Growing Cabbage

Get an early crop started by setting out seedlings 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost. Space seedlings about 2-3 feet apart. A second crop can be planted in July. Even watering is the key to preventing cabbages from splitting.

Cabbage worms are the main pest threat. They don’t do a great deal of damage and can be hand picked easily, if you can see them. Their coloring allows them t blend in with the cabbage.

Harvest when the head forms and they are firm to the touch. Leave the wide, outer leaves and just cut the head. Cabbages can be stored for months in a root cellar where the temperature is between 45 degrees F. and freezing.

Source: Cabbage - Growing and Caring for Cabbage in the Vegetable Garden

Photo by: La Grande Farmer's Market

Vegetable Gardening Guide - To Help You in Having a Simple But Productive Garden

Author: Clint Sidney

Vegetable gardening can be very stimulating. If you are just
planning to have you own organic garden, here is a vegetable
gardening guide to help you along with the new pastime and get
you started. First you need a space at your disposal, if you are
an apprentice it is advisable not to start with a big space. You
must begin with a single raised bed of 9'x12'. Then as you learn
all about organic gardening, you can add number of beds to dwell
upon.

Prepare the bed early in the season then it is time to sow, you
can first plant the kind of vegetable which your family needs.
This doesn't mean you have to supply vegetable for your family
for the whole year. Be contented with small achievement that you
can little by little increase. You can search the internet, read
gardening books and catalogues to assist you in deciding on what
kind of vegetable to grow in certain time of the year or season.

The next significant step you must do after planting is
uprooting the weeds surrounding your crop. Weeds are obstacle in
making your vegetables grow healthy. You have to hoe on a
regular basis even if you do not see weeds among the plants.
Avoid walking on the beds. Another method to exterminate weeds
is by mulching. Organic mulches like pine needles, grass and
straw are advisable to use, you just apply it when the soil is
wet. You can preserve the dampness of the soil as well as
enhance the temperature through mulching.

Another important aspect in vegetable gardening is watering the
plants. Frequent watering supports root formation, steadiness of
the plants and revival of nutrients. It is best to put in
sprinkles or drip irrigation. It is essential and a must for
seeds and transplants to be watered every day. Water the plants
before it withered.

The last thing to deal with is the problem with pest and
diseases. You should never use pesticides for the basic reason
that they terminate bugs that are useful too along with the
damaging ones. The common strategy to overcome this trouble is
to grow other plants along with your main crop. You can plant
onions and garlic together with carrots. Grow flowering plants
around the beds because it draws beneficial insects.

Hope this vegetable gardening guide will be of great help in
creating your own organic vegetable garden. You can also learn
more from browsing the internet, by reading books on gardening
or talking about it with neighbors. Have fun on building your
own garden.

About the author:
Clint Sidney is a gardening enthusiast and enjoys giving
information about Vegetable Gardening Guide. You can learn more about
gardening at GreatGardener.eHelpsho
me.com.

Spring Garden Vegetables

n addition to the four new vegetables being added to the White House garden, there’s a nice variety of spring greens, onions and peas.

* Red Romaine lettuce
* Geen Oak Leaf lettuce
* Spinach
* Sugar Snap Pea
* Butterhead lettuce
* Fennel
* Red Oak Leaf lettuce
* Radishes
* Shallot
* Shell peas
* Broccoli
* Onion
* Chard
* Kale
* Collards
* Carrots
* Rhubarb

Read More: Hail to the Peas - Vegetable Gardener

How Much Space Do You Need For A Vegetable Gardene

Not much. Truthfully, it depends on the types of veggies you want to grow and how many. But you'll want to know what you have to work with before you choose your vegetable seeds or seedlings. For example, if your kids really want to grow giant pumpkins, a good-sized part of the yard or a large raised bed could easily be devoted to pumpkins. But, one thing is for sure, you absolutely do not need what is referred to to as "land" to plant a vegetable garden. Not even close.

Read More At: Vegetable Gardener

5 Spring Vegetables That Like Cool Weather

Asparagus
Lettuce
Peas
Rhubarb
Spinach

Tips for Growing Vegetable in Your Kitchen Garden

Author: John Marcova
:
Veg growing all by you is not only money saving option, but there are many health benefits related to it. In case there is ample space in your house, you can Grow Your Own Veg as well as sell some of the produce in the market. The vegetables grown in the garden will be fresh, free of preservatives and additives. Thus, you can be assured that the food you are eating is not causing health problems to you or your family members. In
case you have decided to grow Vegetable Plants, the very first thing to consider is the soil or the land for plantation. Most of the residential areas don't have good quality soil because it contains cement and stones.

Make sure that there is 10-20 cm top soil on the land for growing vegetables. You can use tools for separating stones from the area. Using a container with proper drainage will be another good idea. If you are planning the Veg Growing on ground, make adequate measures for irrigation. Raise the level of soil by about 15-20cm, which is called a "bed". Then, add fertilizer to further improve the quality of the soil. In case you want to grow organic vegetables, add organic fertilizer. Next step is to plant seeds into the bed and water them at least twice a day, especially in hot weather. In order to avoid excessive dryness, you can cover the bed with dried leaves or gardening plastic cover. You should also look out for bugs and pets. Snails can eat the shoot or kill the plant. Therefore, you should use biological control or insecticides to keep them away.

Having a garden where you can grow lots of fruits and vegetables will make you feel good. It will not only save money but give you a healthy lifestyle also. Therefore, utilize the space in backyard of your house to enjoy eating fresh vegetables all season all.

About the author:

Grow Your Own Veg, whether you are having your own massive plot or a small planter. Pippagreenwood offers best quality of Veg Growing. Just choose the crops you'd like to grow from Vegetable Plants.

Some Useful Home Vegetable Gardening Tips

Author: Clifford S. Magno

The popularity of home vegetable gardening has increased in the last few years and one in every three families does some kind of home gardening. There are some basic home vegetable gardening tips that you can follow to become a successful gardener.

Home Vegetable Gardening Tips

There is not much choice available for urban gardeners in terms of garden sites, but it still remains the most important aspect for successful gardening. Areas that are full of sunlight and that have deep, fertile and well-drained soil is ideal for any kind of gardening. Make sure that the plot is located near a water outlet and does not have other shrubs and trees.

Another important home vegetable gardening tip is to select the appropriate crop. Depending upon the size of the garden, you can choose the vegetables ideally suited for them. Crops like cantaloupes, watermelons, cucumbers and water squash need large spaces to grow. Beets, beans, onions, carrots, spinach and
tomatoes are small garden vegetables. Plantations can also be chosen as per family needs but make it a point not to over crowd the plot.

A good home vegetable gardening tip is to plan the garden just like you plan your house. A good planning reduces the effort you will have to put in later and will increase your return on labor. You need to separate the long-term and short-term crops so that long-term crops do not interfere with harvesting and care of short-term crops. Crop rotation is another home vegetable gardening tip as it helps prevent insect build-ups and
diseases.

An important home vegetable gardening tip is to have a soil that is fertile, deep and well-drained. Organic matter or sand can be added to the soil if it is heavy clay. Granular soil is ideal for planting and if you do thorough preparation of soil, it will reduce your work of planting and caring for the crop. Proper fertilization is another very important home vegetable gardening tip. The amount of soil required will largely depend upon crops and soil types. You should plant your garden early in the fall and spring so that vegetables will get ideal conditions to grow and mature. Spring is the time of nice weather and an ideal time for you to start your home vegetable garden.

Some good spring vegetable gardening tips are to involve your kids in the entire process, prepare the soil for spring vegetables, choose the appropriate vegetables, and make your child a part of each and every process. Gardening needs patience, and spring gardening can offer a good lesson of patience to your kids.

Another useful home vegetable gardening tip is to provide the plants with enough water at the roots so that the water is able to penetrate the soil up to the depth of six inches. To get rid of unwanted plants in your vegetable garden, use along-handled hoe. Avoid using chemical weed control, as it is not necessary in small areas. Mulching is a good home vegetable gardening tip that will increase the yield from your home vegetable garden. Control the pests using chemicals if necessary.

About the author:

If you love this article, you will also love another article written by this article's author on http://preventivepestcontrol.org/ and discount clarks pest control.

Getting Your Vegetable Garden Ready for Spring

Submitted by: Stephanie

Whether you suffer through harsh, cold winters or enjoy relatively mild ones, we are coming up on the time when you need to get ready to plant your seeds for your vegetable garden.

If you need another compost bin this time of year is great to add them, if only because there's not much actual gardening work to do. Build one or buy one, just make sure you can easily add, remove and turn the material.

Clean up your tools. Sharpen blades if they need it. Clean off old dirt and wipe with an oiled cloth to help prevent rusting.

At this time you can also start planning your next garden. You can figure out what you want to grow and how you're going to lay that garden out. Planning ahead can help you make the most of your garden. Getting things started at the right time for each type of plant will help your garden succeed.

If you want an early start, get some planters and sun lamps and start your seeds indoors. If you get sufficient sunlight, placing the boxes in windows can help you get that early start too.

This is a great time for looking back at how your garden did last year and your goals for this year. For example, my garden last year failed miserably due to a combination of poor soil, a neighboring shade tree that had been shading my garden being cut to pieces and an unusually hot summer.

Over the winter we've been preparing quick compost for the soil. This is just throwing fresh kitchen scraps into the blender with some water, then pouring it into the garden. It's our first step in improving the soil naturally. More will be done as planting time approaches.

Obviously, factors that are out of your control you can't do anything about. Heat waves cannot be avoided and neighbors can be unpredictable (you should have seen that poor tree when they were done 'pruning' it!). Some years insects are more problematic than others.

In those cases you need to have plans for how to handle it. Keep an eye on what the sun is doing to your plants during a heat wave and ensure they have enough water. Know what pest control steps you are willing to take.

Planning and preparing to plant your garden before you can actually start planting gives you a lot of advantages when it's time to really work your garden. It gets some of the chores out of the way and leaves you prepared for a great start to your vegetable garden.



About Author: Stephanie Foster runs http://www.gardenmedley.com/ to keep track of how her own garden grows and to give gardening advice. Visit her site to learn more about vegetable gardening.


Article Source: ArticlesAlley.com

Eight Steps to a Bountiful Vegetable Garden

Submitted by: Jude

You've decided that you want a vegetable garden to lower your grocery bills. But, where do you start? There are eight essential steps to successful vegetable gardening.

Step 1. Pick an appropriate area for your garden. When you choose your site, consider these important factors:

- Sunlight. Most vegetables grow best in full sunlight. Choose an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day.

- Soil. The best soil for growing vegetables is a dark soil, rich in nutrients, that has good drainage but will still hold sufficient moisture for the plants. Don't plant your garden too close to trees and shrubs whose roots will steal nutrients and water from the vegetables.

- Water. Place your garden near your water supply -- faucets that can be reached by no more than two hose lengths.

Step 2. Create your site plan. Make a plan before you purchase your seeds or plants. It will help you decide how many you need to buy to best fit the available space. Base your plan on the vegetables that your family likes, how much work you want to do on the garden and how much room there is in the garden. Create a quick sketch to follow while you are planting.

Step 3. Buy your plants and/or seeds. Be sure that the plants you get will grow well in the area where you live. Buy young, healthy plants that are not limp or straggly or that have been over-crowded in pots. On seeds, look at the date stamp on the package to make sure they are not too old.

Step 4. Prepare your soil for planting. This is one of the most important things to do for a successful garden. To prepare the soil, add a layer of compost or fertilizer over the top of the soil. Then till (or spade) this layer into the existing soil. Rake the soil into rows or mounds, depending on the type of vegetables you'll be planting.

Step 5. Sow your seeds. If some of your vegetables will be planted from seeds, plant them first. Sometimes seeds are started indoors or in a greenouse to give them a good start. When seedlings appear, thin them to the distances recommended on the seed packets.

Step 6. Plant your plants. Plant young plants following the directions given by the plant nursery where you purchased them. Planting times can be tricky. You want to plant early, but not so early as to stunt their growth in cooler weather. Some plants will require netting or wire forms for best results.

Step 7. Care for your growing plants. Once your vegetables are all planted, you need to care for them by watering, weeding, pruning, and protecting them from insects.

Step 8. Harvest your garden. Different vegetables are harvested at different times. Vegetables should be carefully watched and picked at their peak. You may eat them immediately after harvesting or you can freeze or can them for later use.



About Author: Jude Wright is an author and avid gardener. Find out how you can have a beautiful and successful garden by going to http://GuideForGardeners.com.


Article Source: ArticlesAlley.com

Vegetable Gardening: How to Grow Your Own Vegetables

Flickr Photo by: Southern Foodways Alliance

Vegetable gardening has lately become just as popular as going to the grocery store fore produce.  Vegetable gardening can produce vegetable that are usually cheaper than store bought, and vegetables from a home vegetable garden definitely taste better by far. Vegetable gardening is no different than growing herbs or flowers and if the proper steps are taken and the plants are give the proper care they will flourish and produce very tasty vegetables.

First you must decide what size of garden you wish to plant and then select a place for it; somewhere that has good drainage, good air flow, and good, deep soil. It also needs to be able to get as much sunlight as possible. Because vegetable gardens have such tasty rewards, many animals, such as dogs, rabbits, deer, and many others will try and get to your veggies.  One way to prevent this is to surround your garden with a fence, or put out a trap to catch mice, moles, and other animals.

Before planting, the soil must be properly prepared. Good soil for vegetable gardening is achieved by cultivation and the application of organic materials. The soil must be tilled (plowed) to control weeds and mix mulch into the soil. If you have a small garden, spading could be a better bet than plowing. Mulching is also a vital part of soil preparation.  Organic matter added to the soil releases nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients plants need to thrive. The most popular and best type of mulch you can use is compost.  While the kind and amount of fertilizer used depends on the soil and types of plants, there are some plants that have specific needs; leafy plants, like cabbage, spinach, and lettuce usually grow better with more nitrogen, while root crops like potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots require more potash. Tomatoes and beans use less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount.

One thing that is vitally important in vegetable gardening is the garden arrangement.  There is no single plan that will work for every garden due to varying conditions. One popular way to arrange a vegetable garden is to plant vegetables needing only limited space together, such as radishes, lettuce, beets, and spinach, and those that require more room together, such as corn, pumpkins, and potatoes. Try and plant tall growing plants towards the back of the garden and shorter ones in the front so that their sunlight does not get blocked.

When you are finally ready to begin planting your vegetable garden, make sure and plant at the right time of year. If you are dying to get an early start, you may want begin your garden inside in a hotbed and then transplant when the weather permits.  After you are finished planting, make sure your vegetables receive the appropriate amount of water, which depends on the type of plant. Most plants will need the equivalent to about an inch of water per week.

Weeds must be controlled in vegetable gardening because they will take up water, light, and nutrients meant for the vegetables and they often bring disease and insects to the garden.  You can get rid of weeds by cultivation or mulching. To protect against disease and insects you can buy seeds that are disease resistant or use controlled chemicals.

Vegetable gardening is many people's favorite form of gardening because you can actually taste the fruits of your labor. Vegetable gardening is not that expensive to start and the taste of home grown veggies definitely beat out that of supermarket vegetables.  Your vegetable gardening days will be full of produce if you take the proper precautions when planting and continue maintenance of your garden.

About Author: S. Stammberger is the owner of Matt's Home and Garden. Visit her site now for information on home vegetable gardening; includes planning your garden, caring for your garden and harvesting information - Matt'sHome and Garden

Article Source: Articlesalley.com/