Don’t go overboard with your seed ordering after viewing all the colorful garden catalogs with their beautiful pictures of veggies or you may be the gardener in your neighborhood trying to give away zucchini. Grow what your family likes to eat. As a first time gardener, stay away from “exotic” veggies like kohlrabi or hard to grow veggies like cauliflower or head lettuce.

Grow hybrid vegetables. Hybrid vegetables are usually stronger and healthier than other vegetables. They often have higher yields. Many have a built-in disease resistance and they are more likely to recover from bad weather. Hybrids may cost a little bit more than other types of vegetables, but the cost is worth it. If you save seeds, remember that hybrids do not reproduce true to type meaning the new plant will be inferior to the mother plant.

Choose vegetables that have earned the All-America Selections award. All-America Selections is an organization that has been evaluating new vegetable varieties in trial and display gardens across the United States and Canada since 1933. Each year after the evaluations have been analyzed a number of the most outstanding vegetables are designated as All-America Selections indicating that they performed well under all types of conditions.

Draw a Plan

It is always a good idea to draw a plan of your garden. It doesn’t have to be a fancy diagram. Remember the tallest plants in your garden such as corn should be at the north end of the garden and permanent vegetables like asparagus should be at the side of the garden.

To read more or to see the original source of this post, visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu

Originally posted 2010-10-17 13:01:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2010-09-01 19:13:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

To help your lawn get through the long winter, you ought to consider giving it some fertilizer before the grass goes dormant. Doing so will help give it a leg up on defending itself against harsh temperatures and sometimes the cover of snow. Fertilizers heavy in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are all good late summer or early fall fertilizers for your lawn. Also, you might consider mowing some of those leaves that land in your yard and then allowing the remains to settle into the grass. If your last few mowing have some leaves chopped up this way they should have plenty of time to decompose before the winter freeze sets in.

Early fall is also a good time to do some repair work on those patches of your yard that might not be growing so well. You can dig them up or plant some new seeds. This works particularly well for heavily trafficked areas as there is generally leas traffic outside once the temperatures start to drop.

Something else you might want to do is aerate your lawn, which means digging tiny hole in it to allow air to get down into the soil that holds your lawn together. Doing so helps the grass to breathe and opens up pathways for the nutrients in the fertilizer. To aerate your lawn, you just buy or rent an aerator, which is basically a simple hand held device that you push into the ground in many places all over your yard. A simpler approach is to put on some shoes that have cleats on the bottom and run around on your yard for awhile.

Finally, you should mow your lawn one last time after the grass stops growing and when you do, cut it lower to help keep fungus and other molds from having a place to live.

As for your garden; for the flower variety there isn’t much to do other than pull up the last of the weeds and cover those shrubs that need protection from the snow and ice. For the vegetable variety you should till it really well, then lay down a tarp over the top of it to keep weeds from getting started.

To read more, visit http://www.helium.com

Originally posted 2010-10-03 21:31:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Bearded iris can be divided any time after flowering; this is often done in July or August in the Midwest so the replanted portions will have plenty of time to develop new roots and become established before freezing weather arrives.

Lift clumps of iris carefully using a shovel or pitch fork. If the soil is dry, water the bed thoroughly a day or so beforehand to make digging easier. The heavy, but shallow-rooted rhizomes are generally easy to see, making it fairly easy to avoid injuring the rhizomes when digging. If possible, lift the entire clump as a whole rather than breaking it up. Shake off the loose soil from the clumps. If your garden soil is fairly loose, you should be able to get most of the soil off the roots, but you can rinse off any remaining soil with a garden hose if necessary.

Separate individual rhizomes by pulling apart tangled sections. Inspect the rhizomes carefully for signs of iris borer damage and soft spots from disease. (If the plants had dark streaks on the leaves, then the rhizomes likely are infested with borers. The female borer moth lays its eggs on the leaves in the fall, and the young caterpillars tunnel down the leaves to get to the rhizomes, leaving tell-tale streaks behind on the leaves. The plump, pink mature caterpillars generally leave the rhizomes in August to pupate in the soil.) Extract and kill any borers you find, and use a clean sharp knife or pruning shears to cut out any damaged parts. Disinfect the cutting tools between cuts to prevent the spread of disease. Also eliminate any older, spongy growth.

Remove any damaged leaves, then cut the remaining leaves back to 4-6 inches long or 1/3 their original height. This not only makes it easier to work with the plant, but also helps reduce transpiration while the plant is becoming re-established. The leaves are often cut symmetrically on an angle, but there is no real requirement to cut them in a certain way.

Use a clean knife or pruning shears to cut the rhizomes apart. Make the cuts at natural divisions in the rhizomes, such as where it has forked. Make sure each piece is firm and light colored, at least 3″ long, has healthy roots, and has a fan of leaves on it. Trim any broken or torn roots (scissor work well for this).

To help prevent infection, rhizomes can be soaked for about half an hour in a 10% bleach solution, if desired. They can also be treated with sulfur dust or an insecticide and/or fungicide if pest problems are severe – but this is usually not necessary. Soaked plants should be held in a shady place until dry.

Allow the cut rhizomes to cure for a few hours or days – to allow the cuts to heal over – before replanting. The rhizomes can be stored in paper bags for a while, but survival is best when replanted soon after dividing.

Bearded iris should be grown in a sunny location with good drainage. If replanting in the same location, remove any debris and incorporate compost first. Space the divisions 12-18″ apart. Iris are often placed in groups of three divisions arranged in a triangle, with each fan of leaves pointing away from the other irises in the group.

To plant the rhizomes, prepare a shallow hole with a low mound in the center. You may add bone meal to the bottom of the hole, but since iris are not heavy feeders additional fertilizer is not needed in all soils. The rhizome should be placed horizontally on the mound, spreading the roots down the mound into the surrounding trench. The plant will grow from the end which has the fan of leaves, so point the rhizome accordingly in the direction you want it to grow. Then fill in the hole, leaving the top of the rhizome barely exposed or just covering it with no more than an inch of soil.

Bearded iris is susceptible to root rot if buried too deeply. Tamp down the soil and water thoroughly after planting. Keep the soil moist but not wet until new foliar growth occurs. Newly planted iris should be mulched their first winter (after the ground freezes) to prevent damage to the rhizomes from alternate freezing and thawing. Remove the mulch in early spring. Transplanted iris will only bloom sparsely the first spring after replanting.

Additional Information:

• Dividing Iris and Peony – a video by University of Nebraska Extension on U-Tube

– Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin – Madison

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=DividingIris

Bearded iris thumbnail photo from

http://www.allbestpictures.com

Originally posted 2010-08-27 19:42:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Verticillium and fusarium wilts are soilborne diseases that cause yellowing of the leaves, wilting and premature death of plants. These diseases persist in gardens where susceptible plants are grown. Once they build up, the only practical control is the use of resistant (VF) varieties.

Early blight is characterized by dead brown spots that usually start on the lower leaves and spread up the plant. Upon close inspection, you can see concentric rings within the spots. Although early blight is most severe on the leaves, it sometimes occurs on the stems and can cause severe defoliation. Certain varieties (Roma and Supersonic) are more tolerant of early blight than others.

Septoria leafspot is characterized by numerous small black spots on the leaves. The centers of these spots later turn white and tiny black dots appear in the white centers. The disease starts on the bottom leaves and may become severe in wet weather.

Blossom-end rot is a dry, leathery brown rot of the blossom end of the fruit that is common in some seasons on tomatoes. It is caused by the combination of a localized calcium deficiency in the developing fruit and wide fluctuations of soil moisture. The problem is especially bad in hot weather. Soil applications of calcium seldom help, though foliar calcium sprays may minimize the occurrence of the problem. Make sure the formulation is designed for foliar application or severe damage could result. Pruning causes stress to the plants that may increase the incidence of blossom-end rot. Some tomato varieties are much more susceptible to this condition than others. Mulching and uniform watering help to prevent blossom-end rot. Once the blackened ends appear, affected fruits cannot be saved. They are best removed and destroyed so that healthy fruit setting later can develop more quickly.

Poor color and sunscald occur when high temperatures retard the development of full red color in tomatoes exposed directly to the hot sun. Sunscald occurs as a large, whitish area on the fruit during hot, dry weather. It becomes a problem when foliage has been lost through other diseases such as early blight or on early varieties that normally have poor foliage cover as the fruit ripens.

To learn more about tomato gardening visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu

Originally posted 2010-09-30 16:01:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Originally posted 2010-10-17 23:56:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A couple of recent emails requested information on building a homemade garden trellis. Growing vertically is such a great way to save space and even increase yields for crops such as cucumbers, squash, pole beans, and other climbing vegetables.

Today I’ll share one of my favorite methods to construct a simple trellis in the home garden, but first here are the questions that were submitted inquiring about making a homemade garden trellis:

Complying with Organic Certification Regulations

Thanks Prana, I never gave much thought to whether the material used to support climbing crops needed to be untreated or not in order to comply with organic certification requirements. Like most organic backyard gardeners I follow organic practices but don’t go through the expense and formal regulatory process of organic certification that organic farmers must comply with.

After a little research it appears that the national organic certification regulations do spell out the types of building materials that can be used and do prohibit the use of treated wood in instances where the organic crop comes in contact with the treated wood or the soil that comes in contact with the treated wood. That rule applies to garden trellises, fences, and even greenhouses if you are seeking organic certification.

Here’s one more email and then I’ll share the simple solution that I use to build a simple garden trellises that’s great for supporting climbing fruits and vegetables in the backyard garden:

Dear Mr. Point: I enjoyed your various article on gardening. I am a retired Army Infantry Officer who truly enjoys gardening. Sir, do you have an example of a trellis for my summer squash. I have limited space. Your assistance is greatly appreciated Respectfully, L. Hampton

Thanks Mr. Hampton, and yes I do have an example of a homemade garden trellis that I use which may be helpful to you and Prana. The trellis is inexpensive, easy to set up, durable, and can be adapted to fit your particular needs, crops, and situations.

Using Fencing Wire to Construct a Homemade Garden Trellis

This garden trellis is made with the rolls of vinyl-clad fencing wire that you can purchase from home and garden centers. The wire makes an excellent trellis for plants such as pole beans, squash, melons, and cucumbers to climb.

It doesn’t work as good for tomatoes, but check out my tomato trellising video for a great solution to support tomatoes. I attach the wire to the top of an out building that I have in the garden and then anchor it to the ground. That gives me a trellis over 15 feet tall for plants to climb up on.

Another option would be to use tall metal fence posts and attach the wire fencing to that or even fashion some type of A-Frame where the plants can climb up one side and down the other for support. Use your imagination to create similar trellis applications around your own home and garden.

Nylon netting material can be used instead of the wire fencing but I like the wire fencing much better and think that it is sturdier and more durable. I set my wire fencing trellis up about four years ago and have been using it ever since.

To read more from Kenny Point, visit his awesome site at http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com

Originally posted 2010-08-31 19:58:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

With the start of October only one thought enters my mind, HALLOWEEN. There is no other day like it.  A day in which the focus is spooky ghost stories, candy galore, imaginative costumes and the opportunity to be whoever we want even if it is only for a night, and countless Halloween parties.  Below are a few helpful hints to get you started on your Halloween soiree.

1.     My first step is of course a staple of Halloween, a lit up jack-o’-lantern welcoming all those who dare to enter.  Inside the pumpkin place a cinnamon scented candle to add just the right Halloween spice.

2.     Transform your room with faux spider webs hanging from every corner of room.  Get some plastics spiders and stick on the hanging web.  Your guests are sure to awe at the simple but perfect touch.

3.     Create a signature cocktail combining whatever drinks you like and give it a fun little name.  As an added touch, substitute your punch bowl for a cauldron.

4.     String up some purple Christmas lights.  The purple hue with the glow of fire from your firepots will be the perfect touch for a bone chilling evening.

5.     My newest Halloween accessory is a handmade firepot.  The range of uses comes in handy for creating the perfect eerie mood for a Halloween party.  I plan to utilize all of my firepots in different ways.  Some will be filled with fuel gel and placed throughout the room, my goal is to illuminate and manifest spooky shadows, which are sure to make the hair on the back of anyone’s neck stand up.  Other firepots will be placed throughout the party filled with dry ice to fill the room with a Smokey graveyard feel. One ideal use it is to remove the steel reservoir and use it as a candy bowl to provide all your guests with a little sweetness.   Buy an extra firepot to use as a prize for the best costume at your Halloween party.

6.     Last but not least don’t forget to send your guests home with a trick or treat bag.  A little candy goes along way, whatever age you are.  These are just a few tips to get you started, the most important thing is to have fun with it.  Bring out the child in you and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Originally posted 2010-10-01 09:52:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Water the plants thoroughly and regularly during prolonged dry periods. Plants confined in containers may need daily or even more frequent watering. Side-dress nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) at the rate of one pound per 100 feet of row (equivalent to 1 tablespoon per plant) after the first tomatoes have grown to the size of golf balls. (If ammonium nitrate is not available, use 3 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer.) Make two more applications 3 and 6 weeks later. If the weather is dry following these applications, water the plants thoroughly. Do not get fertilizer on the leaves.

Many gardeners train their tomato plants to stakes, trellises or cages with great success. Not all varieties, however, are equally suitable for staking and pruning.

Tomato cages may be made from concrete-reinforcing wire, woven-wire stock fencing or various wooden designs. Choose wire or wooden designs that have holes large enough to allow fruit to be picked and removed without bruising. The short, small, narrow type often sold at garden centers is all but useless for anything but the smallest of the dwarf types. Most modern determinate tomatoes easily grow 3 to 4 feet tall and indeterminates continue to get taller until frozen in the fall, easily reaching at least 6 feet in height. Use cages that match in height the variety to be caged and firmly anchor them to the ground with stakes or steel posts to keep the fruit-laden plants from uprooting themselves in late summer windstorms.

Trellis-weave systems have recently been developed for commercial operations and can work just as well in a garden planting. Tall stakes are securely driven into the tomato row about every two or three plants in the row. Make sure the stakes are tall enough to accommodate the growth of your tomato varieties and make sure they are driven very securely into the ground to prevent wind damage. (The woven rows of tomatoes can catch much wind.) As the tomatoes grow upward, strings are attached to the end posts and woven back and forth between the supports, holding the tops of the plants up and off the ground. This operation is repeated about as often as the tomatoes grow another 6 inches, until the plants reach maturity. The fruit is held off the ground as with staked or caged plants; but the foliage cover is better than with staked plants, and the fruit is more accessible than with cages.

To read more about tomatoes visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu

Originally posted 2010-09-28 07:41:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Original post from http://foodworlds.com

Originally posted 2010-09-22 19:37:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter