home sectionhome sectionMany different gardeners, especially vegetable gardeners, enjoy growing their own produce to save money. Another way that vegetable gardeners can save money is by saving seeds from their plants for next year's garden. When you're saving seeds, you will need to grow even more plants, especially since some of the vegetables you eat are seeds. Figure out how many plants you need so you'll have plenty of seeds for next year's planting.
The early American or Colonial décor style provides rustic charm in the home, with designs featuring plain, uncomplicated and simple functional lines. The cabinets in a kitchen are an important element when creating a look for the room in addition to simply providing storage for dishes, food, pans and cooking utensils. The color, material and design style must coordinate with the rest of the Colonial kitchen décor.
A greenhouse is a controlled environment for plants. Gardeners manipulate a greenhouse's temperature, lighting and moisture to maintain ideal conditions for plant growth and development. Some plants live out their lives in the greenhouse, while others mature in the greenhouse and then transition to an outdoor garden. You can determine when to plant your seeds by considering how much time they require to germinate and grow to a viable size.
The process of a vegetable seed sprouting into a plant is known as germination. Various vegetables germinate and grow into plants at different rates. Soil temperature also affects the germination speed. Vegetables that haven't shown signs of growth in the time frame considered normal for the species may have problems the gardener needs to address.
Instead of scooping seeds into the compost or the disposal the next time you get home from the market, set a few aside for next spring's planting. Not all store bought vegetables come with their seeds inside, but some do and those can be saved and planted to start a new veggie garden.
Seeds that gardeners plant in home gardens, community gardens, fields and farms are living structures waiting for the right conditions to begin a new growth phase. Viability refers to the seed's ability to sprout and begin leaf and root growth. Seeds have variable life spans dependent on many factors, and they can die. If not properly stored to preserve their inner embryos and kept safe from attack by fungi and bacteria, seeds quickly dry out or are killed by invading organisms.
The fruits, or pomes of plants in the family Rosaceae, or rose family, are fleshy tissues formed around seeds. These fruits include apples and pears, and stone fruits such as plums and peaches. Apples and pears have several seeds encased within the fruit. Stone fruits have a single 'stone' or seed embedded inside the flesh. Within this plant family are important plants and trees for commercial agriculture as well as for the home garden.
Marigold seeds are easy to collect and grow fairly well, depending on the variety, when replanted in spring. Tagetes (the scientific name for marigold) originated in North America, a favorite of the Aztecs who introduced them to Spanish conquistadors. Spain introduced them to Europe and soon they were growing all over the world because of their beauty and dependability. Modern gardeners have varieties developed from tall African marigolds (T. erecta) and French marigolds (T. patula) to plant in gardens.
In food science, roughage is another word for fiber. It is a relatively tough dietary material, resistant to digestive enzymes. The vast majority of natural fiber is derived from plants and is composed of substances including pectin, lignin, cellulose, gum and inulin. What fiber lacks in nutritional value, it makes up for in other health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels and helping digestive disorders. Generally, all vegetables contain fiber. Some vegetables that are high in roughage include artichokes, peas, broccoli and turnip greens.
Professional and serious gardeners usually grow new apple trees by grafting root stock onto a carefully chosen apple tree cultivar. Apple trees are also grown from seed. You can grow apple plants from seeds of apples purchased from the grocery store both as gardening projects for children and for your own apple tree growing pleasure.
Saving seeds from the fruit and vegetables in your garden means you don't have to buy more seeds the following year. It also allows you to grow heirloom vegetables easily. When saving seeds, choose varieties that are self pollinating and avoid hybrids. You can save the seeds of any fruit or vegetable that grows from seed.
Vegetable gardens are rewarding enterprises, with healthy, growing plants and full fruit and vegetable harvests, but are also a challenge. They require planning, timing and work for planting, and then more work for maintenance. This is especially true in cold areas like western Maryland's U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 and 6, where spring comes late. Get the timing and preparation right to plant a successful Maryland garden, then stagger your plantings to keep it productive into the fall.
Greenhouses extend the growing season, especially in colder climates, by giving your plants a protected area to grow. Many gardeners start seeds in a greenhouse so their transplants are ready once the weather warms up or to grow container plants. This is especially helpful for northern areas with short growing seasons. For the seeds to germinate, your greenhouse must be warm enough, at least 72 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
Germination begins when the seed absorbs water. Water activates the enzymes within the seed to start the duplication of the plant cells located inside the seed. First the root emerges to anchor the seed in the soil, then the stalk and leaves appear to help feed the seed. The proper conditions must be present to start the germination process. Once the seed germinates, sow it in its permanent location.
If you are a seed saver, or even if you buy seeds from a catalog, you may find that the plants from those seeds do not all look the same. Sometimes even the most careful growers find that different varieties of the same plant have cross-pollinated. To enhance the purity of your seeds, you can "rogue out" seedlings that you don't want, so that your next crop of seed will be pure.
All seeds are in a part of a plant's growth cycle, but when they are between seedling and fruit, they are considered dormant until germinated. Some species are stubborn in the time it takes to break the dormancy cycle, and peppers are among this group. Certain peppers are more difficult than others and sprouting peppers requires some level of patience. There are techniques that can speed the process of breaking dormancy and ensure success with a large percentage of your seeds.
It may seem like the growing season is very brief in zone 4, but you might be surprised how late you can plant. Zone 4 stretches across the northernmost United States. The northern part of the East Coast of the United States, including New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine is in zone 4. In the Midwest, most of Michigan and Wisconsin are in the zone as well as southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. In the West, zone 4 lies in the Rocky Mountain states. The first frost date in zone 4 is sometime during the month of September.
In areas where the growing season is short, or for gardeners who want to get a jump on spring, starting seeds indoors is the best way to go. The seeds can be kept warm, allowing them to germinate and adding as much as four or five weeks to the growing season. When the weather is warm enough, transplant the seedlings into the garden. This often makes the difference between crops that have the chance to fully develop and those that almost make it but fall short at the end of the summer.
The definition of a vegetable is any edible portion of a plant that does not include a sweet fruit or seed. Vegetables typically consist of leafy, root and stem sections of plants; however, some plants labeled as vegetables are fruits by botanical definition. These mislabeled fruits are plants that contain seeds, but for culinary purposes, are vegetables because the plants lack sweetness.
Fresh, nutritious produce is the reward of growing your own vegetable garden. However, if you are anxious to try out some of the fruits of your labor, you may not want to wait for your garden to mature. If you are an impatient gardener, look specifically for vegetables with a fast seed-to-harvest time. These vegetables reach maturity faster, allowing you to enjoy your garden's bounty sooner.
Most hobby gardeners just go to the garden supply center every year, buy the seeds that look good and plant them in the ground. This process is repeated year after year. Farmers do something different. Every year, a grain farmer keeps back part of the crop to use as seed the following year. You can make a garden more like a farm by planting seed from your own vegetables the following year.
Vegetable plants are self-contained mini-factories that produce food for humans and animals and for themselves as well. From germination to maturity, they have all they need to grow to fruition and to manufacture seeds to produce new plants. In some cases, such as beets, all parts of the plant can be eaten except the seeds, while in others, such as corn, not only is the seed the only part of the plant that is edible, it is also used to grow more plants.
It's said that in NORAD, deep underground the Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, the federal government deposited a seed bank of thousands of heirloom and heritage seeds. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but it says something to the value of heirloom seeds. Seed companies through the years have genetically engineered and created hybrid seeds to the point that after a few years, a plant no longer produces seeds for future propagation. Mother Nature's seeds, or heirloom seeds, continue to propagate without the need for genetic engineering. When looking for the best commercially-available vegetable seeds on the market, look…
Planting a perennial garden helps gardeners fill the yard with beautiful, floral blooms. In many cases, gardeners create a three-season garden, with different plants blooming from early spring through late autumn. Prior to selecting plants and laying out the new garden, select the proper location and preparing the soil for the new garden.
Growing and harvesting your own vegetable garden provides not only nutrition for you and your family, but brings joy and the satisfaction of producing your own food. Seeds may not always be available from the usual sources, namely the seed companies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture seed bank and small farms. These seed sources have experienced times of dwindling funding and low markets. Therefore, knowing how to prepare and save your own vegetable seeds for future planting increases your ability to take total responsibility for your food supply.
In the American lexicon, people tend to use the word "fruit" to only refer to the sweetest, most colorful parts of plants. The term "vegetable" is more broadly used to refer to nonsweet plant parts that are edible. In botany, however, the word "fruit" carries an unambiguous definition: the ripened ovary of a flower. Therefore, only flowering plants, called angiosperms, produce fruits. Nonflowering plants such as conifers, cycads and ferns can never yield fruit. Depending on the plant species, fruits develop in any number of ways, including housing seeds within.
If you ever leave the United States to enter another country or enter the United States from someplace like Canada or Mexico, you will need to cross through U.S. Customs. Customs is an agency that controls the goods that are coming into and out of the United States. Typically, these people will ask you a few pieces of information about the nature of your trip and require you to provide some identification.
Flower and vegetable seeds are sometimes the cheapest starting point for a home garden. Even some experienced gardeners might be surprised to learn that not all flower and vegetable seeds are the same. Some seeds, called hybrids, are specifically bred through careful cross-pollination to ensure robust and high-yielding varieties. Other types of seed predate industrial seed production technologies, and are generally more appropriate to be used season after season. Reusing the seed produced by one season's garden for the next year is called seed saving, and is sometimes a source of cost savings for home gardeners.
A successful garden starts with quality seeds. Select seeds grown organically and produced from solid, open-pollinated stock. Seeds that are produced in climates similar to the location of your garden prove hardy and adaptable to your growing conditions. Seeds can be located from a huge selection of reputable seed company websites or by visiting local garden nurseries or home and building supply stores. When buying packaged seeds, always check the freshness date and hardiness zones specified on the label.
If you are contemplating planting a vegetable garden, you may be wondering which vegetables you should plant. Truthfully, there are a lot of things to consider when planning what vegetables you want to put in your garden. You need to consider what vegetables you and your family like as well as think about how much space you have. Think about when you will eat the vegetables, whether right away or if you want to preserve some for the future.
The world's tropical regions support hundreds of species of palm trees. From the iconic coconut palm of Hawaii to the date palms that are commercially grown in African countries, all palms produce seeds of some kind. They vary widely, from the enormous coconut to the bullet-shaped date seed. Their viability varies widely as well, even within the same species.
In the spring, garden centers overflow with flats and pots filled with vegetable plants, allowing eager gardeners to transplant everything from tomatoes to eggplant without sowing a single seed. Such commercially grown plants are a convenient but costly alternative to starting vegetables from seed. Most vegetable seeds germinate quickly, generating young plants that are garden-ready in a few weeks' time.
Annuals are plants that live for just one growing season. They are an excellent choice for gardeners who want a garden that flowers through much of spring, summer and fall, since many annuals do in fact bloom for this long. If your annuals are newly planted into your garden, cutting some flowers is usually OK.
Growing your own produce in a home garden has many benefits, including better health and a lighter wallet. A small investment of seeds and seedling plants can result in good dividends on the dinner plate. When to get started on your garden depends on a number of variables, depending on what you intend to grow and where you live.
When planting vegetable seeds outside, called direct sowing, it is important to plant at the appropriate times. If planted too early, seeds can die or rot. If planted too late the plants do not have time to grow and produce mature, ripe vegetables. The backs of seed packets all give estimated times of how long the seeds need to develop. Use this as a guide when planting seeds outdoors.
Whether you do it by government standards, by intuition or by the light of the moon, planting your seeds into the ground on schedule is critical to plant health and productivity. Research is equally crucial; no matter what advice you get, you need to know about local factors such as rainfall averages, the date of the last spring frost and soil conditions.
Which plants are best for your organic garden depends on a number of factors, including the nature of your soil, the growing climate where you live, the kinds of vegetables you like to eat and what kinds of pests are common in your area. In general, hardy plants with few natural predators are most promising for organic vegetables.
Gardeners often wait excitedly for garden planting season to arrive. Beginning gardeners sometimes experience confusion over when to plant their well-planned crops, however. Proper planting dates ensure optimal growth and crop production, but these times vary greatly, depending on location. For best results, pay close attention to specific factors such as temperature and moisture level in the soil.
As food prices continue to rise, vegetable gardening and self-sufficient living have increased in popularity, which has led to an increase in the availability of a wider variety of seeds and seedlings. To choose which varieties of vegetables to grow in your garden, you'll need to take several factors into consideration, including the climate, the garden's location and whether you prefer heirloom vegetables or hybrids.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides the United States and Canada into 11 distinct growing zones. Each zone is defined by its average annual low temperatures, with individual zones further subdivided into two smaller zones. Zone 9, for example, is comprised of zones 9a and 9b. In zone 9a, the annual low temperatures average 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. In zone 9b, they range from 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The relatively warm climate lends itself to a long vegetable growing season.
Seed-starting kits make the early growing process simple for gardeners. These kits contain the items needed to successfully sprout seeds of many different plants, including vegetables. The seed-starting mix (soil) for the seeds is not always included with a seed-starting kit but is available for purchase in garden supply stores or in the same place you purchase your kit. These are examples of kits that give seeds a healthy start, making for stronger and more viable vegetable plants.
USDA hardiness zone 3 covers regions that are generally cold most of the year, including Alaska and parts of the northern Midwest -- places where sub-zero temperatures are common. The annual minimum average temperature in zone 3 can range from -40 to -30 degrees F. In summer, temperatures rarely get above the mid-60s in this zone. The summer is the rainiest time: In June, July and August, the region receives more than 3 inches of rain per month. The winter is relatively dry, with around an inch of rain per month. When planting a vegetable garden in zone 3, choose…
Some varieties of vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, do better in a garden when they are transplanted as seedlings. You can sow others directly into garden soil as soon as the soil temperature reach 65 degrees or higher. The primary reason for using seeds to grow vegetables instead of seedlings is due to root disturbances. Crops such as corn, beans, peas and carrots do not tolerate having their root systems disturbed by transplanting and must be started from seeds right in the garden.
If you don't have a vegetable garden to call your own, you can still have fresh homegrown vegetables indoors. Vegetable seeds can be obtained from catalogs and garden centers and grown in containers. Almost any vegetable can be grown indoors.
Gardeners commonly have leftover seed after planting a garden, but all that seed doesn't have to go to waste. Protecting seed from high temperatures and humidity will extend its viability for use in future plantings and save you money in the end.
Seeds contain dormant embryos that are custom-made for storage. Requirements for storage are the opposite of what it takes to germinate them, which are air, water and warmth. Freezing vegetable seeds will not kill them, and keeping them in your home freezer is a preferred method of storage.
Urban gardeners often have limited space for gardening, but Philadelphia's climate is ideal for growing. Located in the warmest part of the state, Philadelphia offers options to grow a wide range of crops.
If you live in New York, Vermont or another state in the northeastern U.S., it's wise to learn the average date of your final spring frost before you set out vegetable plants in your garden. Dates vary from region to region.
Planting a successful vegetable garden requires a little bit of planning and attention to the type of crops that are being planted. Some vegetables are better planted directly into the prepared garden bed, and others should be started in trays or pots for best results.
The West African country of Ghana is home to a broad range of native plant species, many of which are used medicinally or as edibles with varied applications. A few species, such as the cola, have received worldwide attention for their use in globally distributed foodstuffs. Others, such as the melegueta pepper, have been traded historically, but are principally used within the Republic of Ghana and nearby countries.
Cool season crops perform in the fall and in areas of the Pacific Northwest that experience mild winters, according to the Oregon State University Extension. Growers should be wary of changes in weather patterns and regional differences in conditions, and look for cultivars that perform reliably in their area.
For a successful garden, plant vegetables at the optimal time. Cool-season vegetables tolerate light frost, while warm-season vegetables thrive after the danger of frost is past.
The traditional method of planting crops or gardens involves tilling the soil with a plow to create shallow troughs for seeds and then scatter seeds over the soil for planting. The method results in inconsistent yield and wasted seeds, and seed drilling was adopted as an alternative to the more randomized method of planting. Seed drills combine tilling troughs with mechanized seed placement directly into the furrows for optimal plant yield, and you can recreate the method by hand in your own small garden.
Shade is a common occurrence in most gardens and landscapes and is often viewed as among the major gardening challenges. The best way to deal with shade is to choose specifically those plants for the area that grow in shade and thrive without bright light. This includes a number of vegetables. Though the common notion is that vegetables will not grow without light, there are certain vegetables seeds that will thrive in shade.
Growing your own vegetables is a convenient, healthy, inexpensive way to get the daily vegetable requirements that you need. The state of Maryland lies in USDA hardiness zone 7a, where many different vegetables grow successfully. These vegetables enjoy the cooler temperatures of summer and are cold hardy to zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Gardeners save seed in order to perpetuate their favorite open-pollinated varieties of food and ornamental plants. Rather than purchasing seeds every year, saving seed saves money and lets you enjoy your favorite and most successful plants year after year. When saving seed, use only open-pollinated plants and never hybrids, as the offspring of hybrids will not resemble the parent.
The Hawaiian islands are home to many endemic plants, or plants that can be found nowhere else in the world. As many as 90 percent of native Hawaiian plants are either endangered or only grow in the islands, according to the University of Hawaii. Native plant species arrived in Hawaii on ocean currents, by riding the wind, or with the help of birds. Many naturalized species arrived with the early Polynesian settlers who first populated the islands.
Long before gardeners could run down to the local hardware store to buy greenhouse-grown tomato transplants, farmers and gardeners saved seeds of heirloom plants from year to year. Saving seeds is a good way to improve your vegetable quality over time as well as save money on the price of purchasing vegetable transplants. Saving seeds takes little effort, though you will have to save only heirloom seeds, as the seed of hybrid plants do not produce plants that are true-to-type.
When you're making vegetable soup or other fresh vegetable dishes, consider using the seeds rather than just throwing them out. For example, you could toss the seeds into your compost pile, along with the ends and unused pieces of vegetables. Another option is harvesting, drying and storing the seeds in order to plant them.
Temperatures in Arizona and the desert Southwest are warmer and drier than most of the country, so vegetable gardening must follow a specialized planting schedule. Fortunately, the warm weather allows for two extended growing seasons.
Plant viruses can disfigure or kill a plant. They can be transferred through seeds, vegetative propagation, living organisms such as insects or bacteria and through mechanical means. When crops are infected with viruses, it can result in the loss of an entire season's worth of crops or plants.
Starting and maintaining an organic vegetable garden means you will not treat your crops with any chemical pesticides to fend off weeds, insects or other nuisance creatures. Instead, you keep your vegetable plants healthy through extensive hand-weeding and using harmless pest controls such as companion planting and attracting helpful insects. Organic gardening also involves starting with organic seeds, which have not been treated with any synthetic materials or that are approved by the National Organic Program. Ask your local nursery if they carry organic vegetable seeds.
When it comes time to plant your first garden, you may wonder how many seeds you should plant for each vegetable that you want to grow. There is no simple number for measuring vegetable seeds, because the number varies by vegetable plant. According to Cornell University's Suffolk Extension, the best way to measure vegetable seeds is to determine the number of seeds that germinate for each plant by experimenting with them before planting your garden.
Heirloom seeds are nonhybrid and the result of open-pollination. These seeds are genetically diverse, and gardeners save them because they produce vegetables that not only taste good but which also have developed some immunity to local pests. In addition, unlike hybrid plants that produce nonviable seeds, heirlooms keep on making seeds you can collect, store and sow. You might have to buy an initial seed packet to grow heirloom vegetables. But from the first harvest, you'll have free seeds. Vegetable-seed collection varies according to the plant species.
Preserving seeds is a good way to save money and to grow plants, year after year. This involves selecting seeds from heirloom plants at the right time and storing them properly. Soft fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and squash should be picked when ripe, while beans and peas can be harvested and left in the pods to dry. Choose healthy looking plants as those attacked by pests or disease will not produce quality seeds.
Juicing your fruit and vegetables is a convenient way to benefit from their nutrients. Juicers -- at least good ones -- can be expensive. If you have a food grinder on hand, there's no need to purchase a new appliance, as the blades of a grinder can do the job, too. The juice produced from a grinder will have more pulp and plant pieces than a true juicer, but that can be strained if it's not to your liking.
Gardeners may have leftover seeds from the previous year while others choose to purchase old seeds at a discount. Some old seeds germinate or grow poorly, while others grow well. Evaluate your old seeds before planting to determine whether seeds remain viable.
The benefit of having a backyard vegetable garden is having access to fresh, nutrient-dense vegetables; the downside, though, is without diligent maintenance, weeds will overtake the veggie plants rather quickly. Luckily there are many remedies for dealing with unwanted weeds, but one common method is to prevent weeds from seeding in the first place, thus preventing them from growing and eventually choking off your vegetable plants.
Out-of-date vegetable seeds may be usable, depending on how old they are and how they were stored. Neither the health of the plant or the quality of the vegetables grown are affected by the age of the seed that was sown.
There are literally hundreds of different fruits and vegetables that grow in tropical conditions. The majority of these plants can be propagated from seeds. In the United States these vegetables thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. Tropical vegetables require eight to 12 hours of sunshine daily, fertile, nutrient-rich soil, warm temperatures from 65 to 85 degrees F, high humidity and plenty of water.
Popcorn is not the only thing capable of exploding into a tasty snack when exposed to concentrated heat. Sorghum seeds puff up several times their original size, just as popcorn does. You can even use the same popping methods for sorghum seeds. Be sure to select a popping variety, as sorghum has some varieties better able to pop than others. If in doubt, experiment and see if your seeds will pop. They will not pop as large as popcorn, but the results will resemble large, puffed seeds which can be eaten with salt and butter like popcorn.
Maryland's Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland fall in USDA hardiness zone 7, while Central Maryland and Northeast Maryland fall in Zone 6, as does the city of Baltimore, with its growing season of 220 days. Marylanders can grow tender vegetables to harvest by July or August and add cold-season vegetables in early spring and late summer.
There is nothing better than to pick your own flowers for a bouquet or harvest vegetables that you have grown. But, having your own flower or vegetable garden can be expensive if you start with purchased plants. This is why so many gardeners opt to start with seeds, either sowing the seeds directly into the garden or, in colder climates, starting the seeds indoors and transplanting seedlings to the garden when the weather warms. Seeds can be expensive, too, but there are ways to acquire your garden seeds cheaply, and sometimes for free.
Urban farming is growing in popularity. But shade, changing temperatures and wild weather can spoil the harvest. Whether you tend a garden in the city, the suburbs or out in the country, it's good to know which seeds mature the fastest. And you should always take into account that cool temperatures and rain can slow growth, while warmer weather and sun will better accommodate it.
Seeds prefer loose well-drained soil for optimal growth, whether indoors or out. The climate in Pennsylvania, which is in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Zone 6, demands indoors seed germination if it is desired before mid-spring. The last frost in Pennsylvania is generally near May 15, making it necessary to start shoots indoors. Choose seeds accordingly, since many require four to 14 weeks of indoor germination before planting can occur outdoors.
Growing vegetables from seed is a rewarding part of the gardening process, as you are able to witness the change as tiny seeds become hearty plants over the course of the growing season. When properly stored, vegetable seeds can last longer than the seed packet states.
Vegetables are among the easiest plants to grow, but you need to know a few tricks to have success. The soil is the most important ingredient in your vegetable garden: if it is heavy clay, veggies won't do well because they need a lighter, faster-draining environment. Some seeds do best when you plant them directly into the garden soil, while others stand a better chance of reaching a productive maturity when you start them in pots or flats. Starter plants make it easy to get going, but you'll have wider choices of varieties if you start with seeds.
Throughout history, humans have cultivated fats and oils from the process of crushing a variety of vegetable seeds. This is done on a small level to crush seeds for oil to use in ointments, food recipes and even cosmetics. It is also done on a large scale to provide consumers with ready to use oils and fats.
People tend to take their kitchen gadgets and utensils for granted but, up until the 20th century, cooking was a time-consuming and laborious business, as well as a labor of love. Early Americans had to make their own clay cooking pots, and stones were used to grind and pulverize food. Clay and cast-iron cookware were kitchen staples until the middle-17th century, after which the metal pots and pans and gadget started to become popular.
Almost any full-size vegetable grown in the garden is available in miniature form. Miniature vegetables have quickly risen in popularity over the last 10 years in the United States, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. You can find seeds for miniature vegetables in nurseries or garden centers. Plant the seeds in a container or in a small raised bed garden outdoors.
If you want to plant an organic garden, it is best to start with organic seeds. Seeds that are not produced organically can be exposed to man-made chemicals and may not perform as well in an organic environment according to High Mountain Organic Seeds.com. There are several organic seed producers available. Before purchasing organic seeds, verify that the supplier does not sell genetically engineered seed products. If you are looking for plants that will provide a true reproduction, use open-pollinated seeds.
There is not a single month of the calendar year when vegetable seeds cannot be planted, either indoors under lights or by direct sowing outdoors under cover. The trick to knowing how late can you plant the seeds for vegetables outside, is simply knowing what vegetables you can plant, and when you can plant them where you live.
Heirloom vegetable seeds are seed varieties that have been used for hundreds of years by gardeners. In order for a vegetable seed to be classified as an heirloom it must be at least 50 years old, though most heirloom seeds are actually much older. Unlike hybrid vegetable seeds which should not be saved, seeds from heirloom vegetable varieties can be saved and used for future propagation.
USDA planting Zone 3 is a cold weather, often high altitude, zone. It covers Alaska, southern Canada, the northern region of the Midwest and other parts of the United States that receive minimum temperatures in the -30 to -40 degree Fahrenheit range. Cold season vegetables are the best for this zone and are planted with the last frost date for the region.
A vegetable seed tray can help you get your seeds to sprout and start growing. By planting your vegetable seeds in a seed tray starter before planting them into the ground, you could increase your germination rate in your plants. Planting your vegetable seeds in your own seed tray starter will save you money on vegetable plants and help you brush up on your gardening skills.
Interest in raising plants from heirloom seeds is growing and societies and organizations connect people who have these seeds to those who want to grow them. Unlike hybridized seeds, heirloom seeds may be harvested so that the home gardener may grow plants year after year without buying new seeds. Gardeners also enjoy growing the wider variety of plants available from fellow heirloom seed collectors.
To grow a truly sustainable vegetable garden, you need to save seeds. Seeds should be harvested from open pollinated or heirloom varieties rather than from hybrids. They should also be taken from the healthiest plants with the best-tasting fruits. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, peas and beans are among the easiest to save and will produce fruits nearly identical to the parent generation. Corn, melon, squash and cucumber seeds can be saved, but are less predictable because they may have been cross-pollinated with other varieties. Most seeds can be dried and stored in the refrigerator for up to a year.
With the prices of fresh produce continuously skyrocketing, many people are turning to growing their own fresh vegetables. Harvesting seeds from store-bought produce and planting them is a simple step to take to cut the high cost of food. Harvesting and enjoying your own produce is rewarding and wallet-friendly.
Dormancy refers to the period of time between the production of seed by a plant and when the conditions become right for the seed to sprout, or germinate. During dormancy, the biochemical activity of the plant embryo inside the seed slows down. Plants vary in how long a seed may lie dormant while still remaining viable. Some seeds, such as parsnips, must germinate within a year of production, while others, such as muskmelon, may still germinate after five years. In other cases, seeds hundreds of years old found in archeological digs still sprout under the right conditions. Storage conditions also…
There is nothing better than a nice juicy tomato, crisp pepper or some other vegetable picked fresh from your garden. Many people buy their seedlings from a greenhouse or nursery, but those vegetables can be costly, and your choice is limited. Why not start your own vegetable plants indoors? With a few simple items, like potting soil and grow lights, you are well on your way to sowing your vegetable seeds indoors, getting a jump start on the growing season. It is best to start vegetable seeds indoors, eight to ten weeks before the last frost.
Gardeners collect seeds from vegetables to ensure the seed quality and also to decrease gardening costs. Collecting seeds from homegrown vegetables will make certain that the same seeds are available for the next planting season so that they produce the same quality, size and flavor as the original plants. Seeds can be collected and dried from grocery store vegetables that are hardy and flavorful as well.
Starting vegetables seeds in a greenhouse is much different than sowing seed directly into the soil. In fact, greenhouse gardeners often shun soil in favor of a soil-less potting mix because it provides a healthier medium for germination and growth. Much of what you know about growing vegetables in the garden may not necessarily apply in the greenhouse. Because it is a different environment, special attention needs to be given to the seedlings to keep them moist, but not over-watered, and warm, fed, and free of disease and pests.
Certain vegetables, such as beans, peas, peppers and tomatoes, make saving vegetable seeds simple: These have self-pollinating flowers, meaning they pollinate automatically before the flowers open. Avoid saving seeds from hybrid plants (combinations of different varieties of plants): Hybrids produce seeds lower in quality than the parent plant. The most difficult seeds to save include beets and carrots because they need two growing seasons to make the seeds. Use dried powdered milk or silica gel with the seeds to absorb moisture. You can purchase silica gel, a highly absorbant, gelatinous type of silica, from craft stores or online.
With the right knowledge and tools, you can grow a successful indoor vegetable garden. There are many reasons to choose to grow your vegetables indoors. Some of the most common reasons are lack of yard space, cold climates or simply that you live in an apartment complex and don't have access to a yard. The most difficult stage of the vegetable gardening process is germination. Germination is the time when the seed is ending its dormant state and beginning to sprout.
Save money and improve the quality of your plants by ordering garden seeds in bulk. You can even combine orders with friends and family for bigger discounts and lower shipping costs. Opting for bulk vegetable seeds gives you access to the same seeds used by small farms, including many heirloom and organic varieties.
When growing vegetables from seeds, it is helpful to use a mix of compost, vermiculite and peat moss, which produces a light texture perfect for seed germination. Start vegetable seeds in seed trays with help from an professional gardener in this free video on growing from seeds.
After planting vegetable seeds, moisture is your main concern until seedlings sprout and become established. Water them too much and they will wash away, leaving only empty space where a seedling should have sprouted. Don't water them enough and they will dry out and shrivel up, producing nothing as well. So, how much should newly planted vegetable seeds be watered and how can you maintain the proper moisture to ensure that they grow into strong and healthy plants?
Vegetable gardening requires the use of an abundance of seeds. Most seeds are sold in packets, and many times the number of seeds supplied in the packets can far outweigh the number of seeds a gardener actually needs. Having leftover seeds is very common among gardeners who have limited garden space, but figuring out what to do with all those leftover seeds can be somewhat of a challenge. You can learn how to use leftover vegetable seeds in a few steps.
Priming simply means soaking your vegetable seeds---usually overnight---before sowing. Priming hydrates vegetable seeds, but not enough for germination. When a primed seed gets into the ground, germination occurs more quickly because the seed is already filled with the water.
Planting, growing and harvesting one's own food can be rewarding and a great way to save money. At the end of the harvest season, it is tempting to save the seeds from some of the vegetables your garden produced to save for next year's planting. There are a few things to take into consideration before attempting to save seeds from any vegetable to plant.
Sowing vegetable seeds at the right time can be tricky. Early planting in the spring runs the risk of exposing tender seedlings to frost, as does planting in the autumn. But planting too late in the spring can lead to heat exhaustion for your plants when the hottest parts of the summer hit. For successful growing seasons, understand your region's climate and estimated vegetable planting dates and be vigilant when it comes to frost protection.
The United States strictly restricts and regulates all plant matter, including seeds, from entrance to the country. Any plant matter such as flowers, potted plants, soil or fruits could be contaminated with pests or diseases that might threaten U.S. food, crops or livestock.
Germinating vegetable seeds is the first step toward reaping healthy produce from your garden. Germinating and planting seeds takes more thought than many novice gardeners imagine. Simply sticking a few seeds in a pot of soil will not produce the same results as proper planning.
When you purchase your seeds, you will typically not need to plant all of the seeds that come in the seed packet. Instead of throwing them out you can store them by freezing them for use the following year. You can also freeze seeds that are taken directly from vegetables. The best time to remove the seeds and store them is immediately after harvest. Seeds can also be stored in your refrigerator short-term.
In late winter and early spring it's time to start thinking about the vegetable garden. Starting seeds indoors gives your plants a jump on the growing season so they go into the garden bed stronger, larger and healthier than plants started outside later in the spring. Even frost-tolerant plants such as broccoli benefit from an indoor jump-start before being moved outside. Follow the recommendations on the seed packets for when to start a particular plant indoors. It varies among plant varieties between 4 and 14 weeks.
When you purchase a packet of seeds from your local nursery or garden store, it is important to save some of the seeds to plant in the following years as you most likely don't need all of the seeds in the packet. You can also store the seeds from your vegetables after you've harvested them. Germination will occur while storing your seeds in a cool and dry location, so it's important to plant your seeds before the germination ends. You should never dry your seeds using a blow dryer or microwave as you could do internal damage to the seeds.
Gardening doesn't stop when the growing season ends. You can remove the seeds from your crop throughout the year, and enjoy your vegetables again by growing them the next year. Seed-saving helps to preserve heirloom vegetables, and can cut down on your gardening costs greatly. The seeds from one vegetable like a squash or tomato can provide a garden full of vegetables the following year. You may find yourself with a surplus of seeds from your garden or that you've bought from stores. If you end up with more than you can grow in one season, you can long-term store…
Gardening has become increasingly popular as more people decide to "go green." Growing your own vegetables from seeds can be a rewarding and delicious experience. It is cost-effective and allows you to control what kind of fertilizers and pesticides are used on your food. With plant-friendly weather almost year-round, growing vegetables in Florida is easy.
For gardeners, harvesting vegetable seeds will allow you to regrow these plants over and over again. For farmers, harvesting seeds is a great way to save a good amount of money. However, in order to harvest vegetable seeds, these seeds must be dried thoroughly in order to prevent them from rotting. Under the suitable conditions, you can dry vegetable seeds and store them for up to 10 years.
New gardeners and avid gardeners alike enjoy receiving seed catalogues in the mail. Several good old time reliable seed companies still continue to send free seed catalogs in the mail even though they all have websites and online ordering.
The state of South Carolina is broken down into three identifiable growing regions including Piedmont in the North, Central and Coastal. Gardeners in every region can plant seeds by March 1 and gardeners in the coastal regions can being planting early spring seeds in December and January. Piedmont and Central regions can begin planting early spring seeds by February 15. All time frames are for first plantings of which many vegetables can be re-seeded more than once as the seasons progress.
Many gardeners enjoy planting seeds versus small plants. The type of seed and weather conditions will determine weather the seeds should be planted outdoors or started earlier in the season indoors. The state of Missouri actually has three different planting zones: 5, 6 and 7.
Growing vegetable plants from seed is economical and fun. This method of planting does take a bit of patience, but the rewards are great.
Spring is the best time to plant vegetables from seed in most places in the United States. In warmer climates you can add autumn to your seed planting schedule. Some seeds germinate better than others and some plants are best grown from seed rather than bought as plants or cuttings. Here is some advice on what vegetables to plant from seed.
Saving open pollinated vegetable seeds is not only a great way to preserve historic plant varieties, but it is also an excellent means of saving money since you will not have to buy new packages of seeds for the following season. Best of all, because these vegetable seeds are not hybrids, they will grow true to type so you know you will be getting the same exact vegetables next summer when you plant the seeds you have saved.
Saving your own vegetable seeds is a great way to save money on your vegetable garden start up costs each year. It is also a way to keep heirloom plants going. Just make sure that you choose the best of the crop for seed saving.
Saving vegetable seeds is a great way to grow new vegetables in future seasons, and drying the seeds out is the best way to save them. Keep vegetable seeds in a cool, dry place until the next season with information from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.
Most experienced gardeners save seeds from their annual crops. If you have an heirloom variety of a particular fruit or vegetable, it is advantageous to retain those seeds. You can choose seeds from the best, or earliest, fruits and vegetables to continue desired traits.
Garden seed can get expensive, especially if you wish to grow a wide variety of vegetables other than the traditional green bean and tomato. Heirloom varieties can run upwards of a dollar a seed and you are at the seed company's mercy when it comes to purchasing more than a few tiny seeds at a time. Saving your own seed from vegetables grown in your garden can put dollars back into your pocket and guarantee that you are getting exactly what you are looking for.
