http://vegetablegardenplanning.net Great vegetable garden planning is the key to a bountiful harvest Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:22:38 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en What is Cooperative Extension? The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide educational network that is a collaboration of federal, state and local governments and a state land-grant university. The mission of the Cooperative Extension System is to disseminate research-based information on topics as varied as nutrition, child rearing, agriculture, horticulture, husbandry, small business and personal [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/vegetable-garden-planning-and-your-local-cooperative-extension/ Well-made compost is equal and sometimes better than farm manure.  Because it is organic there are not the environmental concerns of chemical fertilizers.  And it is free!  Or at least cheap.   The basic principal in making compost is that when vegetable matter, soil, water, and air are combined with nitrogen, fermentation occurs and the [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/compost/ Vegetable rotation, like any crop rotation, is necessary for the health of your garden.  If you do not rotate your vegetables the diseases and pests that attack specific crops will build up in the soil and become a problem. Groups of vegetables   Vegetables are divided into four groups: Legumes – beans and peas Brassicas [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/vegetable-rotation/ Herb drying is pretty simple.  The majority of herbs can be dried by the simplest of all drying methods: hanging upside down. Through the years this technique of dehydration has been and still is the traditional way to dry plants. Our colonial ancestors used this method. Old pictures show material neatly bunched and suspended over [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/herb-drying-hang-them-upside-down/   Herb gardening is easy even for beginners since most herbs are relatively easy to grow. I started out with just one artimesia herb plant twenty years ago and now have over an acre of herbs that I use mainly for crafting wreaths and making dried floral arrangements. I have learned a lot about growing [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/herb-gardening/     GrowVeg.com is an innovative garden planning tool which helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot.   With GrowVeg.com it is easy to draw out your garden plan and decide how best to plant it. The GrowVeg.com planning tool [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/growveg-planning-tool/ Patio gardening can be a terrific option for those who don’t have all the space needed for a large backyard garden. Patio gardening is not really limited to patios. Really any small space, particularly one enclosed, can become a great patio garden. A small apartment balcony, a stoop, or even a small patch of grass [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/patio-gardening/ Different kinds of gardens require different kinds of garden tools. Hardware stores mostly cater for a wide range of tools, but there are shops that specialize in the more expensive kind of garden tool that shouts quality. Wherever you decide to shop, here are a few pointers to advise you. Do you have small garden [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/garden-tools/ There are so many great ideas out there for gardening for kids.  There are tools and books and plans and fairy gardens and — well, too many to get to all at once.  So let’s start with a terrific book:  Gardening Wizardry for Kids. This is an amazing collection of more than 300 extraordinary experiments [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/gardening-for-kids/ Among the worst vegetable garden pests are aphids. Aphids are small green bugs, about 1 mm long, and they will kill your plants. They like nice young plants. They like soft green plants. They like plants that have grown quickly and have lots of new, tender leaves. Everywhere they bite your plant they leave behind [...]]]> http://vegetablegardenplanning.net/vegetable-garden-pests/