SAVING SEEDS

The Complete Guide To Starting, Growing And Storing Vegetables,

Fruits, Herbs And Flowers Seeds

NATHAN RIVERA
 © Copyright 2020 by Nathan Rivera
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE BOOK

INTRODUCTION
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GROWING AND STORING VEGETABLES, FRUITS, HERBS AND
FLOWERS SEEDS
KEEPING THE GARDEN FREE FROM RABBITS
HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES IN WINTER
AQUAPONICS-HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES QUICKLY
HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS
COMMON VEGETABLE GARDENING PROBLEMS
IMPORTANT TOOLS THAT ARE USEFUL FOR VEGETABLE GARDENING
HOW TO PLANT A FLOWER GARDEN FOR BEAUTY AND FUNCTION
HOW TO GET BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR BUDGET
PROBLEMS GROWING FLOWERS
HOW TO MANAGE GROWING TOMATOES
HOW TO GROW LETTUCE
HOW TO GROW BROCCOLI SPROUTS
HOW TO GROW APPLE TREES FROM A SEED
HOW TO GROW ARTICHOKES
HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS
HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS
HOW TO GROW GRAPES
PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS
HOW TO GROW BLACKBERRIES
GROWING, PLANTING AND PROPAGATING GREEN BEANS
PROBLEMS GROWING HERBS
HERBS AND DISEASE
PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS OF POTATOES
PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS OF MAIZE
GENERAL CARE AND MAINTENANCE
CONCLUSION
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ABOUT THE BOOK

S aving seeds from your garden plants not only lower planting costs, but it's
also a perfect way to witness your garden plants' entire life cycle. This
article discusses how seeds can be collected and processed from your
flowers and vegetable plants.
The garden starts in January for several gardeners when the first catalog of
seeds arrives in the mailbox. While the freezing wind is hurling outside, we
retire to a comfortable chair and leaf through the catalog, carefully noting
which varieties of lettuce and tomatoes to try and wish we had the room to
plant each flower displayed so artfully on its covers.
But have you ever wondered where your grandparents bought the seeds for
their gardens before catalogs of seeds and fancy garden centers became
available?
They were saving seeds from their gardens for the next year!
Saving seeds from your flowers or vegetables is a great way to understand the
plant growth process completely. It's also much less costly than buying seeds
every spring, and seeds saved from your plants would be well suited to the
peculiarities of growing conditions in your own backyard. Not just that, it's a
very easy operation too.
Only save seeds from vigorous, stable plants. Many plant diseases can be
harbored in the seed, where they will then be transferred to the next plant
generation. So, do not save seeds from a plant that is clearly ill or that has
suffered all season. Select seeds from plants with the properties you like,
such as height, hardness, early or late maturation, flavor or vigor.
Saving seeds from hybrid plants isn't recommended. Hybrids are the result of
the fusion of two genetically distinct parent plants, both of which have been
highly inbred to concentrate the desirable properties. Referred to as an F1
hybrid, the first generation is equivalent to parents. But subsequent
generations of plants grown from seed saved from an F1 plant appear to
return spontaneously to the characteristics of original ancestor inbred plants.
Plants that are not hybrids are considered open-pollinated plants. Many
catalogs of seeds will classify which of their seeds is hybrid or open-
pollinated. When you decide to save your own seed, continue with open-
pollinated seeds at all times. Some of these can also be known as seeds which
are heirloom. Such varieties of heirloom have been passed down for decades,
often held for several years within a single family before being available to
the general public.
Another issue for the seed-saving gardener is cross-pollination. Cross-
pollination also results in seeds that have a genetic makeup different from
that of the parent plant. Pumpkins, squash and small gourds will cross-
pollinate with each other, leading to seeds that grow to produce very
picturesque fruit. Sweet corn with field corn or popcorn will cross-pollinate
and your 6-inch marigolds will overlap with the 18-inch pompon marigolds
of your neighbor. The crossing can only take place within one species,
however. Cucumbers do not go well with peas, and pansies do not go with
other plant species.
Make sure that two varieties of the same plant are separated by as much space
as possible to prevent cross-pollination. Some plants, including corn, are
pollinated by wind, and the pollen can fly great distances. These plants must
be hand-pollinated and kept separate from other species. For example, this
can be achieved by placing a small paper bag over selected ears before the
silk appears, then after the silk appears, it is hand-pollinated with pollen from
the same plant or its healthy neighbors.
Seeds should be harvested on a warm, dry day. Some seeds don't become
frozen as long as the seed stays intact. Before their seeds are collected,
vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes should be allowed to
become somewhat overripe. Flower seeds and vegetable seeds such as lettuce
should be collected after the seed heads have become dry, but don't wait too
long, because many will break, meaning that if they stay on the plant for too
long they will be dropped from the seedpod or seed head.
Cucumber, squash, and tomato seeds require a further phase before they are
ready to be processed. Next, they have to extract the seeds from the pulp,
then dried. From these vegetables scoop the seeds, the pulp and all. Place the
whole mess in a water jar, and mix well, then let it settle a little. The pulp
rises to the top while the seeds fall downwards. Pour out the pulp carefully,
then repeat the process until most of the pulp is drained out. Then strain the
seeds out and put them to dry on newspapers.
Seeds should get as dry as possible and then placed into storage. Give all
seeds a drying time of at least a week after harvest, just to be sure they are
dry. Spread them out in the sun as they dry on a paper plate or newspapers in
a warm place.
Keeping the seed dry when in storage is very necessary. Place your dry seeds
in tightly packed pots, metal film containers or old bottles of vitamins.
Smaller amounts of multiple seed varieties can be stored in separate
envelopes inside a jar to save space. A cold, but never freezing garage,
closed-off spare room or cold basement can all be good locations for seed
storage. Just keep your packed seed jars in the fridge. Temperatures from 32
to 41 degrees Celsius are optimal.
Be sure to mark your jars and envelopes so that when spring returns, you'll
know what flower seeds and vegetable seeds you're planting, including the
date the seeds were collected. Several seeds will remain viable for many
years, but most will grow better if they are immediately planted the following
spring.
Seek this year to save some vegetable or flower seeds from your greenhouse
and cultivate them next season. This endless cycle will allow you to realize
the endless joy of gardening across all the seasons and stages in the life of a
plant.
 INTRODUCTION

S aving seeds has long been the primary means of moving plants from
generation to generation. Seed Saving is not only enjoyable, but it is also a
meaningful way of perpetuating heirloom plants and ensuring the genetic
diversity of food crops worldwide, which erodes at an unparalleled and
accelerating rate. Over the years, seed saving has been successfully used for
many crops. Essentially, the varieties we call "heirloom" are here today,
because committed gardeners like you and me have saved seed faithfully over
the years.
Seeds are saved from annual and biennial plants, in general. Seeds that you
save are accustomed to your climate and growing medium from your home
production system and are adapted to the pests in your field. Seeds from
hybrid varieties produce a variety of offspring, many of which may have
characteristics different from the parent. Saving seed is easy; people have
done it for thousands of years, sustaining all the wonderful vegetables that we
eat today in the process.
Saving seed allows you to grow plants to maturity, and eventually they get
bigger and live longer than normal, so leave a little more space around them
when planting. Saving and rising seed is a part of evolution year after year.
Saving seeds from heritage plants or plants native to your region is a way to
preserve the diversity in the environment. Saving garden seeds can be a
perfect cost-saving measure at the end of each growing season and a way to
replicate the delectable harvest last year.
Plants are pollinated by wind, insects or by what is known as self-pollination
in three different ways. Plants of the same species may overlap with each
other creating parent plant mixes. As with beans, plants with pods are ready
when the pods are brown and dry. Wind-pollinated plants (such as corn and
spinach) and insect-pollinated plants (such as squash and cucumbers) produce
a next-generation that has similar characteristics of the “parent plant,” or they
may cross with other varieties to create something completely unique. There
has been a major shift in recent decades to buying seed annually from
commercial seed suppliers, and to seed hybridized or cloned plants that do
not yield seed that remains "true to type " – retaining the characteristics of the
parent. To be effective in seed saving, new skills need to be developed to
improve growers' ability to ensure desirable properties are retained in their
plant. It is the understanding of the minimum number of plants to be grown
that will maintain inherent genetic diversity and knowing the cultivar's
chosen characteristics so that plants that are not true to breeding are not
selected for seed production. Recommended minimum seed survival plant
count: 25 cucumbers, squash, melons; 50-100 radishes, brassicas, mustards;
200 sweet corn. Since the plants have been properly separated from different
varieties of the same species, seed saved from these plants should grow well.
When randomly matted inside their range, the open-pollinated varieties
should grow true to nature. If two spinach varieties bloom near each other,
then the resulting seed is likely to be a cross between the two. To prevent
cross-pollination, different pepper varieties should be separated by 500 feet.
The closer the varieties, the greater the number of seeds crossed.
Theoretically, you can aim to separate all varieties for at least half a mile.
Heirloom vegetables are varieties which farmers and gardeners grow, pick,
save, name and share. Heirloom plants are now accessible because seeds for
domestic use have been saved by people throughout the centuries of
subsistence agriculture. Through planting with heirloom seeds, you can really
cut down on your gardening costs which will help you to save year after year.
You can also save seeds from the heirloom flowers including cleome,
foxgloves, hollyhock, nasturtium, sweet pea and zinnia. You are in charge of
the varieties of heirloom which do best in your garden. Saving your own
seeds will improve your self-sufficiency and save you money. It's known as
an heirloom generally. A variety must be open-pollinated.
Since heirloom seeds and the seed saving method still hold hope for helping
to feed a hungry world, today it’s more beneficial. You can save favorite
heirloom seeds in your garden for your own use, breed and improve varieties,
trade with others, join seed-saving groups, or grow seed commercially at any
scale — there are numerous opportunities.
Once you store the seeds, make sure you have dried them thoroughly. Once
thoroughly dried and stored in air-proof containers in the freezer for extended
storage or in a cool, dry cellar for next season, the quality home-saved seeds
will be maintained. While some vegetable seeds will remain viable in storage
for as long as 15 years or more and grains will remain viable even longer
under stable environmental conditions, the amount of seed that will germinate
will decrease each year in storage. It helps to buy desiccant packets for your
storage containers to keep your seeds dry when you've processed the seeds
and are ready to pack for the winter. During storage, seeds should contain 3-5
percent moisture. In the case of worldwide catastrophes, war, pandemic
outbreaks and other unexpected disasters, storing seeds will safeguard the
vegetation of the planet.
If you are a beginner organic gardener, reliable sources of seed will be
required to start your seed bank. Even if you don't want to save plants, many
people worry about the origins of their seeds and want to steer clear of
genetically modified seeds. So, how do you understand that the seeds you
buy are safe and good for organic production?
Research Farms: i.e. private research farms dedicated to finding and applying
environmentally sound methods, are the first place to look.
Seed Companies: search for seed companies engaged in the marketing of
open-pollinated crops. Open pollination occurs when plants are left to
reproduce through wind, birds, and bees on their own. But hybrid seeds are
not always bad. Hybrids are two or more crop crossbreeds bred for their
strengths. For example, a farmer takes a tomato that normally lasts longer
against certain diseases in his area, and then he breeds it with a variety that is
known to be producing early—if it produces early, the disease will never
develop. These two properties combine to make the variety strong and the
product can reach the market earlier. Many other farmers may like the variety
and would like to purchase some of the crop. Okay, when they know the
exact varieties used to produce the plant, they'll have to buy seed from the
original breeder.
Selection: three or four companies that suit the bill are picked. Order seeds
from each one. It doesn’t need to be a big order. Simply order something
small, evaluate customer service and seeds. Plant, and examine the results. If
you're happy you may have several seed sources. I use Johnny's Selected
Plants, Bountiful Crops, and Southern Seed Exchange as the three seed
companies. I don't have any association with these businesses, but they
provide excellent customer support, ships fast and deliver on their promise.
Market farmers: who are devoted to organic and open-pollinated seeds are
another great seed source. Those seeds are specially grown for the market.
You will have seeds for your garden next season if you buy their seed-
bearing produce.
Avid Gardeners: these are the extreme type; people who even garden in the
cold of winter! They could be a source of information as well as a great
source to help you start your own seed bank if they are devoted to open-
pollinated seeds. They often have more seeds in one season than they could
possibly grow.
Open-pollinated seeds are a great way to start conserving and expanding our
vegetable species’ diversity. You do more than just grow the beets and beans.
It is important to store these properly when saving your own seeds. If not
stored properly, not only is it a waste of time and resources to save the seeds,
but it is also necessary to make sure that your seeds are viable when it comes
to planting them!
Below are just a few tips on seed storage, bearing in mind the
location/climate factors in storage, as well as available space, what types of
seeds you are saving/storing, and how long you want the seeds to be stored;
make sure to save the seeds at full maturity.
To dry the seeds, put them in a cool, dry place — do not leave them outside
where they can be influenced by the elements. Placing the seeds on paper
bags helps draw out and soak up moisture.
Place these in glass mason jars or baby food jars with tight lids once the seeds
are completely dry. I prefer to use containers for baby food since they are
small and simple to transport if necessary.
Many people would buy small packets of silica to put the seeds in the jars to
remove any remaining moisture. It is not mandatory if you live in a dry area,
but if you live in a humid or damp area, I would suggest it.
The seeds are always stored in a cold, dry spot. You should put them in your
refrigerator if you want them to last longer. When you do this, use the silica
packets for sure, and make sure the lids are clean and secure.
Some seeds will survive for up to five years, but I would suggest that the
saved seeds be checked at the start of each growing season to ensure that they
remain viable. Date your bottles, so you know when the seeds have been
saved. If the seeds are over five years old, I'm not going to put a lot of stock
into them being viable, so it's probably time to save some new seeds of that
type.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GROWING AND STORING

VEGETABLES, FRUITS, HERBS
AND FLOWERS SEEDS

veryone has vegetables listed in their diets. It is recommended that we

E should consume vegetables daily. It is fun to grow and eat vegetables by
yourself. But the question arises of how vegetables should be grown. We
will also see some tips and suggestions on how vegetables are grown.
If you're talking about how to grow vegetables in your yard, then it's not that
hard. Growing vegetables demand plenty of sunshine. So, you need to see if
your garden is receiving enough sunshine. Start in spring and getting a
vegetable garden near the kitchen is always better. In this way, you have easy
access to the garden which would allow faster planting. The seeds must be
soaked and require humidity. They are ready to grow, once they're a little
plump. Many vegetables like broccoli and cabbage don't need you to soak
their seeds. The process of overdoing the soaking could damage the seeds.
But don't throw them away too quickly.
When considering how to grow vegetables in the cold, you'll need to use
tepees that are filled with water around the tender vegetables. There are other
plastic sheets available on the market that serve as a barrier to the plant until
it is filled with water. Also, the sun can easily move through this sheet so the
plants stay warm longer. You should be planting them deep inside the earth.
If you are wondering how to grow vegetables that grow on vines. If you plant
them in your garden, they may not grow the way you want them to and they
may grow into the rest of your yard. But if they are rooted more deeply, then
they will easily maintained. Tomatoes require horizontal planting into the
trench. So, the seed doesn't have to be sown deep in the soil; it will grow
well.
Try to avoid cutworms that spoil delicate, tender plants. It will save space
when planting vegetable plants if you always try to position them vertically.
It is possible to allow vegetables such as cucumber, beans, melons, etc. to
grow on trees or walls, rather than being scattered around them. Both the
vegetables need timely fertilizers. Ensure to take good care of them. It will
mean they continue to offer vegetables at regular intervals.
The method can be a lot smoother overall than you would expect. There are
also some factors involved in growing plants in your vegetable gardens that
you may not have previously known. The resulting experience can be both
enjoyable and satisfying once you know the main guiding points.
Here are the secret to getting good plants. It's important that every plant gets
what it needs. Around the same time, we need to protect the plants from the
stuff they don't need. This consistency is what makes division so vital to
success. Find one of the most important plant needs: water. One plant may
require substantially more water than another. Home gardens are supplied
with water either by rain or direct watering. Try to keep plants with similar
water requirements close together. This way, when applied, there's less
concern about where the water will go. The landscape may be more important
in the case of rain. Plants requiring little water should be planted in proper
soil to allow drainage, while in some instances, plants needing more water
should be accommodated by proper soil selection and other means. Your
planting needs include much of how to grow vegetable garden plants, but
there is another dimension to a garden that should not be overlooked.
Plants are not single-minded. We hold the capacity for interaction. You may
have learned the story of the cross-pollinated plants. Maybe you also met
someone who blended flavors in plants growing next to each other. That is
the second reason to separate properly. There are a variety of plants that can
pollinate throughout. If you're going to allow the plants to grow and evolve
through a natural cycle, then study the plants you want. In certain cases, you
may decide to use neutral plants to distinguish interacting plants. In certain
situations, you may be expected to leave a bare spot in your garden.
However, usually, there is something that can be planted at that bare spot.
Considering the above, you should have a very good but simple
understanding of how to grow plants in a vegetable garden. That does not
mean your garden has to be the same year after year. There are one or two
spots in several gardens that are rotated from year to year. This adds variety
to the growing vegetables but in some cases, they may also increase the soil
quality of the garden. The combinations are endless and can bring even more
excitement to the gardening experience. That also means you'll have to share
more fascinating vegetables with others. The smiles will continue,
encouraging those who actually eat the vegetables to engage in the garden.
They might not be fond of weeding but many will enjoy watering and other
nursing activities.
Growing vegetables is also fun. It takes time to prepare the soil and do the
actual planting but it's worth the effort to be able to select a fresh tomato or
cucumber for a salad. Saving on the grocery bill whenever possible is always
a plus. It's not complicated but growing a vegetable garden takes a little
know-how.
You can grow the vegetables in two ways. You can grow them in the
conventional outdoor greenhouse, or you can grow them in containers. No
matter which gardening approach you select, a sunny location is the one
constant to both. If you have trees in your yard, trimming the trees can
increase the amount of sun the garden area gets. You would be able to push
them around and be in the sun for longer periods of time depending on the
size and weight of the containers.
Knowing how to cultivate a vegetable garden to achieve full success
Container gardening is great for growing vegetables if there isn't a lot of
room in the yard. Many of the vegetables that can be grown in containers are
tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and squash. Some vegetables need a minimum
container of one gallon, and some need a larger amount. Compost filled
containers are best designed for container gardening. Vegetables may begin
with seeds. Plant the seeds in a warm spot, so that they are ready for
transplanting once the season begins. Starter plants can also be purchased
from the nearest gardening centre.
You may want to create in your yard a traditional vegetable garden. Choose a
place where sun abounds for a large part of the day. Measure the area your
garden has available and calculate the square footage. There are two reasons
why the area is important. One, to know how much fertilizer or mulch may
be required and two, to decide how many plants can be planted.
When the soil has been prepared and fertilized, according to the instructions,
plant seeds or starter plants.
Overcrowding your garden won't let the plants grow properly and you'll end
up with no or little vegetables. Depending on the crop, germination can take
from a week to six weeks not matter where you plant seeds. When planting
starter plants, it will take them a few days to develop and they will look
wilted. Water the crop, or seeds, after planting. The soil should be moist but
not too wet.
Containers should have holes in the bottom to allow drainage and they should
be placed on bricks or blocks. They should be placed in a graded yard lawn,
so the water does not settle. If it rains, then water is not needed. Water not
with a stream of water but with a gentle spray. Try setting up a sprinkler in
the garden on a watering day for a few hours.
 KEEPING THE GARDEN FREE FROM RABBITS

T hat would need regular weeding. When weeds are allowed to take root in
the garden, they will consume the energy from the soil and leave the
plants with little to no energy. Your garden may need a fence or some
other barrier to keep out the critters.
How to grow a vegetable garden means you need to learn what your plants
need to thrive. So, don't worry about your new vegetable planting, I will
guide you through the whole process. Let's go over the basics you will need
to get your garden ready.
-- Clear the field, and make sure it's perfect for growing your vegetables.
How do you know whether it's suitable or not? Well just make sure you rake
it clean so there's no leaves or weeds around to hinder your garden's
production.
-- First, you'll want to till the soil and really break it down so your garden can
breathe properly.
-- After the soil is tilled and broken down, the fertilizer you intend to use will
be added.
-- After the fertilizer has been applied, you will have to till the soil again to
blend the fertilizer, so that it can work to its maximum potential.
First, apply a little water to the soil. Don't place a lot of water; make sure
none of the water is still at the edge.
Learning how to grow a vegetable garden will initially be a process of trial
and error, so don't panic if you screw up the first time around. When you add
too much water, then just wait a couple of days and try again.
-- You are now able to start planting after the water has been applied and
when the soil is moist and there is none settling
See, look how easy that was. Now, your first little vegetable garden has a
spaced cleared out and ready. Now the fun part is really starting. You'll have
to go get your desired seeds at your local nursery.
Cucumbers and melons are able to grow easily in compost. Some leftover
food and fruit used to fertilize them. It will as manure, and will help the crop
to grow well. It is the safest way of growing those vegetables.
There's a huge array of vegetables you can easily grow in your backyard.
When you've laid out your plot and determined what to grow, now it's time to
populate your plot and begin to grow. However, it is not enough just to plant
vegetable plants into the garden and wait for them to bring fresh produce.
Different vegetables grow under various conditions and some need more
nutrients than others. Here are some useful tips from just a few popular
varieties to get the best from.

Peas
The sound of a juicy fat pea pod bursting open to expose the first few peas of
the year is pleasurable. For me, peas are the sweets of the world, and it's a
wonder that anyone ever makes it back to my kitchen! Make sure you dig the
soil well when growing peas, and put in plenty of manure before planting
because peas love rich moisture-retaining soil. Mulching around each plant's
base and frequent watering will also benefit them through dry weather spells
which they hate. Lastly, outside sowing will depend upon your location but
will usually be between early and mid-spring. But first make sure the soil's
warmed up enough. Peas should be well supported with sticks or stakes,
allowing for good space on the plants for the pods to grow. Peas are a
favorite among birds so covering young plants with chicken wire or plastic
netting may be a smart idea. Harvest the pods periodically to ensure that they
are as fresh as possible and use or freeze as needed.

Runner beans
I will recommend to those with little experience growing vegetables to grow
runner beans. They grow quickly and require little effort. They look amazing
and have a long harvest time, yielding a big crop. There are only three main
requirements for runner beans – deeply dug soil, lots of well-rotted manure
and lots of water. You need a strong support network for growing runner
beans. High bamboo obelisks or firm sticks will make the perfect climbing
structure. Make sure you put your stakes in early and protect them well – how
heavy these plants can become when they're loaded with beans is incredible!
Sow the seeds indoors in early to mid-spring and the young plants can then
be planted out in early summer at the bottom of any upright support. When
they hit the top of the support structure, pinch the rising tips out, so the plants
don't get top-heavy. Choose the pods when they're young and may be stringy
until they swell like older pods.

Tomatoes
The tangy-sweet taste of fresh tomatoes straight from the vine is quite
enjoyable. Tomatoes can be grown in your greenhouse, in a growbag or in a
yard. I tend to grow them in the greenhouse because a better crop is
guaranteed as the plants are not so dependent on the environment. Don't
bother growing seed tomatoes, they can be fiddly, and you still end up with
many more plants than you can use or give way. Gardener's pleasure is a
favorite of mine. This variety yields an abundance of very sweet and juicy,
tiny cherry tomatoes. Pinch the growing tip of plants out once five or six
healthy-looking fruit-bearing side shoots have been produced. Water well and
feed your tomatoes and they'll reward you for the entire summer.

Potatoes
Vegetable gardeners claims that potatoes are an easy crop to grow that can be
relied on to produce a successful harvest. If you do not have the space to
grow both early and maincrop varieties then my advice will be to stick to
early varieties of salad. None is more rewarding than digging up the first
salad potatoes in summer and eating them with a nice butter dollop. Seed
potatoes need chitting before planting them; that is they are sprouting short
green shoots. Begin planting potatoes early through mid-spring. The safest
way to dig a trench is around it. Grip each potato carefully so that no shoots
are knocked off. Plant to a depth of about 15 cm, with 30 cm between each
potato. If the shoots emerge above the ground, start the earthing-up cycle by
raking the soil around them and over them to create a ridge. This prevents the
tuber from being exposed to light and turning green which makes them toxic.
Water young plants well to ensure strong tuber cultivation. Watch out for
potato blight which, in warm wet summers, can be a particular problem and
can ruin a crop. Harvesting the first potatoes is like making a treasure search.
When the plants have flowered, the crop is ready. Choose a moist, dry day
and scrape a bit of the soil away to test if the tubers are large enough. Leave
the tubers exposed to the air to allow them to dry off for a few hours. This
makes its handling easier.

Carrots
Ever wonder why one would bother to grow carrots when they are fairly
cheap to buy and store well? Yet I don't think you've really tasted a carrot
until you ate one you've grown yourself. The flavor is so much stronger and
sweeter. Carrots can be sown regularly from March to July, but don't start too
early as the soil has to be warm for effective germination. Carrots are a
vegetable that does not like being transplanted and must thus be sown
directly into the soil. Carrots need a soft, well-drained soil, free of
obstructions, to avoid club or twisted root formation. Therefore, growing
them in broad garden with free-draining sealed compost or soil is often more
effective. Sow carrot seed thinly but this can be difficult as the seeds are very
small, so expect the seedlings to thin out once they emerge. Beware of carrot
flying in early summer. Consider growing chives next to your carrots, as the
chives' scent is good enough to hide the carrots' scent that attracts the fly.
Keep the carrots in the field until the last possible moment. When harvested,
the fresher they are, the better they taste!
 HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES IN WINTER

T heSeptember
majority of people believe the vegetable growing season ends in
and begins in April or May. Although this could be the time
with the most comfortable temperatures – where you can spend more time
outdoors – winter is not a "dead season."
In addition to preparing your soil for the coming spring, you can also practice
winter planting and keep on growing vegetables. I'm going to write about two
key points in this article: using seasonal extenders to prolong the "warmer"
season and growing crops in winter to harvest in spring.
Why do I keep growing plants when they get cold?
For winter gardening, you can use the so-called "season extenders" to retain
some degree of warmth for your plants and protect them from wind and snow
damage. This can be:
- You can create small row covers that are only large enough to cover your
plants; or you can create some form of greenhouses that you can enter and
work in.
In addition, the benefits of these systems are that you use the greenhouse
effect to heat the air under the respective cover. However, when it gets cold at
night, cold-resistant plants do grow best.
When you use greenhouse vegetable planting plans, vegetables can be grown
at just about any time of year. Growing them in a hothouse is similar to
growing garden vegetables in the summer. You just need to take a few extra
measures to artificially supply what they would experience in a normal
situation.
You can use two methods to grow the vegetables in a portable greenhouse.
Throughout the day, the first uses the energy of the sun to heat up the system,
which is called the cold process. When the temperature drops, a heating
system turns on to hold the temperature at least 45 degrees F. Plants do not
flourish with this technique but rather are only maintained until they can be
put outdoors in the summer.
Growing vegetables in winter need water, so the approach to use is a warm
technique. Garden greenhouses need to maintain a minimum temperature of
55 degrees F to expand and require a heating unit. Heating devices can be
natural, propane, or electric.
Within a greenhouse nearly every vegetable that you can grow outside can be
grown inside. Nearly every vegetable has a variety to grow indoors that have
been hybridized. For most catalogs, you will find them seeds that can be
sown in the winter. The seed types that you want are those that don't need
much heat to develop. You will look for varieties that grow small or can be
trimmed to be small because, in one of these systems, there is not as much
space as in a yard.
Pollination is an essential natural activity which has to be carried out
artificially. Unfortunately, insects do not dwell within, particularly bees.
Pollinating tomatoes provides an example of pollinating a vegetable. Tomato
vines should be attached to stakes made of bamboo, and the stakes should be
tapped in the morning and in the evening when the flower is ready. You'll
know that when the petals start curving backward, the flor is finished. Pay
careful attention to this, as the flowers can contain pollen only for three days
to pollinate the crop.
Since there isn't much sunshine in the winter, you have to incorporate
sunshine by using heat lamps. Most of the vegetables need a minimum of
eight hours a day. The plants would of course still need to be periodically
watered and fertilized.
Winter greenhouse gardening is a little more difficult and takes longer than
summer, but it is also satisfying. On a snowy day in January, you can go to
the greenhouse and select a tomato ripened on the vine. Any time of year,
you can have the complete taste of summer.
Season planting crops are available that can be planted even in late fall or
winter months (also when the field is frozen). In fact, some plants (so-called
cold season plants) are intended to be planted more and if planted late in the
year, do not grow as well.
The benefit of early planting is that
a.) you get good, resistant plants and
 b.) you get your vegetable yields much sooner (in spring, rather than in
summer).
You should also clear your beds of all dead plant material (also autumn
foliage) before planting any seeds, crack the ground open, apply compost and
till it in. You can use organic fertilizers if your soil was heavily cultivated in
the previous year.
Typical cold/hardy plants are as follows:
Tubers and roots should not be grown early in the year because they can
quickly rot from wetness. Nevertheless, if you combine the two tips cold
covers and cold seasonal plants, you can even grow potatoes before their time
is due, and transplant them into your "natural" beds once the weather
becomes warm again.
I hope that information will inspire you to try to garden yourself in winter.
 AQUAPONICS-HOW TO GROW
VEGETABLES QUICKLY

Aquaponics - How to Create and Operate a Setup

his is the most important question that emerged when we consider raising
T fish and vegetables side by side. Aquaponics is also the art of growing
vegetables as well as fish using very little resources – mainly water
already present in your fish tank. In short, the idea of using the waste that
comes from your fishponds is to supply your vegetables with nutrients.
This is both relatively easy and a totally organic way to grow your favorite
vegetables without thinking about soil cultivation or fertilization, not to
mention the use of toxic synthetic fertilizers. You just need to feed the fish in
an aquaponics system, and you might even cultivate your own fish food.

Aquaponics - How to use the new fish tank?

Before delving into the Aquaponics information, let us see how the water
from your fish tank is useful for growing vegetables. We all know that fish
generate a lot of waste, which produces ammonia, which, if left to build-up,
is toxic to the fish (a big reason why we need to refresh the water in a normal
setup at regular intervals unless there is an appropriate filter system in place).
The plants do the filtering at an aquaponics facility. The plants, however,
cannot make use of ammonia. What happens is that bacteria in the tank water
will grow naturally, and they will convert the ammonia into nitrates. The
nitrates act as a natural fertilizer for all types of vegetables, thereby providing
a unique opportunity to grow fresh vegetables with the help of the fish's
natural waste.
Research has shown that growing plants using water from fish tanks makes
the vegetables grow at fifty percent faster than average. Also, you get the
chance to see your favorite vegetables grow in a very short time. That isn't
all. Now the same water can be recycled back to the filtered fish tank and
therefore keep the fish alive in a healthy environment.

Aquaponics – How to get started:

The basic process of beginning with Aquaponics is very simple. For plants to
grow, you need fishponds and reservoirs. There are ready-built kits available
on the market, though your system can be easily designed and produced.
Whatever you do, the simple answer you need to know about how to get
started with aquaponics is:

1. What you intend to grow

2. Existing room,
3. The kind of system that you want to create.
Once developed, aquaponics doesn't take much of your time to care for. The
fish tanks are still at a lower level than the rising beds, whichever method you
use because the water from the beds will naturally flow back into the fish
tanks. Recall that the water is recycled and that is why aquaponics only use
about 2 percent of the amount of water that would be used in your home
garden.
You would need a pump to bring a set amount of water into the beds so that
the plants still get a proper amount of water with the nutrients they need and
send it back to the tank filtered. In certain processes, the plant roots remain
immersed in the mud, while the mud is drained into the plants.
Aquaponics is useful in three ways: you get fresh vegetables, you get fresh
fish, and you're going to save a little money.
Aquaponics is particularly suitable for areas with very little water supply, as
it requires very little water. Helping to provide the much-needed food would
be particularly acceptable in third world countries. It is also very useful for us
to learn how to set up an aquaponics system because it will give us cheap
fresh vegetables and cheap fresh fish. Especially when the price of vegetables
goes sky high because of weather conditions.
How to Raise Year-round Vegetables With Indoor Aquaponics
By using aquaponics to build your own indoor greenhouse, you will no
longer have to think about paying the ridiculous winter price for fresh
vegetables. Alternatively, right in your basement or spare bedroom, you can
grow your vegetables year-round. Think about something new! Maybe the
best thing about it is the fact that you would have firsthand knowledge of
what you are eating.
If you're not acquainted with aquaponics, let me quickly get you up to speed.
Aquaponics is essentially a hydroponic extension — the art of raising plants
without the use of dirt or soil. Roots of the plant rest directly in a water bath.
In general, the plant itself is in a floating form of bed. With hydroponics, to
feed the plants, you had to add nutrients to the water.
The plants are getting their nutrients in a much more sustainable and organic
way with aquaponics – from raising fish. If you've ever had fish before, you
know they can put out some gross by-products like ammonia and so on.
Okay, here's where we see in practice the great circle of life—those nasty by-
products are just what plants need to grow. Therefore, the fish emulsion feeds
the plants, and they filter the water for the fish as the plants take what they
need from the water. This is an all-natural, and all organic process.
If you wonder what kind of plants you can grow with aquaponics — well,
there's basically something going on. Beginners may want to start out with a
green leafy veggie like lettuce. Growth is usually the fastest. Certain plants
you can add include basil, watercress, peas, tomatoes, red and green peppers,
strawberries and melons as you get the hang of it. You can try many things.
The true test of whether a plant works for you or not is just to try and see.
Aquaponic planting has another advantage. You get to eat the fish, too! When
you're looking for a way to become sustainable (or off the grid), this type of
garden will not only give you fresh fruit and veggies throughout the year but
also protein. This is from the comfort of your own house.
You probably think it would be expensive to have an indoor aquaponic
gardening program, right? Okay, yeah, if you are buying a ready-made device
that's possibly real. The good news is that it's totally possible to develop your
device with a good DIY guide. Your commodity bills' savings will cover the
operating expenses. Moreover, you get the added advantage of understanding
where the food of your family comes from and whether it is actually safe.

HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES IN CONTAINERS

T heMaintaining
benefits of growing vegetables in containers are numerous.
the soil is better. There are also more choices for dealing
with changes in light and temperature. Management of the pests is
therefore easier. Whether inside a home, on the patio, or in a greenhouse,
container gardening is possible.
Some vegetables take up large quantities of space, such as pumpkins and
cucumber, but they should do well in containers. Peas, peppers, carrots, and
tomatoes do just as well when grown in a container, if not better.
It is important to pick a container large enough for a fully grown, harvest-
ready plant. Choose soil that is free from weeds and will be sure to add ample
fertilizer before planting. Consider the synthetic soil-like material, or peat
moss mixtures, wood chips, and perlite for specific species.
Be sure to prepare the soil or use a synthetic medium before planting. It
makes control of the water much easier. To keep the container-grown plants
safe, it is necessary to balance adequate drainage and good moisture
retention. Place some marbles at the bottom of the container to avoid the
clogging of holes and ensure proper drainage. Mix the clay particles into
industrial soil prepared for planting.
Also, if the soil is well prepared, water carefully. If containers are close to a
window, soil will dry out quickly. Through overwatering, it is easy to
introduce root rot or to forget that watering chores have been completed, so
keep a soil moisture tester nearby.
For most situations, the purchase of professionally prepared container
planting soil is simpler. Soil straight from the outside is not normally a good
choice for container development. Nature has a way to remove water from
clay-like dry soils. The water retention of clay is exacerbated when used in a
container and can contribute to root rot.
Many vegetables require sunlight. You can anticipate a great tomato crop if
you are growing it on a windowsill facing south which receives several hours
of sunlight every day. Tomato plants often grow in the sun, so burning them
is a low risk. Other plants, such as spinach, prefer less direct sunlight. Place
these partially in shade. When you're using planting containers, it's easy to
place your plants in different weather conditions.
Whether your plants are sitting outdoors, or are kept indoors, pests will reach
them. Use an insect screen, as you would in an outdoor garden. Larvae may
grow in container plant soil if the eggs were laid in the soil before they were
planted. When used in compliance with standards, insecticide soaps and other
commercial mixtures are suitable for plant handling, and good for you while
consuming plants.
Having readily available fresh vegetables gives you convenience and safe
eating options. While container gardening takes some effort, the time and
commitment are well worth the rewards.
Growing fruits and vegetables in containers is easy, even for a beginner, and
if you don't have a big garden, it can be a good idea. There are many varieties
of vegetables suitable for growing in this way, including green onions,
eggplant, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, and tomatoes, perhaps the most
frequently grown. Some of these are climbing plants so some support like
wooden posts, trellis or wire cages will be required. Containers can be put on
patios, balconies or anywhere you have a moist, suitable room.

What varieties of vegetables are sufficient to grow in containers?

It is not possible to grow all varieties of these vegetables in containers, and
you will usually have to select dwarf varieties, often called “mini veg” or
defined as “appropriate for close spacing.” For beans, pick a variety like
Hestia or the Sutton, for Balconi, Patio, Sweet 1000 or Tiny Tim tomatoes.
Often ideal are California Wonder Peppers, and Minnesota Midget Melons.
Try Little Gem, or Tom Thumb for lettuces. All of these varieties take up less
space than the standard varieties and were specially designed for growing in
confined spaces.

What type of container would you select?

It is possible to use almost any sort of container, just make sure it is wide
enough and has plenty of holes in the drainage. In hanging baskets, other
types of tomatoes grow very well. Terracotta pots are beautiful but require
more care than plastic pots because they appear to dry out much more
quickly. If possible, pick a light-colored pot because it is cooler in the hotter
months and hold heat less than dark-colored pots so the soil won't overheat
too quickly. To help save water use a drip tray under the containers.

What places are ideal for vegetable containers?

You can place your pots on a balcony or patio but make sure they're going to
be in the heat for most of the day. To grow well, vegetables will need a
minimum of six hours of sunshine a day. In colder climates, putting them
against a wall facing south is a smart idea. You could also place the pots on a
mobile platform so you can move them around to get sunlight from every
direction; that will lead to more even growth and allow you to move them out
of the sun in the heat of the day.

How do you plant your container of vegetables?

You'll need to use a decent quality potting compost. For container growing,
ordinary garden soil is not recommended because it does not have the right
nutrient balance and may contain pests and weed seed. You may buy the
vegetables as young transplants, or you can cultivate them from seed indoors
or in a greenhouse. Place a bit of mulch on top of the soil until they are
transplanted to your pots to help preserve moisture. You may use mold or
straw for the root. Don't crowd the seedlings; give them plenty of space to
develop and install a structure where they can climb if necessary.

How much are you expected to water your vegetable containers?

Most containers would require watering every day and you could apply three
or four times a week to a low nutrient solution. Do not spray directly on the
plants as spraying on the leaves may promote mold and fungi around its
bases. Don't let the pots get waterlogged but make sure that the drainage is
sufficient.
It's fun growing vegetables in containers and it's very easy even for a
beginner gardener. Once you harvest your crop of fresh vegetables, ready to
cook or add to the salad, you'll be well rewarded.

How to create an Elevated Bed Vegetable Garden

If you're thinking of building an elevated bed vegetable garden, there are
some important things to bear in mind. Your garden layout that is the most
important thing to consider.
Many first-time gardeners also make the mistake of designing a garden that is
much harder to care for than they thought at first. Using the right amount of
nutrients, water and sunshine, choosing the best layout for your raised bed
will mean less work for you along with extra benefits for your vegetables.
This, of course, is down to a few extra items, so here are a few simple tips to
help you build the perfect layout.
Planning ahead: this is the first thing to do, and one of the most important
when thinking about having a vegetable garden on a raised bed. Doing so
would mean that it is set up properly so that at a later date, you do not have to
switch items around. When you have left the right amount of space, you can
expand later. This also affects the available space, so you need to think about
which vegetables you wish to grow.
You'll benefit a lot from using separate boxes for every vegetable. It is
something you need to be careful about while planning your project. With
each vegetable, the reason for using different boxes is that some will require
special care (this means you'll have other boxes for the more vulnerable
plants).
One thing you can't forget is choosing the appropriate position for your beds.
No matter what size of bed you use, it's important to have the best spot. The
best positions will include:

Clear ground
Highest quantity of sunlight
Good ventilation. You need to avoid beds that are too wide,
making a wide elevated bed will make maintenance difficult.
The ideal size will be about 4 feet long for your raised
vegetable garden beds. This means that access from both sides
is relatively easy.
You want to make sure the taller plants are at the back when planting your
raised bed. The reason for doing so is that these plants won't block the
sunlight for the smaller plants.
It's a lot of fun to build your new, raised bed vegetable garden. So, having all
these tips in mind will make sure your new raised bed garden is a success
along with being exciting for everyone concerned. Then, soon enough, you'll
reap the benefits of getting your own vegetable garden built in your home.

What problems are solved by an elevated bed vegetable garden?

A lot of people have concerns about growing your vegetables. They have
heard of different styles of garden designs and are searching for a guide to
help them get started with growing vegetables without much trouble. One
question you might ask is: what are the problems of managing a raised bed
vegetable garden? Let’s examine some of the common problems facing
gardeners, and what solutions can be solved with this kind.
 COMMON VEGETABLE GARDENING PROBLEMS

W hen it comes to having a vegetable garden started, those who want to

grow their vegetables are often faced with four common problems.
These relate to:

1. Space issues
2. Poor soil quality
3. Drainage issues
4. Accessibility issues
Now that we are aware of the four key problems vegetable gardeners have to
deal with let's see if we can solve each. The difficulty of growing vegetables
can be summed up by considering the construction of an elevated bed
vegetable garden for those who must deal with these kinds of struggles.

• Space issues – Most people live in subdivisions or city blocks,

all of which appear to have little space in their yards. You can
grow enough vegetables for home use in a garden that is
elevated above the ground using a limited amount of room
only. A garden bed that is 2 feet by 10 feet should yield enough
vegetables for your family.
• Poor soil quality – There are many areas that have too much
sand or clay and others that don't have enough or too many
natural soil nutrients to grow well, including alkaline. With a
raised bed vegetable garden, the plants are above ground level
and you select the soil mix from which the bed is filled. Along
with other soil mixtures, you can thus incorporate organic
growing materials.
• Drainage issues – Many yards just don't drain well. Trying to
grow your own vegetables in soil that is not properly draining
can deprive your plants of the oxygen that is vital to their
existence. Bad drainage can also contribute to the creation of
diseases due to the excessively saturated soil that can damage
 your plants. Because the vegetables are well above ground level
with proper drainage outlets as you build the bed, having a
raised bed garden can eliminate this problem.
• Accessibility issues – Accessibility to the plants they cultivate
can be an issue for some people. Elevated bed gardens can be
built on pedestals fully off the ground so that the bed height can
accommodate without having to bend or kneel like a typical
garden would require. This approach may benefit those with
physical disabilities who are interested in growing vegetables
but have not been able to do so before but they can now reach
their plants. In this form of garden design, you are also not
expected to walk through rows so tending and harvesting your
crops will just be a short distance away.
These are only a couple of the problems a raised bed vegetable garden can
overcome. For several gardening enthusiasts, this garden design is becoming
increasingly popular. It's an economically sound measure to grow your own
vegetables and a healthy activity to get involved in. Now that you know how
the problems having a raised bed vegetable garden bed can solve, isn't it time
for you to have one?
Modern vegetable gardens need a large amount of hard work and care –
weeding, feeding and strict planting schedules. There is also the seasonality
issue, which allows beds to rest during the cooler months, producing nothing
at all. Instead, we are told to plant crops of green manure, apply inorganic
fertilizers and chemicals to improve soil quality. It takes a lot of energy,
effort and year-round commitment in using the conventional way of growing
your own food.

But does that really need to be so hard?

Let me ask you this question. Should a forest ponder how to grow? Does it
take to turn in its soil every season? Will anyone come along every so often
and take pH samples or plant seeds? Can it weed or spray dangerous
chemicals?
Clearly not!
Modern methods of vegetable gardening concentrate on the issues. Did you
note that books about gardening are full of ways to fix problems? For several
years, I was a conventional gardener and I noticed that the solution to most of
the problems actually created a new set of problems. In other words, the
problem with the issues is that it creates more problems.
Let's look at a common traditional gardening practice, and I'll show you how
one problem can escalate into a whole host of issues.
Imagine a traditional vegetable garden which is planted with rows of different
vegetables. Bare patches between the vegetables are fairly large. A bare patch
to a typical gardener is merely a bare patch. But a bare patch is an empty
niche space, for an ecologist is an empty niche and is literally an invitation
for other life forms to take up residence. Nature does not accept empty niche
spaces and weeds are the most productive fillers of a niche space. In
ecological terms, which is what a weed is – a niche space filler. Weeds are
plants that colonize very well. They wouldn't be called weeds if they didn't.
Now back to our plot. Weeds are forming in empty void spaces. Quite often,
too many weeds are to be picked individually, so the typical gardener uses a
hoe to drive them into the dirt. In many gardening books, even in organic
gardening books, I have read that your hoe is your best friend. So, the
message that we get is that using a hoe is the answer to a problem.
But I want to show you how using a hoe is actually creating a new set of
problems. Firstly, turning soil excites weed seeds and produces a new weed
explosion. Then, second, soil turning upsets the ecosystem of soil. Generally,
the top layer of soil is dry and without structure. By turning it up, you put
deeper organized soil on the surface and beneath the structureless soil. The
band of structureless soil widened over time. Structureless soil has much less
ability to retain moisture, meaning that the garden now needs more water to
keep the plants alive.
Besides this issue, structureless soil cannot pass its nutrients on to the plants
as effectively as possible. The garden needs to use fertilizer now as well.
Most fertilizers destroy soil biology, which is very important to create soil
structure and the supply of plant nutrients. Eventually, the soil is a dead
material that doesn't have the required nutrient balance to produce fully
established foods. The diet would, in turn, be deficient in vitamins and
minerals. This topic has already arisen in modern-day farming. According to
Dr Tim Lobstein, Food Commission Director, "Agriculture today does not
require the soil to enrich itself, but depends on artificial fertilizers that do not
substitute the large range of nutrient plants and human needs." During the
past 60 years, commercially produced foods have undergone substantial
nutrient and mineral content reductions.”
Could you see how we began with the weed issue but ended up with the new
problems of lower capacity for water keeping and infertile soils? Finally, we
have the potentially serious issue of rising low nutrient content foods.
Modern gardening methods often try only to repair the problem, not the
cause.
There's one solution, though! We need to use a technique that combines pest
ecology, plant ecology, soil ecology and crop management into a system that
addresses the causes of these problems. That technique must be sufficiently
efficient to be economically viable. However, it should be able to produce
enough food to compete against conventional techniques, per given area.
For many years, I have been researching an ecologically-based method of
growing food. This approach uses zero tillage, zero pesticides, has minimal
weeds and requires a fraction of physical effort (compared to conventional
cultivation of vegetables). It also produces multiple times more, per area, and
provides food each day of the year.
My ecological garden imitates nature in such a way that the garden looks like
a natural ecosystem and behaves like it. Succession layering of plants (as we
see in natural ecosystems) provides efficient control of diseases. It also
removes, of course, the need for crop rotation, rest beds or green manure
crops. Soil conservation is approached in a natural way and the result is that
year after year the structure and fertility of the soil becomes richer and richer.
A further benefit of this method is automatic self-seeding regeneration. It
happens naturally as dormant seeds germinate; with attractive plants filling
vacant niche spaces, not weeds.
Unfortunately, the biggest challenge facing this approach is to persuade
conventional gardeners of its advantages. The gardening industry, like other
businesses, is trapped in doing things in a certain way. The ecologically-
based approach needs such little human involvement that many people
would, in my view, be irritated by the lack of need to monitor what is
happening. Of course, people love taking charge of their lives, but with this
approach, you allow nature to take the reins. It is a test of faith in natural laws
that are very basic. Such natural rules, however, are 100 percent accurate in
my experience.
One reason typical reason gardener do not like this approach is that it
eliminates all the mysticism of being an expert. You see, that method is so
easy that any person can do it under any circumstances, anywhere in the
world. For a seasoned gardener, when an embarrassingly easy solution comes
along, it can actually be very threatening.
I have no doubt this is the way we are going to produce food in the future. It's
just sort of common sense. Why wouldn't we use a system with a fraction of
the effort, which produces several times more food? I know it will take some
time to persuade people that growing food is actually very instinctual and
straightforward, but people will accept the approach with patience and proper
explanation.

Clever Ways to Achieve Natural Pest Control in Your Vegetable Garden

When you're someone who can't deal with a bunch of artificial chemicals
invading your vegetable garden, the whole gardening activity is especially
challenging. Yet it doesn't have to be so. If you happen to be a gardener who
likes things to be normal and who loves toying around with non-traditional
methods of preserving his crop, there are some common-sense solutions on
offer.
Fashioning all kinds of new natural pest control contraptions doesn't take
long, getting in the right counter-predatory steps and using organic
approaches to your problem. It takes patience and some sort of pleasure to
see how nature can be used to tackle some of the issues it creates.
Let's get first with a kind of insect that doesn't trouble your plants so much as
it makes you toil away in the heat of summer weeding, digging and planting
at your greenhouse – we're talking about flies and wasps, of course. But
gardeners wouldn't worry too much about their personal bother that if they
weren't too bad for their plants. Support is at hand with an innovative concept
in a simple wasp trap that you can also make from empty soda bottles. What
you need is a few clear plastic bottles with removed labels, filled with a little
thick sweet syrup at the bottom. All sorts of insects won't be able to resist the
sweet and will be utterly confused about how to make their way out. This is
such a popular approach that they render even decorative bottles with stands
and other needs for positioning.
Organic pesticides exist for pests that are not attracted by sweet syrup, which
may aid you in your search for natural pest control. What gardeners are using
is that which is called diatomaceous earth. It's mix with water, and spray all
over their garden, particularly over branches of flowering plants. The
poisonous diatomaceous earth that appears to corrode them will scare away
visiting insects. The only problem with these is that this way too can turn
away friendly garden insects such as butterflies and ladybugs.
Natural methods of pest control also work with larger rodents, such as
rabbits. Have you ever tried to create a vegetable garden with some rabbits
around? They believe that this is a buffet set up for them. The best way to
keep the rabbits or deer out of your vegetable patches will be to use chicken
or rabbit wire designed wire cages. You build yourself a cage to fit over any
patch of vegetables and you should be okay. Planting garlic all around your
vegetable garden would be a better way though. Many animals dislike the
scent as do other humans. It's just a very clever way to stop animals from
coming in and feeling there's something tasty there for them.
 IMPORTANT TOOLS THAT ARE USEFUL
FOR VEGETABLE GARDENING

f you're a keen gardener and want to grow your own vegetables, there's a
I wide variety of resources available that can help you produce some award-
winning. If you're an accomplished vegetable gardener, you'll appreciate
the value of getting the right equipment to successfully do the work. Once
you head out to buy all of your vegetable patch gardening equipment, it's
important to think about the scale of your vegetable garden and the physical
ability to do the job that vegetable gardening demands.
The first step in vegetable gardening is to plot out your patch of vegetables
and to till the soil to ensure it is ready for seeding. Especially, if you have a
large vegetable garden, this can be very intensive work. There's a variety of
tools to support you. A spade and a fork are the first two tools you'll need for
this work. The spade is useful for digging up the area of soil you have
marked out for your crops, while the fork can be used to further split the soil
into small, more suitable chunks and add some compost to the mix. If you
think you may have trouble digging; however, it may be worth investing in a
growers' machine or a rotary tiller. A rotary tiller or cultivator will do all the
hard work and dig up the land area for you to transform the soil as desired.
After you've tilled your soil, you need to think about seeding. Most times it's
a good idea to go over the soil with a rake to smooth it out and prepare it, so
sewing your seed choices is perfect enough for you. It's a good idea to put
your vegetables in sets and leave ample space between them.
Online sales of vegetable seeds can be a very good option. Many companies
don't package their seeds in advance, which allows the seeds to remain fresh
longer. Likewise, several retailers will ship the next day, so fast delivery is
guaranteed. You'll also find a very large variety of seeds you could not find at
your local store. Also, greenhouses or nurseries do not have a comprehensive
array of viable seed options for vegetables. If you're searching for the rare
organic tomato seed, you'll probably be able to find it online.
Most vegetable seed companies offer some kind of guarantee online. Some
say they will refund your purchase price or substitute the item if a seed does
not perform within a given time frame. This is the most popular form of
guarantee that you'll encounter. Other assurances claim if you are not happy
for any reason, they will refund your money. Regardless, make sure you
understand the terms and conditions before you buy.
Prices are typically very similar, so check out a few items before you buy
them. See how many you can actually get. Many sites may be less costly
because they can sell a lighter weight. Be mindful of the seed price, as well.
For example, seeds made from heirloom produce the best tomato
degustations. There are several different forms of the same herb, as well.
Verify that you compare the exact same crop, or you won't get an accurate
picture.
Have an idea of what sort of vegetables you want to grow. Would you like an
eclectic collection of exotic classics and? Some organic vegetables are your
thing. Or just want an old-fashioned vegetable garden with cooking staples in
it? Whatever you pick, you'll find a business that fits your tastes.
Make sure you patronize a reputable seed company for vegetables. If you're
unsure where to start, ask a couple of your friends where to buy their seeds. If
you know anyone who has a nice garden in the neighborhood, ask them
where they get their seeds, or if they have any suggestions. Another way to
get tips is by joining a chat group from an online gardener. Gardeners are also
happy to support anyone seeking guidance.
Starting a vegetable garden can be an incredibly gratifying experience. Have
fun with your vegetable garden but don't forget what we've been discussing.
These tips could, later on, they save you time and limit your frustration.
Buying your seeds from a trustworthy online company is a simple and cost-
effective way to get your garden going.
 HOW TO PLANT A FLOWER GARDEN
FOR BEAUTY AND FUNCTION

any lower gardens are planted solely for their beauty while others may
M have a more practical purpose. You should put a lot of thought into
where your garden should be when you decide you want a flower
garden. All of that will depend on the room available to you. You might need
to have an "indoor" garden, or a hanging basket or two on your balcony if
you stay in a tiny apartment. If you have limited space, the container gardens
are nice too. Your green thumb may even satisfy a small herb garden. If
you're lucky enough to have a wide enough outdoor area, you'll have more
options.
Just as many types of gardens exist, so are many types of flower gardens. It
should be borne in mind when preparing yours. Therefore, you should begin
with a plan. You could just end up with a mess if you choose some plants and
start planting willy nilly.
First, take a quick look at the available space. Draw a quick map of the area,
including your home, outbuildings, sources of water, shrubs and trees, and
non-digging areas such as underground cables. Draw your plan as close to
scale as possible so you don't come across any unexpected surprises like
buying too many plants to fit into your available space. On your diagram, you
can draw trees as circles.
Now, what do you want out of your garden? Would that be a place to relax?
To compensate for a seating room or even for a hammock for napping? Want
to get a water feature? Draw those things in your garden design and state
where you think they will go. You may want to split it into areas if you have
a wide outdoor space — public areas for barbecues and family get-togethers,
and more private areas for your own special spot.
How much time will you spend in your garden? Some plants and flowers
need substantially more care to keep them safe and beautiful looking. Choose
tougher plants if you have limited time that will take less time to tend. Lamps
and perennials need more maintenance as they need to be replaced annually.
Certainly, some can grow season by season without much work on your part.
A large portion of gardening is watching how plants grow in your country's
particular environment.
On the front of your house, or along a walkway and driveway, you might just
want to plant a border of flowers. When you have even more time, you might
want to have a larger area packed with blooms.
When preparing your garden, remember when each flower will bloom.
Spring bulbs, annuals, perennials and flowers bloom in the fall. When you
schedule it right, you can have something that blooms all three seasons of the
year (or four in some areas).
The more you prepare, the more successful you will be as in any other
endeavor. It is easier to just plan a garden "in your head" than to have no plan
at all. When you've thought out your strategy, start planting and enjoy the
beautiful flowers created by your hard work.

HOW TO GET BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS WITHOUT

DAMAGING YOUR BUDGET

o you wonder how to give your loved ones beautiful flowers and gifts
D without damaging your budget? Looking for the most cost-effective way
to give your friends the gifts? Would you want the scent and freshness of
the flowers and an exquisite mix of aesthetically crafted and arranged lovely,
elegant flowers to express your good wishes? Today, with improved access
and new technology such as the internet and e-commerce, you can send
flowers to your friends residing in various corners of the world.
You can give your friends beautiful flowers and bouquets, without hurting
your budget. Contact the nearest flower store or floral distributors to start. If
they have a larger distribution network and accept online orders, it's even
better. You can also pick your gifts over the internet and put your orders
online, instead of visiting the stores. They can also provide free and timely
delivery of flowers in their service area – including delivery on the same day
orders are placed. Digital shopping can be more cost-effective because it
avoids middlemen's expenses. Beautifully arranged fresh flower bouquets
will cost you, depending on the floral varieties selected, starting from $45. A
large range of flowers and colors – rose, ivy, orchid, gerbera, daisy, dahlia,
asters – can be selected from the shops. Roses are a favorite of all time; an
exquisite heart-shaped bouquet made entirely of prim red roses will cost
around $300. The cost of the flowers you have selected could go higher
depending on the quality, supply and demand.
Clearly, you have the option to have your own garden, in which selected
ornamental plants may grow. You should visit the nearest nursery and select
the flowers you wish to include in your gift, learn how to grow them from the
nursery and what time of year they will bloom. There are plants bearing
flowers in all seasons, some flowering within a season and some flowering
for years. Be sure to include other orchid varieties, garden rose, anthurium
and some of those decorative leafy plants in your garden. For any occasion, a
plastic wrapper with light designs, ribbons and a transparent tape will allow
you to make your own gift. You can also buy small size cards/stickers in
which you can write your message or heart-shaped bun baskets which will
allow you to beautifully arrange the flowers.
Now start saying anything with flowers, at reasonable rates, without
damaging your budget.
 PROBLEMS GROWING FLOWERS

E ven in the best cared for gardens things sometimes go wrong – it is utter
nonsense to assume that pests and diseases will only target sickly plants.
You must be on against outside invaders, however, nice the beds and
borders look, as there are insects and fungal diseases that can destroy your
plants and ruin all your efforts. Your plants are likely to be infected by an
adversary from inside rather than by an external marauder – these internal
causes may be the bad quality of your soil, lack of water, hunger, wind, frost,
or you pick the wrong plants or do the wrong things. Before it starts, the
golden rule for having healthy flowers is to avoid trouble and deal with it
quickly once it is noticed.
Prevent trouble before choosing. If you buy a good stock, it won't be effective
in the wrong place. Evite styles would be too delicate for your garden. Don't
plant annuals that enjoy the sun or shady areas like under trees – the show is
likely to be disappointing.
Have the field fully prepared. A strong-growing plant is more likely than a
poor specimen to recover from a plague or disease attack. Waterlogging is
one of the worst problems in clayey soils, due to inadequate soil preparation.
If you intend to plant perennials, get rid of all weed roots and apply
Bromophos to the soil if rodents have gnawed roots elsewhere in the garden.
Plant or sow accordingly. Seed sowing implies doing the right thing at the
right time – sowing outdoors too early, and the seeds will rot, plant too late,
and the results will be of limited durability. When the seed is sown indoors,
note that “hardening” is necessary before the seedlings are moved outdoors.
Never allow garbage to lie about. Boxes, old flowerpots, etc. are a slugs and
woodlice breeding site. Rotting plants can be an infectious source and can
potentially attract pests to the garden.
Suitable for feeding the plants
Nutrient shortages can lead to many problems – poor growth, undersized
blooms, reduced resistance to disease and discolored leaves.
Plants are checked periodically. If treated promptly but can be difficult or
impossible to control if left to get out of hand due to ignorance or neglect, act
quickly – most pests and diseases can be checked quite easily once you've put
a name to the problem.
Deal with trouble as soon as possible by hand removing occasional problems.
Minor attacks can often be handled by handpicking a caterpillar or leaf miner
out of your garden. If a plant dies unexpectedly, dig it out and closely
examine it to find the cause. Examine the roots of soil pests and the ground –
take remedial action if the cause is detected.
Keep a small package for pesticides on hand. It will be several days before
you can head to the shops, but a sudden greenfly, caterpillar or slugs attack
calls for urgent action. So, having a limited number of pesticides in the
garden shed for emergency use is a smart idea. For all leaf pests, you will
need a bottle of Long-last, a package of General-Purpose Fungicide Mini
Slug Pelletsandacarton. Do not buy more than you need – it is easier to
purchase a new small container each year instead of carrying packs from one
season to the next.
Sprinkle appropriately. When pests or diseases have begun to take hold, swift
action will need to be taken. Carefully read the label, and make sure the drug
is approved for the plant you want to spray.
Pick a period when the weather is neither sunny nor windy and apply the
spray in the evening when the bees have finished working during the
flowering season. Using a strong spray, proceed until the leaves are coated
and the liquid has just started to run out. Do not aim the spray on to open
delicate blooms. Wash out appliances after spraying, then wash your hands
then face. Place the packages in a safe position and do not leave the items
unlabeled. Not store pesticides or weed killers in a bottle of beer or other
tubs.
Recovery to pace with foliar feed. Plants can be invalids, as can humans. The
reason may have been a pest or disease attack, and the best way to get things
going again is to use a fertilizer that is recommended to spray on the leaves –
examples are Instant Bio and Fillip.
The greatest concern with the crop pests is that they are operating unnoticed.
Drop Bromophos into the soil before planting, and sprinkle Slug Gard around
the stems after planting if you think you have a problem with soil pests or if
the site was lawn or rough grassland recently.

Here is a list of some common garden pests and diseases.

ROOT LEATHERJACKET or greyish-brown grubs which can be a serious
nuisance on poorly drained soil in herbaceous borders. During a rainy winter,
leatherjacket attacks are often worst; they're rarely a nuisance in sandy areas.
Sprinkle Slug Gard over the ground if found at the roots of failed plants, and
lightly rake in.
MILLEPEDE. Various types exist in the soil, both black and spotted. They
appear to curl up when disturbed and should always be killed when found
because they damage many plants' underground sections. Areas compromised
or diseased are prime targets. Slug Gard can be used to keep control of this
plague.
WIREWORM. These rough, glossy insects are a problem in new gardens and
in areas adjacent to grassland. They're slow-moving-not like the friendly
centipede active. They consume the roots of most flowering plants, and they
can burrow up Chrysanthemum stems. Sprinkle Bro-morphos over the
surface of the soil where problems arise.
CUTWORM. These are soil-living green, grey or brown caterpillars maybe 2
inches in length. They gnaw both roots and stems, but their tell-tale effect is
to cut down on the ground level seedlings and young bedding plants. When
this happens, the cutworms near the targeted plants are searched for and
killed. Rake in as a preventive in Bromophos.
CHAFER GRUB. These wrinkled white grubs attack the roots of many
plants, such as ferns, pot plants and alpines being the worst affected. If a rock
plant suddenly dies, search in the soil for the vine weevil's rolled-up grub. If
there is one, pick and kill. Using the Hexyl spray push dirt.
Fat-curved grubs feed on the roots of herbaceous border plants throughout the
year. There are times when both Chrysanthemums and Dahlias are killed. If
you notice these grubs in the dirt, or if you intend to plant them in freshly
damaged grassland, sprinkle Bromophos onto the dirt and rake in lightly.
CLUB ROOT. This serious vegetable garden disease which may affect
Wallflowers and Stocks. The roots underneath the ground are bloated and
twisted, the plants above ground are tiny and die off earlier than usual. The
best method is to lime the soil before planting, to prevent Wallflowers from
growing year after year on the same site.
CATS are an annual perennial pest. Their scratching disturbs seedbeds and
freshly set up bedding plants. The resulting damage to the root will cause
seedlings to die. If cats have chosen your flower bed for their toilet, safety is
not easy; sprinkle Pepper Dust liberally around the disturbed ground.
BLACK ROOT ROT. A common disease that affects Antir-rhinum, Begonia,
Sweet Pea, Geranium, etc. The leaves turn yellow and wilt on the grass. The
roots are blackened underground. There is no solution, so avoid the causes —
unsterilized indoor compost, un-composted outdoor leaf molds, and
replanting the same kind of plant in polluted soil.
An invasion of moles will wreak havoc. The hills thrown up by their tunnels
are unsightly and cause significant damage to the surface. Small plants may
have their roots dug up. Eradication isn't easy – first try the Mole Smokes.
This might be necessary to put in traps or gas them; this work is best
performed by a professional exterminator.

How to Grow Tomatoes

If you have a fruit and vegetable garden in mind you certainly want new and
juicy tomatoes to grow in it. It's never too late to collect important
information as to how tomatoes grow.
The nature of the plant that is put in the garden influences the early harvest
and fruit quantity. If you decide to start tomato planting through the use of
seeds, then you should give enough time to grow the seedling to allow the
first true leaves to sprout before you transplant them. Note that when put in a
closed environment, their growth stunts. Tomatoes grow best when they are
put for hours in strong direct sunlight or grow in lamps. Placing it in the
sunniest part of the garden or a little distance from artificial growing lights is
your best choice. Placing them next to trees and buildings isn't advisable.
The wind is favorable for tomatoes; within 5-10 minutes, it is good to
position a fan directly at them. Bad drainage of air to the soil causes the
physical and root problems. You would have to heat the soil as much as
possible by covering the area with black or red plastic two weeks before it is
planted. When you test the soil and it can reach a temperature above 60
degrees F, then you are ready to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse.
Good spacing and staking are significant considerations to remember as well.
24-36 inches spacing between plants is best as close spacing can depress the
circulation of air as well as cause disease outbreaks. If you intend to grow
tomatoes in containers and pots, they need to be buried in greater depth. The
roots that grow along the base, will make them grow towards the sun.
Fortunately, the tomatoes grow in any form of soil. You may throw on peat
mass, leaf mold, well-rooted manure or compost to enhance the garden. If the
soil is prepared, garden fertilizer can be added. For fertilizers the upper 6
inches of soil will work well. The use of ammonia fertilizer is not
recommended, so make sure that the soil is warmed before mulching.
Mulching is used to conserve water and to prevent diseases in the soil. If it's
mulch earlier, the soil will become shaded and cooled. Mulches are a great
help to reduce grazing and weeding by hand. Hay, straw, grass, clippings,
paper, or compost are typically used for tomato mulches. Once the plant is 3
inches tall, the leaves which appear an inch above the bottom should be
plucked; this is because fungus may grow in leaves which are less likely to
get enough sun.
By pinching or pruning, you can remove suckers that develop in two
divisions of the crotch joint. The leaves are responsible for producing sugars
and for photosynthesis. Be delicate when plant pruning, and do not do so with
varieties early-season. Those who are bushy like varieties of late-season or
late-season vine, you should take away the side shoots.
Tomatoes need plenty of water so watering should be organized. During the
growing process, deep and frequent watering is crucial. Rotting and cracking
can result in the inability to water the plant for a week. The plant is more
sensitive to its sugar once the ripening starts, so at this point, you can lessen
the watering. The tomato plant is susceptible to both man and insect-
transmitted diseases. Soil moisture and nutrients may be a battle as well as
weeds. Physical problems that aren't caused by insects or illnesses are also
present. What you want is the best result for your tomato plant. Going
through those tips will lead you in the right direction.

Tomatoes are best grown indoors and only brought outdoors.

Whether your tomato plants are bigger, you'll need a tray or several small
plant containers, some compost built to grow tomatoes, and some larger
containers. As they love warmth and sunshine, I always start my tomato off
indoors; they usually do well in a windowsill.
Fill a pot with compost and then position the seeds on top of the compost and
put a fine layer of compost on top of the seeds and pat it down. Water well
and position it in a window sill. I generally do this around April time,
although it can be done sooner when planting inside and slightly later than
this both inside and in a greenhouse.
Make sure your plant pots or trays are still well numbered, so you know what
you've planted. If the plants are large enough to remove, they can be put
again in larger pots that contain a decent tomato compost, once they are at
least 5 inches in height, a decent liquid tomato food can be provided once a
week while watering. The plants may be moved outdoors in their pots during
sunny or warm days when the plants are well developed but brought in at
night when it gets colder.

When the weather is warm enough day and night, they can permanently be
left outside.
Use the sticks to sustain their growth once your plants have reached a
considerable height. Always make sure that your tomato plants are well
watered for complete and juicy tomatoes and particularly when tomato
growth is found.
 HOW TO MANAGE GROWING TOMATOES

W hen you have a vegetable garden, you're possibly going to add tomatoes
as one of the plants. While tomatoes are indeed fruits, they seem to be
treated by everyone as vegetables.
Tomato plants are broken down into two distinct types. The first type forms a
flower which stops the plant from growing at the top of the plant. The second
form, called indeterminate, is becoming much taller. This may pose a
problem in colder climates because, before cooler weather arrives, the
tomatoes will not be ready for harvest. I like soil and really warm air too. So,
if they aren’t protected, they will die in colder weather.
To help protect the tomato plants, small greenhouse-like structures may be
used to cover them. Earlier in the growing season, maybe by planting
seedlings indoors or in a greenhouse, longer growing plants should be started
where possible.
Growing tomatoes can also pose problems in warmer climates. They can be
planted in full light but may become sunburned. The answer here is obvious:
a partly sunny vine.
Tomatoes are also vulnerable to rodents and other illnesses.
Blossom end rot is a soft brown spot at the tomato rim. This is caused by a
lack of calcium. This disease may be due to incorrect watering procedures as
water carries calcium from the soil to the tomato plant root.
Try to take the infected tomatoes off the plant to offer a chance to grow other,
better, tomatoes.
Of course, to avoid this problem, it is best to water correctly in the first place.
Water enough so that the roots grow stronger. Mulch around the plants also
to protect them from drying out. For good tomatoes, the pH level of the soil
should be around 6.5.
Tomato hornworms and aphids are the plagues that can damage your tomato
crop.
Tomato hornworms are larvae of 4 inches that are hard to see because they
are the same green color as the tomato plant. Look down their sides for the
long white lines, and a black dot on the back. You'll need to watch for them
and pick them off as soon as possible.
These hornworm larvae are transformed into large brown moths that can
grow to have a 5-inch wingspan. Planting marigold and basil plants around
the base of the tomato plants will prevent the eggs from being laid on them
by the adult moths.
Aphids can cause growing tomatoes problems, too. Such little bugs are just
around 1/10-inch long and they can be hard to find. You could try washing
them off with a garden hose. Unfortunately, they're going to keep coming
here.
You can try planting petunias or anise around the plants but some insecticide
soaps will remove the bugs without hurting the tomato plants or the people
who eat the tomatoes.
It may sound like growing tomatoes is a lot of trouble, but it really isn't. It’s
well worth the work put into getting good tomatoes to eat. Feed them
properly and watch for rodents and diseases. You can then be confident of a
successful tomato harvest to eat.
 HOW TO GROW LETTUCE

W ant to grow your own lettuce but have no outdoor space? No trouble.
Lettuce is just one of those vegetables you can grow indoors with
easiness. In fact, growing vegetables indoors for your own consumption
is the most economical way to make sure you eat high-quality produce even
if you don't have plenty of space around.
Lettuce is one of those vegetables that are nowadays commonly grown by
individual farmers. This is almost so because lettuce is one of the healthiest
vegetables. This is filled with a good portion of antioxidants and vitamins.
Plus, for anyone who loves to prepare and eat salads, it is very much a staple.
However, much growing and harvesting lettuce is simple, there are still a few
things you need to keep in mind during the preparation process before the
lettuce is harvested. Here are some of the following:
PREPARATION: if you're going to grow lettuce indoors, you'd have to
prepare the containers or grow boxes where you'll be sowing the seeds. In
this end, a good container are those clamshell boxes used by the supermarket
in displaying lettuce and other fresh fruit and vegetables. You can, of course,
use other boxes just as long as it has at least 10 inches of width. To allow
water flow, you'd need to make a few gashes on the bottom portion of the
package.
You need to prepare the soil you will be using after you have received the
package. You will need to use good soil to achieve high-quality produce.
Hummus or potting soil, peat, perlite, and vermiculite will be a fine
combination. Place in your jar an equal mix of those.
SOWING: the seeds can be planted 1/8 of an inch deep when all is already
prepared. Before that, you need to gently cover it with the soil mix and
lightly spray it with water.
Germination will occur within about one to two weeks of planting. You will
then thin out the seedlings to make way for the growing lettuce. I strongly
recommend you take the smaller ones out to allow the stronger seedlings
some room to grow. You can also transplant those into other containers if you
prefer.
CARE: it is recommended that fertilizers rich in nitrogen, potassium and
phosphorus be added every two weeks. In addition, you do need to frequently
water the lettuce to keep the soil moist but don't overdo it to make it muddy.
Sunlight is also one of the things that the lettuce very much requires. To
produce lush and high-quality lettuce, you must keep the developing lettuce
exposed to light for at least 10 hrs. Nevertheless, you do need to make sure
the temperature does not rise too high. For proper growth lettuce requires a
cool climate.
Selecting vegetables that can be grown in containers can be your best choice
when you want to grow your vegetables but do not have too much room for
them. In this case, one of the best ways to do that is to learn how to grow
lettuce. Lettuce is not a lot of trouble growing and can even be grown in
containers.
Apart from this, lettuce has a very exceptional nutritional value which makes
it one of the most popular vegetables produced by organic home growers.
This is high in vitamins A, K, C, antioxidants and beta-carotene. Also, if
you're fond of salad, there's no way to prepare your salad better and fresher
than using the produce from your own little garden.
Growing lettuce might not be a lot of trouble, but there are many things you
need to have in mind to make sure you grow high-quality harvest lettuce.
Several of these things are:

Containers Preparation
First things first – you need to find the best containers you can use for your
own little greenhouse. You may use window boxes, planters, or even the
container used for showing lettuce or other fruits or vegetables in most
supermarkets. Once you've found a suitable container, you need to make
some gashes on the bottom to allow water to flow when the plants are
watered.
The next step will be to prepare the soil within the containers that you are to
put. For this, the best form of soil will be humus soil. You may also add a
section equal to perlite and vermiculite. Both can help to properly absorb air
and water, thereby allowing your plants to grow optimally.

Planting the seeds

You can start sowing the lettuce seeds once the containers are ready. Make
sure you are using high-quality seeds from reputable brands. The seeds
should be sown 1/4 of an inch deep. Gently sprinkle with water after sowing.
The seeds are to germinate for about one or two weeks. You can thin out the
lettuce after seeing growth leaving extra room for the lusher ones. You have
the right to transplant seedlings that you took out of the containers.

Care and maintenance

You can expect to pick fresh lettuce from your own little garden at any time
of the year with due care. Just make sure it meets the conditions the plants
need. For example, the lettuce must be regularly watered. Yet it has to be the
way that only keeps the soil moist.
Another thing is that lettuce would need light exposure, too. In reality, it can
allow light exposure for 10-12 hours. However, you have to know that lettuce
grows best in cooler conditions while exposing it to the sunlight. That is why
you must always make sure that the temperature is not too hot.
 HOW TO GROW BROCCOLI SPROUTS

P erhaps one of the easiest vegetables to grow is practical steps for you to
pursue are broccoli sprouts. Learning how to grow broccoli sprouts
wouldn't take much experience in gardening. Also, to enjoy new broccoli
sprouts you wouldn't have to wait for seasons either. You'll be able to grow
broccoli sprouts fresh from your own garden in as little as a week.
It's almost a common knowledge that broccoli is nutrient-filled. It contains a
large amount of vitamins A, B, C, E and K as well as other nutrients known
to combat cancer, such as protein, calcium, zinc and antioxidants. That is
probably why broccoli sprouts would be placed anyone’s list of vegetables to
be grown indoors.
Broccoli sprouts, apart from these health benefits, are also considered to be
more forgiving than most other vegetables. Thus, growing your own broccoli
sprouts wouldn't be that much of a hassle.
So, here are the practical steps in growing your own broccoli sprouts to get
you started:
1. First of all, you need to have packed everything you may need. The stuff
you will need are broccoli seeds labeled for sprouting, shallow pots, soil
potting and plastic wrapping. You will also want to get all of your basic
garden tools ready in case you need them.
2. Soak the seeds at room temperature the night before. When choosing
seeds, make sure you pick the correct seeds by carefully inspecting the mark.
It should be labeled to sprout.
In addition, I strongly recommend using organic seeds. To make them last
longer, some commercial seeds are treated with special chemicals but
growing full-grown broccoli doesn't pose too much of a problem. When you
grow sprouts, the chemical tends to be more concentrated.
3. Get ready for the bin. Only fill it up with the right amount of potting soil.
4. Scatter the seeds on the field. You don't have to think about getting too
much seed or spacing when sprinkled. You are not going to grow full-grown
broccoli, so space isn't going to be an issue here. Then, again cover it with
another thin layer of potting soil.
5. Place plastic wrap over the pot. Bore some holes into the plastic wrap to
allow the circulation of some air.
6. Store them in a dry, warm place.
Be sure that it is located away from the sun's intense heat. You'll be able to
see the sprouts after two days. The sprout shall be fit for harvest by the end of
5 days.
Broccoli is a cool-seasonal crop that can be grown in spring as well as in fall.
The plants grow in cool climates and should be planted in hot summer areas
under shade. Broccoli grows best in warm, moist soil with a slightly acidic
pH between 6.0 and 7.0 and between 15.5 and 18 ° C (60–65 ° F) at
temperatures. Broccoli has a high demand for nitrogen, and due to the
decreased soil microbial activity during winter and late fall, organic matter
should be applied to the soil during the year to ensure sufficient nutrient
supply when broccoli is planted. Additionally, broccoli needs daily water to
prevent the plants from seeding, particularly during drought. Plant broccoli to
ensure optimum head size is achieved. Broccoli seeds can be planted directly
or be started indoors for transplantation. Spring plantings should be
completed in your region 2–3 weeks before the last frost date, and fall
plantings should be done about 100 days before the first fall frost. Plant seed
1.3 cm (0.5 in.) deep in small groups of 2–3 seeds and around one week after
emergence, thin to a final spacing of 30–60 cm (12–24 in) within the row,
making 90 cm (36 in) between rows. After planting, keep soil uniformly
moist. When beginning indoors, plant seeds in peat pots to reduce damage to
the roots during transplantation. The seedling can be planted outdoors at the
same time as seeds are planted using the spacing mentioned above when they
are 3–4 weeks old. Plant transplants in the field slightly deeper than they are
in their container. Keep the soil moist to ensure good fertility. Broccoli has a
very shallow root system for general care and maintenance and should be
avoided cultivating the soil around the plants to eliminate weeds. Provide
adequate and even moisture to plants (about two in a week) to keep plants
fertile and prevent them from bolting and to avoid wetting the heads of the
flower as they grow. Mulching around the plants helps maintain soil moisture
and reduces soil temperature. Broccoli is ready to be harvested when the buds
in the flower are firm and tightly packed together. Harvest before the buds
open by cutting the stalk of the head below the head at an angle of 45 °,
around 13–20 cm (5–8 in). After first harvest, side-shoots will continue to
produce.
 HOW TO GROW APPLE TREES FROM A SEED

I t'sgrowing
a long-term investment that you need to grow apples first. Apples
requires a considerable amount of time and effort. Also, if an
apple tree in your backyard is one of your fondest childhood memories,
harvesting your own apples is a rewarding aspect of gardening.

Site Selection
Make sure that you have space for at least two trees before you start growing
apples. Usually two apple trees bear enough fruit to have a sufficient supply
for a family of four. Apple trees need to thrive in full sun, meaning they need
at least six hours of sunlight every day. Also, dwarf forms should be spaced
at least eight feet apart. It's also important to ensure good drainage for your
trees. While apple trees tolerate a variety of soil types, sandy loam is
preferred to sandy clay loam with a pH of around 6.5.

Choosing cultivars
You probably wonder why you need to grow two trees. The apple trees are
incompatible with one another. In other words, the most industrious bee (bees
are the primary pollinators of apple trees) cannot get two trees of the same
type to bring forth fruit. So, you typically need two trees of different varieties
to grow apples. Some nurseries sell apple trees which have two or more
compatible cultivars grafted on the same tree; to be on the safe side (and for a
family of four to get enough apples), you do need two trees. a flowering crab
can pollinate your fruit-bearing apple tree and is useful in pest deterrence.
While apple trees grow from seed, the development of an apple harvest from
seed takes several years and a significant amount of nurturing. Buying either
bare-root or container-grown trees from your favorite garden nursery is the
best way to start growing apples.
In addition to the fruit size, taste, and color, your nursery professional will
recommend cold-hardy trees for your area, bloom at about the same time as
compatible with pollination, and are resistant to disease. You will find that
buying disease-resistant cultivars gives your apple tree a generous reduction
in maintenance time!
Such distinctions between cultivars need to be made when choosing trees
from a catalog or website. Look for catalogs and places that list cultivars that
are compatible with you.
How high the tree grows depends on the type of tree you are planting too.
Dwarf varieties reach 8 to 10 feet in height, semi-dwarf trees grow 10 to 15
feet in height and standard trees growing reach 20 feet or more in height.
While their yield is smaller, the dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock usually bear
fruit of the same size as standard size trees and are easier to handle overall.

This Is How It's Done Next

The apple seeds must be carefully removed from the apple without destroying
it. The new apples preferably selected locally.
Let this dry for a few days at room temperature. Take a plastic tub to the
bottom and apply a wet paper towel.
Within the container place 15 to 20 apple seeds. Use another damp paper
towel to cover the apple seeds and cool the jar.
After 2 to 3 weeks, the roots sprout from your apple seeds. Remember that it
will sprout about 30 percent of the seeds. Paper towel must still be moist so
your plastic tub must be sealed with a lid.
Plant it into a container filled with black earth for each sprouting seed. Let it
grow to a minimum height of 2 feet before planting in your yard.
So, you have now grown an apple tree from a simple seed. The final step is to
grease your apple tree, so it grows the right sort of apples like Macintosh,
Courtland or others.

Propagation
Apple trees grow best in the tropics, so they allow a mild growing season and
a cold winter at higher latitudes to break their dormancy. The tree will bloom
at these latitudes in spring, and fruit will grow in fall. Throughout the tropics,
the leaves will stay on the tree longer so that it becomes basically evergreen
and bending shoots to build a large tree will occur sporadically during the
year unless the tree becomes able to implement a consistent period
throughout the forest. The traditional method of apple propagation is by
budding. It is strongly recommended, when planting an apple nursery or
orchard, to plant seedlings budded from rootstock to avoid an increase in bud
dormancy. In the first year, budded trees should be pruned to promote new
growth of the shoots. Apple trees in the tropics need careful management to
make the heavy crop loads sustainable. This involves bending leaves, pruning
tips and defoliating trees as well. Flowers are also removed, usually after two
years, to encourage growth before first fruit production. Apple trees may also
be propagated by grafting and layering of the mounds. Grafting includes
combining the lower part (rootstock) of one plant with the upper part (scion)
of another. Grafting is typically performed during the dormant season, and
the dormant scion and stock wood must be used. Mound layering is used for
the propagation of clonal rootstocks in apples. Soil is mounted around shoots
that have been cut back, thus stimulating the roots at the base of the shoots to
expand. A year before propagation starts, the stock plants are planted in rows
with a diameter of 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) and then cut back to 45–60 cm
(17.7–23.6 in.) They are then managed for a year. The plants are cut back
again in the spring, this time to 2.5 cm (1 in.) above ground. Gradually, new
shoots grow, and more soil and bark are added to the mounds around the
plants. May continue this cycle through the growing season. The shoots are
then harvested by cutting near to the bases. The mother stool beds are then
left exposed until the new shoots have expanded further, and another process
of hilling begins.
 HOW TO GROW ARTICHOKES

Do you wonder how artichokes grow?

W hile not everyone is fond of eating this wonderful food, it is a vegetable

worth growing for those of us who do it. You know how good this
vegetable can be if you're one of the lucky ones who loves them.
The section of the artichoke we eat is the artichoke plant's undeveloped
flower bud. The best part of everything is called the nucleus of an artichoke.
Globe artichokes are the most prevalent form of artichokes people consume.
Seeds to globe artichokes can be found in seed catalogues. Artichoke
seedlings can be purchased at your nearest nursery. Only call ahead and
inquire when it will deliver their artichokes shipments.
Find a sunny spot with well-drained soil in your yard. Prepare the soil by
digging into it approximately one foot deep and mixing compost with chicken
or rabbit manure.
If your winters are mild and you don't hit temperatures below 15 degrees,
then you can directly sow your artichoke seeds into the forest. Plant your
artichoke seeds 1/4" into the soil. If you need to start your artichoke seedlings
indoors, do so eight weeks before the last frost. Allow plenty of space. Plant
your seeds 3 feet apart. Artichoke plants can grow up to 3'-4' high and 6'
wide. When the artichoke plants are being planted into the soil, place the
artichokes so that the crown is just above the ground. If you've got the crown
of your plant above ground, whether you're starting from seed or not, mulch
around the base to maintain the soil. Keep watering your garden. Your soil
should be damp, but not soggy, or full of water. Upon planting, you should
mix sand into heavy soil, to help the soil drain well. Or, to allow proper
drainage, you can plant your artichokes on mounds. Your artichoke plant
fertilizes daily. Until the bud begins to open, pick your artichoke and when
the plant is still green and thick. It will mean that you have the best, most
savory plant to eat. Be patient; first-year artichokes cannot deliver. Continue
to look properly for your plant and you'll soon be reaping the
rewards. Although the majority of artichokes are grown in California, they
can be grown in other parts of the country if given the proper care. Simply
follow the "how to grow artichokes" tips above, and you should enjoy
wonderful results.
Have fun in the garden! Three totally distinct genera are known as artichokes.
The Cynara scolymus, the globe artichoke, useful both as a table delicacy and
an ornamental border plant, then the Helianthus tuberosus, the Jerusalem
artichoke, a homely and nutritious vegetable, and lastly the Stachys Sieboldi,
the Chinese artichoke, bearing edible tubers, but of small consequence. The
globe artichoke is a strong fleshy-rooted hardy perennial producing large
handsome foliage and great thistle-like heads, the scales of which are the
edible portion. It requires a deeply dug rich soil in an open, sunny position.
The plants require a square yard of space each. They need an abundance of
water and liquid manure in summer, and the crowns should be covered with
loose litter during severe frosts. Flower-heads are cut for use just before they
open. The plant might be used as an ornamental border flower, the open
blossoms being bright rosy - heliotrope borne on stems from 3 feet to 6 feet
high.
There is no great difficulty in growing the artichoke from Jerusalem because
it prefers a free soil, will repay generous treatment with abundant crops but
will yield good yield even on bad soil. The planting distance should be 1 foot
between sets, 3 feet between rows, at a depth of 6 inches No unearthing
needed, and if left in the ground until necessary for use, the tubers are
uninjured by frost.
In the case of Jerusalem artichokes, the simple method of selecting the
appropriate number of sound tubers to be planted out as mentioned above
affects an increase in stock. Globe artichokes are combined with offsets that
sprout from the sides of fully formed crowns. During April, remove these
from the ground. They are best plotted in gritty compost and plunged into a
frame to the rims of the pots. Keep close until signs of growth indicate that
ventilation is required. Gradually harden and plant out where you are to live
throughout the season.
Truly good to eat, the globe artichoke is unfortunately not a favorite in the
typical home garden. But, if you have the room to support a fair number of
plants, then it's certainly worth trying.
In reality, even if you don't have tons of space, they're such attractive plants,
just for fun, you might grow one row as a frontier.
Globe artichokes are a type of thistle possibly originating in southern Europe
and the Mediterranean region, covering not only Europe but also the top of
Africa, north of the Sahara Desert.
The plant itself is a very pretty green-grey leafy perennial; its fruit is the
"globe." The heart is the most important part of the fruit but the leaves on the
head are scrumptious as well. You may also consume the stem of young
plants around 15 cm, or 6 inches. Only the hairy choke must be removed in
the middle of the fruit (or globe).
There are lots of artichokes cooking recipes, some of which concentrate on
different sauces that you dip the artichoke leaves into. There are also recipes
that focus on stuffing and then baking the globe or using other vegetables to
bake the hearts. But the best way to cook them is to cut the hard outer leaves
(not all the leaves) and then boil the entire artichoke fruit until the end of the
stem is tender. Strain and pour on a little melted butter (better still garlic
butter) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then all you do is cut each leaf
with your teeth and scrape out the tender part at the bottom. Discard every
remotely tough part. At the bottom of the leaves, you will find the heart
nestling, at the very top of the plant. Break it in half, and then remove the
choke before eating.
Whereas globe artichokes will continue to expand for about four years. In
terms of space they occupy in a veggie field, they are infamous for their low
yield. If you DO have land, you do need sunshine, well-maintained soil, and a
well-drained location. The maximum pH would be 6.5, a very slightly acidic
pH.
Artichokes are much easier and quicker to raise from seedlings (as opposed
to seeds) or from the rooted suckers of existing seedlings instead of older
ones. When you grow from seed, it will take five to six months to transplant,
until they are large enough.
When they have developed your artichokes, they won't need much care. At
the base of the stem, you'll need to cut weeds and dead leaves (not to be
confused with fruit leaves). Mulching, including side dressing with garden
fertilizer or chicken manure, is also helpful.
The artichoke stem will branch out on top of each and form a flower. Enable
the bud to grow and develop, but harvest before it opens, and make flowers.
Flower gardening, herb gardening, and vegetable gardening can all be a
rewarding experience. They are an addition to any garden or even a house.
Taking an idea and transforming it into an actual garden of your dreams can
often be a little daunting, if not planned properly. No matter what sort of
garden you're speaking about, they all owned specific features and purposes
there.
Gardens can be built for a number of purposes, indoor decoration, an
enhancement to your landscape, in window boxes to add value to the look of
your house, containers or pots to spice up a porch or patio or just a garden to
provide you with cut flowers or vegetables. These can all be equally
satisfying and can be achieved using ecological processes.
The pleasure of preparing a garden or gardens, seeing a plant grow from seed
and blossom into a piece of natural art, working the soil and realizing the
natural benefits that it can give you are all about organic gardeners. They love
nature, study techniques and work with it, not against it, and get the best out
of it.
Step one is planning your organic garden is to learn how plant life grows
naturally within your field. Watch nature, study and follow its instructions, it
has many advantages of having a healthy garden which can provide you with.
Grow green and get the reward nature will naturally offer you in your
gardening practices.
An environmentally friendly and sustainable way of gardening.
Organic Cultivation is in harmony with nature and away from cultivation. To
grow a healthy and profitable crop in a way that is safer for you as well as for
the environment.
 HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS

A sparagus is a perennial plant with edible stems, erect and tiny branches
with even tinier flowers that develop into red berries with black
asparagus seeds. Former botanists in the Liliaceae family noticed that
Asparagus is alone in a community and repositioned the 120 species in the
Asparagaceae genus. It is a high-end gourmet food item but if you know how
to grow asparagus then it is an easy way to add a delicate flavor to your
meals.
Understanding how to grow asparagus dates back to when it was first
cultivated in Greece, 2500 years ago. Indeed, asparagus is for stalk or
shooting from the Greek term. The asparagus was praised for its medicinal
properties long before it was used as a food item. Multiple reasons for
growing asparagus. Once an asparagus bed has been set up, asparagus is the
first vegetable that is ready for the table in the springtime and would supply
your family with a fresh and firm vegetable treat for close to 20 years, each
crown in your bed growing up to 1⁄2 pound of spears per year. While
supermarkets stock both canned and frozen asparagus, none of them compare
the unique flavor of freshly harvested and picked asparagus that you get.
As asparagus plants grow, they develop a mat that spreads horizontally rather
than vertically with long, tubular roots. The one-year-old root system is
called the crown of asparagus. While asparagus can be started from seed, it is
most frequently started from transplanting crowns bought from a reputable
crown grower. Those who want to know how to grow asparagus must have
an abundance of patience, as it takes three years to establish an asparagus bed
from crowns. Asparagus ferns emerge from the second year of growth with a
few spindly spears. While your bed will grow thicker and more durable
spears in the third year, they shouldn't be harvested for more than a month to
allow roots and crowns to develop themselves further.
Plant asparagus crowns one to two feet wide in a trench. Place the crowns as
deep as 6 inches and separate as 9 to 12 inches. Asparagus quickly grows in
any well-drained soil. The delicate asparagus ferns were called "sparrow
grass," and were found growing wild on English rivers. Asparagus permitted
to stand in water, however, develops root rot which can easily kill a complete
bed. The roots of asparagus continue to "grow," as the bed matures. Usually
gardeners apply soil to the rows of a mature asparagus bed to hold the crowns
underground. Asparagus is also vulnerable to frost in the late spring, which
kills spears that emerge. Take care to keep your bed filled with asparagus
until the danger of frost is gone.
Asparagus is considered to be a hardy perennial type of vegetable plant that
produces fleshy, tender, green "spears" or stems with caps that form buds.
This will feature feathery, fern-like foliage when grown to maturity. Many
homeowners want to know how to grow asparagus so they will spend a very
long time in the garden-from about 15 years or so.
If you are planting 30 to 40 asparagus plants when it comes to yield, it can
already feed about 2 to 4 people on many course meals. Asparagus crowns
are best planted during the spring season.
 HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS

P hase 1 – Prepare the seeds approximately 12 to 14 weeks before the final

frost. This is because Asparagus requires three years before it is
completely productive and developed. Actually, sow the seeds in flats 1
1⁄2 inch thick. Grow up the seedlings until they reach age one.
Phase 2 –Find a place for the crowns of your asparagus. This should be in full
sunshine, but partial shade can also be tolerated. This also requires well-
drained soil, no more than 6.0 pH.
Phase 3 – Loosen the soil. Make sure it has a range of 8 to 10. Add compost
which is well-age. Pick the one-year-old crowns which are well-rooted and
not dry as asparagus is grown from crowns.
Phase 4 – Dig a furrow or trench about 10 cm wide and 10 -12 cm deep.
Phase 5 – Position around the bottom of the trench around 2-4-inch tall
mounds of loose soil. Set the crown spacing in the trenches to about 18 to 28
inches apart. Next, distribute the crowns uniformly around the bottom of the
trench before covering it with two inches more of soil.
Phase 6 – Apply some high fertilizer of nitrogen (5-10-19) before the spears
emerge in the spring, and another at the end of the harvest.
Phase 7 – When the spears begin to develop in spring, slowly fill the trench
up to the top. The air should be moist but not hot.

Stuff to remember:
-the beds with asparagus should be well weeded.
-Asparagus plants need a cold dormancy time.
For Asparagus plants, root vegetables are not suitable companions. Parsley,
basil, and onions are healthy ones.
Asparagus harvesting can be done when they are already three years old or
when fully grown. You need to cut the spears down slightly below ground
level in the third season. When doing so, make sure the spears that have not
yet emerged are not harmed. If the spears are 8-10 inches long, cut them
down to at least a pencil diameter. The best harvest periods are for two weeks
on the third year, and then plants for four weeks or up in the fourth year.
When the buds start feathering out, you can no longer eat them.
 HOW TO GROW GRAPES

I tlike.
seems impossible to find someone who doesn't know what the grapes are
They are grown all around the world and the majority of people love
them. In the botanical sense, these morsels of juicy delicacy are berries.
They produce at least six individual fruits in bunches. Some varieties grow
bunches that numbers an incredible 300 grapes!
Grapes can be grown to eat or to make wine. Table grapes are the ones to eat,
and wine grapes are used to produce wine. Centuries of cultivation and
research have led to the production of grapes only of a specific branch of
plant science. This particular science is called viticulture, and it deals with
everything the grapes. Breeds and varieties, soil structure and access to the
light, practically all that has to do with how to grow grapes, comes under the
viticultural umbrella.
You need to learn what you want to do with the grapes before you ask
yourself how to grow grapes. Would this be to make wine, or to eat? Then
follow the same step-by-step planting procedures but the precise
specifications can vary depending on what you expect to grow.
Table grapes require good drainage and fertile soil. It means that there must
not be too high a proportion of clay to loam or sand. So much clay allows a
lot of water to stay in the soil, which will cause the roots of the grapevine to
rot. The amount of sunlight obtained by the plant is important for the
production of fruit sugars.
Start planning your farm or land plot. A lot of sunlight should be provided at
the location. To allow for growth, the plants should be about 6 feet apart.
Check your ground. Is that relatively fertile? Is it draining well? If not, then
apply compost and loosen before planting. It is time to start constructing a
trellis after this for the vine to cling to. It just should be tall enough to make it
easier to choose. Make sure you pick the wood that doesn't easily rot under
the elements.
We can only start the actual planting now. Dig out plant holes. The holes will
be wider than the vineyards you intend to plant. It is because when you place
it back over the roots, you want the soil to become loose. Using string to bind
the strongest tendril to your trellis, not wire that can cause harm to the vine.
Water the plants without the rain being enough for them to keep them alive.
The weakest or unhealthiest vines should be pruned during the dormant
season. It will improve the fruit price.
When the vine starts to bear fruit, the time has come to prepare for harvest.
The grapes are selected at the right time to ensure optimum sweetness and
juiciness. A hydrometer can prove to be useful in determining your grape
sugar content and telling you when to start harvesting.
Wine grapes are more difficult to obtain. Each grape variety produces
specific qualities in wine and will also have different growing demands. The
steps for growing grapes are the same, no matter how. Plan your garden,
build your trellises and cultivate your vineyards. Specific techniques are used
to facilitate the production of different grape qualities that will influence the
wine.
If you are serious about growing wine grapes, it's best to ask a winemaker.
They will tell you the different varieties and specifications, and how to grow
grapes for winemaking. Note, with all that said, that the grapes need time.
You will need to be careful in setting up and taking care of your plants, but
each second and every drop of sweat will be worth the end result.
 PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS

W hen attempting to grow grape, first consideration is to pick different

based on the prevailing local climate, with the best production occurs in
hot, dry areas. American varieties tend to like the cold, while European
hybrids do better in hotter, drier regions. In general, vines should be grown in
full in well-drained soil and at a place where sufficient circulation air is
available to reduce the occurrence of disease. While choosing a planting site,
low lying areas should be avoided as this can lead to water accumulation
during periods of rainy weather Vines prefer a soil with a little acidic to
neutralize pH between 6.0 and 7.0 and require a trellis system to aid the
weight of the fruit in the vines. Grapevines are typically planted in Spring as
dormant bare root vines. Young plants for planting in the home garden can be
purchased from nurseries and garden centers. Grapevines need a trellis,
which should be built before the vines are planted in the soil. The trellis helps
to sustain the fruit's weight and protects the vines from damage, while also
increasing air circulation and reducing canopy disease. You will also find a
more decorative form, such as an arbor, to support the vines. Fresh plants will
be planted out in spring after all frost is gone. Dig a hole approximately 30
cm (12 in) deep and 30 cm (12 in) long for each plant, spaced 1.8–3.0 m (6–
10 ft) apart, and plant the vine at the same level as the nursery. It is essential
that the graft union is not covered in soil. Tamp the soil around the plants and
apply any soil left over. To have just two or three fresh buds, the freshly
planted vines should be cut back, and watered lightly. Training In order to
establish good root systems for grapevines and to sustain heavy fruit loads,
new vines should not be permitted to grow fruit for the first two to three years
after planting. The vine is to produce new shoots, some of which should be
allowed to expand while the others are cut back. This allows the vine to fill
with leaves providing energy for an extensive root system. The latest shoots
are to be mounted to the trellis. Choose two to three of the strongest canes on
each plant at the start of the second year of production and cut back the rest.
Enable three or four shoots on each cane to grow and add to the trellis.
Eliminate any forming flower clusters. Pruning is an important component of
healthy grape production and should be performed annually in early Spring
while the vines remain dormant and before the buds start swelling. Most of
the growth of the previous years will be removed from the third year on. The
more buds left on each plant, the more fruit it grows, but caution must be
taken to ensure that too many are not left, as the resulting fruit will not ripen.
Throughout the growing season, fruit clusters can be removed as needed.
 HOW TO GROW BLACKBERRIES

B lackberries aren’t just yummy; they're easy to grow too. Most people
choose to grow these crops on their backyards for this very purpose
alone. If you're one of those so keen on learning how to grow blackberries
right in your backyard, it's an easy step-by-step method that you can handle
easily.
It is important to know what makes this fine fruit special, before planting
blackberries. Blackberries are known for being highly nutritious. These are
high in vitamin C, calcium and vitamin E. They also have phytonutrients that
help combat aging and some cancers. These do have an abundance of soluble
fiber that helps to reduce cholesterol. Not only this, but they also contain
tannins that are protective in the preservation of taut tissues and in the
prevention of bleeding. Last, but not least, they have phytoestrogens that can
shield women from breast cancer and cervical cancer.
There are essentially two types of blackberries – the trailing, and the erect
varieties. We distinguish by the growth patterns of their canes. Erect
blackberries feature rigid, arching, self-supporting canes. They are more
immune to cold. They have canes that aren't self-helping for trailing
blackberries. They're also called dewberries in the East. So long as you leave
the canes the ground and then mulch them during the winter season, they can
flourish in colder areas.
What you need to know is where to grow blackberries. For your garden, you
will choose a sunny area with good air circulation, water drainage and a pH
of about 6.0 to 7.0.
You'll need to keep the roots moist before planting. You will have to work in
the soil with plenty of organic matter and then mulch to keep out the weeds.
Begin planting as soon as the soil warms up.
Build a hole that is deep enough, which does not bend the roots. Trim the
canes to promote new growth. Make sure the plants are set inside rows that
are 7 feet apart, about 2 feet apart. Trellising is critical for cane support.
Remember that summer-bearing berries over second-year canes will grow
fruit. You need to prune spent canes on the ground level during the fall of the
second year, and then thin the others to around four canes for each foot of the
path. You must also cut off those suckers that grow beyond the line. The
remaining blackberry canes are then cut to 7 cm.

Tips on How to Plant Blackberries

These seeds require stratification when it comes to propagation and sowing.
They're best sown in a cold frame during early autumn. They require the
stratification of a month at about 3 degrees C for stored seeds, so they are
best sown the earliest possible time of the year. You will need to select the
seedlings in cold frames once they are big enough to handle and grow on. So,
during the final part of spring the next year, plant them out in their permanent
positions.
The blackberries prefer medium to dark soils such as sandy, loamy and clay
soils when it comes to soil conditions. Both need to be well-drained, but in
poor soils they often develop cay. They do prefer basic, neutral and acid
soils, but can grow in very alkaline and very acidic soils as well. It also
requires moist soil and can withstand the conditions of drought as well.
Blackberries can also grow in full-shade, semi-shade or in no shade at all.

Propagation and specific requirements

Blackberries grow best in temperate regions with hot summers and gentle
winters, as they are resistant to cold weather. They grow best when the
daytime temperatures are about 25 ° C (77 ° F). Blackberries choose full sun
(minimum six hours of direct sunlight) and must be planted in well-drained
soil, high in organic matter, and 6–6.5 pH. Drainage in blackberry
propagation is important since the plants are vulnerable to root rot.
Blackberries should not be sow in low lying areas where water can build up,
so there is a need for a post-support system or trellis to support the fruit
weight on plants. During their second year of growth, blackberry canes are
biennial and bear berries. The canes are referred to as primocanes in their first
year of growth and the ones in the second year of growth are referred to as
fruiting canes or floricanes. The young canes are green in color, while the
older floricanes are tougher and have a woody coating that makes it easy to
tell apart. Preparation Soil can need to be prepared up to two years before
planting if significant modifications are needed. Acidic soil can be altered
with lime to raise the pH to a level suitable for blackberries. Planting a cover
crop or adding manure or compost will increase the organic content. Avoid
planting blackberries where previously grown peppers, eggplant, tomatoes or
potatoes as these plants are host to Verticillium fungi that can cause root rot
in blackberries. Choose a variety that fits your place. Planting and trellising
Most blackberry varieties are very robust and the use of a support system
such as a trellis can help protect the canes against wind damage while still
supporting the fruit crop weight. Before or at planting, the trellis should be
built to avoid damage to the young plants once they are in the field. A post
and wire device is the standard way of backing red blackberry canes. This
approach involves running two wires which are about 60 cm (2 ft) apart
vertically between staked wooden posts in the ground. The lower wire should
be located 90 cm (3 ft) from the ground and from the ground at the upper 1.5
m (5 ft). They can then tie the blackberry canes to the wires. A second
alternative is a post- and wire-like T-trellis, except the vertical wooden posts
each have two crossbars to connect the cable. Two pairs of wires run in
parallel, one above the other. For the lower wire located 90 cm (3 ft) from the
ground also the upper 1,5 m (5 ft) the ground, the vertical posts will be
spaced 3.6–4.6 m (12-15 ft.) apart. Blackberry plants are typically grown
from bare-root plants or tissue-cultured plants in the home garden. It should
be planted in early Spring when the danger of any serious frost has passed.
Usually, the plants are planted in a row, and the suckers fill in the spaces to
create a hedge. Plant 70 cm (27.5 in) apart, allowing for 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft)
between rows. Pruning makes the plants to fill in the row during the growing
season to a width of about 30–38 cm (12–15 in); Remove from this row any
suckers that are made. Cut the fruity canes of summer-fruiting varieties down
to ground level after harvest. Select 6–8 of each plant's strongest young canes
and tie them to support wires so they are spaced 8–10 cm (3–4 in.) apart. Cut
all autumn fruiting varieties canes down to ground level after harvest. If
necessary, to prevent crowding, cut back canes in the summer as needed.
 GROWING, PLANTING AND PROPAGATING GREEN
BEANS

o plan a bean garden properly, understanding the whole process of growth

T of bean plants will let you take full advantage of the amount of beans you
get for the effort you put in. All types of beans, from green bean to
chickpeas, are a safe complement to any diet. Rich in protein, the bean is one
of the main components of a vegetarian diet, as well as a perfect side dish for
those with a meat liking.
To those who work a greenhouse, the seed is the first stage of growth of bean
plants. The plant-taking root has a much greater chance of high-quality seeds,
which will result in a higher yield in your greenhouse. Although these seeds
may be much more costly, the increase in the growth of bean plants is worth
the investment, particularly if you wish to have a wider garden.
If the temperature drops no less than 61 degrees F or 16 degrees C, planting
should be performed to optimize the growth of the bean plants. When the
temperature drops below this point, it will not take root from your plants and
will die.
After the seeds have been planted, the time it takes for the plant to enter the
seedling stage varies from three to around 40 days, with an average of 11
days. A seedling is a very young plant that has just started breaking down the
soil sheet. This step of the growth cycle of the bean plant is critical because a
healthy seedling can develop into a more robust plant. If your seedlings are
overwatered or dehydrated, your crops will fail, and the amount of beans
collected later in the process will be lower.
It takes an average of at least 50 days for your plant to grow pods and be
ready for harvest, from the stage that your plant has become a seedling. This
means that these beans are likely to only have one growing period in a
season. The sowing of beans will take place no earlier than March to ensure
that your plants have had adequate time to mature before fall frosts hit during
the season. Frost can cause significant harm to the growth of bean plants and
caution should be taken to prevent this. It can be difficult in colder climates,
as the time needed for growing bean plants is closely tied to when frosts end
and begin.
The bean plant is an annual plant, meaning it can grow again for at least three
growing seasons. Most gardeners would start from scratch, however, losing
the old bean crop, and with each growing season starting fresh.

Bean problems
Like most plants in your garden, beans have a couple of enemies you must
protect against. Several of the most common pests and diseases, how to
recognize them and what to do about them are as follows:
Aternaria leaf spot – (brown spots on leaves) Ensure that beans are planted in
fertile soil.
Anthracnose – (small, dark stem lesions) Make sure you water plants at the
base and never on the stems. Often, crops rotate.
Aphids – (small soft insects that can typically be found on the underside of
the leaves). If just a few leaves have aphids, just pinch those leaves off. When
there are enough, soapy water works also planting companion plants that
attract natural predators.
Blackroot rot – (long purple lesions on root tissue that can eventually cause
plant death) Swap bean crops with non-susceptible grasses.
Cutworms – (these extreme or "cut" seedlings on the soil line) Ensure the
removal of plant debris from the soil.
Loopers – (These insects can eat holes in the leaves and can be very
destructive). To extract, handpick.
White mold – (fuzzy white mold on plant flowers) Ensure plenty of row
space and rotate seasonal crops.
Beans make the best addition to any garden and there's something great for
every garden, with so many varieties available. So, plant some old favors, or
try something new!
How to cultivate herbs and their uses are traced back to ancient China and
ancient Egypt. Only medieval papers and the Bible offer references to herbs
most people use. The herbs can be used by gardeners in many ways when
they cultivate them. Herbs are useful as food flavors, drying for potpourri,
teas, herbal remedies, and even keeping pests in a garden under control. A
herb garden is mostly based on one particular function or another, but it does
not have to be because in all these areas a combination of herbs can be
cultivated for use. In a garden area, or indoors in containers, a herb garden
can be grown outside.
Herbs can be cultivated in various ways from an indoor herb garden in a
kitchen area to outdoor a small garden plot. Only an area of 4 feet by 6 feet
will grow enough herbs for a family of small size. Although the primary
purpose for these herbs is to use with food, others are grown solely for their
aromatic foliage, and others are grown for the beautiful flowers, whether
fresh or dried. Although several herbs are put on garnish plates or in salads,
others are cooked to add flavor to the food.
As with all plants, herbs may be perennials, annuals, trees, or shrubs. You
need soil that will drain well into which to plant your herbs. If your soil is
dry, or too thick, it will help to add organic matter. There is no need to use
fertilizers. Some herbs grow best in full to part light, but some do really like
full shade. Most herbal varieties excel in afternoon shade. Surprisingly, the
plants are only targeted by a few insects and diseases. The red spider mites
may invade plants that grow low to the ground at times when the weather is
hot and dry, and the aphids may seek out the caraway, dill, fennel, or anise.
Rust will affect mint.
Herbal seedlings can be purchased in the garden setting of choice for
planting, or herbs can be planted as rising seeds too. Nevertheless, it is a thrill
seeing plants grow from seeds. This way, from sprouting to maturity and
beyond, you can appreciate the entire growth cycle. By growing herbs, a
gardener gets more praised because they're used for so many purposes.
Virtually all the herbs can start from seed. Seeds need to be planted in a box
or pot at the end of winter which is shallow. Using a light soil and drain well
for planting the seeds in. Since herbs have a shallow root base, a limited
amount of soil will be given to the seed upon a need to be covered. They
shouldn't be sown too deeply. Follow this guide: the smaller the seed, the
higher it should be sown. The seedlings will then be transplanted outdoors
when spring arrives. Although most and not all of the herbs can be sprouted
from seed, they do well to be transplanted. Herbs such as fennel, dill,
coriander, and anise either need to be planted straight into the field or use
peat pots to grow the seeds in. When the seedlings sprout, the peat pots can
be planted straight down to the ground.
Even though it is worthwhile and simple to grow herbs in your home garden,
you do need to understand and learn some knowledge about them. Much of
the detail was stated in this chapter. Nonetheless, you need to read more
about herbs, to find out more.
 PROBLEMS GROWING HERBS

H erbs tend to be fairly easy to grow as long as you pay attention to certain
golden laws. Many herbs love the sun and need at least six hours a day of
sunlight. Herbs prefer well-drained soil with a pH of 6 to 7, and with
some healthy organic compost adjusted. Daily pruning and, as a result,
eliminating any low or infested growth are the final components for
defending herbs against pests and diseases. That said, the herb garden can be
plagued by certain may pests and herbal diseases.
Protecting herbs from pests A natural repellent to many insects is the
essential fragrant oils of most herbs. Notwithstanding this, pests like slugs
intrude the herb garden at some point and ravage your plants. However, lots
of these pests are not significantly harmful, and are just a nuisance.
Aphids – Aphids love the tender new herb leaves and can induce curling of
the leaves in large numbers. The resulting secretion of honeydew can both
encourage sooty mold and attract ants. Aphids are found most frequently
among crowded and fast-growing herbs. Horticultural soaps and neem oil can
help to exterminate these plagues.
Spider mites – Spider mites prefer soft, dry conditions and are frequently
seen on herb leaves' undersides. Protecting the herb garden from these pests
is as easy as a good stream of water directed at the foliage and daily watering.

Herbal Diseases
Very few herbs (mints and lemongrass) survive in humid soil. Waterlogged
soils foster fungal diseases such as root rot in fusariums. Symptoms occur as
brown lines on herb stems with an end result sometimes arising from the
plant's general collapse. Rust plagues several members of the mint family and
occurs on the underside of the leaves as rusty orange lesions. Proper growing
conditions, irrigation, elimination of damaged or otherwise infested foliage
and daily pruning are protections against herbal diseases. Raised beds should
encourage good morning drainage and watering to allow the herb plenty of
time to dry out will also slow the spread of fungal spores that could lead to
disease.

Troubleshooting the Herb Garden

As they suggest, the best defense is a strong offense, so remember to obey the
golden rules as illustrated below when troubleshooting the herb garden: select
safe herbs to be planted. In the right climate, plant the safe herb either moist
and humid, or sunny and dry. Do your research and find the best place for
growing herb type. Do not overpopulate your herbal plants. Enable growth,
propagation, and general aeration between plants. Practice good rinsing and
fertilizing. Irrigate and fertilize (preferably with organic food such as
compost tea) on a schedule and allow the water to dry between. Weed
between plants also helps to deter pests and encourage safe foliage and root
systems. Prune, prune, prune...Prune. Prune your weed, or to put it another
way, always harvest the weed plant. Not only will this immediately prompt
you to remove any sick vegetation and detect any marauding insects for
removal, but it will also encourage a lusher, bushier specimen. Harvesting
will also remove blossoms, which will keep the plant growing as flowering is
a warning to the plant that it is about time for the season to die back.

Problems When Growing Herbs

Fortunately, herbs typically do not suffer from problems that other plants
may have. Problems such as insect pests and diseases are uncommon, so
shortages in nutrients are impossible. Too much or inadequate watering can
be a problem, but this can typically be easily rectified. Another issue is that
certain herbs grow quickly. Plants such as the mint and lemon balm can
quickly take over the plot and swamp other plants' production.
Although they're rare, issues do occur from time to time, so it's important to
know what to do if your herbs get into trouble.
Aphids and Other Insect Pests
Aphids are drawn to luscious leafy growth and can damage herbs like basil
and cilantro. Greenfly or blackfly are the most common aphids. They come
together at the top of the plants and surround new growth areas. Sucking the
sap from the plants, they secrete a sticky sweet solution. Ants love to drink
this remedy, and you sometimes see them on plants “farming” aphids and
collecting the delicious secretions.
As aphids are drawn to the lush, new plant growth, they are more likely to
target plants fed with artificial fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers induce lush new
growth and also weaken the ability of plants to fend off pest attacks. What's
more, artificial fertilizer-fed herbs don't taste as well as natural herbs. Since
the soil is fertile and provides an abundance of organic matter, extra nutrients
need not be supplied.
If aphids invade your plants, rubbing them off with your fingertips or
spraying the infestation with a stream from your hose is the best way to kill
them. Also, you could grow flowers like candytuft and marigolds to attract
ladybirds and lacewings to the area. They'll feast happily on the aphids that
trouble your herbs. Do not use pesticides. They are harmful to the plant.

HERBS AND DISEASE

D isease in herbs is seasonal, but it may occur during a dry, wet summer
particularly.
Herbs can be a problem with the following diseases:
Chives – downy mildew and rust.
Dill – rusty heart, phoma blight, and stem rot.
French tarragon – thick and wet soil root rot.
Basil and Oregano – powdery mildew-root rot.

Growing Problems

When put in a sunny position in fertile, free-draining soil most herbs get on
very happily. Often, though, they'll grow too much or not grow enough.

Herbs capable of becoming overgrown are mint and lemon balm. They will
take over the plot and stop other herbs growing in the plot. Grow them in pots
to prevent this, then drop the pots into the soil. This will restrict their root
growth and prevent them from spreading where they aren't needed.

Certain issues affecting herbal growth include are inadequate light – most
herbs require plenty of sunlight to thrive. Seek to switch your herbs to places
where they can get more sunlight.

Waterlogging – if you have heavy clay soil water you may have difficulty
draining away, particularly if it has been raining for an extended period of
time. When adding plenty of organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted
manure and grit, break up the soil. Instead, the herbs in a pot grow in a soil-
based compost.

Nutrient deficiency – if the leaves of your herbs look yellow or brown at the
ends and the soil is not too dry or too wet, or the soil may not have enough
nutrients. Apply an organic liquid feed to raise the plant, then bring in the
autumn organic matter for instance, compost or well-rotted animal manure to
provide nutrients for next season.

Seed running – annual herbs like coriander and basil can be a probe to run to
seed in hot weather. This means that they start flower production early, rather
than producing lots of luscious leaves, and produce seeds which slow or stop
new leaves from growing. Different factors may contribute to this, including
stress. High temperatures are the most common. To avoid this from
happening cultivate the plants in slightly shady areas.
Your herbs would not experience any issues. It's crucial not to be panic when
they do, though. Predators such as ladybirds and lacewings can eat bugs, and
annual herbs can be re-seeded – they'll be ready in a few weeks.

PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS OF POTATOES

P otatoes are cool seasonal crops that best grow in cooler climates, or as a
winter crop in warm summer areas. They're heat prone but can withstand a
light frost. Potatoes require a rich, moist, loose, well-draining soil with a pH
of between 5.8 and 6.5 and will develop optimally at daytime temperatures
between 18 and 27 ° C (65–80 ° F) and 12 to 18 ° C (55–65 ° F) at nighttime
temperatures. Plants can also be successfully grown in burlap bags or in large
containers outdoors. Potato seed parts are typically grown from seed
potatoes. It is possible to use small portions of a large tuber known as seed
bits, or small seed potatoes. When in season and through seed firms, seed
potatoes can be bought from garden centers. Growing piece of material that is
planted should have at least two eyes. The eyes are the region from which a
shoot can sprout and should be allowed to cure for a few days before it is
planted in the soil after cutting. Curing helps prevent the seed fragments from
rotting and also reduces the risk of contracting a pathogen. Curing is very
easy and can be done by placing the seed pieces on paper towels and
allowing for 3 to 4 days of drying out. Seed potatoes and parts could be
planted from 0–2 weeks after the last frost, or immediately the soil is
workable in early spring, keeping in mind that a freeze will kill the plants.
Working in compost or well-rotted manure prepares the soil for planting.
Potatoes are usually cultivated in hilled rows. This will include digging 60–
90 cm (2–3 ft) apart shallow trenches after applying the compost or manure.
Place the seed pieces apart by 30 cm (12 in) and cover with 7.5 cm (3 in) of
soil. If the plants reach around 25 cm (10 in) in height, the soil piles up
around the plant stems to cover them up to around half of their height. That
prevents shallow tubers from turning green from sunlight exposure. Let the
plants grow another 25 cm (10 in) and mound the soil again. Continue this
cycle for crop growth length. Straw may be used around the plants instead of
soil that reduces the importance to dig for the tubers, care must be taken to
periodically add the straw fresh because it breaks down over time.
Additionally, they may grow potatoes in containers or burlap bags. Potatoes
are soil moisture sensitive and grow best when soil moisture is constant. The
plants typically need around 1 inch of rainfall or irrigation water per week.
Water-saturated soil should be avoided, as tubers and rot can form poorly.

Furthermore, potatoes are heavy feeders, and every two weeks the addition of
a balanced fertilizer can help to increase tuber yields.

Harvesting
The time it takes for potato tubers to mature is variable and depends on the
variety being grown, although it usually takes about 2-3 weeks after the
plants have flowered. All tubers should be harvested on the death of the vines
or before a frost that kills the plants. Harvest the tubers by digging them
gently with a fork or hands if the soil is sufficiently loose. Harvesting is
easier with dry soil. Before storage, do not wash the tubers.
 PROPAGATION REQUIREMENTS OF MAIZE

aize is best grown in dry, tropical and subtropical regions as it needs dry
M soils for optimal growth. A high-quality soil which is rich, fertile and
well-draining with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8 is one of the most important
requirements for growing maize. Maize plants are heavy feeders, and even
the most fertile soils may need nutrient supplements as plants especially
develop nitrogen. As it grows, maize also requires plenty of room and is
pollinated by water. It should be planted where, for most of the day, it
receives full sunlight and provides ample moisture.

Dates of maize planting rely on the variety being cultivated. Varieties should
be sow when the soil has warmed up to a minimum of 12.7 ° C (55 ° F) and
when the soil reaches 18.3 ° C (65 ° F). By spreading black plastic mulches
about a week before planting, soil can be brought up to temperature faster.
Sowing seeds should be approximately 2.5 cm (1 in.) deep and 10–15 cm
(~3–4 in) apart, making 76–91 cm (~30–36 in) between rows. Maize also
should be planted in blocks (numerous rows) rather than in a single long row,
because it is pollinated by wind and pollen can pass much more easily
between plants. Once the seedlings are around 7.5–10.0 cm (3–4 in) in
height, they will be thinned to a final width of 20–30 cm (8–12 inches).
Stagger maize plantings to ensure continuous harvest during the summer
period.
 GENERAL CARE AND MAINTENANCE

M aize plants are heavy feeders, especially nitrogen (N) and care should be
taken in applying fertilizer to provide them with adequate nutrients.
Upon planting, maize undergoes a rapid growth cycle of between 30 and 40
days and should be fertilized just before that. To ensure the plant maximizes
the use of nitrogen, all fertilizer applications should be made before the
tasseling time. Be mindful of the nutrient deficiency signs and plants will
have a dark green color. Purple tinged leaves suggest a lack of phosphorus to
the plants, while light green leaves suggest a lack of nitrogen to them.

Using fertilizer
Plants also require sufficient soil moisture to tassel and form silks during the
growing season. In small to medium size plantations, soaker hoses can be
used to great effect. Pollination happens as the wind conveys pollen from the
male tassel to the female silk – silk produced a single kernel of corn, and
partially filled ears are usually a result of poor pollination.

Harvesting
Each stalk of maize would yield one broad corn ear. The stalk will develop a
second, slightly smaller ear under ideal conditions that reach maturity a little
later than the first. Maize should be harvested at the "milk point" of growth
when the kernels within the husk are well packed and when the kernel is
punctured, they contain a milky material. Test ears to maturity by gently
peeling a small portion of the husk back. Be sure to check the ears for
maturity and harvest regularly as needed, as ears may easily become over-
ripened and lose their sweetness. Remove the ears from the stalk by quickly
pulling down while twisting, and then refrigerate until eaten.
Physiological Diseases
Nitrogen deficiency – The plant turns light green, a common symptom of
nitrogen deficiency; a 'V' shaped yellow coloration on the leaves. This pattern
begins from the end of a leaf to the collar of a leaf. The symptom starts from
the lower to the upper leaves.

The deficient plants are dark green, and the lower leaves exhibit reddish-
purple discoloration.

Potassium deficiency – The margins of the leaves turn yellow and brown,
which show as firing or drying. Symptoms are moving from the lower to the
upper branches.

Symptom of sulfur deficiency occurs on younger leaves where we see

striping of yellow color (interveinal chlorosis).

Zinc deficiency – Upper leaves show large yellow bands and turn light brown
or gray necrosis (dead-spots) later. The sign appears first in the center of the
leaves and is spreading outward.

CONCLUSION
O neabsolutely
of the most amazing reasons to keep your garden at home is that it's
self-renewal. After you've bought seeds after, there's no need
to spend money on seeds ever again. Everything you have to do is extract
seeds from some of your harvested trees, fruits and vegetables and plant these
same seeds the following year. Here's your guide to harvesting and storing
seeds from your garden for next year's planting:

Begin with quality seeds. Yes, it's true that once you've planted a garden,
you'll never have to buy seeds again. You do need to start somewhere,
though, right? It is important that you buy quality heirloom open-pollinated
seeds when you buy seeds for the first time. The reason this is necessary is
because most seeds you buy from a seed catalog or have been hybridized in
your local garden shop. Hybrid seeds are popular because they were bred to
possess certain attributes, such as resistance to frost in tomatoes. If you
harvest seeds from hybrid tomatoes, however, then plant these seeds, you
don't really know what you're going to be getting. Seeds harvested from
hybrid tomatoes can produce tomatoes with properties from either parent
plant. The second-year tomatoes are very unlikely to be the same as the first
season. You can end up with an unwanted vine, or not even bearing fruit. For
this purpose, if you wish to harvest seed from your garden, you must start
with heirloom seeds. Fruit and vegetables from heirloom seeds are the only
ones worth saving and planting since this is the only way you can end up with
plants that are the same as the parent plant.

Harvest seeds from the healthiest plants – When picking fruits and vegetables
from which to harvest your seeds, choose from the healthiest plants at all
times. Select hardy, colorful, and vigorous plants.

Keep a close eye on your plants – When collecting seed from your
greenhouse, timeliness is crucial, you should keep a close eye on your plants.
Annuals with flowers are the easiest variety to collect seeds from as they
flower and go to seed in just one year. Once the seed pods have turned brown
and dried up on the vine, seeds are ready for selection. Many seedpods open
up naturally when they are ready and disperse seed. You should tie a small
bag of paper or fabric over the seed pods to protect them when they look like
they're going to burst. With vegetables, harvesting seeds is best when the
veggie is almost overripe just before it starts to rot, as this helps the seeds to
mature fully. A tomato should be left on the vine for example until it is big,
overripe and very soft. Eggplant should be left to ripen entirely and fall to the
ground. Snatch up your veggies as soon as they reach this level, lest they
meet the insects.

Separate the seeds from the flesh – It can be achieved very quickly with pod
vegetables and flowers. Just open the warm, mature pod, and extract the
seeds. Break the vegetable in half lengthwise with strong veggies such as
eggplants, cucumbers and zucchini, and take the seeds out with your fingers.
Gently mash the flesh with pulpy fruits such as tomatoes, to separate the pulp
from the seeds.

Soak the seeds – You'll need to soak them in plain water for a full 48 hours
after you harvest your seeds. Extract all the seeds that floated to the top of the
water after 48 hours and discard them. When seeds float, this is symbolic of
being dry and infertile. Just retain the seeds which have fallen to the bottom.
Then drain the water and scatter the seeds over a sheet of paper towels so
they can dry.

Remove moisture during storage – This is when there's one secret to saving
your seeds for the next year. Your seeds have to be kept moisture-free. They
become moldy and rot when exposed to moisture. Make sure they are fully
dry before growing your seeds in storage. Instead, each seed type in a paper
envelope labeled. You will note that seeds are typically stored in paper rather
than plastic, as this allows airflow and hence keeps the seeds healthy and
fertile. Place them in an airtight container, like Tupperware or pan, until your
seeds are in paper envelopes. Don't forget to mark your containers clearly
with the type of seeds that they hold and the date you stored them.

The next year, plant the seeds – The fertility of the seeds is highly dependent
on how they are processed. It is best for your home-harvested seeds to store
them for only one year; a maximum of two years. If you want to keep seeds
in long-term storage, it is best to look for seeds that have been specially
packaged for this purpose. For example, the Survival Seed Bank could have
stored for 20 years, with no seed damage.