Growing cucumbers on a trellis can be a unique task. Vining cucumbers can be a spectacular space saver, great for planting and growing at the side of the house or in a sizeable pot off your porch.

Vining cucumbers can grow horizontally or vertically. Some let the vines reach out, growing along the ground. Others like to help the vines cling to a trellis. It only takes 1 to 2 trellises to yield a good harvest. You can plant directly in the ground around your trellises and add a little mulch; or you can plant in a large pot after inserting your trellis.

Tip: Like other plants, a cucumber plant is sensitive to temperature. It is best to plant when the soil surrounding the plant can keep a temperature in the range of 70-degrees.

A cucumber plant itself does not demand a great deal of attention. In factor, growing cucumbers on a trellis will not demand much upkeep from you at all. Trellises keep the fruit clean. You can easily support 2 to 3 vines on a 12- to 18-inch diameter cage. Wire fencing or hog wire can be used to fashion trellises.

Fertilizing can be handled a few different ways depending on your preference. You can use liquid food approximately every 2 weeks, or a granular, slow-release fertilizer. If using a container and your potting soil has a time release fertilizer, no additional fertilizer will be needed.

A cucumber plant can be male or female. You can tell difference by their flowers. Female plants have a small flower that swells at the base. The swelled base indicates a female plant because the makings of the cucumber are inside. It is important to have both a male and female plant so that the fruit properly pollinates and produced.

Tip: The fruit enlarges quickly once it appears. Check your plant daily so you can harvest as soon as the fruit is ready for picking.

Growing cucumbers on a trellis can be a great project to involve the kids in! They are sure to enjoy helping the vines climb through the wire, and will love picking the fruit as well.

If you have a garden outside your house, you can then start growing carrots. Carrots are good for the health as they contain essential vitamins. They are advisable for those under a weight control program. They are high in fiber that can ward off cancer diseases. They are tasty and crunchy and can help keep away hunger pangs and calories.

Before you start growing carrots, you should have a clean and fertile soil with plenty of compost or peat moss. Carrots grow sweet when the soil is often moist. The carrot seeds you have should be planted 12 inches deep in a light soil with a pH level of 5.8 to 6.8. Remove rocks, debris, twigs and stones as these may destroy the formation of the plant. These will stunt the root or make it fork. Do not put plenty amount of nitrogen fertilizer as this can cause hairy roots.

The seeds must be 2 feet apart so that they grow freely. Weed them thoroughly at an early stage because they have a tendency to overcrowd. They also need much water. You should also thin the seedlings before the tops become tangled together. Using a scissor, you can cut away the greens or you can take away the roots carefully from the soil with your own hands.  After two and a half months, they are ready to be harvested. Once you have harvested them, place them in the refrigerator. They can endure a cold and freezing temperature.

To have an extensive harvest, you can plant carrots after every two weeks under a temperature of 27 Celsius. Plant again when the temperature decreases so that by winter, you can have another harvest. Before you plant the seed, make sure your soil has plenty of potassium for proper carrot growing. Wood ashes provide these so place them over the plant site. Do not overexpose your plants to the sun as this will make them green and produce a bitter taste.

Watch out for insects that may harm your carrots such as the carrot fly. Make sure there are no rabbits around as they love munching on carrots. Mice also love to eat carrot tops just like moles. Placing straw mulch around the plant area helps keep animals away. The mulch will also rot and turn into plant food.

It is essential for you to provide tender extra loving care when growing carrots.

photo credit: feser

another easy beginner
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Grocery prices continue to skyrocket along with fuel costs. It’s times like these when you want to grow your own. Learn more about starting a  spring vegetable garden by following these guidelines.

Before you can begin a garden it helps to know what growing zone you’re in. If you live in the United States, you can go to the National Gardening Association’s website (www.garden.org/zipzone/) to find the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. This map will help you find which zone you live in and give ideas on when it is safe to start planting.

You’ll also want to prepare the ground before you can begin planting. Do this by tilling the area you have planned for your garden. You’ll want to remove the clumps of grass as much as possible or till deeply to incorporate the organic matter into the soil. Test the soil to determine if it has the right mineral content. Tests can be obtained at County Extension Agencies and home and garden stores. Add any nutrients to the soil before you begin planting.

Growing your first garden is much easier if you start with seedlings rather than growing your own. If you do plan to grow your plants from seeds, you’ll want to start them indoors about eight weeks before they can be planted in the ground. Purchase the plants you want and keep them indoors until your area has reached the last average frost date.

When the ground is workable, the first vegetables you’ll want to add to your garden are spinach, peas and onions. Onions are sold in sets and you may be able to find seedling spinach. You can plant the pea seeds directly into the garden. You may be able to plant lettuce, beets, carrots, cilantro, dill, radishes, cabbage and broccoli about two weeks before the last frost. Celery, kale and potatoes can also be grown outdoors.

When you know there’s no chance of a late frost, you can plant melons, squash, cucumbers and beans. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, pumpkins and basil can also be planted at this time. When you plant corn, set out at least four short rows rather than one long row because they pollinate properly that way. You’ll also want to use poles or trellises for beans. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are best transplanted or purchased as plants prior to setting them in your garden.

If you follow these guidelines on starting a  spring vegetable garden, you may have produce in as little as four weeks. Take time to pull weeds and keep your garden watered but not muddy. As the produce is ready to harvest you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labor on your kitchen table.

To know asparagus is to love asparagus, once you learn the right preparation. Asparagus is in many regions the first sign of springtime fresh eating. If you have only tried canned asparagus, you’ll want to take the time to learn about fresh asparagus and give this amazing vegetable a try. Let’s take a look at this super-green springtime miracle and how to enjoy it.

What is it?

Asparagus grows naturally as a perennial plant in Europe (mostly Spain, Ireland, and Germany) and the United States. The leaves are actually the spear shaped stalks that, in a traditional leaf, would be the stem running down the middle. Early in the growing season, the tender asparagus spike is small and slender without buds or berries. That’s when they are perfect for plucking. The asparagus plant usually produces yellowish or white bell-shaped flowers and small red berries once the plant has matured into a hard, woody plant, not suitable for eating. As a matter of fact, the berries are poisonous.

History

Asparagus had an early start in the medicinal field due to its diuretic properties. You can actually find a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest known cookbook, Apicius’ De re coquinaria, Volume III. Asparagus was originally cultivated by the Egyptians. Later the Greeks and Romans ate fresh asparagus during the warm spring and summer months and dried it to use in soups during the colder winter months. In the Middle Ages, asparagus lost its popularity, returned later in the seventeenth century and has become a popular vegetable in today’s culinary environment.

Health Benefits

If you are looking for a low calorie, nutrient rich vegetable, asparagus is the answer. Asparagus is  a great source of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. With high amounts of dietary fiber found in the outer stalk and elevated levels of folic acid, iron and vitamins E and K, asparagus is also a great food for pregnant women or nursing mothers as these are nutrients your baby needs to develop and stay healthy.

Fun Facts

Asparagus was once classified in the lily family like its cousins onion and garlic, but has since been moved into the flowering plant family, named Asparagaceae.

The green variety of asparagus is eaten worldwide, though the availability of imports throughout the year has made it less of a delicacy than it once was. In the UK, due to the short growing season and demand for local produce, asparagus commands a premium and the summer season is looked forward to all year long.

In northern Europe, there is a strong following for white asparagus which is local to the region, nicknamed ‘white gold.’  Asparagus was so highly demanded in the Eastern world that France’s Louis XIV had special greenhouses built solely for growing it.

In the northern climates in the United States, spring is anxiously awaited for many reasons, including the asparagus that starts peeking through the ground as soon as the snow melts and the soil warms. Wild asparagus, or ‘roadside asparagus’ is a welcome sight, making many a motorist stop and pick fresh asparagus to their heart’s content.

The Asparagus Festival Cookbook
~ Jan Moore, Barbara Hafly, Glenda Hushaw ~
Asparagus is as healthful as it is flavorful. This Ardent asparagus afficionados share gourmet favorites featuring this delicious, bright green harbinger of Spring. Even people who don’t think they like asparagus will be won over.

How to eat

Asparagus spears are served in a number of ways. A typical preparation would be as an appetizer or side dish. In Asian cooking, asparagus is often added to stir-fry and served with chicken, shrimp, or beef. In the United States, asparagus is often eaten wrapped in bacon or quickly grilled over charcoal. Many cultures use asparagus to flavor soups or served steamed with a light hollandaise sauce. You’ll find asparagus, lightly cooked and bright green in color, diced and tossed in a variety of pasta dishes, hot or cold.

An easy way to cook asparagus without over cooking it, which would leave it bitter and limp, is to roast it on a baking sheet tossed with olive oil and salt. Quickly blanching the asparagus in a basket dropped into a deep pot of boiling water, then cooling in an ice bath, is another way to maintain the color, flavor, and crisp-tender texture perfect for asparagus. Asparagus is usually not eaten raw, but is often flash-cooked to maintain the crunch of raw with the flavor of cooked.

When choosing your asparagus bunch from the grocery store, look for firm, small, dark green shoots with tightly bunched heads. This will ensure you get the freshest batch. The bottom portion of the asparagus may be woody and covered in sand and dirt. Wash the asparagus thoroughly, then give the stem a quick snap; the stalk will bend and break where it is tender, so just throw out the bottoms that snap off.

Pick up any recipe book and chances are you will find at least a few amazing recipes with asparagus in the supporting, or starring, role. Give asparagus a try in a new recipe and see for yourself why people have been raving about asparagus for centuries.

Garlic is widely used in cooking. This bulb is used as a spice in order to improve the flavor of any dish. Garlic generally has long shelf life. Many people buy tons of garlic and store them in a cool dry place for a year’s consumption. What they do not know is that garlic is easy to grow. In fact, most people would never go back to supermarket garlic after tasting the authentic homegrown garlic. By following the necessary steps, you will have your very own homegrown garlic in no time!

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First, you will need garlic bulbs. It is best to buy your garlic bulb at the nursery section of your local gardening shop. However, you can also use supermarket garlic bulbs. The only problem with garlic coming from the supermarket is that some of them are sprayed with chemicals to hinder growth. If this is the case, it won’t matter how healthy your soil is or how you take care of your garlic. It would be impossible for it to grow.

Second, pick a good site to plant your garlic. Be sure to choose an area which gets ample sunlight. Then, dig a hole about 8 to 12 inches deep. The soil must have lots of compost to ensure great harvesting results. Remove any foreign objects away from the soil. Weeds must be completely removed as they resemble garlic leaves. You might pull out your growing garlic by mistake.

Third, separate the individual garlic cloves. Each clove will grow into a full garlic bulb. Individual cloves must then be planted separate from each other. The flat ends facing the bottom while the pointed ends facing the top. You can choose to plant the whole bulb. However, you will only be able to harvest tiny bulbs of garlic.

Lastly, mulch the surface of the soil. Mulching is needed in order to retain the moisture in the soil. Your garlic will soon grow. As soon as most of the leaves turn yellow, you can already harvest your garlic.

Anyone planning a vegetable garden knows that what you do before summer can have a big effect on how your garden grows. There are many things you can do now to ensure your vegetable gardening this summer is productive. Try these tips and watch your garden prosper.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to till your garden spot. Determine how large you want the garden to be and mark it off. Run the tiller in the garden to incorporate plant matter from the last year.

You may also want to test your soil to see if it has the proper nutrients needed for a vegetable garden. Soil tests can be purchased from most plant nurseries or other stores which sell gardening supplies. Local colleges may provide testing free of charge if they have degrees related to farming.

Plan what you’ll plant. You may already know what vegetables you want to grow but chances are you’ll change your mind at least once before the plants are in the ground. Think about the vegetables your family loves the most. Corn, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are common plants in a family vegetable garden.

Consider whether you’ll start seeds or purchase the plants partially grown. Of course, there’s nothing quite like watching seedlings as they sprout and grow, but buying pre-grown seedlings makes getting the plants in the garden much quicker. Which plants can you start from seed and which ones will you purchase?

Once you know what you’ll plant, think about where you’ll place each one. Some plants are best planted close to others. These are called companion plants. They may either provide natural pest resistance or nutrients the other plant needs. Take time to research which plants can benefit the others in your garden.

Determine how you’re going to deal with weeds in your garden. Will you rely solely upon chemicals to avoid having to weed, or is there another method you can use? Consider using newspaper covered by black landscaping fabric or black plastic sheeting between rows. This will greatly reduce the amount of weeding you’ll have to do. You can also use the black landscaping fabric in the rows themselves by cutting an ‘x’ where the plants will go. This fabric allows the rain to get through and yet blocks much of the sunlight so the weeds can’t grow.

What will you do about pests? Some gardeners are content to use chemical pesticides. If you’re considering a ‘greener’ approach, you may want to add beneficial insects to your garden. These would include ladybugs, praying mantis and earthworms.

Don’t forget to check your garden tools. Give your tiller and other mechanical equipment a spring-time tune-up. Ensure your rakes, hoes and other hand tools don’t have loose handles. You’ll also want to ensure they aren’t rusty.

Think about other items you may need for your vegetable garden this year. Do you have a large-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face and neck? What about something to sit or kneel on while you’re planting? Do you have a place to sit back and enjoy your garden after the work is done?

There’s so much involved in planting a summer garden you’ll want to get started as soon as you can. You can check your tools to ensure they’re in good working order, plan your garden and start your seeds. Before you know it, the time will be here to begin your garden in earnest and you can look forward to summer with home-grown vegetables.

Permaculture, or permanent agriculture combined with permanent culture, came about as a response to problems regarding unsustainable agricultural practices, the erosion of topsoil, overuse of water resources, and a break in the lifecycle of our ecosystem, among other things.  Permaculture is a way for man to mimic nature in developing natural, workable, edible ecosystems.  The idea is to take what is learned from nature and put it to work in your own landscape, whether you have a small yard or lots of acreage.

Permaculture involves looking at the whole system and how each part interrelates to the other parts.  It’s about finding and fixing the weak links or problems in a sustainable way without using fossil fuels.  Diversity and low input are important in permaculture gardening.

Permanent agriculture, or permaculture, uses a zone concept.  The more activity that an area requires, the closer to the house that zone should be.  For instance, Zone 1 is closest to the house and should be herbs or vegetables that are often picked.  The farthest zone, depending on the size of the land you are working, can be trees or even a forest. 

If you look at a forest, you will note the “stacking” done by nature.  This can be consciously repeated by humans.  The stacking starts with tall fruit trees which is the canopy, to dwarf trees, to shrubs, to herbs, then root vegetables, and lastly down to ground cover such as strawberries.  From observing nature, you can create guilds, which are combinations of the stacking that work well together.  For example, Native Americans planted a guild of corn, squash, and beans.

Permaculture also asks plants and trees to provide more than one function.  For instance, an apple tree provides:

shade for smaller, shade-loving plants,
shade for its roots, which means less water will be required,
a resting or nesting spot for birds, who in turn fertilize the earth,
apples for humans and wildlife to eat,
dead leaves that fall to the ground and compose, helping to replenish the soil,
twigs for fire

Give thought to tearing up your water consuming lawn to grow food for human and/or wildlife consumption. Traditional ways of growing can be pretty labor-intensive and may need chemicals to sustain them.  When a permaculture landscape gets going and starts to mature it becomes a much less time consuming way to garden.  Plus it sets the plants up with a much more natural way of fertilizing.  Following permaculture practices is also a way to close the ecosystem loop and become more sustainable.

When growing potatoes, it is best to grow them in loose, cool, fertile, slightly acidic and well-drained soil. It is recommended to add a little peat and compost. It is not recommended, however, to use large amounts of matter like manure especially if this is where your potatoes are to be grown. The perfect time to plant potatoes is when the ground is workable, which is best in the springtime. Of course this will vary depending on your location.

Growing Seed Potatoes

The seeds used for growing potatoes are called seed potatoes. These are the parts or whole pieces of potato that have already developed the “eye”. From the eye, sprouts grow and then develop into actual potato plants. You may notice this from potatoes you have at home. When purchasing potatoes from stores, many of these have been sprayed with different chemicals that does not allow for them to sprout (yet they may be able to produce a crop). The best results with growing these vegetables would be to purchase them from a seed catalog, nursery or garden store.

You can actually grow potatoes in many spaces, such as, tires, garbage cans, in straw, mulch, fields, containers hills, and many more places. Below you will find a couple popular ways for growing potatoes.

Growing in a Field or Garden

Take your seed potatoes and place them eight inches deep in a trench or furrow that has already been pre-dug in a garden. Fill each furrow with a mixture of mulch, straw, compost and garden soil about a half the depth of the furrow.

Growing in hills

Loosen up the soil and place about two or three seeded potatoes on the ground. Hill (which means cover) these seed potatoes with about three to four inches of the loose soil. Space these hills about one foot apart. Continuing mounding the soil around the growing potatoes, as they get taller.

Harvesting

In about eight weeks from when you first planted your potatoes, you can begin to harvest them. These potatoes are perfectly equipped to use in soups and many other dishes. You will start to notice these potatoes as soon as the plant has bloomed and the vine begins to die.
 
Look over your potatoes for any cuts, bruises, or damage. Ideal conditions for storing would be in a dry, dark and cool area. Best storing temperatures are between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure your potatoes do not rot, turn green or spoil too soon, which all make potatoes inedible.

To avoid things like potato bugs, try either picking them off your plant if you have a small potato patch. Other suggestions are to not plant in the same area each year, cleanup your garden debris and introducing their enemies such as the ladybug or potato beetle.

Learn how to prepare potatoes for planting in this free video on home gardening, Expert: Doug Smiddy Bio: Doug Smiddy has had an active interest in gardening as long has he can remember. Filmmaker: Dale Fitzgerald

People choose growing onions for many different reasons. Back in the day, onions were used to treat baldness as well as colds. Onions today are used for a variety of dishes and can either be in raw or cooked form. These vegetables are for the warmer seasons and can be grown literally anywhere.

A Few Necessary Items

Fertilizer
Mulch
Shovels
Seeds
Plants
Garden Trowels
Garden Spades
Compost Maker
Floating Row Cover

You can start your seeds indoors for approximately eight to ten weeks before you expect the last frost or just consider buying your starter plant from a nursery.

Choose a place to grow your onions so that they will receive full sunlight for about six hours and the pH balance is between 6.0 and 7.5. Onions will need soil that is able to retain much moisture and is moderately fertile. Make sure to mix in much compost before you start to plant.

Till the soil 8 inches deep so that the onion bulb can develop and grow properly. Remove all weeds especially while the onions are in the younger stages of growth.

To deter and prevent maggots and cutworms, add some parasitic nematodes to the garden area.

Whether you have a homegrown or store bought transplant, harden them off and transfer them to the garden area 2 to 3 weeks before you expect the last frost.

Move plants slightly deeper than when they were in the pots and space them apart between 2 and 6 inches away, depending on how big the bulbs will get.

Try not to disturb the fragile young onion roots when weeding (weeding should be done frequently). Cover up the seedlings with row covers to keep out all flies in order to prevent them from laying eggs.

You can feed your growing onions with compost tea about three weeks after you have planted them, and then again when they are about six inches tall, and then finally after the bulbs start to swell. Try avoiding using any fertilizers that have high nitrogen content as they make for very tiny bulbs and lush tops.

Lightly cover your bulbs with an organic mulch or compost if you see them starting to push up out the ground. The sun can scald the exposed surfaces.

When growing onions and the bulb reaches maturity, you can stop watering. Before then, you can provide them no more than one inch of water per week until they tops turn yellow or they fall over in the soil.

When the tops are about six inches tall, you can harvest the green onions or scallions. As soon as they are large enough for you to use, you can start pulling the bulbs.

Different types of onions will need varying amounts of lighting from dark to light. Depending on your area, the local nursery will support what will thrive in your environment.

Even though onions like cool weather, do not rush to get them out in the cold, such as with temps in the 30s or 40s because they have slower development in colder weather.

The veggie garden is going in and it is time to eliminate the confusion about planting onions. Here are a few tips for growing your own crop, without shedding a tear!
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If you have enjoyed the fruits of your labor all summer long in the way of produce, you know how important it is to prepare a vegetable garden for winter. It helps to know what to do at the end of the growing season, as this can have a large impact on the next year’s harvest. These same ideas will also help you plan ahead and prepare an area for a garden if you’ve never grown one before.

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Whether your proposed garden plot has had a garden there in the past or not, chances are there will be plant matter in the area. This could be plants which have yielded their last, or grass and weeds from the lawn. In either case you want to mark off the area you plan to use for your springtime garden. The best way to do this is to use wooden stakes pounded into the four corners, with colored tape to help you see the borders.

Divide the garden into five parts. One part will be set aside for plants which come back each year such as herbs, artichokes, rhubarb and asparagus. The remaining three plots will be rotated each year to ensure you don’t deplete the soil of nutrients.

Leave enough area between the parts to be able to walk and push a wheelbarrow through. This can be covered in gravel to keep weeds at bay, or you can use landscape fabric with bark chips to create a suitable surface. Of course, you don’t want to create such large sections to make it necessary to walk all over the beds. If you make the areas small enough, you should be able to reach the center from the side which means you’ll have less area to work.

Till under any organic matter which might be in the garden plot. You can also add any other organic materials such as manure or nutrients into the soil, and incorporate well. This will prepare the ground for the spring and provide any birds which are still around with a meal of any worms or insects which are in the soil.

Cover the entire garden with mulch to reduce the opportunity for winter weeds to grow. If you’d rather not use mulch because you may forget where the garden paths are, you can also sow a cover crop which will be tilled under in the spring.

Why not take advantage of the fact that you have the soil prepared and sow some winter vegetables. Carrots, onions and garlic can be planted in late summer to early fall. Allow the plants to germinate in the soil and cut back any green growth prior to the first frost. Cover them with mulch to keep the plants alive during the winter months and ready to grow come springtime.

Gardening is a time-consuming but rewarding experience. Think about preparing a vegetable garden plot for winter so it will have the best chance to succeed in the spring. Make some plans now on how you want to lay out the garden and what vegetables you want to plant, and then decide when to begin sowing seed indoors to be transplanted once spring arrives.