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How To Grow a Home Vegetable Green Garden
When it comes to gardening, there are some additional benefits to just having your own fruits and vegetables. Not only can you be a "green" thumb, but you can be a contributor to the "green" living...
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How To Grow a Home Vegetable Green Garden
Grow A Home Vegetable Garden: Hybrid vs. Non-Hybrid Seeds, Which?
Springtime is in the air and it is time to start turning thoughts to the great outdoors and gardening. Growing a home garden is both rewarding and satisfying.
And, with the economy in such sorry shape, growing your own food is now becoming an economic necessity! According to a recent AP article by Gillian Flaccus entitled, Dollars From Dirt: Economy Spurs Home Gardening Boom, "The National Gardening Association estimates that a well maintained garden yields a $500 dollar average return per year. A study by Burpee Seed claims that $50 dollars spent on gardening supplies can multiply into $1,250 worth of produce annually."
It is now not a matter of whether to grow your own vegetables, but what is the best choice in seeds with which to grow your garden. Should you use hybrid or non-hybrid seeds?
First, we need to have a basic working definition for hybrid and non-hybrid seeds, and second, we need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using either seed for growing.
Hybrid seeds are a result of special "breeding" techniques.
In other words, these seeds have been deliberately crossed with 2 different parent varieties. The advantages of using hybrid seeds, even though they generally cost more than non-hybrid seeds, is that the resulting plant and fruit is often stronger and more resistant to disease. The fruit of the plant tends to be more uniform in shape, ripen at the same time, has better keeping qualities, and sometimes can be harvested early.
The disadvantages of using hybrid seeds is that you can not save the seed from that plant for your next years garden. The seeds are totally worthless for replanting. This results in the gardener having to purchase new seeds each year.
This is the main reason companies like Monsanto want heirloom/organic type farming done away with. These companies want you to rely on them for your food and seeds! If you don't believe this, there is legislation going on right now trying to regulate organic farming, etc. I invite you to visit the links below where I have posted the aforementioned bill!
Non-hybrid seeds, also known as heirloom seeds, are seeds that will produce plants which are true to the parent plants since there has not been any blending of genes. These seeds can be saved from year to year. The advantage of this is self-explanatory. You can rely on yourself to have garden seeds from year to year. You do not have to run to the store each year to replenish your garden seed supply.
Heirloom seeds have their own built-in hardiness, since after years of being used, particularly in a certain location, they have developed a resistance to local diseases and insects. In addition, the seeds have adapted to the local climate and soil.
In my garden, I use both non-hybrid and hybrid seeds. I have been working very hard the last couple of years to use only non-hybrid seeds, and I love the results. I have learned to save my own seeds and will be sharing techniques in future articles.
By the way, I will also say that if you do buy hybrid seeds, if you take good care of your extra seeds by storing them in a cool, dark place, these seeds can be used for a couple of years past the expiration date. The trouble is, once you are out of these seeds, you are out, whereas, with a non-hybrid plant you can crack open a fruit at the end of the season, save your seed, and you are good to go for the next gardening year!
Regardless of what you do, I would urge each and every one of you to have your own vegetable garden...starting this year! It's a lot of work, but you will enjoy fresh tasting vegetables, lower your grocery bill, and eliminate the worry of who and where your produce was grown! Happy Spring!
Improve Your Vegetable Garden! Green Living Tricks to Enhance Your Green Thumb Success
When it comes to gardening, there are some additional benefits to just having your own fruits and vegetables. Not only can you be a "green" thumb, but you can be a contributor to the "green" living movement by recycling common household "garbage" items into useful, and helpful, garden utensils.
Take the common soup can. By removing the top AND bottom lids, this cylinder becomes a useful starting pot. Removing the top and bottom lids will help aid in the removal of your plant start with greater ease. Now, don't throw away those lids! The lids can be placed at the base of light loving plants, such as tomatoes!
The lids will reflect sunlight, thus providing extra light. In addition, the reflected light has been shown to repel plant eating insects and aphids. To deter birds from your fruits trees, punch holes in the lids and hang them from tree branches. Apparently the reflected light and movement scares these rascals away.
Another "green" idea for recycled starting pots are used, washed, individual jello or pudding containers! They are just the perfect size to start individual plants! It is also wise and frugal to wash and reuse any and all previously purchased vegetable or plant containers. It is important to wash the containers out, and even use a mild bleach solution, to kill any bacteria or pest that may have hitched a ride with the previous "owner".
Styrofoam or plastic trays from pre-packaged meats make excellent holders for peat pots or pellets. They are also practical holders for your individual plant starts and help prevent water from getting on your window sill or potting bench. Pre-packaged dinners, such as lasagna, come in perfect containers in which you can convert to a medium for starting various herbs or vegetables.
One gallon plastic milk jugs have a variety of uses. The milk jug can be either used as an individual miniature green house, or, by just using the top 2/3rds of the jug, you can make your own "hot" caps for tomatoes or peppers. I have also used the extra plastic to make plant markers. With a "sharpie" and a plastic marker, I have a winning combination...all water resistant so I don't forget what I planted and where!
Popsicle sticks are another excellent choice for garden stakes or plant markers. I even keep the plant markers from the previous garden season. I just simply reuse them if it is the same type of plant or I turn the marker over and write on the back the new vegetable I am growing!
Instead of going to the land fill, raked leaves, lawn clippings, spoiled hay, etc., can and should be used for mulching around individual plants and on garden pathways.
Please see my article, "Have The Most Successful and Productive Backyard Garden Ever! Plant These Mulching Tips", for a much more detailed description of the benefits and advantages of mulching.
As you can see, there are many practical, useful, and helpful applications that can be employed in your backyard garden from "recycled" items. By employing these "green" tips in your garden, you will not only improve the environment, but you will greatly enhance your "green" thumb
Lisa Carr is a "homestead mom" whose interests and expertise include: living off the grid, growing and preserving food, animal husbandry, etc. For more timely and helpful tips in these and other areas, especially those addressed in this article, go to http://survivalcentral.blogspot.com/ or http://emergencyfoodpreservation.blogspot.com/
See more at A CULINARY MYSTERY TOUR - A Literary Chef - http://www.brianalanburhoe.com
Bon Appetit!
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