Outdoor Tips and Tricks

There are many flowers and vegetables that can

Posted on June 29, 2014

-be directly sown into the garden. Direct sowing is a great way to avoid transplant shock. It takes less work but involves more risk from weather, pests, diseases and erosion. Before sowing seeds directly into the garden, know what conditions are required for germination and growth. A warm-season crop, such as beans, may rot before germinating if planted in cold, damp soil. Knowing the average frost date for your area helps to avoid losing frost-sensitive plants. Some cool-season crops, such as peas and lettuce, should be planted early in the season while temperatures are low.

Sow seeds in a row or broadcast them into a well-raked seedbed. Choose a calm day. To broadcast seeds, merely scatter them over a large area in the seedbed. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of soil. To sow very small seeds, mix them with sand before scattering. Then water with a gentle spray. Avoid washing seed away when watering.

What to Plant in April

Posted on June 29, 2014

Yes, Yes, Yes! April is finally here and your garden soil is finally warming up! April is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost. It’s still not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds as well. Check out the below vegetables that can be started in April. Be sure to check your gardening zone for last frost dates.

Beans:
Start planting both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up. Try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different varieties. This will give you continual bean crops and not one large harvest with wasted crop.
Suggested variety: Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Topcrop

Beets
Sow beets now for a fast, early summer treat.
Suggested Varieties: Detroit Dark Red

Cabbage
Cabbage is one of the easier plants to grow in the garden. Select a variety that is right for your location (size and maturity length). Be sure to fertilize and water when cabbage head begins to form.
Suggested variety: Premium Late Flat Dutch, Golden Acre, Michihili

Carrots
Planting carrots by April will give an early summer crop.
Suggested variety: Little Finger, Scarlet Nantes

Corn
One of the most rewarding and fast growing crops to grow. Corn is delicious when cooked only minutes after being pulled off the stalk. Try a small plot of corn, working your way to a large field of several varieties.
Suggested variety: Peaches and Cream, Incredible, Sugar Buns

Cucumbers
Fast growing vine or bush cucumber plants can produce an abundance of cucumber fruits. Be careful to pick a variety for the space you have in your garden. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties.
Suggest variety: Spacemaster 80, Muncher, Marketmore 76

Herbs:
Plant heat loving herbs like basil, oregano, thyme and sage.
Suggested varieties: Italian Basil, Greek Oregano, Dill

Lettuce
Start a crop of salad mix greens that gets bright sun but not all day. Great for late summer and early fall crops.
Suggested Varieties: Buttercrunch, Mesclun Mix, Black Seeded Simpson

Melons
Melons are some of the most rewarding plants to grow. Great for hot, long summers. A staple for summer picnics and family fun.
Suggested variety: Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet, Hales Best

Onions
Get those onion seeds growing. Be careful to select an onion variety appropriate for your garden zone. Northern areas should plant long day onions. Southern regions should plant short day onions.
Suggest variety: Sweet White Walla, Red Creol, Yellow Spanish

Peas
Green peas and sugar peas are good to plant in April, and will produce a May crop.
Suggested variety: Sugar Ann, Oregon Giant

Peppers
Fresh, crisp peppers are a garden favorite. Peppers take up little space and can produce high yields when planted close together. Plant as many different varieties as possible. They come small, big, hot, mild, and an array of different colors.
Suggested variety: California Wonder, Early Jalapeno, Sweet Banana, Super Chili

Summer Squash
Yum! Summer squash sowing in June will lead to fresh squash and zucchini in July and August.
Suggested Varieties: Cocozelle, Waltham Butternut

Tomatoes
The most popular garden vegetable. Growing tomatoes is not only fun but treats you to some of the best tasting fruits in the world. Tomatoes come in many colors, shapes, taste, and sizes. Grow a few varieties every year to find your favorites!
Suggested variety: Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Roma, Sweetie, Heirloom Blend

Picking the Perfect Spot

Posted on June 29, 2014

No matter how big your vegetable garden is, there are three basic requirements for success:
1. Full sun. Most vegetables need at least 6-8 hours of direct sun. If they don’t get enough light, they won’t bear as much and they’ll be more susceptible to attack from insects or diseases.
Here’s a hint: If you don’t have a spot in full sun to plant a garden with vegetables, you can still grow many leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach. And if you’re in a hot-summer climate, cool-season varieties such as peas may do better in part shade.
2. Plenty of water. Because most vegetables aren’t very drought tolerant, you’ll need to give them a drink during dry spells. When thinking about how to plan a vegetable garden, remember: The closer your garden is to a source of water, the easier it will be for you.
3. Good soil. As with any kind of garden, success usually starts with the soil. Most vegetables do best in moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter (such as compost or peat moss).
Many gardeners like to have their vegetable gardens close to the house. This makes it easier to harvest fresh produce while you’re cooking. It can also be handy to keep a few favorite potted vegetables next to your grill.
How to Design and Plan Your Vegetable Garden
There are two basic approaches to planning the layout of a vegetable garden.

Vegetable garden

Posted on June 29, 2014

Once you know what you want to plant, you can figure out how plan a vegetable garden with the right amount of space.
Keep in mind when planting a garden with vegetables that you don’t need a large space to begin. If you choose to grow in containers, you don’t even need a yard — a deck or balcony may provide plenty of space.
In fact, a well-tended 10×10-foot vegetable garden will usually produce more than a weed-filled or disease-ridden 25×50-foot bed.

Deciding What to Grow

Posted on June 29, 2014

At first, when planting a garden with vegetables, it’s best to start small. Many gardeners get a little too excited at the beginning of the season and plant more than they need — and end up wasting food and feeling overwhelmed by their garden.
So first, take a look at how much your family will eat when you think about how to plan a vegetable garden. Keep in mind that vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash keep providing throughout the season — so you may not need many plants to serve your needs. Other vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and corn, produce only once. You may need to plant more of these.