* Herbs are great to plant in with the vegetable garden. These are a few that will do double duty. They will help keep the unwanted pests away. Because of the strong odors that they give off they work well in the flower garden as well as in the vegetable garden. Try these for pest control:
Chives, Garlic, Mint, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme. Alternate rows with these and the vegetables or plant here and there throughout the garden. They are great " pest away" plants.
*If you have a problem with peppers and tomato plants breaking off at the soil line, it is probably cutworms. Place a 2-inch-high aluminum foil collars around the plant stems. the foil needs to be 1 inch below the soil. Mulch with oak leaves to keep them at bay.
* To keep slugs at way, use a piece of old screen. Cut a slit into it with a round circle in the middle slide it around the plants stem. The slug does not like scratchy surface. Used sandpaper discs work the same way.
* Some pests do not like sunlight. To control the pests around your squash, cucumbers, and corn. Try adding aluminum foil as a mulch around them. This reflects light and pests are gone.
* This simple spray will help with pest control of the ones that walk, crawl, or fly in. This you can get from your own kitchen. The hotter the better. Mix 1 tablespoon of mustard in 1 quart of warm water, shake well until it is all mixed together. Lightly mist-spray it on your vegetable plants when you notice the problem.
These are a few ways to keep pests under control without the things that can harm us and the planet. If we work with nature it works with us. This way you know what is on your food. Nothing harmful. How much better for you is that?
copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
Showing posts with label vegetable garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetable garden. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Your Vegetable Garden And Why You Should Mulch
What are the benefits of mulching?
* Mulch is great for weed control for the vegetable garden. Less weeding is great any time, in any kind of garden.
* Mulch is a good way to conserve the moisture in the ground for the vegetable garden. Less watering but the plants thrive.
* Mulch keeps the soil cool when the weather is hot, hot, hot. If the soil is cool so are the roots of the plants in the vegetable garden that are grown under that mulch.
* Mulch in the vegetable garden is a protection for those low growing plants like squash, beans, melons from getting dirty and water spotted.
* Mulch can give a longer season for vegetables like Okra, eggplant, and peppers.
* Mulch can add to the soil after the growing season is over by tilling it into the soil to add to the richness of the soil for the next growing season if it is organic such as grass clippings, leaves, bark chips, sawdust, peat moss, cedar chips, straw. You get the point. Great for next time you plant your vegetable garden.
* Mulch keeps your plants from wilting in your vegetable garden. It keeps the moisture in the ground, not drying out.
The best time to mulch is after a good rain storm. You want moisture in the ground before putting down the mulch. Do it before the weather gets really hot.
Different kinds of mulch are:
* Grass clippings
* Leaves ( fall)
* Newspapers ( if it is used in the vegetable garden, do not use pages that have the colored ink. It adds things to the food that you do not want, but the zinc in the ink will help prevent weeds.)
Put down 3 alternating layers of single newspaper sheets, add 3 inches of grass clippings on top of that. This keeps the paper in place.
* If you put a layer of cedar chips down first then any of the other mulching material on top of that. The cedar chips will keep the bugs away. Just like in the closet.
* Pear moss
* Bark mulch
* Sawdust
* Black plastic is great for weed control. It is also great for keeping the moister in the ground.
It can go under any of these other mulches. This one is not the best for tilling into the soil after the growing season is over. Place it on the row that you are planting, cut an x for the area that the plant will be placed. This help with the weeds and moisture in the soil.
* If you have a paper shredder and you want a place to put it. The garden is a great place. It also becomes mulch just like the newspaper does.
* Cardboard great for pathways
* Pine needles for plants that like a bit of acid like rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries.
Most of these things do not cost you money. You already have most of them in without paying a dime for them.
Mulch is also great for protecting tender plants from the hard winters storms and wind.
copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
* Mulch is great for weed control for the vegetable garden. Less weeding is great any time, in any kind of garden.
* Mulch is a good way to conserve the moisture in the ground for the vegetable garden. Less watering but the plants thrive.
* Mulch keeps the soil cool when the weather is hot, hot, hot. If the soil is cool so are the roots of the plants in the vegetable garden that are grown under that mulch.
* Mulch in the vegetable garden is a protection for those low growing plants like squash, beans, melons from getting dirty and water spotted.
* Mulch can give a longer season for vegetables like Okra, eggplant, and peppers.
* Mulch can add to the soil after the growing season is over by tilling it into the soil to add to the richness of the soil for the next growing season if it is organic such as grass clippings, leaves, bark chips, sawdust, peat moss, cedar chips, straw. You get the point. Great for next time you plant your vegetable garden.
* Mulch keeps your plants from wilting in your vegetable garden. It keeps the moisture in the ground, not drying out.
The best time to mulch is after a good rain storm. You want moisture in the ground before putting down the mulch. Do it before the weather gets really hot.
Different kinds of mulch are:
* Grass clippings
* Leaves ( fall)
* Newspapers ( if it is used in the vegetable garden, do not use pages that have the colored ink. It adds things to the food that you do not want, but the zinc in the ink will help prevent weeds.)
Put down 3 alternating layers of single newspaper sheets, add 3 inches of grass clippings on top of that. This keeps the paper in place.
* If you put a layer of cedar chips down first then any of the other mulching material on top of that. The cedar chips will keep the bugs away. Just like in the closet.
* Pear moss
* Bark mulch
* Sawdust
* Black plastic is great for weed control. It is also great for keeping the moister in the ground.
It can go under any of these other mulches. This one is not the best for tilling into the soil after the growing season is over. Place it on the row that you are planting, cut an x for the area that the plant will be placed. This help with the weeds and moisture in the soil.
* If you have a paper shredder and you want a place to put it. The garden is a great place. It also becomes mulch just like the newspaper does.
* Cardboard great for pathways
* Pine needles for plants that like a bit of acid like rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries.
Most of these things do not cost you money. You already have most of them in without paying a dime for them.
Mulch is also great for protecting tender plants from the hard winters storms and wind.
copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
Seeds, Seeds, And More Seeds For The Vegetable Garden
If you are starting your vegetable garden from seed, then there are some things that you need to know about seeds. If you have seeds left from last year, they should have been stored in a cool dry place. Plant them a little thicker then you normally do to make sure that you have a good harvest. The plant can always be thinned out after they start growing.
Some vegetable seeds live longer than others Her is a look at the longevity of some popular fruit and vegetable seeds.
Short-lived (usually not good after 1-2 years)
* Leek, onion, parsley, parsnips, sweet corn.
Moderately long lives ( good 3-5 years under good conditions)
* Asparagus, bean, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, cress, endive, kale, kohlrabi,lettuce, okra, peas, pepper, radish, spinach, turnips, watermelon.
Long-lived (good more than 5 years under good conditions)
Beet, cucumber, muskmelon, mustard, tomato.
If your have started plants from seed. It is best to transplant them after they have 4 or more leaves, so that they can withstand the shock of being moved.
When planning your garden it is a good idea to have 3 different areas.
* Plant perennial crops, such as asparagus, artichokes, and herbs, in a separate area so they won't get in the way when you're cultivating annual crops or plowing up the garden in spring and fall.
* Grow plants together according to the time that it takes for them to reach maturity. For fast growing vegetables such as: radishes, turnip greens, mustard, spinach, leaf and bibb lettuce, and green onions. Have them all in one area.
* Slower growing vegetables in another area such as: peas, beets carrots, Swiss chard, kale, head lettuce, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bulb onions, and early potatoes. You can harvest one without bothering the other group.
It is always a good idea to place a marker as to what you planted in the different locations. If you use the seed package that you emptied, it shows what they look like when they first come up so that you know them from weeds.
copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
Some vegetable seeds live longer than others Her is a look at the longevity of some popular fruit and vegetable seeds.
Short-lived (usually not good after 1-2 years)
* Leek, onion, parsley, parsnips, sweet corn.
Moderately long lives ( good 3-5 years under good conditions)
* Asparagus, bean, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, cress, endive, kale, kohlrabi,lettuce, okra, peas, pepper, radish, spinach, turnips, watermelon.
Long-lived (good more than 5 years under good conditions)
Beet, cucumber, muskmelon, mustard, tomato.
If your have started plants from seed. It is best to transplant them after they have 4 or more leaves, so that they can withstand the shock of being moved.
When planning your garden it is a good idea to have 3 different areas.
* Plant perennial crops, such as asparagus, artichokes, and herbs, in a separate area so they won't get in the way when you're cultivating annual crops or plowing up the garden in spring and fall.
* Grow plants together according to the time that it takes for them to reach maturity. For fast growing vegetables such as: radishes, turnip greens, mustard, spinach, leaf and bibb lettuce, and green onions. Have them all in one area.
* Slower growing vegetables in another area such as: peas, beets carrots, Swiss chard, kale, head lettuce, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bulb onions, and early potatoes. You can harvest one without bothering the other group.
It is always a good idea to place a marker as to what you planted in the different locations. If you use the seed package that you emptied, it shows what they look like when they first come up so that you know them from weeds.
copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Vegetable Gardens A nd The Friends That Help Each Other The Most
This might not be what you think when you read the title of this post. We are talking about planing out your vegetable garden. Those plants that play nice together and those that do not. We are talking today about the ones that play nice together. They are good friends they like to be near each other.
By planting certain flowers, herbs, and vegetables together, you create the conditions each needs to grow and thrive. Companion plants help each other out by supplying nutrients the others need, or by warding off insects. Plant the following "friends" side by side in your garden and watch the results. Vegetables and the companions that they enjoy:
* Asparagus enjoys being with Tomatoes
* Beans enjoys being with Beats, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, and potatoes
* Beets enjoys being with Beans, kohlrabi, onions
* Cabbage enjoys being with Chamomile, dill, mints, potatoes, rosemary, and sage
* Carrots enjoys being with Chives, leeks, lettuce
* Cauliflower enjoys being with Celery
* Celery enjoys being with Cauliflower, leeks, tomatoes
* Corn enjoys being with Beans, cucumbers, melons, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, squash
* Cucumbers enjoy being with Cabbages, potatoes, radishes
* Eggplant enjoys being with Green beans
* Kohlrabi enjoys being with Beets, onions
* Leeks enjoys being with Carrots, lettuce, radishes, strawberries
* Lettuce enjoys being with Carrots, radishes, strawberries
* Onions enjoys being with Beets
* Peas enjoy being with Beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radishes, turnips
* Potatoes enjoys being with Beans, cabbages, corn
* Pumpkins enjoys being with Corn
* Radishes enjoys being with Chervil, cucumbers, lettuce, peas
* Spinach enjoys being with Strawberries
* Tomatoes enjoys being with Asparagus, celery, marigolds, and parsley
This is a great way to lower the cost of your food bill this year. This will help you plan out the plant that should be next to each other. This is a good time to be thinking about the vegetable garden. Even if you have just a small space to grow plants. Use it to the best advantage, your dinner table. It can feed you now and into the winter by canning what you do not use now. Enjoy the harvest.
Do not be afraid of sharing with your friends the harvest that you bring in. It helps those in need as well, share it with the food banks they always need the help.
Copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
By planting certain flowers, herbs, and vegetables together, you create the conditions each needs to grow and thrive. Companion plants help each other out by supplying nutrients the others need, or by warding off insects. Plant the following "friends" side by side in your garden and watch the results. Vegetables and the companions that they enjoy:
* Asparagus enjoys being with Tomatoes
* Beans enjoys being with Beats, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, and potatoes
* Beets enjoys being with Beans, kohlrabi, onions
* Cabbage enjoys being with Chamomile, dill, mints, potatoes, rosemary, and sage
* Carrots enjoys being with Chives, leeks, lettuce
* Cauliflower enjoys being with Celery
* Celery enjoys being with Cauliflower, leeks, tomatoes
* Corn enjoys being with Beans, cucumbers, melons, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, squash
* Cucumbers enjoy being with Cabbages, potatoes, radishes
* Eggplant enjoys being with Green beans
* Kohlrabi enjoys being with Beets, onions
* Leeks enjoys being with Carrots, lettuce, radishes, strawberries
* Lettuce enjoys being with Carrots, radishes, strawberries
* Onions enjoys being with Beets
* Peas enjoy being with Beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radishes, turnips
* Potatoes enjoys being with Beans, cabbages, corn
* Pumpkins enjoys being with Corn
* Radishes enjoys being with Chervil, cucumbers, lettuce, peas
* Spinach enjoys being with Strawberries
* Tomatoes enjoys being with Asparagus, celery, marigolds, and parsley
This is a great way to lower the cost of your food bill this year. This will help you plan out the plant that should be next to each other. This is a good time to be thinking about the vegetable garden. Even if you have just a small space to grow plants. Use it to the best advantage, your dinner table. It can feed you now and into the winter by canning what you do not use now. Enjoy the harvest.
Do not be afraid of sharing with your friends the harvest that you bring in. It helps those in need as well, share it with the food banks they always need the help.
Copyright Dan and Deanna Finlinson "Marketing Unscrambled"
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