Last year was the first time we’ve planted sweet potatoes. A friend was sweet and bought me some slips when she bought hers from the feed store. I later found out that they were $9…ouch. We didn’t do a very good job of digging them up, the soil where they were planted has a lot […]
Growing and Using Cabbage
Cabbage is a staple in our kitchen during the winter and early spring, it’s probably our favorite winter vegetable. Every year we grow enough cabbage to eat fresh and preserve some for the summer. Growing cabbage in the home vegetable garden is relatively easy and a great way to have greens all winter long. Cabbage […]
In the garden…lettuce
I’ve really missed the “In the garden…” posts and am so excited to be starting them again. Gabriel was kind enough to till up one bed for me last week. It was still a little damp from the rain we had the week before and so it really needs one more going over before I […]
In the garden…luffas
Last year after reading Rhonda’s Down To Earth blog I found out that the luffa “sponge” I buy in the bath section at the store to bathe with is actually not a sponge. It is, in fact, a plant. A member of the squash family. How cool is that?! So I ordered some seeds from Local […]
Growing and Using Okra
There aren’t many vegetables that thrive in super hot weather, most will either wilt, burn up, or just stop flowering. But okra loves the heat, in fact, it needs consistent daytime temperatures above 85°F to fruit. If you live where the summers are hot, try growing okra. Okra is considered a super food with potassium, vitamin […]
In the garden…pumpkins and winter squash
Last year we planted pumpkins and spaghetti squash for the first time. We harvested 12 spaghetti squash and 5 pie pumpkins. Our large pumpkins didn’t make. However, we harvested them in late July. I really wanted them a little closer to fall this year so we planted a little later. I don’t know if that […]
In the garden… garlic
We are beginning to pull up our garlic. This year has been a little disappointing. I think I could have watered and weeded them a little more often. But that’s okay, I will probably have enough to can with my tomatoes and onions. Next year I will purchase bulbs specifically to plant. I’ve always just […]
In the garden…potatoes
We decided kind of last minute to grow potatoes this year. When we opened a 10 pound bag that I had gotten from the store (and forgotten about) and everyone of them was already growing we decided to take them to the garden. Everything I’ve read said don’t plant potatoes you buy from the store as they […]
In the garden…corn
This weekend we planted another corn patch. We have around 45 plants that we planted 6 weeks ago and they are now about 2 1/2 feet tall. (it’s hard to measure since we’ve had alot of wind and they are almost laying on the ground). They should be ready to harvest in the next 6 […]
In the garden…onions
When we planted our spinach last fall I noticed that the dirt smelled like onions. Then I remembered that our green onions (sometimes called repeater onions) went to seed last summer and instead of pulling the head off the plant, we just let them fall. Some were already starting to send up green shoots. So […]
