Posts Tagged: vegetable

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19
Mar 11

Garden Peas and What Can Go Wrong

Even if you have one of the smallest gardens in the neighborhood, you should still find a garden plot to grow peas. Store bought peas just don’t compare to the home grown peas that you cook fresh from your garden. Because peas are a cool-weather crop, which are planted in early spring and they mature quickly, approximately 55 days for very early peas, you can plant another vegetable in its place after you have harvested them.

There are two major types of peas: green peas, or English peas and the varieties that have edible-pods, which are called sugar peas or snow peas and are cooked and eaten with their pods. Generally the yield for the edible-pod peas is smaller; but they are well worth growing because they have such a delicate flavor and a nice crisp texture.

The green peas and edible-pod peas both come in dwarf and tall-vine varieties. Dwarf peas usually don’t require a support. The tall varieties will need some type of support on which to climb. Even though you have to put out a little extra effort on the tall varieties, they will repay you by giving you a larger harvest.

All peas are extremely susceptible to heat and will most likely stop maturing once the temperature regularly climbs above 70 degrees F. When you buy the seeds, check the length of time to maturity for every variety of peas you choose. If you live in an area with a short cool spring, you may want to choose the early types. If the cooler weather lasts into the summer months you may want to buy and early and a late variety. If you plant both varieties at the same time you will get a continuous crop of peas.

Many of the pea seeds that you buy are treated with a fungicide that will prevent seed rot in cold soil. A few untreated varieties are available, but they are most likely prone to fail if you have an extended wet spell. If you purchase the treated seeds, please make sure to keep them away from all children and pets.

What Can Go Wrong
Aphids can spread pea mosaic, which is a serious virus disease, and there is no treatment for it. Therefore, if you should see aphids appearing on the stems or undersides of the leaves wash them off or spray the plant with Malathion. Pea weevils, which are tiny worms that may be black, white, or brown, can be picked off by hand or also eliminated by using Malathion.

During cold, wet springs, a powdery mildew is a common problem with peas. The plants can be treated by dusting or spraying with sulfur. Root rot which turns the leaves yellow and darkens the stems and roots, may attack the plants at flowering time. There is no treatment, but you can avoid this disease by planting next season’s garden peas in well-drained soil, preferably where they have not been grown before.

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12
Mar 11

Home Vegetable Gardening – Recycling Food Waste

San Francisco, California recently enacted a law where people will put their food scraps in a red container and have that container picked up by the local municipality waste collection department. The idea is to separate the food waste from other garbage so the food wastes can be recycled into compost.

While the concept of what they are doing is a noble one, the cost to do it makes no sense whatsoever. The reason being is the fuel used to power the trucks to pick up the food waste is a far much more expenditure than the resulting compost that can be produced.

A better solution to recycling food waste into useable compost is the one I am about to outline here in this article. It requires little effort on your part and absolutely no cost in fuel and transportation. The best part is the ecosystem does all of the work for you.

Every person in North America creates some kind of food waste. Obviously the larger family you have the more likely you are going to create a larger amount of waste. Most people do one of two things with that food waste. They either flush down their sink via the means of a garbage disposal, or they simply throw it in the regular trash. Both methods are wasting what could be the best fertilizer for your soil.

When food waste is broken down by bacteria and other living organisms the result is compost. This compost, when added to your soil, increases the amount micro and macro nutrients required to grow strong and healthy plants.

The food recycle method I am about to describe is what I call the lazy person’s method. Why? Because it requires no “real” physical activity on your part. Here is how it is done.

Get yourself a container of some sort, I like to use a large Tupperware bowl. This is the container where you will putt all of your food scraps. Any food waste that would normally go into the trash or down the sink will now go into this container.

What goes into the container? Left over dinner, shredded newspaper, cotton clothing with plastic and metal pieces removed, coffee grinds and filters, tea bags and so on. What does not go into the container? Chicken or steaks bones, aluminum foil, plastics, laminated paper etc.

Now that your container is full what do you do with it? Grab yourself a shovel, go to your backyard and dig a hole about 18 inches deep. Then pour the contents of your container into that hole and then cover with the dirt. You have just now recycled your food waste. From this point forward the ecosystem that lives underneath your soil will take over. Worms, bacteria and other organisms will break this down for you and turn it into compost.

That’s it! You just recycle your food waste and didn’t have to pay someone to haul it away. Just remember to mark the spot where you buried the food waste and do not dig in that same spot within 60 days.

I have been using this method my entire life, first helping my dad with his garden and now with my own and the results to my vegetable gardening have been incredible and I know yours will too. Watch as you continue to use this method as the volume of your soil will actually increase!

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20
Jan 11

The Affects of Frost on Your Vegetables and Plants

Frost forms as a result of the surface of some object being chilled below the dew point of the surrounding air. The dew point is the temperature at which air must be cooled in order to be condensed into water. When the chill point is met crystals form on the surface of the object and appear as ice.

The most common form of frost on vegetation is Hoar Frost also known as Radiation Frost. This occurs when ice crystals form overnight due to drops in temperature and heat loss because objects become colder than the surrounding air.

Many plants can be damaged by the affects of frost and some, such as tomatoes, will die. To know which plants will survive a cold night, refer to the back of the package of seeds that you bought as they have excellent instructions as to temperature ratings.

If you bought your plants already grown from a nursery or garden center then it is best to check with someone there so you do not plant them too early. However in a moment I will talk about protecting your plants in the event an unseasonable frost should occur.

The United States Department of Agriculture has an excellent map on first and final frost dates for various regions of the U.S. They have broken the country down into zones. Find your zone and you will be able to calculate when you should start planting your vegetables.

Even with the best calculations sometimes Mother Nature just doesn’t cooperate. As was the case in May of 2009 when three weeks into the month frost conditions occurred in the southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania regions.

Until there is a consistent level in temperatures you should monitor the overnight conditions in your area which can be easily done by watching your local weather or the weather channel. If you have planted your vegetables and they call for a potential of frost, you can and must take precautions to ensure that they, your vegetables make it through the night.

The best method for protection from frost conditions is the use of plastic milk containers. What you want to do is cut the top of the container off, but not too much so the plant won’t fit, and cover the plants with them. This creates a greenhouse warming affect for your plants. The container traps air which stays a constant temperature, never allowing it to drop below the dew point and create frost for the surrounding plant.

When morning comes and the cool temperatures have subsided for the day, remove the plastic milk containers and let them soak in the sun and air. They should be fine.

For gardeners, frost can be a devastating condition and literally wipe out any growth we might have. But there are remedies, actions and preventions we can implement that will increase our chances of success through frost weather conditions.

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12
Jan 11

Organic Gardening – The Opalka Heirloom Tomato

A heirloom original from Poland. The Opalka Heirloom Tomato is one of the best tasting paste tomatoes. It has a 5-inch long fruit shaped like a banana pepper and with a pronounced tip on it end. It has very few seeds and is extremely meaty, along with being loaded with a rich sweet flavor that makes it appealing for sauce.

The Opalka was brought from Poland to New York around 1900. This variety of tomato has a wispy foliage, and is very productive. Without a doubt it is one of the best tasting sauce tomatoes. It’s flavor is much richer and sweeter than most other paste tomatoes. This tomato is so delicious you can eat them straight off the vine. Sauces using this nearly seedless fruit are something special. This bright red elongated 3 to 5 inch fruit is produced in clusters of 2 to 5 on a vigorous growing, high-yielding, indeterminate plant and it’s fruit hold well on the vine.

There is nothing better than growing heirloom varieties of the crops you and your family enjoy the most. Being a heirloom tomato you can save the seed from this plants fruit and pass it down to family members and friends for years to come. That is one of the enjoyable parts of growing heirloom crops. They are a way of sharing the crops you love and grow.

The bull horn shape Opalka Heirloom Tomato is outstanding for canning, sauces and salsa. With it’s refreshing sweetness and favorable taste, makes it excellent for fresh eating right off the vine.

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26
Oct 10

Gardening is a Rewarding and a Relaxing Hobby

I became introduced to gardening when I was just a kid. My dad was an avid gardener for many years, and he showed me all the tips, tricks and techniques that he used that made his vegetables turn out great.

Because the end result of gardening is the production of great tasting food, it quickly, for me, became a hobby that I have fallen in love with. Fast forward thirty plus years and you will still find me tending to my garden every year.

If you are looking for a hobby that is fulfilling and rewarding then gardening is it. Beyond that is also educational, and you can even take gardening to many niche directions. For instance you might find that you enjoy growing peppers. Well you have choices of many peppers to grow. Anything from habanera to bell to jalapeno, so many varieties that you can dedicate an entire garden to just peppers.

If vegetables aren’t your thing and fruit is, then strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are within reach as well.

Along with the relaxing atmosphere of growing fruits and vegetables, gardening can teach you a wide array of skills that are helpful to the environment, such as learning how to turn your food scraps into nutrients for your soil and plants. You will also learn how leaves, twigs, and the grass clippings from your lawn can actually benefit your garden.

Just like any other hobby you won’t become an expert overnight, but if you stay with it, and venture into learning new things or expanding on your current knowledge, you will be amazed as to the things you will learn and the skills you will gain.

As if you needed anymore benefits for gardening as a hobby, how about growing your own fruits and vegetables will save you money at the grocery store. The cost you will put out for seeds and watering your garden is far less than buying vegetables by the pound or a bag of greens. One grape tomato plant can literally produce in the hundreds where as at the store they can run about $1.99 per pound. One season growing a grape tomato plant can save you up to $50 depending on how many of them you eat and that is just one plant.

So if you are looking for a hobby that is relaxing, rewarding, educational and can save you some money, then gardening is the perfect hobby for you. All you need to get started are some seeds, a place to plant them and some water.

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22
Oct 10

Home Vegetable Gardening – Growing Arugula

Arugula is a very popular green to add to any salad or as a stand alone side to your dinner or lunch. And who can resist, it is enriched with plenty of Vitamins A, C, K and Folate as well as the nutritional minerals Calcium and Potassium. Its rich peppery taste also makes arugula a good choice to use in pasta dishes. Here is how you can grow some great tasting arugula in your home vegetable garden.

Arugula is a colder weather crop and germinates best in a soil temperature in the range of forty to fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as you work the soil (after the freeze is over) you can begin planting arugula.

Arugula is typical to many other vegetables in that it likes a pH level in the soil to be as neutral as possible. Test your soil to make sure the level sits above six and as close to seven as possible. You can get a pH soil tester at any home or garden center for a few bucks.

Sow the arugula seeds no deeper than a quarter inch and no closer than six inches. This gives the seed the ability to break through the top soil and the roots to spread out and grow strong underneath.

Arugula requires moderate and even watering and if you are growing it in a cold frame you can lighten up the water even further. It can grow in full sun but also grows well in partial shade making this plant very versatile as far as where you can place it in the garden.

When the arugula leaves are two to three inches they are ready to be harvested. This usually occurs as soon as 3 weeks after the seeds germinate. Simply cut the leaves off, give them a quick rinse and pat dry with a paper towel and they are ready for consumption.

Good companion plants include beets, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and spinach where as bad companion plants include pole beans and strawberries.

There are many healthy benefits to this great addition to your home vegetable garden, but as you can also see, it is very easy to grow, and you can add it to your early spring and late fall crop.

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1
Oct 10

How to Correctly Raise Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a favorite crop among gardeners since it adds a distinct flavor to most dishes. This type of crop came from the North American and Central continent. Young bell pepper plants are usually color green. They turn red when they are full grown. Cultivating peppers are very easy to learn and an enjoyable hobby.

MATERIALS NEEDED IN GROWING BELL PEPPERS

The materials needed are garden plot, bell pepper seedlings, mulch, fertilizer and organic insecticide.

STEPS IN PLANTING BELL PEPPERS

Place the seeds in your plot 8 weeks before the frost by utilizing a container that is two inches wide or slightly bigger. But if the temperature or weather conditions outside is not good, wait for a few days before placing the seedlings that you have nurtured outside so that you can ensure that it will grow well. The temperature should be seventy to eighty-five degrees.

Prepare the land by placing a lot of treated manure, compost and fertilizer. The crops should have a space of eighteen to twenty-four inches between them. The rows should have a space of twenty-four to thirty-six inches apart. Do not forget to water the seedlings everyday, especially extremely hot months.

This type of crop likes a moist environment. If the soil does not have enough water, it will develop an unpleasant taste. Use mulch to prevent weeds from sprouting around the peppers and taking the moisture that is for the plant. Mulch can also help retain H2O in the soil. Use organic insecticide in your crops as much as it needs to prevent any pests from destroying the crops. Harvest the produce at any give time after they have developed at an acceptable size.

Aside from the color red, fully grown peppers can be purple or orange depending on their type. Clip the stem of the pepper to remove them from the main plant. The crop will continue to produce peppers until the onset of frost.

Remember that the germination time for the pepper seeds is 6-8 days. Place two tablespoons of fertilizer on each crop after the peppers started to develop.

This will help improve the quality of the plant. Keep the peppers in a place that have adequate humidity and a temperature of forty-five degrees to fifty-five degrees. Use a minimal portion of nitrogen in your crop since it will have a negative effect on the plant. It will just produce a bushy plant that possesses a minimum amount of peppers.

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6
Aug 10

Five Items You Can Recycle and Use in Your Vegetable Garden

Vegetable gardeners were going green long before “green” went main stream. We have been recycling food waste for decades, storing up rain water in barrels to use when the weather runs dry and so many other things.

But now that the world has finally caught on with the green movement, it is time to pass along a list of items that many might overlook and consider trash, but really are great to use in the vegetable garden.

Cardboard Egg Cartons
If you buy your eggs in Styrofoam cartons then you have to switch to the cardboard carton variety. Cardboard egg cartons, besides being able to be recycled with regular cardboard, can be shredded and mixed in your compost bin and also make great plant seed starters. Simply cut small drainage holes in the bottom of each of the twelve cups, fill with potting soil, add your seeds and water. Once they germinate and you see about two inches of growth, cut the carton so that you separate the cups from one another and then plant the entire cup.

One Gallon Plastic Milk Containers
I can give you two uses for each before you send them to the recycle center. First, rinse the containers out to make sure all the milk residue is gone. Then fill to about an inch from the top with water, put the cap back on and stick the entire container in the freezer. In about a day you will have a nice solid block of ice you can use at your next barbecue to cool down those drinks. When the ice is ready, run some luke warm water on the outside so the ice inside detaches from the plastic sides. Take a utility knife and cut the container in half, in other words separating the top of the container from the bottom. This will allow you to remove the ice. Now take bottom half and drill some holes in the bottom and you have an excellent pot for flowers and plants and the top makes for a great protector against the cold air at night.

Reuse that Old Hose
Before you toss that old hose into the trash, create for yourself your very own soaker hose. Poke plenty of holes in the sides of the hose so that when you turn the water on it drips through the holes you just created.

Pantyhose, Old Socks and T-Shirts
Don’t just toss them into the trash, you can use them to tie up your plants. Tomatoes have weak stems and instead of splurging on the Velcro ties you can cut up some old socks and t-shirts and use them instead.

Newspaper
Done reading the paper yet? Is your neighbor? Good! Newspaper makes a great weed barrier and also great mulch for the compost bin. To use as a weed barrier in your garden, lay the newspaper down, cover with grass clippings, and wet it down with your hose. To use in your compost bin, shred the newspaper and just throw it in there.

Trash is only trash if you can’t think of anything to do with it. As more people get involved with the green movement, especially those that plant vegetable gardens, we will start finding even more ways to keep our garbage out of landfills.

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17
Mar 10

Organic Gardening – Planting Your Heirloom Tomatoes

Planting them deep will allow them to form and send out roots from there stem, as well as anchor them in to the soil. By forming more roots deeper in the ground mean they can feed themselves better and find moisture that would normally evaporate near the surface faster.

The Staking and supporting of tomatoes can be a little tricky with heirloom varieties that can grow well over 6 feet tall. Don’t be surprised if you need a ladder to reach the top of your tomato plants. When staking use good strong stakes or a trellis that can support the weight. Most commercial made cages that can be purchased a local garden centers are way too small for these variety of tomatoes. The best way to support this type of tomato is by making your own cages out of sturdy wire fencing and anchor the cages securely to the ground to prevent them blowing over in the wind or from the weight of the plant with fruit on it.

Watering should be done deep and slow, this allows the water to penetrate deep down where the roots of the plant are. It is very important to keep the leaves dry, this will help to prevent disease problems. Tomato plants will naturally droop a little in very hot weather, don’t water them unless the soil is dry. When organic gardening, take care of the soil and the soil will take care of the plant. The use of soaker hoses will provide a slow trickle of water down deep into the soil, left on for about an hour at a time and once a week if it doesn’t rain should supply them with all the water they need.

Don’t let the fruit over ripen or fully mature, picking the fruit should be done before they are fully ripe. Harvest fruits as soon as they turn color and they will continue the ripening process in your kitchen. Once the ripening process has started, they don’t need a lot of sunshine to finish and picking them early will prevent them being eaten by pests before you can.

A environment friendly and healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy and productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you and the environment. http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com/gardentoolsandsupplies.html

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com