Category — Fruit Container Gardening

Get started with strawberry growing

Get the right plants

Make sure you get good plants to begin with or they will always struggle. Don’t be tempted by the cut-price, brown looking specimens you often find in the garden section of DIY stores – go to a proper garden centre, or better still find your local nursery. They are generally cheaper anyway and will know their stuff so you can get handy tips from them (plus you’ll be helping support a local business).

Or grow your own

If you’re feeling brave, you can grow you own plants from runners – just find a friend or neighbour with some healthy looking plants and look for runners growing out of the side (they start off as a tendril or stalk which grows out from the base). When it gets to a certain length it will sprout a set of leaves and start to grow its own roots from the bottom. Carefully snip the runner away from the main plant, trim off the rest of the stalk and put it into a pot of compost, making sure that the ‘crown’ (the top of the brown bit the leaves sprout from) is just at the surface of the soil. Make sure it’s well watered and put it in a warm, frost free place – I leave them outside as I think it makes them hardier. Not all runners will take, so do more than you need, but I get a pretty good success rate and they are free after all!

Get the ground prepared (about a month before you start planting)

Be sure to dig the ground over properly and take out all the weeds as they will steal the goodness from your plants. Dig in some compost to add nutrients and organic matter and you’re ready to go.

When to plant

I normally plant in the spring but you can get away with planting as late as September.

How to plant

Lightly soak your plants to get them out of their pots without damaging them. When you plant them, make sure the ‘crown’ is just at the surface of the soil and don’t leave any roots exposed. You can adjust the spacing to fit the room you have, but a good guide is to keep them 40-50cm apart. Some people plant them through a layer of weed suppressing membrane which seems to work really well but I use purpose built strawberry planters to save space.

Caring for your plants

Make sure you water your plants well during spring and summer (especially if it’s hot) and keep them well weeded. They will benefit from being fed – a seaweed or other liquid fertilizer is fine but don’t feed them while they’re fruiting.

While they fruit, you need to keep the strawberries dry and off the ground to stop them rotting – you can use a handful of straw or a ‘strawberry mat’ for this. The birds will try to eat the strawberries before you can get to them so make sure you net them off and get something rigged up to scare them away (a plastic bottle on the end of a cane works quite well).

A plant will only last for around 3 or 4 years before the fruit becomes poor quality but you can always use the ‘grow your own’ approach (described above) to get replacements. Strawberries can suffer from replant disorder so if you’re planning to replant in the same spot, dig out the soil and replace it.

Fruit Cage

Fruit Cages

Garden Netting

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Growing Blueberry at Home

Blueberries have been in health news a lot lately. Packed with anti-oxidants and tasty as well, many gardeners are wondering about growing blueberry bushes in their own garden. Planting blueberry bushes in your garden is possible with a little preparation.

Tips for planting blueberry bushes
The most important thing to remember when growing blueberry plants is that they need a very low pH balance to grow well. Most home gardeners will need to prepare special high acid soil in order to provide the proper blueberry plant care.

The problem with this is that the acid in the soil can quickly leach away, leaving the blueberry bushes without enough and harming nearby plants with too much. For care of blueberry bushes, you may want to consider growing blueberry bushes in containers, or at the very least, in tubs buried in the ground. This will provide containment for the high acid soil the blueberry plants need.

Another factor to consider when planting blueberry bushes is the length of time it takes for them to grow to a fruiting age. How long does it take a blueberry to grow big enough to produce fruit? It can take 3 – 4 years before they will produce fruit.

Blueberries also produce better if they are cross pollinated. This means that growing blueberry bushes of different varieties will help with their production. Before growing blueberry plants, you need to choose a type of blueberry to grow. There are three basic varieties, northern highbush, rabbiteye, and southern highbush. Each are suited for different climates and you should research which is best for your climate. Once you know the type you can grow, there are dozens of varieties to choose from.

Many people also wonder when do you plant blueberry bushes. The right time for planting blueberry bushes is early to mid spring.

Some final notes on proper care of blueberry bushes. Remember that they need full sun to do well. They also need consistent watering to fruit well. For good blueberry plant care, you may also want to consider pruning your bushes as needed.

Growing blueberry plants in your garden can be rewarding. With a little tender, loving blueberry plant care, you can be serving your very own homegrown blueberries in no time.

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One of the most popular social areas of a home is the patio, but many find that they only use it during the warm months. For many people, they only get a few months a year to enjoy the warmth of the sun on their home patio. But you can actually enjoy your gathering and the company of your guests when you make use of the patio during the slightly colder months.

The first thing to cut out is the wind; while summer breezes can cut the humidity and mugginess, cold blows across the snow are anything but. What you can do to make your patio more weather tolerant is getting shades or blinds in place, or perhaps the better word for it is ‘wind blocks’. These can be made from natural materials, like wood or bamboo, or they can be made from fabric hung with tile mosaic so that they’ll block the wind and add a pleasant sound.

The next thing that you need to look at is the lighting you have for the area. You want to make sue that you have good lighting for setting the mood. You can also provide heat with the lighting as well, such as using high quality incandescent lights. It is possible to get a lot of warmth and light from portable heat lamps as well so that is something that you might want to take into consideration.

Naturally, the place where you sit also matters. Anyone who’s sat on a metal bench in the middle of winter knows how quickly they can suck the body heat out of you. You’ll want seats that are well padded, and covered with a waterproof cover, to keep yourself from getting too chilly. Standard ‘lounge furniture’ suitable for the summer won’t work out well for the fall or winter.

Of course, besides good seating and good conversation for your patio, you will want to make sure that there is plenty of good food as well. By creating an outdoor fireplace, you will be ale to ensure that you are staying warm and getting your food cooked all at the same time. Whether you want to go with the Asian Smokers or the braziers, it is important to make sure that you are producing enough heat for everything.

Not everyone is interested in grilling his or her food though. Even if you do not plan to grill your food on the patio during the winter, the fire pit is still a great way to add light and bring heat. As far as the style and build of the pit, there are many options out there for you. Just make sure that you are staying within your local ordnances and you will be fine.

If an outdoor fireplace is a bit past your budget, or your local home owner’s association doesn’t like the idea of smoke coming from a chimney, there are other options for outdoor patio heaters; these can range from stucco covered ‘floor heaters’ to decorative cases for indoor space heaters. Make sure your patio has enough electrical outlets to run them, though, and always watch for frayed cords.

Remember, the patio does not just have to be for the summer months. You can find many ways to enjoy home ownership all year round. You might even find that you add to the resale value of your property. So, give them a look and see what falls within your budget.

Toasty Joe enjoys the great outdoors just as you do and strives to offer only the best when it comes to outdoor fire pits. When you are in the market for a great deal on an outdoor fire pit check out the prices at toastyjoes.com

Start Growing Tomatoes Indoors For A Great Supply All Year Round!

Tomatoes are constantly employed in households for cooking, salad or sandwich garnish and many other reasons. Hence, growing tomatoes indoors changed into an enjoyable selection of spare time interest while attempting to relish its freshness direct from the garden.

You can laugh if this appears rare to you but if you research it it’s really the most common method of growing tomato seeds today. I am going to show exactly how it is easy for you to grow your best tomatoes inside. Let us begin with the preparing of a good compost soil mix. It must contain a mix of perlite, vermiculite and sphagnum peat with at least ten percent worm castings.

Adjust the Ph by adding one spoon of hydrated lime for each gallon of soil mix. You’ll then dust water nearly enough to moisten the soil. Now get a tray and fill it with your compost soil and initiate the process of growing tomato sprouts by placing 8 seeds in 0.5 in. Deep holes. Keep the soil wet, covering the tray aids in saving damp but permit air movement through the strategy.

ensure that your tomato sprouts indoor get sufficient moisture and light. Tomato plants love heat so growing indoor tomato seedlings must be exposed to at least 18 hours of ‘sunlight ‘ everyday. To make a contribution to that, when the plant starts to flower, pollinating it each day is 1 strategy of making certain healthy indoor growing tomato plants.

If you’re growing tomatoes in a greenhouse the perfect time for your pollination is between 11:30 to 12:00 12 p.m. Time. Pollinating it earlier or later on in the afternoon will end up in a bad fruit crop. However if you do it properly it’d mean more pollen and if you have adequate pollen it’d mean more seeds.

A tomato with more seeds produces fresh and savory fruit crops. Feed your plant with growing food or dung for the 1st fourteen days of this process.

Make efforts to water your plant daily, keeping the soil wet but avoid over doing it as this might harm your plant.

It’s also major that your indoor tomato plants should get satisfactory sunlight exposure. Revolve tomato pots to be certain that each side of the plant get light uniformly. If sunlight isn’t accessible then use fluorescent bulbs to provide heat. It is recommended to keep the bulb a distance of only inches away from the leaves.

Putting a little lime on the soil can help eliminate blossom end rot. Pruning can also exterminate suckers from destroying a delicious tomato fruit crops. It is vital to prune excess leaves and non-bearing fruit stems. Just simply have a great time in following these simple steps above of growing tomatoes indoors and in time you could be reaping juicy and delightful tomatoes only a step away from your kitchen door.

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Landscapers usually try to do their best to satisfy a customer while at the same time manipulating the landscape to enhance the home that he or she has to work with. They will try to the best of their ability but the materials they work with are important. Stamped concrete designs can aid the person doing the planning to make a space lovely and also to keep weed growth more under control in a garden.

When it comes to beautifying outdoor spaces decorating periodicals can open up a flow up ideas for an individual. Some people will like more garden and planting space for their yard. Some individuals will prefer more open areas for a swimming pool and a surrounding lounge area. Some people will not know exactly what they want, but magazines can help a person to find plans that can fit their likes and dislikes.

Not all yard areas will have plants and flowers being used for decorating. There are those that will instead have items like statues and other structures that give the area a museum look or style that some individuals do admire. There are also gardens may have a water fountain at their center and other fountains surrounding it for water displays.

Patio gardens are usually landscaped in some way with a mixture of flowers and grounds for walking. Patio gardens are likely to be people friendly for having parties and allowing room for guests to walk and mingle amongst each other. A garden that allows for a particular space for people to gather is sometimes an extension of the main house design.

Many people have found satisfaction with a type of artistry in their cement for their walkways. Patterns can be imprinted into cement to create ready-made designs or to make custom designs. To create patterns that are beautiful for many, many years there are dyes and fillers mixed into the cement mixture.

Patterned cement, or stamped concrete as it is commercially called, has many advantages and one of them is that it is usually all one layer with no spaces in between. Bricklaying will, of course, have spaces between each brick that have to be filled with something or closed by fitting the bricks tightly together. However, the small spaces between brick still allow weeds to creep through and grow.

Another benefit of a patterned cement style of yard is that it is much less likely to be affected by accumulations of rain and hose water. When the water seeps underneath it is not likely to cause bulges and uneven spaces. In fact, even the state-of-the-art sealant on the top of the surface is unlikely to fade for many years.

The cost of the patterned cement, or stamped concrete, which is its more widely used name, is significantly lower in cost than many other types of popular landscaping methods. It is easy to clean with clear water and a small amount of soap. Most people will probably find that the choice of concrete is a beautiful and beneficial alternative to select.

Elite Concrete offers stamped concrete services including stamped concrete patios, driveways and full landscaping designs. Find out why Elite Concrete is one of the top concrete contractors in Toronto and the GTA.

Can’t Lose Weight Without Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are among the healthiest of all foods, and the great variety of these foods at the local grocery store makes it easier than every to enjoy great meals and snacks anytime the mood strikes you.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:

1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)
2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)
½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
½ cup of 100% fruit juice
¼ cup of dried fruit
1 cup of green salad

Diets high in fruits and vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and even some kinds of cancer.  Diets high in fruits and vegetables are also important in maintaining a healthy weight. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables is a great way to  to lose weight and keep it off.

Since different varieties of fruits and vegetables contain different types and levels of nutrients, it is important to each a good variety of fruits and vegetables.  Eating a good combination of yellow, orange, red and green fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure adequate levels of nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables are also an important source of fiber.  One way to maximize the amount of fiber you get from fruits and vegetables is to eat the entire fruit and vegetable including the edible peel.  Eating fruits and vegetables whole, instead of simply drinking fruit juice, is the best way to enjoy the fiber these foods have to offer.  Orange juice may be very healthy, but it does not contain the same amount of fiber as a whole orange.

Getting sufficient fiber in the diet offers a great many health benefits, including aiding in digestion, lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, and reducing the chances of some forms of cancer.  In addition, fiber is though to play an important role in controlling levels of blood sugar in diabetics.  Fiber also helps dieters feel full while limiting the number of calories you consume.

Many people wonder if canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are as healthy and nutritious as the fresh varieties.  The simple answer to this question is yes.  Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as many vitamins and minerals as their fresh counterparts, so it is fine to replace fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties when fresh ones are not available.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often less expensive, however, especially when they are in season.  In addition, local farmers markets and produce stands are often great sources of the freshest, most delicious fruits and vegetables at some excellent prices.

How vegetables and fruits are prepared is just as important as how they are chosen.  It is important to rinse fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly under clean running water.  This step is important in order to remove any dirt, pesticide residue or bacterial contamination.  The outermost leaves of lettuce and cabbage should be removed, and the outside of root vegetables like carrots and potatoes should be removed, especially if you plan to consume the skins of those vegetables.  Vegetables and fruits should be washed right before they are used in order to keep them as fresh as possible.

The best ways to cook vegetables in order to maintain their freshness are to boil, microwave or steam the veggies until they are tender and crisp.  It is best to use as little water as possible when cooking vegetables.  That is because overcooking can destroy some of the valuable vitamins and minerals the vegetables contain.

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Selecting Fruits for Container Garden

The fruit plants used for container garden are mostly dwarf trained forms of apples, citrus fruit, nectarines, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, and plums. All these plants can be grown in pots and tubs whose diameter and depth should be round about 45-60 cm (18-24 inches). Soil based potting compost would be ideal along with proper drainage at the bottom of the container.

Fruits Container Gardens

Proper watering and feeding is necessary for all plants. Besides this, a proper sunlight and shelter will also be necessary for fruits. It is important to thin out the trees to remove the excess from the plant so that it will grow properly in the wooden tub. Remember, fruit trees require regular pruning depending on the fruit type and the circumstances in which it is grown.

Selecting Fruits

In the container garden the fruits grown are trained as dwarf pyramids or dwarf bush trees. As the space is limited these are procured on dwarfing rootstocks to keep their size small. For apples and pears, you need to grow varieties to make certain that cross pollination of the flowers takes place. Otherwise the fruit production would be the minimum. You can use ‘family’ apple or pear tree for extreme confined space.

Apples

Apples on dwarfing rootstock M9 or M27 should be grown as dwarf bush or dwarf pyramid trees. Make certain that the cross pollination take place. The best varieties you can grow together are ‘Egremont Russet’, ‘Discovery’, ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, ‘Ashmead’s Kernel’ and ‘Greensleeves’.

Pears

These are grown in a pretty much same manner as apples. Two varieties should be grown to ensure that they cross pollinate. The well known varieties are ‘Doyenne du Cornice’ with ‘Beurre Hardy’ and ‘Williams’ ‘Bon Chretien’ with ‘Conference’.

Cherries

Cherries don’t need to cross pollinate. Buy a self fertile variety like ‘Stella’ on the dwarfing rootstock ‘Colt’ and grow as dwarf bush or dwarf pyramid.

Plums

Buy a self fertile variety like ‘Victoria’ on dwarfing rootstock ‘Pixy’ grow as dwarf bush or dwarf pyramid.
Peaches and Nectarines

These are grown as dwarf bush trees and what you need to do is to pollinate the flowers by hand that appear early in the year. You need to dab the centre of each flower with a soft artist’s brush to transfer the pollens from one flower to another.

Citrus Fruits

Fruits like C. aurantium, the Seville orange, sweet orange and citrus sinensis should be grown as dwarf pyramid or dwarf bush tree. As these plants are tender plants, they need to be kept under a greenhouse to prevent frostbites.

Grape Vine

It is very open to training. The height of the grape vine would be about 1.8 m (6 inches) and it is grown as standard in container, i.e. a single permanent stem with new growth being produced at the top.

Strawberries

These are an attractive feature of any patio. The most modern patio usually have these grown in proprietary Tower Pots, whereas in strawberry barrels in cottage patio. The former is a tall cylinder with planting pockets on the sides, and the latter is an ordinary timber barrel with 5 cm (2 inches) diameters holes bored in the sides, 20 cm (8 inches) apart.

Garden With Planters and Window Boxes

Important elements for a project of type are containers and plants. You can use almost any container size, so it is big enough to hold the ball of the plant with room to grow. Do not try to cheat and grow your plants in a container that is only just big enough to hold, believe me, that’s not well in the long term.

Make sure there is at least one or two inches of space in which to place compost. The only thing you want to remember is that over the pot, the more often he will need to be watered. Be especially careful to keep an eye on small pots in sunny locations. You can be flexible with the type of container used as well.

It’s fun to find items to recycle that container plants. Decorated boxes of instant coffee, old pots or bowls, or even an old kitchen sink can become a home for plants. If you are looking for large pottery or terra cotta pots, glazed pots are best to maintain hydration. However, if you’re willing to water more often, clay pots are unglazed to look beautiful and inexpensive.

There are many plants that can adapt well to life in a container. Shrubs or dwarf fruit trees such as limes, blueberries and oranges, can do wonders in containers with due attention and care. Strawberries can do well too! Bamboos and grasses are hardy, easy maintenance, and they look great in a large pot. You can also cultivate and train vines up a trellis boy! You imagination is the limit of what you can do with a container garden.

However, do ask your nursery for advice on species and varieties are best for containers. Even if a dwarf orange tree will do well in a pot, a full sized one will not. The type of soil you use in your container is very important. Do not use the dirt you dig up your garden, it will just dry up and compact when used as compost. I found the commercial compost works well, but most people recommend using only real ground.

Either can be found at the nursery or at most hardware stores. Potting Soil is specially formulated to retain moisture and keep its structure in a confined space. This is very important for the health of your plant. While container gardening is relatively easy, they have some special needs.

You’ll need to water your plants with more often than if they were planted in soil. A pot, however great it is, it has much less water holding capacity of soil in the ground there is simply less space. Be especially careful to check your containers frequently during the hot containers, especially small ones, can dry out quickly in the heat.

If your pots have good drainage (mostly ceramic or terra cotta, have a hole in the bottom), it is difficult to overwater. However, a good rule of thumb is to only water when soil is dry, more than an inch deep. It is easy enough to check this with your finger.

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The 12 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Home Gardens or Containers for First Time Gardeners

A lot of people, myself included, are growing our own vegetables to beat the credit crunch. And why not? Planting a few seeds in containers on your patio or in your backyard yields delicious, organic results – and money savings, too! Growing organic vegetables is easier than you think. Here are the 12 vegetables you will have no problem planting, tending for and harvesting in your own garden, even if you are a first-time gardener!

#1 Radish

Radishes are particularly easy to grow and can be intercropped with rows of lettuce to take up a minimum amount of space! Great thing about radishes is that very few pests bother them. Choose a sunny, sheltered position in soil, well fed with organic matter. Sow the seed thinly, evenly at ½ inch below the soil’s surface with one inch of space between each. Water the soil thoroughly before sowing and after the seeds emerge water them lightly every couple days. Radishes are a great source of potassium, folic acid, magnesium and calcium, and are perfect in salad dressings or as a garnish for salads. Radishes are fast growers and should be ready to pull in several weeks.

#2  Zucchini/ Squash

Zucchini and squash do well in most climates and they need very little special attention. If you plant zucchini you’ll probably end up with way more than they can even eat!

Zucchini and squash are very low in calories but full of potassium, manganese and folate. Sow several zucchini seeds in a heap pile of composted soil a foot high and a couple feet wide. Space each heap pile approximately 3 feet apart, water them heavily every other day and wait for them to sprout in a couple weeks. They should be ready to harvest about a month later. For any early start sow the seeds singly about ½in (1.25cm) deep, in small pots and place in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C). After germination of seeds, grow on in a well lit spot, harden off and plant out after the last spring frost when the weather is warm.

#3 Carrots

Carrots tend to be pest free and need little attention. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, carotene and dietary. Dig a hole less than an inch deep and plant a couple of seeds in each, and leave several inches in between holes. Thin out in stages to 4-6in (10-15cm) apart. Keep the soil moist but remember to water the carrots less as they begin to reach maturity.

#4 Spinach

A highly nutritious and easily grown crop, high in both calcium and iron. Spinach can be eaten plain, cooked, and made into a chip dip. Turn over the soil with compost and plant seeds less than an inch deep, placing them at least 4 inches apart to give room for growth. Pick young leaves regularly. Sow the soil a couple more times in the first month and keep this area well-watered.

#5 Peas

Peas are another high-yield crop, both sweet peas and sugar peas. Other than fruit flies, these guys attract very few pests. A good source of vitamins A, B and C. Cultivate the soil just prior to sowing top dress with a balanced fertilizer. Keep in mind that your soil must drain well in order for peas for flourish. Space each seed several inches apart and sow them one inch deep. Freshly planted seeds require ½ inch of water every week, while more mature plants need a full inch. Any surplus peas can be frozen very successfully.

#6 Peppers

Peppers contain nutrients like thiamin and manganese. Peppers can be stuffed with meat and rice or used in salsa and pasta, and raw in salads. Till the soil with compost and Epsom salts, this will make it rich in magnesium to help the peppers develop healthily. Peppers can be produced outside in growing bags, large pots etc. Since they grow best in warm soil, sow the seeds a foot or more apart in raised beds or containers. Water them frequently, keeping the soil moist, or they may taste bitter once harvested.

#7 Lettuce/ Baby Greens

Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow; you just have to plant the seeds, water and watch how fast it grows. Lettuce is a good source of folic acid and vitamin A, used as the main ingredient mostly in salads, but also can be stuffed with various ingredients to make a lettuce wrap or top sandwiches, hamburgers and tacos. When cultivating the soil with nutrient-rich compost, break up any chunks and remove debris. Make sure that seeds are planted between 8 and 16 inches apart and water them every morning. Avoid doing so at night because this could cause disease. Loose-leaf varieties are ready to start cutting about seven weeks after sowing.

Baby greens are simply greens that are harvested while they are still young and tender. They are true instant gratification vegetables – you’ll be harvesting your first salad in under a month! Sprinkle the seeds as thinly as possible across the soil in a 2- to 3-inch wide band. Space rows of baby greens 6 to 8 inches apart. Or plant baby greens in a pot, and cut your salad fresh every night!

#8 Onion

Rich in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C, onion need little care – just give them plenty of water. Plow the soil a foot deep and get rid of debris. The easiest way to grow onions is from sets which are small onions. Plant sets so that the tip is showing about 5in (13cm) apart in rows 12in (30cm) apart. Or, plant the seeds a couple centimeters deep and several inches apart. Weed this area frequently but gently and provide them with about an inch of water every week.

#9 Beets

The beet (beetroot) can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten warm with butter; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad.. Betanin, one of the primary nutrients in this deep red or purple vegetable, can help lower blood pressure. Clean and strengthen the seeds by soaking them in water at room temperature for a day. Plow the soil and remove any stones from the top 3 feet. Plant each seed 2in (5cm) apart, thin out to 4in (10cm) apart and water them at least once every day.

#10 Broccoli

For the most part doesn’t need a lot of special care, broccoli is easily grown vegetable that gives the best return for the space it occupies and is cropped when other green vegetables are in short supply. One row of 15ft (4.5m) will accommodate six plants to give self-sufficiency for a family of four. Sow broccoli seed in spring in a seed bed ½in (1.25cm) deep and transplant when the seedlings are about 4in (10cm) tall 2ft (60cm) apart each way.

#11 Tomatoes

There are many benefits to growing tomatoes – they’re good for you, they’re tasty, and the dollar value of the yield can be very significant. Tomatoes are rich in nutrients like niacin, potassium and phosphorous, antioxidants like lycopene, anthocyanin and carotene, and vitamins A, C and E.

Sow the seed just below the surface in a tray of peat-based compost. When the seedlings have made two pairs of true leaves prick them out into 3in (7.5cm) pots and place them in a light, warm place indoors (like windowsill). After the last danger of frost has passed, pick a spot in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight and test the soil’s pH level – needs to be between 6 and 7. (To decrease pH level add sulfur, to increase it add lime). Spread compost over this area and mix it with the soil. After hardening off, set tomato plants 2ft (60cm) apart in rows 3ft (90cm) apart, bush plants 3ft (90cm) apart. Water them a couple times per week.
Tomatoes do need a little more attention then the other vegetables on the list. However, for the little bit attention that tomatoes do need, you get an incredible reward in the large amount of fruit that they produce. Here are a few tricks for growing tomatoes.

#12 Herbs

There are many herbs including thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, chives, parsley and oregano that need very little attention and can be grown successfully in containers on a patio, balcony or terrace. Purchase some of your favorite small herb plants from your local nursery and get a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. You can plant multiple herbs in a wide or long container or use at least a 6″ pot for individual plants and you will enjoy not only their fragrance and beauty but also their culinary benefits. Water sparingly because herbs don’t like to sit in wet soil.

If you are a little apprehensive about planting an organic garden, start slow with any of the veggies I’ve mentioned. Soon you will gain confidence and have a beautiful organic garden, complete with delicious vegetables and bragging rights!