Vegetable Gardening Know-How : Germination Temperatures & Times

Here is a quick guide to help you with vegetable germination temperatures and how long it will take for germination to occur.  Enjoy!

Seed Saving Primer : Part One : Seed Biology 101

For those of us who pour over seed catalogs come January, this is for you! In full disclosure, I need to confess something... I am a HEIRLOOM SEED FREAK!!!  Seriously... no lie, it is sort of an obsession.  I love their names: Di Cicco Broccoli, Minnesota Midget Melon, Tom Thumb Popcorn, French Breakfast Radish (Have …

Growing Potatoes

How to Grow Potatoes for a Spring Harvest...

20 Vertical Gardening Ideas for Turning a Small Space into a Big Harvest

Is acreage still but a dream for you?  Consider Vertical Gardening! Vertical gardening is nothing more than using vertical space to grow vegetables (or herbs, or flowers, even root crops), often using containers that hang on a sunny wall. Traditional gardeners have done similar things with climbing plants like squashes and beans for centuries by …

How to Plan a Bigger, Better Vegetable Garden

By Benedict Vanheems Spending time planning before you start sowing helps you to maximize your harvests. Taking time to observe where sun and shade fall in your garden will help you to pick the right plant for the right place. Tender crops such as tomatoes, peppers and squashes grow best in a sunny part of …

Growing Radishes

Radishes are under-utilized in our diet. Radishes are good source of vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, thiamine, iron, magnesium, copper and calcium.  They are also full of anti-oxidants, phytochemicals, electrolytes and dietary fiber.  Radishes can be grown year-round; just select the right variety for the season.  There are over 200 varieties of radish, so pick and …

Top 40 Powerhouse Fruit and Vegetables

These nutrient dense fruit and vegetables provide 10% or more of the daily value of seventeen nutrients such as: potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.  These nutrients reduce the risk of chronic disease.  Cook some up or eat raw today! (most …

Growing Asparagus

  Sow or Plant In the beginning of January; sow Asparagus seeds indoors in trays. Sow Asparagus in seedling trays in soil that is between 75-80o F at ¼- ½” depth. It will take about 3-4 weeks to germinate. Starting indoors ensures good germination. Another option is to plant Asparagus 1 year old crowns. In …

Growing Broccoli

Sow In early January; sow Broccoli seeds indoors in trays in succession planting per week in 4” pots. Sow Broccoli in soil that is 80o F at ¼” depth. You may also try soaking for 12 hours and sprouting the Broccoli seeds and then plant directly into the soil if seedlings are not taking off. …

Growing Beets

Beets are most certainly one of my most favorite vegetables in the world. Specifically, I love roasted beet salads with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds or walnuts. Oh, it is so good! They are very good for you as well. They are dense, meaty, earthy and fantastic. In a world where everything seems to be …