first step in improving the soil naturally. More will be done as planting time approaches.

Obviously, factors that are out of your control you can’t do anything about. Heat waves cannot be avoided and neighbors can be unpredictable (you should have seen that poor tree when they were done “pruning” it!). Some years insects are more problematic than others.

In those cases you need to have plans for how to handle it. Keep an eye on what the sun is doing to your plants during a heat wave and ensure they have enough water. Know what pest control steps you are willing to take.

Planning and preparing to plant your garden before you can actually start planting gives you a lot of advantages when it’s time to really work your garden. It gets some of the chores out of the way and leaves you prepared for a great start to your vegetable garden.



Wesley

Andrew Bicknell asked:


Learning how to plant a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. If done correctly it pays off with big benefits in so many ways. Before you know it you will be picking perfectly ripe, perfectly delicious tomatoes without having to wonder what chemicals went into growing them.

The most important part of successful gardening is to properly prepare the soil. A routine soil test gives information on any lime requirement, phosphorous and potassium needs and estimated nitrogen requirements. A good soil mixture contains two parts loam, one parts and, and one part organic matter and many pre-mixed soil mixtures are available at garden centers. When manure is added to the soil, it must be composted prior to planting, because fresh, hot manure will also burn your plants. Vegetables need a lot of nutrition to grow well, so the better you prepare the soil before planting, the better chances you have of producing a bountiful crop. For information on soil testing, call your local county extension educator or the local university soil testing laboratory.

Planting a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. Tilling the soil in late fall facilitates earlier spring planting. Cool versus warm planting periods are determined by your choice of cool-season vegetables and warm-season vegetables.

Successful vegetable gardening involves far more than just popping a few seeds into the ground and waiting for a tomato to appear. When sowing your seeds stretch a string between the two stakes you set to mark the row, or use a straight piece of lumber, and use it as a guide to open a ‘V’ shaped furrow with the corner of your hoe. Tear the corner of the seed package off and use your finger to tap the package lightly as you move down the row, carefully distributing the seeds evenly. Larger type seeds may be placed individually in the row. You will want to plant extra seeds in each row to allow for failed germination, and for thinning. Cover the seeds with fine soil (no clods or rocks). After the seeds sprout, the weaker seedlings should be pinched off to give the rest enough room to grow.

Vegetables that are leaves or stems, such as cabbages and onions, can usually be harvested over a long period as they are needed. Vegetables that are the fruit of the plant, such as peas, beans and tomatoes, should be picked every two or three days to get them when they are first ripe. Any vegetable garden should receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight during the day and grow best on soil that is well drained. Vegetable gardens do not always have to be laid out in large plots in the backyard; you can grow them nearly anywhere as long as all their growing conditions are met and your choice of plants will be largely determined by the likes and dislikes of your family. If the same garden plot is used for vegetables for many years, your crops should be rotated, so that each type of vegetable is in a different position during the following season.

Planting a vegetable garden is hard work but for both the beginner and experienced gardener the rewards can be delicious.



Samuel

mike v asked:


Thanks to everyone who responded to my first question regarding putting too much organic fertilizer on my vegetable garden before the seeds germinated.
Now what can I do? Are the seeds/soil beyond repair? Thanks.

Ashlyn

Marie asked:


The weather was fine all last week, you could wear shorts during the day, and all of a sudden there’s a frost warning for tonight. After that it should be back to normal. Since I only planted my seeds on Saturday, I figure it’s too early for germination to have started… should I worry? What precautions should I take? This is my first vegetable garden and I would really like to get something out of it.

Quincy