Spring Planting: Time to Get Your Garden On

Spring has arrived here in middle Tennessee. A few days ago there were frost warnings on the plateau but it only got down to around 40 south of Nashville where I live. Any other year and I would not have been so anxious to plant my garden but when it has been reaching over 75-80 degrees seemingly everyday, so I just had to go a head and get started.
       I have planted eight Early Girl tomato plants. These are great for any gardener and are ready to slice and put on the table in just 57 days from transplant. I also have two cherry tomato plants. They are one inch tomatoes that are ready to harvest in 70 days from transplant.
       The bell peppers I planted will be ready in 75 days from transplant. They should grow to an approximate size of 4 x 3 ½ inches. If you like stuffed bell peppers, these luscious wonders are right for your table. I did not plant any banana peppers this year. The mild peppers I planted last year were just too mild. They tasted more like a bell pepper. Even a few jalapeños in the pickle jar did not make them taste like “hotter bananas”. So this year I just planted a few more jalapenos. These eye-watering beauties will be ready for harvest in 72 days. They will reach a mature length of around three inches.

Garden Site Preparation: Debris Removal/ Breaking Ground

We finally got a few days with no rain or snow and some 50 degree temperatures. Last years garden spot looks a little rough at first glance. What you see pictured here in this first photo is last year’s tomato sticks and a lot of fall leaves that blew into the garden.
       While a garden does require a lot of work, it can be very rewarding during harvest. Keep in mind the labor required is spread out though out the whole growing season so if performed routinely, it really does not seem too bad to manage. Here I have donated one weekend afternoon to perform the pre-growing season clean up.

I removed last years tomato sticks and mowed off the garden area. As you can tell it did not take a lot of effort just a little time to clear off all of last years debris. And I do mean a little time. If you break down my time for the day, I only spent about two hours to progress to what you see in this second photo.
       This garden area is approximately 20 x 24 and makes a great little size for the gardener who does not have a lot of time to invest into a large garden.

I have noticed over the years that when the ground is compacted it does not allow for the garden area to dry out very well. So typically, even though the soil is a little damp but not muddy, I will tiller down a few inches to allow for the garden soil to dry out a little faster. Once I have broken the hardtop of the soil, it will now dry out to a workable state very soon.
       This little area shown is perfect for planting several Early Girl and Better Boy tomato plants; a couple of cherry tomato plants; and jalapeño, banana, and bell pepper plants. I will discuss more on plant topics in later articles.

Gardening in March: What Kind of Garden is Best for You

It is hard to believe but it is already the third month of the New Year and spring is just a few weeks around the corner. While the ground outside may still be partially frozen, it is time to start preparing for the start of the new growing season. April and May are not far off and many decisions must be finalized before tilling the spring garden spot.

Site selection is crucial for your garden to succeed. The outdoor vegetable garden requires approximately 6-8 hours of sun a day. The light is an essential part of photosynthesis which is the process in which plants make their food. If a more scientific explanation is desired, try looking up photosynthesis in the Google search bar provided at the top right of this page.

Once a garden spot has been chosen, it is then time to break out the paper and pencil and draw out your garden plan. Unless you own a large partial that can be devoted to a garden, then your garden spot will determine what you can grown and not the other way around.

Gardens can be grown in raised beds, a traditional garden, or containers on a patio or porch. You do not have to have a large garden spot to enjoy fresh vegetables, just an area large enough to yield what you want to harvest. The mechanics of the traditional garden, raised beds, and patio gardening will be addressed in later articles.

It is recommended to keep a journal from year-to-year to track what went well and what did not from the year before. If you are a new gardener, documenting your current gardening experience will save a lot of time and effort through out the years to come. If you had a garden last year, then it is time to review your journal notes from last year’s garden to make appropriate changes. But no matter where you are in your gardening venture, documenting your experiences will help you to learn through trial and error and produce delicious and nutritional vegetables for years to come.

Thank for stopping by,

Leonard

February Gardening: Getting Ready for Spring

It is hard to believe but it is already the second month of the new year and spring is just around the corner. While the ground outside may still be partially frozen, it is time to start preparing for the start of the new growing season. April and May are not far off and many decisions must be finalized before tilling the spring garden spot.

Site selection is crucial for your garden to succeed. The outdoor vegetable garden requires approximately 6-8 hours of sun a day. The light is an essential part of photosynthesis which is the process in which plants make their food. If a more scientific explanation is desired, try looking up photosynthesis in the Google search bar provided at the top right of this page.

Once a garden spot has been chosen, it is then time to break out the paper and pencil and draw out your garden plan. Unless you own a large partial that can be devoted to a garden, then your garden spot will determine what you can grown. Planning a head of time what you will plant and the row size in the garden will help to utilize the entire garden spot.

Gardens can be grown in raised beds, a traditional garden, or containers on a patio or porch. You do not have to have a large garden spot to enjoy fresh vegetables, just an area large enough to yield what you want to harvest. The mechanics of the traditional garden, raised beds and patio gardening will be addressed in later articles. The articles will include the method of soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, and weed control.

It is recommended to keep a journal from year-to-year to track what went well and what did not from the year before. If you are a new gardener, documenting your current gardening experience will save a lot of time and effort through out the years to come. If you had a garden last year, then it is time to review your journal notes from last year garden to make appropriate changes. But no matter where you are in your gardening venture, documenting your experiences will help you to learn through trial and error and produce delicious and nutritional vegetables for years to come.

Time to Start Planning the Garden: Gardening for Pleasure

Whether you enjoy the tranquil serenity of pondering pleasant thoughts by your self or bonding with your family while watching the kids play in the dirt, gardening can be a fulfilling past time. In addition there are many other benefits and rewards from gardening. For example, some find the physical labor a great stress reliever, some will get great satisfaction and fulfillment from growing a plant, while others are just happy eating the luscious return on their invested time.

Gardening requires a certain commitment of your time. First, decide what type of garden, size, money, and any other thoughts that you may think of. Next, set aside the time needed to adequately prepare your garden site. After that it is time to plant. Then you will need to set aside some time every week for the maintenance of your garden. Then at harvest time, a minimal amount of your time will be rewarded with the fruits of your labor, which translates into food for the table.

One more thought to consider is the cost of gardening. Costs will very greatly dependant upon how much of what is planted. Also, if this is your first year to can then the purchase of the jars, canner, and accessories will add to the costs of this first year garden. With a little planning and the first year costs calculated over a few years rather than one year, you will find it is very economical to raise and preserve your own vegetables.

While gardening requires fair amounts of physical labor, look at it as an enjoyable time. When we first start, the time of the year is late winter to early spring. The trees are starting to bloom and the leaves are turning dark green. The birds have returned and new families of squirrels are now playing in the backyard.

This is the time of the year, right after winter, that I enjoy the most. Springtime omits warm rays of sunshine that not only warms my body but my inner thoughts as well. The pick-up-in-spirit is a healing process so to speak after the harsh winter months. My mood is better and life is good!

Thanks for stopping by,
Leonard

The Backyard Vegetable Garden Experience: Online Vegetable Gardening 101

This blog was created to share the backyard vegetable garden experience with others. At the time this blog was published, February 2010, the goal will be to create a new garden in the spring of 2010. I will discuss various topics that will include garden layout, when to plant, seeds, fertilizers, and insect control. I will also discuss different types of vegetables to put into the garden such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cumbers, and beans. Later in the summer I will discuss canning and pickling.

Gardening has been my passion and past time for over 25 years. It is a way of life passed down from my grandfather, to my father, and then to me. I would like to pass this same knowledge on to others to experience; simply because I enjoy my passion that much.

Planting a seed, nurturing it to adulthood, then harvesting it at maturity is an experience that is truly fulfilling as well as tasty! Take for example the planting of an onion. I cannot even begin to imagine how many years I have planted onions in March and the excitement I experience waiting for the sunny day I could pull my first green onion to go into a salad. Or how about the 20 tomato plants I normally plant in May and the fulfillment I experience on the summer day I pull my first Better Boy tomato.

Happiness does not only appear during the summer months though. I truly enjoyed the canned jalapeño and banana peppers we ate this winter. My better half also received a lot of compliments from the many quarts of crisp dill pickles that our friends and neighbors ate.

The family and I are not the only ones who enjoyed my garden either. I planted a few sunflowers this year. It added a brilliant color of yellow to my green garden. It was soothing to the eye and created many conversations with quest. In addition, the birds enjoyed eating the sunflowers after they bloomed late in the fall.

I am looking forward to writing about my garden experience this year. The thought of someone else enjoying my passion is a real pleasure. So stay tuned for the many post coming very soon!

Thanks for stopping by,

Leonard