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Great tips on homesteading, frugal living, and self reliance. |
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Vegetables and How to Grow ThemSo you want to grow some vegetables, preferably organic ones, but you wouldn't know a green bean plant if it jumped up and bit you. So what do you do?Here are some growing tips for beginners to help you raise delicious produce for your family. Invest some time in the fall preparing a raised bed and add plenty of compost, and you'll find it easy to grow most anything. However, some vegetables are simpler to grow than others, and if you're new to gardening, these particular varieties are low-maintenance and yet rewarding to raise. PotatoesThese are some of the best and easiest vegetables you can grow. These vegetables are both highly nutritional and delicious.You'll need seed potatoes, which you can either order online or purchase from a gardening center. If you do choose to purchase them locally, look for them to be available in the early spring. In most parts of the U.S., you'll be planting your potatoes either in March, usually around St. Patrick's day if you live in the south or on Good Friday if you live in the northern and cooler parts of the country. Cut your seed potatoes into sections that are about two inches thick. Each piece should have at least two eyes. Once the potatoes have been cut, keep them in cool, well-ventilated area for 1-2 days so they can "heal". Afterwards, treat your potatoes with agricultural sulfur to protect them from disease and bugs. 
Plant these vegetables one foot apart and three inches deep in your raised beds. When they are about one foot high, mulch them with either straw or compost. When the plants begin to flower, dig gently in the dirt for new potatoes, taking care not to disturb the roots. Or leave them be, and let them grow to full size. In the fall, when the plants have turned yellow or black and look really awful, it's time to harvest your potatoes. Use a garden fork and dig gently around the base of the plant to find the tubers. Potatoes store well in a root cellar and will last a long time as long as you don't get them wet. TomatoesTomatoes are a wonderful organic vegetable to grow because they like a little neglect. I've grown tomatoes from seed before, but I've found it much easier - and frankly, just as economical - to buy them from greenhouse or garden center.
Plant your tomatoes in checkerboard fashion, at least one foot apart, in your raised bed.
Put your tomato plants in deep - up to the first true leaves.
That will encourage a better root system.
Try to provide your tomato plants with even watering, and only give them about an inch of water a week. Try not to get the leaves wet. Instead, water around the base of the plant. Give your tomatoes too much water, and you'll get green, leafy plants but no fruit. On the other hand, if you water them unevenly - a little today, a lot tomorrow, the bottom of your tomatoes will rot before they can fully ripen.. When your plants get to about two feet tall - or when they begin putting out tomatoes - put cages around them. This will give them support so the limbs don't break when the heavy fruit puts on. Occasionally patrol your plants for pests. Armor bugs particularly love tomatoes. Pick them off and squash them or feed them to your chickens. SquashAnother one of the great vegetables to grow is squash.There are several varieties of squash, but three of the easiest are zucchini, yellow crookneck (also known as summer squash) and butternut squash. I've grown all three (or at least attempted to grow them) and have found it nearly impossible to grow squash successfully without planting them on a raised bed. If you choose not to grow squash on a raised bed, then you will have build up mounds of dirt on which to plant your squash, or you won't have much luck with them. Don't plant your squash until the temperature outside is consistently eighty degrees or higher. If you want to plant them earlier, you'll need to invest in a floating row cover, a piece of fabric about five feet in width and up to twenty five feet in length. These covers are usually made of a light fabric similar to sew-on interfacing. It lets in light and rain, but also keeps in the warm temperature. Once your squash begins to flower remove the row covers and save them for next year. A good row cover should last you three to four growing seasons. Pick your squash vegetables when they are four to five inches long. Green BeansGreen beans straight from the garden are a delicious vegetable and well worth the effort of growing them. Two different types of plants will produce green beans.Pole beans are a vine and must have a trellis or similar support, which I find to be a pain. Bush beans, on the other hand, do not need to be staked and are easier to grow. Pole beans will produce their pods over a much longer period (six to eight weeks), so if you wants lots of beans with fewer plants, try pole beans. Because I love simplicity (make that lazy, slothful, busy???) I grow bush beans and have always been happy with the results. Sow your beans two at a time, four inches apart in rows eight inches apart. When the seedlings have emerged and are about two inches high, thin to one plant every four inches. Add compost or fertilizer to your beans every two weeks, and pick your beans when they are about four to five inches long. OnionsAnother one of the easy to grow vegetables, plant your onions in early spring along with the potatoes.If you do plant your onions in early spring, you'll likely be planting onion bulbs or "sets" rather than an actual onion plant. If you buy sets, make certain they are small, about the size of a dime. Plant your sets one inch deep and about four inches apart in rows that are about seven inches apart. Keep your onion bed well weeded as onions especially hate competition. Also provide them with consistent watering. More Helpful Information on Homesteading and the Organic GardenMost of us keep a homestead for the practical purposes of raising our own vegetables, meat and eggs, but cottage gardening can show us the importance of adding beauty to our surroundings. Here's how.A great step towards self reliance is learning to grow medicinal herbs. Learn what healing herbs you can plant in your homestead garden by clicking here. A great way to cut back on costs is by purchasing your seeds in bulk, but unless you learn how to store those seeds properly, you'll end up wasting your money. Learn tips on purchasing and storing bulk seeds by clicking here. You can get an early start on your organic gardening and save money by starting seeds indoors. Here are a few tips. Are you looking for easy vegetables for beginning gardeners? Here are a list of some of the easier vegetables to grow. One of the most crucial decisions you'll make in planning a garden is the best garden location. To find the right spot for your garden, here are a few tips. By using raised beds, you'll have a spot that is easier to work with soil that warms up much faster in the spring. Here are some tips. Better still, by using Patricia Lanza's Lasagna gardening principles, you can have easier raised beds without the digging. You can get the know-how here. You won't have a productive garden with lots of vegetables unless your garden soil has sufficient nutrients. Making compost is the best way to return those nutrients back to the soil. Learn how. By mulching around your garden plants, you not only retain crucial moisture in your beds, but you also add nutrients to the soil. Here are some tips. In addition to making your own organic gardening spray, you can also control pests through the flowers you add to your garden. Here's how. Work in your garden long enough, and you're bound to cross paths with poison ivy. For help on dealing with that awful, itchy rash, click here. Do you have limited space? With container gardening you can grow a garden in a limited space, even on a balcony. Learn more. Thinking of pursuing growing vegetables with container gardening? You'll need the right container for the type of plant you're growing. Here's how. If you're ready to pursue the self sufficient life through gardening, you'll want to read this article. Did you ever think you could compost indoors? You can through the use of vermiculture, the practice of composting with worms. learn more here. How about growing your own lettuce and other salad greens in winter? You can with the use of a cold frame. To learn how to build and use one, Click here. Are you new to gardening? Read some tips on starting a vegetable garden by clicking here.
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