I haven't been writing my blog for over a month. I have missed it also. My youngest black lab has been so ill, we have been in a draught and the diminished produce because of the cool spring and early summer, the hot hot rest of summer, no rain for way over a month, is now keeping me very busy harvesting and preserving the vegetables that made it through all this.
WE have also had a huge infestation of the yellow jacket wasps and the queen bee nest is hidden in the straw where my potatoes are planted. Difficult to walk in the garden without getting multiple stings. But my squash is big and beautiful and for a change I did get lots of green beans this year, one of my most favorite vegetables.
This gardening season has been a challenge and a joy all wrapped up in one. The draught has been the most difficult because even with regular watering the plants have become stressed and not as fruitful. I have noticed that where I have not had pests in my garden all summer, that with the draught and plants become stressed, the square vine bore bugs, tons of grasshoppers, the wasps and the tomato blight have just sored in the last 2-3 weeks.
We truly just need to practice the best gardening techniques and leave the rest to nature. Next year I say, there are some things I will do differently. Gardening is scientific, creative and intuitive and it is important to use all three skills and then let go and enjoy and learn.
So for now, I may not blog a lot till late winter next year. Have a great rest of the year. Maggie
Friday, September 13, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
FALL IS IN THE AIR ALREADY!
Cool spring, hot summer for a period of time and here it is almost the middle of August and harvest time. It feels like fall already. The weather is cool, the vegetables are harvesting and leaves are turning brown on some of the vegetables. Our weather is so unpredictable.
I miss the creative, planning, dreaming of the vegetables time of gardening. Though I do appreciate the entire process I particularly love creating what and where to plant my favorite mouth-watering vegetables. There is a little tiny bit of sadness creeping into my soul knowing that in about a month I will be doing garden clean-up and preparing for the winter months. For a short period of time there will not be an active "garden time". And then again right after the first of this next year, gardening begins again with evaluating last years vegetable gardens and designing the new; ordering seed catalogs and starting to plan the growing of the new seedlings. It is all a part of the process and experience of vegetable gardening. It is a renewable circle of creation!!! It is not a linear experience.
Don't forget to plant your garlic this fall!!!
I miss the creative, planning, dreaming of the vegetables time of gardening. Though I do appreciate the entire process I particularly love creating what and where to plant my favorite mouth-watering vegetables. There is a little tiny bit of sadness creeping into my soul knowing that in about a month I will be doing garden clean-up and preparing for the winter months. For a short period of time there will not be an active "garden time". And then again right after the first of this next year, gardening begins again with evaluating last years vegetable gardens and designing the new; ordering seed catalogs and starting to plan the growing of the new seedlings. It is all a part of the process and experience of vegetable gardening. It is a renewable circle of creation!!! It is not a linear experience.
Don't forget to plant your garlic this fall!!!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
CONTINUING THE MID-SUMMER VEGETABLE GARDEN EVALUATION
CONTINUING ON WITH A MID-SUMMER GARDEN EVALUATION..........
In evaluating my garden, I believe it is important to factor in all the moisture we got this spring and early summer and the above normal high temperatures throughout July. So, I am going to be kind to myself as I continue the evaluation.
We covered the FAVA BEANS, CABBAGE and ZUCCHINI so lets talk about the hot and green peppers, and green beans. Last year the rabbits ate my green beans so this year I put rabbit fence around it's growing area and also planted two short rows on the north side of the raised gardens bed (climbing beans with a trellis). The rabbits have not eaten the beans this year. Lots of blossoms on both the bush and climbing beans, leaves look really healthy and large. One thing I would change is to put more space between the row of the bush green beans and the climbing beans so that there is more air flow...an important and key factor in good healthy plants and produce. So, my mouth is watering thinking that I will really get green beans this year as I love them in my diet. Just a note about green beans, fertilize the soil with compost initially and the beans usually do not need a lot of nitrogen because they produce nitrogen nodules for self-feeding at the base of their roots. If they receive too much nitrogen they end up with lots of green leaves and reduced green beans.
Pole beans at 96 degree F on 7/18
Update: rabbits got under the rabbit fence and ate a lot of my green bean blossoms. Nail it down well at the bottom of the fence and use blocks of wood to block any entry in any part....I hope. Found two beans which I ate. So, I did get some beans.
My peppers took a long time to show much growth in height and also blossoms this year. Peppers are a warm weather plant and need 8-10 hours of full sun. It was so cool this early summer that I believe that is what caused such a slow growth initially...now they are a "cooken", getting tall with lots of blossoms and some ripe fruit on them. Will need to stake some of them today. They really don't mind being planted fairly close together...kind of a "community centered" plant :)!! And if planted close together, it helps to keep pests down. I planted some hot peppers but mostly the sweet peppers. A note: my organic gardening book states that all parts of the pepper plant are poisonous except for the fruit....first I have read this. Also if the temperature outside (F) rises above 95 degrees F, sprinkle plants with water in the afternoon to prevent blossom drop (The Gardeners A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food). Peppers like to be fertilized upon planting and then side dressing with compost at blossom time and then 3 weeks later. If they have trouble fruiting, you can spray the leaves with a weak epsom salt mixture to promote fruiting. Be sure to keep them watered well. I would have to say that this is the best year I have had for growing peoppers.
In evaluating my garden, I believe it is important to factor in all the moisture we got this spring and early summer and the above normal high temperatures throughout July. So, I am going to be kind to myself as I continue the evaluation.
We covered the FAVA BEANS, CABBAGE and ZUCCHINI so lets talk about the hot and green peppers, and green beans. Last year the rabbits ate my green beans so this year I put rabbit fence around it's growing area and also planted two short rows on the north side of the raised gardens bed (climbing beans with a trellis). The rabbits have not eaten the beans this year. Lots of blossoms on both the bush and climbing beans, leaves look really healthy and large. One thing I would change is to put more space between the row of the bush green beans and the climbing beans so that there is more air flow...an important and key factor in good healthy plants and produce. So, my mouth is watering thinking that I will really get green beans this year as I love them in my diet. Just a note about green beans, fertilize the soil with compost initially and the beans usually do not need a lot of nitrogen because they produce nitrogen nodules for self-feeding at the base of their roots. If they receive too much nitrogen they end up with lots of green leaves and reduced green beans.
Pole beans at 96 degree F on 7/18
Update: rabbits got under the rabbit fence and ate a lot of my green bean blossoms. Nail it down well at the bottom of the fence and use blocks of wood to block any entry in any part....I hope. Found two beans which I ate. So, I did get some beans.
My peppers took a long time to show much growth in height and also blossoms this year. Peppers are a warm weather plant and need 8-10 hours of full sun. It was so cool this early summer that I believe that is what caused such a slow growth initially...now they are a "cooken", getting tall with lots of blossoms and some ripe fruit on them. Will need to stake some of them today. They really don't mind being planted fairly close together...kind of a "community centered" plant :)!! And if planted close together, it helps to keep pests down. I planted some hot peppers but mostly the sweet peppers. A note: my organic gardening book states that all parts of the pepper plant are poisonous except for the fruit....first I have read this. Also if the temperature outside (F) rises above 95 degrees F, sprinkle plants with water in the afternoon to prevent blossom drop (The Gardeners A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food). Peppers like to be fertilized upon planting and then side dressing with compost at blossom time and then 3 weeks later. If they have trouble fruiting, you can spray the leaves with a weak epsom salt mixture to promote fruiting. Be sure to keep them watered well. I would have to say that this is the best year I have had for growing peoppers.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
EVALUATION OF POTTING SOIL VERSUS HALF SOIL HALF COMPOST FOR CONTAINER VEGETABLES
Today I want to talk about healthy soil medium especially for container planting. I am the "soil girl" and have a great affinity to the science of soil and soil medium. I also believe in experimenting and allowing my creativity and intuition to guide me along with scientific information.
I have been researching soil medium for container vegetables especially. Almost all information suggests using potting soil as the soil medium, add a little Osmocote perhaps and you will have great results. So, I used the potting soil with the Osmocote for my cabbage and zucchini plants along with my tomatoes this year. Container vegetable success is not only related to a well draining, light, organic mixture but also to the type of roots: short, long, vertical, etc. Roots, I believe are key to success with container gardening...how deep to they grow; how long are they; do they expand down or horizontally,etc. I am finding that if roots are long such as with the zucchini, they grow poorly in containers. Tomatoes also have relatively long roots and so container gardening for the larger plants isn't the best choice.
So, here is what happened for me: the zucchini "puttered out" in containers and gave me one zucchini that grew to about six inches and stayed there for over a month. All other zucchini plants in containers died even with side-dressing with compost several times. We had a lot of rain this spring so these plants got the water they needed through rain or manual watering. My tomatoes are not growing the abundance of leaves that they usually do when in the ground and I still am getting the blight that I get every year with soil planting of tomatoes even with compost side-dressing. Time to evaluate if potting soil is appropriate for "heavy feeders" with some of the vegetables.
One of my conclusions is that there is not enough nutrition in the potting soil with 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost and 1/3 vermiculite which is recommended for container planting. Next year I am going back to my 1/2 soil and 1/2 compost with side dressing every two weeks as was done last few years. There is such a marked difference between my container vegetable plants this year and last year. Good to experiment but think I'll go back to a soil medium heavier on the nutrition and compost side.
I have been researching soil medium for container vegetables especially. Almost all information suggests using potting soil as the soil medium, add a little Osmocote perhaps and you will have great results. So, I used the potting soil with the Osmocote for my cabbage and zucchini plants along with my tomatoes this year. Container vegetable success is not only related to a well draining, light, organic mixture but also to the type of roots: short, long, vertical, etc. Roots, I believe are key to success with container gardening...how deep to they grow; how long are they; do they expand down or horizontally,etc. I am finding that if roots are long such as with the zucchini, they grow poorly in containers. Tomatoes also have relatively long roots and so container gardening for the larger plants isn't the best choice.
So, here is what happened for me: the zucchini "puttered out" in containers and gave me one zucchini that grew to about six inches and stayed there for over a month. All other zucchini plants in containers died even with side-dressing with compost several times. We had a lot of rain this spring so these plants got the water they needed through rain or manual watering. My tomatoes are not growing the abundance of leaves that they usually do when in the ground and I still am getting the blight that I get every year with soil planting of tomatoes even with compost side-dressing. Time to evaluate if potting soil is appropriate for "heavy feeders" with some of the vegetables.
One of my conclusions is that there is not enough nutrition in the potting soil with 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost and 1/3 vermiculite which is recommended for container planting. Next year I am going back to my 1/2 soil and 1/2 compost with side dressing every two weeks as was done last few years. There is such a marked difference between my container vegetable plants this year and last year. Good to experiment but think I'll go back to a soil medium heavier on the nutrition and compost side.
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Monday, July 22, 2013
THE GARDENER ENJOYING HER ASIAN LILIES, YARROW AND OTHER FLOWER GARDENS...NECTAR FOR THE BEES AND BUTTERFLIES
The gardener herself!
Besides the vegetable gardens, Maggie has an array of flower gardens. Just because she enjoys the beauty of flowers and also to support the bees and butterflies to assist in pollination of her vegetables. Enjoy.!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ON-SITE GARDENING CONSULTATIONS
I have met so many people that say "I would love to start my own vegetable gardens in my backyard but I just don't know where to start. I get so confused by all the literature that is out there and I just don't have time to figure it all out." Well, to all of you who feel this way, please know that help is available. Help that can introduce you to the "process" of gardening in simple, scientific and fun ways and you can have that vibrant, healthy backyard vegetable/herb garden. And for those of you that have your gardens but just need a little help to make your gardens better, we are there for you also. We also provide services for any business that deciding to help their employees and themselves develop healthier choices in food and believe a garden on site would help meet that goal.
We provide a unique service in that we come to you and your potential or present garden site and help you assess what you want in a vegetable garden. The following are some of the services we provide on a consultation and with educational materials:
We provide a unique service in that we come to you and your potential or present garden site and help you assess what you want in a vegetable garden. The following are some of the services we provide on a consultation and with educational materials:
- Consultation visit at the site of the potential garden(s) or present gardening site for individuals, families and businesses
- Evaluation of soil and soil amendment/nutritional needs. Soil preparation for planting of vegetables/herb. Soil testing if necessary Recommendations for resources, such as where to get containers, raised garden beds, straw for straw bale gardening, soil and compost, educational resource information related to the garden project
- Assessment of sunlight and on-going water needs along with best watering approaches
- Assistance in choosing plant and seeds for garden if requested; fertilization needs throughout the growing season
- And more based on your individual needs and requests
- Documentation by consultant in writing (by email and/or mail) of recommendations and outcome of the consultation
We work with container gardening, soil gardening, vertical gardening, straw bale gardening, raised garden bed gardening and any combinations. Gardening is a process from seed and plant selection to harvesting, garden cleanup and enjoying the produce of your successful gardening. Once you have some success you will continue to make time and room in your life for this healthy alternative to processed foods.
Invite your children to participate in both the consultation and creation of your gardens. When you can start educating your children when they are very young, then they will make better and healthier choices about what food means and what kind of food they want in their lives. My bet would be that they would choose the healthy, vibrant, tasteful home grown vegetables and herbs that you introduced them to when they were young. Thanks mom and dad!!
We have a strong commitment to help individuals become more empowered in their food choices and become even more educated in the nutritional values of food grown organically. As a result we offer another unique service... we provide here on our blog nutritional values for each vegetable. Not just the usual listings of protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, etc. but how to incorporate these very nutritious foods into your diet and how they affect and assist in good health for your body in everyday life. Presented in ways that make sense to everyone.
GARDEN UPDATES...WHAT IS GROWING WELL AND WHAT IS NOT GROWING QUITE SO WELL
As it is about half way through the growing season, it is time to evaluate how everything is growing. What is working and what is not working as well as expected. What problems were encountered and possible reasons why and possible solutions to the problem, etc.
I planted fava beans for the first time....a dried large bean good in soups, stir fries and other hot dishes. I had no idea what to expect. They have large bean pods growing on them almost showing up over night! A great success!
The last few years I have planted the zucchini in my garden soil, however the squash vine bore killed my plants before I could harvest the full capacity of the plants. This year I tried planting two zucchini in container plants and they have done poorly. The zucchini has long, deep roots and needs a very large container with big drain holes on the bottom and my containers may not have been big enough. I believe the roots were compressed not allowing for good growth. I then planted six zucchini plants in my garden soil. What the heck I said. Lets see what happens with the squash vine bore. So far the zucchini in the soil looks great without the squash vine bore showing up. We'll see. I will watch closely.
I planted fava beans for the first time....a dried large bean good in soups, stir fries and other hot dishes. I had no idea what to expect. They have large bean pods growing on them almost showing up over night! A great success!
I grew cabbage in containers again this year along with some in the soil. The containers have been used for the 3rd year because the gophers have eaten the roots and I have lost a lot of cabbage in the process. Last year the cabbage were big and beautiful. I used 1/2 compost and 1/2 garden soil along with side dressing them with compost every two to three weeks.
This year the cabbage in most all the containers are small with brownish to lightly purplish lower levels (a sign of phosphorus deficiency. The cabbage planted in the raised beds look great, vital, large and no gopher damage this year. There was so much rain that I do believe that the nutrition added to the containers was quickly washed away and that the cabbage in containers needed lots more composting or a good 20-20-20 fertilizer every 2 weeks or after rain. I also used potting soil in the cabbage containers this year and do question if it would be better to have 1/3 potting soil/1/3 garden soil/1/3 compost for containers next year. The raised beds where the cabbage was grown in soil had compost from my garden compost pile added to the top of the soil, about one inch in depth with the straw that was left on the top of the raised beds from last year tilled in, making for a great organic soil.
The last few years I have planted the zucchini in my garden soil, however the squash vine bore killed my plants before I could harvest the full capacity of the plants. This year I tried planting two zucchini in container plants and they have done poorly. The zucchini has long, deep roots and needs a very large container with big drain holes on the bottom and my containers may not have been big enough. I believe the roots were compressed not allowing for good growth. I then planted six zucchini plants in my garden soil. What the heck I said. Lets see what happens with the squash vine bore. So far the zucchini in the soil looks great without the squash vine bore showing up. We'll see. I will watch closely.
Stay tuned for more garden evaluations. Enough for today. To be continued...............................
CUCUMBERS AN ALL AMERICAN VEGETABLE SO LOVED BY MANY
Ah, the cucumber, especially the slicers! This is what our household waits for more than any other fruit/vegetable other than the tomatoes. This warm weather vegetable is a member of the Gourd Family...sounds strange to me but that is what the science says. Cucumbers originated in India, believe it or not. How they got here in Minnesota I will never know. Goes to show that we are all connected and our world is very diverse.
Cucumbers need to be planted when the soil and environment is warm, otherwise the plant freezes easily with any frost or light freezing. Last year, my squash overgrew into my cucumbers and I just didn't get any cucumbers so I decided to plant a mid summer crop. Just when they were flowering we had a freeze, albeit a light freeze, and they all died. So.....remember to plant early in summer when the weather is warm.
An interesting fact about cucumbers is that most of them produce both male and female flowers and require pollination by bees. My cucumber plants from seeds and from plants were slow to grow and even flower. This year, I am not seeing very many bees so that may have been a factor in their bearing their fruit.
In our family we prefer the slicers and eat in salads and even in plain ole "cucumber" sandwiches with miracle whip! Yummy. Often I'll add radishes and tomatoes in my sandwich from the garden. Best sandwich ever!
Second favorite is "vinegar cucumbers" with a few onions...slice the cucumbers, add diced onions or not, fill the jar up with vinegar, let them sit on the counter top for a few days or so and they are great!
Cucumbers are "heavy feeders" and require a good dose of compost mixed in with the soil before planting and need a "side dressing" of fertilizer every 2-3 weeks. They also need lots of water during the fruit bear period, then you can cut back to the one inch per week of watering. I also always plant my seeds or seedlings in hills of 2-3 plants and try to plant next to a wire fence or my tornado fence as cucumbers are climbers. Helps create good air flow around the plants as they grow up.
We used to plant "picklers", smaller cucumbers and canned them as pickles. As my household is a household of two, pickles just didn't get eaten and I usually gave the pickles away as gift. I stopped planting cucumbers for pickling. My children loved them when they were young, many a moon ago.
Though mouth watering in a salad or a sandwich, cucumbers are not a nutritious vegetable. They are 95% water and low in calories and have a small amount of Vitamin C, folate and potassium. Regardless, enjoy.
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| Cucumber flower |
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
BOK CHOY...A FLAVORFUL ASIAN VEGETABLE
Another of my new vegetables to try this year is "Bok Choy" or "Chinese cabbage", a member of the mustard family and a favorite asian vegetable for many who like stir fries. I was manning a booth at the farmer's market and one of the vendors was selling Bok Choy seedlings or what appeared as almost mature plants. She had them on sale so I thought I would try them. I planted them in part shade next to my broccoli in well-drained rich soil and they soon were growing quite tall and were healthy and vibrant looking. Be sure to water them one inch a week which includes any rain you may get in the week's time.
Now, Bok Choy is a cool weather plant that likes temperatures of 55 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit...
Well, does anyone remember here in Minnesota when we last had 55-70 degrees F during the day. Mostly our temperatures have been 80-96 degrees F over these last three to four weeks. Even so, the Bok Choy has grown rapidly and vibrantly however because of the heat they have "bolted" or flowered. Was able to stir fry two of the six plants but it was a little chewy. Intending to try juicing the remaining four plants and find out what taste it has. I learned that if it is hot outside watch out for "bolting" as they do not like hot weather. They are really a spring and fall plant. Best to harvest them when they are 12 to 18 inches high.
Bok Choy can be started from seed indoor or outdoors and can survive temperatures below 30 degrees F. Be sure to fertilize them after planting and they will do well. This vegetable can also be planted in containers from seed or seedlings and will do well. When in containers you have the options to move the container into the shade when the sun is really hot.
So, an experiment for me. Next growing season I will try the containers and plant earlier and plan on planting a fall crop.
Now, Bok Choy is a cool weather plant that likes temperatures of 55 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit...
Well, does anyone remember here in Minnesota when we last had 55-70 degrees F during the day. Mostly our temperatures have been 80-96 degrees F over these last three to four weeks. Even so, the Bok Choy has grown rapidly and vibrantly however because of the heat they have "bolted" or flowered. Was able to stir fry two of the six plants but it was a little chewy. Intending to try juicing the remaining four plants and find out what taste it has. I learned that if it is hot outside watch out for "bolting" as they do not like hot weather. They are really a spring and fall plant. Best to harvest them when they are 12 to 18 inches high.
Bok Choy can be started from seed indoor or outdoors and can survive temperatures below 30 degrees F. Be sure to fertilize them after planting and they will do well. This vegetable can also be planted in containers from seed or seedlings and will do well. When in containers you have the options to move the container into the shade when the sun is really hot.
So, an experiment for me. Next growing season I will try the containers and plant earlier and plan on planting a fall crop.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
CONTAINER GARDENING AND ITS SPECIAL GIFTS AND NEEDS
It is pouring rain out this morning and I had intended on getting out into my vegetable gardens and weed and fertilize plants as needed. I live in central Minnesota and it has been a very wet growing season...and my gardens are lush and beautiful in general. I live in an area where the soil is sandy which means that the minerals that make up the soil are large and water and nutrients flow quickly through the top soil, not holding on to needed nutrients needed by plants. Even so, last fall and again this spring I added compost and tilled under the old mulching straw from last year, adding good organic material to my sandy soil to improve the health of the soil and to slow down the loss of moisture and nutrients from rain. So, the reason I speak of this is that it is important to fertilize my vegetable plants more often as I know that the frequent rains will help to deplete the fertilizer and organic materials in the soil.
That said, this is especially true for container vegetables and herbs. Containers are a great addition to gardening and I started using them more intensely in my vegetable gardens three years ago when the gophers started eating the roots of most of my cabbages and the blight that destroyed my tomato plants were the norm. It takes about seven years to remove blight from a soil...but seven years to leave the soil dormant and allow it to heal itself so to speak. I wasn't willing to be without my juicy tomatoes and its wonderful flavor in so much of my cooking so I started to grow them in containers.
Container gardening is great to use for "small space" gardening, on balconies and even in large gardens. The soil composition is important because the roots of vegetables do not do well in heavy soil in such a small space. So, using a potting soil type medium is the best. It is lighter and will allow roots to move freely to find nutrition and water. Buidler's sand can be added to the potting soil to give the container some weight so it doesn't blow over with the wind.
So, for the last few years I have planted my cabbage and most of my tomatoes in large 10 gallon containers. They have done well but the blight still can affect my tomatoes due to all the rain and moisture that stays on the leaves. Tough situation but one to accept!! And it is important to know what each plant needs for room to spread out its roots. Some plants need more space than containers can provide. This year I decided to experiment with planting zucchini in containers as I have been loosing my plants to the squash vine bore bugs that eat the inside of my vines and lay their larvae...hard to manage effectively. Well, they are not growing well in the containers, some due to all the moisture this year from rain and fruit and blossoms have rotted, but their vitality is just not the same.
As I researched further, I found that zucchini can be planted as young seedlings and plants in 5 gallon containers and then as they begin to show their blossoms (they have both male and female blossoms), it is important to transfer them to 18-20 gallon containers as they have deep roots. They also need lots of moisture and excellent drainage in the container so it is crucial that there are large drainage holes in the bottom of the container. I have learned that my zucchini is not in the largest containers they need for root and nutrition health. Next year I will plant one in a large well-drained container.
It is important to monitor the health of the plant in containers to make sure that they have enough root room, are getting enough fertilizer and moisture. Most container plants need watering daily. When watering, first check the soil for moisture by sticking your index finger into the soil and if it is dry up to your second knuckle then water. When watering, water until the water comes out the bottom of the container. Be sure to mulch your plants to help maintain the moisture.
An observation of my cabbage container plants this last week is that there is leaf discoloration with paleness. Even though I used fish emulsion spray on the leaves and soil over a week ago, I need to do more fertilization quickly as they are lacking needed nutrition (too much rain washing nutrition out of the container soil). This time I will use compost, perhaps some chicken manure compost offered to me by my son. I know root health is good as cabbage have short roots.
So, container gardening is great to use and it is important to understand each plants needs for: root health; soil and fertilizer needs; what plants are appropriate for container growing. I will always use containers for many of my herbs and for my cabbage. Too many gophers to trap so cabbage in containers has worked for me.
That said, this is especially true for container vegetables and herbs. Containers are a great addition to gardening and I started using them more intensely in my vegetable gardens three years ago when the gophers started eating the roots of most of my cabbages and the blight that destroyed my tomato plants were the norm. It takes about seven years to remove blight from a soil...but seven years to leave the soil dormant and allow it to heal itself so to speak. I wasn't willing to be without my juicy tomatoes and its wonderful flavor in so much of my cooking so I started to grow them in containers.
Container gardening is great to use for "small space" gardening, on balconies and even in large gardens. The soil composition is important because the roots of vegetables do not do well in heavy soil in such a small space. So, using a potting soil type medium is the best. It is lighter and will allow roots to move freely to find nutrition and water. Buidler's sand can be added to the potting soil to give the container some weight so it doesn't blow over with the wind.
So, for the last few years I have planted my cabbage and most of my tomatoes in large 10 gallon containers. They have done well but the blight still can affect my tomatoes due to all the rain and moisture that stays on the leaves. Tough situation but one to accept!! And it is important to know what each plant needs for room to spread out its roots. Some plants need more space than containers can provide. This year I decided to experiment with planting zucchini in containers as I have been loosing my plants to the squash vine bore bugs that eat the inside of my vines and lay their larvae...hard to manage effectively. Well, they are not growing well in the containers, some due to all the moisture this year from rain and fruit and blossoms have rotted, but their vitality is just not the same.
As I researched further, I found that zucchini can be planted as young seedlings and plants in 5 gallon containers and then as they begin to show their blossoms (they have both male and female blossoms), it is important to transfer them to 18-20 gallon containers as they have deep roots. They also need lots of moisture and excellent drainage in the container so it is crucial that there are large drainage holes in the bottom of the container. I have learned that my zucchini is not in the largest containers they need for root and nutrition health. Next year I will plant one in a large well-drained container.
It is important to monitor the health of the plant in containers to make sure that they have enough root room, are getting enough fertilizer and moisture. Most container plants need watering daily. When watering, first check the soil for moisture by sticking your index finger into the soil and if it is dry up to your second knuckle then water. When watering, water until the water comes out the bottom of the container. Be sure to mulch your plants to help maintain the moisture.
An observation of my cabbage container plants this last week is that there is leaf discoloration with paleness. Even though I used fish emulsion spray on the leaves and soil over a week ago, I need to do more fertilization quickly as they are lacking needed nutrition (too much rain washing nutrition out of the container soil). This time I will use compost, perhaps some chicken manure compost offered to me by my son. I know root health is good as cabbage have short roots.
Monday, July 1, 2013
MAGICAL BEETS
Hello all you curious gardeners, it's Alex again and today I will be filling you in on the magical nutritional powers of beets.
As a child, we always sat down at the table for family dinners. Usually what you would see was four table settings, some sort of meat for protein, a starch probably in the form of potatoes or pasta, and a variety of vegetables. The classic minnesota "meat-and-potatoes-diet." My family has never been able to decide on just one vegetable. Mostly this was because of my father who liked very few, but he's gotten a lot better since my mother and him have started their own garden. Usually beets were not on me and my father's side of the table, but rather my mom and sister's side. I hated beets growing up and haven't been able to give them a second chance since I've moved out. Since I always encourage our readers to try new things, I'm going to make sure I give beets a second chance.
NUTRITION
Beets are jam-packed with some great nutrients.
1 Roasted beet contains:
Beets are also a great source of many other nutrients including folate, manganese, and potassium. What's great about beets and their great source of potassium is that potassium helps to decrease your heart rate and regulate metabolism. This is a great thing to keep in mind for your diet. It's not just what you eat that affects your health, it's your metabolism as well.
THE GREENS
Beleive it or not, the greens, or tops, of beets are good for you as well and contain nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
FOLATE
When you think of foods associated with high levels of folate, you may think of green and leafy vegetables. Actually, the beautiful red roots that we know as beets are a great source of folate, containing 37% of your daily value within 1 cup of raw beets. Folate is important for DNA synthesis and can help prevent neural tube defects in newborns.
* Although beets are a great source of folate, the amount may be decreased when cooked at high temperatures.
HEALTH BENEFITS - Heart Healthy!
Along with all the other wonderful nutrients found in beets, they also contain phytonutrients, which you may have heard me talk about before in my previous posts. These are the good guys, especially the ones found in beets: betalains. Betalains work as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying agent.
Betaine is also found in beets and is from the B-complex vitamin, choline. Choline helps our cardiovascular system by regulating inflammation and unwanted buildup of homocysteine. What's homocysteine you say? Homocysteine is an amino acid (What makes up proteins) that when found in high levels in the blood can lead to cardiovascular issues such as chronic heart disease, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. Betaine works to decrease your chances of unwanted cardiovascular problems by regulating homocysteine.
Even if I don't like beets, that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't try them if you haven't already! There are some really wonderful and healthy beet salads out there that are just waiting for you to try them!
RESOURCES
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&authuser=0&biw=1085&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=foQMtMMrDia-PM:&imgrefurl=http://www.nsgfarm2fork.com/beets.html&docid=lSN9MnxL_B5pRM&imgurl=http://thegardenguide.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5524801f388340147e1b7a240970b-800wi&w=800&h=531&ei=VX3LUbCzAsTqyQHv04GgBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=125&page=4&tbnh=154&tbnw=234&start=44&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:56,s:0,i:263&tx=176&ty=115
1 Roasted beet contains:
- 44 calories
- .2 g fat
- 77 mg sodium
- 10 g carbohydrates
- 2 g fiber
- 8 g sugar
- 1.7 g protein
- NO CHOLESTEROL!
Beets are also a great source of many other nutrients including folate, manganese, and potassium. What's great about beets and their great source of potassium is that potassium helps to decrease your heart rate and regulate metabolism. This is a great thing to keep in mind for your diet. It's not just what you eat that affects your health, it's your metabolism as well.
THE GREENS
Beleive it or not, the greens, or tops, of beets are good for you as well and contain nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
FOLATE
When you think of foods associated with high levels of folate, you may think of green and leafy vegetables. Actually, the beautiful red roots that we know as beets are a great source of folate, containing 37% of your daily value within 1 cup of raw beets. Folate is important for DNA synthesis and can help prevent neural tube defects in newborns.
* Although beets are a great source of folate, the amount may be decreased when cooked at high temperatures.
HEALTH BENEFITS - Heart Healthy!
Along with all the other wonderful nutrients found in beets, they also contain phytonutrients, which you may have heard me talk about before in my previous posts. These are the good guys, especially the ones found in beets: betalains. Betalains work as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying agent.
Betaine is also found in beets and is from the B-complex vitamin, choline. Choline helps our cardiovascular system by regulating inflammation and unwanted buildup of homocysteine. What's homocysteine you say? Homocysteine is an amino acid (What makes up proteins) that when found in high levels in the blood can lead to cardiovascular issues such as chronic heart disease, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. Betaine works to decrease your chances of unwanted cardiovascular problems by regulating homocysteine.
Even if I don't like beets, that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't try them if you haven't already! There are some really wonderful and healthy beet salads out there that are just waiting for you to try them!
RESOURCES
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&authuser=0&biw=1085&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=foQMtMMrDia-PM:&imgrefurl=http://www.nsgfarm2fork.com/beets.html&docid=lSN9MnxL_B5pRM&imgurl=http://thegardenguide.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5524801f388340147e1b7a240970b-800wi&w=800&h=531&ei=VX3LUbCzAsTqyQHv04GgBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=125&page=4&tbnh=154&tbnw=234&start=44&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:56,s:0,i:263&tx=176&ty=115
Sunday, June 30, 2013
GARDEN PESTS AND DISEASES
This is the time in our gardening season where those pesky pests can show and up and growing plants can get stressed with the hot weather, lack of water and you can see changes in the leaves. In other words it is time to be aware of plant and garden health.
Early each morning I take a walk through all my gardens, both vegetable and flowers, including my wild woodland gardens. I am one of those people that talks to plants and animals so if you were taking that walk with me you would hear my conversation. Basically, I take that walk to enjoy the plants, greet them, tell them how grateful I am for their presence in my gardens and sharing their vibrancy and great beauty.
My morning walk is also meant to check out:
When plants are stressed and sick looking, challenged and lack the nutrients they need that is when pests and disease can enter into your garden. When I practice good "garden maintenance", my plants are vibrant and healthy. So far this year I have not experienced any pest or disease issues. Often in the past, I have seen the white moths by now that lay their eggs on my cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower and turn into the pesky cabbage looper...but none so far this year. Because it has been so wet and humid, it is perfect for the fungal diseases....none so far.
So, remember, start your garden with good organic soil full of nutrition that plants need; plant plants that are disease resistant as much as possible and/or choose healthy looking plants or viable seeds from a seed company that you trust; and practice great garden maintenance on a daily basis and watch you garden turn into a lush, vibrant and productive experience. Enjoy.
Early each morning I take a walk through all my gardens, both vegetable and flowers, including my wild woodland gardens. I am one of those people that talks to plants and animals so if you were taking that walk with me you would hear my conversation. Basically, I take that walk to enjoy the plants, greet them, tell them how grateful I am for their presence in my gardens and sharing their vibrancy and great beauty.
My morning walk is also meant to check out:
- The vibrancy and health of my plants, including the fruit or product, the plant leaves, the stems and also at the soil level where a lot of pests can hide.
- Notice if the gophers have moved in yet and roots are eaten
- What do the leaves look like...are they green, growing, vibrant, yellowing, curling, browning? Do they have holes in them from chewing insects? It is important to check the undersides of plant leaves as that is where many lay their eggs/larvae
- Is the soil moist. I do a finger test and if the soil is dry up to my second knuckle then it is time to water.
- Is the watering system working as expected?
- Is there any fruit/produce that is ready to pick.
- Are my garden beds weedy? If so, I weed them as I do my "walk through"
When plants are stressed and sick looking, challenged and lack the nutrients they need that is when pests and disease can enter into your garden. When I practice good "garden maintenance", my plants are vibrant and healthy. So far this year I have not experienced any pest or disease issues. Often in the past, I have seen the white moths by now that lay their eggs on my cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower and turn into the pesky cabbage looper...but none so far this year. Because it has been so wet and humid, it is perfect for the fungal diseases....none so far.
So, remember, start your garden with good organic soil full of nutrition that plants need; plant plants that are disease resistant as much as possible and/or choose healthy looking plants or viable seeds from a seed company that you trust; and practice great garden maintenance on a daily basis and watch you garden turn into a lush, vibrant and productive experience. Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
To Mulch or Not to Mulch
In my earlier days gardening when I didn't have a lot of the knowledge of the science of gardening, I just planted plants and seeds in the ground every Memorial weekend. Didn't even know that some plants preferred cool weather let alone anything about mulching around plants.
Mulching is the placing of organic or inorganic materials around plants, avoiding the root zone, to help maintain soil temperature, prevent sunlight from reaching weed seeds in the soil minimizing or preventing weed seed germination. Ever notice how when you mulch around your plants the problem of weeds is greatly diminished? I have since I started mulching my vegetable gardens. Mulching also helps retain soil moisture, which, by the way, we needed little of this spring growing season. It rained almost everyday and the weather was quite cool. The soil was mostly wet and saturated at that time.
Mulching is great to do in the walk ways and pathways in the gardens also. Add about 2-3 inches of mulch to the area you are working with. It is especially important to mulch your container plants to prevent drying with winds and hot weather and because it is such a small area you need the mulch to help maintain moisture in the container even if you are watering them every day or every other day.
Mulch can be either inorganic, which is not made of "live" material and doesn't breakdown in the soil and doesn't help improve the soil as does organic material. These might be plastic, gravel, stones and landscape fabric. I have used black plastic for a number of years, but as I have grown in understanding of the science of gardening, I have switched to straw for my mulching. Some people use chopped leaves, grass clippings, compost, wood chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles or paper. I leave the straw on the soil over winter to protect the soil and in spring I till it in and it adds beautiful organic material to the soil. Add some compost and what fine soil I have for planting. Be aware though, that sawdust or wood chips can initially deplete the soil of nitrogen (an essential nutrient needed to create the green leaves of your plants) and then it neutralizes. You can get around this by adding nitrogen to the soil before putting down these materials.
If using black plastic you will need to dispose of it after each growing season. And you are adding more plastic to the landfills. Black plastic does not break down easily and takes years.
Mulching is the placing of organic or inorganic materials around plants, avoiding the root zone, to help maintain soil temperature, prevent sunlight from reaching weed seeds in the soil minimizing or preventing weed seed germination. Ever notice how when you mulch around your plants the problem of weeds is greatly diminished? I have since I started mulching my vegetable gardens. Mulching also helps retain soil moisture, which, by the way, we needed little of this spring growing season. It rained almost everyday and the weather was quite cool. The soil was mostly wet and saturated at that time.
Mulching is great to do in the walk ways and pathways in the gardens also. Add about 2-3 inches of mulch to the area you are working with. It is especially important to mulch your container plants to prevent drying with winds and hot weather and because it is such a small area you need the mulch to help maintain moisture in the container even if you are watering them every day or every other day.
Mulch can be either inorganic, which is not made of "live" material and doesn't breakdown in the soil and doesn't help improve the soil as does organic material. These might be plastic, gravel, stones and landscape fabric. I have used black plastic for a number of years, but as I have grown in understanding of the science of gardening, I have switched to straw for my mulching. Some people use chopped leaves, grass clippings, compost, wood chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles or paper. I leave the straw on the soil over winter to protect the soil and in spring I till it in and it adds beautiful organic material to the soil. Add some compost and what fine soil I have for planting. Be aware though, that sawdust or wood chips can initially deplete the soil of nitrogen (an essential nutrient needed to create the green leaves of your plants) and then it neutralizes. You can get around this by adding nitrogen to the soil before putting down these materials.
If using black plastic you will need to dispose of it after each growing season. And you are adding more plastic to the landfills. Black plastic does not break down easily and takes years.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Gardening is a creative and intuitive experience
Hi, Maggie here! How is everyone's garden doing? Everything planted now? For some of us we are still planting some of those warm weather plants. I am finally done as of today. My, the vegetables grew 2-3 inches overnight. We are on our way.
Gardening can be quite scientific. It is best to know the science behind gardening. It is good to know how to create healthy soil that has organic material in it so that the plants get the vitality they need. And then of course, we eat that vitality. So, all is good. It is important to know when to water, mulch, fertilize, what plants to choose to plant and when it is best to put them in the soil. It is always a good thing to know some of the basic garden pests and how to intervene...or not. All this was missing for me for many years. I used to laugh and tell people that I always garden intuitively and that it is a creative process. And it is however my vegetable gardens grew poorly after a while and I didn't understand why. So, I went back to school in a Horticulture program and to my great surprise found that there is truly a scientific part of successful gardening. Both intuition, creativity and science are all part of the gardening experience. Best to include all!
And intuitive creative gardening is a very important part of the process of gardening. Gardening brings out our knowingness..what works best, what grows well together, etc. Gardening also helps us get in touch with "mother earth" and all her blessings she shares with all life. Gardening helps us appreciate healthy food and our own health and well-being. Gardening is a time to smell the health of the soil and the vibrancy of living things. It is a time to trust our "gut" when making decisions in the garden. It is a time to slow down and listen to the animals, birds and the "sounds" of life growing...yes, there is a sound to things growing. Gardening gives us the opportunity to feel the joy of life and accomplishments; the gratitude for all we have and even perhaps the generosity to share some of our bounty.
Creativity and intuition are indeed a major part of gardening. So Stop and Listen not only to life around you but the life within you. Enjoy.
I am attaching some pictures of the gardens as of June 10, 2013. Hoping I get them uploaded all right. Lets see!
Gardening can be quite scientific. It is best to know the science behind gardening. It is good to know how to create healthy soil that has organic material in it so that the plants get the vitality they need. And then of course, we eat that vitality. So, all is good. It is important to know when to water, mulch, fertilize, what plants to choose to plant and when it is best to put them in the soil. It is always a good thing to know some of the basic garden pests and how to intervene...or not. All this was missing for me for many years. I used to laugh and tell people that I always garden intuitively and that it is a creative process. And it is however my vegetable gardens grew poorly after a while and I didn't understand why. So, I went back to school in a Horticulture program and to my great surprise found that there is truly a scientific part of successful gardening. Both intuition, creativity and science are all part of the gardening experience. Best to include all!
Creativity and intuition are indeed a major part of gardening. So Stop and Listen not only to life around you but the life within you. Enjoy.
I am attaching some pictures of the gardens as of June 10, 2013. Hoping I get them uploaded all right. Lets see!
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