Posts Tagged ‘vegetable gardening’

Edible Container Gardening is Fun & Rewarding!

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Guest Post by award winning blogger Fern Richardson of Life on the Balcony.

Life on the Balcony Seed Collection

Life on the Balcony Seed Collection

You may think that growing your own food is hard. Or that it’s not worth it if you don’t have acres of land. But I am here to tell you that you are wrong on both fronts. Edible gardening is not only a great way to get fresh herbs and vegetables, it’s also pretty entertaining!

If you want to give vegetable gardening a try, these are five interesting edibles that you can grow all in one 2ft x 4ft planter box:

  1. ‘Sunspot’ Sunflowers
  2. ‘Purple Petra’ Basil
  3. Garlic Chives,
  4. ‘Spacemaster’ Cucumber
  5. ‘Better Bush’ Tomato.

The nice thing about these five plants is that they are as attractive as they are tasty. Wait until your seedlings are ready to start growing outside and then plant one tomato plant in each back corner. Tie each tomato to a stake. In between the tomatoes, plant three sunflowers in a tight triangle formation. In front of the sunflowers, plant one cucumber. On one side of the cucumber, plant the garlic chives, and on the other side, plant the basil. You’re done planting! That was totally easy, right?

Are you ready to get started? You can purchase the Life on the Balcony’s Seed Collection for $10.95 at aHaModernLiving.com

To keep your plants happy, water them whenever the top two inches of the potting soil feels dry. Fertilize them every other week with a 1/4 strength vegetable fertilizer.

Here are some more tips for edible container gardening success

  • Always start your seeds in “seed starting” potting soil. You will have much better germination rates.
  • To keep your seedlings well watered before you transplant them, place their seed starting pots in a shallow tray filled with water. The water in the tray will naturally wick up into the soil as needed. This will also help you avoid toppling your seedlings with water from a watering can.
  • When (and it is “when” not “if”) pests attack your plants, use an integrated pest management approach to control them.
  • Maintaining a regular watering and fertilizing schedule is the most important thing you can do to have an abundant harvest.
  • Learn how to preserve your harvest through drying, canning, or freezing. Waste not, want not!

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Late Summer Planting Sale: 25% OFF All Botanical Interests Seeds!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Did you know that late summer, from mid to late August, is a terrific time to sow seeds in your garden?  It’s true!  Come fall, when most of your friends are turning to their stock of pickled and canned veggies in their basement, you can still be plucking fresh produce from your backyard. You can check out our Cool Season Starting from Seed selection for a whole variety of vegetables that can stand up to cooler fall temps.

Not just any vegetable will survive and thrive when planted in August. Planting during the late summer requires some strategic planning, since you must make sure to plant only crops that can handle the extreme heat of August afternoons, as well as the chillier temps of cool autumn evenings.

Save 25% OFF all Botanical Interests Seeds. Click to view all seed varieties.

Hardy Vegetables for Late Summer Planting

Carrots- Carrots may be sown from August through September in 10 day intervals for a steady supply.

Chard- You can plant chard in your garden up until mid-August. In milder areas, you can even overwinter your chard by covering it with a protective coat, such as fleece. Tender baby leaves are ready to be picked and consumed after just 4 weeks.

Peas- Peas can be sown up until mid-August. They are extremely tolerant plants, and are super versatile, since they are perfect for eating raw, canning, freezing, steaming, mashing, and more.

Coriander- You can sow coriander seeds up to the end of August, and if you repeat plantings every 2 weeks or so, you’ll have plenty of cilantro leaves to use in your cooking and cocktails.

Broccoli- Broccoli is one of the best and easiest crops to grow in the late summer. You can even plant broccoli seeds in your garden through early September.

Salad greens- Oriental greens, kale, arugula, spinach, mesclun, and a variety of lettuces all thrive in the late summer.

Radishes- Radishes, as well as other root crops such as potatoes and turnips, all thrive when planted in the late summer.

Snap beans- Late summer planted snap beans often thrive better than those planted in the spring. This is because snap beans benefit from cooler temps once the plants begin to produce. Plant them in August of late September to take advantage of this.

Tips for planting in the late summer:

  • Make sure to plant cool season crops, and plant them early enough that they can get a good head start on growing before there is any chance of frost in your area.
  • Plan not only what you plant, but where you plant. Your spring-planted garden may still be flourishing in August. Make sure you do not plant your late summer crops in a spot where the seedlings will be choked out by other plants.
  • Your veggies may take a couple weeks longer to mature than you would expect. This is simply a result of cooling temperatures.
  • Appropriately prepare your garden spot for new seedlings by clearing away any old, finished vegetable plants and weeds. Turn over your soil to a depth of at least 8 inches, and add a good layer of compost. This helps to re-nourish the soil where you have previously planted.
  • Whiteflies, stink bugs, aphids, and caterpillars are all commonly seen in late summer, so monitor your garden closely for pests.

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