Maple Syrup is starting to flow.

We have several Maple Trees on the property so in the spring as it starts to warm I tap the trees. The trees are quite large so I usually put 3 buckets on each tree. You can expect the sap to run if the nights are cold – below 0 and the days are above 0 and the sun helps a lot as well. This year the season started real early with a nice mild patch in the begining of March.

It takes a couple days to have enough liquid to start boiling the sap down. It takes approx. 40 gallons of liquid to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. It take about 6 hours to boil down a batch of maple syrup. The first batch I made came out a very light golden color – it looked and tasted wonderful. This was the first time I had a batch that turned out so light. It may have been that the weather was just right and the sap was flowing fast. The next several batches were a dark golden brown color and I noticed with these it took about 5 days till I had enough to run a batch.

Well we are getting closer to the end of March and most days and nights have been above 0 so the sap has stopped flowing for now. I will keep checking the buckets every 3 days or so. Almost all the snow has melted and I am starting to clean up areas to ready them for the coming season.

Testing Vegetable Seeds for Germination

Can you use last year’s vegetable seeds for this year’s veggie garden? In 99.9% of the cases, I say “Yes, you can. You go gardener!” Most vegetable seeds keep for a year or two and even longer with no problems. The older the seeds get, the less viable they become, or the less they will tend to germinate. To avoid wasting time planting vegetable seeds that just won’t grow, it’s best to test for germination if your seeds are older than two years.

Vegetable Seed Germination Test

We use a very simple method to determine the viability of our older vegetable seeds. We simply take our seeds, place them between sheets of moist paper towel, place the damp paper towel into a plastic sandwich bag and place the sandwich bag in a warm location. After about 5 to 10 days, we count the number of seeds that have sprouted, and use that as our guide to calculate the germination rate.

Step 1: Read the seed package information
Read the vegetable seed package to determine the days to germination, and whether to germinate the seeds in a dark or a light spot. If the package suggests a planting depth, then the seeds will usually do best in a warm dark spot. If the package states that the seeds need light to germinate, make sure to place them in a warm spot that receives indirect light.






Step 2: Gather your testing supplies
Next you need to gather your supplies. For the seed test you’ll need the following:
• 10 seeds for testing
• Paper towels
• Plastic sandwich bag
• Ball Point Pen
Once you have all your supplies, you are ready to start the seed test.

Step 3: Setting up the seed for testing
Tear off a sheet of paper towel and fold it into a square. Write the name of the seed to be tested and the expected germination date on the paper towel. Dampen the paper towel. The paper towel should be just damp, but not dripping. Be careful not to over wet the paper towel as this will cause the seeds to rot. Open the towel and place 10 seeds on it. Fold the paper towel into quarters, ensuring that the seeds are well covered by the paper towel. Place the paper towel with the seeds into a sandwich bag and seal the bag. Place the bag in a warm (60 to 70 degree), but not hot area.

Step 4: Checking the seed for germination
Check on the seeds every one or two days. If the paper towel starts drying out, add a few drops of water to the towel. After about 5 to 10 days the first seeds will start developing little white roots.

Once you’ve reached the germination date, open the paper towel and count the number of seeds that have developed roots. Divide the number of germinated seeds, by the number of seeds you started with, and then multiply the answer by 100 to calculate your germination rate.

Example: Pepper Seed Germination Test
6 germinated seeds divided by 10 test seeds = .6 multiplied by 100 = 60%. Therefore the germination test gives me a result of 60% germination. That means that just over half of my seeds can be expected to germinate.

Conclusion
At 60% it’s still worthwhile planting the seeds. Since only about ½ the seeds will germinate, you’d just use twice as many seeds when you actually plant in the garden. If the germination rate goes below 30%, you’ll have to triple the number of seeds you actually plant, as only 1 in every 3 seeds will germinate. Doing a seed test before you actually plant the seeds ensures that you use enough seeds to get a decent crop of fresh vegetables for your garden.

Happy Veggie Gardening
Annie Rose

Ordering Vegetable Seeds

With spring approaching, it’s time to order those vegetable seeds without delay. At this time of year the seed houses are going to be flooded with orders in the next little while. Getting your order in as early as possible ensures that you get first dibs on the vegetable seeds you want and need.

Your Vegetable Garden Plan should be complete, so you’ll know what you are planning to grow and how much that space will take. Check your existing seeds by doing a germination test, to ensure that the seeds are still viable. There’s nothing worse than planting rows of beans, only to have a couple of plants come up. Been there, done that.

When deciding which seeds to purchase, stick to seeds that are known performers. If you’ve kept garden journals, consulting the journals is a great first step. Your soil and growing conditions are unique, and a journal is the very best way to determine what does and does not work for you. Once you’ve ensured that you have an adequate supply of the old favorites, consult the vegetable gardening web sites for your locality and growing zones to see what other varieties work in your area.

It’s a great practice to try out several new types or breeds of vegetables for vegetable garden. Check out the new AAS winners in the vegetable category. Different types of seeds add novelty and interest to your vegetable garden, and you might just discover a new great performer for your particular growing conditions.

If you stay away from treated vegetable seeds like we do, make sure that you order sufficient quantities of seeds like beans, which can fail to germinate if growing conditions are too cold or wet. Crop failures happen to even the most experienced of growers, and you should expect the occasional failure in your own vegetable garden.

Purchase your seeds only from reputable seed houses. With vegetable seeds, expect to pay a fair price for disease-free good quality seed. The fastest way to get your seed orders into the seed houses is to place the order via their web sites. If ordering via the web makes you nervous, most seed companies support ordering by either Fax or snail mail as well.

And then comes the really hard part, waiting for that seed order to arrive!

Happy Gardening

Why Plant a Vegetable Garden?

There are many reasons for planting a vegetable garden. The first would be the satisfaction of growing your own food.

Working outdoors and getting much needed excercise is also a big plus. With a minimal effort you can produce enough vegetables to make a significant dent in your grocery bill. Still others garden just for the fun of it. Whatever your reason for starting a vegetable garden, you’ll soon realize that gardening is easy, enjoyable and a great learning experience . A vegetable garden quickly becomes more than just something to tinker with, it becomes a way of life.

When you raise food crops, you tend to follow the weather a lot more so that you can plan planting, maintenance, watering and enjoyment of your growing vegetable garden. You also tend to take more attention of the condition of your soil. Whatever the weather you have to adjust to what you are dealt with to produce your nutritious vegetables.

 During the season as you start to harvest your vegetables that’s when you get to appreciate the fruits or should I say vegetables of your labour. Nothing beats the taste of freshly picked vegetables right out of the garden, it beats anything you can buy from your supermarket.

You’re bound to have some occasional disappointments, but on the whole, you’ll get full-size, well formed, tasty vegetables you’ll be proud to feed your family and friends. If you get a good crop you may also have enough to be able to store as well as freeze and can for latter use. During the dead of winter it’s always a treat to be able to serve those great tasting vegetables that you were able to store fresh. Other vegetables that must be frozen or canned are also wonderful to get into when fresh vegetables are unavailable.

Vegetable Gardening Tips

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available.

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

During the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is one healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support.

Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest. Hard work will pay dividends if necessary precautions have been made.

Grow Your Vegetable Garden Inside

Choose Appropriate Vegetables

Different plants have different requirements and with indoor gardens the major restrictions tend to be available space and available light. Salad greens like lettuce, miniature cabbages, swiss chard, and spinach do well indoors.

Check out this cool video:

The size of your pots will determine your choice of plant, choose containers big enough for the plants full growth. Small root crops such as radishes and onions are great choices, and there are even small root carrots available. Herbs are a popular choice because they are compact and do not need much space. Miniature varieties of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant can also thrive inside when given the proper care.

Find the Perfect Spot for Growing

Lighting is an important consideration for any indoor vegetable garden. A bright south-facing window is your best bet, but any spot that gets a minimum of 5 hours of continuous light can be used. In addition to natural light, you can set up supplemental artificial lighting if you are really serious about growing healthy plants.

Traffic flow is also another important factor to think about. Vegetables in general bruise easily so you want to choose fairly quiet spots so minimize accidental human contact. If you have small children or pets at home, you may want to locate your garden well out of their reach. It is also important to think about proximity to your gardening tools and easy clean-up if things get messy.

Optimize the Microclimate

Plants grow best in high humidity and moderate temperatures. Indoor gardens usually suffer from low humidity. Container grown plants tend to dry out faster and will require more frequent watering. However, it is important not to let the plants get waterlogged as this may cause root rot. Make sure that there is good drainage by raising pots with a pan of gravel underneath. Evaporation from these dishes also improves humidity so they serve a dual purpose.

Another great way to optimize your microclimate, is to group your plants together. You can mix your vegetables with more decorative houseplants to create groupings that are not only beautiful but also functional. Temperature is actually easier to control inside the house, as it is easy to provide more shade by simply drawing the curtains. Just make sure plants are protected from drafts.

Get Good Potting Soil

Potting soil for indoor gardens should drain well and contain the nutrients required to support growth and development. You can purchase premixed potting soil that already incorporates the proper amount of fertilizer. If you prefer to go organic, you can get organic potting mixes from your local garden store. Add nutrients with caution, as fertilizer buildup is quite common in containers.

Planting vegetable gardens indoors can be incredibly rewarding, so do not be afraid to give it a try. You may even end up growing enough produce to give to family and friends.

 

Tips For Taking Care of Your Indoor Plants

Overwatering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don’t water it.

2. Feeding

Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.

3. Lighting

Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.

4. Temperature

Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don’t put it near an air conditioner in the summer.

5. Humidity

Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.

6. Re-potting

Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don’t require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to the indoor gardener.

The Basics of Planting Vegetable Gardens

First of all soil preparation is very important. This is one of the most basic things that any new gardener will have to learn. Whether you choose a spot in your backyard or start a vegetable garden in plant boxes, soil preparation plays an important role in whether your vegetable garden will survive or not. There are three types of soil that you need to be familiar with; sand, clay and loam. Sandy soil provides good drainage but dries out quickly. Clay soil retains water but turns rock hard when it dries out. Loam is a mixture of sand and clay particles and is the prefered combination for a good vegetable garden.

When preparing the soil for your vegetable garden, dig up the soil and break up the lumps. Take out the rocks, roots, and weeds while you’re at it. Loam should contain about 40% sand, and 20% clay, to provide ideal growing conditions and good drainage. One good way to test whether the composition of your soil is good is by scooping out a handful and forming a ball with it. The soil should hold the shape of a ball without too much difficulty. If the soil cannot hold the shape, you might have too much sand in the mixture. If the soil holds the shape but does not crumble easily when you poke it, it might have too much clay in it which you need to balance out with a little sand.

Now that you have finished cultivating the soil, select the variety of vegetable to grow. Keep in mind that some vegetables don’t grow well when you plant them too close to certain types of other vegetables. Potatoes, for example, shouldn’t be planted too close to squash or tomatoes because it inhibits their growth. They can be planted in the same garden, just don’t plant them beside each other.

After you have decided on the kind of vegetables you want and planted them you’ll have to learn about how to water them properly. Vegetables need to be watered consistently. When planting vegetable gardens in a big space, you might want to consider using a soaker hose. A soaker hose has many holes along its body that waters your garden by letting the water seep through its holes.

Planting vegetable gardens require manual labor and a lot of patience. Make sure your first vegetable garden is not too big in your first year as it can get out of contol in a hurry. Very important, you will have to keep a real good contol of the weeds to give your plants the best chance of survival.
 

Planting A Vegetable Garden To Relieve Stress

We have all heard how stress wreaks havoc to our overall health. The negative effects of stress can and will bring several health problems such as: migraines, eating disorders, depression and even heart disease to name a few. Having your own vegetable garden can be very relaxing. They are fairly easier to look after, so long as you have a plan and tend to the garden at least on a weekly basis and hopefully even more. The more you keep ahead of the weeds and trimming the less likely your garden can contribute to a level of stress.

The weekends are a perfect time to unwind and make up for a stressful week. Different people have different ways of coping with stress. With a vegetable garden in your backyard, you would stop thinking about what went on in the past week and instead replace that with how the plants are doing, and how fast the weeds are growing.

One major contributor to stress is not getting enough sunlight. The best way to do that is tending to your vegetable garden. Working in the sun helps with the production of vitamin D, which is necessary for proper absorption of calcium in your body. It has been shown that the average person does not get enough sunlight during their commutes to and from work or even while going out for lunch.

Attending to the needs of your vegetable garden is a great opportunity to get enough sunlight. Depending on the time of year, you should be carefull staying out too long between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm as the sun within these times can be quite strong.

Spending your days indoors at the workplace prevents us from getting in touch with nature. There is nothing like surrounding yourself with all the different varieties of plants and seeing how differently they grow.

In the morning before going to work and then again in the evening on your return just the sight of your vegetable garden alone gets rid of stress. Knowing that you raised those healthy plants with your own hands is such a rewarding feeling. Yes, there is digging, weeding, pruning, raking and harvesting but with the right attitude I am sure you will agree that it is all worth it. All these activities done while planting vegetable gardens provide a constructive outlet for all the tensions that the body amassed during a week of stressful work.

Advantages of Planting Vegetable Gardens

Many people say they have little or no time to go to the gym or health spa to workout. Make gardening your daily dose of exercise. Tending your vegetable garden for at least 30 minutes a day is a great way to burn those excess calories and lose weight. You are able to work several major muscle groups in the body, like the legs, arms, back, buttocks and many others. Gardening also improves your flexibility each time you stretch to reach for weeds or bend to plant a seedling.

By the time your crops are ready for harvest, you will notice a change in your body, especially if you look after your garden on a regular basis. Unlike jogging, playing basketball and others, gardening has less impact on your joints. Gardening is best were vigorous exercises is not applicable, such as for people with high blood pressure, heart diseases, bone joint disorders and many others.

With all the types of vegetables you buy from the Supermarket on a weekly basis you really can not know whether the vegetables you buy are free of pesticides. Produce now comes from all over the world. Some vendors claim that their vegetables are free from harmful chemicals but they would only know this if they grew them themselves. Prolonged dietary exposure to pesticides is linked to various adverse reproductive and developmental effects, although there is little data to support this. Your children are at higher risk to the dangers of such chemicals on the vegetables they consume. Their bodies are not yet fully developed to properly metabolize or excrete such substances.

Once you grow your own vegetables you will notice how much better they taste compared what you can buy at your local grocery store. You will find out how much more flavorful your harvest is, whether you eat right from the garden or put in your favorite vegetable salad. Be it because of the extra amount of love and care these home-grown vegetables got or the person taking pride in growing crops in his or her backyard, it doesn’t rally matter. What really matters is what you serve on the table, that it is fresh right out of your vegetable garden for all to enjoy.

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