Posts Tagged ‘organic gardening’
5 Tips for an Outrageous Vegetable Garden
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
LOCATION
Choose the sunniest location in your yard. Most edible plants prefer 6 or more hours of sun. Placing a SUN STICK in your yard will help determine the best location.
SOIL PREPARATION
The key ingredient to a great veggie garden is soil. Put some extra effort into preparing your beds before planting and you will save time and effort in the future. Dig the bed up to break up compacted soil and add ORGANIGRO compost with VERMICULITE to improve drainage. Adding MAG-I-CAL with humates encourages microbial soil life and attracts and increases the population of earthworms. ACTINO-IRON is a biological soil additive that helps prevent early blight as well as contain iron to enhance root development and plant vitality.
CROP SELECTION
Base your selection on what your family likes to eat. For example, plant several varieties of tomatoes, one for munching (CHERRY), one for cooking (ROMA), one for slicing (BIG BOY) and one for conversation (ZEBRA). Don’t forget the some herbs (basil, oregano, cilantro & rosemary.)
WATER
Vegetables need a bit of extra care when it comes to watering. Consistent watering will produce successful results. If you have a large garden, you may want to consider a soaker hose. This will ensure that your plants get an even watering without getting the leaves wet. All you have to do is remember to turn on the hose!
SUMMER CARE
Fertilizing consistently with NEPTUNE’S HARVEST every 2-3 weeks will give your garden the additional boost it needs to ensure a bountiful crop.
Notes:
Low soil moisture combined with high humidity levels at the plant surface favors disease growth. BI-CARB OLDFASHIONED FUNGICIDE is an organic contact fungicide that disrupts the potassium ion balance in the fungus cell, causing the cell walls to collapse.
Spraying with FOLI-CAL Calcium will help prevent and treat plant disorders associated with calcium deficiency & complement good soil fertility by supplying nutrients directly to the foliage and fruit of crops during critical growth stages (blossom end rot on tomatoes, peppers & melons.)
Put some color in your Memorial Day weekend.
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Thayer container gardens provide “right now” color.
Okay, we know that June 21st is the official start of summer, but, really, we know it starts with the Memorial Day weekend. This is when the yard begins to come to life in earnest, when we carefully examine the damage of winter and see who made it through. We scrutinize the lawn. We frown. We buy new work and garden gloves, rakes, shovels, whatever we may have misplaced or thrown away the previous year. And we start to sweat.
We replace a shrub that just couldn’t take the northeast wind on the northeast corner of the house. We smile at those hardy types who are straight and tall and happy to be back. We get the annuals in if we can, and we perhaps a few more perennials here and there.
We rake.
We dig.
We mulch.
And our backs begin to hurt.
We’re satisfied, yet something is missing. We want bright bursts of color up front and visible. And we want it right now. Not on June 21st.
We want container gardens!
We want our pots of every imaginable shape, matter, and color, stuffed with colorful growing plants that are fragrant and full of personality spilling over on our stairways, ledges, walls, and walkways.
And we want them ready right now.
So at Thayer this weekend, we‘ve decided to set aside time and space all weekend to make your wish come true. Container gardens, right now. Just bring in your pots, buckets, barrels, containers, whatever pleases you, to have filled with flowers and green, and we will help you put it together.
Right now.
