Monday, September 19, 2011

Garlic Companion Plants

In general, garlic is one of those plants that you should plant throughout your garden to help naturally deter pests. It actually accumulates sulfur, which is a naturally-occurring fungicide that will help protect your plants from diseases. Garlic also helps repel insects such as aphids. Below are the best and worst companion plants for garlic.

Best Companion Plants for Garlic

Garlic helps the plants listed below grow better. Because garlic isn't overly picky about where it is planted (as long as it is in full sun), it works in a variety of situations.

Fruit trees (all)TomatoesPeppersEggplantPotatoesCabbageBroccoliCauliflowerKaleKohlrabiCarrots

Worst Companion Plants for Garlic

Garlic and its allium relatives seem to stunt the growth of certain crops. Avoid planting garlic near the vegetables listed below.

Saving Tomato Seeds

Selecting a good tomato to save seeds from is the most important step in the process. There's no point in saving tomato seeds if you're not saving them from high quality fruits; the resulting plants (and their fruits) will be of inferior quality.

Here's what you're looking for. Save seeds from an open-pollinated, rather than hybrid, tomato. Seeds saved from hybrid tomatoes won't come true, and there's no way to tell what you'll end up with. This may take a little research. If you're unsure whether the tomato you're growing is an heirloom or a hybrid, a quick internet search or a glance through a few seed catalogs will tell you what you need to know.Save seeds from tomatoes that are fully ripe, but not over-ripe. Seeds from over-ripe fruits could already be on their way to germinating or flat-out rotting. Save seeds from the best-looking, best-tasting fruits on the plant. When you save from the very best, the resulting plants will be predisposed to having those same desirable qualities.It's fine to save seed from plants that have suffered from blight or one of the many wilts that affect tomato plants.

Spinach Alternatives

Chard is a green with a mild, earthy flavor. In my zone 6 garden, I sow it directly in the garden after my last frost date, and it continues to grow until our first hard frost, without bolting. The key to keeping it going is to harvest the outer leaves, leaving the inner part of the plant intact. New leaves will form in the center, and you'll have a constant supply of chard.

In addition to the leaves, which can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach, the celery-like stems are delicious as well.

Chard is very high in vitamin A, with one cup of chopped leaves coming in at over 200% of the recommended daily allowance. In addition, chard is high in vitamin C and iron.

Delicious chard varieties: 'Bright Lights,' 'Ruby Chard.'

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Harvesting Potatoes

Potatoes can be a mystery when it comes to trying to figure out when it's time to harvest. All of the important development seems to happen underground. So how can you tell when it's time to harvest?

To harvest new potatoes: New potatoes are small, tender potatoes that are harvested and eaten right away. They do not store well. Harvest new potatoes when the plants are finished flowering by digging around the edges of the plant with a garden fork (you're less likely to cut the tubers with a garden fork than you are with a shovel.)

To harvest large potatoes for storing: Let the plant continue growing after it is done blooming. Keep hilling up the soil or mulch around the plants so that the tubers aren't exposed to sunlight. Once the foliage has all died back, dig up your tubers. Don't wash them off. Let them sit out in a single layer for a couple of days, and then brush off any dry soil, and store.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

My Organic Food Garden review

We feel good on seeing those fresh and juicy vegetables that are found in the supermarket are constantly sprayed with very strong chemicals that later causes diseases or illness to the body. The chemicals give you stomach cramps, make you tired and leave you in a depressed state. Are you ready to give your children have an intake of these toxic chemicals in the body that may prove dangerous? You can also have a slow metabolism.
It is important for all of us to eliminate such harmful toxins from the body and this can be done by consuming 100% organic foods. Yes! Organic foods have entered the market and are going to make its presence stay for a long time. But the organic foods though healthy are very costlier, not affordable to the common man.So, how can we have those fresh, organic vegetables reach your kitchen without costing a cent?
The best alternative is growing organic vegetables at home. Yes it can be possible by several methods that will not require the use of any chemicals and one will happily grow that health food for the family. To grow a healthy organic garden it will require few information and that can be downloaded from the internet or reading few guides.
One can visit this site for further information. The benefits of growing organic food at home means –
Organic vegetables are non toxic as no chemicals will be seeping into the soil.
Freshest and juicy food that one may not get anywhere.
No need to visit the super market for the vegetables. Simply walk into the garden and get everything you need.
Boost your energy levels and immune system with the intake of health vegetables.
A great money saver as you need not pay the huge grocery bills.
Bring out a fresh look into your life. Plan to have organic food at economical cost. Read the related articles and content about it present on the site myorganicfoodgarden.com.Its time we stop eating those chemical stuffed or toxic mixed food that is found in the super markets. Correct measures needs to be taken soon when the point of concern is health. Who does not wish to have a healthy body and live happily for a longer duration? Many people all over the world are realizing the benefits of organic food and slowly planning to have their own organic gardens at their homes. In this way we not only benefit our family but also the environment.
For more info visit the following site

Tips on Growing Organic Garden

If you have always liked buying organic produce at your local supermarket you may have considered growing your own organic garden. Learning how to grow an organic garden is actually quite easy. The most important thing to remember is that the products you use must be free form chemicals and pesticides.
Steps You Should Take When Growing A Organic Garden:
1. The First thing you should do is test your soil. The test will tell you how healthy your soil is. If you test different parts of your garden you will be able to decide the best place for growing a organic garden. The soil should be sent to a lab who will conduct the tests and provide you with accurate results. You will then be able to make any adjustments necessary to ensure you have perfect soil for growing a organic garden.
2. The next step in growing a organic garden is the seeds. There are several outlets for gardeners to find the exact seeds they are looking for. The type of garden you choose to plant is entirely up to you.
3. Once you have chosen your seeds, you need to weed the area where you will be growing a organic garden. The weeding makes sure that the soil is kept at its best.
4. Planting the seeds, followed by watering is the next steps. Soil should be watered regularly; however it should never be over watered. Over watering will wash away all the nutrients you have been trying so hard to accumulate in the soil and ruin your hard work in growing a organic garden.
5. Fertilizing is also an important step when you are growing a organic garden.. Garden centers have fertilizer for purchase or you could mix your own fertilizer with products from your home. The best times to fertilize are in the spring, and then again during summertime. This will ensure that your organ garden will achieve the desired results you are trying to achieve.
You can find more info in this site
Learning how to grow an organic garden is easy, with a few tips your garden will blossom in no time. Deciding on what you will plant is a different story. Some choose to learn how to grow an organic rose garden, while others may choose to grow herbs or vegetables. Using seed guides, you can determine what items would grow better in your region. You will learn from experience too as trial and effort in growing a organic garden will show in the results that you achieve. You will find what works and what doesn’t and you should have fun learning too.
Go ahead and visit my organic food garden

Monday, September 12, 2011

Growing organic garden

Welcome to the blog about growing organic garden. Here you can find many tips on how to grow organic food and vegetables in your garden. Growing organic garden is becoming increasinly popular among gardeners in many countries.