Fresh From Your Garden

Seasoning vegetables are the staple of any garden cook’s kitchen. Think about it. What would chili taste like without onions? Or, try making fresh tomato sauce and leave out the garlic. Trust me, your taste buds would be highly disappointed. And yet seasoning vegetables like, scallions, shallots, leeks, even onions and garlic are probably the least likely vegetables to be found in the home garden.

Seasoning vegetables, like every other vegetable, always taste better when fresh grown. Your same old recipes will explode with new zip and zing simply by replacing those no-taste store bought seasoning veggies with picked-from-your own-garden fresh ones.

How to Grow Seasoning Vegetables

Seasoning vegetables grow from bulbs underground and require very little room. They can be inter-planted amongst other vegetables and even grown amid your flowers to save even more precious garden space.

All seasoning vegetables need to be planted in full sun, in soil that has been worked deeply. Well draining, stone-free soil rich in composted organic matter is best. Deep containers will work equally as well.

Seasoning Vegetables to Try in Your Garden

Onions - can be grown from seeds, plants or sets. I prefer to use the sets, which are actually small, dry onions. They grow to full size in approximately 80 to 90 days after planting them. Onions need to be cured after harvesting them. Leave them in a spot with good air circulation for about three weeks before removing the dry foliage by cutting it to about one inch above the top of the onion.

Garlic - is grown from cloves (bulbs) Keep in mind when planting garlic that the larger the clove, the larger the full grown garlic will be. If you live in the south, plant your garlic in the autumn and harvest in the spring. If you live in the northern hemisphere, plant your garlic in the springtime and harvest it next fall.

Leeks - can be started from seeds indoors but they require a lot of time. You need to start your seeds at least 10 weeks before the last frost in springtime. Leeks are similar to onions but have a lighter, sweeter taste. An added bonus is that leek flowers are edible and make a fun addition to your salads.

Scallions - are usually grown from seeds, sown indoors at least 8 weeks before the last spring frost. They can be used while still young in about 60 days or wait for them to mature in approximately 4 months.

Shallots- are grown from bulbs planted pointed side up. They are used in ways similar to onions but keep in mind that they are more delicate than their cousins and will cook much quicker. Their foliage is also edible but when picking, be sure to leave enough of the leaves intact so that your whole shallots can grow to maturity.

Some of the gourmet varieties or seasoning vegetables will cost you a pretty penny when purchased at the grocery store. Grow your own and save some money.

Plant your seasoning vegetable bulbs easier with this great Bulb Planter And Auger available at Amazon.com.

Photo appears courtesy of Bludgeoner86.

Filed under: How to Grow Guides on July 8th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

An inexpensive (basically free) way to control weeds in your vegetable garden is to make use of all that leftover newspaper you have laying around your house.

Using newspaper as mulch in the garden is easy and quite effective at controlling those pesky weeds that love to pop up and steal the nutrients from your unguarded vegetable plants.

How to Use Newspaper as Mulch in the Garden

1. When using newspaper as mulch in the garden be sure to use several layers, three to four sheets should do the trick nicely.

2. Place the sheets of newspaper, flatly down, at least two inches away from the stems of your plants to prevent them from rotting which can occur when the stem is kept constantly wet.

3. Be sure to cover all areas of your garden.

4. Soak the entire newspaper-lined area with water from your hose.

At this point you can add a top layer of mulch, such as day-old, seedless, grass clippings, (also free) straw, or store-bought mulch. I don’t recommend using bark chips as mulch in your vegetable garden as the rough texture can damage your delicate plants.

Why it Works

Most weed seeds need sunlight to germinate. The newspaper keeps the sunlight away while also helping to preserve the moisture in the soil that your vegetable plants, and seedlings, need so desperately - especially on those hot, summer days when evaporation happens so quickly.

Why Newspaper isn’t the Best Mulch for your Vegetable Garden

1. Although using newspaper as mulch in the garden is the least expensive way to go, it isn’t the best way to go because newspaper has no nutrients to add to your garden. This can be made up for by way of fertilizing the soil prior to covering it with the newspaper and then using a liquid fertilizer, like Miracle Grow brand, during the growing season.

2. Newspaper, when used alone, is also not very attractive and this is why I don’t recommend you using it as a landscaping mulch around your flowers or shrubbery unless you are going to cover it with a more beautifying top layer.

What is the Best method of Weed Control?

I have found that using a fabric-based liner with a top layer of mulch to be the most effective at stopping weeds in my garden. The fabric holds up well for several years but can be costly. For the frugal gardener, newspaper will work fine.

You might also be interested in taking a look at this book. 
The Frugal Gardener

Photo appears courtesy of Saltwell and was found through a creative commons search for commercial usage.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Vegetable Garden, garden on June 23rd, 2008 | 2 Comments »

A fun way to get your children involved, or in other words, trick them into helping you weed and water your vegetable garden, is to create a secret hideaway for them amongst the vegetables growing in your garden.

You can do this in different ways but to avoid damages to your other vegetables it is recommended that you build the hideaway close to the edge of your garden.

Crop Circles

The simplest way to create a secret area in your garden is to plant rows of corn in a circle, leaving enough room in the center for a child to hide and play. Be sure to leave an open spot for the child to be able to get inside. Depending on how much room you have in your garden, plant several rows of corn around the circle, leaving one foot of space between plants. As the corn grows, the secret hideaway will become more and more discreet.

Garden Teepee

Another way to create a secret area in your garden is to build a teepee. Do this by taking six or eight, ten-foot long bamboo stakes or sticks if you can find them available. Tie the stakes securely together at the top, using twine. Arrange the bottoms in a circular fashion and bury them at least a foot deep into the soil.

To create the walls of the teepee, plant vining vegetables at the base of each stake. You can use, green beans, cucumbers, peas or some of each. Be sure to leave one area of the teepee, plant free to allow a small opening for a child to enter.

As the vines grow they will cling to the stakes and each other to create a secret area below for a child to hide in and dream.

Be sure that the child is not allowed to climb on the teepee as it is a delicate structure and they can be hurt if it comes apart.

Getting children interested in vegetable gardening is a good way for the two of you to spend some quality time together. Not only will they enjoy watching their secret area in the garden grow and form, but they will learn about the growing process and probably be more eager to eat the vegetables when they are ready to harvest.

Another good way to spend quality time together is reading to your children. Pick up, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is a wonderful tale to share while waiting for your own secret garden area to grow.

Another excellent book to share with your child is, Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children, by Sharon Lovejoy. It includes directions for making a sunflower house, gardening tips for children and some intriguing recipes.

Garden photo appears courtesy of Leeks N Bounds and was found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, garden on June 16th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Container gardening is great because anyone can do it, no matter where they live or how much property they own.

It doesn’t have to be expensive either. The sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing a container for your vegetable plants. If you visit your local gardening center you will find a lovely assortment of traditional planters in all shapes and sizes but you needn’t stop looking there. An old five-gallon-paint bucket, an unneeded garbage can, a slightly worn out wheelbarrow, a chipped pitcher or bowl, even an old tennis shoe can be used as a planter. You can use just about anything for container gardening as long as you prepare it properly.

How to Prepare a Container for Gardening
Basically, you need to choose a container that will be able to hold and support your chosen plant. The larger the mature plant will become, the larger the container needs to be.

Make sure there is a hole or two at the bottom, for drainage.

Add a layer of gravel or rocks to the bottom of the container first, also for drainage.

Fill your container to within two inches from the top with a quality potting soil. (I like Miracle Grow brand potting soil because it has fertilizer in it already, if you choose a plain soil then you will need to add the fertilizer yourself.)

Plant your chosen plant no deeper then it was already growing when you purchased it.

Things to Keep in Mind
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a container for your vegetable plants. If you are choosing a container made of terra cotta or wood, (or canvas) be aware that your soil will dry out faster and require more watering than if you are using a plastic, metal, or glazed pottery type of planter. The size of your container will also determine how much watering you will need to do, especially on those long hot summer days.

Watch the weight of your finished product. Don’t use anything too heavy if you are going to need to move it anytime during the growing season. (Unless of course it has wheels on it, like an old roller blade skate, maybe?)

If you are going to want to reuse your container next year, make sure it is frost-proof or else you will need to store it indoors over winter.

The only things that should limit your choices while choosing containers for planting is that the containers be the right size for the plant and that they will be able to accommodate proper drainage for the plant.

Why not be daring this year and choose an unusual container for some of your veggies.

Recommended Reading:  McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers  A great reference book to have on hand when growing vegetables in containers.

Container Garden photos appear courtesy of of UFCThoughts and were found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Uncategorized, Vegetable Garden, garden on June 5th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

No kitchen garden could ever be complete without planting some edible, shredable, culinary herbs.

Next to your seasoning vegetables, edible herbs are your best bet when it comes to preparing tasty vegetable recipes that your entire family will love but with the cost so high and most herb’s shelf lives so low, it pays to grow your own. And just think how convenient it would be to have your own fresh culinary herbs growing right outside your door ready for the picking.

When choosing culinary herb seedlings and plants be sure to sneak a little taste by squeezing off a leaf or two before purchasing to be sure their flavor is what you are looking for.

Culinary herbs do equally as well when planted in the garden amongst your vegetables, on your patio (or windowsill) in containers or in their own little patch in your yard.

Basic Culinary Herb Garden Care

Soil
Herbs do best in rich well-drained soil. If your soil isn’t up to par, you will need to amend it a bit before planting your herbs. Do this by adding compost, peat moss or even possibly some sand if your soil is mostly clay based.

Sunlight
Herbs need a full day of sunlight to be their happiest. I’ve learned, the hard way, that in different parts of the country full sunlight can mean very different things. Up north, a full day of sunlight means just what it says, at least eight hours of direct sun but the further south you go, full sunlight can be achieved with six hours of direct sunlight and in some areas as little as four hours are plenty. In the south, a little afternoon shade can be a very good thing for your herb garden especially during the dog days of summer.

Water
Herbs need to be on a regular watering schedule. Most herbs prefer less frequent deep watering over short spurts of water daily. It is highly recommended to water your herb garden in the morning, giving the foliage time to dry while the sun is out. Wet leaves can lead to fungal diseases. Using mulch around the base of your herbs will help to keep the soil moist between watering.

Herbs that are grown indoors or in containers will require more frequent watering. Watch your herbal foliage for wilting. If the plant looks wilted, give it a deep watering immediately to prevent the plant from becoming too stressed.

Fertilizer
Your herb plants will definitely appreciate a little fertilizer during the growing season. A slow release type is your best bet. Using something like Osmocote brand fertilizer, every spring and then again in the fall will give your herbs a steady supply of nutrients for a couple months at a time.

I’ve also had success using Miracle-Gro brand liquid fertilizer about every two weeks but have found it easier using a slow, steady release type. It gives me less to think about.

Whichever type of fertilizer you decide to use, be sure to stop fertilizing at least one month before the first frost date in your area to give your perennial herbs a chance to harden off before the cold weather arrives.

Maintenance
In order for your herbs to flourish you will need to do some weed pulling and pest control. Keeping a weed-free garden ensures your herbs of getting the proper amounts of fertilizer and water without having to share with unwanted guests and also goes a long way in keeping the pest population down.

If this is your first attempt at kitchen herb gardening, start small with a few of your favorites like basil, parsley, and oregano. You’ll be pleased at how convenient it is to have these all growing at home. Add more herbs later as you become more expert in your gardening technique. A warning though, herb gardening can become quite addictive; nobody can plant just one!

Recommended Reading: A Modern Herbal (Volume 1, A-H): The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-Lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs & Trees with Their Modern Scientific Uses

Photo of herb bundle appears courtesy of LivinginMonrovia and was found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Garden, herbs on June 3rd, 2008 | No Comments »

There are many reasons why things can go wrong when planting vegetable seeds in your kitchen garden. Check this list before planting your seeds to avoid some common seed planting mistakes.

Damping-Off Fungi

Damping-off fungi can be responsible for seeds not germinating and therefore not sprouting. It is usually found in places with very moist conditions where the air circulation is poor. It can also attack seedlings after they’ve sprouted causing them to die quickly.

The best way to avoid this problem, when starting seeds indoors, is to always start with clean pots and/or seedling trays and new sterile potting soil. Clean pots and seedling trays with one part bleach to nine parts water before reusing them from year to year. Be careful not to over water your seeds and as soon as they have germinated, remove any covers from them to allow the soil to dry a little between waterings. Overcrowding of seedlings can also encourage the growth of damping-off fungi so be sure to thin them out as soon as possible. Never use garden soil that has been brought indoors from the garden.

Outdated Seeds

Outdated seeds will not germinate properly. Most seeds have a shelf life of only one to two years if kept in a cool dry place over winter. When planting seeds, always use the freshest seeds available to you. The best way to store leftover seeds is in an air tight glass jar in the refrigerator with a little bit of powdered milk wrapped in a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.

Best Lighting Conditions for Seeds

Some seeds need light to germinate and should never be covered with soil. Vegetable seeds that fall into this category are, celery, garden cress and lettuce. Check your seed packs to determine if your seeds should be covered or simply pressed into the top of the potting soil.

Correct Depth for Planting Seeds

Most seeds need to be planted at a depth that is twice the size of their diameter. If a seed is 1/4 inch in size, it should be planted a ½ inch deep. Seeds planted too deeply may not sprout. Again, be aware that some seeds need light to germinate and should not be buried at all.

Best Temperature for Germinating Seeds

Different types of plants vary but the average temperature needed for most seeds to germinate is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the warmer weather crops, such as eggplant and pepper, need a higher temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate. If your soil is too cold or too hot, your seeds may not sprout. Check your seed packet to find the best temperature needed for your seeds.

If you always plant fresh seeds at the correct depth, in clean pots with sterile soil and make sure they are kept at the proper temperature you should see your new garden sprouting in no time.

Most garden seeds need to be planted indoors about six to eight weeks before the frost free date in your area. To find out the best time to plant your seeds check the USDA zone map .

You might also like: Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-by-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs (Storey’s Gardening Skills Illustrated)

Seed package photo appears courtesy of lollyknit and was found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips on June 1st, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Which is the best way to grow?  Should I start my kitchen garden with seeds or seedlings?

Take a look at the pros and cons of starting your garden with either seeds or seedlings before making your own decision.

Cost
If you are looking for the least expensive way to get your garden growing, seeds are definitely going to be the way to go. Most seed packets cost around $2.00 or $3.00 and good shoppers know where to buy them for even less than that. If you have one or two friends who garden, you can save even more by sharing seeds. Most types of vegetable seed packets provide many more seeds than the average home gardener will use in a season. Splitting the cost can save you a bundle. While it’s true that seeds can be saved and used the following year, fresh seeds are always the best way to go because you will get a higher percentage of seed germination per number of seeds in a packet.

Ease in Planting
This would be a toss up. While simply purchasing a seedling and planting it into your garden is easy, getting seeds to sprout is also a simple task. To compare seeds to seedlings for ease in planting, you have to look at the types of vegetables you are planning to plant.

A simple rule of thumb for me is, the bigger the seed, the easier it is to plant directly into the soil at planting time. Cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, corn and peas all have fairly large seeds that germinate quickly. These make good choices for seeds to sow directly into the soil of your garden.

Tomatoes, eggplant, and parsley have smaller seeds which for the beginning gardener can be harder to deal with. Also, certain vegetables when started indoors need a consistent amount of sunlight every day. Plants like tomatoes and broccoli can become long and leggy, very quickly, if your area suffers a few days of cloudy skies. Purchased seedlings might make the better choice for these plant types because they are grown under invariable conditions and sold at prime planting time.

Time to Harvest
Another thing to check into before making your decision whether to start your garden with seeds or seedlings is the amount of time each vegetable takes to reach its peak harvest time compared to the length of the growing season where you live.

Radishes only need about 25 days in the ground before you can begin harvesting them where some of the larger pumpkin varieties need upwards of 120 days. While most common vegetable crops such as beans, lettuce and cucumbers only need approximately two months from seed to harvest, many tomatoes need closer to three months before they peak. Before making your decision to use seeds or seedlings, know the length of the growing season in your area and research the amount of time until harvest for the vegetables you are trying to grow.

When the amount of time until harvest is an issue, seedlings will make the best choice.

Variety
When it comes to variety, you will always have the biggest selection if you choose to start your garden from seeds. Most local gardening centers only sell standard hybrid varieties of most vegetable plant seedlings. If you are interested in growing Heirloom tomatoes or some of the more exotic purple vegetables, your only choice will be to start them from seeds purchased through catalogs or online resources.

While there is nothing wrong with planting and growing the basic varieties, most gardeners like to experiment a little when it comes to plant varieties. Some of the home gardening centers are beginning to realize this and are providing more and more exotic types of seedlings but your largest choice for variety of vegetable types can still only be found in a seed packet.

Personally, I like to use a combination of both seeds and seedlings when starting my own garden. Perhaps you will decide to do the same.

The  Early Start Greenhouse– Workbench with 3 Shelves is a great way for the home gardener to get their garden growing early in the season and also to extend the season past fall.  It’s small and economical and will save you even more at the grocery store by allowing you to grow more of your own.

Photo appears courtesy of amandabhslater and was found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Vegetable Garden on May 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

Since the main purpose of a kitchen garden is to be able to eat everything you grow you’ll want to steer clear of the chemicals when it comes to bug prevention.

Personally, I’d rather share a little bit of the crop with the bugs than to spray poison on anything my family will eventually be eating. By following an insecticide-free pest control regimen in your kitchen garden, you’ll be able to keep the insects to a minimum without using those nasty chemicals on your edibles.

1. Keep Your Garden Clean
Remove any dead leaves, twigs or anything that has fallen to the ground in, or around, your vegetable garden. Insects love to live and hide in the cool darkness under the debris and will attack your plants when you aren’t looking. By keeping your garden clean they will have to look elsewhere for a comfortable place to call home.

2. Abolish the Weeds
Pull out any weeds that pop up in your garden. Weeds are not only unsightly but they also attract bugs and the less bugs you have to share your vegetables with, the better.

3. Water Regularly
When vegetable plants are allowed to get too dry between watering, they can become stressed. Certain bugs, like the spider mite, are attracted to stressed plants. By keeping your garden watered regularly, especially during times of drought and the hottest days of summer, they will remain stress (and spider mite) free.

Watering regularly also helps to remove any bugs that are crawling around on your plants and vegetables by washing them off.

4. Control the Bugs On Your Other Plants
Although I don’t approve of spraying my edible garden plants with insecticides, I will use them on some of my other foliage and flowers when necessary. By keeping your other plants pest free there will be less bugs in your vegetable garden to worry about.

A good way to avoid insecticide over-spray from reaching your edible plants when spraying your other plants is to keep your beautifying flowers and foliage at a distance from your vegetable garden, or to only spray plants that are a few feet away. Also, wait for a wind-free day.

5. Know Your Bugs
When it comes to gardening, some bugs are insects and other bugs are just pests. Predatory insects (bugs that eat other bugs) can do most of your pest control if you let them. Praying Mantises eat aphids. Ladybugs eat Aphids and Mealy bugs. Parasitic Wasps love munching on whiteflies and if you are lucky enough to have some Lacewings in your neighborhood well, those babies will eat all of the above plus the eggs of many other damaging pests. 

To learn more about ladybug gardening benefits please visit Ladybugs are Good for your Garden.

6. Cut Your Losses
If any of your plants becomes heavily infested with bugs, it is best to cut your losses by removing and discarding the offending plant immediately before the rest of your garden gets damaged.

7. Handpicking
Some of the larger bugs, such as the Tomato Horn worm can be removed from your garden plants by hand. Although this isn’t for the squeamish, it can work.

Of course none of the above methods will remove all of the bugs from your vegetable garden but by following these simple steps you will greatly reduce the pest population without the use of chemical insecticides.

Find all of your organic gardening solutions here, at Arbico-Organics.com

Recommended Reading: The Art of the Kitchen Garden 

Nasty Tomato Bug Photo appears courtesy of jbweir and  creative commons .

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Uncategorized, Vegetable Garden on May 27th, 2008 | No Comments »

Intercropping, intersowing and planting catch crops are ways of saving valuable garden space in your home garden. 

More garden space means more fresh veggies for your family and more money saved at the grocery store.  Who wouldn’t want that? By doing a little extra planning (and planting) your home garden can produce a lot more produce in the same amount of yardage that you are already using.

Intercropping
Intercropping is when you plant two different crops in the same row to save valuable garden space. Intercropping is when you plant a fast growing vegetable, such as green beans, around or under a taller, slow growing vegetable, like sweet corn. Be sure to make your spacings between rows little bit larger than called for on the seed package to allow room for both crops to thrive.

Intersowing
Intersowing is very similar to intercropping. To make intersowing work properly you need to plant a fast growing crop, such as lettuce or radishes along with a slower growing crop, such as carrots or parsnips. Be sure to leave a slightly larger space between seeds than what is called for on the seed package. Alternate planting your fast growing seeds and your slow growing seeds while you sow them in the same row. By the time your carrots need the space, your spinach will be ready for harvest.

Catch Crop
A catch crop, also known as succession planting, is used when a quick growing crop has reached its harvest. Instead of leaving a big empty spot in your garden, you would plant a catch crop in its place. A catch crop has many advantages in that it will help reduce weed growth, keep the soil cooler and help reduce soil erosion in your garden. You might also use a catch crop in your garden to fill in the spots where you might have encountered any failures. It makes no sense to let the space go just because the buggies enjoyed your cucumber plants a little too much. Radishes, onions (from sets) and spinach make great catch crops.

Gardeners’ Choice offers high quality horticulture at affordable prices including fruits & vegetables, ground cover & much, much more!

Recommended Reading: Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook

Kitchen Garden photo appears courtesy of Josie Fraser and was found through a creative commons search.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Vegetable Garden on May 26th, 2008 | No Comments »

The increasing popularity of today’s new kichen garden has inpsired me to share some of what I’ve learned digging around in the dirt for over 20 years in my own vegetable and herb gardens.

As the contributing editor of the now defunct Fresh Cooking From your Garden I spent many years writing garden cooking articles.  I’ll be sharing many of those past favorites along with some brand new ones that I’m writing especially for Fresh From Your Garden.

Be sure to grab the rss feed at the top of this page so you don’t miss a thing.

Kitchen gardening is back with a vengence and I’m here to help you grow the garden of your dreams.

Filed under: Grow a Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Garden, Kitchen Gardening Tips, Vegetable Garden on May 26th, 2008 | 2 Comments »