Home Vegetable Gardening - Treating Plants For Powdery Mildew

By Michael C Podlesny

Powdery mildew affects such a wide range of plants but most notably those that are in the broadleaf category such as squash and different varieties of plants in the pea families.

If your plants currently have them, do not worry it is a very common occurrence and even better yet this pesky problem is easily treatable.

If left untreated by doing nothing however, your plants can become weak, look deformed and reduce yields of your harvest.

Here are some steps you can take today that could reduce and/or eliminate powdery mildew from your vegetable garden.

The first step is to avoid planting species of plants, such as phlox or bee balm, anywhere near your vegetable plants. This simply invites trouble into your garden, making it easier for it to infect and spread.

The second step is to use natural and safe sprays that reduces the problem without harming the plant itself or helpful insects within the garden. Neem oil is perfect but you can also make your own spray out of 1.5 tbsp baking soda, 1 tsp vegetable oil and 1.5 gallons of warm water mixed together thoroughly then sprayed on the affected plants.

Finally apply a chamomile tea spray mixture on your plants which act as not only a solution for existing powdery mildew but also a repellent to keep the mildew from coming back. Take 6 dried out chamomile tea leaves and boil them in 3 cups of water. Let the mixture cool, remove the tea leaves, place mixture in a spray bottle and apply to affected areas.

If your garden suffers from powdery mildew then you should be using all three of these methods. They are low cost and very affective. Put an end to your powdery mildew in your vegetable garden today.

About the Author
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A guide to vegetable gardening for the rest of us, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and where ever gardening books are sold. He can be reached at his website: AveragePersonGardening.com where you can sign up for his free newsletter and he will send you a pack of vegetable seeds to get your home vegetable garden started.

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For more information on Vegetable Gardening, see www.bestguidetogardening.com.

Gardening Fall Vegetables

By Barbara Volkov

The Ph level in our garden still has to be correct for our area for the new crop of fall vegetables that we are going to plant. It would probably be best to take a sample to our local garden nursery to double check the level, just to be on the safe side. We also need to remove the dead plants from the garden that is no longer producing fruits or vegetables. The greater part of this waste is best if we mixed it in our garden compost pile, but we must make sure that we expose of diseased or insect infested plants. We don't want any of that carried over into next spring's garden.

Lettuces and all types of greens along with some of these veggies, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, and cauliflower, can be grown for fall harvesting. Most will tolerate the frost and some will withstand freezes and snow. Cabbages for instance can grow huge, but they can live over until early spring. Salad greens of all types can be planted and harvested at various stages.

Warm season plants, such as bush beans, can be grown for a fall garden. By planting early varieties in July or August will produce beans before the first frost. Many varieties take only about 50-60 days to mature.

Peppers generally ripen in the south or southwest very quickly in the hot dry months of August and September, so it is best to leave them in the ground as long as they are still producing. Plants will continue to fruit through-out fall as long as they are well watered. We can freeze peppers for storage and use their flavorings for soups and stews in colder weather. After they die out from the first frost, pull out the plants and set that area aside for early spring for a potato crop. It might be a good idea to cover the row with a heavy layer of straw or hay to help begin a break down and lighten the soil.

Lettuce and greens will thrive with colder nights; they will taste sweeter and are full of nutrition. They should be planted while it is still warm and you can watch them get larger as the temperatures drop. Spinach can be grown in even the coldest areas, all winter long with a lightweight fabric covering over the plants. Carrots are another vegetable that can be grown during the fall months, and just pull what is needed for vegetable soups or Thanksgiving dinner and the rest remains in the garden until they are needed.

Garlic and shallots are best if planted in the fall months, anytime from September to mid October, and left to grow over winter. Springtime, late May to early June, there will be a harvest of huge bulbs ready to pull. If we plant bunching or green onions in early fall, we can plan on harvesting them in November and making room for sweet onions to plant in January through March.

Barbara Volkov and her husband are happily retired and enjoying a lot of gardening in a small backyard. I have several articles pertaining to the garden and its many accessories. Come and visit us at http://www.gardenersgardensupplies.com for more interesting ideas and ways to plant. ------------------------------------------------ For more information on Fall Vegetable Gardening, see www.bestguidetogardening.com.

Home Vegetable Gardening Rules to Live By

By Michael C Podlesny

Home vegetable gardening is not only fun but rewarding as well. The more effort you put in the greater reward you will get out. The big question is what is more effort? Well that could be having a couple of tomato plants growing in pots on a window sill, or could be a half acre plot of land converted into a mini-farm. That is one part of what makes home vegetable gardening so great! You get to pick and choose exactly what you want, where you want it, and how you want it.

There are though certain rules (if you will), more like guidelines, that you should follow if you want to see a greater chance of success with your home vegetable garden.

Sun
Most, if not all, vegetables (and herbs) that you can grow in your own garden will require at least 6 hours of sun. So when setting up your garden make sure that it will situated in such a way so that the plants will receive ample sunlight.

Location
If you live on property that has a septic tank, make sure you locate your garden so that it is not near it. The last thing you want is your gardens growing in that area and in that environment. If you have a house that is a bit older (built before 1980) then chances are it was painted at some point with lead based paint. Situate your garden away from the house so as not to take any chances.

Your Hometown
Although you might like eating some rare eggplant that you buy at your grocery store, there is not guarantee that you can grow it. Talk to people at your local garden center to find out which plants are indigenous to your area. They will have the greater chance to survive and thrive.

Write it Down
One of the most important items in a gardeners repertoire and often overlooked is a notepad, diary or binder (with loose leaf paper). In there you can write down what you planted, when, how often you watered and so on. This gives you an exact detail of what works and what didn't. As you write everything down, over time you will have a manual on how to grow a great garden at your home. You wouldn't drive from Atlantic City to Los Angeles without a map (or GPS), and you don't want to grow a garden without your trusty manual.

Simplicity
Above all the advice that you will read anywhere on the Internet, in books and watch on TV, you want to keep your home vegetable garden simple. Do not grow more than you need or can handle. So that means that even though you might have three acres of land, don't start a one acre farm and grow everything you see. You may not have the time to nurture it properly and in that case all you are doing is wasting time, effort and resources. Start off small and add on as season go by until you get to a point that feel comfortable for you.

Just remember that home vegetable gardening is meant to be fun and enjoyable. Follow these rules and guidelines above and it you will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.

About the Author
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A guide to vegetable gardening for the rest of us. He can be reached at his wesbite: AveragePersonGardening.com where you can sign up for his free newsletter and he will send you a pack of vegetable seeds to get your home vegetable garden started.

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See more articles on Vegetable Gardening at www.bestguidetogardening.com.