Mistake Free Vegetable Garden Planting

There are three common mistakes that people, mostly beginner gardeners, make when they undertake vegetable garden planting for the first time. However, these mistakes are easily avoided, not only leaving the gardens healthier but also their owners happier.

The first mistake people make is poor water management. Water is a limited resource we are using at unsustainable rates. We are wasting water in ways that are not helping, but harming our gardens. Most plants do best with about one inch of rain or watering per week. More water will evaporate, run off or harm roots that become water logged. Too much water can cause mildew on leaves and attract harmful insects. Watering too shallowly will prevent roots from going deep enough. To correct this mistake, use a rain gauge and dig down in the soil every few days to check when water is needed. Water deeply, less often. Mulch around plants to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Choose plant varieties suited to your area’s rain fall. Consider using a rain barrel to collect and store rain water. Water early in the morning or in the evening to prevent evaporation.

The second commonly made mistake is the failure to meet a plant’s space, nutrient and environmental requirements. Plants growing in ideal conditions are more vigorous, and more resistant to pests and diseases. Plants that are too crowded will have reduced yield and be harder to look after. Planting too early, or too late, in the season for the variety will cause plant stress and poor development. Too much or too little sun can be very harmful. Read all the instructions and tags that come with your plants. If you put the right plants in their correct place, you’ll find that they are easier to maintain and need less fertilizer and less likely to be affected by pests and disease problems.

The third mistake is the most important of them all and that is people fail to build healthy soil in the garden before planting their vegetables. This can doom any garden to failure. Below the soil line, you should have a world teeming with micro organisms and beneficial insects that provide plants with nutrients they need. Soil needs a steady supply of organic material to promote soil and plant health. So, if you have any doubt about the quality of your soil, you can have it tested and amended for correct pH balance, drainage and so on. Once you’ve done that, you can go ahead and start planting with confidence.

Gardening in general, and vegetable garden planting in particular, can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. The great thing about gardening is that it can evolve as we learn. We can correct mistakes as we go and try new methods as we learn about them.

Copyright © 2009 www.vegetablegardenplantingguide.com

Planting Tomatoes

As a beginner, it’s likely that you have thought about planting tomatoes at one stage or another but gave up because it was too hard. Like increasing numbers of people all over the world, you are fed up with eating tomatoes that don’t have any flavor. Did you know that tomatoes grown in the USA have a very high Vitamin C deficiency? And here in Australia we aren’t that much better off.

So, to make it as easy as possible for you, the beginner, I’m going to show you an easy-to-follow guide to plant and grow organic tomatoes using containers. I don’t claim that this is the best way to do it. All I’m saying is if I were to grow tomatoes for the very first time, this is how I’d go about it.

Let’s get started:

Seedlings

* Find a good garden center and buy 3 organic tomato seedlings, each a different variety. Things don’t always go to plan in nature. So, you increase your chances of success by not planting the same variety.

* Ask for patio determinate varieties ( determinate simply means that the plants will cease to grow after they reach a certain size) that grow well in your area.

* Choose the short, sturdy seedlings and ignore the lanky ones or those with yellowish or diseased leaves.

Container

* Choose three 12 quart (3 gallon) containers as tomatoes need room to grow (one for each seedling).

* They must have drain holes.

* Get rolling platforms. Tomatoes need a lot of sun – aim for a minimum of 7 hours a day. Therefore, if you can’t find a permanent spot where your plants can get that much sun, you can just roll the containers to where there is sun.

Soil Mix

* A good mix is equal parts each of pasteurized soil, peat moss, perlite and organic compost. You can mix this yourself or you can just buy a sterilized, commercial organic mix which contains these ingredients. Buy enough to fill your 3 containers.

* Add a slow-release organic fertilizer in accordance with the directions on the label. This should be about 1 1/2 tablespoons for a 3 gallon container.

* Add granular potassium sulphate in accordance with the directions on the label. Potassium is vital in growing tomatoes successfully.

* Add water-holding gels.

* Mix everything together.

Now, you’re ready to start potting.

* With tomatoes, you need to plant deep. So, go ahead and take the seedling out of its container. Roughly, “fix” a spot about half way up the stem because you’re going to plant the seedling right up to that spot. That’s what I mean by planting deep.

* At this stage, you can add some kind of gravel to the bottom of the container to ensure good drainage.

* Fill the container with some of the soil mix and plant the seedling up to that imaginary spot. You may have to try a few times before you get it right.

* Once you’re satisfied, fill the container all the way up to just below (about an inch) the rim.

* Now is also a good time to insert a stake or rod or tomato cage for the tomato plants to grow on.

* Repeat the process with the two other seedlings.

* Water in well but not the leaves.

Remember

* Give your tomato plants at least 7 hours of sunlight every day. Roll the containers out to achieve that, if needed.

* Water regularly – every day if you have to – but avoid wetting the leaves. Water the plants at the base. Keep them moist but don’t over water.

* Fertilize as directed on the label. Use a fish emulsion or seaweed-based ferlilizer.

I’m sure that you’ll agree that planting tomatoes is not that difficult after all. In a few short weeks, you’ll be feasting on tomatoes that are so tasty you’ll kick yourself for not doing it earlier.

Copyright © 2009 www.vegetablegardenplantingguide.com

Forget Oysters, You Need Gardening

A recent study has found that men can improve their sex lives and reduce the risk of going impotent by more than 50%.

The secret? Men must spend at least 30 minutes a week in the garden, getting down and dirty.

I must confess that I’m not surprised in the least. Why do you think that there has been such a big surge in the popularity of growing your own organic vegetables?

Well, now you know.

You can empower yourself (it’s not too late) and read the full story here.

Vegetable Garden Planting: How to Make Better Garden Soil

As you continue with your vegetable garden planting project, you are now ready to make your garden soil as rich and fertile as possible for your home grown vegetables.

Let’s recap. You’ve now chosen the location of your very first garden and the spot you’ve settled on has an easterly aspect and thus will get plenty of morning sun. It is well protected from strong winds either
naturally or you have provided a wind break. Large trees are located a safe distance away because you don’t want their roots to compete with your vegetable plants for food and water.

Now, let’s look at how to prepare your garden soil correctly and to get it ready for planting. This is a crucial step in the whole process. Suburban backyards are very rarely suitable for growing healthy vegetables because they just don’t contain the nutrients necessary for those plants to survive. Therefore, it’s up to you to prepare the soil and add the nutrients about 4-5 weeks before you plant.

Prepare the Spot Carefully

A good size vegetable garden for a beginner is an area of 3m x 1.5m. So, measure such an area and clear it of the top growth and a thin layer of turf, if you have to. Then, start weeding thoroughly. Some gardeners stop after weeding for the first time and then return a few days later to remove any weeds that have sprouted again. That’s a great tip. Once you’ve finished weeding, cultivate the soil to a depth of about 30cm or about the depth of the garden fork or spade but don’t turn it over. Remember the good soil is underneath and that’s where it should remain.

Use a Soil Testing Kit – No Need to Guess

Check the acid or alkaline level of your soil. It’s very easy to do. Use a soil testing kit to find out. If it’s sour (acidic), add garden lime according to directions. That should be in the vicinity of 1-2 cups (250-500gms) per square meter. Water it in and check the soil level again in about a week.

Crop Rotation for Best Results

The next stage is to divide your garden into 4 or more smaller beds. This will allow you to plant different varieties of vegetables into each bed : carrots in one bed, potatoes in another and so on. The huge advantage this gives you is, as you finish harvesting one set of crops from a bed, you can then plant a different kind of crop into that bed. In other words, you never grow the same vegetable in the same bed.
This is called crop rotation and it is a widely used practice not only to control disease and pests but also to increase soil fertility.

Apply Organic Fertilizer

It’s now time for you to spread a thick layer (10cm) of well-rotted animal manure or organic compost to the garden. Add blood and bone (a handful per square meter) and dig it all in. Rake level and water in. Then, leave it alone for a few days to settle. Your seedlings will appreciate it.

Finally, your garden is ready. What you should now have is a good garden soil, filled with rich nutrients and which drains easily.

You can now:

1. Sow any vegetable seeds you like directly into your garden.

2. Transplant the seedlings that you grew indoors into your garden.

3. Buy seedlings elsewhere and transplant them into your garden.

One final point. With a garden of this size, you may not have too much trouble reaching your plants to water or weed them. However, if you can’t for one reason or another, allow for that by taking a long term
view and creating a permanent garden layout. This is where the vegetable beds remain in place season after season and are kept separate from walking paths. This is a much better option. It will minimize soil compaction from foot traffic and will make your garden easy to maintain.

You’ll admit that it was not very hard to complete this vital stage of your vegetable garden planting project i.e to get the garden soil ready for planting. The important thing is that it will not be long before you start enjoying your own tasty and organically grown vegetables. How satisfying will that be!. Read more

Planting a Vegetable Garden for Beginners

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and plant your own vegetable garden. While growing your own vegetables may seem like a lot of work, there’s nothing like biting into a nice ripe tomato and thinking “I grew this myself”. It’s the satisfaction of knowing that you produced it. It’s addictive though. Once you start, you will want beautiful and tasty vegetables all the time.

The first thing you need to do when starting a vegetable garden is to choose a spot. All vegetables need lots of sunshine to grow; so pick a spot that gets sun most of the day. An easterly aspect is ideal. They also need to be sheltered from strong winds. Tree roots tend to steal nutrients that are in the soil, so don’t position your vegetable garden near large trees.

Next, you need to plan the layout of your garden.The best way to do this is to get out a sheet of paper and draw your garden. Some plants can grow pretty close together, while others need to be spread out so they won’t have competition. Draw where you want to put each crop so you know you have enough room for everything.

You should then tear up the soil to make it loose. This way you will be able to plant your vegetables and their roots will be able to grow. It’s almost impossible for little plants to break through compact soil. You can then put organic material in your soil by adding compost or manure. If you don’t have this on hand, you can go pick something up at your local gardening store.

The next thing you need to do is to select what vegetable plants you want to grow. Of course, choose your family’s favorite vegetables first; you don’t want a bunch of food sitting around that no one wants. Just make sure that the vegetables you want will grow properly where you live. You also want to pick varieties you have the time and space to take care of. It’s no fun to do all that work and come out with inferior vegetables.

Now that you have your spot picked out, prepared the soil and you know exactly what to get, it’s time to get your seedlings or seeds, if you want to start from seeds. Just remember to ensure that they are organic. Good luck and happy planting!

For more information, feel free to read the post on how to make better garden soil.

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