Organic Raised Bed Gardening Tips, Experiments, and Results

Nov 3, Learn to Worm Compost

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:00:41 GMT

Fall is a great time to set up a worm composting bin. Attend this free worminar and you'll get step by step instructions on how to build a worm bin. You'll also get downloadable plans and a copy of - I've got a worm composting bin - now what?

Oct 29, Fall Gardening Thoughts

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:12:52 GMT

Fall gardening thoughts: to do and ideas about frost

Jul 9, Free Gardening Help Is on the Way

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:55:10 GMT

The mission of my 20 minute garden is to help people plant quick, easy, low maintenance gardens so they can grow healthy, fresh, organic food. I hear from a lot of people saying that it's just too much work to start a garden. In response to that, I'm creating some free training to make gardening easy and enjoyable, and answer your questions about organic gardening. If you want in on some free training, all you need to do is take this super short survey and tell me exactly what you need help with.

Jul 4, The Lazy Gardener's Way to a Pest-Free Garden

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:51:02 GMT

Great article that supports the "let it be" philosophy of organic gardening, and what to do when you still have problems.

Jul 2, Organic Gardening Video Page

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:09:57 GMT

My organic gardening video collection, homemade by yours truly.

Jun 25, organic gardening the easy way

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:10:50 GMT

organic gardening with raised beds, the easy and healthy way to great food.

Jun 19, Gardening Problems

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:35:23 GMT

Do you have gardening problems? Get them solved here.

May 11, Organic fertilizer, not just for hippies

Tue, 11 May 2010 13:29:16 GMT

Organic fertilizer will save the planet. It will not burn your plants, or poison your family. It can also be cheaper, if you know what you're doing

May 2, Straw Bale Garden Design

Sun, 02 May 2010 22:24:37 GMT

A straw bale garden makes a flexible, inexpensive, and easy starter garden.

Apr 1, What Composting Worms Want

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:08:30 GMT

Is worm composting hard? What do composting worms need? My latest article gives the 5 elements composting worms must have to thrive.

Mar 22, No Room for a Compost Pile?

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:20:57 GMT

Here's a way that even apartment dwellers can compost.

Mar 22, How to Mix Your Own Organic Fertilizer

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:20:57 GMT

Organic fertilizer is often times cheaper than chemical fertilizer, and of course, much, much better. Learn how to calculate fertilizer costs and mix up a batch of organic fertilizer.

Feb 26, Here's a Way to Worm Compost

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:20:09 GMT

Want compost by spring? Start a worm composting bin now.

Feb 17, Harvesting Rainwater

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:27:29 GMT

Harvesting rainwater is a great way to cut the water bill, and it's not as hard as you might think.

Feb 15, Vermicompost

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:14:19 GMT

Making vermicompost is an alternative to the traditional compost pile that is less work and requires less space.

Feb 12, America's Favorite Tomatoes

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:19:20 GMT

Mother Earth News has published a list of the top 30 tomato varieties picked by their readers. The list includes open pollinated as well as hybrids. At the end of the article are links to tomatoes by region. The links weren't working for me, but maybe they'll work for you. I've been planting something called a "siberian" tomato which is super early, medium sized, and determinite (set all at once).

Feb 10, Worm Composting Hands On

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:46:05 GMT

Follow me as I try worm composting hands on. Pictures and posts make it easy to do yourself.

Feb 6, Frustrated With Seed That Won't Sprout?

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:17:57 GMT

For those of you who missed my last post which was a link to an awesome article, here's the link again. I decided to add some comments of my own. The article mentions starting seed indoors, and that many plants need warm overnight temperatures. The heat from rope lights is very interesting. What I've done in the past is use a standard heating pad from the drug store under the seedling trays,keeping it around a medium temperature. Also mentioned in the article is covering outdoor seedlings with the top of a liter soda bottle. I use wall o water. What's nice about wall o water is that when filled a little more than halfway, the top leans in and makes a mini greenhouse. That way if it snows, your plants are protected. And yes, we get many a late snow here in Northern AZ.

Feb 6, What's my Hardiness Zone?

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:17:57 GMT

Going along with the theme of when to plant, you may hear the term hardiness zone. For some of you, consulting a hardiness zone map may give you some accurate information, such as minimum and maximum temperatures. If you live in places where elevation changes within a few miles, you will get more accurate information from a chart of freeze and frost dates. For a link to freeze and frost info, click the link in this post.

Feb 4, When to Plant Seed

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:14:38 GMT

Soil temperature is the key to seed germination. Read this short article and you'll know when and how to plant seed whether it's indoors or out. This guy really nailed it.

Jan 31, The Lazy Gardener

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:11:19 GMT

Im a lazy gardener. I just dont see the point in killing myself trying to grow vegetables.
Sometimes Im too tired or just dont feel like tending to my garden. And thats okay because I set up my garden so it doesnt have to be labor intensive.
Good news! Its possible to be lazy and still have a productive garden. In fact, I would argue its the wave of the future.

5 Tips For Creating the Lazy Garden

Use a raised bed or containers. Tilling soil damages the natural ability of the soil to protect itself. As well, tilled soil is highly susceptible to weeds and grass encroachment. By using a raised bed, you can start with a great soil mix instead of trying to amend what you have.
Employ composting worms. Whether you add them to your garden and feed them via worm towers (the laziest), use them in the compost pile, or set up worm bins, composting worms will do a world of work for you. Adding vermicompost to the garden will increase moisture holding capacity, increase nutrients, and improve texture. Employing worms will recycle waste and cut down on fertilizer costs.
Use soaker hoses and/or drip irrigation systems to water deeply and without spending a lot of time. I get a lot of summer rain here in Northern Arizona, so I ended up giving away all my soaker hoses. But for more arid climates, a soaker hose or drip system cant be beat. Initially it may require some set up, but its worth it to turn the hose on low overnight and forget about it. These systems can even be hooked up to a timer to water while youre on vacation.
Mulch heavily as an insurance policy. Heavy layers of mulch keep soil cool and moist. If you add worms, theyll need a heavy mulch layer as well. Maintaining a nice mulch layer protects garden soil from drying out unexpectedly.
Plant easy crops. If you dont know what plants grow well in your area, ask somebody. Buy vegetable starts from a local nursery or grower. Wal-Mart and Home Depot will most certainly have plants not suited to your area because of how the ordering is done. Dont get too ambitious at first. If youre still stumped, plant sunflowers and beans.

Using the tips Ive outlined above, you can be a lazy and proud of it gardener too.

Jan 23, Fertilize The Garden Without Lifting a Finger

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:06:19 GMT

Do you make your own compost? What if you could make compost right in the garden? Well you can, by employing composting worms. Add composting worms to your garden and then provide a feeding site for them. The worms will make compost right in your garden all season long. For more details, read my latest article at Suite 101

Jan 5, Can a Garden Really Cut the Food Bill?

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:19:41 GMT

It's hard to quantify how much food the backyard garden grows, but these 2 ladies made a project of it. The results are astouding!

Jan 3, Vegetable Gardens for Beginners

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:36:21 GMT

Intimidated by all the work of a garden? That's old school, my friends. Put that tiller away. Today's vegetable garden is built in a raised bed or containers. It's quick and easy to start, and a snap to maintain.

Jan 2, Straw Bale Planting: the fastest garden yet

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:24:09 GMT

It's not to early to be planning your spring garden. Pressed for time and materials? Why not try planting in straw bales? One straw bale will hold a whole lot of herbs or lettuce...

Jan 2, Your Garden Needs a Blanket Too

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:24:09 GMT

Keeping your garden covered over the winter helps preserve moisture and nutrients. I know my garden soil has been very dry come spring time from lack of mulch. The attached article is by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Pleasant:

Jan 2, Worm Towers

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:51:46 GMT

Worm towers add worm compost directly to your garden by creating a feeding area for composting worms.

Jan 2, Worm Composting

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:07:55 GMT

Worm composting takes the work out of the compost pile. Red wiggler worms digest your kitchen and yard waste, producing lovely nutrient rich compost.

Jan 2, Bale Planting For Gardens

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:16:42 GMT

Bale planting is quick shortcut to a beginner's garden.

Jan 1, Benefits of Worm Tea

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:46:25 GMT

Worm tea is your garden's multivitamin and immune system booster. It will not burn plants and provides the necessary microculture to fight insects and disease.

Jan 1, Don't Want to Go it Alone?

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:34:40 GMT

If you're new to gardening and feel like it's too much work, or you don't have enough information, join a community garden. Many hands make light work and community gardens build relationships as well as grow food. Not one in your community? How about starting one?

Nov 27, Compost Tumbler

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:24:29 GMT

A compost tumbler provides a bin and a way to turn all in one.

Nov 15, Square Foot Gardening

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:34:23 GMT

Square foot gardening is a method developed by Mel Bartholomew which produces very high yeilds with little effort.

Oct 23, Plant Spring Flowers Now

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:32:14 GMT

Fall is the time to plant bulbs and most flower seed. As you know, this site is mainly about organic gardening, but I will give tips on some of my favorite flowers as well. Now is the time to plant daffodils, tulips, crocus and other bulbs. Most flower seeds will do well being planted now. This gives the winter weather a chance to break through the seed coat for sprouting in the spring. This is very true for any "wildflower" seed such as indian blanket, coreopsis, and purple coneflower. If your night time temperatures are still above 60 degrees, I'd wait another month before planting seed. A really showy planting for those of you in the warmer climates is to plant daffodils and pansies together. This can be done in the ground or in a container. Daffodils don't need the chill factor that tulips and crocus do, so they work in climates with a warmer winter. And, of course, these places usually plant pansies over the winter. Pansies can take several mild freezes and still survive. Plant daffodil bulbs in groups of three about 3-6 inches apart. If you plant in a container is okay to really pack them in. Then, plant pansies over the top. At some point, the daffodils will poke through the pansies and will be blooming in unison. The effect can be really spectacular. I personally like yellow daffodils and purple pansies, but the color choice is up to you.

Oct 20, We Have a Compost Winner

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:18:56 GMT

Thanks to all who participated in the garden survey. We have a winner from Louisiana. Your compost is on its way to you. I'm leaving the survey up for anybody who wants to participate, but I won't be offering a prize this time. gardening survey

Sep 28, Build a Potato Bin

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:37:14 GMT

A potato bin is an easy way to grow potatoes. Easy to assemble, easy to harvest, and no digging required.

Sep 28, First Potato Harvest

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:33:05 GMT

We had our first freeze and the potato plants are toast. I dug around in the potato bins and this is what I pulled out. There's still a lot in there. Most of the potatoes are smaller rather than larger but they're good! I cooked them in some soup.

Sep 8, Gardening Survey

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:40:11 GMT

This is where you help me to help you.

Aug 30, Fall is coming

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:11:07 GMT

The pumpkins are doing well and are starting to turn orange. I'd say they are the stars of the garden. I planted an "early" variety and it seems to have paid off. My pumpkins are usually still green at the time of the first freeze. If you remember, I planted cantaloupe, which was a risk that didn't pay off. It's just not warm enough for them here. The vines are still alive, but they never did anything. Next year, the tomatoes will go back in the ground with a wall o water, also not warm enough for them. I have been getting tomatoes, but I think the plants need more warm weather.

Aug 20, How to Compost E-book

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:29:52 GMT

New e-book shows you 3 ways to compost. How do smart women compost? Read the book.

Aug 19, How to Compost

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:54:23 GMT

How to compost revealed in this free e-book

Aug 8, Fall Garden

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:20:49 GMT

A fall garden in a hot climate can save you and your vegetables a lot of stress.

Jul 31, zucchini abounds

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:50:35 GMT

I've gotten 2 zucchini harvested. There are lots more coming, as well as pumpkins, gourds and hopi squash. I even have tomatoes that are turning red! That's a big deal because my tomatoes usually don't turn red until I bring them inside. The lettuce and basil sprouts on the straw bale are doing well along with the wild mushrooms. I'm watering the bale with mostly worm tea, figuring the seedlings could use the extra nutrients.

Jul 28, About Me

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:44:49 GMT

Find out about me, Cassandra Truax, and how I came to organic gardening.

Jul 24, Organic Vegetable Gardening

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:41:56 GMT

Organic vegetable gardening : mmm, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, oregano, bell peppers. Let me show you how.

Jul 21, Organic Recipes

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:49:19 GMT

You need organic recipes for your organic produce. Find them here.

Jul 19, Raised Bed Garden Update

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:41:38 GMT

Here's a video update of what's happening in my garden: Pumpkins, zucchini and hopi squash doing great thanks to the addition of worm towers. Potatoes in potato bins doing well and need additional soil. Tomatoes hanging in there, but next year I'll go back to using wall o water. It was too cool in June for the plants to get a good start. Lettuce and basil started on a straw bale.

Jul 14, Garden Soil the Organic Way

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:50:48 GMT

Garden soil done the organic way builds soil, conserves soil, and sequesters carbon.

Jul 6, claim blog

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:13:28 GMT

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Jul 1, What do you want from your garden that you're not getting?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:16:33 GMT

And the survey says: Please take the organic gardening survey so I can help you with your gardening woes. bki7377n3h