Garden Time March/2009

15% Discount from 2B SEEDS

 

Want to Have a Vegetable or Flower Garden?

 
raised bed If you wish to set up your very own vegetable garden and have absolutely no idea on how to go about it, do not lose sleep over it! It is not at all complicated or hard for a novice to start a vegetable garden.
 Vegetables require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine daily, so pick a location that gets plenty of sunlight. A few leafy vegetable such as spinach, lettuce, and endive require a little amount of shade in the daytime, but vegetables that grow roots such as beets, peppers, radishes, carrots, tomatoes and squash could do with ample sunshine. A further point to be noted when a beginner starts a vegetable garden, is to avoid low-lying areas where water is prone to stagnate after rainfall.An additional guideline for basic vegetable gardening is to ensure the garden is located close to a water source, even thought it is only a garden hosepipe. Vegetables contain up to 90% water, and hence soil moisture is very important for the crops to grow. A final rule regarding basic vegetable gardening is that if you are residing on a huge estate or in the countryside, it is a great idea to locate the garden near the house. There are a number of explanations for this. It is far easier to provide proper care to the garden if it is located close by. Further, you do not have to go a long way to transport the crops to the house. When preparing a meal, you simply have to step outside to pick fresh produce from your garden.
 
Indoors or Outdoors?
 
tumbleing tom tomato What types of plants should be started indoors?
 Plants that require a long growing season to reach maturity,
Biennial or perennial flowers that you want to encourage to bloom in first season.
 
Some vegetables that are recommended for starting indoors include:
 
Artichokes, celery, eggplant, endive, leeks, chili peppers, tomatoes and bell peppers
Herbs
that are recommended for starting indoors include:
 Most herbs, but especially: marjoram, oregano, savory, thyme.
 
 Some flowers that are recommended for starting indoors include:
Flax, Impatiens, Lobelia, Marigolds, Nemesia, Ornamental PeppersPansies (12 weeks before blooms desired), Salvia , Statice, Violas, VincaPetunias. There are so many more, so take a look at our Annual Page. (Also note that seedlings started indoors must be 'hardened off' gradually to allow them to adjust to outdoor weather conditions. Put them outside in a filtered sun/shade location away from harsh winds during the day for just a short time at first. Bring them in at night and gradually increase their time outdoors each day for a week.)
  
Sowing outdoors: What types of plants should be started outdoors?
 Plants that don't transplant well (weakened by root disturbance)
 Plants that require very warm temperatures to sprout and get established
Root crops (carrots, beets, etc.)
 
Vegetables that are recommended for starting outdoors include:
Arugula, beans, beets, pak choy, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, gourds,onions,  peas,pumpkins, radishes, spinach, squash (summer), squash (winter), Swiss chard.

 Remember that some plants like TOMATOES and PEPPERS require sowing indoors 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside, and you will want to give them a good head start before spring to get the most fruit before fall frost.