The first insects to arrive are what I believe to be springtails. They show up when there are wet conditions, and a watered garden is just perfect to entice them. From what I understand, typically they go for decomposing plant matter, but if fresh is available, they will partake of it, too. They are extremely numerous – probably in the tens of thousands. The ones that are invading my garden are a grayish color, ranging in size from the tip of a pin to the head of a pin, have six legs (I think), antennae, and jump when in danger. I see them swarmed around my little seedlings and all over the soil and I hope that they aren’t too voracious. I still have not had any confirmation on what beneficial bug will be best to combat them, although I am thinking since they stick close to the ground for the most part, with some climbing on the plants, that perhaps a combination of beneficial nematodes and lacewings may do the trick in my natural garden pest control endeavors with these critters.

The next insect to appear and which is causing quite a bit of damage to my poor radish seedlings, are the potato flea beetle. So far there aren’t very many of these, probably less than twenty, but the damage caused by these guys is very obvious – very tiny holes just smaller than the largest springtails on the leaves of the radishes, and so far they have managed to completely devour at least one seedling. From what I have read about these insects, while they will also eat the leaves of tomatoes, potatoes, and other related plants, if radish is nearby, they will flock to it instead. In fact that is one recommended method in combating this pest – plant a tastier crop away from the usual victims to lure them away. Then, one of the recommended natural garden pest control methods to get rid of the flea beetle is to use diatomateous earth. You can get a 4 lb. bag of Diatomaceous Earth here. I am currently waiting for an order of DE so that I can sprinkle it on the radish leaves. I also plan on using it around the outside of the raised garden beds so that I can get rid of the ants that are showing up.

So far those are the only two insects that I have seen in any great numbers to be alarmed about. I have seen other insects but usually they are lone and I do not believe them to be a threat at this time. And of course, bees have been visiting as well, but those guys are welcome in my garden.

Other natural garden pest control options are using other live insects, such as lady beetles, praying mantis, lacewings and nematodes. Most or all of these helpful natural garden pest control methods can be found at the following places: Arbico Organics, and Gardens Alive! ]]> http://www.howtogrowagarden.net/natural-garden-pest-control/feed 4 http://www.howtogrowagarden.net/starting-seed-indoors http://www.howtogrowagarden.net/starting-seed-indoors#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:37:32 +0000 Natalie http://www.howtogrowagarden.net/?p=184 Regardless of what method of gardening you are using, there are some plants that need a little extra help in getting going.  Not because they aren’t capable of growing on their own sown straight into the ground, but what if your growing season is extremely short?  It’s best to give some plants a head start by starting seed indoors, usually around six weeks before your area’s last frost for the winter.

Starting seed indoors can be done a number of ways; you can take a deep dish of some type, lay some wet paper towels in the bottom, sprinkle seeds about, and then cover with plastic wrap and set in a sunny and warm place. Or, you can buy compressed soil pellets.  These are little discs of dry soil that are compressed inside a mesh that will hold the soil together after it expands when wetted.  Usually these come with plastic trays with a clear lid that become a miniature greenhouse.  You just tear a little bit of the mesh at the top so the soil at the surface is not covered, plant two or three seeds in the soil, place them in the trays, water, and place them in a sunny area. There are also peat pots, and even re-usable plastic six packs where you can put potting soil in and plant a few seeds, again placing in a warm and sunny spot.

More advanced gardeners may even have an elaborate system set up in a spare room or basement, or garage, with an entire shelf or counter top with trays of seed starting pots, and a grow light overhead, and possibly a heating mat made especially for seed starting, underneath the pots to warm them from the bottom up.

Another way that was introduced to me by my daughter’s preschool, is to take a few seeds and some wet cotton balls, put them together inside a plastic ziploc baggie, and tape them to a window, southern or western facing for the most light.  Having tried this method, as well as the peat pots and soil discs, I have had the most success with the peat pots and the ziploc baggies.  In my little mini-greenhouse with the discs, at least four of the little discs that I had sown some seeds into have produced nothing, and I placed about three seeds in each one.  But, that is still about 66% success, so it’s better than nothing.  In the peat pots, 95% of the seeds I planted, grew, and in the baggies, about 90% of the seeds sprouted, which I then transplanted to peat pots to continue growing in soil.  One thing I would suggest if you want to try out the ziploc bag method however, is to use large seeds, such as beans or peas.  Those are much easier to transplant out of the bag and into pots than the smaller seeds such as tomato or daisies.

If you’re looking for sources of peat pellets (the soil discs) with the mini-greenhouses, peat pots and even seeds, you can visit Burgess Seed & Plant Co.  Also, you can get $20 FREE off your first order at Gardens Alive!, they carry a number of organic vegetable seeds and supplies.

Some of the plants that may need to be started indoors and transplanted after the last frost are tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and beans. Don’t forget that if you start seeds indoors, you will have to harden them off before they can be permanently moved out into your outdoor garden. This entails setting them outdoors, starting in full shade, for a few hours a day, and bringing them back indoors. Each day introduce them to full sun for a short period of time (like an hour or two), and gradually give them more full sun each day thereafter until they appear to handle full sun without issue. Keep in mind if you have them in very small peat pots, they WILL dry out very quickly, so keep an eye on the soil moisture. If they are wilted, bring them indoors and water the soil, by morning they should perk up again. Once they’re transplanted into the ground outdoors, they should be fine with your usual watering schedule.

So a fast way to start a garden, is with a Square Foot Garden.  Once you track down all of the supplies, it should take approximately one or two weekends to build and fill the boxes (depending on how many you plan on making), and then you can start planting – as long as the climate in your area permits.  For my Square Foot Garden, it took me two afternoons on a weekend to build two boxes – mainly because I did not have a drill bit for the first box, and about two or three evenings to mix the “Mel’s Mix” ingredients and fill the boxes, working about an hour and a half each evening.

Before I go any further, I’d first like to mention that, while you can get a lot of information for free on the internet, sometimes it just doesn’t compare to having a good old hard copy of a book in hand for information.  If you’re seriously interested in building and using a Square Foot Garden, I highly recommend purchasing the book – I did!

So anyway, you may be wondering what items you should be looking into buying in order to build a Square Foot Garden. Well, the list is pretty simple and short:

• Lumber, cut to your desired lengths.   You can use 1″ thick wood, but 2″ will last longer.  As for the height of the box, the recommended is six inches*, although you can use 8-12″ high if you wish.  I chose eight inches of height for my boxes.
• Deck screws (specially made to withstand outdoor conditions), twice as long as the wood is thick.  So, if you chose 1″ thick wood, you would want 2″ deck screws, and 4″ deck screws if you chose 2″ thick wood.  You need about three per corner, but they come in boxes, so buy the smallest one you will need for your project, allowing for those you may accidentally strip.
• Weed blocker or landscape cloth, or newspapers and cardboard if you’re on a strict budget, to place beneath the soil in the box to keep weeds from sprouting up through your Mel’s Mix.
• 4 cu. foot of vermiculite, coarse recommended, medium is okay.
• 2.2 cu foot peat moss (compact bale).  It will expand to about 4 cu. foot
• 4 cu foot compost.  This cannot be all the same source or type, i.e. not all the same from steer manure, mushrooms, chicken manure, etc.  It needs to be a good combination of several for best results.
• Something to create the grids with.  This can be twine (but that does not last very long), lattice wood, or old venetian blinds.

As I mentioned previously, about the most difficult items to locate may be the vermiculite and peat moss, although some people may have trouble finding different types of compost as well.  Price will vary extremely for these items.  Some gardeners have reported locating 4 cu. foot bags of vermiculite for as little as $12 a bag; on the other hand, I paid about $25 for a 3.5 cu. foot bag of it.  The compost was the cheapest of these ingredients, at least for me – one bag was around $10, and the second was around $6, although I ended up buying a second bag of the $6 compost.  I would recommend making use of the internet and the phone book and call ahead to make sure the store you’re looking into actually has the item in stock, and what sizes they carry.  Big box garden centers, plant & tree nurseries, and even feed & tack stores/co-ops (mostly for vermiculite) are places to find the “Mel’s Mix” ingredients for your Square Foot Garden.

* Keep in mind that lumber shrinks as it dries after it’s cut at a mill, so while it may say 2″x6″x4′, the only true measurement there is most likely the four feet; the 2″ and 6″ will be slightly less than those numbers, probably more like 1.5″-1.75″ and 5.5″-5.75″ instead. So if you want a full six inches of “Mel’s Mix” in your garden, you should buy 2″x8″ instead.

1. If you own a power drill, great. If you don’t and cannot afford to buy one, borrow one.  You’ll thank me later.
2. Wood is usually cheaper in longer lengths, for instance, 16 feet.  I was able to get 16′ of pine for less than $10 before tax, and the home improvement store I bought it at, cut it for me for free.
3. Finding some of the supplies can be tricky, particularly the peat moss and vermiculite. Look for vermiculite at feed & tack stores if you can’t find it at your local garden center.
4. It is hard work putting the boxes together, and filling them.  My back did not like me much after that.
5. Mixing the “Mel’s Mix” ingredients by hand is fun.  Seriously.
6. You may be excited about trying this method and want to build as many boxes as you can possibly fit in your yard… I would recommend starting small.  See number 4.
7. Chose vegetables you will actually eat for your square foot garden; no sense in wasting a square on something that will not be consumed by anyone in your household.  How about some various lettuces, carrots, or cherry tomatoes?
8. The bees will come to your garden very soon, but this is a plus.  As long as you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
9. Lots of other bugs will show up, too.  This may or may not be a plus.  I’m thinking I’ll be buying some live Sta-Home™ Lady Beetles soon to help combat the other pests.  Or at the very least, buy some Plant Guardian™ Houseplant Insecticidal Soap.

That’s all the tips I have for now.  Next I’ll tell you about which vegetables I chose, and where I planted them in my Square Foot Garden.

1. Container Gardening.  If you are having problems when it comes to maximizing the space of your garden, container gardening allows you to make the most out of your area. With containers of various colors, sizes and shapes, you will not only cut down on your expenses of decorating your garden, you will also be able to make your gardening work easier to manage. Not to mention the fact that a medium to large sized pot is portable, so you can arrange your plants to your heart’s content, whereas your raised bed or in-ground garden is destined to stay where its built or dug.

2. Topiary.  Sculpting vines and trees allows you to recreate a vintage look on your garden. Topiary is mostly done in wide-spaced gardens but can also be applied to plants inside your house. If you have the right concoction of creativity and imagination, you can turn your garden into a botanical sanctuary.

3. Water Gardening. Many beautiful gardens have small ponds and mini waterfalls to fill the background view. Others would go as far as creating a makeshift brook streaming across the garden. Water adds a sense of tranquility and harmony into the ambiance. For a grander effect, you can hire a garden constructor to do the works. Alternately, many garden supply stores carry the supplies necessary to create a peaceful pond in your yard which would look stunning surrounded by flowers and stacked rocks.  You could even try your hand at keeping fish such as large goldfish or koi to add to your backyard sanctuary.

4. Birds and Butterflies. Does your garden seem to be missing something?  How about this gardening idea:  try designing your garden to attract butterflies and birds.  You will need to provide three things to attract birds:  food, water, and cover/shelter.  A lovely sculpted birdbath placed amidst scores of wildflowers or perennials, would provide the drinking and bathing water for your feathered friends.  Food can easily be provided in feeders, seed purchased from home and garden centers, or even a pet food supply store that sells wild bird foods.  And because birds also eat insects, your flowers and flowering plants will do the job of attracting insects which in turn will attract birds.  Shelter for birds, while one can use a store-bought bird house, will be more attractive if it is natural – shrubs, trees, both big and small, and ground-covering plants such as tall decorative grasses for birds who chose to stay close to the ground.

5. Decorative Structures. Another gardening idea is to add decorative structures to your landscaping.  Trellises and arbors are just a couple of items you can add to your garden, to add height to the landscape and a place for climbing plants to make their home.   A flat and level garden, while still pretty, is not as visually appealing as one that rises and falls as one looks about the landscape.  An arbor is an archway made of lightweight wood or metal, usually placed over a walkway.  Arbors are also commonly seen in backyard weddings as they are the perfect backdrop to the ceremony, as they can be artfully decorated with flowers and vines.  Trellises are ladder-like, also made of wood or metal, and are usually placed against a wall where one wants to see a climbing plant grow; trellises are also used to support such top-heavy vegetable plants like tomatoes, and climbing vegetables such as string beans and peas, although trellises for the latter vegetables can also be made of netting.

We hope that these few gardening ideas help you discover that “something” that you perhaps felt was lacking in your quest for the perfect garden.

1. All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
   

   This book explains how to set up gardens in a simple, efficient and easy manner.  No digging or pH testing of the soil is required as you will set up your garden in 4 ft x 4 ft boxes above the ground (a’la raised bed gardening) and preparing a mix of soil recommended by the author.  These gardens are small enough to not become overwhelming but still can produce a good sized harvest.

2. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible: Discover Ed’s High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions by Edward C. Smith
   

   W-O-R-D stands for: Wide rows, Organic methods, Raised beds, Deep soil, which is the author’s system for a highly successful garden. This book will describe how to set up and maintain his proven system of gardening. The book has an informative section regarding garden pests and organic ways to deal with them. This book received very high ratings from consumers reviewing it at Amazon.

3. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals by Barbara W. Ellis
   

   Having trouble getting rid of those garden pests or diseases? Tired of watching as your plants are quickly consumed by hungry insects, but you don’t want to use harsh chemicals to rid your garden of them? This book has advice on how to achieve pest control by organic methods. It contains a helpful section with photographs of insects and plant disease to help you identify your nemesis.

4. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzanne Ashworth
   

   This book will take you through the steps on the methods to save and store 160 different vegetable seeds. It also provides advice from expert gardeners in seven regions of the U.S. on seed starting techniques.

5. Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal
   

   If you have extremely limited space in your home or live in an apartment and would still like to try growing foods indoors or on a balcony, this book is for you. The author explains how to maximize a small amount of space for growing food, describes what plants grow best with limited lighting, and even shares how to keep a few chickens or honey bees in your yard.

There a good number of notable garden centers in the market today. A good way to find one is to ask around your area. A directory would be most useful when searching for the right office near your town. More often than not, some agents in garden centers also offer home service for them to physically assist you in your gardening problems. Online, there are also active cyber offices that offer free or paid services for gardening tips and advice. You may chat with an agent or call a toll-free number to get to a specialist. Local centers are mainly retail firms that also vend products, seeds and plants needed for your garden. Others even sell outdoor furniture for the gardens including landscape designs, barbecue grills and pet materials.

Gardencenter.com is a good tool to aid in the search of both local and online garden centers and other resources.  When you visit and click on “garden centers”, it will take you to a page that may list a few garden centers or nurseries in your area, and if there are none nearby then it will list a handful of online sites you can visit to search for your supplies and advice.

In addition to providing gardening tools and supplies, garden centers and nurseries also provide a wide array of other services.  Many of them provide soil testing where you can supply a sample of the soil from your yard and they will test it to see whether it is lacking any key nutrients for the specific plants you have in mind for your garden or landscape.  Some may offer planting services, where they deliver and plant your purchased trees or shrubs, or even sod for your lawn, at a fee.  And they may also provide free landscaping design should you really have no idea what plants would look good next to which trees, etc., etc.  And lastly, do you have a mystery shrub that was either already planted when you moved in, or suddenly appeared in your yard?  A nursery may have personnel on hand who can help you identify that mysterious plant.

Probably the best benefit of utilizing your local garden center or nursery is the experts working there will know what plants will be most suitable for the climate in which you live in.  If you live in a desert, those employed at your local garden center will advise which plants can tolerate the heat of the summer and which are better suited for the mild winters.  And if you reside where rain is in abundance most of the year, your local garden center professional can tell you without a doubt that the sun-loving tomato will not do well until the height of summer and that the growing season for these is quite short with the low number of sunny days in that region (compared to how many are rainy!).

Be sure to make use of your local garden center professional to guide you in your quest for the perfect garden!

Here are a few online garden centers you can visit for your gardening needs!

1. Soil Scoop, or Spade. Similar to a mini shovel, this handy tool can help dig into compacted soil. There are designs that come with serrated edges that allow you to cut thick roots and slice through sturdy clays.  These are also quite handy for moving potting soil from a bag to the plant pots.

2. Potting Bench. If you have an outside garden, a potting bench is definitely a must have accessory.  A potting bench provides a specialized space to prepare seeds for planting, seedlings for transplant, and the transfer of growing plants from small pots to larger planters.  It also can provide a space to store some of your smaller gardening tools.

3. Potting Tray. If you are not able to purchase a potting bench or do not have the space for one, then a potting tray is the next best thing.  When it comes to the process of preparing your seedlings or transferring plants from one pot to another, a potting tray makes cleaning up easier at the end of the day. You can use this tray to fill seed trays or mixing fertilizers with soil, and the soil will (hopefully) stay contained within the confines of the tray while you work.

4. Garden Gloves. Keep your hands from infection of any bacteria that hides within soils. Try getting gloves made out of nitrile, a synthetic latex which allows wearing to be lightweight and makes working more secure. These come in boxes in any number from 25-100 or more and can be used for other household chores about the house.  Alternately, for working with large garden tools such as shovels, hoes and tillers, a heavy duty glove made with cloth or leather or any combination thereof would offer better protection to your hands from the damaging friction of handling such tools.  Heavy duty gloves also offer protection from splinters from wooden handled tools, from cuts or scrapes from removing rocks from the soil, etc.  Be sure to protect your hands!  They are your most important tool.

5. Garden Knife. Garden knives are often made with stainless steel blade, allowing itself to effortlessly slice through soil or cut twigs and stems. It is often best to use garden knives when opening mulch bags.  Garden knives are also handy in the spot-removal of pesky weeds, especially those with deep roots.

6. Tool Belt. A tool belt helps you become more productive while nursing your garden. With all the supplies you need at your reach, you will be able to maintain your plants better.

7. Storage Bin or Shed.  A storage bin will protect all of your tools from the elements.  What good is it to spend money on shovels and the like only to leave them out in the rain, wind and relentless sun to become damaged?  Extend the lives of your tools by protecting them, either in a tall upright storage bin, a storage bench, or even a large storage shed.  If you have a grass lawn to care for, then a shed would house your lawn mower perfectly and will free up precious space in your garage!

8. Composting Bin. Composting bins are used to create your own nutritious fertilizer.  These are where you would dump your grass clippings, leaves and twigs from trees, and kitchen scraps, and over time nature will turn what would otherwise be considered “garbage” into your own homemade fertilizer for your garden.

There are a number of other gardening supplies that one requires to start and maintain a garden, but these are just a few to start with.  I will post about more gardening supplies you will or may need to obtain in order to provide the needed maintenance for your growing garden, at a later date.

1. What. It is only practical to know first what type of garden you’re planning to build. There is an array of garden types with assorted equipment and necessities available in the market. This plan will serve as your initial blueprint of what you plan to grow in your garden and will show an estimate of possible expenses that may come along the way. For homes, people often build flower gardens or one that houses vegetables and foliage. Bear in mind not to grow very fragile plants unless you are hosting an experiment.

2. Where. Before you start, it is best to decide the perfect spot to place your new garden. Naturally, you have to pick a sunny spot in your yard. Start by getting an area that is at least five by five feet. Bear in mind that the bigger the space is, the harder it will be to maintain. Moreover, remember that you are just starting, so don’t get ahead of yourself and let the space become bigger than your own wonders.

3. When.  There are plants that grow best in the cooler spring and fall temperatures, and those that thrive in the heat of summer.  Once you have decided what you are going to grow in your garden, you will need to determine when is the best time of year for your selected plants to receive optimum results.

4. Who. If you live alone, then the who is easy – it’s you!  But if you have a family, especially with children, it could be fun and educational to involve them in the gardening process.  Children often love playing out in the dirt anyway, so why not let them help you tend your garden along side you? Keep it fun and light to keep them interested, and make sure you let them participate in every step, or let them take a break if they would rather play with their toys instead one day.  For extra fun you could even set aside a small plot for them to choose the type of plant THEY want to grow and an area they can call their own.

5. How. Before you begin, it would be wise to research which gardening method you are going to implement to achieve the results you seek.  Will you set aside a large expanse of your back yard for a grandiose, in-ground garden?  Would you prefer to keep it small and simple and do one raised bed?  Or perhaps you do not have a large yard (or any yard at all!) and will need to try your hand at container gardening due to limited space?  What about indoor gardening?  You will need to assess your requirements and limitations, your budget and how much time and effort you are willing to provide to the tending of your wonderful garden.

Firstly, and probably most importantly, the climate where you live is critical and will determine whether certain vegetables will even grow beyond a meager seedling. Especially note which seasons are best for planting and growing particular vegetables in your region. What may work for starting a garden in Pittsburgh in April may be more suitable for starting a veggie garden in Phoenix in late February due to the different climates. So definitely keep this in mind when you plan your veggie garden.

No matter where you live, veggies are usually divided into two planting categories: warm season and cool season. Warm season veggies are those such as corn, tomato, beans, peppers, cucumber and other squash varieties, melons and sweet potatoes. Cool season veggies would be carrots, lettuce, onions and peas, radish and potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, beets and turnips.

Second in your planning consideration, should be how much garden you think you will be willing to care for. You may have grandiose ideas of feeding your family year round, but such a garden would need to be quite large and require quite a bit more work than a novice gardener may want to invest themselves into, caring for such a veggie garden. Therefore, if you are new to gardening, it would probably be better worth your time to start small with a few choice vegetables that you are certain your family will consume. If no one but you will touch Brussels sprouts, it would not be wise to invest ten square feet to the plant. So remember this when deciding which vegetables to plant in your veggie garden.

The third item to consider in your veggie garden planning, is where in your yard the garden will be set up. Veggies like and require sunlight, often lots of it, so it would not be a great idea to plant your veggie garden in the shade of a giant oak tree or a long hedge or tall fence. Make note of what parts of your yard are shaded and for how long during the day. This may take a day or two of tracking the sun, note where the sun is at 8am, noon and 3pm, and either sketch it on paper or mark the edges of the shaded areas on the ground with stones or twigs – at least until you can get it mapped on paper.

Another item to consider when determining where in your yard the veggie garden will make its home, is how much wind that area gets. You may find the spot has the perfect amount of daily sunlight, but is susceptible to constant wind. If this is the case, you will need to provide some sort of wind break to avoid drying out the soil or break your tall vegetables such as corn or large tomato plants. A precisely placed garden lattice, fence or hedge can provide the protection from the wind that your veggie garden will need.

Back on the topic of sunlight, you will need to be careful about the plant height in your veggie garden. You would not want to have planned so carefully to place your garden perfectly away from shade trees and fencing, only to have your tall sweet corn cast a shadow over your poor beans! So be sure to place all of the tall plants at the north side of your veggie garden, and your shortest plants at the south end. This way you can be sure that each and every vegetable gets an adequate amount of sunshine every day.

The right amount of water is important to your veggie garden’s health. You do not want to over-water, nor do you want to deprive the vegetables. Proper drainage is essential to avoiding root rot, and the best way to achieve this is with good soil mixture created with sandy loam. To help avoid over-watering, you may want to invest in some type of drip system. These can be purchased at any home improvement or garden center and should not be too difficult to set up, and is ideal for providing the water at the best place for the vegetable plants – at their roots.

And finally, one last key item to remember when you plan your garden year after year is to rotate where you plant each type of crop, so on your veggie garden map, be sure to note where you plant each veggie so you know where NOT to plant them in the following years. Plants absorb nutrients from the soil differently, which is why rotating where you plant them is important. Many of these nutrients can be replaced with fertilizer, compost and other treatments, but it is wise to help your veggie garden in this endeavor with changing things up.