Art of the Dig

Thursday’s Photo

Sweet Woodruff after a spring shower

read comments (37)

Thursday’s Photo

Ants on a peony after a spring shower

read comments (22)

Thursday’s Photo

Snowdrops

read comments (0)

Grow Vegetables In Containers

Short on space to grow vegetables. Then grow them in containers. Many vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, cucumbers and tomatoes will thrive in any well drained container. Here are few tips for growing vegetables in containers.

• Leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce have shallow roots and only need a few inches of soil.
• Tomatoes require deeper container to support their root system. Tomato plants should be plant in 5 gallon buckets or larger.
• Vegetables require at least six hours of sunlight. Position your vegetables in areas where they can receive the best possible light.
• Containers tend to dry out quicker – especially terra cotta pots. You plants will require more frequent watering than plants in the ground.
• Dark colored containers tend to absorb heat, which  can damage plant roots.
• Nutrients tend to leech out of the soil of potted plants when watering, therefore potted plants need to be fertilized more often than plants in the ground.
• Use a soil-less potting mix in your containers. Soil from your garden is too dense to use in pots.
• Make sure your containers have adequate drainage, by adding holes to the bottom of the container. You can also add 1″-2″ layer of gravel.
• Be creative when selecting containers. You can use traditional pots, buckets even plant directly into the planting medium bag!

Remember, you don’t need a lot of land to grow fresh vegetables. As long as it holds soil you can grow vegetables in it!

Small containers: Onions, Parsley and Radish

Medium containers: Green Beans, Lettuce

Large containers: Cucumbers, Eggplant, Peppers, Squash, Tomato

read comments (19)

Do Plants Need Vitamins?

SUPERthrive

read comments (86)

Thursday’s Photo

Lobelia "Crystal Palace" Seedlings Sown in a Peat Pellet

read comments (0)

Fish Fertilizer-The Organic Way to Feed Your Plants

Fish Fertilizer

When seedlings first germinate, they should be placed under artificial light 16 -18 hours a day. The first set of leaves that appear will be cotyledon or seedling leaves. These leaves are pretty generic in appearance and possess none of the qualities of  “true”  leaves. Up until this point there is no need to fertilize seedlings. Mother nature has provided all the nutrients the seedlings need to grow.  Initially carbohydrates contained in the seed is used for food, however once the first set of “true”  leaves appear it is necessary to fertilize.

You can use any fertilizer you wish, but it should be higher in Nitrogen(N) and Phosphate(P) than Potash(K). Check the three numbers on the fertilizer package…you want the first two numbers to be higher. The first number indicates the amount of  Nitrogen, the second number indicates Phosphate. Nitrogen encourages green leafy growth and Phosphate encourages a strong root system. Whatever fertilizer you chose, make sure to use it at half strength.

I’ve chosen to fertilize my seedlings with fish fertilizer because it is easy to apply and is a natural source of nutrients for the plants. Fish fertilizer is made from the by-products of the fish processing industry. There are several brands on the market.  This year I am using Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer. I simply add a small amount to the watering can and apply twice a week.

You may also see a product called fish emulsion. It is similar to fish fertilizer, but goes through additional processing that improves nutrient availability to plants. This additional processing makes fish emulsion a little more expensive.

What do you use to fertilize your seedlings?

TIP: Both fish fertilizer and fish emulsion smell. The smell dissipates once added to water and the soil.

read comments (0)

Did You Know?

One weed plant can produce 117,000 seeds.

read comments (41)

How To Build A Grow Light

My Grow Light Stand

Lights, Water, Grow! In addition to water,  your seedling plants need plenty of light to grow. This time of the year mother nature does not provide young seedling plants with the optimal amount of sun light they need.  Sixteen to eighteen hours a day! Therefore, it is necessary to  provide your seedlings with artificial light.

To provide enough light,  you can buy one of the very expensive grow light units that are on the market. Depending on the size of the unit, they can range in price from $100-$400.  Gardener’s must always make the decision when to spend on an item or save. In this case, I decided to save by building my own grow light stand with the help of You Tube.

I made my frame a little larger than the one in the video. I also used 1″ pvc pipe for additional stability. The pvc pipe and connectors  costs less than $10. The shop lights can be purchased at your local home repair store and cost about $10 each. You will also need to purchase two plant/aquarium lights($10 each) for each light fixture. Plant/aquarium lights are usually smaller (size T8) than the standard florescent light, so make sure that the plant/aquarium light will fit your shop light.

TIP: You don’t have to purchase the pvc snipes, simply use a hacksaw!

Check out the video from urban garden project.

read comments (44)

Growing Heirloom Tomatos

On February 25, I started tomato seeds. Using a heat mat for warmth, the seeds germinated very quickly. Quicker than I thought as a matter of fact. Some of the seedlings had grown an inch or two before I was able to get them under the grow light.

Lesson learned: Check seedlings everyday!

In order to grow plants with short and stocky stems you need to put them under the  grown light as soon as they germinate to prevent them from stretching towards the daylight.

Tomato Seeds Started on February 25.

Tomato Plants Three Weeks After Sowing. Two week old Lobelia Seedlings.

More Tomato Plants.

read comments (60)