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You Can Do Organic Vegetable Gardening at Home

Admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:56:19 +0000

Anybody can do organic vegetable gardening at home because the principle behind this is not that different from what they do in the farm. The only difference is that you work in a smaller area and you get to choose what you like plant.

The first thing you have to do is find an ideal location. A lot of people do organic vegetable gardening in their backyard. To make it work, whatever you are planting should get at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and access to water.

Just like the ancient civilizations that relied on an efficient irrigation system, you too should do the same by making sure there is adequate drainage because if you don’t, you will have to do organic vegetable gardening using a raise bed.

When your ideal location has been found, it is time to cultivate the land. For that, you will need your gardening tools and a pair of gloves to pluck out the weeds on the ground. This might take a few days to make sure the area is ready for planting.

You will only know if the ground you are going to plant your vegetable is a good spot by testing it with some compost and mixing this with the soil. Should it be able to integrate and stabilize itself with the soil, this means that you can start planting your crops and see it grow in the succeeding weeks.

If you don’t like to buy compost from the gardening store, you can make your own using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, food waste or even manure. They also serve as excellent fertilizers.

As for your vegetables, take note that some of these may not be suitable in the land you are planting these on. This is because of several factors that are beyond your control such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can avoid making this mistake by doing some research on what vegetables are ideal to plant in your area and asking fellow organic gardeners.

One way to protect the organic vegetables you are planting is by planting a variety of them at a time since some of these protect each other from pests. Such practice is better known as crop rotation especially when you want to adapt with the weather in your area. Another defense system that works is getting the help of Mother Nature as birds, certain insects and even toads have proven to be useful.

If you live in an area where wild animals may eat your vegetables, you should put up fences so they are not able to get through. Other tools you can use are animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps.

Part of preparing the land is removing the weeds. But remember that new weeds grow after some time so you have to inspect the area from time to time.

Planting your own organic vegetable garden at home will surely save you money as these are quite expensive in the supermarket. If you have some excess stocks when it is time to harvest them, maybe you can give some to your neighbors or make some money by selling it at the local market which isn’t that bad given that you don’t shell out that much cash for this investment.

Top Home Gardening Tips: Keep These in Mind

Admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:59:39 +0000

There are tons of different home gardening tips, indoor gardening tips, organic gardening tips, vegetable gardening tips - no wonder the average gardener finds it so overwhelming to figure out just which specific tips are going to be most useful to them. If this is your situation, you should know that out of all of these, there are a few home gardening tips in particular that are going to be useful for you to learn.

Before you can properly or fully understand these tips however you are going to need to learn a bit more about home gardening and what it is all about.

What it is

Home gardening is a type of gardening that continues to grow in popularity. Home gardeners can product tasty, nutritious vegetables and beautiful flowers, and to be a successful gardener you really need to take advantage of the different home gardening tips that are out there.

Home Gardening Tips

One of the best home gardening tips is to choose the right garden site. This will depend on the particular type of plant that you are working with of course, but most plants need an area that is exposed to full or near-full sunlight, with deep, well-drained, fertile soil. The location should also be near a water outlet and free of competition from existing shrubs or trees.

Of course this is one of the most important tips of all because if you do not choose the right location for planting, you are not going to have any success.

Another of the most important home gardening tips is to select the right crops. As a home gardener, this is going to be one of the most important processes that you are going to have to worry about, and so one of your first major decisions is going to be deciding what vegetables you should grow.

Vine crops such as watermelon, winter squash and cucumbers are going to require larger amounts of space and more work, while if you want to take an easier route you should stick to vegetable plants such as tomatoes and potatoes.

It really all depends on your skill level and the amount of time and effort that you are going to be willing and able to put into this, which will determine how serious you can get into your gardening. Regardless, these tips are going to come in very handy and help get you started.

Organic Gardening at Home

Admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:49:34 +0000

Organic gardening at home is not that different from what they do in the farm. This is because the same techniques are used to make your choice of plants and vegetables grow even if you have a smaller area to work with.

The first thing you have to do is choose the location. It is important that it gets at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday and it has access to water. You should also check if the spot has good drainage otherwise you will have to build a raised bed garden instead.

When the location has been found, it is time to prepare the land. This is the time you bring out your gardening tools and gloves so can get rid of weeds that are present. All debris must also be removed so do this for a few days to make sure the area is secure.

The moment of truth will come when you test the soil. For that, you will need some compost from the store and then mix it with the soil. If it is able to integrate and stabilize itself, then you can begin planting your crops in the next 2 to 4 weeks. During such time, you can already add fertilizers into the soil to make sure that the nutrients hold.

The fun part is when you put in the seeds. Don’t forget to start your own compost pile at the same time by using coffee grounds, dead leaves, grass clippings, manure and vegetable or food waste that become organic fertilizer for your crops. By doing so, you will no longer need to buy these from the gardening store.

If you don’t already know, not all fruits or vegetables planted in one area are the same for another. This is because some may not survive due to the conditions of the region such as the weather, pests and other plant borne diseases. You can check at the store, do some research or get advice from fellow organic gardeners.

It will also be a good idea to plant a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some protect the rest from pests while others can only be grown during a certain season. In short, you get to practice crop rotation so you do not use up all the nutrients in the soil. Aside from plants, the use of birds, insects and toads can also help protect your garden.

Although you already removed the weeds before you planted, you still have to check for them again because they do some back. You will have to inspect the area and then pull them out which is one of the responsibilities of owning a garden.

Since larger animals not only insects could do damage to your organic garden, you should also protect it by putting up some fences. Some gardeners have also used animal hair, baby powder and deodorant soaps that act as deterrents.

Surely, you have noticed that organic vegetables being sold at the grocery are quite expensive. They cost a few dollars more than the regular kind so instead of putting this on your list, why not cross it out and simply get this from your backyard.

With some practice, you will realize that organic gardening at home can be challenging and at the same time fun. It is your way of going green and being environment friendly.

Fun and Food in Home Grown Vegetable Gardening

Admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:52:58 +0000

Growing vegetables in your garden can save you money. During harvest time, your own produce becomes part of your meals. Home gardeners feel deep satisfaction in preparing salad or seasoning the casserole with freshly picked plants from their own vegetable gardens. Their feeling of the taste is incomparable. Fresh surplus are distributed to friends and love ones while some are keep frozen.

It doesn't require much space to grow vegetables. Even a container pot or a window box will do the trick. Where space is limited, you can grow a mini-garden indoor or outdoor. If you have a good sun, access to water and enough containers, growing a garden's worth of fruits and vegetables in a limited space is a no-brainer. You can even harvest more than one crop if your choice of plants and planting schemes are all well planned and executed. Windowsills, balconies and doorstep areas can be used, as well as empty packs of milks, pails, plastic buckets and cans.

When planting in containers, proper spacing is very important. One sturdy plant is better than several weak ones. Crowding chokes root systems will slow growth and poor production. With container vegetable garden, you no longer need to worry about poor soil types and bad drainage, or heavy-duty tiller to break up hard clay and rocks. There is no weeding to worry about and you can change the looks of your container placements by simply moving them around anytime to a place you wanted to.

Vegetable gardening offers a change from the monotony of the supermarket. You can grow variety of vegetables that you want. When choosing plants for your vegetable container garden, consider container worthy crops such as beans, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and radish. Other root crops such onions and turnips can also do well in containers, but remember to always take care of these crops by ample fertilizers and water. Also consider grapes and berries. Though some take a while to get established, they bear fruits more each year. Planting for fall crops can be started in early summer, though summer planting can still be done in June in most regions.

One great advantage of growing vegetables and spices in containers involves the advent of the upside-down gardening. Crops with the likes of tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary and peppers do well with this approach. The ideas is that the vines will cascade downward instead of growing up a stake. A grow box can be treated by punching perforations through the bottom of a container. The other option is to purchase a device specially designed for this purpose. Upside gardens do not require a great deal of space and is perfect for balconies and patios.

Equally important, seeds and soil must properly be taken cared of in your vegetable container garden. Seeds do not always have to be bought. Reasonably fresh dill, anise, fennel, coriander and other seeds already on the spice rack should grow. If not, they are too old to add much to food anyway and should be replaced. Scoop out seeds from vegetables you've bought, dry them a week or so before planting.

Soil preparation on the other hand is very crucial for good results. Have the soil tested. Every state has a land-grant college that will test soil for a small fee. It will give abundant basic gardening advice, and garden resources tips. Start growing those veggies in your garden and turn your home made meals into something truly special. Take care of your plants to make them productive by keeping them watered and harvested.

Organic Gardening at Home: Why?

Admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:52:55 +0000

With the move in all areas of our lives today to become more and more self sufficient and relying less and less upon non renewable energy resources, organic gardening has seen a tremendous re-discovery that has not been seen before. In the past century, it has been more or less a fad that has definitely come and gone many times. But today, the move is more of a way of sustainable living and not a fad anymore. With rising food costs, less quality, less nutrients, and the many âscaresâ taking place of un-healthy and tainted foods, we are now are paying more serious attention to the availability we all have of growing a lot of our own food.

So why go organic gardening?The main reason should be for a higher quality of food. When you are the gardener, you will know the quality of the food you are growing. Fresh food, rich in vitamins and minerals, will be harvested at the best stage of their maturity.

Another reason is your choice not to apply synthetic chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides that are both unsafe and detrimental to the health of you and your family. Enjoy the selfish reason that you want to enjoy your food without all those harmful ingredients.

Organic gardening helps the environment. One, you are not using harmful chemicals, and two; you are replenishing the quality locally of where you live on Earth. You help the environment by not purchasing those chemicals that affect the natural resources we have in the soil, water, air, and vegetation.

Save money on food bills. Take note of what you purchase at the grocery store and you will find you have plenty of food that you could grow. Today, many are trying to find ways to reduce their vehicle fuel and utility bills, and here is yet another way to save money. This is a lot easier than one thinks.

Make money? Why, yes. If you over produce, why not sell the rest? Farmers markets are increasing each year. Roadside stands have always been popular in rural areas but are springing up in residential areas everywhere. The desire of many that just do not have the time to have their own organic garden, make it a point to purchase organic garden vegetables from those grown locally.

Water Gardening Tips: Add Tranquility Your Home And Garden

Admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:16:02 +0000

Water Gardening Tips: Adding Tranquility to the Home, Garden, and Yard

No matter what size your yard is you can add a relaxing water garden to it to provide you with hours of tranquility. Even if you have just a tiny patio, you can place a small portable water garden on it. The majority of water gardens and hydroponic aeroponics growing systems do not have to be huge in-ground ponds although those are nice if you have the room.

Today there are many options when it comes to water gardens.

You can put in one that has realistic looking rock protuberances complete with a waterfall. These types of water gardens can be placed against the wall of your house or patio to provide an eye catching feature to your entryway. You can buy them in complete kits that contain the water pump, rock features, and plant containers.

If you are seeking a smaller water garden to place on your patio for a decorative touch, then you are sure to find one to suit you.

These are available as complete kits that include decorative hanging basket garden planters, plastic liner, water pump, fountainhead, and plant baskets. All you have to do is add plants and water and then plug it in. Then you can sit on your patio and relax to the sounds of gently bubbling water.

Small water gardens are easier to install and easier to maintain yet they can be quite dazzling and great conversation starters.

Water gardens add a bit of flair to your home and property without a lot of fuss. Of course, you can create an elaborate in-ground water garden if you like complete with resident Koi, but it isn't necessary to go to such expense or effort. You can get just as much enjoyment from small water gardens.

A Yard and Garden Design Can Set Your Home Apart

Admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:15:59 +0000

The design and implementation of a plan for a beautiful yard and garden can set your home apart. It can also have other important advantages, including increasing the value of your home, reducing the cost of creating and increasing satisfaction while reducing the time required to keep it beautiful and personal.

There are many ways to create a design plan for a yard and garden including hiring a custom designer, purchasing and using design software, or by doing your own research through the many magazines and do-it-yourself books. The goal is to upgrade a yard or garden from poor or average to good or excellent. It has been researched and proven that the monetary return can be anywhere from 7 to 14% when a home is sold. It may be the attraction that sets your home above the competition when you decide to sell your home.

There are many ideas to consider when creating a yard and garden design. The most obvious is cost and time. You will also need to consider the size of the area, your personal style and environment you live in. It has been common practice to have a lawn mainly of grass and a garden of green plants. Alternatives can include choosing to use natural elements, planning for maintenance efficiency, adding a variety of height and size, and choosing décor to highlight the natural plantings of your yard and garden. In this economy, another option is to consider ways to add a vegetable garden to the décor of your yard and garden, either by area planting or container gardening.

A well designed yard and garden should include color. When choosing plants for your design, remember to give serious consideration to their life span and their space requirements. You need to evaluate the amount of sun, shade and water your areas provide and what plants work well in those environments. You also need to consider the variety of color and color compliments. Ask a garden specialist or a university extension agent if you need help.

Gardens can also provide décor to attract birds. Many people are bird enthusiasts, but even those of us who know little about birds can enjoy their playful antics and enthusiasm for life. There is a wide variety of garden décor items that entice our feathered friends to make your yard and garden home-such as bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths.

These are not the only garden décor items that add to the eye appeal of a garden. You should also consider figurines, statues, arbors, trellises, stepping stones, lights, planters and more. Browsing through a garden store or website will provide your with many ideas and options. Each should be chosen according to your style and design.

With your special touch, your yard and garden will be an extension of your home where you and your family will enjoy time together. If done correctly, your yard and garden design planning will reduce having to re-plan and replant at a later time. It will add to the curb appeal of your home and provide a place of comfort and joy.

Who Else Wants a Home Vegetable Garden

Admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:51:21 +0000

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.

Indoor Gardening Tips – Nature At Home!

Admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:35:44 +0000

Bring nature into your living room and liven up the atmosphere by indulging in indoor gardening. It not only gives your interiors an aesthetic touch, but also works as a great relaxant. Who wouldn’t want to be in the company of beautiful plants and flowers after a long day at work.

They also function as natural air purifiers by ridding the atmosphere of unwanted carbon dioxide and turning it into life sustaining oxygen. Whatever choice you may have, be it tropical, exotic or common indoor plants, all of them add aesthetic value to a home and make it look more welcome and cozy.

Following are some useful indoor gardening tips to ensure that your indoor plants stay healthy and lively:

What food is to us, sunlight is to plants. Plants require from moderate to high levels of sunlight to survive. Every plant has it’s own diet levels for sunlight, thus, when shopping for indoor plants, you must look up the instructions to check how much sunlight the plant requires and what’s the best location to ensure they get their feed. Some may even need direct and bright sunlight and hence may need to be placed close to a south-facing window.

Plants that need low sunlight can be kept anywhere indoors as long as they get a minimal supply of natural light. They can also be kept near windows but with caution as too much light can burn them down, so a little distance should be maintained. Few varieties of plants that feed on low to medium levels of sunlight are Boston ferns, African Violets and Philodendrons.

Any list of indoor gardening tips will be incomplete if it doesn’t offer watering instructions. Indoor gardeners all over the world are accused of being too generous to the extent of killing the plants when it comes to watering. Like sunlight, every plant has its own watering requirements and should be subjected to no less or no more than that. Too much water can even rot some plants. A water gage will be a good investment to maintain a tab on the moisture levels of the soil, to keep it in synchronization with the plants requirements. Such gages are an economical means to balance the watering levels of different plants.

Another important indoor gardening tip is to always pay heed to the fertilizer requirements of the plants. For example, an indoor plant like African Violet, looks beautiful when bought afresh, however its leaves start yellowing over a period of time and eventually fall off. This is mainly due to the fact that many nursery owners use special fertilizers to catalyze the plants growth and make them look as much appealing as possible to the prospective customers. However, once bought, if they are not fertilized and taken care of in the same way, they die. Hence, you must ascertain each plants fertilizer needs at the time of purchase, so that you can take best care of them later.

It is always helpful to take professional advise from a plant specialist to know about your indoor plants fertilizer needs. Following all such indoor gardening tips dedicatedly will keep your garden lively and blooming.

Home Vegetable Garden Basics: Convenience

Admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:51:02 +0000

Many people think that the first criteria when picking the "best spot" for a home vegetable garden is good soil; however, although good soil is important, good soil is made, not found. You can rebuild the soil once the spot has been chosen. When you are choosing where you want your home vegetable garden patch to be, you must focus on its convenience and exposure.

Convenience means your home vegetable garden should be "close by" or as close to your house as possible. You may think that a difference of only a few hundred yards cannot be that significant; however, if you have to largely depend upon spare moments for working in and for watching the home vegetable garden, convenience will be much more important than you think.

Don't wait till you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass to gather those "vegetables of the day" to realize that "close access to your home vegetable garden" is important.

Another point to remember is that the "home vegetable garden patch" does not have to be set in an ugly spot in your backyard or hidden behind the barn or garage. If you carefully plan, plant, and care for your home vegetable garden, this little patch can end up not only producing very nourishing vegetables for you, but it can also end up being a most beautiful and harmonious part of your landscape. Thus having this home vegetable garden in close proximity to your house can lend a touch of comfortable homeliness that no shrubs, border, or flower beds can ever produce.

The next most important criteria when picking out your home vegetable garden spot which is to give you hours of joy and yield delicious vegetables all summer, or even for many years, is the exposure.

Pick out the "closest" spot or plot you can find where your home vegetable garden will slope a little to the south or east, will catch the sunshine early and hold it late, and will be, as much as possible, out of the direct path of the chilling north and northeast winds.

It's important to get seedlings growing as soon as possible and to keep them growing; therefore, if a building, or even an old fence, protects your home vegetable garden from the chilling north or northeast winds, your vegetables will be helped along wonderfully.

If this home vegetable garden patch is not already protected, a board fence or a hedge of some low-growing shrubs or young evergreens would be most helpful. The importance of having such a protection or shelter is greatly underestimated by the amateur.

To summarize, when you are choosing that "best spot" for your home vegetable garden, make sure you consider these basics: Find a spot which is convenient and close to your house and make sure your home vegetable garden is positioned so that it gets lots of sun and is somewhat protected from the elements.