One of the reasons I love to garden is to get fresh herbs and vegetables for grilling and cooking. Fresh herbs are great to use in marinades, rubs, oil infusions, and so many more things. The same thing goes for vegetables. Ones that I use a lot are sweet peppers, and jalapenos. Of course there are other veggies I use on the grill too like potatoes, and zucchini.
Besides using herbs and vegetables in the kitchen, they are great on the grill. I've used cilantro and other herbs in marinades for pork, chicken, and steak. There are so many things you can do to make a great grilled meal. One of my favorite things to make on the grill is a good steak. I like to marinade the steak in some olive oil along with some fresh herbs like cilantro and oregano. I like my steak medium-rare, so I use the best instant read thermometer I can find so I have a quick accurate temperature reading.
Roasted veggies on the grill or in the oven are one of the best parts of having a garden. I'm a grilling guy so I always use them on the grill or even on the smoker. If you haven't yet used fresh herbs and veggies for grilling, you should really give it a try.
How to Grow Raspberries
The beginning of spring is the best time for you to plant and grow raspberries. Growing raspberries is actually a good way to have fresh and abundant stock of it that can be perfect for the holidays, and it is also a nice way to boost your health, since raspberries is packed with so many vitamins that will surely prevent illnesses and diseases that can limit your chance of having a happy life.
If you want to grow raspberries, here are the things that you have to do:
Choose The Area Where You Want To Plant It
It is always best to prepare the area where you want to plant your raspberries. This is because you want to make sure that your plants will have enough sunlight, water, and will be planted in a well draining soil. You must also protect your raspberries from birds or trolling raccoons. So you might want to cage your raspberries so you can get a good harvest of it.
Choose The Type Of Raspberry That You Want To Plant
In general, there are two common types of raspberries:
- Summer bearing – this is a type of raspberry plant that produces raspberries during the summer only. Once the season is up, it will stop bearing fruits and conserve its energy for the next fruit bearing season, which is next summer again.
- Ever bearing – this is a type of raspberry plant that can produce raspberries from spring to fall.
Buy Your Canes
Most garden supply stores or even online retailers have raspberry canes. These are the ones you plant, in order to grow your raspberry plant.
Planting Your Canes
Make sure that your soil is acidic. You can do this by adding compost or mulch. By the way, if you have used the soil for tomatoes previously, this might not be the best area where you want to plant your raspberry. This is because according to experienced farmers, raspberries and tomatoes suffer from the same disease, which can be easily transferred through a contaminated soil.
Plant your canes at least halfway down. Make sure that the soil is firm above, in order to hold the canes in place. You might also want to support your growing canes with trellises so that it will not grow unruly. Prune the branches, and remove the ones that are stagnant. These branches will not produce fruits, and will only use the plant’s energy for nothing.
If this is your first time to grow raspberries, it might be better to go with the purple or black ones. They are easier to grow. The red ones are more challenging to grow.
The nice thing about raspberries is that you can use them in a lot of ways. You can eat them raw, make shakes or juices out of them, or even make sauces that are delicious on top of cakes, ice cream and more! Raspberries can also be canned if you want to preserve it and give it as gifts this coming holiday season.
image courtesy of Ole Husby/flickr
How to Grow Pumpkins
The nice thing about growing pumpkins is that you can use almost every part of it. The flesh of the pumpkin can make mouth-watering soups for the cold weather, and the seeds can make healthy snacks, when you roast them. Growing pumpkins is actually ideal for people who are just starting to learn how to grow a vegetable garden. This is because growing them is very easy and fun. They also grow in most regions in the country, and their seeds are also inexpensive. You can even use the seeds from a pumpkin that you have bought from the grocery.
Here are a few simple steps for growing pumpkins in your own backyard:
Planning Your Planting
Pumpkins do not grow healthy during the cold weather, so this is the best time for you to start planting your seeds. Spring is actually a good time for you to plant your pumpkin seeds so that you will have a good harvest just in time for the Halloween carvings.
Preparing Your Soil
Since pumpkin plant crawl and they grow in vines, you have to make sure that there is an ample space in your garden for you to plant pumpkins. 20 to 30 yards of open space is good enough for one pumpkin patch. Make sure that this area also has enough sunlight during the day, because pumpkins love the warm temperature. You should also make sure that the soil is well draining. Ideally, pumpkins grow better when your soil is clay based.
Seeds
There are different types of pumpkins that you can plant at home. If you intend to use the pumpkins for the Halloween carving, then you might want to get seeds of larger pumpkins so that you can make nice decorative jack-o-lanterns for the holiday.
Planting
Your pumpkin seeds should be planted at least 2 inch deep in the soil. You should also make sure to give space in between seeds, so that their roots under the soil will have an ample space to grow. After planting the seeds, cover the soil with compost to give your soil enough nutrients, to ensure healthy and abundant pumpkins during the harvest.
Nurturing & Nourishing
Make sure that you water your pumpkins are watered regularly to keep the ground moist. Try to avoid the pumpkin leaves when watering, because the moist can often attract fungus, which can hurt your plant. This being said, it is best to water pumpkins early in the morning, so that it will have enough time during the day to dry out. Remember, fungus love moist and dark places. So fungus are likely to attack during the night time.
Harvest Time
It is easy to tell when the pumpkins are ready for harvesting. If you see them in full size already, and that they have turned into orange already, then this is already a clear sign that your pumpkins are ready for picking and carving to make nice jack-o-lanterns.
image courtesy of ginnerobot/flickr
How to Grow Potatoes in a Container
Potatoes are one of the most commonly purchased crops in the market today. Many of us use potatoes at least 3 times a week, making delicious hash browns for breakfast, mashed potatoes for lunch and dinner, and practically using them in so many ways in a lot of the dishes we know.
Potatoes grow in a wide variety of sizes. Larger varieties obviously require more space for them to grow into the right size. But
If you want to know how to grow potatoes in a container, follow the steps below and achieve great results on your harvest.
Step 1: Fingerling Potatoes
Since you have limited space, the best variety of potato that will best grow in a container is the fingerling variety. This type of potato does not normally grow more than 3 inches. Use seed potatoes that are small. If they are 3 inches or sometimes bigger, you might want to cut them into two to three pieces.
Step 2: Produce Sprouts
Get your seed potatoes and arrange them in a tray. Spray water to moisten them, and place them under the sun. Soon, they will produce sprouts. Once they do, get them, because at this point, they are now ready for planting.
Step 3: Prepare The Container
Make sure that your container has holes. This will allow excess water to drain. You do not want water to sit in your container, as this will rot your potatoes for sure. Once you already have the holes, place a wire mesh inside the container, then pour in your potting soil. The wire mesh will prevent the soil from spilling, which can happen, when you start watering the potatoes.
Step 4: Planting The Sprouts
Once your container is ready, place your potato sprouts inside, and plant them at least 2 inches deep. If you are planting your potatoes in a big container, you have to make sure that they are at least 4 inches away from the sides of your container, and that they are also 6 inches apart from each other. That way, they will be able to have enough room to grow for its roots. You should also place 2 inches of oil on top. Mixing compost and manure will enrich the soil too. Actually, you have to add soil (2 inches) every time your potato plant grows 6 inch taller. That being said, you will have to make sure that your container is deep enough to accommodate the additional soil that you have to place, as your potato grows.
Step 5: Harvest Time
When your potatoes grow flowers, this is already a good sign that they have fully matured already. Ideally, you need at least 2 months from the time you have planted the sprouts in order for you to do your harvest.
This is how to grow potatoes in a container that turn out wonderfully.
image courtesy of Hair Squared/flickr
Add the Right Nutrients to Your Garden
Go by what your soil test says. Only add the nutrients it specifies. More in not always better when it comes to plant nutrients. Just because some fertilizer states great results doesn't mean you need it. Too much of any one nutrient can product bad results, making your plants diseased or worse.
Buy only the nutrients your soil test specifies you need, and save the rest of your money for more plants.
Buy only the nutrients your soil test specifies you need, and save the rest of your money for more plants.
How to Grow Peas
Some people think that peas only grow in areas where there is cold weather. Actually, this is not true! Peas can grow anywhere; as long as you follow the steps that we have for you below, you will be able to enjoy fresh, crisp, and plump peas all throughout the year.
Peas are great for almost any type of meal for the day. It can be a nice side dish for breakfast, garnishing for a delicious lunch
If you want to know how to grow peas no matter where you live in the country, go ahead and follow the steps I have for you below, in order for you to achieve successful harvest.
Choose Your Planting Spot
Peas love the sun, so you have to make sure to choose for a spot where there is always sunlight. If you have an area facing the south, that would be the best spot to grow your peas.
Your soil should also be a bit acidic. Make sure to test your soil, and make sure that the PH level is at least 6 or 6.8. You can have your soil tested, and add nutrients into it in order to achieve the right PH.
Peas also love moist soil. So you have to make sure that the soil is well draining. Peas that are overly watered will die, so do not overdo your watering. You can also add compost to your soil, as your peas will love well cultivated soil. Do not add nitrogen anymore as peas will have enough nitrogen from the air.
Choose The Type Of Peas
Once your soil is prepared, you can now plant your peas. Peas come in different types, and choose the one that will serve the purpose after harvest.
When planting your peas, make sure to plant them one inch deep. If you are planting multiple seeds, make sure that they are at least 4 inches apart. That way, they will have more room to grow under the soil.
Guide Your Peas When Growing
Remember that peas grow in vines. So you have to install trellises around each plant, and you have to guide them during their first sprouting. Once they are long enough, your peas will know where to cling already.
Nurturing Your Peas
Water your peas every week with at least ½ inch of water. Nothing more than that. If you water your peas too much, there is a great chance for it to die.
Remove weeds growing around your peas, so that all of the nutrients of the soil will only be concentrated on your peas.
Harvest Time
Continue nurturing your peas until they have already developed flowers. Once you see flowers, you can already start counting the days for your first harvest. Normally, you only need at least 3 weeks for you to harvest peas from the time you have seen the first flower on your vine.
These are the different methods for growing great peas.
image courtesy of eraphernalia vintage/flickr
How to Grow Peanuts
Peanuts are one of the easiest things to grow in the garden. You can use peanuts in so many ways; steam them, roast them, sun dry them, or even cook delicious meals with them. You can even make your own peanut spreads if you want. Since peanuts have so many uses, many homeowners are fond of growing them in their own lawns.
If you are planning to grow peanuts as well, here are the things that you have to remember:
Get Your Peanuts
It is actually easy to grow peanuts because all it takes is a bag of fresh and raw peanuts that you can easily buy from the grocery store. If you are really that meticulous and you want to make sure that your peanuts were not treated with any kind of chemically formulated pesticides, you can always go to your trusted local farmer’s market.
Preparing The Soil
Make sure that your soil is made of sandy oil. It should also be well draining. You must have at least 7 inches of soil to make sure that your peanuts will have a lot of room under the ground to grow its roots. Plant the peanuts one by one, making sure that there is an ample space in between them, so they can grow freely.
You can also add mulch if you want. You can also mix your sandy oil soil with compost or manure in order to add nourishment to your peanut plant.
By the way, when planting peanuts, you have to plant whole kernels. If they split, they will not be able to grow and produce sprouts. Water your peanuts once. Wait for it until the first sprout shows on top of the soil. This should happen in just a week’s time.
Nurturing Your Peanuts
As a rule of thumb, always remove weeds from the ground. This is because you want to remove anything that can share the soil’s nutrition. Watering regularly is also needed, but make sure that you do not overdo it, otherwise, they will die. You should also make sure that your peanuts will have enough sunshine but not to the extent of letting them sit under the sun for too long, because overexposure under the sun can damage your peanut plants.
Harvesting Peanuts
Harvesting peanuts can happen after 130 days. After 130 days, you can already expect peanuts to be fully matured. You can slowly pull them off the ground, and let them dry. Make sure that you store your peanuts in a clean and dry place to preserve its freshness. If you are worried about their shelf life, you can always roast them and store them in an air tight container that can be perfect for weeks of healthy snacks, or you can also turn them into peanut spreads that is perfect for gift giving this coming holidays.
These are the different steps that you have to do, if you want to grow healthy and bountiful peanuts that will give you a bountiful harvest.
image courtesy of tamburix
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