Recent Articles

Growing Strawberries

Written By: Gloria on March 10, 2012

ezgardening.org

Growing strawberries in containers is one of the best options for people without a lot of space. Strawberries are very easy to grow and manage, even for someone who doesn’t have a green thumb. To order strawberry plants, check out Grower’s Solution. They have 4 varieties to choose from.

If you aren't sure what to grow your strawberries in, I suggest Smart Pots. They are made for container gardening. The Smart Pot is a soft-sided, aeration container, uniquely designed to improve the root structure of your plants enabling them to grow to their full potential. (www.smartpots.com/why-better)

“I had been thinking of the strawberry jars and "gro-bags" available and what a fine substitute the "Smart Pots" would make. The first season, I planted strawberries in one and a culinary herb garden in another. After filling the container with potting mix, I used a utility knife to cut "X's" in various locations in the "Smart Pots" walls. For my new "strawberry jar" I planted several strawberry plants on top and several others roughly spaced into the walls all around the pot. Later in the season, I would cut additional "X's" and place the new runner plants in the walls. The plants did wonderfully well and had plenty of fruit. The "Smart Pot" strawberries even survived a northeast winter after I buried them in the late fall under about 1 ½ to 2 feet of leaves.”
-Marty Gottlieb, former New York state Coop Ag Extension agent

There are just a few things you will need to know:

Strawberries like full sunlight, they need at least 6 hours of it for a decent flush of berries. Setting them outside during sunny days works well. If you are unable to get natural sunlight, there is always the option of setting up an area inside with a grow lamp. Or if you have window sill space that is east or south facing, you can grow them there.
Strawberries have shallow root systems so they will need to be watered often, but make sure not to over water.
Strawberries prefer a mild climate, temperatures usually ranging from 65-70 degrees. If the temperatures become too hot while your plants are outside, move them into the shade or bring them inside.
Strawberries do need some space to grow just like most plants, so keep this in mind when transplanting.

Check out Grower's Solution for Smart Pots. They have all different kinds of sizes. You should also check out Grower's NuMix potting soils and Grower's worm castings. Get growing!!

Posted in Growing Tips | Tagged growing in containers, smart pots, Strawberry plant | Leave a comment

Grow Your Own Asparagus

Written By: Gloria on February 24, 2012

momsinablog.com

Asparagus is a perennial that will produce for up to 15-20 years, so the location of your bed needs to be well planned out.

Prepare a permanent bed in full sun and in a well-drained area. Asparagus roots will not do well in waterlogged soil. They prefer soil with a pH of 6.5-7.5. The asparagus will grow out into tall ferns that can reach up to 5 feet at the end of the harvest in order to make food for the next season, so wide row spacing will be necessary for multiple rows. (At least 5 ft spacing from center to center. For smaller growing areas, 6 inches to 1 ft. apart.)

You can plant your asparagus crowns whenever your soil is ready, but I would recommend waiting until the soil has warmed up to at least 50 degrees F.

Dig a furrow or a trench no deeper than 6 inches and about 10 inches wide. Apply 1 to 2 lbs of compost or worm castings per 50 ft of row to the bottom of your trenches, to supply the crowns with a good source of phosphorus. Lay out your crowns with a 1.5 ft spacing between. The roots will grow regardless if they are touching, so they won't need to be spread out.

Once your crowns are planted, fill in your trenches so that the soil is back to its original level. It is not necessary to gradually fill in the trench, however, do not compact or firm the soil. This will greatly effect the emergence of the spears. In moist soils, you should have shoots come up within a week or two.

Normally, you will not harvest during the year you planted in. You will need to allow the spears to grow into ferns so they can make food for themselves for the following year. Do not cut down the fern growth at the end of the growing season, it should be left to overwinter. This protects the plant and the soil. If you should have spears with frost damage, you need to snap them off and discard them into your compost pile.

In the spring of the following year, you will need to remove the old fern growth by cutting it back 1-2 inches above the soil. Dead stalks are very sharp and will easily scrape the skin off your knuckles when you harvest new spears. Harvest spears when they are 7-9 inches long and have tight tips. You should be able to cut spears every 2 to 4 days during the second year. I recommend not cutting the spears off below the soil surface, you could inflict possible damage to the crown and the root system. Make sure you harvest all the spears that are ready to eat. Leaving them to 'fern out' will attract unwanted insects to lay eggs.

You should harvest in the morning when the air temperatures are still cool. Immersing the spears in ice cold water directly after harvesting will take the heat out and prolong storage because Asparagus is highly perishable. After the ice water treatment, store the spears in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator between 38-40 degrees F.

If you haven't purchased your Asparagus already, check out Grower's Solution and get growing!

I have listed a few known benefits to growing Asparagus…

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients
Digestive support
Heart healthy
Blood sugar regulator
Anti-cancer

Asparagus is an excellent source of anti-inflammatory vitamin K, heart-healthy folate, vitamin B1, vitamin C, and vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and bone-building copper. Asparagus is a very good source of energy-producing vitamin B2, and B3 as well as phosphorus; heart-healthy potassium, vitamin B6 and dietary fiber; antioxidant-promoting vitamin E and manganese; and muscle-building protein. (whfoods.com)

Posted in Growing Tips | Tagged Asparagus, benefits, growing, nutrition, perennial | Leave a comment

Water Jackets – Wall O’ Water

Written By: Gloria on February 22, 2012

Tomato season is quickly approaching and if you haven’t started your seeds, now is the time. If you are worried about looming frosts, you should invest in a Wall O’ Water season extender.

growerssolution.com

Using an extender will allow you to set out your plants up to a month earlier than your neighbors and will allow for an earlier harvest. The Wall O’ Water acts as a blanket, wrapped around your tomato plants, while the weather is still chilly. The water holds heat from the day’s sunlight and releases it at night to ensure maximum growth until temperatures reach optimum conditions.

The Wall O' Water can also be used with peppers and eggplants.

If you haven't purchased a Wall O' Water yet, check out Grower's Solution and get growing!

Posted in Growing Tips | Tagged Season extender, tomatoes, Wall O' Water, water jacket | Leave a comment

Using Cover Crops In the Garden

Written By: Gloria on February 20, 2012

sustainablepattie.com

Bare soil is like having a skinned knee and cover crops are like Band-Aids. Soil without any vegetative growth or some kind of cover is a waste to the garden.

Here are some good reasons to plant cover crops in your garden: They help prevent erosion by acting as a Velcro and holding the soil in place, the material that is turned under into the soil adds organic matter, and it also adds nutrients the plants need. With more materials being turned in, the numbers of microorganisms increase. They help control pests, diseases, and are great for weed suppression. And last but not least, they excel in attracting beneficial insects and nectar feeding birds to your garden.

bellewood-gardens.com

Planting cover crops is an easy and relatively stress-free way to ensure your garden is getting the nutrients it needs at the same time being protected from the harsh weather to come. Here are some varieties of cover crops you can use and their break-down:

Annual Ryegrass is easily established. The best time to sow seeds is between August and September. It does not overwinter. It is relatively easy to incorporate. It is highly likely for soil structure improvements. It is an overall easy crop to manage.
Winter Rye is easily established. The best time to sow seeds is between August and October. It does overwinter. It is low ease of incorporation. It has moderate soil structure improvements. It can grow at low levels of pH and in cooler temperatures.
Sweet Clover has a relatively low establishment rate. The best time to sow seeds is during the summer. It does overwinter. It is moderately easy to incorporate and it has moderate soil structure improvements. It grows better with high pH soils than other clovers.
White Clover has a relatively low establishment rate. The best time to sow seeds is during the summer. It does overwinter. It is easy to incorporate and has moderate soil structure improvements. It is good for soils with a lower pH and it needs to be inoculated before the seeds are sown.
Buckwheat is easily established. The best time to sow seeds is in the spring. It does not overwinter. It is easy to incorporate but has low soil structure improvements. Do not allow buckwheat to grow to maturity or reseeding will occur.
Barley is easily established. The best time to sow seeds is between August and October. It does over winter. It is relatively easy to incorporate and has a high soil structure improvement. It can grow in soils with pH between 5.0 and 8.3. It will not do well in waterlogged soil.

Incorporating your organic matter can be done a couple different ways, by using a hand tiller or spading forks. The less you disturb the soil while working in your cover crop, the better off your soil will be from the beginning.

finegardening.com

The organic matter you incorporate causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, permeability (infiltration of water through the soil) improves, in turn improving the soil's ability to take up and hold water. (http://noble.org/ag/soils/organicmatter/)

Posted in Growing Tips | Tagged cover crop, Garden, organic matter, soil | Leave a comment

Beneficial Insects

Written By: Gloria on February 17, 2012

cirrusimage.com

I have heard ‘if you build it, they will come’.(http://Finegardening.com) This is very true of attracting beneficial insects into your garden or greenhouse.

First, you need to determine what pests you have and which beneficials prey on them. Then, you will know what type of habitat to grow and maintain. This can easily be done with a magnifying glass and a bug identification book. Some of the more common pests include aphids, harlequin bugs (also known as stinkbugs), potato beetles, cabbage looper caterpillars/moths, squash bugs, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, cutworms, hornworms, and whiteflies. These insects fall into 3 categories: soil insects, sucking insects, and chewing insects.

Soil insects feed on seeds in the ground, flower and vegetable seedlings, and larger established crops. Some examples of soil insects include cutworms, slugs, and white grubs. Sucking insects suck the juice out of plants. A severely infected plant will become wilted, yellowed, deformed, or even die. Some examples of sucking insects include stinkbugs, aphids, mealybugs, and squash bugs. Chewing insects can cause the most damage to your garden. They chew on every part of the plant, including leaves, flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Some examples of chewing insects include cabbage looper caterpillar, slugs, aphids, grasshoppers, and hornworms. (http://beneficialinsects101.com)

en.wikipedia.org

Now that you know which pests you have lurking around in your garden, you can determine the best way to attract your beneficials. The more common beneficial insects include ladybugs (also known as lady beetles), green lacewings, assassin bugs, hover flies, centipedes, mantids, mealybug destroyers, and damsel bugs. Some of the best ways to attract beneficial insects are to plant a variety of insectary plants which will provide a supply of nutrients; because most Beneficial’s diets are not limited to other insects, a source of water, and shelter.Insectary plants include daisies, chamomile, clover, mints, mustards, buckwheat, and marigolds. A diversity of insectary plants can increase the population of beneficial insects so that levels can be sustained even when the insectary plants are removed or die off.

outsidepride.com

Companion planting is another way to control the pests. For a maximum benefit in the garden, insectary plants can be grown alongside desired garden plants that do not have this benefit. The insects attracted to the insectary plants will help the garden plants.

To maintain a suitable environment for survival and good performance, your beneficials will need a constant supply of food, shelter, and water. You can put water in a dish with pebbles or small stones and keep it in your garden or greenhouse. This allows the insects to drink, but not drown. Succession planting your insectary plants will provide the necessary shelter and also a food supply for the beneficials. If you put a little extra effort into it all, you can maintain year round. (http://thebeneficialinsectco.com)

Posted in Growing Tips | Tagged beneficial insects, Garden, greenhouse, insectary | Leave a comment

How to Attract Birds

Written By: Gloria on February 13, 2012

picturesclip.com

Birds are a wonder to watch from any window, but if you aren't providing the essentials, there won’t be any birds to watch. There are three things you can do to attract these winged creatures.

whatbird.com

Providing a food source is the first step in attracting birds. You can buy a bird feeder or you can make your own out of scrap materials. Feeders don’t need to be extravagant, but they do need to be accessible to the birds. There are 4 basic types of feeders: Hummingbird, platform, hanging, and suet.
For Hummingbirds, choose a feeder with red on it; this will be enough to attract the Hummingbirds. The solution for nectar is 1 part sugar, 4 parts water. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat. Add sugar; stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Do not use food colorings; it is not healthy for the birds. Platform feeders are stations set up for birds that scavenge around on the ground for seeds and other bits of food. Hanging feeders are for perching birds. Sunflower seeds and chips, thistle or nyjer, safflower, dried fruits and nuts are all wonderful items to put into hanging feeders. Suet feeders are a great choice for the insect eaters. An easy to make suet recipe consists of crunchy peanut butter, grape jelly, lard, a variety of seeds and cornmeal. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and then spoon the suet into your feeder. A small log with 2 inch holes and a hook for hanging or pine cones would work well.

Different birds enjoy different foods. Some of the types of food and corresponding birds are listed below: -- Sunflower seeds, sunflower kernels, cracked corn, dried and fresh fruits, such as orange halves, raisins, cut up apples, currants and other berries, flower seeds, chopped nuts, safflower, peanut butter, bread crumbs and thistle.

Seeds/Grain	Fruits/Berries	Nuts
Chickadee	Chickadee	Titmouse
Titmouse	Titmouse	Nuthatch
Cardinal	Cardinal	Woodpecker
Woodpecker	Woodpecker	Blue Jay
Nuthatch	Robin
Junco	Wood Thrush
White-throated Sparrow	White-throated Sparrow
Goldfinch	Blue Jay
Blue Jay	Bluebird
Mockingbird	Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher	Catbird
Starling	Brown Thrasher
Warbler	Starling
Indigo Bunting	Cedar Waxwing
	Warbler
	Indigo Bunting

Providing shelter is the second step in attracting birds. Trees and shrubs are a great item to have around the garden area. This allows the birds to have a place to stay out of the harsh winter conditions. It also allows them to make a home to raise their young, where they feel safe and out of sight of predators. Try to stick with native plants.(http://birdsforever.com) Bird houses and nesting boxes are other options for providing shelter. You can always buy a house or there are plenty of easy to build plans online.

familycrafts.about.com

The last step is to have a constant supply of water. Birds need water just like humans do. Having a place for the birds to drink and bathe is ideal to attracting them into your backyard and keeping them around. Most garden centers sell bird baths. If you feel like being creative and using recycled materials, then here is an easy project for you.

Make your own bird bath: Recycle an old planter pot. Turn it upside down in your garden. On top of that, place a glazed dish, one that would normally be used to catch the excess water from a flower pot, and fill it with water. Here’s a great website – http://lifeonthebalcony.com/make-your-own-bird-bath-its-easy