There is a food crisis sweeping the globe. This crisis is caused by rising food prices, rising prices of synthetic fertilizer, poor food distribution and adverse weather conditions in areas of high food production. Residents in poor nations who subsist mostly upon unprocessed foods are being hit the hardest, but effects can be felt in highly developed nations such as the United States. The price of fresh produce is increasing quickly. Tomatoes, in particular have experienced price increases over the past few years.

One way to help decrease the effects of food price increases and be self-supporting in the event of a catastrophic food shortage is to start a kitchen garden, or vegetable garden. There are ways that producing your own food can be much more costly, but it is possible to raise food cost-effectively. Preparing the garden, using resistant varieties and natural fertilizer will help you grow more produce than you thought you could produce!

Preparing the Garden

The key to preparing a garden that will produce fruits and vegetables in a cost effective manner is quality preparation before planting. A garden of 15 feet by 15 feet can provide enough produce for a family of four to eat while in season, plus produce enough for canning.

Soil Preparation

For plants to grow well, they need to have good soil. If building a new garden, prepare the area by mixing a compost/topsoil blend with your existing soil. While this might seem like a large expense in the beginning, it will pay off in the long run because you will not spend as much money on soil amendments in the future.

Garden Fencing

If you live in an area with deer and rodent problems, put up a minimum ten foot tall fence that is angled slightly outward. If possible, bury the fence at least 18 inches into the ground. A fence is the cheapest, and easiest method of large pest control.

Water Source

Drip irrigation is the most cost-effective, time-conservative type of plant watering. Drip irrigation puts the water where the plant needs it. It is less wasteful than regular sprinklers because it waters only near the plant. It also helps some weed prevention because bare soil with lots of weed seeds is not watered-thus preventing some sprouting issues. If drip irrigation is cost-prohibitive, install hose hookup points around the garden so that you can easily hand-water the plants.

Selecting the Plants

After the garden plot is prepared, select plants that are well adapted to your growing climate. If your goal is affordable produce, this is essential.

Disease Resistance

Heirloom vegetables are yummy. Disease resistant vegetables are cost-effective because you will spend less money on pest control mechanisms. Whenever possible, buy varieties that are resistant to common insects, viruses, bacterial and fungal problems in your area.

Companion Plants

Select plants that help each other. Planting tomatoes next to cabbage works well because the same insects are not attracted to each. A colorful border of marigolds helps keep many pests away and adds color to the garden. Planting peas next to plants requiring a lot of nitrogen, such as corn, provides natural fertilizer. Onions and leeks are good companions for potatoes because the onions are not tasty to potato bugs.

Following these helpful steps will allow you to produce literally tons of food to feed your family and preserve for the winter, or for use if food prices rise beyond your reach.

By: Christopher A. Williams

About the Author:

food gardening

Hummingbirds are probably one of the most popular birds that people try to attract to their yards. Of course one of the simplest ways to attract them is to add to your yard the plants that they naturally feed on. This can include flowering plants like honeysuckle or trumpet creepers. But you may not be able to locate these where you can easily see them, so the next best solution is to mount a hummingbird feeder where you can see it, and that means you will need to fill it with hummingbird food.

The classic formulation is make make a solution of one part sugar to four parts water. Most experts suggest that you use cane sugar (the white granulated type is fine.) Starting with one cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar should be enough to begin with, but you can make more and store it if you want. Let it cool and then store it in the refrigerator. Try not to store it for more than a couple of weeks.

The water should be boiled first, this not only makes it easier to dissolve the sugar in the water, but helps eliminate the chlorine and any other baddies in the water.

Add the sugar at a rate of 1 cup of sugar for four cups of water. Note that you can depart from this ratio somewhat, and in fact in the wintertime you may want to add more sugar to boost the energy content of the mix. Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.

Be sure to use real sugar, artificial sweeteners are “low calorie” which means they have no nutritional value, and would do the birds no good. Don’t use honey, as it has different sugars (not the sucrose naturally found in nectar) and it tends to ferment quicker as well.

Natural nectar is odorless and clear, so there is no need to add food coloring to the mix, and the color of the feeder should be enough to attract your hummingbirds.

That’s all there is to making your own humming bird food.

But after you’ve made the hummingbird food for your feeder, it is critical that you clean your feeder often.

By: J Ruppel

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

It’s no secret that organically grown vegetables taste WAY better than the processed, chemically grown, stuff.

In fact, I have a friend who owns an upscale restaurant and his customers *rave* about the food when his chef uses organic vegetables.

So why exactly do organically grown vegetables taste so much better?

Here’s the biggest and most important reason: they don’t have all that chemical fertilizer and pesticide poisons all over them!

Myth Exposed: Organic Gardening Is More Difficult Than “Regular” Gardening

You’ll hear plenty of commercial companies (especially the “big guys” who want to sell you their chemicals!) go on about how difficult and time consuming it is to grow organic vegetables.

Truth is, it’s not difficult and won’t take any extra time at all as long as you follow some simple steps!

So here are the “secrets” you need to know if you’re going to get your organic vegetable garden started the right way.

Secret Tip #1: You *Must* Plan Your Organic Garden Out!

First things first, gardening is NOT one of those areas where you can just bolt outside without thinking, throw some seeds and water at the ground and be done with it.

(As obvious and funny as that last statement sounds, I have friends who have done just that!)

…Can you imagine if a construction crew started building a house without blueprints?

…What about if a car company just ‘went to work’ putting a new car together without plans?!

Take my word on it, planning your vegetable garden *first* will save you headaches down the road and make your garden easier to manage.

Common Planning Mistake: Make sure the plot you chose for your garden is close to a water supply!

Beginners will often start by placing their garden in the “nicest looking” spot of the yard.

They forget that veggies need access to lots of water to grow!

Secret Tip #2: Make Sure Your Garden Is Always Facing *South*!

Why should my vegetable garden face south, you ask?

Because it will get plenty of sun.

Here’s the ‘inside scoop’ on sunlight: a vegetable garden needs a minimum of 6 hours sunlight to produce the best crop.

Of course, you’ll need to make sure there are no shadows covering your garden – i.e. trees, sheds or even your house!

Just don’t get this sunlight part wrong — if you do, then it won’t matter what else you do right, your garden will fail!

Secret Tip #3: Getting Rid Of Weeds The ‘Organic’ Way

Before you plant even a single seed, you’ll need to make sure your vegetable garden is completely free of weeds.

(Of course, you don’t want to use chemical weed killers – that would contaminate your organic crop!)

Unfortunately there’s no “fancy pants” way to get rid of weeds… my suggestion? Just yank the suckers out by hand when they creep up!

You’ll definitely want to use a shovel or weeding tool to help you get the roots out. (This way more weeds won’t crop up!)

I’ve had people come and tell me: “Surely there *has* to be a better way to get rid of weeds!?”

Well, I have good news. There is…

Do your best to prevent the weeds from growing in the first place!

Secret Tip #5: Some *Awesome* Weed Prevention Tips…

1. Get Some Free Fertilizer From Starbucks!

Those left over espresso grounds make an amazing natural fertilizer that’s actually healthy for your vegetable plants.

No need to be shy about asking – the Starbucks corporate offices have actually instructed their employees to promote this “freebie” as a way to recycle coffee grounds!

2. Clean Like *Crazy* After You “De-Weed” Your Garden.

It’s unbelievable how the smallest weed spore can fall from your glove, or tools and re-deposit itself into your garden.

That’s why you need to go nuts after weeding your garden and clean your gloves, knee pads, tools,.. even your shoes!

3. When In Doubt, Use Good Ole’ Cornstarch.

Spreading cornstarch on the ground adds nitrogen to the soil – it’s like a natural fertilizer to your plants with the added bonus of killing weeds!

4. Give “Big Bird” A New Restaurant To Eat At…

If you’ve got bird feeders too close the left over seeds can sprout into weeds!

Bird feeders should be at a minimum distance of 20 feet away from your vegetable garden.

By: Costas Peppas

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

Growing plants for food may require much more skill and knowledge as compared to that of regular gardening. After all, when you are growing vegetables, you are trying to nourish your plants to be able to produce nutritious and healthy products. When pursuing this goal, you’ll surely want to avoid compromising quality when it comes to food you plan to use. If you are new to this whole concept, here are the most basic things that you have to know.

Soil Preparation

Preparing your soil for planting is very vital because this provides the foundation of where your plants will grow. Take note that your soil is responsible for providing proper irrigation as well as nutrients to your plants, and choosing a healthy type of soil is very important.

Apart from choosing the right soil, it would also be helpful for you to add on some improvements to make it even healthier. By adding natural fertilizers, like aged manure, peat moss and even compost, you can make your soil richer and healthier with nutrients for your plants to absorb.

The soil pH is another thing that you must control. The ideal pH level where vegetables tend to grow the best is around 7.0. If your soil doesn’t have the right pH, then your plants may whither. Add lime if your soil is too acidic and gypsum if it is too alkaline.

Irrigation And Fertilization

Watering and fertilizing are also very essential steps to growing healthy vegetables. It is important that you take note of the right ways to do these things, or else you might not get the results that you want.

Make sure that you water your plants to a depth of at least an inch every week. This allows proper irrigation and will help prevent vegetables from drying up. And as for fertilizing, it is best to do this once every two weeks, with a balanced fertilizer.

Monitoring For Pests

Do not forget how important it is to monitor your plants for pests. After all, you certainly would not want your vegetables to be destroyed by worms or insects, as this could place a grave risk for you when you try to eat this food. You could end up with rotten food and acquire any number of diseases.

You can make use of row covers for young seedlings in order to protect them from insects as well as harsh elements. But make sure that you remove these covers once your vegetables start to blossom so that you may allow pollination to occur.

However, if your problems with pests have gone out of control, then you may need to use pesticides. As much as possible, organic controls like pyrethrum and rotenone are best and safest to use.

Harvesting

Lastly, you may not realize this at first, but harvesting is very crucial in growing vegetables because this can affect the quality of the products that you collect and how your next batch grows.

Remember not to wait too long when harvesting because your vegetables might turn bitter and tough. Harvest while the produce is still young. In this way, you can allow them to ripen beautifully while in storage and the chances for spoilage is greatly decreased.

Growing vegetables can certainly be very different from just merely taking care of regular flowering plants. After all, you are not only after the aesthetic or environmental value of these particular plants, but you are after their nutritional advantages. Gardening for food requires a lot of skill and knowledge, but just remember that all you have to do to succeed is follow the right and healthy way of gardening in order to collect healthy food as well.

By: Steve C Boulden

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

Did someone mention food? It must surely be time to take a break from work and EAT! Snack time rules! This summer my dwarf cherry tree, which grows outside my writing studio, had the largest crop of cherries in its twelve-year history. By some miracle, maybe my cranky old cat, the birds didn’t get to them first. To reward myself for suffering through writing and rewriting yet another semi-poetic and polished sentence or two, I frequently get up from my desk, walk over to the tree and pick a handful of organic cherries to help fire up the next round of synapses.

That’s what got me thinking about Zach Wahle’s gardening philosophy at Edible Attractive Terrains (EAT.) Wahle, a landscape designer here in Marin County focuses solely on designing, installing, and maintaining edible gardens. “Simply put, edible landscaping is the production of food on one’s own property,” says Wahle. “What I do for my clients varies: some just have raised beds with annual organic fruits and vegetables; others are fully landscaped large properties. In the case of the later, other plants that are not edible, but often natives, are included in the design to complete a holistic system and support the food producing plants.”

Wahle studied Ecological Agriculture locally and then trained on an organic farm in Barbados and the island-nation of Dominica. He simply believes in producing food in an ecologically and socially responsible way. “I help individuals effectively meet their dietary needs and culinary interests, while manifesting their aesthetic and spatial desires in the landscape. Ranging from organic vegetable containers to cultivated mushroom beds to native food forests, my landscapes are designed for sustainable beauty while enabling my clients to consume food produced on their own property,” says Wahle.

Edible landscaping is as old as gardening itself, but with all the recent food scares and the rapidly growing demand and popularity of organic and locally grown produce, it’s back in the spotlight where it belongs! Historically, the Ancient Persian gardens, the Medieval monastic gardens and the 19th century English gardens all combined both edible and ornamental plants including berries, medicinal herbs and a plethora of assorted fruit trees. Then one day the sprawling, water guzzling, demanding lawn came along and took center stage. (If you read last month’s dirt diva article on conserving water, you know I recently FIRED the lawn! It was too high maintenance and there wasn’t enough room for another diva.)

“In the Bay Area, edible landscaping has been around for a long time,” says Wahle. “The Indigenous Americans thoroughly used the landscape to produce food for their needs-that doesn’t mean they were agriculturalists or farmers in the modern “Old Mac Donald” sense of the word, but rather they manipulated their environments within the native ecological context in order to support their communities. They created ‘food forests’.”

Instead of focusing on ornamental plants in your yard, edible landscaping uses food-producing plants in the garden design. Here fruit trees, herbs, edible flowers, herbs and ornamental plants are combined. Wahle considers much of what he does to be within the realm of permaculture, which is an approach and particular mindset used to garden and care for the land. He credits the Regenerative Design Institute, the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center and Miriam Volat, at of the New College for teaching and inspiring him in a wide variety of permaculture techniques.

Why landscape with edibles?

o To enjoy the freshness and flavor of home-grown, fully ripened fruits and vegetables.

o To eliminate pesticides and herbicides commerically used on the foods you consume.

o To increase the food security of your household.

o To grow unusual varieties not available in stores.

o To get those kids away from screens & outside interacting with the natural world!

Wahle adds, “Edible plants can often be native, and therefore more drought, disease and pest tolerant, in addition to providing preferable habitat for animals. People are becoming more aware and enthused about the importance of local economy, and now they have a chance to produce the most local food possible. Our food security is increasingly under attack from genetic engineering and seed extinction compounded by problems of a carbon dependent society.”

For small gardens or apartments, Wahle recommends wine barrels with herbs, or tiered herb and lettuce racks, which save space; potted citrus, pomegranate, fig or dwarf stone fruit trees, cherry tomato, lavender, strawberries, aloe and basil.

Wahle passionately adds, ” To me, a garden isn’t complete unless you can experience that garden with all your senses. They are beautiful to see, pleasing to hear, intriguing to touch, delightful to smell, and heavenly to taste! I believe gardens are meant to produce tasty, healthy food for our bodies and minds.”

Okay kids, it’s time for another break and back to the Cherry tree for snack time. See you next month for more lawn bashing!

By: Annie Spiegelman

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress

With all the choices these days, it can be confusing to know what type of bird food to buy. Bird food and bird feeders can be purchased at gardening stores, hardware stores and even at grocery stores. Different birds eat at different levels – some feel more comfortable eating on the ground, while others prefer to eat higher up, so place a variety of feeders at a variety of heights to attract a larger variety and number of birds. Keep a journal and record which feeder attracts what types of birds.

Before purchasing a bird feeder, examine it closely. You should buy a bird feeder that is rain and snow resistant so that the food for the birds will remain fresh. Also, try opening the bird feeder to ensure that it is easy to fill and clean out. If the bird feeder requires too much work to fill or clean, chances are you won’t do it and then you won’t attract as many birds as you would like to.

Here’s a break down of the different types of food available for birds.

Bird Seed: Bird seeds are the most common food placed in bird feeders. While there are many different kinds of bird seeds, black sunflower seeds are the most common because the majority of birds will eat them. If you do place bird seed out for birds to eat, make sure that the seeds are unsalted. Also, store bird seed in a cool, dry place to ensure the freshness of the seeds.

Suet: Suet is when berries, seeds and other ingredients have been mixed into meat fat. Suet is popular with nuthatches, chickadees, blue jays and woodpeckers and is commonly offered to birds in the winter. Be careful if you put suet out in the summer, as the heat can turn the fat rancid very quickly. To create your own suet, first melt the meat fat, which can be bought at your local butcher shop. Next, add berries, seeds and other ingredients to the fat and mix well. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to harden.

Nectar: Nectar is a water and sugar mixture that is offered to hummingbirds. To create your own hummingbird food, bring 4 parts of water to a boil and add 1 part sugar. Stir and allow the mixture to cool before filling hummingbird feeders. Change the mixture every three to five days in order to prevent bacteria and mold from growing. Hummingbirds are readily attracted to the colour red, so in the past it was common practice to add red food colouring to homemade hummingbird food. This addition is unnecessary as most hummingbird feeders have a red base, which is sufficient to attract hummingbirds. If you want to ensure that hummingbirds will come to your feeder, plant some flowers with red blooms nearby or tie red ribbons to the hummingbird feeder.

By: Joanne Jones

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.

Everyone – including the backyard gardener – who wants to grow food in a way that is sustainable and that respects the natural environment can benefit from using the federal organic guidelines from the Organic Food Production Act that took effect in 2002. These federal standards for organic cultivation were designed by people with a profound knowledge of how to produce food ecologically.

With the home gardener rather than the market gardener especially in mind, what follows here is an overview and some highlights of the standards and regulations. For more details, visit the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) website: http://www.ams.usda.gov. Click “National Organic Program.”

~~Soil~~

In an organic gardening system, soil health is fundamental to success. Even though natural fertilizers and other inputs are used in organic gardening, they are minimized by regular additions of organic material to feed and improve the soil. This material can come, for instance, from tilling in cover crops and from using approved soil amendments such as compost.

Raw animal manures are not to be used as soil amendments within six months of harvest for root crops. For crops where the edible part never touches the soil, raw animal manures are not used within three months of harvest. Sewage sludge is absolutely banned. Crop residues can be chopped into the soil, but not burned.

~~Pests~~

Biological pesticides can be used, but should be viewed as a last resort. Before spraying a pesticide, organic gardeners can use predators of the pest species, develop habitat to encourage the natural enemies of pests, and use controls like traps and non-synthetic repellants.

~~Diseases~~

Prevention is the idea. Plants grown in healthy soil are naturally resistant to disease. Crop rotation and selecting the right varieties also contribute to disease control. If, however, there is still a problem, visit the USDA web site mentioned above and select from the National List of biologicals and botanicals that are permitted to certified organic growers.

~~Weeds~~

The federal organic standards allow no herbicides. Control weeds by tilling, hand weeding, mowing, etc. Also, natural mulches (e.g. straw) are useful.

~~Seeds and Transplants~~

These must also be organic for the crop to be labeled organic.

The backyard gardener who is interested in growing organically for the nutritional and environmental benefit rather than for the purpose of marketing, probably doesn’t need all the nitty gritty details of the Organic Food Production Law.

Just use the basic guidelines and act with respect for nature, and you’re on the way to producing organic food. It’s well worth it: healthier for people and healthier for the environment.

By: Judith Schwader

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

The nutrients in soil-less potting soil generally lasts about six weeks before they are drained away by watering, while soil-based potting soils will retain their nutrients for as much as eight to ten weeks. After that period of time, it is best to offer your plants a granular, slow-release plant food to maintain healthy roots, stems, leaves and flowers.

Some types of granular plant food looks like little caviar eggs, or small round pellets. This type of granular food can be added to potting mix in the spring. Timing in important when adding plant food in any form to your container garden specimens.

A dry, granular type of fertilizer will only help boost root systems when the plants are in an actual growing process. Adding more plant food than necessary according to package direction will not help you plants grow bigger, brighter or cause them to flower more often or bear more fruit. In reality, providing too much plant food in any form can cause irreparable damage by shocking the plant roots with too many chemicals at once.

By using a slow-release dry plant food according to directions. If you prefer the liquid variety, make sure you dilute it by following the instructions listed on the package or container and apply only after a thorough watering.

When looking for the best plant foods, you need to find a good ratio of the balance between nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). The ratio of these ingredients will be listed on the package in this type of format: NPK 6:4:4 or something similar.

Remember that plant foods can be customized for different plants and purposes. There are plant foods designed for flowers and fruits, as well as vegetables, shrubs and both outside gardens and those specifically designed to work best with container gardens

Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

By: Larry Gildea

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

Having an organic garden means growing organic plant food like fruits and vegetables. This will save you a lot because planting organic vegetables will not cost a lot. You can make a garden right at your backyard and you will be able to grow organic vegetables for your family. Organic foods are healthier because no chemicals were used in during the growth stage of the vegetables. And you will be able to help Mother Nature because you are using organic fertilizers for your garden.

By using organic fertilizer, you are giving the soil its nutrients back. You can also make your own organic fertilizer by making use of household scrap food, manure and decaying plants. When your organic garden is ready for harvest, you will notice a big difference with the vegetables grown locally compared to your organic vegetable.

Also study your location if there are beneficial insects that can help you protect your garden. Having your own organic plant is beneficial to your health, will save you a lot and most importantly you are helping Mother Nature do its natural ways. By making organic food, you will be saving a lot because you will not buy fertilizers made from harmful chemicals.

Aside from being economical, organic plant food is everywhere at your home. With your organic garden present in the neighborhood, you will be able to entice your neighbors to have their own garden. One way of sharing your knowledge about organic gardening is to hold a harvest party near your garden. In this way, they will be able to see the fruits of your labor. You will be able to discuss the importance of having an organic garden, inform them of the benefits and what does it do for our environment. You will not be able to convince all of them but at least you did your part.

By: Clint Sidney

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress

Having a garden sounds expensive and can require a stiff investment: lawns, landscaping services, plumbing services, plants, fertilizers, water and a lot more. But fret not, because you can save a lot of money by growing organic plant food that, amazingly, can be found in your own household or can be brought directly to your local supermarkets!

Organic plant food can help you save the environment in myriads of ways: you are refrained from using a products that is not biodegradable that can affect or harm the soil; you are using the things that are naturally made to decay and put these things into good use; and thus putting the balance of nature back into place where things decay, and return back to dust. With this simple way of growing organic plant food, you are hitting two birds with one stone by helping the environment and by nurturing your plants “all natural” way.

We are talking about a biodegradable material that was processed to make your plants healthy. These things may contain the seemingly unwanted ingredients or seemingly useless materials like human manure or animal poop, and also fruit skins such as banana peels. These organic products are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that are very much essential in growing your plants.

Nitrogen is important as it aids the protein generation of plants to help them grow. Leafy plants like cabbage, lettuce and other crop that yield with leaves. Phosphorous are also important as it helps in actual growth. It strengthens the roots and can perfectly work well if coupled with Nitrogen as it distributes sugar from plant roots to its leaves. Potassium is also vital in plants as it works as shield to any plant diseases. To ensure the healthy growth of your crop organic plant food is the best way to go. It does not only make your plants healthy but you can also be a contributor to the balance of nature.

By: Clint Sidney

About the Author:

Create a video blog…instantly.