Organic vegetable gardening
Vegetable gardening is one of Americas favorite pastimes. Please take a look below and select the Vegetable you want to learn to grow.
Growing Organic Vegetable seedlings.
I was asked recently how to grow seedlings.
There are whole books written on the subject, and Dr. Jacob MIttleider's Let's
Grow Tomatoes, Gardening By The Foot, and several others are excellent sources
for this info. They can be found at www.growfood.com
in the Store. Following is a recap, with enough detail that if you pay
attention you can do a good job.
If plastic pots are available and inexpensive enough, we will use
them in trays, which in America are often 10" X 20" plastic
themselves. But in most places around the world we build our own trays,
and make them 18" X 18" X 3" deep. We fill them with
sawdust (rice hulls, coconut husks, peat moss, perlite, pine needles) and sand.
The sand should be between 25% and 35% by volume, and the other clean
ingredients I've mentioned can be mixed in amounts you prefer.
Do not use dirt in the trays. And don't buy pre-prepared
mixes with some fertilizer in them. They are VERY expensive for what you
get. Instead, for seeds mix 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) of Mittleider
Pre-Plant mix into the soil mix of each 18" X 18" X 3" flat.
This can be made by mixing 80 parts lime (or gypsum if you receive less than
20" of annual rainfall), with 4 parts Epsom Salt, which is magnesium
sulfate, and 1 part 20 Mule Team Borax (boron).
To plant seeds, use a 17"-long piece of 1" X 2" wood
and make between 6 and 8 shallow furrows in the tray. Then sprinkle seeds
in the furrows - 100-125 of small seeds, and fewer large seeds. Use a
knife blade or dibble to cover the seeds with the sides of the furrow.
Before watering the newly planted seeds, cover the flat with burlap
or cheesecloth. Water through this to avoid moving your sprouting seeds
and killing them. Use only clean water to water seeds. Remove
immediately upon the appearance of any sprouts.
When growing seedlings you should begin feeding your plants the
minute they show their heads above the soil. And you need to give them
maximum light just as fast - so they don't become leggy looking for light.
You should feed and water your seedlings at the same time. To
do this, mix 1 ounce of Weekly Feed with 3 gallons of water (10 ounces with 30
gallons, 16 ounces with 55 gallons of water). Use this "Constant
Feed" solution to water your seedlings, and do so at least once every day.
Check the drainage and make sure you are getting proper drainage, otherwise your
plants may drown, or rot.
The first transplanting should be done by the time your plants have
their second true leaves. The first transplanting should be done - again
using 18"-square flats - into 2" or bigger pots, or into pre-marked
spots evenly spaced in the flat. We make markers 7 X 7, 7 X 8, 8 X 8, 8 X 9, and
9 X 9, and use them depending on the size the transplant will become in the time
we need it to stay in the flats.
And when the leaves begin to overlap, if your garden is ready and
the weather is favorable to healthy plant growth, you should transplant into the
garden. Otherwise, you need to transplant again - with double the space
between plants. For tomatoes, peppers, and other slow-growing plants you
may need to prune the leaves a couple of times before transplanting the second
time.
| Asparagus | Beans | Broccoli | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage |
| Carrots | Cauliflower | Celery | Chicory | Corn |
| Cucumbers | Eggplants | Lettuce | Onions | Super Hot Peppers |
| Potatoes | Squash | Tomatoes | Turnips | Other Unique |
| Zucchini | Bell Pepper | Sweet Peppers | Pumpkins | Mesclun |
| Artichokes | Peanuts | Tomatillo | Watermelon |
How to select fresh vegetables
Purchase the digital Books and Manuals.