10 tips for companion planting for natural pest control and organic sustainability

Companion planting for pest control and to encourage plants to grow with more vigor has fascinated men for centuries; however, few backyard gardeners know how to use these natural methods for organic sustainability and how to improve your garden. Plants that work together to help one another grow; plants that repel insects for organic pest management; and plants that repel other plants for natural herbicide control are of great value to both small backyard gardeners and commercial growers.
Certain protective botanicals don’t always act instantaneously, and must be planted several years or seasons in advance to be of utmost cumulative effect. For example, companion planting pest control using marigolds to prevent nematode growth should be done at least one season ahead before expecting to see great results.

It’s important to remember that both secretions and odors from various plants are valuable traits for organic pest control and companion planting where repelling or attracting certain aspects and effects is attempted.

Ten easy companion planting tips for to use now

Companion planting for chemical free pesticides and organic sustainability is a huge subject that can take years to master; however, there are a few easy things you can do in your own garden right now to make use of this intriguing method of gardening.

1. Protect carrots by planting them with leeks to repel both carrot and onion flies. They won’t even lay their eggs and your yield will increase tremendously.

2. Growing radishes or kohlrabi? Plant them with lettuce to repel earth flies that hate the smell of lettuce and make them take flight.

3. Aphids will injure almost all plants, causing headaches for gardeners everywhere. To repel aphids, plant nasturiums around broccoli and bunches of chives among sunflowers and tomatoes to discourage infestations.

4. Ladybugs are natural enemies to aphids and are excellent for use in organic pest management. Order ladybugs in bulk online or buy them from gardening centers. If you’re wondering how to improve your garden and reduce the aphid population, this is one of the most effective methods of doing so.

5. Asparagus and tomatoes complement one another and improve the vigor of both plants. Place a row of asparagus between two rows of tomato plants.

6. Beans and potatoes work in concert for organic pest control. Planting bush beans with potatoes in alternating rows protects the spuds from the Colorado potato beetle and the beans from the Mexican bean beetle.

7. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables belonging to the cabbage family do well when companion planted with celery, dill, peppermint, sage and rosemary; as well as potatoes, onions and beets.

8. Repel moles around a vegetable garden with a border of castor beans; mice with a border of daffodils; and yarrow makes a wonderful boarder for an herb garden as it encourages the growth of essential oils in the herbs.

9. Remember that companion planting for pest control includes keeping those cute little rabbits out of the garden. Onions repel rabbits and can be inter-planted with peas, beans, lettuce and cabbage.

10. If your garden attracts raccoons, plant corn and pumpkins together so that the large pumpkin leaves grow around the base of the corn stalks. Cayenne pepper sprinkled on the corn silk will also act as a deterrent.

Because some plants are poisonous, it’s important to keep unattended young children away from the garden. Natural organic pest control may be a complex subject; however, there are many simple things you can do in to improve your garden for increased vegetable yield and organic sustainability.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_planting

http://www.seedsofchange.com

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/companion-planting.html

Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Charlotte: Garden Way Publishing, 1975

Mayer, Dale. The Complete Guide to Companion Planting: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Garden Successful (Back-To-Basics Gardening). OcalaL: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 2010

About the author:
READ MORE OF JEAN (JB) BARDOT’S ARTICLES AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

The JB Bardot Archives: www.jbbardot.com
Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1686.html

JB Bardot is an herbalist and a classical homeopath, and has a post graduate degree in holistic nutrition. Bardot cares for both people and animals, using alternative approaches to health care and lifestyle. She writes about wellness, green living, alternative medicine, holistic nutrition, homeopathy, herbs and naturopathic medicine. You can find her at The JB Bardot Archives at www.jbbardot.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jbbardot23 or on Twitter at jbbardot23 or https://twitter.com/jbbardot23

Source of Article is Natural News, article published for only information purpose.

Organic Growing for the Environment

The Earth’s population continues to grow, but the amount of land available for growing food is disappearing rapidly. Erosion, development, pollution, dwindling water supplies, and other human-induced and natural disruptions  threaten safe food and water supplies. Plant and animal species continue to disappear at alarming rates as humans damage and encroach on their habitats.
Many gardeners work to improve this grim picture by making personal choices that, at the very least, do as little harm to the environment as possible. The way you choose to grow flowers and food and to maintain the landscape can actually improve the quality of the soil, air, and water, as well as the lives of the organisms that depend on them.

Protecting wildlife
Organic gardeners strive to maintain a balanced ecosystem in which all creatures, even garden pests, play a role. They rely on nontoxic techniques, such as row covers and repellents, to manage pests, not eradicate them. By allowing the presence of some pests, organic gardeners encourage the pests’ natural predators to take up residence. And when pests and predators are in balance, everyone wins.
Sometimes, even organic gardeners may choose to use pesticides as a last resort. When they do, they keep in mind that, while pesticides kill pests, they can harm innocent bystanders as well. When possible, organic gardeners choose products that affect only the pest they’re trying to control.
Most organic pesticides break down quickly into harmless substances once they’re exposed to air, sunlight, and/or water. Many synthetic pesticides, on the other hand, are formulated to keep working — killing — long after the need is passed. These long-lasting pesticides not only continue killing pests, they can also accumulate in the bodies of animals, harming them over a long period. In the case of the infamous DDT, which was banned in the United States in 1972, the chemical accumulated in fish, rodents, and other animals. When predators such as hawks and eagles ate those animals, they accumulated increasingly larger quantities of DDT, too. As a result, they laid eggs with thin shells that broke before they hatched, destroying generations of birds and sending many species to the brink of extinction. Even today, tens of millions of birds are killed each year as a result of pesticide use.

Helping pollinators
Pollination occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or from one flower to another of the same species, leading to fertilization and successful seed and fruit production. Some plants, like corn, are pollinated by wind. However, nearly 80 percent of the world’s crop plants, including alfalfa, apples, blueberries, cotton, and melons, depend on insects or other pollinators to transfer their pollen. According to the North American Pollinator Protection campaign, 30 percent of the foods we eat require the presence of a pollinating insect.Although concern for the welfare of pollinating insects has been growing among scientists for decades, it wasn’t until a crisis dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) caught the media’s attention that the general public took notice. During the winter of 2006 2007, U.S. beekeepers reported losses of 50 percent to 90 percent of their hives. Researchers are still trying to determine the cause, but many think that a combination of disease-related and environmental factors may be involved.Whatever the cause, CCD has awakened us to our utter dependence on the honeybee — a non-native species that was brought here from Europe by  early settlers. Before that, plants relied on native pollinators, such as solitary bees, bumblebees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles. Unfortunately, the  populations of these native pollinators have dwindled, due at least in part  to pesticide use.
Using organic growing practices can help reverse this trend. By growing diverse plants, choosing plants specifically to attract and feed pollinators, and minimizing pesticide use, home gardeners can play an important role in increasing the populations of pollinating insects.

Homemade Pesticides for Roses

by Angela Ryczkowski, Demand Media

Numerous cultivars of roses (Rosa spp.) are prized as landscape specimens for multiple available growth habits and their attractive, fragrant blooms, which are commonly utilized as cut flowers. Rose plants are potentially bothered by many pests including various species of aphids, mites, thrips, whiteflies, scales, caterpillars, mealybugs and others. When used in conjunction with good rose cultural care practice, homemade pesticides with certain types of ingredients can provide adequate control of pests on beloved roses.

Soap-Oil Spray

A spray to control aphids, lacebugs, mealybugs, scales, spider mites, thrips and whiteflies is made by combining and thoroughly blending 1 tsp. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. dishwashing liquid or baby shampoo and 1 cup of water -- or 2 tbsp. each of oil and soap or shampoo per gallon of water. Thorough coverage on both leaf surfaces and all stems is necessary and repeat applications every five to seven days are generally warranted. After a few hours on the rose plant, the spray is washed off to avoid burning the plant. It is a good idea to test a spray on a small area of the plant and observe that area for a few days to make sure it will not harm the rose.

Additive for Fungal Control

Where a rose is currently or in previously seasons has been bothered by powdery mildew or black spot, mixing 2 tbsp. of baking soda into each gallon of soap-oil pest spray can also address these fungal diseases. To achieve adequate control, this homemade fungicide must be applied before or soon after the disease first appears and every five to seven days while conditions continue to favor disease development.

Pepper Spray Repellent

A strong pepper spray applied around plants on a weekly basis may help to repel insect pests. In a gallon of water, 2 tbsp. of red pepper are combined with six drops of dish soap. This mixture must sit overnight to encourage as much of the pepper as possible to dissolve and is then strained before it is poured into a sprayer and applied around and on vulnerable roses and other plants. Before extensively spraying a pepper repellent directly onto a rose, testing the spray on a small section of foliage first to make sure it will not injure the plant minimizes the risk of injury to the plant.

Ant Control

Although ants themselves do not directly injure a rose, they feed on the honeydew that some rose pests produce and protect these pests from their natural predators. So, to encourage the effective presence of beneficial insects, it is necessary to control the ants. A spray made with one part peppermint oil to 10 parts water applied only around the bases of roses where ants are problematic addresses the ant population.

Strong Water Spray

Regularly spraying rose plants with a strong blast of water effectively knocks many pests off the rose. It also cleans off the sticky, sweet honeydew produced by aphids, scales and mealybugs as well as the unsightly sooty mold that develops on honeydew. Additionally, a strong spray of water eliminates the dusty conditions that spider mites prefer.

Mechanical and Cultural Pest Control

Good cultural care practices are crucial for rose pest control without the use of commercial pesticides. Preserving the populations of beneficial insects that prey on rose pests by avoiding the use of broad-spectrum, persistent insecticides and planting a diverse selection of herbs and flowering ornamentals around the roses is an excellent way to control pests. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer stimulates a flush of vulnerable new growth attractive to aphids and other pests. Pruning off heavily-infested portions of roses or hand-picking pests like foliage-eating caterpillars can reduce pest numbers substantially. Providing a rose plant with adequate water helps it to recover from pest damage.

References

• University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Rose—Rosa spp.
• Oregon State University Extension Service: Using Home Remedies to Control Garden Pests
• UF/IFAS Monroe County Extension: Home Remedies for Insect and Disease Control on Plants
• University of Hawi'i at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources: Home Recipes for Pest Control

About the Author

Angela Ryczkowski is a professional writer who has served as a greenhouse manager and certified wildland firefighter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies.

Source

http://www.sfgate.com/

Make Your Own Fertilizer

By Erin Huffstetler, About.com Guide

Learn how to make your own fertilizer, and keep your garden green without spending a lot of green. Here are several great homemade fertilizer recipes to try:

Epsom Salt Fertilizer

Use in Place of:

Houseplant food
Vegetable fertilizer
Rose plant food

What You Need:

• 1 Tablespoon Epsom Salt
• 1 gallon water
• A watering can

What You Do:

1. Combine the Epsom salt and water.
2. Use the solution to water your plants.
3. Repeat once a month.

Why This Works:

Epsom salt is made up of magnesium and sulfate – both vital plant nutrients. Some magnesium-loving plants to try it on: houseplants, roses, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.

Coffee Ground Fertilizer

Use in Place of:

Rose plant food

What You Need:

• Used coffee grounds
• A cookie Sheet
• Newspaper

What You Do:

1. Line a cookie sheet with newspaper.
2. Then, spread your used coffee grounds out on the sheet, and allow them to dry completely.
3. Sprinkle the grounds around the base of your acid-loving plants. Azaleas, roses, rhododendrons and blueberries are just some of the plants that will benefit from this treatment.

Note: Be careful not to over do it with the grounds. Even acid-loving plants can get too much acid.

Why This Works:

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium – all important plant nutrients. They are also acidic, and help to maintain the acidity of the soil.

Egg Shell Fertilizer

Use in Place of:

Lime

What You Need:

• Egg Shells
• A blender

What You Do:

1. Save your eggs shells, and allow them to air dry.
2. Then, place the dried shells in the blender, and pulse until they are powdery-fine.
3. Sprinkle in your garden.

Why This Works:

Eggs shells are made up almost entirely of calcium carbonate – the main ingredient in agricultural lime.

Vinegar Fertilizer

Use in Place of:

Houseplant fertilizer
Rose plant food

What You Need:

• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 gallon water
• A watering can

What You Do:

1. Combine the white vinegar and water.
2. Use the solution to water your plants.
3. Repeat every three months.

Why This Works:

The acetic acid in vinegar works to increase the acidity of the soil – just the thing for acid-loving plants.

Fireplace Ash Fertilizer

Use in Place of:

Garden fertilizer
Lime

What You Need:

• Fireplace ash

What You Do:

1. Sprinkle your fireplace ash over your garden beds, and work into the soil.

Note: Fireplace ash should not be used if your soil is alkaline, or be used around acid-loving plants.

Why This Works:

Fireplace ash is rich in potassium and calcium carbonate.

Source

10 Natural Fertilizer Recipes

Article Taken From http://www.homegrownfun.com/

By Home Grown Mom - Cindy

Look around the house and locally for materials you can use to make your own fertilizers. If you like to recycle, also check out “Funny Ways to Recycle Human Hair to Stay Green”.

• BANANA PEELS  - Eating a banana helps replenish lost potassium. Roses love potassium too. Simply throw one or two peels in the hole before planting or bury peels under mulch so they can compost naturally. Get bigger and more blooms.
• COFFEE GROUNDS  – Acid loving plants such as tomatoes, blueberries, roses and azaleas love coffee grounds mixed into the soil, sprinkled on top of the ground before watering, or poured on top of the soil. If using as a soil drench, soak 6 cups of coffee grounds in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Let it sit for 2-3 days and then saturate the soil around your plants.
• EGG SHELLS  – Wash them first, then crush. Work the shell pieces into the soil near tomatoes and peppers. The calcium helps fend off blossom end rot. Eggshells are 93% calcium carbonate, the same ingredient as lime, a tried and true soil amendment! I use eggshells in my homemade potting mix. This gives me healthy, beautiful fruits fit for seed saving. Get the 7 Secrets to Saving Tomato Seed in the Home Garden.
• SEAWEED – Fresh seaweed should be washed well before use to remove salt. Asian markets sell dried seaweed. Both fresh and dried versions are considered excellent soil amendments. Seaweed contains trace elements and actually serves as a food source for soil microbes. Chop up a small bucket of seaweed and add it to 5 gallons of water.  Let it sit for 2-3 weeks loosely covered. Use it to drench the soil and foliage. 2 cups work well for a small plant, 4 cups for a medium plants and 6 cups for a large plant. Experiment with amounts. Combine seaweed with other tea fertilizers.  
• WEEDS  – You’ve got your own fertilizer growing under your feet!  Nettles, comfrey, yellow dock, burdock, horsetail and chickweed make wonderful homemade fertilizer. There are several ways you can use them to make your own brew or to speed up your compost pile. If your weeds have not gone to flower you can dry them in the sun and chop them up to use as a mulch. They are high in nitrogen and won’t rob your plants of nutrients. Borage (starflower) is an herb but for some people it’s a weed. It has many of the same nutritional properties as comfrey. I dry the entire plant, root and all, and put it in my compost tumbler. It helps break everything down and gives the pile and extra dose of heat. For this next brew, get out the bucket and your bandana! The bandana you’ll need for your nose because this technique gets stinky! Place a bunch of weed leaves and roots in a 5 gallon bucket. Weigh down the leaves with a brick to ensure the plant matter is covered and add water to cover. Stir weekly and wait 3-5 weeks for the contents to get thick an gooey. Then use that goo, diluted 1:10 or more as a soil drench fertilizer. To make it even more convenient, you can use two buckets and make a hole in the bottom of the bucket that contains the plants. The goo will seep through to the lower bucket.  It’s always best to apply the liquid fertilizer diluted – it should look like weak tea.
• MOLASSES – Using molasses in compost tea increases microbes and the beneficial bacteria that microbes feed on. If you want to start out with a simple recipe for molasses fertilizer, mix 1-3 tablespoons of molasses into a gallon of water. Water your plants with this concoction and watch them grow bigger and healthier.
• HUMAN URINE – Sounds disgusting, but urine is considered sterile if the body it’s coming from is healthy and free of viruses and infection. High in nitrogen, urea contains more phosphorous and potassium than many of the fertilizers we buy at the store! If serving tomatoes that have been fertilized with pee gives you the “willies”, try it in the compost pile. A good ratio of urine to water would be 1:4. You can collect a cup of urine and pour it into 4 cups of water in a plastic bucket used outside for fertilizing plants. Pour 2 cups around the perimeter of each SMALL plant. For MEDIUM plants add 4 cups and LARGE plants deserve a good 6 cups of your personal home brew.
• GRASS CLIPPINGS – Rich in nitrogen, grass breaks down over time and enhances the soil. Fill a 5 gallon bucket full of grass clippings. You can even add weeds! Weeds soak up nutrients from the soil just as much as grass. Add water to the top of the bucket and let sit, covered for 3 weeks. Stir it once a week. Dilute your grass tea by mixing 1 cup of liquid grass into 10 cups of water. Apply to the base of plants using the same amounts as listed above in the urine recipe.
• MANURE – Chicken, horse, cow manure. With a little effort, you’ll find folks that are giving away composted animal manure for free. Add the composted manure to a small permeable bag made from recycled cloth, e.g., a t-shirt or old towel. Let it steep in the shade for a few days and apply it to your soil to condition it before planting. Bury or discard the used bag. Some people use manure tea to soak bare root roses!  Click here to read my 5 tips for using manure.
  
• CAT AND DOG FOOD – Depending on the dog food you recycle, this soil amendment may not be organic.  However, even the cheap stuff contains protein and micro-nutrients that benefit the soil. To prepare a garden plot for planting, sprinkle dry pet food on the bed, turn the soil and water. Let it decay naturally. To discourage wildlife from visiting for a snack, cover with cardboard until the food decomposes. The cardboard will also trap moisture and discourage weeds. Make sure the cardboard get wet all the way through and cover with mulch. Water thoroughly every week for four weeks. Soybean meal and alfalfa pellets from the grain store work great too. Sometimes grain stores will sell for cheap or give away spoiled grains. Check the feed for salt content and try not to add pet or animal food considered high in sodium. The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) recommends dry dog food contain a minimum of 3% sodium to support normal growth and development.

OTHERS

CORNMEAL – Contains lots of phosphorus and nitrogen and acts as an effective fungicide. Add a cup of cornmeal to 5 gallons of water. Let it soak for several hours, then strain the liquid so you can add it to a spray bottle. Spray the leaves of plants that are susceptible to fungus. You can combine this cornmeal tea with compost tea for even more benefits. I use the leftover water from cooking corn on my vegetable garden.

WORM POO – Making my own worm tea is easy. I started with a handful of red wiggler worms about 6 years ago and haven’t stopped since. Check out our video below on composting with worms to see how easy it is to make this amazing fertilizer!

For Original Article Visit: http://www.homegrownfun.com/

Gardening on the Cheap

Having a productive garden isn't cheap, but look at these cool tips to keep both your landscape and wallet green:

"In my yard, old things have new uses," says "Farmer Fred" Hoffman, a radio show host in Herald, Calif. For example, an ordinary plastic bucket is a dungeon of doom for the squash bugs devouring Hoffman's pumpkin plants. Squash bugs rob plants of their nutrients by sucking the juices from their leaves. Using chemicals to exterminate squash bugs may also harm beneficial bugs. To alleviate the problem, Hoffman fills half the bucket with water. Then, early in the morning when the squash bugs are most active, he shakes the leaves over the bucket, capturing the bugs in the water. The total cost of this pest control project is zero because he rescued the bucket from the trash can.

Hoffman has a similar method for dealing with fruit beetles, using an old jar, a discarded piece of window screen, and duct tape. To assemble the fruit beetle trap, secure the screen in a funnel shape with a piece of duct tape. Dilute fig juice with water in the jar, and place the screen in the mouth of the jar so that the bottom of the funnel rests just above the mixture. The beetles get in but can't get out. And the cost of this homemade trap is next to nothing.

Another cost-effective tip is to start your garden using cuttings from easy-to-grow plants like roses, salvia or geraniums. Hoffman suggests saving those old plant identifications tabs, too. Use a marker to cross out the former plant name, and label the new plant.

To get your plants growing right, create your own protective structure with some plastic containers, a large window screen and a few medium-sized rocks placed in the corners.

Hoffman recommends saving old PVC pipes to create an inexpensive drip irrigation system. You need an on/off valve, a couple of pieces of garden hose with the female ends attached, a joiner, a male PVC adapter with a female 1/2-inch slip thread, a length of 1/2-inch PVC pipe, and a screw-on end cap to make the system. Drill holes halfway through the PVC pipe about 12 to 18 inches apart for clay soil, and 9 to 12 inches apart for sandy soil.

Connect the hose parts to the source of water. Next, join the PVC male adapter to the slip thread end of the 1/2 inch pipe, and screw on the end cap. Hoffman says there's no need to glue anything because this is a low-pressure system. Turn on the water just a little bit, and adjust the stream of the pipe as desired. The total cost of this project is around $5.

Also, don't throw away those old nursery planter pots. Some nurseries pay you to return the 1-, 5- and 10-gallon plastic containers. With the money you receive, Hoffman suggests purchasing some concrete wire to make your own tomato cages. Pre-made tomato cages are typically four feet tall, which is insufficient for most tomato plants. And you're lucky if they last one season.

Build your own tomato cage that will last a lifetime from a sheet of 12-gauge, 6-inch mesh wire. Secure the exposed wires into the soil, and use wire cutters to trim off the top edge. "There are a lot of good cutting tools available, but I like my barbed wire cutters the best," Hoffman says. Expose one side of the tomato cage by removing the joining wires, and secure the two sides together by bending the wires over the other side. Place the cage on its side and push down gently to create a cylindrical shape. This inexpensive, custom-made cage is the perfect size for reaching in and grabbing ripe tomatoes.

Other practical uses for discarded odds and ends include using a window screen over a bed of onions to reduce sun scalding. An old pitchfork serves as a rustic trellis for climbing vines, and a broken wheelbarrow makes a handy planter. In addition, chopped up branches and leaves make free mulch.

Source:

4 Simple Steps to Grow a Hundred Pounds of Potatoes in a Barrel

by Timothy Hurst

Container gardening isn't only for savvy urban gardeners and folks with limited space to grow, it can also be for folks who want to maximize their yields in a controlled environment. Not only does growing potatoes in a barrel reduce the amount of weeding and exposure to pests and fungi, you don't even have to risk shovel-damage to the tender potatoes by digging them out of the ground when they're done, just tip the container over!

After extensive research to plan my own potatoes-in-a-barrel, I've boiled all of the recommendations down to 4 simple steps to a winning potato harvest.

1. Select and prepare a container

You'll need to pick out a container such as a 50-gallon trash barrel or one of those half whiskey barrel planters. Alternatively, you can buy used food-grade barrels or commercially-available potato planters. Just about any 2 to 3-foot tall container will work, but be sure to select a container that either already has holes in it, or is okay to cut holes in. Next you'll want to clean your container with a mild bleach solution to get out any of the nasties that have been lingering in there. If you don't want to use bleach, you can make a bleach alternative to use instead.

Good drainage is critical for the cultivation of healthy potatoes so you'll want to cut or drill a series of large drainage holes in the bottom and bottom sides of your container. Alternatively, you can cut out the bottom altogether and place it on a well-drained surface like your garden bed.

2. Choose a variety and plant potatoes

Seed potatoes can usually be found at nurseries early in the growing season, but you should only have to buy them once. If you can, “chit” or sprout your potatoes before planting them by setting them out in an egg carton, the side with the most buds facing up, and putting them in a cool light room out of direct sunlight to sprout. Putting the tubers in an open paper bag can have this same effect.

Fill in the bottom of your container with about 6 inches of loose planting mix and compost. You'll want to use a planting mix with a peat moss-like soil amendment like this product made from repurposed coconut husks, doing so will keep the soil from becoming too compacted and help it to store moisture for the roots. Next, add some seed potatoes on the layer of soil, making certain to leave plenty of space between each cube. You can use the whole potato but I like to cut the potatoes into 1 to 2-inch cubes for planting. Loosely backfill the potatoes with another 6 inches of your soil and compost mix and water to dampen soil. Keep the soil damp at all times but be careful not to overwater.

3. Add more soil

When they have about 6 to 8 inches of foliage, add another layer of your soil-compost mix covering about one-half to three-quarters of the visible stems and foliage. Repeat this process of allowing the sprouts to grow and then covering the sprouts and moistening the soil as the plants grow up toward the top of the barrel.

4. Harvest the potatoes

After about 10 weeks or until the plants flower and start to yellow, the potatoes should be ready to harvest. Carefully dig down with your hands to inspect the top-most layer. After you've confirmed your suspicions, dump the barrel out on a tarp and inspect your bounty.

Other tips to grow bushels of barrel potatoes

• After the first harvest, keep a few potatoes to use as seed potatoes next year.
• Bush beans are a great companion plant for potatoes.
• Instead of using soil, try growing potatoes in sawdust.
• Experiment with different containers, seed potatoes and watering regimes.
• If the above steps aren't sufficient, do some more research.

Have any photos or useful tips for growing potatoes in a barrel? Please share!

Source:

How to Make a Plant Grow With Baking Soda

Saturday, July 20, 2013  By Alicia Bodine

Although plants will grow as long as they have soil, water and light, fertilizer can be used to help the plants grow faster and appear more vibrant. Store bought fertilizers contain chemicals that can burn the plants if not used properly. It is much safer for the plants when you create a homemade fertilizer to use. This fertilizer should contain baking soda, which eliminates the growth of fungal diseases that will hinder the plant's growth. Instructions

1. Pour 1 gallon of hot water into a small bucket.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts to the hot water. Stir until both ingredients have dissolved.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of molasses and 1/4 teaspoon of ammonia in the bucket. Stir again to combine all of the ingredients.
4. Set the baking soda fertilizer aside until it cools to room temperature.
5. Pour 1 cup of the homemade baking soda fertilizer into the soil of each plant. Repeat monthly to encourage your plants to grow healthy and strong.

Source: eHow

Ants Problems in Garden

Symptoms

Container-grown plants start to wilt. When you check the pot you notice ant tunnels, and that compost has been moved away from the plant's roots. On the lawn or between the cracks in paving slabs, heaps of fine soil appear.

Find it on: no real damage is caused to any plant

Time to act: spring, summer, autumn

Overview

Of the black, red and yellow ants that are commonly seen in the garden, only the red ones (from the Myrmica species) sting. Other than that, ants are more of a nuisance than a pest. They feed mostly on insects, including other ants, and honeydew, the sweet sticky substance that aphids excrete. Ants are known to defend aphids against predators in return for a harvest of honeydew.

Solution

Container-grown plants start to wilt. When you check the pot you notice ant tunnels, and that compost has been moved away from the plant's roots. On the lawn or between the cracks in paving slabs, heaps of fine soil appear.

Organic

Ants are persistent and it's almost impossible to eliminate them in the garden. You can flush them out from containers by giving the compost a thorough drenching with water. Repeat as necessary, although take care not to drown your plants!
Keep ants off the benches in a greenhouse by wrapping a grease band around each bench leg, or standing the legs on a block of wood in a dish of water. Use a stiff brush to remove ant hills in the lawn.

Chemical

There are many ant killer products on the market, but they are mostly more effective at killing ants that stray indoors, than complete nests in the garden.

Source: http://www.gardenersworld.com

Pesticides and Vegetable Disease Control

Fungicides can be a great help in preventing diseases when properly applied to the plant foliage. Since fungicides are preventive, they should be applied before the disease occurs, or as soon as the first symptoms of disease appear.

Some vegetable diseases require specific fungicides for their control. An outline of diseases of specific vegetables, disease description, suggested cultural and chemical control and comments follows this section.

Fungicides are available primarily as wet-table powders, dry flowables and dusts, but a few are sold as emulsifiable concentrates, flowables and liquids. Wettable powders (WP) and dry flowable (DF) are formulated in such a manner as to be readily suspendable in water. Dusts (D) should not be mixed in water, but applied directly to the plant. Emulsifiable concentrate (EC) fungicides contain an emulsifying agent that makes them readily suspendable in water. Flowable (F) fungicides are finely ground wettable powders that are suspended in a liquid.

Some soil fungicides are available as granules and are applied in the furrow at planting. Dust and spray fungicides may also be used as in furrow treatments for seedling disease control.

Never attempt to use dust formulations of fungicides in spray solutions. Dusts will not suspend in the spray solution. Wettable powder formulations may appear similar to dusts, but they are formulated to be suspended in spray solutions. Foliar sprays will aid in controlling leaf spots, rusts, mildews, anthracnose and fruit rots. Foliar sprays are not effective against vascular wilts or root rots. Foliar sprays are protectants, because they form a protective layer of fungicide over the surface of the fruit and foliage. Disease agents (bacteria and fungi) that land on these fungicide-coated surfaces are killed or prevented from infecting the plant.

Most fungicides are not effective in inhibiting disease organisms once they have infected a plant. It is imperative that foliar fungicides be applied prior to infection of the plant. A spray schedule should be followed that maintains a protective fungicide layer on the foliage and fruit during favorable infection periods. By carefully monitoring their vegetables, some gardeners can usually delay the first fungicide application until the first sign of disease. Then a 7-14 day spray schedule should be followed. During rainy or humid weather, spray application intervals should be shortened.

Proper pesticide mixing and spraying plays a very important part in achieving disease control. Most home gardeners will find a 1-2 gallon compressed-air sprayer adequate for applying foliar sprays. A nozzle with a cone pattern will provide the most effective coverage of plant foliage. Keep the pressure up to insure small spray particle size and good coverage.

Sprayers should be cleaned and rinsed after each use. Hose-end sprayers are not very effective in applying fungicides to vegetables. Never use the same sprayer for fungicides and insecticides that has been used for herbicides. Residues of certain types of herbicides are very difficult to remove from sprayers. These residues may cause crop injury if a herbicide-contaminated sprayer is used in applying fungicides or insecticides.

What Does Organic Matter Do In Soil?

By Eddie Funderburg

Of all the components of soil, organic matter is probably the most important and most misunderstood. Organic matter serves as a reservoir of nutrients and water in the soil, aids in reducing compaction and surface crusting, and increases water infiltration into the soil. Yet it's often ignored and neglected. Let's examine the contributions of soil organic matter and talk about how to maintain or increase it.

What is Organic Matter?
Many times we think of organic matter as the plant and animal residues we incorporate into the soil. We see a pile of leaves, manure, or plant parts and think, "Wow! I'm adding a lot of organic matter to the soil." This stuff is actually organic material, not organic matter.

What's the difference between organic material and organic matter? Organic material is anything that was alive and is now in or on the soil. For it to become organic matter, it must be decomposed into humus. Humus is organic material that has been converted by microorganisms to a resistant state of decomposition. Organic material is unstable in the soil, changing form and mass readily as it decomposes. As much as 90 percent of it disappears quickly because of decomposition.

Organic matter is stable in the soil. It has been decomposed until it is resistant to further decomposition. Usually, only about 5 percent of it mineralizes yearly. That rate increases if temperature, oxygen, and moisture conditions become favorable for decomposition, which often occurs with excessive tillage. It is the stable organic matter that is analyzed in the soil test.

How Much Organic Matter Is in the Soil?
An acre of soil measured to a depth of 6 inches weighs approximately 2,000,000 pounds, which means that 1 percent organic matter in the soil would weigh about 20,000 pounds per acre. Remember that it takes at least 10 pounds of organic material to decompose to 1 pound of organic matter, so it takes at least 200,000 pounds (100 tons) of organic material applied or returned to the soil to add 1 percent stable organic matter under favorable conditions.

In soils that formed under prairie vegetation, organic-matter levels are generally comparatively high because organic material was supplied from both the top growth and the roots. We don't usually think of roots as supplying organic material, but a study in the Upper Great Plains showed that a mixed prairie had an above-ground (shoot) yield of 1.4 tons of organic material per acre, while the root yield was about 4 tons per acre. The plants were producing roots that were more than twice the weight of the shoots.

Soils that have developed under forest vegetation usually have comparably low organic-matter levels. There are at least two reasons for these levels:

1. trees produce a much smaller root mass per acre than grass plants, and
2. trees do not die back and decompose every year. Instead, much of the organic material in a forest is tied up in the tree instead of being returned to the soil.

Soils that formed under prairie vegetation usually have native organic matter levels at least twice as high as those formed under forest vegetation.

What Are the Benefits of Organic Matter?

• Nutrient Supply
  Organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients that can be released to the soil. Each percent of organic matter in the soil releases 20 to 30 pounds of nitrogen, 4.5 to 6.6 pounds of P₂O₅, and 2 to 3 pounds of sulfur per year. The nutrient release occurs predominantly in the spring and summer, so summer crops benefit more from organic-matter mineralization than winter crops.
• Water-Holding Capacity
  Organic matter behaves somewhat like a sponge, with the ability to absorb and hold up to 90 percent of its weight in water. A great advantage of the water-holding capacity of organic matter is that the matter will release most of the water that it absorbs to plants. In contrast, clay holds great quantities of water, but much of it is unavailable to plants.
• Soil Structure Aggregation
  Organic matter causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, permeability (infiltration of water through the soil) improves, in turn improving the soil's ability to take up and hold water.
• Erosion Prevention
  This property of organic matter is not widely known. Data used in the universal soil loss equation indicate that increasing soil organic matter from 1 to 3 percent can reduce erosion 20 to 33 percent because of increased water infiltration and stable soil aggregate formation caused by organic matter.

How Can I Maintain or Improve Soil Organic Matter Levels?
Building soil organic matter is a long-term process but can be beneficial. Here are a few ways to do it.

• Reduce or Eliminate Tillage
  Tillage improves the aeration of the soil and causes a flush of microbial action that speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. Tillage also often increases erosion. No-till practices can help build organic matter.
• Reduce Erosion
  Most soil organic matter is in the topsoil. When soil erodes, organic matter goes with it. Saving soil and soil organic matter go hand in hand.
• Soil-Test and Fertilize Properly
  You may not have considered this one. Proper fertilization encourages growth of plants, which increases root growth. Increased root growth can help build or maintain soil organic matter, even if you are removing much of the top growth.
• Cover Crops
  Growing cover crops can help build or maintain soil organic matter. However, best results are achieved if growing cover crops is combined with tillage reduction and erosion control measures.

A good supply of soil organic matter is beneficial in crop or forage production. Consider the benefits of this valuable resource and how you can manage your operation to build, or at least maintain, the organic matter in your soil.

References
Barber, S. A. Soil Nutrient Bioavailability: A Mechanistic Approach. New York: Wiley, 1984.
Brady, N. C. The Nature and Properties of Soils. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1974.
Plaster, E. J. Soil Science and Management. 3rd ed. Albany: Delmar Publishers, 1996.
Tisdale, S. L. and W. L. Nelson. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. 3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1975.
Source: Noble Foundation

Promoting Floriculture

By Dr S M Alam

FLORICULTURE is fast emerging as a profitable venture and the country is also earning a sizable foreign exchange by exporting roses to Middle East and European countries.
The local production of cut flowers is estimated at about 10,000-12,000 tons per annum. Roses are popular crop for both domestic and commercial cut flowers. They are harvested and cut when in bud and held in refrigerated conditions until ready for display at their point of sale.
Both local and grafted roses are grown in all the four provinces of the country, but Punjab has lion’s share in production of grafted roses and supply to all the cities of the country.
Roses may be grown in any well-drained soil with optimum sunlight. Most rose varieties are grown by budding on lower portion of a plant and propagated from seeds or cuttings. Clay soils, warm temperatures are always preferred, and the rose plants grow best when not set among other plants. Cow manure is the preferred fertilizer for rose cultivation, but other organic fertilisers, especially composts, are also used.
Rose plants usually require severe pruning, which must be adapted to the intended use of the flowers. Pattoki, a small town about 80-km south of Lahore, has emerged as a leading home for cut flower floriculture technology. More than one million pieces of cut flowers are sent daily from this town to all the major cities of the country. The availability of flowers and ornamental plants has recently increased with change in crop production priorities and rise in living standards. The availability of pick flowers of red rose in use since ages for garlands has increased manifold. Additionally, cut flowers for flowers arrangements have sprung up in market due to demand pull by the local consumers.
The demand for long stem roses, tube roses, gladioli has tremendously increased. In order to explain the cultivation of these plants, import of quality hybrid flower seeds and planting material may be allowed free of duty to promote production of quality leading to export. The small items of machinery and shading nets to be used by the flowers and ornamental plant nurseries should be exempted from the levy of duty.

Roses are best known as ornamental plants grown for their flowers in the garden and sometimes indoors. They have been also used for commercial perfumery and commercial cut flower crops. Some are used as landscape plants, for hedging and for other utilitarian purposes such as game cover. They also have minor medicinal uses. The majority of ornamental roses are selected hybrids. A few, mostly species roses are grown for scented foliage, ornamental thorns or for their ornamental fruit.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. An associated product is rose water which is used for cooking, cosmetics, medicine and in religious practices. Rose water made as a byproduct of rose oil production, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The French are known for their rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose petals.
By observing the rapid growth in cut flower export, this business can become Pakistan’s second largest export sector after textile if the government encourages the cut flower growers by facilitating them to provide better technology in the year round production, refrigerated transportation and exploring more foreign markets.
The world trade of cut flowers runs in billion of dollars and Holland serves as the centre of cut flower business.
The cut flowers trade is tremendously increasing due to its demand worldwide. The cut flowers importing countries are: Australia, Denmark, Dubai, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, U.S.A. and United Kingdom and the major suppliers are Colombia, Ecuador, India, Israel, Kenya and Zimbabwe.^{Courtesy: The DAWN}

VERMICOMPOSTING: A Way to Recycle Food Waste

Asad Manzoor*

Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi.

Millions of tons of food waste are buried or burned every year at significant and considerable financial and environmental cost. Instead of dumping and wasting of your food scraps, you can recycle them with the help of worms. Vermicomposting (worm composting) turns many types of kitchen waste into a nutritious soil for plants. When worm compost is added to soil, it boosts the nutrients available to plants and enhances soil structure and drainage.

Vermiculture or Vermicomposting is derived from the Latin term vermis, meaning worms. Vermicompsting is essentially the consumption of organic material by earthworms. This speeds up the procedure of decomposition and provides a nutrient-rich end product, called vermicompost, in the form of ‘worm castings’.

Vermicomposting, or composting with earthworms, is an excellent technique for recycling food waste in the apartment as well as composting yard wastes in the backyard. Worm bins located near a hot water heater in the garage during the winter will save many a trip through the snow to the backyard compost bin. Letting worms recycle your food waste also saves your back, because you don’t have to turn over the compost to keep it aerated.

The most common types of earthworms used for vermicomposting are brandling worms (Eisenia foetida) and redworms or red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus). Often found in aged manure piles, they generally have alternating red and buff-colored stripes.

They are not to be confused with the common garden or field earthworm (Allolobophora caliginosa and other species). Although the garden earthworm occasionally feeds on the bottom of a compost pile, they prefer ordinary soil. An acre of land can have as many as 500,000 earthworms, which can recycle as much as 5 tons of soil or more per year. Red worms and brandling worms, however, prefer the compost or manure environment. Passing through the gut of the earthworm, recycled organic wastes are excreted as castings, or worm manure, an organic material rich in nutrients that looks like fine-textured soil.

Vermicomposting food waste offers several advantages:

1. It reduces household garbage disposal costs;

2. It produces fewer odors and attracts fewer pests than putting food wastes into a garbage container.

3. It saves the water and electricity that kitchen sink garbage disposal units consume;

4. It produces a free, high-quality soil amendment (compost);

5. It requires little space, labor, or maintenance;

6. It spawns free worms for fishing.
*asad@gardener.com 

Indoor Gardening for Urban Living

Stephen Gerard

06-May-2013

When the fruits of spring finally show their vibrant colors, cheerful sounds and eclectic smells, it is time for your garden to take full flight. If your place of residence looms between the shadows of the busy city streets, the constant presence of sunlight may be hard to come by. Today we are going to help guide you urban botanists on the road to harvesting beautiful plants, vibrant flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables from the comfort of your own home kitchen.

For those who think gardening is only associated with the outdoors, you are sorely mistaken. Kitchen gardens have been around since humans first decided to grow plants. This type of garden is harvested for personal use and can bring excitement, beauty and unique flavor to your household. Not only is this form of gardening practical, but it allows you to keep a close watch on all of your plants, especially the ones you will be consuming.

Choose your plants wisely

Since your space is probably limited, you want to be smart when deciding what plants to harvest in your kitchen or indoor space. When you purchase plants, be aware of the amount of light it requires to grow and bloom. Since you will be dealing with an indoor space, the odds that your plant will receive more than 10 hours of sunshine is unlikely. You want to choose delicate plants that require moderate sunshine, usually 4-6 hours per day. When you’re planning your kitchen garden, you want to choose crops that are edible and colorful, like strawberries, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, multi-colored fruit and a variety of vivacious foliage. Keeping your plants groomed and picking them often will allow you to maximize the amount of crops you plant and enjoy their flavors and colors every day.

Herbs can complement any type of kitchen garden

With any great meal come the spices and herbs that garnish them. When planting crops for your kitchen garden you should always include a few key herbs to add that extra kick of home-grown greatness to your dishes. Herbs like thyme, parsley, marjoram, oregano and basil are great to snip at whenever you’re throwing together a meal. Having these spices at your disposal will allow you to monitor their growth while cutting down on the amount of space you will need for important vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and lettuce.

A colorful garden is a healthy garden

When kitchen gardening comes to mind, we tend to associate our crops with ingredients we can use on a daily basis; like spices, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and more. What many forget to realize is that flowers, just like plants, can add an absolutely exceptional flavor and smell to any dish. Edible flowers can help add vibrant colors to your kitchen while offering excellent aromas and garnishments for salads, cakes, soups and dinner plates. Here are some great edible flower choices for your kitchen garden: bee balm, monarda, borage, calendula, daylilies, lavender, roses, sweet pea and marigolds.

When the confines of the urban jungle get you down, let it be known that your kitchen garden can provide plenty of superb sights, smells and flavors. Make sure to put your plants in a spot where they receive ample amount of sunlight, and don’t forget water.

Author Bio

Stephen Gerard is a Freelance Writer from Blooms Today who has an affinity for nature, bright colored vegetables and creating healthy and fresh dishes from his own harvested ingredients. 

Note: Copy Rights @ agrinfobank.com . If you want to reuse this material please contact through us at email: contact@agrinfobank.com 

Five steps to get your garden started

It’s that time of year again, the time you start daydreaming of canning homemade salsas and tabling fresh salads made completely from ingredients pulled from your home garden. Only, er, maybe you haven’t gardened before and don’t know where to start. If so, here is a five-point plan to get your garden on this year.

1. Do your homework: If your thumb isn’t yet remotely green, start with some research. “So before you even break soil, pick up some books from the library or the Internet to get a plan in place of what you’d like,” said Michael Van Dongen of Van Dongen’s Landscaping and Nurseries Ltd. in Hornby, Ont. That way you can determine what kind of plot you have, and what sorts of vegetables and flowers might do well there. Stuck for research?

Van Dongen also suggests planning small at first. “That way you can let that small area expand from there, because if you try and do too much at once, it can be overwhelming,” he said. “And when you start small, you can decide whether you like it or not because not everyone’s got a green thumb and enjoys it.”

2. Plan your plot: After picking the sunniest spot in your yard or balcony, minimizing the changes of mold and mildew getting at your plants, you can pick from plants that are practically bulletproof. “Snapdragons are prolific flowers to grow. I sometimes let mine sit and they reseed themselves and they come up the following year,” Van Dongen said. “Geraniums and marigolds are also tougher, so if we get a cold snap, it won’t harm them too much.” As for a vegetable bounty, Van Dongen recommends root crops such as carrots, beets and onions, which are all tougher plants and can better sustain weather changes.

3. Prep your plot: Once the weather is warm enough, you can cut out a garden plot by digging down about four to six inches and then build it up another four inches of mixed soil and compost, said Van Dongen, who also recommends working that soil a bit. “You can get compost from your local garden centre or municipality to enrich the soil. So lay it down and work it in with a fork or cultivator.”

4. Pick your packs: Once the threat of morning frost is gone, you can start transferring starter packs of plants to the outdoors. While you can still plant some things such as carrots, from seeds, starter plants or flowers will practically guarantee you have some outdoor growth this year. “Buying starter plants might cost you say $1.40 for a 4 pack of plants,” said Van Dongen. “It’s a minimal investment for something that you can probably benefit greatly from.”

When you are planting, Van Dongen recommends using a light touch — don’t plant too many seeds or packs. “You have to be careful with how much you plant because if it’s a good year, you don’t know how much you can yield and you feel bad wasting it,” he said. 

5. Maintain your growth: From here on in, it’s maintenance, maintenance, maintenance — that includes monitoring the growth, keeping track of watering your plants, weeding, watching for pests, fertilizing regularly and more. And then come August, you can proudly pick and can that salsa. “That’s what I like about gardening — that sense of accomplishment,” Van Dongen said. “And there’s nothing like going out to your garden and picking a cherry tomato off and eating it. You’re putting your own food on the table.”
Source: Chatelaine 

HOW TO GET YOUR GARDEN STARTED: PUTTING THE THEORIES TO WORK

Asad Manzoor
Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi (asad@gardener.com)

Most of your garden scheduling has been theoretical. You've given idea to the vegetables you want to grow, what you're going to do with them, and how much you need to cultivate. You've got a plan of how the climate in your spot will influence your final choice of vegetables.

You're starting to understand your microclimate how growing circumstances in your own back garden may differ from the general climate of your region/district or city. Now you're ready to start getting your plans on paper, but as soon as you open the seed catalog, confusion strikes again. You want to grow your own corn, tomatoes, lettuce and carrots…..

Remember, too, that you don't all the time have to play by the rules; you can plant more than one variety of a vegetable and decide for yourself who one is best suited to your palate and your garden. You can also broaden your harvest by planting varieties that mature at diverse times. Experimenting is a good part of the fun of growing a vegetable garden. Selecting the varieties you're going to grow gives you some solid information with which to work .You now know when to plant your vegetables.

With careful scheduling you may also be capable to save garden space and get two or more harvests from the same spot by succession or sequencing planting. After early-maturing crops or Vegetables are harvested, you clear a portion of the garden and replant it with a new crop or vegetable. Plant so that cool-season crops or vegetables grow in the cooler part of the season, and warm-season crops or vegetables can take advantage of warmer weather.

Companion (we can also say friendly plants) planting is another way to twice upon plantings pace. This you do by planting short-term crops or Vegetables between plants that will take a longer time to mature. The short-term crops or Vegetables are harvested by the time the longer-season crops or Vegetables need the extra room. A good example of this is to plant radishes between rows of tomatoes; by the time the tomatoes need the space, the radishes will be gone.

5 Tips for Growing Early Spring Greens

By Shannon Cowan

Although the arrival of spring in some parts of the country brings welcome gardening weather, other regions are still waiting for those warmer temperatures to begin. Wherever you live, growing greens in in your garden or greenhouse can help you get a jumpstart on the season and enjoy delicious salads that haven’t travelled miles to your table.

Unlike many vegetables which require warmer temperatures to germinate, most greens are “cold hardy”, meaning that you can plant them long before the last frost. But just planting your greens doesn’t ensure a healthy crop. Here are a few tips to help you achieve success when cultivating early spring greens in your garden.

1. Ensure your soil is ready

The seeds of most greens will germinate at temperatures as low as 40 degrees F, which means you can begin planting as soon as the soil has thawed and is dry enough to rake smoothly. Overly wet soils may rot your seed, so if you live in an area with a high water table or copious rainfall, be sure you aren’t rushing the season. A good way to test your soil for readiness is to squeeze a fist full in your hand. If the soil forms a ball that separates easily or crumbles through your fingers, it’s dry enough to begin planting. If the soil forms a ball that doesn’t separate when jiggled, wait a few more days and try again.

If your soil is too wet, consider installing raised beds to improve early-season growing conditions. Raising your beds 12-24” above the ground is often all you need to improve soil conditions and ensure adequate drainage. You can also install sub-drainage or ditches if your space is large enough to warrant the cost.

Lastly, if your soil is too wet because of a high clay content, consider improving soil quality by adding some sand and organic matter such as compost and rotted manure. The ideal soil type for growing vegetables is sandy-loam.

2. Provide adequate nutrients for healthy growth

Like all plants, lettuces and other salad greens require nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to grow. However, in salad greens the bulk of the plant’s energy is used up making green leaves. For this reason, these plants rely most heavily on nitrogen for healthy production. Fertilizing your soil with finished compost or rotted animal manure before planting is one way to deliver nitrogen to your plants’ roots. We also top dress with compost after the seeds have emerged (if planting in rows) or water with diluted fish fertilizer or compost tea. Other sources of nitrogen include organic alfalfa or kelp meal worked into the soil before planting.

3. Keep soil evenly moist

One of the mistakes many gardeners make when growing early greens is overwatering. Although the soil is warming up along with the air, those cold spring temperatures mean less evaporation. While some experts advocate misting your greens, particularly before germination, we’ve found a light watering twice per week is enough to quench our plants’ thirst and ensure strong, healthy development. Frequency will depend on your soil (whether it is sand, clay, or loam), the temperatures in your region, and whether your crop is outside or in a greenhouse.

4. Provide primary and secondary cover

To get a head start on the season, you can plant greens in a greenhouse or hoop tunnel a full month before their outdoor planting dates. You can also go one step further: although seeds grown in a greenhouse already benefit from warmer-than-average temperatures, an extra layer of protection can speed growth and improve germination. In The Winter Harvest Handbook, Eliot Coleman describes how floating row covers (a thin layer of light-permeable cloth) can substantially increase the temperature and relative humidity of a growing area inside a greenhouse. This “double coverage” modifies the climate enough to spur on growth and protect plants from unexpected dips in temperature. Lightweight, floating row covers are now widely available at most garden suppliers. After starting a selection of early greens in our greenhouse, we cover our seeds for the first few weeks after planting to speed germination and maintain an even soil moisture early in the season.

5. Choose cold-hardy varieties

Although most greens are tolerant of the cold, some are more likely to germinate and thrive in unpredictable, swinging temperatures than others. Arugula, spinach, kale, cress, mustard greens, and corn salad are all good choices for an early spring sowing. In most locations, lettuces will germinate in a greenhouse in early spring. Though they may grow more slowly than other greens at the beginning of the season and they require protection from hard frosts, lettuces add bulk and sweetness to the mix. Keep in mind that most lettuces require light to germinate, so a thin covering of soil is all they need to get started. See our list below of favorite cold-hardy greens below for more details.

Favorite Cold-Hardy Greens

The following greens will germinate and thrive in cool temperatures. We start a variety in our greenhouse in early spring to use in salad mixes, making sure to select for texture, colour, and nutrients. We also sow directly into the garden in consecutive plantings spaced 2-3 weeks apart to ensure a continuous harvest.

Arugula

(Also known as “rocket”) is an easy-to-grow early spring green that will germinate in the coldest spring soil, earlier in a greenhouse. Sow in rows or broadcast the seed evenly, but thin to 4-6” (10-15 cm) apart after emergence or the plants will bolt prematurely. When the plants do produce flowers, you can prolong production by pinching them off.

Beet Greens

Are great for color. The bright red-and-green combination adds brilliance to salads and tastes delicious when harvested at the baby-green stage (less than 4” or 10cm). Like other early greens, beets can be sown in a greenhouse as soon as the soil can be worked. Cool temperatures will intensify the colour in some varieties.

Claytonia

Or “Miner’s Lettuce”, has long been considered a weed in North America, but its succulent texture and tolerance for cold temperatures has made inroads with gardeners and upscale restaurants over the last few decades. Its small, white flowers are equally edible and add interest to salad mixes.

Corn Salad

(Also known as mȃche) is a favorite cool-weather crop with a mild, nutty flavour. Harvest the outer leaves or cut the entire inner rosette and watch it regrow. Although corn salad takes as long as lettuce to mature (about 50 days), it germinates faster and earlier, making it a great addition to early salads.

Edible Chrysanthemum

(Or shungiku) is an early green with Asian origins. Harvest the leaves or the edible flowers for a mildly bitter addition to salads and stir fries.

Kale

Is a year-round staple at our house, but one of our favorite ways to eat this calcium-rich plant is as a baby green in a mixed salad. If planted in spring, kale will germinate at soil temperatures at 40° F or higher. In a greenhouse, kale will produce quickly and flesh out salads with its vast array of colours and textures. We prefer Red Russian for our salad mix—its purple veins and frilly edges add a touch of fancy to any meal. Harvest the outer leaves of each plant when they are no more than 4” (10cm) long and sow more thickly than you would for mature plants.

Lettuce

Is a staple in any salad, but the vast array of varieties available today mean choices in colour, texture, and flavour. One thing to keep in mind if growing lettuce in a greenhouse is that some varieties will hold better than others into the heat of summer, ensuring a longer harvest and a steady supply. If you would like to keep your plants going after the weather warms up (or while waiting for those outdoor plantings to begin producing), choose a bolt-resistant variety (one that will not go to seed quickly). Oak leaf lettuces such as Salad Bowl have performed incredibly well in our greenhouses over the years. Other favorites include Red Sails and Lovelock.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens, such as Mizuna, Giant Red, and Tah Tsai add spice to salads and can also be cooked in stir fries or soups. All belong to the Brassica family (the same family as broccoli, cabbages, and arugula), which means they share some of the same pests. Unlike broccoli and cabbages, however, mustards grow quickly and then go to seed. Although you can plant them outside your greenhouse in the coolest of temperatures, greenhouse growing ensures an earlier, more even harvest.

Pea Greens

Pea greens include the top 3-4” (7.5-10 cm) of any edible pea plant. I first encountered pea greens while working on an organic greens farm where workers harvested the leafy, vining tops rather than waiting for the pods to develop. Pea greens are only tender enough if you harvest them when plants are young. Cut the entire plant top once or twice before trellising and allowing to mature for your pea crop.

Sorrel

Sorrel stands out as a must-have in our garden. As one of the few perennial greens available today, sorrel produces first in the spring when most other greens are just going into the ground as seeds. Sorrel’s large and delicious leaves have a distinct, lemon flavor. They make a great edition to any salad or sandwich.

Spinach

Spinach is another early staple that fleshes out salad mixes and adds vital nutrients to meals. We harvest our greenhouse spinach at the baby-green stage, taking the outer leaves and allowing plants to regrow. Spinach does best in fertile soil that is well-drained and warmer than 35° F. Sow early, but remember that spinach will go to seed in a greenhouse as soon as the weather warms up. Although you can sow outside almost as soon as the soil can be worked, we’ve found a greenhouse crop of spinach out-produces its outdoor cousins by up to 4 weeks, making both plantings worthwhile.

Favorite Spring Mixes:

If space is limited, consider growing a selection of greens to suit your palate. Here are some of our favorite blends organized by taste:

Mild:

Looseleaf lettuce (e.g. Salad Bowl or Red Salad Bowl), Butterhead lettuce (Buttercrunch), Romaine lettuce (Freckles or Conquistador), spinach, claytonia, beet greens, pea shoots.

Spicy:

Looseleaf lettuce (choose one red and one green variety), Romaine lettuce, arugula, tah tsai, mizuna, edible chrysanthemum (shungiku).

Tangy:

Looseleaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce, arugula, claytonia, kale, corn salad, beet greens, sorrel.

A Final Word

Growing spring greens for salad mixes is a satisfying way to get started in the garden before long days and warmer soil temperatures arrive in full force. It’s also one way to save money and improve the quality of your salads with just a little bit of effort.

About Shannon
Shannon Cowan is a writer and editor whose novels and articles are published in the United States and Canada. She and her family are currently building a green home and converting six acres of semi-rural brush into a working farm. She blogs about their adventures at www.agreenhearth.com.

Source: EarthEasy