Vegetable Gardening

Winter Garden Vegetables

Vegetable gardening is not inclusive to the spring and summer months. There are several examples of such healthy staples to grow throughout the long, chill, winter. Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, garlic, and chives all thrive in this seemingly "forsaken" season! By working with the moisture and frost of winter you can nurture both these veggies, (with the nutrients and minerals they require), and your own passion for gardening. It is true that winter vegetables can't be planted the same as veggies planted in the spring- but with a little information, and adaptation, anyone can learn to produce vegetables year round.

Broccoli:

The best winter broccoli to plant is Shogun. This unusual plant develops side shoots when the main head is cut. Do not allow the soil to over dry, continue to maintain good moisture in the soil, without drowning the roots. A Lime-ph of 6.5-7.5 will have to be added for proper results. Winter broccoli will take around three months before ready to cut. Bonus: An added benefit to growing broccoli in winter is a lack of bug infestation.

Garlic:

For garlic you'll need well drained, fertile soil. Create your own mixture of compost, fertilizer, sand, etc., as long as the soil ph is above 6.0. Though garlic can survive a deep freeze- it will need mulching to prevent heaving. Don’t expect much action though; garlic growth happens underground, in the roots, until spring when shoots begin to sprout.

It is the work done before you plant that really means success or failure for your garlic cloves. When planting, pick the largest cloves and sow them upright with the root end facing down into the soil, they won't set very deep (only about an inch) so it is vital not to over water. If the soil gets too dry you'll need to mulch around the edges of the clove. When spring arrives the use of a liquid fertilizer can help finish the job and promote healthy, plump, garlic cloves.

Cabbage:

There are many types of cabbage to be grown in winter, and some do better than others, but, like broccoli, they will be ready by spring if given around three months to mature.

Oriental Veggies:

If you enjoy great oriental cooking why not grow your own main dish? Snow peas, Misome, and Komatsuna are delicious in stir fries, and with a little effort, can be tackled in your winter garden. Snow peas are suited best for areas with mild winters and need base support as they are climbers. Dark and leafy Misome matures slowly in the cold but should show in less than three months. Komatsuna, also known as mustard spinach for its resemblance to leafy mustard, can be produced in any part of the country. Unless your winters are particularly harsh you don't have to go the extra mile to keep it alive. If you do live where there are harsh winters you can combat freezing by growing the plant in a warm enclosure.

We hope we've inspired your vegetable palate, and above all, to enjoy your winter gardening.

 

About the Author

 

GardenPro

Culinary Herb Gardening

There is nothing more pleasing than walking right outside your kitchen door and finding all the spices you'll need for a tasty and fresh dinner. How about picking a bit of rosemary for those lamp chops, or cutting a bit of that fresh dill for that flounder you're baking, or pulling some fresh oregano leaves to add to that spaghetti sauce or snipping some fresh basal for a tomato, mozzarella cheese and basal salad. The availability of fresh herbs can add a real kick to your ordinary dishes and turn them into something special. Fresh herbs are also likely to help you boost your imagination in the kitchen.

Herb gardens are great for small spaces.

One of the best things about an herb garden is that you don't need to be a gourmet cook to enjoy it, and it can be grown without a huge amount of space. Some people only grow three or four different types of herbs. If you are an apartment or condo dweller you can plant your herbs in a window box or in strawberry pots. You should know that herbs generally don't survive the winter outside left in plastic window boxes and pots. Their roots will freeze. If you have enough light inside you may be able to winter them inside, but they are so inexpensive it's easier to start a box again in the spring.

Most herbs are very easy to grow and do well with little care. They also become fuller and produce more the more you use them. Most herbs are perennial plants, meaning that when they are planted in the ground they will come back year after year. As your plants mature and get older you may need to start thinning them out.

Another fun thing to do with your herbs is to dry them to use during the winter. You can carefully cut bunches of herbs, trying not to disturb their leaves, and hang them inside to dry. The herbs are best cut mid day, when it has been very dry outside. Once they are dry they can be stored in zip lock bags in a dry and dark area. You will not want to crumble the leaves until you use them.

When you cook with herbs you will find that if you use fresh herbs you'll need to use more than you would of dried herbs. This is because dried herbs tend to have a stronger flavor.

About the Author

by Jeff Slokum

Discover Container Gardening with Tomatoes

An easy, proven way to save you money while
providing good nutrition for your family!

You don't think you have a green thumb?
That's OK--you don't really need one!
Just a little knowledge and info to get you
started!!

Those of us who live in rural areas have a
decided advantage over city and apartment
dwellers. We can nearly always find room
for a vegetable garden even if it's a small
one!

But even if you don't have an acre or two of
land to play with, don't despair! You can still
supplement your grocery budget with fresh
veggies grown in a container garden--even if
the only space you have is on your patio!

Tomatoes are about the easiest vegetables
to grow. They come in all sizes: from bite-size
cherry tomatoes to great big beefsteak
tomatoes. And tastewise, store-bought
tomatoes just can't compare to vine-ripened!

The first step to starting a container garden is
to locate your container. You can use almost
anything. A half-barrel, the kind you see for
sale at garden centers, works great. You may
have plastic buckets already on hand and these
can work, too.

If you use buckets, usually one plant to each
bucket is enough. And keep in mind, one plant can
produce a lot of tomatoes!

Just put a layer of rocks in the bottom of your
chosen container for drainage. Then fill with
quality potting soil about 2/3 thirds of the way
full.

Tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. Most
garden centers, discount stores, and even some
grocery stores have these in stock in the spring.

Remove the plant from the plastic pot it comes in
by squeezing the bottom of the pot to loosen the
soil and gently lift it from the pot. Carefully
loosen the roots a little as sometimes they tend
to be a little root-bound in the small pots.

Dig a hole a little bigger than your plant ball and
just set your tomato into the hole right up to the
leaves and fill all around with more potting soil.

Of course, you must water the plants to make them
grow! Your tomato plants will respond well to regular
feeding. Apply a liquid fertilizer once a week.

Once your plants are larger, you may need to stake
them; however, if you are growing the "bush" variety,
they won't need to be staked.

Once your plants are bearing, you may find yourself
with a surplus. Whole tomatoes can be frozen for use
later on in soups and casseroles. Just wash and put
in sealed plastic bags and place in freezer. When
you're ready to use them, let them thaw partway so
the skin can come off and they're ready to go in the
soup pot!

If you prefer to freeze your tomatoes already chopped,
just dip each tomato in boiling water for about 10
seconds. Then the peel will pull right off. Chop the
tomato, put in bags and freeze.

Here's a good vegetable soup recipe for using frozen
tomatoes.

Combine 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped tomatoes
1 can new potatoes, drained and chopped
1 can sliced carrots, drained
1 large can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 3/4 cups beef broth

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, to let flavors mingle.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

About the Author

Cyndi Roberts is the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter
"1 Frugal Friend 2 Another"

Composting

As we become increasingly more aware and concerned about environmental issues such as waste disposal and renewable resources, composting is not something that is just confined to suburban homes with woodsy backyards. In fact, some experts predict that within ten years, composting will become a common source of recycling. One reason that this does not seem unfeasible is the sheer simplicity of composting as a part of daily household routine. Using kitchen and yard waste to create compost that can be used to create a healthier lawn or garden around your home is a practical way to reuse waste from your home and also save money at the same time.

Know how to mix your compost properly.

Essentially, composting is a way of aiding the decomposition process of formerly living plants and organisms that will eventually become part of the soil and add nutrients to the other plants around them. There are some basic necessities for your compost pile or bin. Like any living organism, your compost pile needs ample space for air and it also thrives on water. Microbes that aid in the decomposition process also work quicker when the compost pile is hot, but any temperature above about fifty degrees Fahrenheit can sustain a compost pile.

There are two basic categories of compost. One is green, and the other brown. The best compost piles are a good balance of both green and brown. Green is things like grass clippings, fruit or vegetable leftovers, coffee grinds, and other kitchen waste. Brown compost is things like wood chips, sawdust, dry leaves, and things of that nature. Brown compost may need to be watered before being mixed in to the compost pile. Grass clippings, kitchen waste, not pernicious weeds, hay, wood chips, and other yard waste make great additions to any compost pile. There are things that you should not compost, like chemically treated wood products, weeds, or diseased plants, meat, bones, and human or pet waste. The best way to think of this process is as creating a healthy diet for the microbes that are creating this compost for you. If you meet their ideal conditions, you will get a great final product that will meet your gardening needs.

Grow Your Own Salad!

Flower growers can see the beauty of their labors all summer long. The vegetable growers also get a great reward. They can hear the fresh crunch of home-grown lettuce and taste the mouth-watering tomato that just came off the vine minutes before you tasted it.

As with any salad the first thing he starts with is the lettuce. Any true vegetable aficionado will tell you that there is no such thing as lettuce. The leafy salad staple comes in a variety of tastes, shapes, sizes, and colors. Gardeners can grow iceberg, butterhead, romaine, or countless other lettuces. The produce section of the supermarket generally doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the types of lettuces out there. It’s best to check what grows in your area and plant whatever looks good.

Next on the salad is the tomato – the ripe, red wedges add visual appeal as well as deep flavor. Tomatoes tend to be robust plants and can grow in a variety of climates. Its best to stake them to make sure that the tomatoes do not touch the ground. This can be anything from a simple wooden stake to an elaborate metal cage. Keep an eye on them, though. They’ll sprout up and ripen seemingly overnight. Pick them when they are plump and red, slice them into sections, and enjoy!

To add some extra color to the salad, not to mention some Vitamin A for good eyesight, shave some fresh carrots over the salad, or chop them into round pieces. The carrot is another hearty vegetable. Unlike the tomato, the carrot grows into the ground, thus it grows better in loose soil. When you are ready to make your fresh salad, simply go to the ground and pull out any carrot bigger than your finger. Slice it up and you are ready to eat!

One of the last things to add to a fresh grown salad is a few cucumber slices. Cucumbers are fast-growing plants – most varieties are ready to pick in 2 months. When you are ready for your salad, go to the garden and pull one of these off the vine, clean it, slice it and eat it.

Enjoy your meal…and your hobby!

How to Grow Avocado

Fruit gardening and vegetable gardening is a very exciting venture. Growing Avocado's was one of the challenges I took on as a hobby fruit and vegetable gardener. When you are not an inhabitant of state with a tropical climate you can grow avocado's in containers.

Avocado plants should be grown indoors for warmer temperatures.

 

So, if you’re a fan of the avocado, chances are you already know how to grow avocado plants. Although the avocado tree is a tropical plant that thrives only in zones 9, 10, and 11, many gardeners grow avocado plants indoors, they grow it as a houseplant. Avocado plants are typically started from the seed in the center of the fruit. Many gardeners begin their avocado plants by piercing the seed with toothpicks and then suspending it (pointed end up) over a glass, vase, or jar of water. You can keep the water sweet by adding some charcoal in the bottom of your container. In two to six weeks, if the seed germinates, you should have a young plant, ready to pot. However, not all avocado seeds will germinate in this way. If your seed hasn’t sprouted in six weeks, toss it out and try again.

 

Another method of how to grow avocado plants is leave the pit in the sunlight until is begins to split and then potting it in soil partly exposed like an amaryllis bulb or sweet potato vine. Use a four or five-inch pot to start your plant and set it in a nutrient rich potting soil that has good drainage. After your plant is about a foot tall, pinch it back to half. Pinching it back produces a rounder and fuller plant. Once your plant has filled its pot with roots, it’s time to move it to its permanent home.

 

When you’re learning how to grow avocado plants, don’t expect fruit. Avocado trees take up to ten years to mature enough to bear fruit and indoor grown plants rarely last for that length of time. However, if you provide it with a moist soil, plenty of sunlight, and fertile soil, your avocado plant will be an interesting addition to your home container garden for three to five years.