This is Part 2 of my Organic Gardening Series, Garden Planning. I’ve included a link to my garden plan, as well as a nifty seed starting timeline for folks in my hardiness zone! Today I’ll go over my earliest phases of garden planning, which I do before I even start my seeds. The level of planning that you do can vary, but after a few years of winging it, I’ve decided to try planning things out a bit more. I’ve…
Category: Vegetable Gardening
Organic Gardening: Part 1 – Ordering Seeds
This post is Part 1 in my new Organic Gardening Series. The days are getting longer, and hopefully warmer, which means it’s time to start ordering seeds for your garden. When looking for seeds, you will find that seed companies can vary greatly in quality. After starting seeds from many different companies, I can honestly say that I’ve had the very best luck with seeds from smaller companies. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is absolutely wonderful; they are a small family…
The Importance of Dirt: Seed Starting Soil
I originally put my veggie seeds in cheap seed starting soil, and while it was advertised as organic, it just wasn’t high quality. My seedlings sprouted and after a couple weeks they started to die. I knew I had to do something fast if I didn’t want to lose all of my baby tomato plants, so I did a bit of research about seed starting soil. The photo below was taken right before re-potting. The sad looking little plants you…
DIY Friday – Re-Growing Green Onions
Most people don’t realize that green onions can be easily re-grown; all you have to pay for is the first bunch! It’s a great way to be frugal while still using your green thumb (at least a little). Just stick them in a jar with water covering the white part of the ends. Place them in the fridge, or on a bright area in your kitchen- both will work. Within a week or so, they’ll be ready again! You can…
My Summer Garden Experience in Retrospect
No matter how many lovely, sun-shiny days we have in Minnesota, the summer always seems to fly by. I’m always anxious to get my seeds and plants in the ground come May, and inevitably end up killing a few because I put them out too soon. Before long, I’m willing my tomatoes to ripen faster, in the hopes that they’ll turn red before the first frost hits. This summer was no exception. I managed to snag an awesome community garden…