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Seeds for Schools: Winner #3 - Allenbrook Elementary

2012-02-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

Allenbrook Elementary School

Charlotte, NC

# of Students 422

Gardening Program: Brand New

Located in Charlotte, NC, about 10 minutes from the bustling downtown area, and boasting a student body of 422, Allenbrook Elementary school is our Seeds for Schools program's 3rd out 10 winner.

Their gardening program is new for 2012 and was initiated after Tina Cataldo (the school's recycling coordinator, and application submitter) decided it was time to expand the school's environmental program after they had already began teaching the students composting techniques with the help of Senior Environmental Specialist, Nadine Ford.

"We are hoping that the gardening project will extend from a learning experience to a useful community garden for the families who live within the Allenbrook Elementary school community," says Ms. Cataldo. "Our hope is to establish the garden and involve family members who will contribute efforts to maintain the garden over the summer months (as well as during the school year) and be able to reap the benefits of the garden for their families."

To accommodate their new gardening program for the students, Allenbrook is building four raised beds, which will be plenty of room to teach the students (and families) how to grow fresh, vegetables, fruits and herbs from the seeds they will receive.

Seeds for Schools: Winner #2 - Blackwell Elementary

2012-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Blackwell Elementary School

Marietta, GA

# of Students: 700

Gardening Program: Since 2011

Blackwell Elementary school is located in Marietta, GA and was founded 80 years ago. Their gardening program is fairly new, started only last year, by many novice but passionate teachers who were inspired by their assistant principal, Pam Roach, after she started the program.

"Our teachers finance so much of their classroom needs as well as the needs of our new gardening program," said Lisa King, a counselor at Blackwell as well as the person who submitted the application to our Seeds for Schools program. "This subscription is going to greatly improve the gardening program here."

Ms. King says she is excited about what gardening brings to the school, her own life and sees how the growth of the garden is leading the students to their own growth. Ms. King uses the school garden as means to teach the students goal setting as well as a means to establish "eco-therapy" groups at Blackwell.

Seeds for Schools: Winner #1 - Ravenna High School

2012-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the next 10 days, we are going to feature our 10 winners from our recent Seeds for Schools campaign. All winners were chosen from hundreds of applications submitted during our open enrollment period for the program and will receive a 3 year membership to Mike the Gardener's Seeds of the Month Club.

The choices were tough as there were so many schools that were excellent candidates. We wanted to feature each winner daily to give you a better idea of who they are and the gardening programs they use to teach the children in their schools.

Ravenna High School

Ravenna, Michigan

# of Students: 280

Gardening Program: Since 2001

Ravenna High School is located in Ravenna, Michigan which is about 3 and half hours west of Detroit. At 100 years old, Ravenna is committed to a quality and rigorous education that enables their students to be prepared for the challenges that they will face in the 21st century.

Ravenna's application was submitted by Melanie Block who has been teaching agricultural science since 2000. Their school garden was started in 2001 with the construction of their greenhouse.

Ms. Block's philosophy is hands on teaching when it comes to plant science and the school garden gives her and her students just that. And who can argue? She has been named Michigan Agriscience teacher of the year ... twice!

In 2000, Ravenna's agricultural program had only 22 students and today that number hovers near 200 which is nearly the entire student body!

"When I told the students we had been chosen as one of the winner's, a big cheer went out throughout the class," said Ms. Block. Now, Ravenna's students are eager to plant some seeds and get their hands dirty.

Vegetable Gardening in Small Spaces

2012-02-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

Do not let the lack of space be a reason or an excuse to not have a vegetable garden at your home. Thousands of people are in the same situation as you and that is the space they have available to grow fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from seeds is very limited.

Maybe you live in a big city and land available is scarce, or you reside in a condominium or apartment and the only thing available to you is a patio. Either way, there are some great solutions to help you through this. You can be growing your own fresh veggies in no time.

I recently spoke with Tracy Godsey who runs the small container blog Eden’s Container. Tracy started her small space vegetable gardening adventures when growing fruits, vegetables and herbs in containers is all she could do with her limited apartment space, which consisted mainly of a balcony.

“I currently grow herbs on my patio including basil, parsley oregano, thyme, mint and chives. The basil and parsley are the only plants that won't overwinter in my containers outdoors.”, says Tracy. “In a vegetable garden, full-sized plants can grow in any pot that holds 3-5 gallons of soil. Large plants like tomatoes need 5 gallons, while plants with shallow roots like lettuce can get by in a 3 gallon pot. Even smaller plants like radishes can grow well in trays and produce a harvest very quickly. If you don't have a container handy, you can make one by filling a plastic tube (such as a garbage bag or bread wrapper) with potting soil. These types of tubes are known as grow bags.”

Tracy reminded me of a very important factor that I had not thought about and that was the weight of what you are growing. If you are on a second floor balcony where weight will be an issue, Tracy recommends, selecting smaller heirloom varieties and grow them in hanging baskets.

Just because you are limited on space does not mean you are limited on what you can grow. Remember to select fruits, vegetables and herbs that you and your family will consume. Since space is a premium you do not want to waste any with items that will get discarded. Be careful not to over water your items in containers and make sure your containers have adequate drainage holes. To protect from the loss of dirt through those drainage holes use coffee filters at the bottom or paper towels. Both options allow water to pass through but not dirt.

On a final note, “never put ordinary dirt in containers, only potting soil,” says Tracy. “You will have much better success since the soil is already formulated for growing plants in pots.”

Now it’s your turn to roll your sleeves up, get some containers, fill them with potting soil and plant the seeds of your favorite fruits, veggies and herbs. Don’t let space, or in this case, the lack thereof, prohibit you from eating fresh from the garden.

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

#99: Vermicomposting for Better Soil

2012-02-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

Vermicompost is merely nothing more than worm castings after you have fed them a diet of organic material. It is one of the best forms of fertilizer you can add to your garden. So good that many home vegetable gardeners have created worm farms and vermicompost bins in their own back yards, sheds, garages and basements. It is easy to do and fairly inexpensive. As with anything, the more work you put into it the less it will cost.

Listen in as Mike gives you some vermicomposting tips.

Click Here, for a full transcript of this podcast.

Great Seed Starting Project for Kids

2012-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

You can use a variety of items to start your seeds in, from your garden's own soil, to a mixture of equal parts compost, perilite and peat. While other methods will be just as fun to do with your kids, mine really enjoyed using the seed starter pellets. This particular box of 72 (refills) cost me $5.99 at Home Depot. You can also buy a small propagation dome (you will see this shortly) which include the pellets. They range in price from $1.99 up through $9.99 depending on how advanced you want to get.

Have your kids place the pellets in a plastic tray. The one in this photo is a smaller propagation dome that holds 12 pellets. It costs $1.99 at Home Depot and comes with the 12 pellets. Since I have had this one for a few years I needed to buy the replacement pellets as shown in the previous step. My 2 year old and 4 year old enjoyed putting the pellets in the tray.

Using a plastic cup, fill with warm water...not hot and not cold ... WARM water. While the pellets will expand on hot water, it does not make for a great environment for the seeds. Cold water will "eventually" get the seed pellets to expand ... do you have an hour or so? Warm water will make them expand instantaneously.

Here are what the pellets look like once they have expanded.

Have your kids choose something they would like to grow. In my son's case, here we are planting broccoli. What can I say, I am lucky, the young man loves to eat broccoli, so growing it makes perfect sense.

Just remember the smaller the seeds you choose the more likely your child will pick up A LOT of them at once and plant a bunch in each pellet. It's not really a big deal, you will have to go back later after they sprout to thin each pellet out. Once they reach the top of the dome, carefully use a pair of scissors and snip the extras leaving 1 or 2 plants behind. Using larger seeds makes this easier (i.e. squash, watermelon etc.).

Have your child put the dome on top. This helps seal in the moisture and create a greenhouse. A constant temperature and moisture level will exist, making for a perfect seed starting environment. If you are using your own home made tray you can cover with clear plastic wrap and that will serve the same purpose.

Place the finalized tray with pellets, seeds and dome on a window sill that receives sunlight first thing in the morning. For faster germination, place it on the same window sill NEAR (NOT ON) a heater vent.

CAUTION: NEVER PUT IT ON THE HEATER VENT!

And that's it! Your seeds should germinate in 5 to 7 days, probably sooner. Once they grow tall enough to where they can no longer fit under the dome, I like to plant them in their own individual pots, if the outdoor temps are not ready for transplanting.

Incorporating Manure in your Home Vegetable Garden

2012-02-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article the other day in Mother Earth News magazine about a family in California that made a lifestyle change to be more self reliant and work hard towards being more self sustaining. One of the portions of the article talked about the important role their chickens played in tilling the land and adding their own manure to it so that they can grow fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in fertile soil.

It got me thinking about how every home vegetable gardener can incorporate manure into their own gardens, regardless of how big or small it may be. I am not saying to go out and get a flock of chickens anytime soon, although I know many of you do have them, but more so, what steps can you take to use manure in your own garden, to make sure your soil contains the nutrients it needs to keep producing great tasting vegetables, fruits and herbs.

For help on this topic, I turned to Todd Heft who is the writer of the Big Blog of Gardening. Todd has been gardening for most of his life and focuses in on organic gardening, of which he feels manure must be a part of if you want to add the nutrients to your soil that your plants need to grow.

Todd believes horse manure is the way to go. “First of all, new-to-manure folks should understand that there is no wicked smell from horse manure - not like your dog's waste. Horses eat a variety of vegetables and no meat so there are no offending parasites or bacteria in the waste to create a foul smell,” says Todd.

Todd also says that you should get a manure/straw mixture. This type of mixture is what many owners of horse stables in his area are trying to get rid of. The straw lightens the mixture and that helps break the manure down faster.

Give the manure a couple of months to sit so it will break down before you add it to your home vegetable garden. This also helps in making sure that “rogue pathogens” are killed as the manure pile heats up.

One of the best and maybe not thought about sources of finding good quality manure in your area is Craigslist. Todd hits Craigslist every spring to look for stables that want to give it away. Stables need to unload this “stuff” and they simply can’t throw it in the garbage so many will gladly give it to you if you are willing to go and pick it up. Todd is fortunate in his area that he has had been able to find stables willing to deliver it for a bucks to cover the cost of gas.

I took Todd’s Craigslist challenge myself and did a search in my area for free manure. The list was longer then I had ever thought and I didn’t even realize horse stables existed in some of the towns that came up in the search. Do your own search right now and you will see for yourself.

Now that you know what type of manure you should get and where to get it, it’s time to add it to the garden. So when should you do it? Manure should season first. Fresh manure added to your garden will create an unstable environment for the plants. Seasoned manure which has been broken down is better. What I learned is that if you have fresh manure and do not have the space to have a pile of it sitting around (or maybe the neighbors won’t appreciate it), add your manure in at the end of your growing season after your plants are done producing and then til it in. If you have seasoned manure, adding it in to your soil a week or two prior to planting should be ok.

“I also recommend adding your kitchen scraps to manure to create a fantastic compost,” says Todd. “One should also use an organic fertilizer. Manure can be a little light on the nitrogen side so it's good to add seaweed, bone meal or fish emulsion to insure success.”

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Is this how your social networking is conducted?

2012-02-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

#98: How to Photograph your Home Vegetable Garden

2012-02-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

What a better way to share your vegetable gardening efforts with the world then snapping a few photos. In this podcast, Mike shares some tips from professional photographers

Click here for a full transcript of this podcast.

What does the new USDA Frost Zone Map mean to you?

2012-01-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

You may have been gardening your whole life and never knew that your corner of the country is in a zone. A plant hardiness zone that is. If you live in the United States of America like I do (and you may having something equivalent outside of the USA), then you will come to know, as your vegetable gardening experience continues to grow, that the country is broken into plant hardiness zones.

Plant hardiness zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. They do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time.

These zones appear on a map of the US that is distributed by the United States Department of Agriculture. The last time a zone map was released was back 1990 and the zones were created using temperature data from a 13 year period (1974 to 1986).

The USDA believes they have improved upon the original map with new data. There are now 13 zones as opposed to 11, and the new zones are now divided into “A” and “B” zones using 5 degree Fahrenheit differentials.

According to the USDA, “Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in this edition of the map have shifted in many areas. The new map is generally one 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. This is mostly a result of using temperature data from a longer and more recent time period (1976 - 2005).”

Large posters of the new map will no longer be available for purchase. The USDA website at USDA.gov has an interactive map that users can click on down to their exact location and give them detailed plant starting dates.

For example, on the old map, New Jersey, where I am from, was split into zones 6 & 7. Now there is 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b with all 4 zones being spread throughout the entire state. My zone went from 7 to 7a (ironically the same exit off the turnpike {inside joke for New Jersians}), however the temps and cold frost dates are virtually unchanged for my area.

So what does this mean for your growing adventures? Well, the more detailed version will allow you to better estimate when to start your plants indoors and of course move them outdoors to avoid any chance of frost. While this new map is more accurate, according to the USDA, you should always take precautions with your plants outdoors as you never know when you will get that one last blast of frost.

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

#97:Companion Planting

2012-01-30T05:50:00.000-08:00

Start Using Companion Planting in your Home Vegetable Garden

If you are looking to maximize the available room you have in your yard or on your property, while at the same time promoting healthier plants through better soil and other means,companion planting is the way to go.

Listen in as Mike talks about companion planting.

For a full transcript of this podcast visit: http://averagepersongardening.blogspot.com/2011/11/start-using-companion-planting-in-your.html

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Growing Herbs from Seeds for Good Health and Great Tasting Food

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

I love growing herbs from seed. With a window sill and some sun, you can grow pretty much any type of herb year round, almost anywhere in the world. My favorite to grow for its wonderful aroma, is basil, but I love the taste of fresh rosemary on chicken. Herbs are easy to grow and maintain and the best part, many are healthy for you. Growing herbs at home is like growing medicine that makes your food taste better. Something that cough syrup won’t do.

I wanted to get an expert’s input on this topic so I turned to Nourishing NYC education director Scott Keatley. At Nourishing NYC, Scott and his team teach low income families how to grow their herbs and use them in healthy dishes. A process Scott claims that their clients love.

When I asked Scott what three herbs he would recommend to someone to grow in their gardens and as to why, he said there are a slew to choose from but he could easily narrow it down to his favorites. He said that basil, rosemary and thyme are three he highly recommends because they will make bland foods that are good for you taste better, increasing one’s likeliness to eat healthier.

What Scott also has found is that herbs give taste to foods that your palate craves which helps deter many from reaching for those sugary snacks. He likes to use basil in his pasta dishes as well as other Italian foods, and like me, Scott loves rosemary on chicken.

Head nutritionist at the Cederquist Medical Wellness Center, Christy Shatlock takes herbs a step further. “While most people know that herbs and spices can be used to enhance the flavor of foods, they don’t realize that these same herbs and spices can also be used to improve their health,” claims Christy. “Many herbs and spices have antimicrobial, antioxidant and even antiviral effects.”

A spice many don’t think of that is very valuable, according to Christy, is cinnamon. While it tastes great, it also has antimicrobial affects that helps improve insulin resistance for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Along with the many health and taste benefits that herbs provide, they do not add virtually any extra calories to a dish. This allows you to flavor up your foods without the fear of packing on unwanted calories.

Someone suggested to me that I grow basil next to my tomato plants and I will be amazed with the flavor of my tomatoes. While I have not tried that yet, (I plan to though), I have heard this tip from a few people now, and it makes me want to do more research on herbs, and find out ways that they can help enhance my garden. This is one of the reasons why we add one pack of herb seeds to each monthly shipment in our Seeds of the Month Club for our members.

If you are looking to spice up your food with better taste and add something healthy to your dish in the process, then clear off that window sill and make room on the back patio. You can grow your favorite herbs from seed with very limited space.

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Start your Cucumbers from Seeds

2012-01-24T11:48:00.001-08:00

Last year was by far the best year for cucumbers that I have ever had. With a good mix of care and of course, excellent weather, the cucumbers I started from seed, blossomed and produced unlike any season before. Here is what I did last year. Hopefully you will have great success as I did.

I love to start all of my vegetable garden plants from seed as opposed to picking up plants at a local garden nursery, garden center or home center. I enjoy the challenge of it as well as knowing that I was involved in the plant’s growing process, literally, from beginning to end. There is a sense of self accomplishment there.

Cucumbers are no different. I like to start my seeds indoors about 3 to 4 weeks from the final frost date in my area. I also like to use a propagation dome indoors for all my seeds to create that greenhouse atmosphere for them. This keeps a constant temperature around my seeds which aids in the germination process.

There are a number of ways and items to use to start your seeds. For me, I like to use left over yogurt, cottage cheese and k-cups as my seed starting pots. For my soil I try to use the soil from garden, since that is where they will end up anyway, however if you are unable to do that, there are plenty of seed starting soils out there which are excellent as well and available at any home or garden center for a few bucks.

When planting your seeds, one half to one inch deep is all you will need to go. Any deeper and they might not be able to produce enough energy to push through the soil.

Under optimal conditions expect your cucumber seeds to germinate in 3 to 4 days, however don’t be discouraged if it takes a bit longer. Also, if you are using the smaller k-cups like I do, or seed starting pods, you will want to transfer them to larger pots once they get about 2 inches tall. For pods, you will start to see their roots grow through the outer netting. Once you do, get them in a pot.

Just like you would with any other vegetable plant, you will want to acclimate them (harden off) to the outdoor environment slowly. Once temperatures begin to warm up, take your plants outdoors during the day and bring them back in when the sun sets.

Once the outdoor temperatures are ready for growing (above 70 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect) transfer them to their final growing spot, where they will receive full sun. As a side note, if you are growing indeterminants such as straight eights, put up a trellis to support the growing vine. You will get straighter cucumbers that way and they are easier to harvest.

Once planted, a moderate watering is all you will need until they begin to flower. Once they flower, start a heavy watering regimen until you begin to harvest, then return back to moderate.

Some final thoughts and observations. The larger you let your cucumbers grow the more seedy they will be. Try to pick them when they are 10 to 12 twelve inches, shorter if you want more of a crispier and crunchier cucumber. Avoid other vegetables in the cucumber family when rotating and try not to plant near potatoes as they make for a bad companion to cucumbers.

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

#96: 5 Power Fruits to Grow at Home

2012-01-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Listen in as Mike continues his series on power foods to grow at home. Once again he talks to experts in the nutrition field on 5 fruits that you can add to your garden and of course how to grow them.

For a full transcript of this podcast, visit: http://averagepersongardening.blogspot.com/2011/10/5-power-fruits-to-grow-in-your-garden.html

3 Tips for Growing Great Tomatoes from Seeds

2012-01-19T05:17:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more popular to grow in the home vegetable gardening world then tomatoes. By more than 3 to 1 it outshines it’s next counterpart (peppers or cucumbers, depending on which poll you read). Who can argue? Tomatoes taste great, have many uses, and there are so many varieties to choose from, that there is sure to be one kind for everybody.

Like many of you, I enjoy growing tomatoes and especially starting them from seed. While I won’t say it is overly difficult to grow tomatoes from seed, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of success. I put together a short list you can follow.

Start Indoors
As with many other other vegetable seeds, tomatoes are no different. Start them indoors. I had one friend who started his tomato seeds in February here in NJ. While that was way too far in advance, even he admits it as he lost all of his window sills for quite sometime, starting them indoors and being able to move fairly grown plants outdoors will get you to a tomato crop much faster. If you have a short growing season, starting them even earlier indoors isn’t a bad thing though.

Acclimation
More commonly known in the vegetable gardening world as “hardening off”, you will want to acclimate your tomato plants to the outdoors gradually so as to not shock them. As temperatures warm up out doors during the day, take your plants outside for a few hours at a time before you transplant them to their final destination. When the night time rolls around, bring them indoors. It may see like a lot of work, but it’s really not. It will become part of your daily routine for a couple of weeks.

Sun, Sun and more Sun
While many varieties of tomatoes will grow in partial shade, one thing is for sure, they love the sun. The more sun they get, the better off they will be. If you are limited with space available where full sun is possible, don’t be afraid to put some tomato plants in large pots and move them around.

What are some of your tips for starting tomatoes from seed? Be sure to post them in the comment section below and share with others.

About the Author
Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the monthly Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

#95: Five Power Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

2012-01-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

5 Power Foods you can Grow in your Vegetable Garden

I recently had a chance to speak to some health and nutrition experts and ask them what vegetables they recommend to their clients for better health. Listen in to find out what 5 power veggies they recommended and how you can grow them in your garden. For more information on growing vegetables, be sure to visit http://www.averagepersongardening.com.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Has this happened to you?

2012-01-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

This service announcement brought to you by the Seeds of the Month Club. Please share. No one should have to go through this alone.

What are Open Pollinated and Heirloom Variety Vegetable Seeds?

2012-01-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years there has been a large movement towards growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs from seeds. The top three reasons people gave in a recent study conducted by the National Gardening Association, were to put fresh produce on the table, save some money and to know that what they were growing was safe.

Who can argue about all three reasons? Can there be anything in the store that is fresher than walking out of your back door, picking a tomato off the vine and then eating it right at that moment? I don’t believe so. As for saving money, the cost of a single vegetable seed is less than a hundredth of a penny. Yes that is one, one hundredth of a penny. Now of course you still need to water and tend to the plant, but in a recent USDA study, one tomato seed can produce over $50 worth of tomatoes. That’s a pretty good return.

When it comes to the safety of your vegetables, growing your own puts you in control of it. Unlike produce in stores, that are harvested in places you didn’t even know existed, you get control what goes into your soil and whether or not you want to treat your plants with a fertilizer. In other words, you make all of the decisions. That’s freedom to me.

This surge, and for these reasons, has lead to another push toward something. A variety of seeds that make vegetable gardeners feel safe when they plant them. They are open pollinated and heirloom varieties. Most of the time they can go hand in hand, but that is not always the case.

Open pollinated seeds are ones that have pollinated naturally. This type of pollination occurs when something helps pollinate the plants without “human” intervention. For example, the wind could be a source of pollination (this is also called Abiotic pollination), or some organism, such as a bee (Biotic pollination). The fruit of seeds that have been open pollinated will vary in size and shape. Unlike what you see in the store, all of your tomatoes won’t be the same bright red color or shape, but the ones from your garden will taste a heck of a lot better. A huge benefit of using seeds that are open pollinated is that you can save seeds from the fruit of the plants that you grow and get the same plant variety the following season (after you have dried out the seeds). That leads us to heirloom.

A great book to read on the subject is The Complete Idiot`s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables by author Chris McLaughlin. In there she talks about what an heirloom is, a little history on various heirloom varieties and importantly, a list of what types of heirloom seeds you can find today. As the name heirloom implies, it is simply a variety that has been passed down from one generation to the next. As you can see, open pollinated and heirloom can go hand in hand, however there are times when many gardeners hand pollinate their plants if it seems that natural open methods simply aren’t working. That doesn’t mean you can’t pass down the seeds from your heirlooms, it just means they weren’t open pollinated.

As a side note there are two terms that get thrown in this mix that many new vegetable gardeners misunderstand. Open pollinated heirloom variety does not equate to organic. For a seed to be organic it has to meet the criteria of the USDA’s National Organic Program guidelines. Furthermore, a hybrid vegetable does not mean that a plant has been genetically modified. A hybrid is a cross between two plants to produce an offspring that has characteristics of both the parent plants. However the seeds of a hybrid child (referred to as F1) will not necessarily produce the same exact plant from which it came.

I hope this clears up some of the terminology.

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Get an "I Love Vegetable Gardening" bumper sticker

2012-01-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Anyone want an “I Love Vegetable Gardening” bumper sticker? For free of course. Just visit http://www.averagepersongardening.com/bumpersticker … fill out the form and click submit.

#94: Community Vegetable Gardening

2012-01-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Listen in as Mike gives you some tips on community vegetable gardening and how those with small space may be able to benefit. For more information on community gardening, be sure to visit: http://www.averagepersongardening.com.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Tom asks: "Can we dehydrate and or dry and save nasturtium flowers and leaves?"

2012-01-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

3 Vegetable Seeds that have a Large Yield per Seed

2012-01-05T08:04:00.001-08:00

If you had room to plant only three vegetables, what would they be and why? I was recently asked this question by a friend. Before I get into what I would grow let me address why I would grow the ones I did choose. If I only had space for three vegetables I would make sure I first grow something that has a high yield and second, make sure I am growing something that I and my family would enjoy eating.

If you have limited space, just like any other product you buy, you want to get the greatest return from what you are growing. For example, if you only had space to plant three items, cauliflower will more than likely not be one of them, unless of course you absolutely love cauliflower. I personally would not choose this item because you are only going to get one plant in one space with one seed. Not a very good return with limited space.

Your best choices are items that will produce a lot on a single plant and preferably can grow up as opposed to out as you will see in my list.

Pole Beans

I love having fresh picked beans with dinner and if you grow pole beans then you already know the amount you will get from a single seed. Pole beans are a great first choice because they fit the bill of both of our ROI (return on investment) requirements. They grow up as opposed to out and their yields are tremendous. Good choices are Blue Lake pole, Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder Brown and Stringless Blue Lake. A single seed can produce hundreds of beans and if you are growing an heirloom variety be sure to save a few to plant again next season.

Cherry Tomatoes

Ok, technically speaking, tomatoes are botanically a fruit, but who can argue the choice of tomatoes. One single seed, according to a recent USDA study can produce over $50 worth of tomatoes. A tremendous return on the investment of time, space, work and cost. To maximize your limited space, choose a variety that produces an even larger amount such as cherry, grape, and yellow or red pear. These tomato varieties keep producing and producing and producing and … you get the point..

Zucchini

If you have grown any type of zucchini before then you already know what the return of just one zucchini seed can give you. My neighbor even told me one time of the old saying “zucchini plants produce so much, so fast, that you can literally watch the zucchini grow before your eyes.” While I won’t say that I have experienced that, I have planted just a couple of seeds and was able to not only keep plenty for my family, but give basket fulls away to neighbors, friends and relatives. Different varieties of zucchini (or other types of squash) will vary on yields. My favorites are the striped zucchini and black beauty.

Your list of vegetables grown from seed in limited space, I am sure, will be different, but these are my favorites. Cucumbers would be 4th on my list, just slightly behind the zucchini. What vegetable seeds would be on your list?

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

5 Ways to Maximize the Germination Rate of your Vegetable Seeds

2012-01-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

As a vegetable gardener you absolutely love it when the time rolls around that you can get your vegetable seeds started. However, nothing is more frustrating when the seeds you plant take either too long to germinate or in some cases, not at all. Here are 5 tips that Mike uses to help increase the germination rate on vegetable seeds. For more information on vegetable seeds be sure to visit Mike’s website at http://www.averagepersongardening.com

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Vegetable Gardening - 2011 Year in Review

2011-12-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is our Vegetable Gardening Year in Review video. Happy New Year! Here’s to a successful 2012 Vegetable Gardening season.

7 Ways Vegetable Gardeners Can Beat the Winter Blues

2011-12-29T05:10:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when those of us in the Northern hemisphere become envious of those in the southern part of the world. They are in full vegetable gardening mode, growing great tasting fruits, vegetables and herbs, from seeds and potted plants. But rest assure, even though old man winter is biting us in the a, er um, I mean rear, there is still plenty of things we vegetable gardeners can do to get us to where we start planting our indoor seeds. Here are seven that I have chosen as some of my favorites.

Organize Your Vegetable Seeds
As the owner of the Seeds of the Month Club, this one is a no-brainer for me. I have to keep our company’s seeds well organized all year round. But for many of our Seeds Club customers, and those that have purchased seeds through catalogues and online, now is a great time to organize those seeds. I find what works best for me, is to organize the seeds by variety first, i.e. tomatoes with tomatoes, cucumbers with cucumbers, etc., then organize them by date. Members of our vegetable gardening page on Facebook, take it a step further and organize by companion planting, rotations and so much more.

Learn
The weather outside might be frightful but the delightful comforts of your home is a perfect setting to research and read up on vegetable gardening topics that can enhance your skills. Want to learn more about composting? Pick up a good book on the topic and learn as much as you can. A favorite of mine that I read, is Chris McLaughlin’s book The Complete Idiot`s Guide to Composting. Chris’ book keeps composting simple yet introduces you to variety of composting styles and techniques.

Maybe you are already a compost expert and want to learn more about specific vegetable gardening techniques, tips and tricks. There are books for that as well. A search on Amazon.com will yield you plenty to choose from.

Plan the Garden
My garden plans will change more than the weather before I finalize it and start actually planting, but now would be a great time to at least put down on paper a list of vegetables you would like to grow from seed this year. A garden plan is a great way to organize your space and thoughts. As a side note I always recommend adding at least one new item to the garden that has not been tried before. I believe it keeps vegetable gardening, fun, exciting and challenging. Hopefully it will for you as well.

Soil Sample
As as long as you can still dig up your soil, now would be a perfect time to take a soil sample. Sure, it may fluctuate based on certain weather conditions but you will have a basic idea of what is in your soil, what it needs and so on. A low cost soil test kit can be found online for anywhere from $3.00 (US) up through $21.00 (US). However, if you are lucky enough to have a co-op in your area, for a small fee, you can take them some of your soil and they will run the tests for you.

Gardening Mentor
Whether you are talking to a neighbor about getting them to start a vegetable garden or you need some helpful advice yourself, the winter is a perfect time to talk about vegetable gardening. If you are a vegetable gardening enthusiast like me be sure to strike up a conversation about it with a friend or loved one who may not have a garden at all and convince them it is worth the time and effort. If everyone you know already has a garden but you had some issues last season, talk to someone in your area to see if they experienced the same thing and if they did, what did they do to fix it.

Up to this point everything has been about what you can do indoors that requires absolutely no growing or getting your hands dirty (for the most part). Is there any gardening you can do? Yes, as you will see below.

Cold Frame Gardening
Not too long ago I wrote an entire article on vegetable gardening with a cold frame. I was fortunate enough to get some professional input from the author of How to Build Your Own Greenhouse, Roger Marhsall. Roger was nice enough to share photos of his own cold frames and give us some great advice as to which vegetables you can grow. A cold frame protects vegetables from the elements and is an excellent way to do some home gardening in the colder months. You can read that article, here.

Window Sill
This one is an oldy but a goody and one of my favorites. I have been successful in the past growing such things as basil (pretty much any herb), spinach, and lettuce on my window sill. I choose a spot that receives sunlight first thing in the morning. Even if you grow only 1 or 2 items this way, it at least scratches that vegetable gardening itch you might have.

About the Author
Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club: