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Growing Zucchini Containers & Controlling Blossom End Rot and Powdery Mildew

By on Jun 16, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Summer Garden | 8 comments

Growing a large veggie like a zucchini in a small growing space CAN be done when you follow a few simple tips!  It’s very important to choose a container that is large enough to accommodate the plant’s extensive root system so that you get the abundant harvest that zucchini is famous for.   My favorite container for growing a large veggie like zucchini is a 20 gallon fabric Smart Pots container.  Smart Pots containers work beautifully for a large plant like zucchini because the containers are made from durable, aerated fabric.  When the roots hit the sides of the pot, they “air prune”.  Instead of encircling the bottom of the pot, and becoming root bound, they prune themselves and form a fibrous root ball that is able to effectively take up water and nutrients, feeding the plant and helping it grow large and be productive, even in a container. The aerated fabric also provides the...

Growing Watermelon in a Container – 3 Tips for Success

By on Jun 8, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening | 2 comments

Nothing says summer quite like a red, juicy watermelon – I can taste it now!  If you are growing in a small space, like a patio or deck, you might think that you can’t grow a large plant such as watermelon.  Not so – grow it in a container!  With a few quick and simple tips on caring for your container watermelon, you’ll be harvesting and eating you own sweet juicy watermelon in no time!   Compact varieties of watermelon work best for containers.  I’m growing Black Tail Mountain and Sugar Baby watermelon in 20 gallon Smart Pots containers.  The Smart Pots containers work beautifully for a large plant like watermelon because they are made from a durable, aerated fabric.  When the roots hit the aerated sides of the pot, they “air prune”.  Instead of encircling the bottom of the pot, and becoming rot bound, they form a fibrous root ball that is able to take up water and...

Want Some Time Back? Automate Garden Watering with Drip Irrigation

By on May 19, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Spring Garden | 2 comments

  Consistent water – the key to your garden As gardeners, we know that consistent watering is the key to a productive garden.  Watering your garden can be a huge task, and eat up a lot of time. Some gardeners are lucky enough to live where it rains regularly and don’t have to worry about watering. Let’s face it, most of us lead busy lives and don’t have time to hand water our backyard veggie patch with the garden hose.  Some days watering is just not a priority – and when your plants don’t get the water they need – they won’t  produce well for you.   I am always looking for ways that help me do more with less. If only I could have a few extra hours in my day to accomplish more.  Can you relate? Enter drip irrigation – quick and simple to install, inexpensive, and gets the water to where it needs to go!   This translates into lots of tasty, healthy...

How and When to Harvest Garlic

By on May 12, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Harvest, Organic Gardening | 7 comments

How and When to Harvest Garlic Homegrown garlic – pungent and sharp and oh so flavorful!  Much more powerful than it’s store-bought counterpart, it adds a strong, unmistakable taste to many of our favorite recipes.  I recently harvested my container-grown garlic and made a delicious garlic rosemary chicken with garlic roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts that received rave reviews from my family! Garlic couldn’t be easier to grow – I like to call it a a “plant it and forget it crop”.  It is usually planted in the fall, just before the first frost date of the winter, and it grows for about 6 months, with little care required.  Check out my previous blog post on planting garlic so you know just how to get yours planted when the time is right. It’s very important to know when to harvest garlic, because if you harvest it too soon, your bulbs will be tiny, and if you harvest it...

Growing Large Veggies in Containers – 4 Tips for Success

By on Apr 28, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Spring Garden | 8 comments

Growing Large Veggies in Containers – 4 Tips for Success If you are growing in a small space, like a patio or deck, you might think that you can’t grow large vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant or watermelon.  Not so!  With a few quick and simple tips, you CAN grow large vegetables successfully in a small growing space – in containers! Bring on those fresh, tasty tomatoes,  ton’s of squash, and yes, even juicy watermelon.  You’ll be growing some in no time on your own on a patio or balcony.   Tip #1: Chose the right container When you’re growing a large vegetable that is a “heavy feeder” (requires a lot of nutrients to be productive) it is important to chose a container that is big enough to accommodate an extensive root system and still allow the plant to uptake the water and nutrients it needs.  If you grow in a container that is too small, your large...

From Seedling to Garden

By on Apr 21, 2017 in Blog, Seed Starting, Spring Garden | 14 comments

    Many of you have been growing your seeds from the $10 Garden Seed Kit for your spring garden indoors for about 6 weeks now.  You’ve been giving them lots of love by watering and fertilizing them.  You’ve been preparing them for the transition to the big outdoors by hardening them off.  Finally, they day is here – it’s time to get them planted outdoors in the garden.  What an exciting day! Follow these simple tips and your seedling’s transition from indoors to outdoors is sure to be a success!       How big should seedlings be before transplanting outdoors? Although there is no absolute rule of how big a seedling should be to transplant outdoors, I like to transplant my seedlings when they have 3-4 sets of true leaves.  True leaves are different from the baby leaves that the seedling has when it first sprouts.  They are the adult leaves that look like...