Cucumbers

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Today I am going to tell you how to plant and grow bush cucumbers in your garden. The best time to begin planting cucumbers in your garden is either in April or May, or after the last frost. You should do this because cucumbers are really sensitive to cold weather. Once you figure out when to begin planting, you should find the perfect location to plant. Cucumbers grow best in full sunlight. So find a sunny location in your garden to plant them.

Before you plant your cucumbers, dig out any weeds around the area. It is important to do this because the weeds will take away nutrients that the cucumbers need to grow. Once all the weeds are pulled, it is time to begin planting. It is best to plant directly from seeds because cucumbers have fragile roots. When planting, push up to two seeds 1/2 to 1 inch into the soil. If you are planting multiple plants, make sure that you plant them 20 to 35 inches apart. Since cucumbers need a lot of moisture to grow, water them once a week with at least 1 inch of water. Whenever
the cucumbers get to be 5 to 8 inches in length is can be harvested. To harvest them you can either twist them off  or cut them off the vine.

Source of Typographic Inspiration

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Whenever I was deciding on what kind of text I wanted to use for my blog, I had a lot of different ideas in mind because many fonts can work for a gardening blog. For my blog title I decided to use a script font. I decided to do this because when you look at a garden you can sometimes see vines growing from some of the plants. To me script fonts reminds me of how the growing vines look because they are swirly/curvy just like the vines.

For the rest of my blog I just used a simple font. I decided to do this because I thought it would go well with the script font I used for the title. Also I decided to do this becuase if I wouldn't have used a simple font, it would be too busy and in your face. 

Source of Design Inspiration

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Before beginning my gardening blog, I had to decide how I wanted to design it. Whenever going through pictures of gardens, I came across this one. For some reason it really jumped out at me. I liked how everything was really neat and organized. Then it hit me. I should design my blog to look like a garden, so that it was I did.

Whenever going through templates on blogger I came across the one I am currently using. I thought that it fit well with gardening because it shows the greens, browns, and blues that I mentioned in my previous post. Also, at the very top it has some flowers growing. I thought that that fit well because gardening is all about growing things. Another reason I decided to use this design is because it wasn't very "over the top". I don't think people would look at it and get overwhelmed.

Source of Color Inspiration

When choosing colors to use for my gardening blog, my mind instantly went to browns, greens, and blues. There are a few reasons why I decided to use these colors. I decided to use browns because it reminded me of soil. When planting in a garden the main thing you need and use is soil. Also, when you are just looking at a garden you can see the brown soil the plants are planted in. Next, I decided to use a few different colors of green. I chose to use greens because in a garden you can see a ton of green. The green comes from the stems and leaves of the pants. Even some plants themselves are green (such as peas and beans). Lastly, I decided to use blues because it reminded me of the sky. When you are planting or doing other things in a garden you are always outside on nice beautiful days. And when I think of nice beautiful days, I picture the sky always being a pretty light blue with clouds. 

Beets

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Today I am going to be telling you how to grow beets in your garden. There are more than one type of beet, but Detroit Dark Red beets are the most common type of beet. They are the ones that are a dark, almost blood, red color.

Beets do not need a lot of room to grow, so finding a space to plant them shouldn't be too difficult. Since they don't take up a lot of space, beets can be planted next to other vegetables.

When you begin planting beets, make sure that you are planting them in rows. If you have more than one row, make sure that they are at least 12 inches apart. To make rows you can use a garden hoe.

After making the rows you can begin planting the seeds. Plant the seeds about 1/2 inch down and at least 2 inches apart. Make sure that you constantly water the rows after you plant. Beets need a lot of moisture to grow. If you keep the rows moist, within 7-10 day the seeds should begin to grow. Whenever the beets are about 1-3 inches wide they are ready to be harvested. To harvest them, just dig them out or you can pull them gently from the soil.

Zucchini

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Another great thing to grow in your garden is zucchini. Zucchini is another plant that is very easy to grow for first time gardeners. Also it taste great! You can grow zucchini from seeds or transplants. Today I am going to be telling you how to grow zucchini from transplants.

First, find the perfect location to plant your transplants. Zucchini need at least 6-10 hours of sunlight per day. They also need a lot of room to spread out while they grow.

After you have found the perfect planting location, it is time to begin planting. Dig a hole for each plant that is just a little bit bigger than the roots. Then cover them up with soil. When planting make sure that you keep each plant at least 40 inches away from each other. If you are planting more than one row of zucchini, space the rows 40 inches apart. While the zucchini is growing make sure that it is getting plenty of water. Also, make sure that you are weeding around the plant to maintain healthy growth.

Zucchini will produce throughout the entire growing season, so there is no set time to begin harvesting. When the zucchini has grown at least 4-5 inches in length, it is mature enough to harvest. To harvest all you have to do is twist it off from the stem or use a knife to cut it off. Keep in mind that whenever you harvest the zucchini it allows more to grow. So if you want more zucchini harvest them as soon as they mature. If you want less don't harvest them as often.

Beans

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Beans are very easy to grow, so they would be a great choice for you if you are a first time gardener. There are a lot of different kind of beans that you can grow, so the first step in planting beans is to choose which kind you want to plant.When choosing a type of bean keep in mind that there are two different categories. There are pole beans and bush beans. Their names basically describe how they grow. Pole beans grow tall, like a pole, while bush beans grow to look like a bush. Today I am going to tell you how to grow pole beans.

When beginning to plant beans, it is very important to find a spot to plant them. Finding a spot to plant is very important because on average beans should get at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. So make sure you choose a spot that gets enough sunlight.

Once you have a location chosen, it is time to begin planting. When planting beans, plant the seeds about 1 to 1.5 inches into the ground. Also, there is no specific amount of space needed between seeds. I usually make them about 2-3 inches apart. After you have planted the seeds, make sure that you provide support for them to grow on since they grow like a vine. Usually I use a fence. Also, make sure that you water your beans daily.

When harvesting your beans, remember that there is no specific growing time since new pods grow everyday. Just look for pods that are a good size. Also, make sure that the pods are firm and not flimsy.

Kohlrabi

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Most of you probably never even heard of kohlrabi and if you have you probably don't know exactly what it is. Kohlrabi has very similar taste and texture to the heart of a cabbage, but kohlrabi is a lot less bitter. Today I am going to tell you how to plant and grow kohlrabi in your garden.

The first step in planting kohlrabi in your garden is to select a planting location. Kohlrabi need to be planted close to other cabbage-family plants and in full sunlight. If you plant tomatoes, beans, or strawberries in your garden, try to keep your kohlrabi away from them. They won't grow right if they are next to these. Also, it is best to try to plant kohlrabi in cooler weather. This meaning, try to have them grow before the temperatures reach 75 degrees or above.

When planting, plant the kohlrabi seeds about a 1/2 inch into the soil and about 2-3 inches apart. Also the seeds should be planted in even rows. The rows should be spaced out almost a foot apart from each other. While the plants are growing, make sure that they are getting plenty of water. If kohlrabi don't get enough water they can become woody, which make them not very appetizing to eat. After about 60 days kohlrabi are then ready to be harvest.

Tomatoes

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There are hundreds of different types of tomatoes to choose from, but the process of planting them are all very similar. Tomato plants have two basic ways of growing. They can either be determinate (bush) or indeterminate (vine). Determinate tomatoes stop growing whenever a tomato sets on the top bud. Once this happens, all the tomatoes on the pant begin to ripen around the same time. After all of the tomatoes have ripened the plant will then die. Unlike determinate tomatoes, indeterminate tomatoes grow and produce until they are killed by frost. They bloom and ripen new tomatoes throughout the entire growing season. Today I am going to tell you how to plant indeterminate tomatoes in your garden from transplants. Transplants are plants that are already growing that you get from a greenhouse.

The best time to begin planting tomato transplants is after the last spring frost. Begin by choosing a spot in your garden. Tomatoes need a lot of warmth and sunshine to grow, so choose a sunny spot. After choosing a spot, it is time to begin placing the transplants. Begin digging holes that are 24-26 inches apart. These holes need to be deep enough that the lowest leaves on the plant are just above the soil. By doing this you are giving the plants more space to grow and develop new roots. After you have planted all the transplants, water them with warm water to avoid them being in shock. Each plant should get about 16oz of warm water everyday in the first 10 days after planting. After 10 days, you can then space out watering the plants. They should receive up to 3 inches of water a week.

Finally, once the plants begin growing you will need to add stakes next to them. Make sure that your stakes are about 8 feet long. When putting the stakes into the ground, make sure they are at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches away from the plant. Also, make sure that the stakes are pounded about 12 inches into the ground. As the plant grows tie it to the stake with rope, yarn, or a cut up t-shirt. Each tie should be about 3 or 4 inches apart. By tying the plant to the stake, it will keep it off the ground while it grows.

Preparing Your Garden!

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Before you begin doing any of your planting, you need to prepare your soil. Even though it might seem like tedious work to prepare your soil, it really helps in the long run. By preparing your soil, your plants will harvest better and you will have less disappointment at the end of growing season. Here are two easy steps to follow when beginning to prepare your soil!  

Step 1: Dig up the soil to loosen it. 

 

To loosen the soil you can use a handful of different tools. You can
go to http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/top-10-soil-turning-tools for the top ten tools to use. Normally plants need about 6 to 8 inches for their roots to grow comfortably. So when loosening the soil make sure you are digging at a dept of at least 8 inches. While loosening it, make sure to remove any rocks, clods, or greenery (weeds, grass, etc.). After you are finished digging up the soil let it sit for at least two days so it dries up.

Step 2: Further Remove Clumps & Add Organic Material

 

To further remove clumps spray water over the soil to moisten it and then dig it again. Make sure that you do not make it too moist when spraying the soil as this will cause the soil to compact and make digging and removing clumps more difficult. Once you have finished removing the clumps it is time to add organic material. Some organic material you can use includes: compost, dehydrated cow manure, well-rotted hose manure, shredded leaves, or even a mixture. Put the organic material over the entire soil surface then incorporate it into the 8 inch deep soil. Repeat adding and incorporating the organic material until your soil is 50-50 (50% soil, 50% organic material). After you have finished adding organic material, it is time to begin planting!