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Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cold hardy vegetable in the cabbage family. There are both purple and green varieties, both produce edible leaves similar to collard greens that can be eaten raw or cooked and a bulb that can be eaten raw. The bulb grows above the ground and has a skin that should be removed prior to eating. It is a nice addition to salads, some compare its taste to an apple, though I have never grown any that taste as good as an apple myself. Here are some tips on growing kohlrabi in your garden. Plant kohlrabi in the […]

DIY Budget Grow Box

I am personally not a fan of trying to grow plants indoors on in any other artificial and costly setup, but having a grow box doesn’t have to be expensive. You can have a grow box that allows you to get your seeds started safely inside 6 weeks prior to the last frost in your area. This will give you a significant jumpstart and extension on your growing season. And this can be done for about $50 if you have purchased all the material, but you probably have most if it around your house already. Materials 18-gallon plastic bin […]

Cold Frames; How and Why

Cold Frames are basically wooden boxes with no bottom and a glass top that you place on top of crops to keep them warm. In this article, I’ll give a few tips on how to get cheap material, maximize the benefits through design, and explain why you should use cold frames if you live in a zone that has harsh winters. The windows are the part of the cold frame that can make construction costly. If you were to purchase them new the cost would likely outweigh the potential gains. You can however, get lucky if you keep […]

Crops I Don’t Recommend and Why

I’m sure that I will get people who disagree, but that’s why the article is titled “crops I don’t recommend” instead of “crops you shouldn’t grow”. Everyone has access to different resources and has different levels of experience and time they are willing and able to put into their garden. If you have a lot of money, and a lot of time, and you don’t mind putting a lot of work into growing a certain crop because you enjoy the satisfaction of overcoming the inherent difficulties in doing so, then great, grow whatever crops you want to. But for the […]

Tips for Saving Money When Purchasing Seeds

Seeds are an unavoidable cost of starting a garden. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show some care when going about getting your seeds. Purchasing seeds for your garden without using some discretion can cost you. Here are a few tips on how to save money when purchasing seeds so that you have more money to invest elsewhere in your garden. Don’t Buy Package “Deals” If you are looking at a seed catalog you are likely to find package “deals” advertised. Sometimes these are salad greens, medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, or starter packages for new gardeners. The premise […]

Easy Mistakes to Avoid in the Garden

When you have a failure in your garden chances are it is not unique to you. You probably made a mistake that plenty of other gardeners have made, a mistake that was easy to make, and probably easy to avoid as well if you know how. Here are a few of the more common easily avoidable mistakes that gardeners make. Bad Stock If you start off with something bad, you can’t really expect to get good results. For this reason you want to buy your seeds or cutting from a good source and not try collecting seeds from […]

Tips For Watering Your Garden

Although it may seem that watering your garden should be as simple as turning on a hose or pouring water from a watering can, there are various factors to consider in order to prevent water-related problems in your garden. The type of soil you have will play a large role in determining your watering routine. The amount of rainfall nature provides and the intensity of the summer sun will also affect how frequently you’ll need to water your garden. As a general guideline, the top three inches of soil in the garden should be dry before you water. This guideline […]

Tips to Save Money in the Garden

One of the big benefits of growing a garden is that your grocery expenses are less when you grow your own vegetables, berries and herbs. There are numerous tips you can implement to save money in the garden. By becoming a frugal gardener, you will increase the financial benefits your garden offers. Some of the money saving tips related to gardening involves the plants themselves. Starting plants from seeds enables you to get more plants for less money than if you bought individual plants. However, if you don’t have the proper setup for starting with seeds, go ahead and buy […]

Benefits of Aquaponics

Aquaponics, which has grown in popularity in recent years, is a combination of hydroponics, growing plants in water, and aquaculture, the practice of raising fish in containers. The idea is that the waste produced by the fish provides fertilizer to the plants, and the plants provide food for the fish. It might sound rather complicated, but there are a lot of resources available to you to get started if you’re interested. It does require a bit of a set-up but it doesn’t have to be too fancy. It might be worth the investment when you weigh the benefits. Here are some of […]

Easiest Herbs to Grow Indoors (Infographic)

It’s winter time and you’re probably missing having fresh produce from your garden or farmer’s market. This time of year it can be hard to find local herbs and greens. Do you want a way to continue to have access to fresh herbs without braving the cold? Winter is a common time of year for folks with green thumbs to invest in an indoor herb garden. You can grow these year-round, and keep them right on your kitchen windowsill to add to dishes. There really is no flavor like fresh herbs and it can change the flavor of a very […]

Growing Turmeric

Do you ever go inside after gardening with sore hands and stiff knees? Instead of reaching for some Advil or other store bought anti-inflammatory medicine, why not grow your own? Turmeric is a great medicinal plant because not only does it offer a wide array of health benefits, but it is one of the easiest plants to grow, and to harvest. Just head to your local Asian grocery store and look for a piece of turmeric root that you can use to grow your own plants from. Here’s how, and why you might want to. To Plant Simply purchase […]

Tips for Better Tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes taste a far cry better than anything you will find at the grocery store. You know exactly what’s in your soil and what you are putting on the plant, so you don’t have to worry about pesticides getting you or your family sick. Here are some quick and simple tips you can use to improve the tomatoes in your garden. Plant Deep First, you always want to make sure you are planting your tomatoes as deeply as possible, without having any of the leaves touch the ground. This way, the plant will produce a stronger root system, which […]

Seed Tape

At $3 or more per packet, seeds can be one of the primary costs of gardening, especially if you are starting a new garden or expanding the crops you are growing. To some extent, it is an unavoidable cost, but all too often seeds are wasted and the cost of your garden grows needlessly. One of the most common causes for this is not properly spacing the seeds when they are planted. Seed tape is a great way to prevent this from happening and save you a lot of money on your garden budget. Here’s what you need and […]

Does Tap Water Kill Garden Bacteria?

Some people believe that the chemicals used in treating tap water, namely chlorine, will kill or harm the bacteria in their garden soil. Since bacteria are the base of the food web in your garden it’s important to keep them healthy and happy. Because of this some gardeners have resorted to filtering their water with costly filtrations systems, or letting it sit out for hours or even days in watering cans to allow the chlorine to evaporate. But is any of this necessary? In this video we are shown the painstakingly scientific evaluation of this hypothesis. The experiment takes […]

When to Harvest Vegetables and Herbs

Time is a key factor in determining when to harvest vegetables. You want to be sure to harvest them when they are on the verge of maturity. The time of day is also a factor in assuring that you harvest vegetables appropriately. It’s helpful to keep the seed packet or plant identification marker for each item you plant in your garden. This is where you will find information regarding the estimated time to maturity. If you keep a garden journal, you can write that information in your journal. There are also plenty of charts available on line that list the […]

Succession Staggered Planting

As a home gardener, your goal is to grow fresh vegetables that you and your family can enjoy from spring until fall. Regardless of whether you’re growing a traditional garden in your backyard or are among those using the space-saving raised bed style of gardening, succession planting will enable you to enjoy a more bountiful, long-term harvest. Succession planting is a simple concept that can be done in two different ways. One method is to stagger the time frame in which you plant the same type of vegetable. The second method is to harvest one crop, then plant a different […]

Black Fly Control

If you have been growing fava beans then it’s likely that you have run into black flies. Black flies love to damage fava bean plants and ruin your production. But there are a few simple ways to fight back if you notice an infection and even measures you can take to prevent your plants from ever getting infected while increasing the food you get out of your plants. Here’s how. Check your plants regularly. Black flies will only ever affect the tops of the plants, so keep a close eye on the tops especially. If you see black flies on […]

Soil Tests

Soil test kits are one of the most under-used tools for backyard homesteaders in their gardens. Most gardeners seem to prefer to treat all soil as equal, equally bad, or equally good. Adding compost and fertilizer to every square inch of growing space, and treating soil for every crop that goes in. But money and hours of hard work can be saved though testing your soil for pH and mineral content. pH Without knowing what the pH of their soil is, most people will add acidic soil amendments like elemental sulfur to their soil if they are planting […]

Saving Space While Growing Corn

Corn is a crop that has disappointed many backyard gardeners. Mostly because they watch lush green stalks grow up with anticipation, only to find that the ears didn’t produce any corn. One of the more common reasons why is that they didn’t plant enough corn. In order for corn to properly pollinate it needs to be planted in several rows, if you are planting in rows. This can take up more space than most backyard gardeners have, or are willing to give to one crop. But there is a way to grow corn successfully without using so much space. […]

Protecting the Garden From Animals

After you have invested time, physical effort and money into creating a garden from which you plan to enjoy a variety of fresh vegetables, the last thing you want to see is an invasion of wildlife. In a single evening, devastation can occur as a result of unwanted four-legged visitors. A slower method of destruction can occur from casual nibblers and from critters who destroy your plants from underground. Individual species of animals attack your garden in different ways. Animals such as rabbits and deer simply move along throughout your garden nibbling on or possibly entirely consuming some plants. Other […]