Grow Your Own Food

Grow Your Own Food

Grow Your Own Food

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1. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

The success of the Vegetable garden depends on the maintenance and care it gets throughout the year. Plants don’t just grow they are grown. You or somebody else has to be the care taker.  This requires hands on involvement to insure proper watering, proper spacing, weed control, staking, and constant observation of what is taking place. It is fascinating to see how fast things grow and change on a daily basis. Weather plays an important role. When there is too much rain, we need to make adjustments in our watering schedule. We need to be conscious of fungal problems. Each day can present a new problem and it is up to the people attending the garden to make good and timely decisions.  A vegetable garden can be rewarding and yet sometimes discouraging. It is a learning process and you get better with time.  Many scientists have researched the fact that there is a bond that humans develop with their plants. My father would whistle and sing to his plants each morning when he watered them. He grew great plants. When you end up with great yields, you are elated and usually end up giving food away.  Your family and your neighbors are proud of you. Gardening requires hard work and dedication to achieve success.  If you involve your children and other family members, you will expose them to a learning experience that only Mother Nature can teach.  Those who love plants learn to love and those who battle the storms of nature grow up to become stronger people with a strong work ethic. Gardeners know what it takes to achieve success. In a divisive world the one uniting force we can all look up to is Mother Nature.

I am going to try to cover some important maintenance items to be aware of.

ADD MYKE AT PLANTING TIME:
Myke is a product that should be applied to the roots of the plant at planting time. It has mycorrhizal fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the plant. This relationship develops a deeper root system and leads to healthier plants and higher yields.

SPACING
On a small plot spacing can be a very tricky situation. There are many guidelines on seed packets and other charts that provide ideal spacing for all vegetables that are grown. The problem is we can’t follow these guidelines in all situations.  These guidelines are good for the large vegetable garden with lots of space. In the small plot we would be very limited to the amount of varieties and quantity we would be able to grow. With increased production and limited space we need to be very creative with space. With raised beds we don’t need to space cucumbers as far apart if we let them hang over the side. Lettuce can be planted closer together and leaf types harvested by removing every other one twice before you reach your ideal spacing.  Tomatoes on the other hand will find reduced production if planted too close together but other crops can be under planted in this area to save room.  Peppers can be crowded a little bit closer than their ideal spacing and staking of some vining crops can save valuable planting area. You are going to have to work out these problems and adapt them to your situation. Experience is your best teacher. Record your layout and tweak it each year.  The empty pages in my book notes and observations gives you space to record information.  Try to rotate crops by not planting the exact same thing in the exact same position each year.

WATERING
Water is probably the most important factor in growing a healthy plant. Too much of it or too little of it is detrimental to a plant. Oxygen is essential to growing a good plant and when the ground is saturated the roots of plants will die from lack of oxygen.  This is the reason why it is so important to have a well drained soil and create an organic soil filled with porosity. Plants require water in their cells to grow and survive. On hot sunny days they will absorb what moisture there is in the ground and will transpire water into the air. When transpiration exceeds water absorption, wilting takes place. Temporary wilting can be taken care of by adding enough water to the soil so that the plant will revitalize itself.

Permanent wilting usually takes place when this problem is not corrected quickly enough and the plant dies.  The deeper the root system the greater the chance the plant will survive as the roots go deeper to find water. When new seedlings are just started in the garden, the root system is very shallow and the plant is very vulnerable to drying out.  This is something you need to be conscious of and need to take particular care at this stage in their development.  Growing plants outside in a garden is different than growing plants in a controlled greenhouse environment. Outdoor conditions affect your judgment on a daily basis. Windy conditions, temperature, rainy periods, sunny or cloudy days present a different adjustment that need to be made.  Most plants can adjust to minor adjustments of these conditions but lengthy durations can be detrimental and extremes need to be dealt with if your plants are going to survive and thrive.

WEEDING
Weeds are direct competition for the food, space and water of your existing plants. War needs to be declared on weeds from the start. Small weeds are easy to pull large weeds are difficult and very disruptive to the rest of the plants in the bed when being pulled. Corn Gluten is a pre-emergent organic weed control that will prevent new weed seeds from germinating. Corn meal not only prevents weed seeds from germinating but adds organic fertilizer to the soil as it breaks down.  Adding mulch to this procedure can give you very good weed control.  The few weeds that may break through after these applications can easily be handled. Some gardeners like to use straw on the ground as mulch where fruit or vegetables lie on the ground to avoid rotting.  There is a wide variety of organic mulches that can be successfully used.

STAKING
There are a lot of plants as they grow that will need staking or training. The Tomato is a typical example.  Weekly care needs to be taken to keep the growth compact and full and to allow maximum light for ripening and keeping fruit off the ground.  There are many plants that can be staked that are vining in nature and space can be saved by using vertical space instead of horizontal space. There is lots of room to grow plants vertically and limited room to grow them horizontally.  There are a lot of creative ways to deal with plants like this in the garden and it is worthwhile to observe options that could work for you

FEEDING
If you follow a program of organic feeding throughout the growing season, you can greatly increase yields and the nutrient value of the product you grow. I like to mix the organic fertilizers that I use by alternating them in my feeding schedule. In my book 12 Steps To Natural Gardening I have a calendar to follow helping you with a list of products to add on a monthly basis. When you follow such a schedule, it makes a huge difference on not only production but on nutrient value of the vegetables you produce.

HARVESTING
You need to visit your garden frequently to determine the best time to harvest your produce. You want it to ripen on the vine in and harvest it in its prime. You do not want it to be over ripened so timing is very important and almost requires daily observation.

PUTTING YOUR GARDEN TO BED IN THE FALL
Once the crop planted in your garden is finished producing or is killed by a heavy frost remove the dead plants and add them to the compost pile.  As weeds germinate remove them before they go to seed. This is very important and a step used by many gardeners as a weed reduction method reducing the seed available in the ground that are likely to germinate during the growing season.  Organic layers of additives should be added to the soil and will help condition the soil for the following year.

2. THE HERB GARDEN

The Herb Garden should be an important part of any overall garden plan. Herbs have many uses but the two main uses I like are for culinary use and medicinal purposes.  The Herb Garden should be located in an area that is easily accessible to the kitchen. Herbs are often planted together in what we call the Herb Garden. Herb gardens can be very attractive and the focal point in any yard. They are composed of many paths and often of round shapes. The many paths can create interesting designs and are necessary for access to the many varieties that people like to grow.  I consider the Herb Garden very important for everyone to develop. I think the future of living a healthy life style is in the natural preventive supplements and cures that are available to us from plants that we can grow and harvest in our own back yard. I keep harping on the topic that nature provided us with these gifts and all we need to do is research and find them.  It was a time that people only relied on a local Medicine doctor to provide them with cures.  Now we look at it as voodoo medicine. I think we need to combine these two worlds of medicine to achieve the maximum benefits to live a healthy life. There are plants we can produce in our garden that can improve our health. The problem is that not enough research has been put into this aspect of healthy living. The big money and the big profits are in drug companies and Agricultural marketing of ready made foods and the huge health industry that relies on cures.   The more we can take control of the health of our bodies the better we will understand what we need to do.  I am convinced medically focusing on prevention rather than relying on cures is a better path to follow. This has been proven to me in my dealings with plants.  I no longer use toxic sprays on a weekly basis but in stead build up the immune system of my plants and use beneficial insect to help control insect and disease problems.  Studies have been conducted where crops grown in healthy organic soils resist insects and diseases and avoid the need to follow a spray program.  I realize big bucks for research is where the money is but we also need to put it where our health is. Building an Herb Garden and researching what benefits different herbal plants can provide you with is a great investment.

The Herb Garden needs to be located in an area that is well drained. Many Herb Gardens have rock boulders added allowing organic soil to be brought in and mounded developing micro climates for special needs of certain herbs.  On page 193 of my book there is an interesting picture of an Herb Garden. This shows what a charming addition this would be to any garden,

In selecting herbs to put in your Herb Garden a great deal of research should be done.  There are many good books on this subject although I feel a lot more research still needs to be done. One of my favorite herbs is Aloe Vera and I eat a piece of it each day and have over 33 uses for it.  Unfortunately this herb is not hardy and needs to be grown on your kitchen widow sill. In my book ’12 Steps To Natural Gardening’ on page 331 I recommend for reading ‘Growing 101 Herbs That Heal’. This would be a good book to get started with.  There are lots of books on culinary uses.  We handle Gilberties large selection of organically grown herbs. This is an old company that I have known and grown up with for years. Our friendship mirrows a similar path of growth as we grew up and were educated in the chemical world and moved on our own to the organic world. I love the large variety of herbs that they sell with the very descriptive and informative labeling.  We also grow some of our own herbs.   Gilbertie has a website which you may want to check out. wwwgilbertiesherbs.com http

Care of the Herb Garden is important. They should be planted in a loose well drained organic soil, Most herbs require sun but some will take shade. Check the cultural requirements of each Herb you grow. It is a good idea to create as many mini climates within your garden and try to match your plants requirements to the location within the garden. A good source of water is necessary and I prefer watering them by hand. There is usually such a large mixture of plants and each requiring a different amount of water as well as mounded and depression areas within the garden that I prefer watering to be a judgment call. You can usually tell if a plant is too wet or too dry and provide water accordingly. Weeds are in direct competition with your herbs and need to be controlled from early on. Corn Gluten can be applied as a pre-emergent weed control and mulches should be applied to reduce weeding and for water conservation.  I like to feed them regularly with a mixture of organic fertilizers. Follow the same recommendations that I have for the vegetable garden on page 157 in my book.  Herbs should be gathered frequently to keep them full and bushy. Use them fresh as much as possible but if they get to leggy harvest and dry them for future use.  Herbs can be grown in containers and make ideal patio plants.  In the fall when your annual herbs die, remove them and add them to your compost pile. Add a thin layer of lobster mix or your own compost and replenish your mulch to a two inch depth. After the first heavy freeze cut your plants back.  Feed them in early spring with Plant-tone.

3. EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Anyone who owns a piece of our valuable earth has the ability to grow their own nutritious food which is healthier than what can be bought in a store.   During World War Two we had victory gardens in many households throughout our country. After the war many people no longer felt the need for them and abandoned this time consuming project. After the War our Agriculture community developed a chemical program of how to grow plants and the nutritional value decreased.  The Universities concentrated on methods of growing vegetables more economically and the big farmers became bigger and bought up the smaller ones. Machinery took over the job of man as we concentrated on a more mechanized approach to farming. Nutritional value took a back seat to production and profits. The big got bigger and the small got squeezed out. Agriculture is now big business and marketing principles filled our super market shelves with ready made food. Ready made foods have great appeal to two working parents who have to deal with the juggling schedules of their children and their hectic life.   95 % of these ready made foods have GMO altered plants added to these preparations. .Most of these altered plants is not good for you or we don’t know what effects they will have on us after being altered.  We are a country that doesn’t know what we are eating.  Our food chain is broken and is leading to an unhealthy America. We now have more hospitals, more doctors and more suffering to contend with as we concentrate our health resources and energy to find cures instead of prevention.  Now more than ever we need Victory Gardens in our yard. We need to win the battle to bring healthy nutritious food back to the table.  John Hopkins came out with a recent update. All of our bodies have cancer cells they claim. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. A strong immune system is our best way to fight cancer.
It is up to us to supply our body with the most nutritious food that we can and build a strong immune system. Not only will a strong immune system fight cancer but many other diseases and health related problems. We need to focus on prevention so we don’t have to focus on cures.  It is the home gardener that has the ability to accomplish this. It requires a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work and a lot of knowledge.  You will have your successes and failures but by doing so you will learn. You will become a better, healthier and stronger person who in the long run will save money and suffering.   If you can get your children involved, you will have the added advantage of having Mother Nature teach them life fulfilling lessons.  We need to maintain a new mentality if we hope to save our world from the collision course we are now on. We have many people who teach our children. Make Mother Nature one of their instructors. .
It is important to keep whatever you do tasteful and aesthetic looking so you will love your back yard. Outdoor living takes place in surroundings that are inviting. Decorating foreground vegetable gardens with flowers is not only a method to beautifying your property but creates a bio-diverse environment which attracts beneficial insects and aids in cross pollination.  If we can create a balance in nature you will be able to attain sustainable gardening on your property and admiration from friends and neighbors.
I have tried to teach you how beautiful an herb garden can be, how we can make a vegetable garden look beautiful and how much of a need there is to incorporate these principles into our landscape. Gardening is still the number one recreational activity in our country and health should be or number one concern. If we can combine all of the above, we have a great goal to try to attain. Gardening will take on more meaning and the fruits of your labor will be more rewarding.
Edible landscaping is a topic that every organic gardener can easily embrace. Maintaining and organic property allows you to plant edible crops any place on your property. Integrate small fruits, fruit trees, vegetables and herbs throughout your property. Increase the supply of healthy food on your property while adding to the overall beauty of it.   As a runner I would pick blackberries, on the trails in the woods and as a kid I would pick blueberries in the fields behind my Aunt’s house on Long Island.  There is something special about picking your fruit directly from the plant. This can be done very tastefully with good landscape design principles enhancing the beauty and interest to your property.  Fruit trees can take the place of a small flowering tree in your yard. Many of us old-timers remember the apple tree in our back yard. As kids we would climb until we reached the top and swings hung from its strong branches to entertain us and the children of the neighborhood.  It served many purposes providing beautiful spring flowers, shade, delicious fruit and recreational activities.   The blueberry bush makes a great foundation plant and harvesting the fruit becomes a bonus.  Swiss chard with its colorful foliage can be a focal point for any perennial garden. A bed of strawberries can become a border plant for an interior bed. A cherry tomato plant located on a heavily traveled pathway can serve to nourish a passer- by.   Edible landscaping requires some creative thinking so that it fits into your overall backyard or front yard design. Placing the right plant in the right location is of utmost importance. Research the needs of any plant you plan to use.    Start out with very small additions and changes. Make sure your decisions add not distract from your design.  As you get better at placing edible plants throughout your landscape design, you will find that you can actually increase interest, aesthetic possibilities and nutritional needs for your family.
Edible Landscaping can often lead as a forerunner of Permaculture.  Permaculture is combining the best of edible landscaping and natural landscaping. The ultimate purpose is to meet all the needs of its inhabitants including food, shelter, fuel and entertainment.  Permaculture can rarely be followed by today’s homeowners but we can borrow ideas for its use.  Edible landscaping is something we can all try and is a worthwhile investment. We all have learned to double task in our daily busy lives lets also learn how to have our landscape plants provide us with double tasking.  I suggest that all organic gardeners try to embrace this concept.
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