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beginner gardening – Page 2 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: beginner gardening

  • Growing Vegetables and Herbs Indoors

    Growing Vegetables and Herbs Indoors

    When the weather gets too cold for you to grow vegetables outdoors, you might want to be adventurous and try growing a few select vegetables and herbs indoors. If you live in an apartment, condominium or townhome without any outdoor space to grow a garden, you can grow some vegetables, herbs and even tropical fruit indoors if you create the proper growing environment.

    Sufficient light, either natural light from a door or windows or a grow light, is essential for an indoor vegetable garden to thrive naturally. There are some LED grow lights available on amazon.com that also make for a cost effective alternative (if you don’t have access to sutable light).

    Other than eight or more hours of light, the only thing you need to grow vegetables and herbs indoors is a good potting soil mix and containers with sufficient drainage. You’ll want to be selective when buying seeds or plants for your indoor garden. Carrots and radishes grow well indoors, but it is the round varieties that you want to plant in your indoor garden. Beans are another good choice for an indoor garden. Varieties such as dwarf French green beans and dwarf runner beans are good choices. Beans do well and look attractive when placed at the window of a sunroom. Cherry peppers and banana peppers can do well in a warm, sunny room. Pepper plants should be planted in a 3 to 5 gallon container. Garlic, green onions and ginger are easy and inexpensive plants to include in your indoor garden. Tomatoes can be grown indoors but they won’t produce as well as plants that are grown outdoors.

    If you have a sunny room, an enclosed heated porch or a sunroom that stays warm throughout the year, you might want to try growing something tropical. A dwarf lemon, orange or lime tree could thrive in this type of environment. Hanging baskets add beauty to your indoor decor. A basket filled with strawberries would be a conversation starter when people visit and a convenient source of fresh fruit.

    Herbs grow well on a sunny windowsill, on a kitchen counter or in any well-lit area. You can find containers designed specifically for creating an herb garden. A collection of individual containers placed around the house or grouped together as a decorative display would be an aromatic and attractive addition to your home. If you plan to plant several herbs in one container, you’ll want to group together herbs that require similar growing conditions. Rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano need a lot of sunlight and prefer relatively dry soil. Basil, cilantro and parsley are examples of herbs that can be grouped together because of their preference for moist soil. If you want to grow mint indoors, it is best to plant it in an elongated planter. Mints need space to spread out in order to thrive.

    Growing vegetables indoors is an interesting hobby to pursue. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different vegetables and herbs. You can start with plants that are almost foolproof such as lettuce, onions, garlic, ginger and basil and expand your indoor garden as your experience and confidence level increases.

    If you want to take your garden to the next level…

    Watch this video on self replishing food production.
    It is a great resource if you are ready to start growing more of your own food.
    Garden smarter, not harder.

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  • Benefits of Simple Raised Bed Gardens

    Benefits of Simple Raised Bed Gardens

     

    Raised bed gardens are an ideal concept for today’s lifestyle trends. Raised bed gardening transcends generations and is a viable option for various size budgets. You can enjoy this method of gardening whether you have an expansive outdoor area or a space-challenged lawn. If you’re the DIY type, you can easily find detailed instructions for building raised beds. However, if constructing beds yourself isn’t a project you have the tools or time for, a quick Internet search will reveal many raised bed garden kits and design ideas that do not require construction skills.

    Eco-friendly living and an awareness of where food comes from is something more people are paying attention to and worrying about. When you grow your vegetables, you know that they are pesticide free and a healthy option for your family. You will have fewer problems with pests such as rabbits or moles if you opt for tall raised bed gardens. It is much easier to protect your vegetables from pests in a raised bed than in a traditional type garden. Weeds are also less of a problem in an elevated garden. When they do sneak into your garden, they are easy to see and can simply be pulled out.

    The number of individual beds you have will depend on the amount of space you have available and the amount of vegetables you want to grow. Beds can be placed in a design that complements the style of home you have. Square and rectangular beds arranged in a geometric pattern or placed in neat rows would be an attractive design for a modern and contemporary home. Houses in a compact neighborhood typically have small yards. Growing a garden in a raised bed gives you the opportunity to grow an abundance of vegetables in a small space. Familiarize yourself with gardening techniques such as succession planting, companion planting and staggered planting to maximize the use of your garden space.

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    Typically, urban living does not require that you have an extensive collection of lawn and garden equipment. In fact, there’s usually no storage space for such items when you live in an urban setting. Traditional gardens require that you have items such as a tiller, shovel, and hoe on hand to prepare and maintain your garden. Raised beds do not have to be tilled, require little weeding and can be maintained with a minimal number of small, hand-size garden tools.

    Downsizing continues to be a lifestyle change that many people choose to enjoy. It’s typically empty-nesters and retirees that want less house and lawn-related obligations and more leisure time. Moving into a senior community where small lawns are one of the positive features of the neighborhood, makes raised bed gardening an enticing idea. More leisure time means more time for pursuing enjoyable hobbies. One of those hobbies could be gardening. Raised bed gardening can help seniors stay active. It’s also an ideal way for anyone with physical limitations or health issues that restrict their activity level to enjoy growing a garden.

     

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  • Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Garden

    Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Garden

    To assure that the plants in your garden thrive, there are several mistakes you should avoid when setting up your garden. Getting things right from the start can save you time and money and eliminate a lot of stress and frustration.

    Determine the size

    Ambition is a wonderful thing, but being overly ambitious and planting a garden that is too large for you to manage is a mistake you want to avoid. Deciding how much time and energy you have to devote to maintaining a garden should be the basis for determining its size.

    Choosing a location

    Most vegetables require a considerable amount of sunlight to thrive. Therefore, you need to observe the area you have available for setting up a garden and select a sunny location for it. You also need to consider how well water drains from the area. If you’re choosing your garden spot during the winter or early spring, keep in mind that any trees nearby will shade the garden once their leaves reappear.

    Planning the layout

    To have the most success with your gardening endeavor, you should plan the layout before you begin buying seeds or plants. You need to know what plants need to be staked, which ones need a trellis or fence to climb on and which plants can be used as companion plants or as a source of shade for other plants.

    Soil

    It’s a mistake to plant anything before you properly prepare the soil. Loosen the soil and add compost and fertilizer as soon as the weather in your area permits. You can get kits to test your soil to see if you need to add specific before you begin planting.

    Planting

    If you simply buy some seeds and put them in the ground without reading the planting information on the container, you could make several mistakes. The packet will tell you when to plant the seeds. It also provides information on planting depth and tells you the amount of sunlight the plant needs. It’s also important that you read the planting and care instructions for whatever plants you purchase for your garden. Buying anything other than healthy looking plants is a mistake. You want to set your garden up so it has the best opportunity to produce the highest yield possible.

    Wildlife

    It is definitely a mistake to set your garden up assuming that you won’t have any problems with wildlife. You should go ahead and plan to add the proper type of fencing to keep deer, rabbits and other animals out of your garden. If you prefer not to add a fence around your garden, you’ll need to explore some alternative methods such as planting a border around your garden using plants, such as marigolds, which deter animals from eating your vegetable plants. Scarecrows are not just decorative objects in a garden. They can provide protection, but most likely, when setting up your garden, you’ll need to take additional measures to win the battle against furry and feathered invaders.

    If you avoid these common mistakes, you will enjoy your garden more, all without worrying about every little issue that may arise.

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  • Growing Onions from Onions

    Growing Onions from Onions

    If you are looking through a seed catalogue or a selection at your local gardening store, it is not at all unusual to see onion seeds.  That being said it is a little unusual for most people to be able to grow onions with any real rate of success from seeds.  The germination rate is not very high, thinning them can be difficult because of their shallow roots, and they grow so slow that it is hard to mulch them without smothering them and hard to keep them moist without mulch.  It is much easier to simply grow onions from onions.

     

    • If you get your onions from a large grocery store your onions might be from another country and not suitable to be grown in your area. Instead get some onions from a local farmer’s market.
    • Green onions are the easiest to propagate, you just cut the tops and then bury the bottoms just beneath the surface. Bulb onions require a little more but they aren’t difficult either.  Simply allow them to sit in a hanging basket with room between them for air flow so they don’t start to rot.  Wait until you see green starting to sprout out of the top.
    • Carefully peel away layers until you find fresh growing roots. You will likely have two or three sections of new growth within your old onion so carefully separate them without injuring their roots.  Don’t worry about the old dead roots on the outside.
    • Place the onions on the surface of the soil, burying only the roots and leaving the bulbs exposed.
    • With so much mass above the surface and small fresh roots they will be susceptible to falling over. Don’t support the bulb, as this is likely to cause rot, instead try providing support to the green growth.

     

    Using this technique you can easily grow twice as many onions than you purchased.  Don’t waste money on seeds and time waiting only to be disappointed, grow your onions from onions.

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  • 3 Ways to Save Money on Your Garden

    3 Ways to Save Money on Your Garden

    Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs can save you a lot of money over the long run. When you invest in your garden, you’re basically completely negating the need to buy produce at a grocery store, which can add up to a lot of savings very quickly.

    Of course, even knowing that your garden is going to save you cash, it’s easy to overspend on that investment if you’re not careful. However, with a few simple tips, you can avoid this problem and save a lot of money from the very beginning.

    Buy in Bulk and Share Costs

    Do you know other homesteaders who are getting their gardens started? In general, seeds, plants, and other garden necessities are cheaper when you buy them in bulk, and if you have others to share the cost with you, you can get a really great deal. Even if you’re not sharing the cost with others, if you’re buying items that will last for years (like heirloom seeds), you can save money on future gardening needs.

    Don’t Overplant Your Garden

    As you plan your garden, don’t plant seeds and young plants right on top of each other. Plant with the future – and your full-grown plants – in mind, and you’ll avoid a lot of waste.

    Maintain Your Garden

    Weeds can choke out fruit and vegetable plants, and parasites can kill them. Spend time in your garden regularly, weeding, watching for parasites, and keeping everything in good shape. This will avoid wasted money on plants that fall victim to outside forces, and you’ll get much more produce each season.

    Use all three of these tips to save money on your garden now, and it will pay you back with even more produce and a great deal of satisfaction later. Good luck!
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