"How to grow" guides for specific vegetables
How to grow peppers
How to grow garlic in your garden
How to Grow Tomatoes
Best Tomato to Grow in a Container: "Sweet N Neat" Scarlet Tomato
How To Plant and Grow Lettuce
How to Grow Cucumbers in Containers
Tools
Organic fertilizers to use in your home garden
Raised Garden Bed from Costco
Raised Garden Bed: What soil to select?
Grow Box - Sub-irrigated planter (SIP) by Garden Patch vs. EarthBox - sub-irrigated planter, garden container for vegetables
How to repel animals from your vegetable garden? Use pepper/garlic spray
The best resource
The Cooperative Extension Search engines searches a good number of university agricultural extension websites: http://www.extension.org/search
Showing posts with label Garden Bed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden Bed. Show all posts
Organic fertilizers to use in your home garden
Here are some examples of popular groups of organic fertilizers:
- Earth worm casting (organic fertilizer) (for N). You can make your own with a worm farm ($79 at Amazon)
- Dried Kelp (for K and P). It helps plants develop stronger roots. The mixing powder is more cost effective than the prepared liquid form.
- Fish powder or emulsion (for N). This works especially well for lettuce.
I have personal experience with the following products from Amazon:
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com shares his ideas about organic fertilizers and other soil ammendments to build up your humus and soil so it will provide what your plants need:
Here are some of the products mentioned in the video:
- Azomite rock dust, micronized, 45 lbs for $35, 10 lbs for $17 (microelements)
- Agrowinn
- Earth worm casting (organic fertilizer)
- Dried Kelp
Some of the products are available from Amazon. I also selected one of the organic fertilizers: Jobe's 09026 Organic Vegetable & Tomato Granular Fertilizer 4-Pound Bag:
How to Grow Larger Vegetables with Rock Dust - Benefits and How to Apply:
References:
Organic Fertilizers - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/v4Blf
Organic Gardening 101 - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/U0CJj
- Earth worm casting (organic fertilizer) (for N). You can make your own with a worm farm ($79 at Amazon)
- Dried Kelp (for K and P). It helps plants develop stronger roots. The mixing powder is more cost effective than the prepared liquid form.
- Fish powder or emulsion (for N). This works especially well for lettuce.
I have personal experience with the following products from Amazon:
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com shares his ideas about organic fertilizers and other soil ammendments to build up your humus and soil so it will provide what your plants need:
Here are some of the products mentioned in the video:
- Azomite rock dust, micronized, 45 lbs for $35, 10 lbs for $17 (microelements)
- Agrowinn
- Earth worm casting (organic fertilizer)
- Dried Kelp
Some of the products are available from Amazon. I also selected one of the organic fertilizers: Jobe's 09026 Organic Vegetable & Tomato Granular Fertilizer 4-Pound Bag:
How to Grow Larger Vegetables with Rock Dust - Benefits and How to Apply:
References:
Organic Fertilizers - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/v4Blf
Organic Gardening 101 - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/U0CJj
What is the Best Tomato to Grow in a Container?
The 6 most popular red cherry tomato varieties
With more and more cherry tomato varieties on the market, it's hard to know which are the best to grow.
The 6 most popular red cherry tomato varieties are:
- Large Red Cherry
- Gardener's Delight
- Red Currant
- Super Sweet 100
- Sweet Chelsea
- Sweet Million
Super Sweet 100 is considered the best cherry tomato but it did not work well for me in the Growums SIPs boxes. The fruit was small and it was not sweet at all.
Large Red Cherry produced the best results for me in 2012 (with seeds from Dollar Tree store for 20 cents).
Extreme Dwarf Bush German Tomato
They have been some great reviews of Extreme Dwarf Bush German Tomato but the seeds are difficult to find. It seems there are only available from VictorySeeds.com:
Extreme Bush Certified Naturally Grown Seed, 50 days, determinate - The plants are 12-28 inches tall, tremendously productive, and produce fruit over a long period of time. The leaves interestingly curl up and inward. The fruits are very flavorful, weigh about 3 ounces, are globe-shaped and red in color.
This would be a great candidate for our gardening friends with limited space or wishing to container garden. We received our original seed from the USDA, ARS accession number PI 302463 which lists its origin as Germany. The old Gleckler Seed Company lists one matching this description called "German Tomato (45 days) Extreme Dwarf Bush" in there 1958 seed catalog. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
Sweet ‘N Neat tomato
Sweet ‘N Neat series produces copious amounts of fruit on very compact plants. You can grow them as hanging baskets or on ground pots. Plant single plants in 8” pots or 3 plants in 14” pots.
This is a new cherry tomato compact enough to grow in containers on the patio or back porch, with a determinate habit (meaning that it stops growing once it sets fruit) but an indeterminate fruit production. Sweet 'n' Neat Scarlet plants reache 10 to 12 inches high. The little cherry fruits are about ¾- to 1-ounce, arising in clumps like grapes.
"Sweet N Neat" was disappointing when I grew it from shipped plants in 2012. It was not very productive and the fruit was not sweet.
The 'Sweet n' Neat Scarlet' tomato could have as many as 40 fruits on a plant growing in a 6-inch container. The 'Sweet n' Neat' tomato is available in 3 fruit-color choices. Each plant will produce over 15 fruit on an 8-inch (20-cm) plant. Blossoms and fruit develop on the vine at the same time. The harvest time is short – 7 to 10 days. Plants are self-topping (determinate, bush type) and seldom need staking.
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ shares one of the tomato varieties he is growing this year. In this episode you will learn about a special hybrid variety tomato that stays small, yet yields a ton of sweet, red cherry tomatoes: "Sweet N Neat" Scarlet Tomato:
More videos from John: Share Your Love of Gardening by Making a Better YouTube Videos with these 10 Tips:
Related:
2011: Year of the Tomato - National Garden Bureau http://goo.gl/O4C4E
Tomatoes can be as close as a hanging basket - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://goo.gl/vmgDk
Siberian Tomato http://goo.gl/pnnVK
Cherry Tomato Champs - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/1aZWG
Grow Space-Saving Tomatoes - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/eFbUQ
With more and more cherry tomato varieties on the market, it's hard to know which are the best to grow.
The 6 most popular red cherry tomato varieties are:
- Large Red Cherry
- Gardener's Delight
- Red Currant
- Super Sweet 100
- Sweet Chelsea
- Sweet Million
Super Sweet 100 is considered the best cherry tomato but it did not work well for me in the Growums SIPs boxes. The fruit was small and it was not sweet at all.
Large Red Cherry produced the best results for me in 2012 (with seeds from Dollar Tree store for 20 cents).
Extreme Dwarf Bush German Tomato
They have been some great reviews of Extreme Dwarf Bush German Tomato but the seeds are difficult to find. It seems there are only available from VictorySeeds.com:
Extreme Bush Certified Naturally Grown Seed, 50 days, determinate - The plants are 12-28 inches tall, tremendously productive, and produce fruit over a long period of time. The leaves interestingly curl up and inward. The fruits are very flavorful, weigh about 3 ounces, are globe-shaped and red in color.
This would be a great candidate for our gardening friends with limited space or wishing to container garden. We received our original seed from the USDA, ARS accession number PI 302463 which lists its origin as Germany. The old Gleckler Seed Company lists one matching this description called "German Tomato (45 days) Extreme Dwarf Bush" in there 1958 seed catalog. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
Sweet ‘N Neat tomato
Sweet ‘N Neat series produces copious amounts of fruit on very compact plants. You can grow them as hanging baskets or on ground pots. Plant single plants in 8” pots or 3 plants in 14” pots.
This is a new cherry tomato compact enough to grow in containers on the patio or back porch, with a determinate habit (meaning that it stops growing once it sets fruit) but an indeterminate fruit production. Sweet 'n' Neat Scarlet plants reache 10 to 12 inches high. The little cherry fruits are about ¾- to 1-ounce, arising in clumps like grapes.
"Sweet N Neat" was disappointing when I grew it from shipped plants in 2012. It was not very productive and the fruit was not sweet.
The 'Sweet n' Neat Scarlet' tomato could have as many as 40 fruits on a plant growing in a 6-inch container. The 'Sweet n' Neat' tomato is available in 3 fruit-color choices. Each plant will produce over 15 fruit on an 8-inch (20-cm) plant. Blossoms and fruit develop on the vine at the same time. The harvest time is short – 7 to 10 days. Plants are self-topping (determinate, bush type) and seldom need staking.
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ shares one of the tomato varieties he is growing this year. In this episode you will learn about a special hybrid variety tomato that stays small, yet yields a ton of sweet, red cherry tomatoes: "Sweet N Neat" Scarlet Tomato:
More videos from John: Share Your Love of Gardening by Making a Better YouTube Videos with these 10 Tips:
Related:
2011: Year of the Tomato - National Garden Bureau http://goo.gl/O4C4E
Tomatoes can be as close as a hanging basket - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://goo.gl/vmgDk
Siberian Tomato http://goo.gl/pnnVK
Cherry Tomato Champs - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/1aZWG
Grow Space-Saving Tomatoes - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/eFbUQ
How to grow garlic in your garden (video)
Garlic is a Cool Season Vegetable from the Onion Family (Allium sativum var. sativum and ophiosco from Alliaceae Family). Not native to North America.
Easy to grow and productive - a pound of cloves can produce 7 to 10 pounds of garlic. The “stinking rose” needs rich, well-drained soil, and full sun.
Read more at Doctor's Garden.
Easy to grow and productive - a pound of cloves can produce 7 to 10 pounds of garlic. The “stinking rose” needs rich, well-drained soil, and full sun.
Read more at Doctor's Garden.
How to Grow Tomatoes (videos)
Container tomatoes - here are some important elements for growing container tomatoes:
Sun. Container tomatoes, like those in the garden, need at least 6-8 hours of sunshine a day to produce a worthwhile harvest. If you grow them indoors, put them where they'll get maximum sunshine, moving the container from window to window if you must.
The Best Varieties. Dwarf varieties are the best ones to grow in containers. If you're trying container growing for the first time, try a cherry patio type such as Tiny Tim or Pixie II. They need little support (or you can let them trail from a hanging container) and they'll produce very early.
Planting. For fall pot plantings, take six- to eight-inch suckers or "slips" from tomato plants in the garden (smaller varieties preferred), set them in a deep pot and water heavily for a day or two. They'll root in one to two weeks and start growing soon afterwards. When you bring these pots or baskets indoors and give them a sunny home, you can extend the tomato harvest for many weeks.
Fertilizer. Tomatoes need quite a big food supply over the season -- they're what we call "heavy feeders." Mix a small amount of soluble, balanced fertilizer into the plants' water every week or so. Tomatoes like regular feedings of small amounts of fertilizer rather than infrequent, large doses. Side-dress tomato plants initially when the first clusters of fruit have formed and every 2-3 weeks thereafter. Two cupfuls of 5-10-10 or its equivalent are generally adequate for 20 plants.
Read more here: http://doctorsgarden.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-grow-tomatoes.html
Sun. Container tomatoes, like those in the garden, need at least 6-8 hours of sunshine a day to produce a worthwhile harvest. If you grow them indoors, put them where they'll get maximum sunshine, moving the container from window to window if you must.
The Best Varieties. Dwarf varieties are the best ones to grow in containers. If you're trying container growing for the first time, try a cherry patio type such as Tiny Tim or Pixie II. They need little support (or you can let them trail from a hanging container) and they'll produce very early.
Planting. For fall pot plantings, take six- to eight-inch suckers or "slips" from tomato plants in the garden (smaller varieties preferred), set them in a deep pot and water heavily for a day or two. They'll root in one to two weeks and start growing soon afterwards. When you bring these pots or baskets indoors and give them a sunny home, you can extend the tomato harvest for many weeks.
Fertilizer. Tomatoes need quite a big food supply over the season -- they're what we call "heavy feeders." Mix a small amount of soluble, balanced fertilizer into the plants' water every week or so. Tomatoes like regular feedings of small amounts of fertilizer rather than infrequent, large doses. Side-dress tomato plants initially when the first clusters of fruit have formed and every 2-3 weeks thereafter. Two cupfuls of 5-10-10 or its equivalent are generally adequate for 20 plants.
Read more here: http://doctorsgarden.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-grow-tomatoes.html
How to repel animals from your vegetable garden? Use pepper/garlic spray
"Deer Off" has some of the best reviews. It is made of natural materials (eggs, capsaicin and garlic) and is approved for use in organic gardening.
The dual-deterrent system (eggs - smell, and capsaicin and garlic - tasted) stops deer, rabbits, and squirrels from eating your plants and gardens. One 128-ounce bottle covers 2,000 square feet, providing up to 90 days of protection with one application.
Deer Off II is Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listed and USDA approved for use in organic gardening.
There are two options:
- spray - it can be sprayed directly on the plants
- dry granules - to be used around the plants
I bought the spray which was priced lower on Amazon as compared to Home Depot. The dry granules are heavy and Home Depot offers a better price than Amazon, if you pick it up at the store.
Both Amazon and Home Depot have a series of brief videos that show how to use each product and are very helpful.
The dual-deterrent system (eggs - smell, and capsaicin and garlic - tasted) stops deer, rabbits, and squirrels from eating your plants and gardens. One 128-ounce bottle covers 2,000 square feet, providing up to 90 days of protection with one application.
Deer Off II is Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listed and USDA approved for use in organic gardening.
There are two options:
- spray - it can be sprayed directly on the plants
- dry granules - to be used around the plants
I bought the spray which was priced lower on Amazon as compared to Home Depot. The dry granules are heavy and Home Depot offers a better price than Amazon, if you pick it up at the store.
Both Amazon and Home Depot have a series of brief videos that show how to use each product and are very helpful.
Raised Garden Bed: What soil to select?
Update: Potting mix is better than garden soil.
You can make your own potting mix:
- 30% peat moss or coco coir
- 30% perlite or vermiculite
- 30% compost or soil
---
Original post:
Miracle Gro Organic Choice is probably the best. It costs $9.77 at Home Depot:
The Vigoro brand organic soil mix was easier to find but it has more wooden chunks than Miracle Gro organic mix:
This is regular, not organic, soil mix (shown below). I selected organic soil instead of this one:
I did not buy a potting mix (shown below) but garden soil.
Tomatoes in raised garden beds (after 3 months).
Slideshow:
Related video and reading:
Best Source of Garden Soil to Grow Your Vegetables. - YouTube http://goo.gl/1875b
Secret Recipe For Drought Tolerant Container Garden Soil Mix http://goo.gl/dWuNq
Making a Raised-Bed Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/wuXKi
Best Source of Garden Soil to Grow Your Vegetables. - YouTube http://goo.gl/FxsPm
You can make your own potting mix:
- 30% peat moss or coco coir
- 30% perlite or vermiculite
- 30% compost or soil
---
Original post:
Miracle Gro Organic Choice is probably the best. It costs $9.77 at Home Depot:
The Vigoro brand organic soil mix was easier to find but it has more wooden chunks than Miracle Gro organic mix:
This is regular, not organic, soil mix (shown below). I selected organic soil instead of this one:
I did not buy a potting mix (shown below) but garden soil.
Tomatoes in raised garden beds (after 3 months).
Slideshow:
Related video and reading:
Best Source of Garden Soil to Grow Your Vegetables. - YouTube http://goo.gl/1875b
Secret Recipe For Drought Tolerant Container Garden Soil Mix http://goo.gl/dWuNq
Making a Raised-Bed Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/wuXKi
Best Source of Garden Soil to Grow Your Vegetables. - YouTube http://goo.gl/FxsPm
Raised Garden Bed from Costco
The "Lifetime" Raised Garden Bed Kit contains a clear vinyl plastic tent enclosure and two 4 x 4 garden beds that can be used separately or stacked for an extra-deep bed. It is designed with 8 easy-to-assemble interlocking panels of polyethylene plastic with rust-resistant screws. It won't rot or attract insects like raised garden beds made out of timber.
The interlocking panels create the sidewalls and a weed barrier (not included) creates the bottom of this raised garden bed. This prevents weeds and underground pests from invading your garden. With raised beds you can easily customize the soil to your plants, so you won't be at the mercy of the natural soil conditions in your area.
Because the soil isn't compacted from being walked upon, a raised garden bed doesn't require tilling and provides more efficient drainage. Plant placement is done differently in a raised bed, and this allows you to grow five times as many crops as traditional gardening because it uses 20% of the space of single-row gardens. You'll also appreciate that the interlocking panels give you the option to disassemble and relocate your garden bed if you move or simply want to change your landscaping design. Cost: $99 at Costco, $150 at Amazon. The weed barrier is about $10 at Home Depot and Amazon.
Here is the covered garden bed:
Opened cover:
Tomato and pepper plants from Home Depot:
Growing garlic plants with some onions. The garlic is ready when it has 3 leaves. Here are some Green Garlic Recipes for Health - NYTimes http://goo.gl/wY7gK
The garlic (grown from cloves from Costco) did very well, especially compared to the onions purchased from Home Depot:
Covered and uncovered garden beds. The plastic covers is available for only one bed in the Costco package:
DIY greenhouse and irrigation system for the raised bed
I first saw this in the Square Foot Gardening book, and here is a summary from the Popular Mechanics website: Use galvanized pipe straps to mount 1-in. PVC pipe inside the bed walls. Cut ½-in. flexible PVC tubing twice as long as the beds' width. Bend it, mount it and clip a cover in place.
Use clear polyethylene film. Be careful not to bake your plants on warmer days. Remove the cover or slit vents in it to avoid excessive heat buildup. You can use the same pipes tp construct an irrigation system that is spaced 1 foot apart - serving as a grid if you Square Foot Gardening (SFG) system.
The Costco/Lifetime product comes with 2 beds, and one of them has a plastic cover. The least expensive option is a raised wooden bed from Home Depot for $35 (Home Depot offers more than 70 garden beds).
Tomatoes in raised garden beds (after 3 months).
Slideshow:
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ takes you a field trip to Costco to show you a new product they are offering. It's the Lifetime 4' x 4' raised bed kit that comes with two 48"x48"x9" raised beds plus a Green House Dome that allows you to start your growing season earlier:
References:
Video Review of Lifetime Raised Garden Kit from the official Lifetime blog.
Green Garlic Recipes for Health - NYTimes http://goo.gl/wY7gK
Tips for Dealing with Garden Trouble http://goo.gl/VjKVv
Making a Raised-Bed Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/wuXKi
Planning a Vegetable Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/oYBgi
Planting a Vegetable Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/7fDj9
Raised Garden Beds - How to Build and Install a Raised Garden Bed - Popular Mechanics
The interlocking panels create the sidewalls and a weed barrier (not included) creates the bottom of this raised garden bed. This prevents weeds and underground pests from invading your garden. With raised beds you can easily customize the soil to your plants, so you won't be at the mercy of the natural soil conditions in your area.
Because the soil isn't compacted from being walked upon, a raised garden bed doesn't require tilling and provides more efficient drainage. Plant placement is done differently in a raised bed, and this allows you to grow five times as many crops as traditional gardening because it uses 20% of the space of single-row gardens. You'll also appreciate that the interlocking panels give you the option to disassemble and relocate your garden bed if you move or simply want to change your landscaping design. Cost: $99 at Costco, $150 at Amazon. The weed barrier is about $10 at Home Depot and Amazon.
Here is the covered garden bed:
Opened cover:
Tomato and pepper plants from Home Depot:
Growing garlic plants with some onions. The garlic is ready when it has 3 leaves. Here are some Green Garlic Recipes for Health - NYTimes http://goo.gl/wY7gK
The garlic (grown from cloves from Costco) did very well, especially compared to the onions purchased from Home Depot:
Covered and uncovered garden beds. The plastic covers is available for only one bed in the Costco package:
DIY greenhouse and irrigation system for the raised bed
I first saw this in the Square Foot Gardening book, and here is a summary from the Popular Mechanics website: Use galvanized pipe straps to mount 1-in. PVC pipe inside the bed walls. Cut ½-in. flexible PVC tubing twice as long as the beds' width. Bend it, mount it and clip a cover in place.
Use clear polyethylene film. Be careful not to bake your plants on warmer days. Remove the cover or slit vents in it to avoid excessive heat buildup. You can use the same pipes tp construct an irrigation system that is spaced 1 foot apart - serving as a grid if you Square Foot Gardening (SFG) system.
The Costco/Lifetime product comes with 2 beds, and one of them has a plastic cover. The least expensive option is a raised wooden bed from Home Depot for $35 (Home Depot offers more than 70 garden beds).
Tomatoes in raised garden beds (after 3 months).
Slideshow:
John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ takes you a field trip to Costco to show you a new product they are offering. It's the Lifetime 4' x 4' raised bed kit that comes with two 48"x48"x9" raised beds plus a Green House Dome that allows you to start your growing season earlier:
References:
Video Review of Lifetime Raised Garden Kit from the official Lifetime blog.
Green Garlic Recipes for Health - NYTimes http://goo.gl/wY7gK
Tips for Dealing with Garden Trouble http://goo.gl/VjKVv
Making a Raised-Bed Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/wuXKi
Planning a Vegetable Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/oYBgi
Planting a Vegetable Garden - Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Vegetables :: National Gardening Association - http://goo.gl/7fDj9
Raised Garden Beds - How to Build and Install a Raised Garden Bed - Popular Mechanics
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