How to Garden
-
Seed Starting Guide
Seed starting can feel like a daunting task. I used to just buy plants from a nursery and transplant them into the garden. However, I wanted a bigger garden every year and buying all those transplants cost a lot of money. Plus, some of the plants I was interested in, simply could not be transplanted. I found out quickly that I needed a seed starting guide to help me save money and start planning. When picking seeds to grow, I would love to do it all. I love everything from the smallest pea to the largest pumpkin. Finding out what plants like to grow in your area and what they…
-
Preparing the garden bed
In the fall, I like to make sure my garden is as ready as possible for the spring. In the process of preparing the garden bed, I layer up many things I find in the yard that will compost over the winter. Things include leaves, twigs, chicken manure, vegetable scraps and dirt. I find that it is easier to accomplish the layering when the items are readily available and not frozen. The first step is cutting back all dead plants in your garden bed. If there are weeds, I will bag those up and dispose of them but if it's just dead vegetable plants, I cut them up into small…
-
Winter Sowing
One of the easiest ways to garden is winter sowing. It's the process of planting seeds in a container with dirt and setting the container outside to sprout when it's ready. I have had great success with this method for the past 5 years. Plus it is a way I can reuse milk jugs. Winter sowing seeds a the most natural way for seeds to get ready to grow. Many seeds like having a cold season before they are willing to sprout. These plants are called hardy annuals and perennials. In my zone 5, it can can very cold in winter. Hardy annuals and perennial plants don't mind the cold…
