Were I writing to Nova Scotians, I ought not to omit to give instructions as to which end of the Asparagus the eater ought to use; for, I know a gentleman of that country, who, being at New York, on his first trip from home, began eating at the stem in place of the point.

Writing, as I now do, to those, whose country produces, with the least degree of trouble, the finest Asparagus that I ever saw, and probably the finest in the world, no description of the plant, or of its uses, is necessary. But, some remarks on its propagation and cultivation are not wholly unnecessary; for, though it demands less trouble in America than elsewhere, it demands some; and, in proportion as it is valuable and esteemed, it is desirable that the means of procuring it should be well and generally understood.

It is propagated from seed. Gather the seed, when it is dead ripe. Sow it thinly in drills a foot asunder, and two inches deep, three weeks, or about, before the frost sets in. Press the earth well down upon the seed and, as soon as the frost sets in, but not before, cover the ground with muck, or litter, a foot deep, and lay some boards, or poles, to prevent its blowing off.

As soon as the frost breaks up in the spring, take <!–more-memberlock–>off the litter; and you will have the plants quickly up. When the plants are fairly up, thin them to four inches asunder; for, they will be four times as strong at this distance as if they stood close.

Keep them clean, and hoe deeply between them all the summer.
To have beds of Asparagus, there are two ways of going to work: first, sowing the seed in the beds, at once; and, second, making the beds, and removing the plants into them. It is desirable to have the beds about four feet wide, that you may cut the asparagus by going in the paths between them, and not trample the beds.

As to the first method, if the soil have a dry bottom, trench in the manner described earlier in a previous article; but, in this case, where there is a root always penetrating downward, do not content yourself with a clean trench two feet deep; but, before you turn your top earth into this trench, put some good manure into it, and dig it into this bottom part; and then you will have manure at two feet and nine inches from the surface.

Your ground being ready, lay out your beds, four feet wide, with a path two feet wide between each two beds. In the fall, having made all the ground right strong with manure, draw the earth to six inches deep from the top of the beds into the paths, which will then form high ridges.

Then draw your drills afoot apart, and sow your seed, as before directed. When they are up, in spring, thin them to a foot apart. Thus you will have them a foot apart all over the bed. Keep the plants clean all summer; and, when the haulm is yellow in the fall, cut them off near, or close, to the ground; but, let the haulm be quite dead first; yet, do it before the frost actually sets in.

When you have cut off the haulm, lay some litter upon the bed till spring, to prevent the frost from being too long coming out of the ground in spring.

When the frost breaks up, throw some wood ashes, or, some other manure about an inch deep over the bed, having first loosened the top of the bed with a fork.

Upon this manure, throw earth over the bed, out of the paths, three inches thick, and break it very fine at the time. In the fall, cut down the haulm again as before; repeat the winter operation of littering; and, in the spring again fork up, put on ashes or good mould, and the other three inches deep of earth out of the paths.

Thus you bring the beds to be an inch or two higher than the paths; and this year, if your work have all been well done, you may have some asparagus to eat.

The next fall, and every succeeding fall, cut down the haulm and cover with litter as before; and, in the spring, of this third year, put on ashes again, or other fine manure, and throw over the beds the earth that will come out of the paths dug six inches deep.
This will make the paths six inches lower than the beds, and that is a great convenience for weeding, and for cutting the Asparagus. After this, you are to cut down the haulm in the fall, cover with litter during winter, fork up and occasionally manure in the spring, to keep the ground constantly free from weeds, to dig the paths up every fall, and keep them clear from weeds in summer.

The second method of making the beds is, to begin with plants, instead of seed. The plants (raised as above stated) may be planted in the beds at one year old, or older, if it so happen.

Plant them at the same depth that is pointed out for depositing the seed. And, in all other respects, proceed as in the case of a bed begun with seed. As to the time of beginning to cut, some say the third year, some the fourth, and some even the fifth. There can be no fixed time; for, so much depends on the soil and treatment. Asparagus, like other things, ought to be used when it comes in perfection, and not before.

All that has here been said proceeds upon the supposition that the soil has a dry bottom. If a wet bottom, sow, or plant, at the top of the ground, and, in all other respects proceed as in the case of a dry bottom; except, that the earth to cover the bed with must, time after time, be dug out of the paths, which will, at last, make the paths into ditches, three feet deep from the tops of the beds.

By these means the roots of the plants will be kept some years longer from reaching the cold, sour soil, at the bottom; for, whenever they reach that, the plants, like all others, cease to flourish, and begin to decay.

As to the time that asparagus beds will last, that depends on the soil. Having a dry bottom and good management, they will probably last three generations, and if that be not enough to compensate the trouble of making them, it would be difficult to find a compensation.

The general cause of the decay of Asparagus beds is, negligence; and, particularly, the want of attention to keep them clear of weeds, which, without doubt, are the greatest enemies of the plants.

These send their roots down deep; but, they rely also on the ground at the surface. The Lucerne, which will send its roots down thirty feet into a dry bottom, and will live in vigor for an age, if kept clean at top; will, though in the best and most suitable soil in the world, perish in a few years, if grass and weeds be suffered to grow amongst it on the surface.

Sea sand, where it can be had, is as good as ashes, except the beds are very near the sea; and there it is of little use. With regard to sorts, I do not know that there is any difference, except such as climate produces. It is very certain,
that, to whatever cause owing, the Asparagus here, though so little care is, in general, taken of it, is far superior to that in England.

From our frequently meeting with it at a great distance from all houses, there is reason to suppose, that it is a natural weed of the country; and, therefore, it may differ from the English sort, as the Charlock and some other weeds do.

In England the Charlock has a leaf like that of the white turnip; here it has a leaf the color of that of an early York cabbage; that is to say, of a blue green color. There may be a difference between the Asparagus of America and that of Europe: at any rate, I will ascertain the fact; for I will carry some seed to England.

As to the space which the beds ought to occupy, that must depend on the size of the family, who are to eat the Asparagus. Plenty, however, is always a blessing when the commodity is a good one. About six beds across one of the Plats will be sufficient for any family. They might be at the west end of Plat, No. 6, that being the warmest. Asparagus may be had in winter with the greatest facility.

There are but few things that are worth the trouble of a hotbed for the purpose of having them to eat in their opposite season; but, Asparagus is worth it. And this is the way to have it for the table, even in February, that month of snow and of north westerners.

Sow some seed in the garden, in the manner before described, the rows a foot asunder, and the plants four inches apart in the row. Keep them clean, and manure them the first year. Cut the haulm off in the fall. Do not cover them during winter. In the spring fork up the ground, manure it again; and, in the fall cut off the haulm again.

Just before the frost sets in, take up as many plants as you will want for your hot-bed. Dig each plant up without tearing it about; and put them all carefully on a cellar floor, cover them over about half a foot thick with fresh ground, and lay some straw upon that to prevent the earth from drying too much.

In January prepare dung for a hot-bed. When the heat has sufficiently risen, put on earth. Upon this earth put your plants, straightening out their roots in every direction. Let the crowns of the roots be about 7 inches apart all over the bed, which, being a bed four feet wide and nine feet long, will contain 180 plants.

Cover the plants over with fine earth, so that the surface of this earth be six inches above the crowns of the plants. Proceed as to air, shelter, and covering, in the same way as directed for the cabbage plants.

In about twelve, or fourteen days, you may begin to cut asparagus for the table; and, if you take proper cares and keep your heat up by a lining, you may have a regular supply for a month, When the plants have done bearing here, they are of no use, and may be thrown away.

Of all the things that are forced in hot-beds, none give so little trouble as Asparagus, and none is so well worth great deal of trouble.

A plant’s main enemies are pests (such as rabbits, insects, slugs and snails, and nematodes) and diseases (like fungi, bacteria, and virus). Most can be controlled using ecologically friendly methods. Rather than setting a goal of a pest-free garden, learn how to work with nature to keep problems at an acceptable level. Vigilance is the key to growing good plants; paying close attention to how the plants are growing will pay off. Finding a pest or disease problem in the early stages, when it is relatively easy to deal with, is preferable to suddenly discovering that the crop or plant in question is seriously infected with some problem.

Pest control This can be approached in stages, depending on the problem. Animals (rabbits, gophers, etc.) can be kept away from food crops by surrounding the area with a wire fence with the base buried in the soil. In the flower garden, plant species they do not like to eat. Protect the stems of trees with a wire guard for the winter (make it high enough to allow for snow) and spray shrub stems with a hot pepper spray after the last rain in fall. Deer and elk are difficult to repel without enclosing the entire garden with a high fence, but there are plants that they are less likely to eat (see list on p. 68).

Large insects, such as caterpillars and beetles, can be picked off by hand and dropped into a bucket of soapy water. When larger plants, like trees, are attacked, the soil directly under their foliage can be covered with drop sheets and the plant shaken to dislodge the pests. The drop sheets can then be carefully lifted and the pests destroyed. Caterpillars that congregate in webbing “nests,” like tent caterpillars and fall webworms, should be controlled during the day, when the young larvae have left the nest, by spraying them with Bacillus thuringiensis. Another alternative is to wait until evening when the caterpillars have returned to the nest. Prune off the nests and immerse them in a bucket of soapy water to kill the larvae.

Plants can be protected from damage by soil-dwelling caterpillars, like cutworms, by enclosing them in a barrier made from half a frozen juice can or a circle of heavy-grade tinfoil pushed slightly into the soil. Wireworms (orange and curl into a half circle) and millipedes (dark brown and curl into a spiral) both live in the soil and feed on plant roots or burrow into root crops. They are seldom numerous, except in reclaimed pastureland, but destroy them when digging.

Quick-moving small pests, such as <!–more-memberlock–>flea beetles, carrot flies, and leafhoppers, can be kept away from young plants — the most vulnerable — by covering them with a floating row cover supported on wire hoops made from cut-down clothes hangers. This also gives protection against late frost and against sunscald on newly planted plants.

Slow-moving small pests, like aphids and mites, can be washed off many plants with a strong stream of water, however, this should not be used on plants with large, soft foliage, or on the fragile growing tips of plants. Mites can also be kept to a minimum by spraying frequently with water, using a hand sprayer, and soaking the undersides of the foliage. Planting flowers that attract native predators also helps to control aphids and mites.

Insects can be lured to bright yellow or red traps coated with a nondrying sticky substance, which holds them. There are also traps baited with scent lures called pheromones. These are scents released by insects to attract others of their species. When used in a trap, they may imitate a female scent and entice many of the males to enter. The unbalanced population results in a large reduction in the number of eggs laid, and young hatching.

Many natural predators can be used to help solve a pest problem. They can be released into the garden and will target a specific pest or range of pests (see p. 546). Naturally, it takes time for the predator population to build up sufficiently to bring the problem under control, so there is always a lag between introducing the predator and solving the problem. They rarely completely kill off all the problem pests, but they will bring the population down to acceptable levels. Remember, spraying for pest control will often wipe out the beneficial insects as well.

Nematodes are microscopic wormlike creatures, some of which attack plants, but others are beneficial and attack plant pests. They are especially useful for controlling some lawn pests and are simply mixed with water and applied with a watering can. In warmer parts of the country, one application will give several years control, but in the North, the cold kills them and they need to be reapplied if the problem occurs again.

Bacteria are also weapons in the fight against plant pests. Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, commonly known as BT or Dipel, was the original strain that attacks the caterpillars of certain species of moths and butterflies. There are now several other strains of this bacteria that can control Japanese beetle larvae, mosquito larvae, Colorado beetle larvae, and more. A large range of these predators and lures are available by mail or through your local nursery.

If none of the above methods control the problem to your satisfaction, you may have to resort to spraying with one of the organic controls listed on pp. 544–545.

Disease control. This is more difficult than pest control because the disease has usually got a hold on the plant before any symptoms appear. Many fungal diseases are spread by very small spores that float on the breeze and land on a plant leaf. They “germinate” and insert a small thread (called a hyphae) into the plant tissue. This feeds on the plant and grows, forming a network of hyphae between the cells inside the leaf. It is not until this point that the plant begins to show signs of stress — different colored spots, wilting, or fungal tissue visible (as in mildew). Such leaves should be picked off as soon as noticed and put in the garbage — not in the compost. If caught in time, this may be enough to stop the further spread of the disease.

Many plants, providing they are not under stress from poor growing conditions, can emit defensive secretions that can either kill fungal spores or limit the damage they can cause. It therefore makes sense to grow plants properly, giving them the soil conditions, acidity or alkalinity, and moisture they grow best in. In addition, allow good air circulation through plants, especially those, like phlox and bergamot, that are prone to mildew. Stagnant air in the middle of a large clump of stems is a mildew heaven.

Other fungi are great opportunists. Although they are not able to directly infect a plant, they can gain entry through stem and leaf wounds. Many cankers fall into this category. They can attack a plant only when it has been damaged by careless hoeing or gain entry through a wound caused by mower damage.

Fungi are important agents in plant decay, and most work in the gardener’s favor. They help break down compost and are responsible for rotting wood in forests and returning the nutrients to the soil. Without them, the woods would be choked with dead trees. Some, such as coral spot, will also attack living material that is under stress from another cause. The appearance of small, bright coral-pink fungi on a branch indicates a problem.
Most of the fungicides listed in the chart on pp. 544–545 are preventative, rather than curative. They should be applied before the disease strikes to form a protective layer on the foliage that kills the fungal spores on contact.

Bacteria are minute organisms that can be rod-shaped, spherical, or spiral, and there are several million in a typical teaspoon of soil. They are important in breaking down dead plant material, but a few attack living plants, generally causing plant tissue to disintegrate. Soft rot of iris is a typical bacterial disease. They are difficult to control and long-lived in the soil, but generally specific to one species or group of plants. Avoid replanting the same species in soil where a bacterial disease has been diagnosed. Some bacteria attack certain insects and are used as insecticides.

Virus are submicroscopic primitive life-forms that live inside cells of plants and animals. They tend to be very specific, limiting their attack to a single genus or plant family. Some virus are used as insecticides but others attack plants. There is no cure and infected plants should be dug up and disposed of in the garbage. Infected plants usually have foliage with strange mottling or streaks, and are often puckering as well. The recently discovered virus attacking hostas is typical in this way. Plant infections can be spread by hand, shears, and other gardening tools. Newly infected plants may take several years to show symptoms, during which time the virus can be spread to other plants. Virus are also spread by sapsucking insects, such as leafhoppers, so controlling these insects is very important. Many modern varieties of vegetables, especially tomatoes, have built-in resistance to some of the virus and other diseases that attack them. This information is usually indicated by a series of code letters in seed catalogs.

Compost Tea

Homemade compost or special compost preparations available from garden suppliers are the basis of this tea. Simply put a shovelful of finished compost in a burlap sack and immerse it in a bucket of water for about a week. Strain the resulting tea through cheesecloth or some other material to remove all solids. Use the tea full-strength to water any and all plants in your garden. Compost tea not only provides a wide range of nutrients, but it also boosts plants’ natural defenses against disease. Spraying plants with aerated compost tea can convey even greater benefits. To make aerated compost tea, follow the instructions that come with the compost preparations procured from a garden supplier.

Herbal Sprays

While herbal sprays do not appear to actually kill insects, they do seem to act as an effective repellent, and spraying plants with a tea made of garden herbs may help to keep them pest-free. Sage, thyme, rosemary, and white clover seem to help ward off attacks from leaf-eating caterpillars. To make, either soak 1 cup of fresh leaves overnight in 2 cups of water or pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 cups of fresh leaves. To use, strain, dilute with an equal amount of water, and add a few drops of liquid soap (not detergent) to act as a spreader.

Stinging Nettle Spray

Stinging nettles grow as weeds in the eastern parts of the country but they can be used to make a spray that helps plants resist disease attacks.

When collecting nettles to make the spray, wear long pants, cover the arms, and wear good work gloves. Place about 1 pound of nettle leaves and young stalks in a bag and soak it in 1 gallon of chlorine-free water (tap water that has stood uncovered for 48 hours). Cover the bucket and leave it in a warm place for a week. The mixture will have a strong smell when uncovered and may need straining through a cheesecloth. Dilute with five times its volume of chlorine-free water and spray plants that are known to be susceptible to fungus diseases. Spray every 2 weeks for continued coverage. It also helps deter aphids and acts as a foliar feed. Store any unused spray concentrate in a glass jar, it will keep for a month.

Starch Spray

This forms a sticky coating on the leaf surface, which traps the pests and holds them until they die. It works best on small pests like aphids and thrips, rather than on large beetles and caterpillars. Mix 2-4 tablespoons of potato flour (available in health food stores) in one quart of water and add a few drops of liquid soap as a sticker. Shake well and spray onto the plants, covering the entire leaves. It will wash off in rain or can be hosed off after a few days.

Garlic Oil Spray

A mix of garlic, mineral oil, and soap gives very good results against many sucking and chewing insects. These include aphids, cabbageworms, leafhoppers, larval mosquitoes, squash bugs, and whiteflies.

Some plants are sensitive, so try it on a single shoot first. If there is no damage after 48 hours, spray the entire plant. Soak 3 ounces of finely chopped garlic in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of insecticidal soap in 2 cups of water and add it to the garlic and oil. Stir well and strain. To use, add 1-2 tablespoons to 2 cups of water and spray on the pests. Store the remainder in a glass container for future use.

Hot Pepper Dust

Grow your own hot peppers to provide the source for a repellent dust that will help protect plants from cabbage maggots, carrot root flies, ants, and other pests. Dry the harvested pepper first, and then grind them with a mortar and pestle (always wear protective eye gear and gloves when working with hot peppers because the dust can be very irritating to your eyes). Sprinkle the dust along plant rows just after seeding or around the base of young plants. Apply more dust after rainfall or watering.

The above is an excerpt from the book The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening: Planning – Selection – Propagation – Organic Solutions by Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley and Trevor Cole. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Fern Marshall Bradley and Trevor Cole, editors of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening: Planning – Selection – Propagation – Organic Solutions
Author Bio
Fern Marshall Bradley, co-editor with Trevor Cole of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening, is a writer and editor whose favorite topics are gardening and sustainable living. A co-author of Reader’s Digest’s Vegetable Gardening, she also conceived and edited The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Insect and Disease Control, The Expert’s Book of Garden Hints, among others. Bradley is a former gardening books editor for Rodale.

Trevor Cole, co-editor with Fern Marshall Bradley of The All-New Illustrated Guide to Gardening, was curator of the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa, Canada, for over 20 years. He was educated in horticultural science at the Royal Botanical Gardens in the U.K. Cole’s previous offerings include numerous magazine articles and the books Care-Free Plants and The New Ottawa Gardener.

It’s August, the weather has cooled a bit here and the summer monsoons where I live in New Mexico have begun. The kids are starting back to school and I feel the onset of fall. I’m getting that garden planning itch again! It happens 2-3 times a year… This time, it’s time to start ordering bulbs and perennials for fall planting. I’m always planning how my garden will look better next season and I suppose most of you do the same. Fall is the perfect time to plant for established growth next spring!

Take a good look at your garden now and think about areas you need to fill in. Do you need late season color, early spring blooms? Are there bare spots or places where plants like poppies or tulips go dormant and you need a filler to keep your garden alive with color? I find the best time for next years planning is in the fall when bloom time and plant combinations are fresh in my mind.

You may be disappointed with a plant combination you chose last season. Fall is the perfect time to rearrange. Get rid of <!–more-memberlock–>overgrown plants and revive areas with new color or foliage combinations. Think about areas in your bulb or perennial garden you want to develop. What size, shape and bloom color do you need? Plant them this fall and watch your pans come to fruition come spring.

Shrubs and trees do take years to mature and fill their place. You can get a jump start by planting them this fall. When spring arrives they’ll be much more hardy and will require less babying.

Fall is the perfect time to mail order bulbs, perrenials, shrubs, hedges and trees. We’re winding down the season and if you’re anything like me you’re just not ready to quit quite yet. Sure there’s clean up to be done, but I find more planting helps to finish those mundane cxhores. As I clean out I plant new!

Ordering online or by mail

Ordering plants online can be a bit scary. How are the plants shipped? Will they be good quality? Will they arrive at the right time and will I be prepared to plant them then?

Fear not! I’ve ordered in fall for years and have had tremendous results!

Plant Quality and Guarantees

Nurseries do differ in what and how they ship so make sure you do some research, but almost all reputable mail order nurseries do guarantee their plants to grow or your money back. I’ve never had trouble collecting on that promise and I have used it a time or two for certain plants. I also admit, a bit grudgingly as a then new gardener, that I should never have ordered those specific plants for my climate. Nevertheless the nursery did stand behind it’s guarantee.

How Plants Are Shipped

Some plants will be shipped bare root, others as potted plants. This depends on the plant variety and I’ve actually found preference to bare root plants. They do look dead when they arrive (they are actually dormant), but I assure you that unless they have visible signs of disease like rot they’ll thrive come spring.

*Note – If you do get any plants that look like the crown has rotted either ship them back immediately or just phone the nursery and they’ll ship out new ones.

When to Plant

While you never know exactly when your plants will arrive, they are shipped to you at the proper planting time for your gardening zone. If plants arrive and it’s not convenient to plant immediately just make sure you follow the directions included in your shipment for keeping your plants viable until you can plant them. If you’ve planned ahead you will know where they go and it’ll take you little time to get them in the ground. A Saturday afternoon will usually give you ample time to get this done.

Keep in mind these companies have been in business for years and years and have shipped bare root and potted plants for eons. They do know what they’re doing and most of them do it very well. They’d be out of business if they couldn’t fulfill your planting requirements.

Gardening Budgets and Selection

You can’t beat the cost and selection of ordering by mail! Most mail order companies offer plant varieties you’ll never find anywhere else. The selections seem endless and I’ve been amazed what I can grow in New Mexico. Take advantage of fall specials and free shipping and you get a double bang for you buck. For about half of what I spend on a trip to the garden center on a single spring garden binge, I can have more variety and many more plants shipped to me at home.

Get on the Mailing Lists

Make sure you’re on the mailing list for the following nurseries at least! You’ll get a catologue several times a year. Take it into the garden with you,look around and plan accordingly. Then hop online and place an order or order by mail, but use the online resources for their help with plant combinations and companion planting. They offer great suggestions you may not have thought of before. Remember – pictures will help any gardener no matter how experienced.

In most parts of the country, gardeners are weeding and tending to their gardens because after all spring is for planting. Not so, in many parts of Arizona. Here, spring time is for harvesting and getting ready for fall planting.

The hot summer months, especially in areas like the East Valley, most vegetables can’t withstand the heat. However, there are a few that will do well with an early to late spring planting, as suggested by Leslie Honaker, master gardener and co-owner of Garden Territory at the Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. These include squash, radishes, zucchini, eggplant, <!–more-memberlock–>cucumber, tomatoes, okra, peppers, some beans. Some fruits such as watermelons and cantaloupe can also be planted, and their vines provide shade for other plants.

These summer growing plants will need extra care to survive. They’ll require more water than in other seasons – be sure to watch for the telltale signs of drooping leaves. Plants are much less forgiving in extreme temperatures, so allowing the ground to dry out may mean the death of your seedling. A drip watering system is more effective than a spray system, especially in hot temperatures. The water in the latter versions tends to evaporate, decreasing the amount of moisture absorbed by the plant. Early morning watering also provides the plants with adequate moisture to take them through the day and will also decrease the amount of evaporation experienced in late afternoon watering.

Plants should also be blocked from the harsh rays of direct sunlight. Just as plants require protection from frost, in temperatures over 100 degrees, they will require a source of shade. Try using a shade cloth with 50 percent reduction.

Don’t expect plants to thrive the way they do in more moderate temperatures, but with extra care, they should produce hardy crops.

Here are some of the special care requirements as they relate to specific varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes: Tomato cages are not effective in this climate as the delicate fruit is exposed directly to the hot sun. Instead, create a wire cage, 2 to 3 feet in diameter to contain each plant. They will form a canopy of leaves for protection. The best planting time is mid-February or mid-March, once there is no longer a threat of frost. Select varieties with maturity dates from 65 to 70 days to avoid the extreme temperatures.

Apply a 50 percent shade cloth and mulch around each plant once temperatures reach 100 degrees. Water regularly, giving the plants a good soak rather then periodic short watering which may cause the tomatoes to dry out.

Melons: Plant by mid March or April, and once the soil has warmed up to about 70 to 95 degrees. Plant in hills, 4 feet apart, and allow plenty of space for the vines to roam. The melons will do better on the ground than on a trellis where the foliage has a tendency of drying out more quickly. They require plenty of compost tea or other organic fertilizer. Next year, replace depleted nutrients in the soil by planting beans or peas in this spot.

Cucumbers: These plants are fairly easy to take care of, but they do require a lot of water. It’s safe to plant them once the soil has reached a temperature of 65 degrees. Be sure to combine plenty of compost or other organic material with the clay soil to increase drainage.

When a person is in possession of a fine compost heap, he can very well prepare his own mulch and thus can keep his yard to look good. To achieve all this, a compost bin is required. A compost bin has to be built to preserve all the organic matters that are added to the heap gathered in a particular place. The main concern of the compost bin is that all the materials are piled up in it and has no restriction for the flow of air to the materials inside. The best solution for this is to build a fence for making a compost bin.

The things that are required for the preparation of the compost bin are fence posts and the fencing. Let us now see the steps involved in making the compost bins.

Firstly, a good location has to be selected. Composting will work better only when the organic materials are allowed for touching the bare earth. This will benefit the user for a good composting since the microbes in the soil will take part in the process of decomposition.

Secondly, the fence has to be made by using the <!–more-memberlock–>welded wire or the chain link to make the compost bin. The chicken wire alone will not be sufficient for making the compost pile. A 25 feet roll and 4 feet tall fencing is required to make a good quality compost bin.

Thirdly, fence posts need to be purchased. These steel posts of T-shape can be easily fixed in the soil to give support to all the sides of the fences of the compost bin.

Fourthly, a square shape has to be made. Four places have to be marked on the spot of composting to fix the steel posts. These steel posts, after fixing, will end up with a square shape. Each side of the square should be of four feet length.

Now the steel posts have to be driven into the four marked locations. This can be done very easily by using the post driver. If the post driver is not available, then the two feet holes have to be dug and the fence to be planted.

Next, the fencing should be rolled out between the posts that are adjacent. The light gauge wire of the fence ties have to be used to connect the fencing and the posts. The process has to be repeated for all the four sides.

The last part of the fencing has to be cut for using it as a door for the compost bin. One edge of this has to be fixed with the fence ties and a rope or the chain has to be used for holding the other side.

Now the compost bin is ready for accumulation of the waste from the kitchen and the garden to make good compost for the garden.

The quick and the easy way of clearing the waste from the kitchen and the garden are composting. Preparation of own compost will yield better plant growth in the garden.

For making the garden compost it is a must to have the bin. The bin can be prepared or the same can be purchased. It is not necessary that the bin should be fancy. The purpose has to be served and hence it can be of any shape. But the compost can be well prepared if the bin is of the size of 5 feet wide and 4 feet depth.

It is always better to keep the compost bin in a location that is <!–more-memberlock–>handy and hence will not be necessary to walk several times to reach it. The compost bin has to be kept in a place of sunshine or otherwise a thermometer has to be purchased to measure the temperature of the compost bin. 1400 degree temperature has to be maintained for the compost bin.

A lump of dirt has to be piled up near the compost bin so that the same can be used whenever required for putting inside the compost bin.

A foundation has to be laid on the compost bin which can be made with 12” of grass clippings or even with the leaves of dead yard to the extent of 2 feet.

The waste from the kitchen and the garden like egg shells, coffee grounds, potato skins, tea bags, vegetables and fruits has to be accumulated in the bin. Greasy products and the meat should not be added into the compost bin.

When sufficient quantity of the waste from the kitchen and the garden is gathered over the foundation on the compost bin, then it is time to add the fertilizer, garden soil and half cup of limestone to this mixture.

Now the compost bin will be with the layers of foundation, waste from the kitchen and the garden, fertilizers, limestone and the garden soil. At this juncture, the compost pile has to be watered and moist temperature has to be maintained.

At last, the compost pile has to be turned which is a very important process. The turning of the compost pile should be done with a time gap of 15 days. Due to the rotation, bad organisms and the weeds that sprout in the compost pile will be killed. Thus the heat speeds up the process of decaying.

The process of adding up the waste from the kitchen and the garden has to be continued. The layer in the compost pile has to be followed. The turning of the pile once in 15 days to get good garden compost has to be done compulsorily. It is important to note that the stems with large diameter should not be put in the compost pile.

Autumn typically signals the end of home grown vegetables from the garden, but with a little ingenuity you can harvest garden fresh produce well into the winter months. My Central Pennsylvania garden continues to supply fresh vegetables during the fall and winter when most gardeners in my growing region are content to dream about next summer’s bounty. Read on to discover simple tricks that will fortify your garden against the onslaught of frigid weather.

Fall often delivers brief cold spells with a few frost filled mornings, sandwiched between weeks of milder, frost-free conditions. The problem is that a single touch of frost can wipe out every tender annual growing in the garden. Fortunately, a little <!–more-memberlock–>protection will enable frost sensitive vegetables and herbs to survive a cold snap, and reward the resourceful gardener with an opportunity to enjoy extended harvests.

Something as simple as the transparent, fleecy, floating row covers used to shield plants from harmful insects can also prevent frost damage. Row covers trap the warmth that radiates up from the earth much like the way that a cloud cover holds temperatures and prevents frost from forming. Row covers offer a few degrees of protection, keeping tender annuals safe from light frost. Use the thicker grade covers for maximum benefit.

Late summer is the ideal time to sow cold tolerant vegetables that will flourish in the fall and endure cold weather without complaint. Examples of hardy vegetables for fall gardening include: kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, cabbages, oriental greens, rutabagas, and some varieties of lettuce.

Once freezing conditions arrive, even cold hardy crops will appreciate some protection if they remain in the garden. Cardboard boxes and fruit baskets can provide shelter to individual plants, while old sheets, blankets, and heavy plastic tarps will protect entire rows or beds of plants. Apply the coverings in the evening when freezes are forecast and remove them the following morning after the sun warms the air.

Another effective solution is to use a commercial variety of cloche, or to set up a portable cold frame over the garden bed. Cloches include the heavy glass, bell shaped jars, or variously styled and shaped rigid plastic devices.

One style of cold frame consists of a tubular frame covered by a woven poly material with flaps for venting. You can also obtain sturdier cold frames made with aluminum framing and twin wall polycarbonate panels that lift up for venting. Regardless of the type of protection used to cover your plants you must remove it or provide venting during the day as temperatures rise.

Resourceful gardeners can combine a few discarded window sashes and bales of straw to create a simple makeshift cold frame. Just arrange the straw bales into a rectangular shape around a garden bed and lay the windows across the top to form an enclosed and insulated growing area. This setup will work great to keep a bed of leafy greens growing further into the winter.

Oddly enough, water can protect and insulate plants from the cold. Commercial orchards actually spray water and mist onto their trees to prevent frost damage. In the home garden you can employ plastic gallon jugs filled with water to provide protection. Place the containers around plants, under floating row covers or tarps, and inside of your cold frames.

The water will absorb and store heat during the day and release it at night to provide warmth for your plants. You’ll get the best results by painting the jugs black so that they’ll absorb more energy from the sun during the day. Incredibly, even if the water in the container freezes, it will continue to release a significant amount of heat energy into the surrounding area.

Certain vegetables will survive on their own in the garden through bitterly cold conditions. Leeks, kale, and collards frequently withstand harsh winters without any protection. Fall planted garlic and shallots will develop strong root systems in the fall, spend the winter underground, and then spring up at the earliest signs of the arrival of spring.

Many root crops including beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips can be left in the garden protected with a thick layer of shredded leaves or straw. You can then continue harvesting as needed, provided that the ground doesn’t freeze and prevent digging. Complete your harvesting before spring arrives though, since quality will degrade once the roots resume growing and switch into seed production mode.

With proper planning and a little extra care you can easily grow and harvest vegetables beyond the normal spring and summer seasons. Simply implement a few of the ideas presented in this article and you’ll soon enjoy your own home grown, fresh produce much longer than usual, possibly even year-round.

Frost forms as a result of the surface of some object being chilled below the dew point of the surrounding air. The dew point is the temperature at which air must be cooled in order to be condensed into water. When the chill point is met crystals form on the surface of the object and appear as ice.

The most common form of frost on vegetation is Hoar Frost also known as Radiation Frost. This occurs when <!–more-memberlock–>ice crystals form overnight due to drops in temperature and heat loss because objects become colder than the surrounding air.

Many plants can be damaged by the affects of frost and some, such as tomatoes, will die. To know which plants will survive a cold night, refer to the back of the package of seeds that you bought as they have excellent instructions as to temperature ratings.

If you bought your plants already grown from a nursery or garden center then it is best to check with someone there so you do not plant them too early. However in a moment I will talk about protecting your plants in the event an unseasonable frost should occur.

The United States Department of Agriculture has an excellent map on first and final frost dates for various regions of the U.S. They have broken the country down into zones. Find your zone and you will be able to calculate when you should start planting your vegetables.

Even with the best calculations sometimes Mother Nature just doesn’t cooperate. As was the case in May of 2009 when three weeks into the month frost conditions occurred in the southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania regions.

Until there is a consistent level in temperatures you should monitor the overnight conditions in your area which can be easily done by watching your local weather or the weather channel. If you have planted your vegetables and they call for a potential of frost, you can and must take precautions to ensure that they, your vegetables make it through the night.

The best method for protection from frost conditions is the use of plastic milk containers. What you want to do is cut the top of the container off, but not too much so the plant won’t fit, and cover the plants with them. This creates a greenhouse warming affect for your plants. The container traps air which stays a constant temperature, never allowing it to drop below the dew point and create frost for the surrounding plant.

When morning comes and the cool temperatures have subsided for the day, remove the plastic milk containers and let them soak in the sun and air. They should be fine.

For gardeners, frost can be a devastating condition and literally wipe out any growth we might have. But there are remedies, actions and preventions we can implement that will increase our chances of success through frost weather conditions.

Sweet corn is a summer favorite for everyone. We all have fond memories of eating corn on the cob at summer picnics and grill-outs; it is an essential summer side dish. Many gardeners regard sweet corn as a garden staple that they cultivate every year. But, homegrown corn may not be the best crop for all of us. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of growing your own sweet corn at home, and how to determine if this tasty vegetable is right for your garden.

The first and most important consideration in growing sweet corn is space. If you are lacking for planting area, or if you prefer to garden in containers, then sweet corn is probably not the crop for you. Corn is pollinated by wind, meaning that it’s essential to plant it in blocks at least four rows wide. If corn is planted in one long, single row, you’ll get a disappointingly low yield of edible ears.

Corn is a crop with sufficient water and nutrient needs. When planting corn, be sure to work a good fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen into the soil. Throughout the growing period, add additional <!–more-memberlock–>side dressings of an all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer, as needed. Corn should be watered regularly. During the three or four week period from pollination to harvest, the plants should receive at least one inch of water per week. Setting up a drip irrigation line may aid in this process, and will also ensure that you don’t disturb the plants too much during the pollination process.

Corn is a vegetable that requires a long, hot growing season. Corn plants are easily killed by frost, and prolonged temperatures below 40 degrees will seriously injure the crop. For best results, corn requires a growing season of 75 to 90 days of temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees. Of course, very few climates will meet this ideal, but it’s usually possible to successfully grow corn in all regions ranging from Mexico to Canada, provided that the seeds are not planted too early in the year.

To get a head start on your corn, seeds can be planted indoors as early as a couple weeks before the last frost date. Once the seedlings are at least two inches tall, you can plant them outdoors, being careful not to disturb the roots. Corn seeds can also be sowed directly into the garden, if you want. Whether sowing indoors or out, you can help the seeds germinate more quickly by soaking them overnight in room temperature water before planting.’t germinate or those that might be eaten by birds or other garden pests.

It’s important to harvest sweet corn immediately before cooking it. Sweet corn has a very high sugar content, which begins to convert to starch very rapidly after the ears are harvested. Sweet corn purchased in the grocery store, which is what many people are accustomed to eating, has very low sugar content relative to freshly picked ears. This is one of the reasons why homegrown sweet corn is an extra special treat.

In short, the most important keys for growing sweet corn are plenty of space and a long and warm growing season. There are many varieties to choose from, and modern hybrids will give you greater disease resistance and higher yields. If you enjoy gardening and have never grown sweet corn before, why not give it a try? By following our simple steps, you’ll produce an excellent crop, and you may decide that this is one vegetable that’s worth growing year after year.