Grow Your Own Garden Furniture?

How to Grow Your Own Food: Succession Planting Green Beans

May 27, 2012 7 Comments

Oh my word, yesterday was such a gorgeous day! I think I must have spent at least 5 hours puttering around the garden. And I do mean puttering. Monkey Boy cleared a small area of brush towards in the front yard, The Girl weeded the raspberry paths, and I planted another round of beans. This time time I planted 2 garden beds full of Black Valentine beans. If you look closely at the photograph you’ll even notice a wee bit of green. This year I decided to do a little companion planting. Did you know green beans and carrots love growing next to each other? It’s true. They are very compatible.

Everyone in our house loves green beans. Monkey Boy and The Girl love them raw, and the HH, The Girl and I love them cooked. So to keep a plentiful supply of fresh green beans on hand during the summer, I try and plant them every two weeks starting at the end of May all the way up until the first part of August. With a continued harvest, there are typically enough green beans to each fresh, can, and even a few pounds to giveaway.

This year we are growing 5 types of beans:

When it comes to planting green beans {and peas too} I tend to over seed. In years past, we have had issues with the robins snacking on bean sprouts, but this year it didn’t seem to be a problem. So yesterday, I had to thin out the Mayflower pole beans I planted 2 weeks ago around the bean teepees we built. And just in case you are wondering, I do not thin them out to the recommended 4 to 6 inches apart. Personally, I think that’s nuts. I usually go for about 2″ apart to maximize my harvest.

Chickens by the way, love bean sprouts.

So what did you do yesterday? Did you get any garden chores done? Have you planted your beans yet? Do you plant them all at once or several times during the growing season?

Mavis want’s to know.

Want to learn more about the magical fruit? Check out Bean By Bean: A Cookbook: More than 200 Recipes for Fresh Beans, Dried Beans, Cool Beans, Hot Beans, Savory Beans…Even Sweet Beans! By Crescent Dragonwagon. Amazon currently has the book on sale for $10.85.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: beans, Gardening

How to Grow Food In a Greenhouse: Grey Mold

May 25, 2012 5 Comments

For the most part, everything is coming along nicely in the greenhouse. All the smaller tomato starts have been moved outside {I still have another flat under grow lights in the house} and the pepper plants are starting to fill out a bit as well.

Everywhere I look lately there seen to be new blossoms.

And the strawberries I planted in gutters, are going crazy. I’m hoping for a mid-June harvest. But I do have one problem.

Over the past month or so every once in awhile I would notice a dead brown leaf or two when I watered the plants in the greenhouse. I never gave it a second thought. Until today. Today’s dead brown leaves had fur on them. Or rather mold. And after a bit of online research, I believe I have grey mold. Eeek! Grey mold is cause by improper ventilation. Which in my case, makes total sense. I’ve been so worried about keeping the heat in the greenhouse, that I have been doing a poor job ventilating the thing. Crackers!

Lesson learned. From now on I’ll be more vigilant about keeping the windows open so fresh air can get in so the plants can breath better. Let’s just hope this disease hasn’t set in to all the plants and they all die off. Because that would really suck. Big time.

Have you ever had any problems with grey mold before?

Please tell me all my plants are not going to die. Pretty please.

Looking for a pop up greenhouse? Amazon has a ton of them. Check out this 5 foot Plant House by Flower House. The ratings on it are pretty awesome and it’s currently going for $169 on Amazon.com

*Amazon prices can change at anytime.

Filed Under: Gardening, Greenhouse Tagged With: Gardening, greenhouse, grey mold

How To Grow Your Own Food: Vegetable Garden Tour

May 24, 2012 19 Comments

I cannot believe it is almost June. Holy smokes. Where did the time go? Some years it seems like it takes forever before it’s time to harvest anything, but this year, every time I walk out to the garden there is some new vegetable begging for attention. I’m not sure if I just need a really long nap, to add more hours to the day, or to hire a ranch hand, but I can barely keep up.

Have I mentioned I cannot wait for school to let out?

Free child labor… I need you!

Well I finally decided it was time to plant the tomatoes outside. So far, I have 80 tomato plants in the garden boxes. And as soon as I can figure out what to do with the Rainbow Swiss Chard, I’ll plant another 10 more. Then next week there will be spinach to deal with, and another 10 more tomato plants to set out. As for the remaining 20 {for a total of 120} I have a few {okay 14} tomato plants growing in the greenhouse, and I still have a few more containers to plant as well.

Of course I haven’t figured out what the heck I’m going to do with the tomatoes once they start rolling in, but that’s besides the point. Right?

Flying by the seat of my pants is a good thing . I think.

Spinach and MORE chard. Please, someone have me committed now before I plant more.

It’s really hard to tell from this picture. But this years cabbage is freakin’ huge. Freakin’ with a capital F.

The broccoli too. Although I see no sign of actual broccoli yet.

Bring it on Mother Nature. Bring it on!

Filed Under: Garden Tours, Gardening Tagged With: garden tour, Gardening

How to Grow Your Own Food: Rainbow Swiss Chard

May 24, 2012 20 Comments

This morning I have Rainbow Swiss Chard on my mind.

I’ve been growing this variety of chard for the past few years for one reason. I love the colors. But the truth is, beyond eating the chard raw in a salad, or chopping it up and baking it in a quiche, I have no idea what to do with it.

But I have a 8′ by 4′ garden box full of it. And it’s ready to harvest.

Any suggestions?

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Gardening, rainbow swiss chard

How To Grow Your Own Food: Goodbye Radishes… Hello Heirloom Tomatoes!

May 23, 2012 9 Comments

This morning I headed out to the garden on a mission. My mission was to pull up all the Crimson Giant Radishes. We’ve been snacking on radishes on and off for the last month or so, and honestly, I’ve had my fill. So I decided to see if the food bank would take them.

I thought about calling ahead, but I didn’t want to be turned down. I figured if I showed up in person, with a beautiful tray of radishes, the food bank would be more likely to take them. And guess what. It worked.

Not only did the Food Bank lady take the radishes off my hands, but she encouraged me to bring by any extra produce this summer, as long as it was in small amounts. Hot diggety!

Now that the radishes are gone… It’s time to transplant heirloom tomatoes. Only 74 more to go. Yee-Haw. Now we’re farming!

Looking for Crimson Giant Radish seeds? You can find them online at Botanical Interests.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Food Bank, Gardening, radish

How to Grow Your Own Food: Weigh In Wednesday

May 23, 2012 7 Comments

This year my goal is to grow 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think I can do it. With 16 raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a raspberry patch and a few more planting beds sprinkled throughout our property, I think growing 2,000 pounds of food is an attainable goal. Even if I do live right in the middle of high maintenance suburbia.

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Last week I harvested 3 green onions, a ton of lettuce and basil, a wee bit of chives, and a pinch of kale. I’ve been avoiding the standard radishes like the plague. But I need to harvest them. Now, before I can plant out the rest of my tomato plants.

I think I’m going pick the radishes, clean them off, and then drive over to the food bank and see if they will take them. If they don’t want them, well, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Lesson learned. Never plant a gazillion radishes again. Well, unless they are French Breakfast radishes, those have bartering power.

Although we are almost a full 5 months into the year, and I have yet to have any huge harvests yet, I’m not worried. I know the bulk of my vegetable weight won’t even start to roll in until around September. So for now, I’m rather happy with the results of my 2,000 pound challenge. I think I can do this. I really think I can.

Here is what I have harvested so far:

Basil 14 oz

Broccoli Rabb 1lb 6 oz

Chives 5 oz

Kale 11 oz

Lettuce 3 lbs 17 oz

Butter Crunch 12 oz
Mixed Greens 15 oz
Romaine 1 lb 4 oz

Mint 1 oz

Onions 3 oz

Green Onions 3 oz

Oregano 1 oz

Mushrooms 9.25 oz

Shiitake 9.25 oz

Green Onions 3 oz

Radish 11 lbs

Easter Egg Radish 2 lb 3 oz
Crimson Radish 1 lb 5 oz
French Breakfast 7 lb 8 oz

Sprouts 10 oz

Mung Bean Sprouts 7 oz
Sandwich Sprouts 3 oz

Total Food Harvested in 2012: 19 lbs 3 oz

I have spent a total of $$436.12 on seeds, soil, plants and supplies for this year.

Want to start your own little mini farm? Check out the book Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre By Brett L. Markham. Amazon currently has it on sale for $10.88.

*Amazon prices can change at anytime.

Filed Under: 2000 Pounds or Bust, Gardening Tagged With: 2000 Pounds or Bust, Gardening, Weigh In Wednesday

How to Dry Basil

May 22, 2012 8 Comments

Have you ever dried your own herbs before? Well, if not, I’m here to tell you it’s about as easy as tying your shoe. Seriously. A degree in rocket science is not a prerequisite. Not only is it easy, but if you have your own garden, it can be a huge money saver as well.

Yesterday was the perfect day to collect basil. From the greenhouse. Normally, I wouldn’t be harvesting basil until early July. But this year, with the addition of the new greenhouse, I was able to pick a boat load of basil about 2 months early. Yee- Haw! Just think what the pilgrims could have done if they had built a greenhouse right away. No one would of died from scurvy that’s for sure. Wait. Do we know if any pilgrims actually died from scurvy? Hmm.

Anyway… LOOK AT THIS BASIL! Isn’t she beautiful?

I was able to pick a whopping 9 ounces of the green goodness. Does anyone know the street value? 9 oz of basil… What does it go for these days? Anyone? Anyone? Quick, go ask your dealer.

Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter, because I’m not selling. Anyway, if you want to dry basil it’s really a high tech affair. There are 2 ways {that I know of} to do it. My favorite way to dry basil is via the food dehydrator.

Pick basil
Rinse basil off with cold water
Blot basil dry with paper towels
Lay basil down in a single layer on dehydrator trays so air can circulate {Mavis is naughty}
Turn dehydrator on the “herb” setting
Check basil after a few hours, if dry, the leaves will crumble if not… Uhh they are not dry yet.

Once the basil is dry, place it in a zip baggie and run a rolling pin over it.

Store basil in an airtight container until ready to use.

Or, if you want to go all pilgrim on me you could also repeat steps 1-3 and then leave it hanging upside down in a dark pantry and wait for it to dry out. That works too. But it’s not as fun.

If you are looking for a good food dehydrator, Amazon currently has the Nesco American Harvest Food Dehydrator on sale for $34.09 shipped.

*Amazon prices are subject to change at anytime.

Filed Under: Gardening, Recipe Tagged With: basil, Gardening, recipe

How to Grow Your Own Food: Potato Tower Update

May 21, 2012 13 Comments

Back in early April, I built 5 potato towers. The construction was simple. I used wire, dirt, straw and a few seed potatoes for each potato tower.

Fast forward about 5 weeks, and as you can see it was finally time to add a second layer to the potato towers.

To do this I simply added 4 inches of fresh garden soil inside the center of the wire frame. I then carefully packed more straw around the inside of the frame and then spread the dirt over the top of the potato foliage. I then placed 5 new seed potatoes on top of the fresh soil, and covered the seed potatoes with about 3 inches of soil.

Here is what the potato tower looked liked when I was finished.

Most likely, I will repeat this process two more times. Once in mid June, and again in mid July. Hopefully, by the end of August, or early September, I should be swimming in potatoes.

Yee-Haw!

Are you growing potatoes in towers this year? How is it going?

Go HERE to view the How to Build a Potato Tower post.

To learn more about growing up, instead of out, check out the book Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space By Derek Fell. Amazon currently has it on sale for $14.27.

*Amazon prices can change at anytime.

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: Gardening, potatoes

How To Grow Your Own Food: Vegetable Garden Tour

May 18, 2012 32 Comments

This morning it’s a bit chilly outside. And I’m glad. Although I’ve been able to enjoy a weeks worth of sunshine and warm weather, I’m ready for a break. Just as long as the cooler temperatures don’t harm the vegetables.

I’ve been debating on whether or not to plant the remaining 80+ tomato plants outside over the last few days, but I think I’ll wait. And it’s hard. It’s hard to stare out the back window and look at bare garden beds.

But I just can’t chance it.

Here’s a look at what’s growing in the raised garden beds right now:

Red Potatoes.

Crimson Red Radishes {find the seeds HERE}

Broccoli, Celery and Wall Walla Onion starts. After pulling up the Broccoli Raab I planted a few red onion bulbs. I should start to see those sprouting in a week or two.

Giant Cabbage in the front of the bed and Brussels Sprouts towards the back.

Sugar Snap Peas climbing up a handmade pea trellis.

The first round of the outdoor spinach looks like it’s ready to be picked.

Heirloom carrots lined up and ready to grow.

The vegetable garden is really starting to look and feel like a mini farm. I can’t wait to start planting pumpkins, winter squash and beans. It shouldn’t be too much longer. I hope.

What’s happening in your garden?

Did you plant anything new last week?

If you’d like to learn more about gardening in small spaces, check out Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces By Gayla Trail. Amazon currently has the book on sale for $13.59.