Now comes the fall season. Sure, you have a lot to do: clean out, get leaves for compost, move plants, flowers and plants...but gardening does not stop. Yes, there still a lot of gardening to do in the fall. Fall has its own unique herbs, flowers and plants. Having your own greenhouse does make a difference.
Our tomatoes are still doing great. Even the different peppers are doing better than in the heat of the summer. (We're in Georgia now, folks). But, just about anyone can still harvest summer squash in the fall and even plant a herb garden.
What do you do if you're a gardener and fall descent on you every year? We move everything to our "greenhouse" which is also our sunroom. It's amazing how, year after year, our plants, flowers, and herbs have survived the fall and winter by just staying in our greenhouse/sunroom.
If you don't have a greenhouse now, you can get all the information about building your own by going to greenhouse made simple where you'll find detailed plans for even the smallest backyard greenhouse and save money.
We've grown a fig tree, boungainvillea plant, avocado tree, trumpet flower...just by moving the small plant/tree from small to bigger pots into our greenhouse from season to season. When these plants/trees/flowers get big enough, we simply put them in the ground where they can survive on their own.
In addition to that, the greeneries of the greenhouse is just pleasant even when the weather outside is not warm. It's amazing how the plants seem to be happy when they get in our greenhouse/sunroom in the fall.
There is no way we could have done that without our own greenhouse. Any serious gardener needs his or her own greenhouse. Check out how to build your own greenhouse inexpensively here: greenhouse plans
Our experience on using Mel's Square Foot Gardening
We've used Mel's (Mel Bartholomew) Square Foot Gardening this year. Click this link to see it: Square Foot Gardening Book
We liked it and we're still using it. This method is simple and really allows you to plant more in less space.
We got great benefits out of his system. Some of these benefits are as follow:
So, there you have it. Our experience with Mel's SFG. Share your experience if you've used this system.
We liked it and we're still using it. This method is simple and really allows you to plant more in less space.
We got great benefits out of his system. Some of these benefits are as follow:
- We were able to increase our area of gardening because we just built boxes pretty much anywhere in our garden; even in area where we were not planting before.
- It's easier to water the "boxes" because we can go around a lot easier than with a traditional gardening area.
- It's easier to rotate vegetables and flowers and have more flexibility. We even emptied one of the boxes and saved the rich soil. We stored the box and will use it again next year. You can't move a traditional garden like that.
- Other benefits can be found in his book: Square Foot Gardening Book
We did learn a few things that were not in the book. This is what we've learned from our experience:
- It's hard to find large bags of vermiculite. By trying to follow Mel's system, we ended up with a good quantity of Peat Moss left over. It's easier just to buy an already mixed formula. Companies are now making good mixes with similar ingredients as Mel recommends. The best we've found was by Miracle Grow. It's rich in compound and has all the ingredients you need. It worked just as well in one of our boxes.
- Mel said "weed is no problem"...because weed doesn't grow in Peat Moss and vermiculite. True, but.. Weed will come from under your box and invade your Square Foot Garden if you do not put a very good plastic weed barrier under the box. We just stapled it to the bottom of the box. We've used the regular mesh like weed barrier and it was not good enough. The soil is rich in that box and the weed wants it too.
- Mel said not to use treated wood because of the chemicals not good for plants. We found out that it's best to go ahead and paint the wood before you build the box. This is something we'll do next time. That garden box gets exposed to elements and gets water almost daily. As a result, it starts looking not so attractive after a while. Paint it if you're not getting treated wood.
- The divider grid that really makes the box a SFG (square foot garden) is not a bad idea. I like it. My wife does not like it. She thinks it's not that necessary. She is usually right. Either way is fine with me. But! Mel's point is valid. Read the book and you'll see why.
So, there you have it. Our experience with Mel's SFG. Share your experience if you've used this system.
Gardening Ideas from Melba's Garden
Melba Price has been gardening for many years and was nice enough to offer us some practical tips. She grows vegetables, flowers, and various berries. The collage above shows you some pictures from her garden.
Here is Melba:
1. Start small and expand when you feel like you can handle more. Gardening is a lot of work and you don't want to overdo it too quickly and get discouraged. Build on your success.
2. You will get some bad seeds from time to time. Simply be aware of it and just replant with good seeds.
3. I constantly keep my three essentials of gardening in mind: water, soil, and sun. You need a good balance. When something is going wrong with your garden, you can usually trace it to one of those essentials. I personally add "Miracle-gro" every other week to keep my soil rich.
4. Learn to identify garden pests and check daily. Get rid of them quickly. I try to be as organic as possible but sometimes I just get my "Sevin Dust" out. That seems to work best for me.
5. Keep the area around your garden beds free of grass and weeds. You don't want grass clippings in your garden beds because you have to mow close to your garden.
6. Read and talk to others about gardening and learn as you go. You'll gain experience and enjoy the rewards. I mentioned earlier that gardening is lot of work. It's also a lot of fun when you start enjoying it. And it's easy to enjoy when you start eating fresh vegetables from your garden and seeing pretty flowers around the house.
7. Always share what you grow from your garden with others. Your blessings will multiply.
Good gardening and never give up.
Relax and have fun!
Melba
Learn about organic gardening by clicking on this link family gardening.
The three important factors for good gardening
Are you having a problem with your plants and/or flowers growing?
Make sure you have these three factors in check and you will be ahead:
You need decent sunlight for your plants and flowers when called for.
And you need sufficient water.
If your soil is rich and you know you are getting enough sun, then you need to water more...unless you're watering way too much, then you need to water less. Usually, your plants and flowers need more water.
We just had that experience, that's why I'm writing this post.
We knew we had a small problem with our soil. We took care of that this year. And we know our plants and vegetables are receiving enough sun. So, why were our plants, flowers, and vegetables suffering?
On a visit to our friends James and Melba, we noticed how well their vegetables were doing. We got the answer to our dilemma in a conversation with them. James said: soil, sun, and water. If you have good soil, enough sun, but poor result, then water more. We did that and it was magic. Happy plants, vegetables, and flowers. Everything resumed grow with nature's smile. So, we thought we should share.
Enjoy!
Make sure you have these three factors in check and you will be ahead:
- Soil
- Sun
- Water
You need decent sunlight for your plants and flowers when called for.
And you need sufficient water.
If your soil is rich and you know you are getting enough sun, then you need to water more...unless you're watering way too much, then you need to water less. Usually, your plants and flowers need more water.
We just had that experience, that's why I'm writing this post.
We knew we had a small problem with our soil. We took care of that this year. And we know our plants and vegetables are receiving enough sun. So, why were our plants, flowers, and vegetables suffering?
On a visit to our friends James and Melba, we noticed how well their vegetables were doing. We got the answer to our dilemma in a conversation with them. James said: soil, sun, and water. If you have good soil, enough sun, but poor result, then water more. We did that and it was magic. Happy plants, vegetables, and flowers. Everything resumed grow with nature's smile. So, we thought we should share.
Enjoy!
6 TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HOUSE PLANTS
Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants. When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.
1. Watering
Overwatering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don't water it.
2. Feeding
Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while Potassium Oxide (K2O) is needed for flowering plants. Feed plants during their most active growth period.
3. Lighting
Some tough indoor plants like Aspidistra (cast-iron plant) and Sansevieria, (mother-in-law’s tongue) require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.
4. Temperature
Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don't put it near an air conditioner in the summer.
5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.
6. Re-potting
Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don't require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.
You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.
1. Watering
Overwatering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don't water it.
2. Feeding
Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while Potassium Oxide (K2O) is needed for flowering plants. Feed plants during their most active growth period.
3. Lighting
Some tough indoor plants like Aspidistra (cast-iron plant) and Sansevieria, (mother-in-law’s tongue) require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.
4. Temperature
Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don't put it near an air conditioner in the summer.
5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.
6. Re-potting
Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don't require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.
You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you'll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.
E-coli on Romaine Lettuce
That's in the news today! E-coli contamination with romaine lettuce.
Simple answer to that. Know where your Romaine lettuce is coming from and avoid buying from the batches out of ...23 States!!! The contamination supposedly has already spread to restaurants and supermarkets lettuce. The outbreak seems quite serious. But, where are those contaminated batches? Are they in your local area? Well, I don't know where you live. That leads me to the better answer.
The better answer: grow your own vegetables. The salad we ate yesterday had Romaine Lettuce and radishes from our garden. They had a good taste and they were as organic as you can get. I smiled when I heard the news about e-coli and romaine lettuce because I know where my lettuce is coming from. Avoid the contamination by growing your own.
If you were looking for some scientific remedies to e-coli and you end up here, then I'm sorry. This blog is about gardening and we will be putting some great tips on gardening shortly.
Come back and visit.
Andre Coquerel
Simple answer to that. Know where your Romaine lettuce is coming from and avoid buying from the batches out of ...23 States!!! The contamination supposedly has already spread to restaurants and supermarkets lettuce. The outbreak seems quite serious. But, where are those contaminated batches? Are they in your local area? Well, I don't know where you live. That leads me to the better answer.
The better answer: grow your own vegetables. The salad we ate yesterday had Romaine Lettuce and radishes from our garden. They had a good taste and they were as organic as you can get. I smiled when I heard the news about e-coli and romaine lettuce because I know where my lettuce is coming from. Avoid the contamination by growing your own.
If you were looking for some scientific remedies to e-coli and you end up here, then I'm sorry. This blog is about gardening and we will be putting some great tips on gardening shortly.
Come back and visit.
Andre Coquerel
Fresh lettuce
Have you tasted fresh homegrown lettuce lately?What's nice is that you can take some for dinner and it keeps growing.
The broccoli are doing great too. Just not quite ready for the dinner plate yet.
Squash? Growing fast. Debbie's green thumb is doing wonders.
How is your garden doing? Post a comment. Share some tips.
The rain!
The garden loves the rain.
We've enjoyed a few showers lately and everything just grew a little faster in the garden.
Can the plants tell the difference? It seems like vegetables, flowers, and plants like the rain more than just water from the faucet. Have you noticed that?
The ground feels softer and easier to work with after the rain too. Doesn't it?
Unfortunately, it seems that the weeds love the rain just as much. We just have to deal with that. Yes, it can't be that easy, one has to weed out his or her garden. But it's worth it.
We've enjoyed a few showers lately and everything just grew a little faster in the garden.
Can the plants tell the difference? It seems like vegetables, flowers, and plants like the rain more than just water from the faucet. Have you noticed that?
The ground feels softer and easier to work with after the rain too. Doesn't it?
Unfortunately, it seems that the weeds love the rain just as much. We just have to deal with that. Yes, it can't be that easy, one has to weed out his or her garden. But it's worth it.
Welcome
Welcome to our Garden.
You'll find nice ideas on gardening. We welcome your comments as well.
Gardening is soothing to the soul. Try it!
You'll find nice ideas on gardening. We welcome your comments as well.
Gardening is soothing to the soul. Try it!
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