The Green Thumb » Weeds

CanadaGreen Fast Growing Grass Seed

Weekend Gardener — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:24:05 +0000

Product Description
Tired of envying your neighbor’s lush lawn? Fill in those bare patches with this fast growing grass seed. Sprouting in just 10 day, CanadaGreen Grass Seed is a hardy mixture of grasses that will crowd-out weeds, saving you hours of back-breaking weeding. This fast growing grass seed is tough enough to survive heavy foot traffic, drought, heat, even cold and snow. When used according to instructions, the CanadaGreen grass seed will grow anywhere in Canada and the USA… More >>

CanadaGreen Fast Growing Grass Seed

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Plan Before Planting Vegetable Gardens – What You Can Do

Weekend Gardener — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:26:25 +0000

In order to maximize your garden space, get the best growing potential out of your soil, as well as take advantage of the sunlight and temperatures in your area you’re going to need to plan before planting vegetable gardens.

It’s best to take a look at the location for your vegetable garden before you begin planning what type of vegetables you’d like to have. Some areas are going to have more shade than others, while others, may see sunlight all day long. Certain plants are going to do better with a little bit of shade, while others may need that full sun. Most vegetable plants need at least five hours of sunlight in order to grow well, so you need to make sure the trees, fences, and other shading sources are not going to affect the growing vegetables.

You’ll also want to take a look at where your water sources are, there’s nothing worse than having to pack buckets of water to your garden. You’ll need to be close to a hose to make watering easily. You’ll also need to make sure that you have the proper soil and drainage. And it’s always nice, if it’s not too far from your daily routes so you can check for weeds, pests, or wilting.

Now that you know where your planting your garden you can effectively choose those vegetables that are going to do well in that area. Remember, certain plants like a bit of shade, other vegetables like full sun, and of course they all grow at different rates. Plan your vegetable garden so that you can take advantage of those fast-growing plants to shade others. Also, make sure that those same fast-growing plants don’t shade those type of vegetables that need full sun.

Now it’s time to think about how often your vegetables are going to yield. In other words, you don’t want to have to disturb your pumpkins that yield in the fall, by constantly weeding and taking care of your radishes, beets, or spinach that you’ll be using throughout the season. You want to be able to access these areas easily so that you can either plant more for a second crop, or at least pull them without disturbing the roots of your other plants.

You might want to do a bit of research as far as companion vegetables. This means that some vegetables are going to enhance the growing of other types of vegetables, and of course, the reverse is true. Potatoes are eminently capable of inhibiting the growth of certain types of squash, and tomatoes. So do bit of research as to what plants enhance each other, and which plants inhibit the growth of others.

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Planting Vegetable Gardens For Peace and Relaxation – Feel The Enjoyment

Weekend Gardener — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:39:59 +0000

As spring rolls around, there’s nothing better than seeing the Earth awaken and plants begin to grow, you can take advantage of the peace and relaxation you receive by watching plants grow by planting vegetable gardens.

Stress is a major factor in most people’s lives, but many have found that planting vegetable gardens can give them a slice of peace and relaxation while reaping the rewards of having fresh grown vegetables.

No matter how small a place you have, you can plant a vegetable garden, even if you need to do indoors to enjoy the effects of growing things. In other words, take a look around at the space you have, think about planting a small garden if it’s your first, and then enjoy the yield of the garden as well as enjoy the peace and relaxation of working in the garden on a regular basis.

Even if you only have a few hours a week, you can enjoy growing vegetable gardens. Just make sure that your first vegetable garden isn’t too large, as you don’t want more stress about taking care of your garden. Plan to have several hours a week to care of your gardens through watering, weeding, tying up plans, and of course, harvesting.

Make sure that your garden is easily accessible for you, there’s no sense in planting it at the bottom of the backyard if it’s not easily accessible for the watering system and your perusal for pests and weeds, after all, the idea is to be able to work the garden and watch the garden grow.

Also, for optimum soil efficiency, if you’re not familiar with gardening, you may want to speak to someone who is gardening nearby. Your soil may need additives such as fertilizers, nitrogen, or perhaps be PH tested. Taking care of the soil before you begin to plant your garden allows you to get the best yield, and watch your garden grow lushly.

Also, choose those vegetables that you enjoy, are easy to grow, and produce a high yield. If you’re a new gardener you want those vegetables such as carrots, radishes, and perhaps maybe a bit of corn. Make sure that your corn plants or other tall growing plants do not shade those that need full-size, and make sure that you understand the harvesting and growing season for each individual type of vegetable. Planting at the right time of year for your area will allow your plants to grow effectively.

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Discover the Satisfaction of Having Your Own Vegetable Garden

Weekend Gardener — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:40:12 +0000

Have you ever wanted to grow your own vegetable garden? One of the most satisfying feelings is that of eating food that you have grown yourself. Home grown foods are also better for you, and you can save money on groceries besides. If you want a garden but don’t quite know where to start, here are some basics to get you started.

First of all, think about where you will plant your garden. Because vegetables need a lot of sunlight to grow, you will need to choose an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. Soil quality and drainage is another factor that needs to be considered. If the soil isn’t of good quality, you might have to add a commercial soil to give it the nourishment your plants need.

All gardens need to be located in an area that is near a water source, at least within range of a long water hose that can be used for watering. There can’t be too much soil moisture, however. Your garden won’t grow very well in boggy soil.

After you have decided on the location for your garden, it’s time to prepare the soil. You can hire someone to till the ground, rent a roto-tiller or, if the area is small, use an old fashioned shovel. Don’t try to dig when the ground is too wet. In fact, there should be very little moisture at all. If the ground has never been tilled before, it may need to be tilled two or three times before it is ready for planting. Be sure that you rake out any weeds or grass. If your soil needs fertilizer or other enhancements, this is the time to add it. Follow the directions on the package for the correct amount to use for your type of soil.

Now, choose your plants. Of course, you’ll want to choose vegetables that you like to eat. But, you also need to take into account the amount of space they need to grow, whether they will grow well in your climate and how difficult they are to grow. Choose plants for your first garden that do not require heavy maintenance and that are easy to grow.

Once you have decided what vegetables to plant, get ready to plant them. Depending on the type of plants, you’ll want to create rows or mounds evenly in the area. Vegetables that are grown from seed may need to be started in small pots and protected inside the house before planting them in the ground. Seedlings or larger plants can be put directly into the garden.

Pay close attention to the weather before you start planting. Be sure that all danger of frost has passed before planting your garden. You also don’t want to plant right before, or after, a heavy rain.

It is not extremely difficult to grow your own vegetables. You can find informational material online or get gardening books from the library or book store. Having your own vegetable garden is a very satisfying project.

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5 Tips On How To Plant Vegetable Gardens For Beginners

Weekend Gardener — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:40:07 +0000

Imagine for a minute when your were a kid visiting your grand parents on a beautiful sunny weekend. Your grand parent grabs you by the hand and leads you out into the garden for a freshly ripened tomato. You find the biggest, bright red, plump tomato you have ever seen hanging from the vine. You take a huge bite of it and the juice from the tomato dribbles down your check as the two of you burst into laughter. Look back to that time and imagine the joy of your grand parents that came from planting a vegetable garden. You to can have these same feelings of enjoyment with just a little work and time.

How will you learn to plant your own organic garden? As you read every word in this article you will see how you can learn to plant your own vegetable garden and not have to pay for those overpriced vegetables at your local supermarket.

Planting vegetable gardens can be a very rewarding endeavor, not to mention that it’s good for your body because of all the exercise you will get, and the vegetables that you’ll get to eat. These days, it’s really ideal if you can plant your own vegetables to make sure that they’re pesticide free, but a lot of people feel intimidated by the idea of planting vegetable gardens especially in a city.

Traditional Planting Style

The more traditional way of planting vegetables is laying them out in straight, organized lines. Some people prefer to plant alternating rows of different types of vegetables so that when one type of vegetable is about to be harvested, the rows in between them have vegetables that are not yet in season. The soil structure quickly becomes ruined because gardeners have to walk between rows, though.

Bed Planting

A popular way of planting vegetables these days is planting them in beds rather than the traditional rows. The beds have to be small enough in size so that you can reach into it and pull out the weeds that will grow among your plants. Beds can also be raised a bit higher off the ground so that the heat will be kept inside longer during cold weather. It also makes for a good drainage system around the beds.

Small Space Planting

For people who have smaller living spaces (especially those who live in the city), vegetables and herbs can grow in plant boxes and containers. Vegetables will need a lot of sunlight and open spaces.

Soil Tips

Preparing the soil is a very important aspect of planting vegetable gardens. It doesn’t matter whether you plan to raise vegetables in a small plot of land or in a plant box. Soil can be categorized as sandy or clay-like, with silt being a fine mixture of both sand and clay.

Ideally, when preparing your soil, it should be 40% silt, 40% sand, and 20% clay. To test it, you can scoop up soil and form it into a ball using your hand. When you poke the soil it should not crumble but it should be sticky enough that it retains its shape even if you don’t press it too hard with your hands.

Patience

Planting vegetable gardens require a lot of patience. You have to find what works for you, and experiment on getting the right type of soil for the right type of vegetables. All the hard work will be worth the effort when you reach into your garden and grab a plump, juicy tomato off the vine and bite into it. Once you have experience eating something that grew from a garden that you planted yourself, you can understand that all the hard work you have put into preparing your garden was more then worth the time you have spent.

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Vegetable Gardening : How to Plant a Vegetable Garden in Rows

Weekend Gardener — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:40:59 +0000

Growing vegetables in rows allows a gardener or farmer to control the spacing and it helps to get rid of weeds. Use a raised bed system when planting a vegetable garden in rows with help from an organic farmer in this free video on vegetable gardening and horticulture. Expert: Jarrett Man Contact: stonesoupfarm.googlepages.com Bio: Jarrett Man created and runs Stone Soup Farm, an organic vegetable and fruit operation in Belchertown, Mass. Filmmaker: EquilibrioFilms Jenn

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Making A Vegetable Garden Work For You – Planting A Wonderful Vegetable Garden

Weekend Gardener — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:41:16 +0000

If you looking at planting and making a vegetable garden you need to understand a few basics before you start digging away and planting seedlings. One of the most important components of having a wonderful and healthy vegetable garden is preparation. With the right planning and set up you can begin to grow organic vegetables that will provide you enough fresh vegetables that you can harvest year round.

Making A Vegetable Garden Work – Essential Tips

The first thing you need to look at an area for your garden, your plot. Ideally this space should be away from trees and a position that receives plenty of morning sun. Morning sun is the ideal sun exposure for vegetables. Nearby tree roots can take nutrients away from your vegetables so try and ensure your plot is far away from any trees if possible.

Is Soil Simply Soil?

Having the right soil structure and balance is something that will either make your break your garden. Once you have decided on your plot remove any weeds you may find by hand. The aim here is to prepare your soil by getting rid of problems before they arise. Do don’t use weed killers, use your hands, weed killers can effect your soil structure.

Take a few soil samples to your local gardening outlet for testing if you don’t have pH testing kit. The ideal pH level for your soil is 6.5, products such as garden lime will help balance your soil level if required. Dig your soil over, digging a foot deep.

When To Start Planting – What Vegetables Should You Plant

Waiting 4-5 weeks for your soil to settle is very important. Do not rush to get vegetables planted as you may run into problems. Having a great soil balance with plenty of nutrients available is critical.

You should look to plant vegetables that you can rotate year round to provide vegetables you can harvest daily. Check your climate zone as to which vegetables you can plant in your area. Rotating your vegetables around will help reduce the risk of pests and disease and provide more vegetables. Your aim is making a vegetable garden work for you with very little maintenance, with the right planning it can take only 8 hours of light work per year!

Maintaining Your Gardening – Feeding Your Vegetables

Your aim here is to begin making a vegetable garden work for you and not the other way around. With the right planning and setup up, making a vegetable garden provide fresh, organic and healthy vegetables every single day is the easy.

Vegetables require plenty of water but ensure your garden does not becoming waterlogged by allowing sufficient drainage. Organic fertilizers such as garden compost, blood and bone and manure will provide essential nutrients to keep your vegetable garden nice and healthy.

Making a vegetable garden work for you is very easy with the right planning and set up. Planting a vegetable garden will provide you and your family with so many health and financial benefits but also years joy and fun. Gardening is such a rewarding hobby and past time.

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An Introduction to Planting a Vegetable Garden

Weekend Gardener — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:42:52 +0000

Not a lot of people try planting vegetable gardens these days, especially not in the city. What with the busy lifestyle, constrained spaces, and pollution, it seems inconceivable that a vegetable garden would survive. The fact is, you can actually grow them even if you are smack in the middle of a busy city. It’s only important that you get the basics of planting vegetable gardens right.

First things first. Soil preparation. This is one of the most basic things that any new gardener will have to learn. Whether you plan to use a plot of land in your backyard or start a vegetable garden in plant boxes, soil preparation plays an important role in whether your vegetable garden will survive or not. There are three types of soil that you need to be familiar with; sand, clay and silt. Sandy soil is loose and helps the roots of plants breathe because it lets the air pass through easily. Clay soil absorbs water faster and keeps it inside longer, a soil composition that has more clay particles in it would be ideal for places that are too hot and the soil dries up quickly. Silt is a fine mixture of sand and clay particles.

When preparing the soil for your vegetable garden, dig up the soil and break off the lumps. Take out the rocks, roots, and weeds while you’re at it. Check if you have just the right mixture of sand, silt, and clay before you begin planting vegetable gardens. Ideally, silt and sand should both be 40%, and clay should just be 20%, this is to make sure that the water isn’t trapped inside too much that the roots will choke. Also, if the water is trapped too long inside the soil, the roots will rot. One good way to test whether the composition of your soil is good is by scooping out a handful and forming a ball with it. The soil should hold the shape of a ball without too much difficulty. If the soil cannot hold the shape, you might have too much silt or sand in the mixture. If the soil holds the shape but does not crumble easily when you poke it, it might have too much clay in it which you need to balance out with a little silt or sand.

Once you have finished cultivating the soil where you want to plant your vegetables, pick what kind of vegetable you want to grow there. Keep in mind that some vegetables don’t grow well when you plant them too close to certain types of other vegetables. Potatoes, for example, shouldn’t be planted too close to squash or tomatoes because it inhibits their growth. They can be planted in the same garden, just don’t plant them beside each other.

After you have decided on the kind of vegetables you want and planting them into the cultivated soil, you’ll have to learn about how to water them properly. Vegetables need to be watered consistently. When planting vegetable gardens in a big space, you might want to consider using a soaker hose. A soaker hose has many holes along its body that waters your garden by letting the water seep through its holes.

Planting vegetable gardens require manual labor (yes, actual work), and a lot of patience. The rewards are very well worth it, though. Especially for people who are concerned about their health. Growing your own vegetables makes sure that there’s the least amount of poisonous (and in the long run, carcinogenic) particulates in it as possible.

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The Best Guide How to Plant a Vegetable Garden – Planting a Healthy Vegetable Garden at Home

Weekend Gardener — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:44:21 +0000

If you want to learn how to plant an organic vegetable garden you are making terrific decision. Planting a year around vegetable garden will allow you to grow enough fresh vegetables for you and your family that you will soon have fresh and organic vegetables on your table daily. Whether it’s to save money or to avoid genetically modified vegetables at your supermarket, planting a veggie garden provides countless benefits.

One of the first things you need to know when looking to learn how to plant a vegetable garden is making the most from your the space you have available. You will be surprised how many fresh vegetables you can grow even with limited space for a plot. If possible try and stay away from any trees which can steal nutrients away from your vegetables.

Vegetables need plenty of sunshine, look for an area that receives plenty of morning sun. Preparation is the key to learning how to plant a vegetable garden you can be proud of. One of the secrets to growing a great garden is soil preparation, it is critical.

With soil preparation you must remove all weeds, avoid any weed killers and remove them by hand. You must test the pH level of your soil, anything around a reading of 6.5 is ideal. If you are unable to test it yourself head over to your local gardening store for testing.

Having your soil pH either too high or two low will restrict nutrients to your vegetables. Garden lime is commonly used to bring up low pH soil levels. Dig the soil over and look to get to depth of about 30cm (12″).You should allow 4-5 weeks before you begin to plant any vegetables.

Now you might be asking what vegetables you can plant? This will be dependent on climate zone so speak to your gardening store about the ideal vegetables for your area. You can pick up seedling for a great price and begin planting after your soil preparation.

The key to learning how to plant an organic vegetable garden from scratch picking the right vegetables that you can rotate year around to help eliminate pests and disease problems.

Organic fertilizers such as animal manure and garden composts are fantastic for providing nutrients to your vegetables as well as improving soil conditions and structure. Organic fertilizers help retain moisture which is very important. Watering your organic vegetable garden is important but try to ensure it doesn’t become waterlogged and allow for proper drainage.

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To start a new flower garden, how deep do you dig it out?

Weekend Gardener — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:45:34 +0000

I’m using the black mesh liner to prevent weeds and other things from growing in my new flower garden? I want to know how deep should I dig to get my garden and other grass even?