It’s been a rather frustrating year in the vegetable garden, thanks to a group of groundhogs that seem to have taken over the area. I knew woodchucks were very destructive and that a single animal could wipe out entire beds of healthy vegetable plants and flowers, but in the past I’ve never had this much trouble controlling groundhogs.
I also tend to be spontaneous when planning the vegetable garden but I do think that it is important to record the garden’s design and layout, even if it’s after the fact, so that you have a record that you can refer back to when planning your future gardens. Or you can take photos of your garden as a record of what was planted when, where, and the results.
A friend was surprised recently when I commented that carrots aren’t always orange in color. You may also be surprised to discover just how many different colors of carrots the resourceful gardener can grow in an ornamental vegetable garden.
The summer isn’t half way over and temperatures reached triple digits today but I’ve already begun planning and planting my fall vegetable garden. Last week I sowed seeds of rutabagas, turnips, and various kale varieties directly into an empty raised bed.
I received a recent comment from a gardener inquiring about harvesting ripe watermelons from plants that had volunteered in her home garden. There’s no guarantee that those rouge plants will produce mature fruits but if they do there are a number of techniques that can be employed to ensure that you harvest the mature watermelons at their peak.
One redeeming quality which you’ve probably already assumed since I’m writing about it, is that Stinging Nettles is a nutritious edible weed that offers many healthful benefits to those brave enough to include it in their diet. In addition this hostile plant actually makes a great companion around the garden and is reputed to improve the growth and flavor of other vegetable and herb plants.
I began growing Fish Peppers a couple of years ago and liked them so much that they’ve been included in every garden since that initial planting. The great thing about this unusual vegetable is that the plant is very ornamental and produces huge crops of tasty peppers.
Vegetable gardeners have been noticing the mysterious loss of flowers and immature fruits which have been shriveling and falling off of plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, and squash. Losing a few vegetable blossoms or young fruits isn’t uncommon, especially early in the summer and shouldn’t be a cause for alarm.
I’ve received several questions from gardeners expressing concern over their home grown tomatoes that develop sunken brown spots or black rot on their bottoms which totally ruins the fruit. The probable cause is a disease called Blossom End Rot which affects tomatoes, peppers, squash, and watermelons.
Gardening is a wonderful gift that I’ve developed the hard way… through trial and error! I hope to share the incredible lessons learned and make things a lot easier for you out in the organic vegetable garden.
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