Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peppers--Oh My!!

Seeing is believing. We are very pleased with our garden this year. We've already had twice as many vegetables that are shown here this year, but when you wait too long to snag a picture.....they get eaten!! Tim and I also had our first canning "party" this year last week. We made a batch of dill pickles, bread and butter pickles and salsa. There is nothing better than knowing you won't starve. We are anxiously waiting for the melons and the gourds to ripen and the beans have fed us for three dinners already. Lots more than we had last year.

We've only had one nonproducing bush this year. One of the cherry bushes has perished. Since the other 5 are growing and thriving, I'm not sure what might have gone wrong. We have a replacement waiting in the wings though. We cultivated a seedling from the combination cherry tree out front and its growing nicely. We'll bring it in for the winter and plant it next spring.

our first bounty from the vegt garden

It may not look like much to anyone else but since this is my first full attempt at a vegt garden, I'm pretty pleased with the size of the radishes, kohlrabi, green onion, and green pepper. The carrots still need to grow so I didn't pick anymore-ha ha. I also picked some lettuce but didn't get them in the photo.

our 1st vegt garden in Readstown, WI

Well, we did pretty good getting things started so we are optimistic that we will get to enjoy some of the fruits of our labor sometime this summer. I am keeping a garden journal so I know what I did this year and can correct my mistakes for next year. Now if only the frost would stay away, we might have success. Time will tell.

Growing Seedlings before planting

I've found the last few years that planting seeds into starter plots to build a good root base is ideal for us. We start the seeds around mid March when it starts to get warm during the day. At night(or even on cold days) we bring them inside and put them on a portable wire rack in the front window. That way they can get the sun they need and we don't have to worry about frost getting to the plants. A closed in porch would be ideal for starting seeds.

The starter pots I use are not sold in stores. At least not that I've come across yet. I save them year to year and replenish my supply when I buy annuals for the season for the flower garden. The flimsy plastic pots are the ones you see set in trays at the garden store. I have also acquired some trays so moving them in and out of doors is easier.

At this point, you don't really have to worry about what kind of "dirt" you use. Any type of plant soil or topsoil is fine.

When the seedlings break through the dirt they almost always have two leaves. You may plant them in your full size garden any time after the second set of leaves appears. I usually wait longer to give them time to build a good root base before transplanting them to the garden. Usually when they are at least 6-8 inches tall. Even longer for tomatoes and green peppers.

Space out your holes in your garden according to the plants particular needs. Directions are usually found on the back of the packet of seeds. Some plants need to be planted in mounds and some will need extra support for a while until they get bigger.

I make time to water my little plants twice a day. It is recommended that you water early in the morning and at dusk. That way the sun isn't beating down on just watered plants and dry out the leaves. I also use one of those hoses with holes in it so the watering is more gentle. This year we buried some of the hose just beneath the dirt and wound it around the areas to be watered. This way we won't drown the new plants or wash them away.















I don't usually use fertilizer in the garden. Our compost seems to fertilize the plants enough. We have tried to fertilize before, but just ended up with burnt plants. This was before we started making our own compost. The compost adds natural nutrients to the ground that would not normally be there.

Composting made easy

Having a huge space set aside for composting your raw materials really isn't necessary. We live in one of the middle sections of a building of townhouses/row homes. We have a watertight metal garbage can and a ceramic counter-top holder with holes in the top. We put egg shells, strawberry tops, banana peels, coffee grounds, carrot peels, fruit rinds, tomato ends, anything that can decompose into the ceramic jar every night until its full.

The composting jar lets in air through a filter while keeping smells in. Waste decomposes all by itself. When the jar is full, Tim empties it into the metal garbage can and puts the lid on tight. He puts all his grass clippings, plant trimmings, extra dirt, etc. in there too.

This is the stuff we use to turn over the garden twice a year. First, before planting mixed with some fresh topsoil to cut down on the smell. (its pretty rancid for a few days, but my neighbors don't mind--they love the vegetables we get) Then after the growing season is over, Tim breaks down all the dead vegetation, mixes it with new compost and lets it sit over the winter. In the spring, the process starts all over again.

A few things I just thought of: If you have trees and rake your own leaves, instead of having to find a place to get rid of them at or someone to come and pick them up, you can add your leaves to the compost to get a more even spreading mix. We don't have trees here, but I did plant those new perennials in the front garden and will probably add those dead leaves in the fall to the compost.

Depending on the size of your garden would depend on the amount of compost you keep. Our garden is small compared to most people who have their own organic gardens. I just measured it and got 66 square feet.(11x6) Plus, we only can grow outside only a limited amount of time per year. For those of you in warmer climates, the growing season may be longer.

Tomatoes

This is the second year in a row we are trying out the topsy turvy tomato planters. Last year I had one hanging out above the regular garden by an "S" hook. That way any excess water would drain into the garden.

Maybe some of you are wondering, "Just what exactly is a topsy turvy tomato planter?" Its a planter that hangs your tomato plants upside down. No weeds, no cages, no excess water and a fair amount of tomatoes to harvest.

One thing we've noticed about these planters is even though the plant is hanging upside down, the plants tend to turn up towards the sun. This isn't a bad thing. The plant still produces tomatoes whether it is hanging straight down or bending toward the sun. What we did is support its growth no matter which way it went. That way no matter which way it grew, once the tomatoes started growing, the vine wasn't too heavy from the weight of the tomatoes and snap off.

This year we did have a problem with that already. We had a very windy night and a storm and the plants were newly planted in the planters. Their tops had turned toward the sun already. The wind was just too strong and the plants snapped off at the base. Now we know to bring them to a protected area when we have storms like that. Live and learn.

This year I planted two. One is faded from the sun from last year and one is brand new out of the box. The planters can be used year after year. My neighbors had many questions for me throughout the summer last year: Where did you get those? What exactly are they? How do they work? What can you grow? And of course, How much did they cost?

My answers simple. I ordered them from Publisher's Clearing House. (You can get them at almost any garden store nowadays though). I told them they are a new way to grow plants in a small space. I told them how I put them together (directions included). I told them why I thought these are better with not having to find room for them in the garden. No cages, no weeds, only watering as needed. And I told them that you can grow almost any type of fruit or vegetable with these planters. A few examples are: Any type of tomatoes from sugar babies to beefsteak, peppers, grapes, eggplant, beans, cucumbers, strawberries, almost anything. The cost is minimal. Mine were twenty dollars with tax and shipping and handling. They are even less now that they are available almost anywhere.

And ya know, this year a few of my neighbors are trying them. I hope they have success. Next year my neighborhood might even have a few more hanging about........

Organics is the Way to Go!

Since buying our new home here on the east coast, we've had to learn about different soil types, climate, planning ahead, what works best. My family and I are originally from the Midwest. There, growing your own fruits and vegetables is a whole different ballgame.

By trial and error we discovered what vegetables grow best here so close to the water by testing the soil, watering frequently (or not so frequently) and generally working together as a family to produce good things we like to eat. We have even ventured into making pickles from the excess cucumbers we had and they turned out very well.

Recently I came across this e-manual by Julie Vilani. Its called Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual. It's for beginners as well as "green thumb" types. It talks about why organic food is healthier and how fun it can be to see the results of what you've created.

I also like how it has a guarantee that if you don't like what you read, after two months, you can write and get back every cent you spent. There's no shipping or handling costs because you can download it right onto your computer and always have access to it at the tip of your fingers. This book is so easy to read and tells you the 10 easiest vegetables to grow and how to grow in a limited space.

I know each one of us has had problems knowing what type of soil you have, how much to water a particular plant, what type of mulch to use, and so forth. This ebook was a great idea and the best part is........... she did all the work for you already.

Click Here! to check out this amazing guide for yourself.