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Transplanting Spinach Into The Garden

Today we are finally going to discuss transplanting spinach into the garden.  It is a very simple process to complete once you know exactly how to perform this task.  I like to transplant them a certain way which I have been doing for over a decade since I started growing these healthy leaves.

It only takes about an hour to accomplish, but if you are new to this then it might take a little bit longer.  Once you start doing you will inevitably get used to it and you will become a master at moving these plants into your home garden.  It all starts with making some holes using a large shovel which you can see here. (more…)

What I Have Accomplished in The Past Couple of Days

The past couple of days have been pretty busy.  I have planted a few extra vegetables that I thought might be needed just in case others did not sprout or germinate.  I also added some more flowers to the mix and began getting ready to put the spinach into the ground.

This Friday I started getting the garden ready by cleaning up the debris that has collected on the ground including dead weeds, broccoli plants, leaves, etc.  Most of the debris from last season was cleared away the previous year so there should not be that much to clean up.  This also included removing the straw or lack there of from the strawberries. (more…)

The Squash Vegetables Pumpkins and Zucchini Are Next On Our List

The last plants that I end up growing inside would be members of the squash family that includes pumpkins and zucchini.  I tend to grow them last because they happen to grow much faster than any others that I have including many of the flowers.  That is another reason why I use larger containers for them since their root structure can get pot bound real quick.

Last year I had placed them in smaller containers than what I usually use and they ended up almost dying.  One pumpkin plant did happen to fail when I placed them into the garden, but I was still able to get four pumpkins and a number of zucchini’s as well.  This year I want to make certain that they have enough time to grow and will have enough room in the pot I place them in. (more…)

Hardening All Your Spinach Plants Outside

Before setting your plants outside in their permanent home there is one important step you need to proceed with.  You need to make sure that you acclimate your spinach plants to the weather and temperature changes that it will face in the garden.  People who forget this step usually end up with a poor harvest and wonder why it happened.  Hardening is something that all gardeners face especially if you grow your plants inside or if you buy them from your local greenhouse.

So far I have only placed a couple of spinach plants outside to get used to the weather and cooler temperatures.  I have recently placed the rest of them to acclimate to these conditions that will make the transition from inside to outside permanently easier.  You will be doing this for all your plants, but right now the temperatures are still too cold to begin placing anything else outside. (more…)

Second Phase of Vegetable Planting Indoors

Today I started another phase of vegetable planting that was needed due to some seeds not sprouting at all.  One thing that I would like to point out when growing plants inside is that you need to have patience.  This is something that I lack when it comes to growing any type of plant and it is one element that can help you in your own gardening.

Everything that I place under the lights usually takes about half the time that it would usually take if I had placed them in a windowsill.  Some plants I start with the lights some I don’t.  For instance the flowers I planted earlier in the season were started right in the windowsill.  Along with them were the sunflowers, watermelon, and tomatoes.  Everything else used the fluorescent lights which are a great help. (more…)

Begin Acclimating Your Spinach to Outside Conditions

Whenever planting inside the one thing that plants lack is the ability to adjust to ranging temperatures, wind, rain, and other conditions.  If you plant inside like myself, then you will know that they are not exposed to these elements until you eventually place them outside.  Before placing them in the ground you first must “harden off” your plants before cultivating them in your garden.

By hardening your plants you are basically getting them used to the elements in which they will be exposed to throughout the season.  It is an important process that you must utilize to become a better gardener.  If you do not apply this process your plants may get shocked by the sudden conditions that it could die or produce very poor results. (more…)

Pictures of Sprouting Plants

Since it has been a couple of weeks since we last planted most of our vegetables and flowers I thought it would be a good idea to show you what they look like when they first begin.

Everyone knows exactly what they look like when they produce flowers or fruit, but what about when they first poke out of the ground?  When I first started I never knew what plants looked like when they first came out of the ground.  Most of the time I had to guess what was a plant and what was just a random piece of grass that found its way into the soil. (more…)

Purchased Some More Vegetable and Flower Seeds

Spring is officially here and it’s time to start gearing up for the warmer weather that is about to come in another month or so.  It is also time to start preparing the soil for your cold weather plants such as spinach, onions, rhubarb, garlic, etc.

Just wanted to give an update on what I have done the past week and what you should expect in the future.  Yesterday I decided to purchase some more seeds including many flower seeds and a couple of vegetables that I will need for the season.

You can never have too many flowers and that is exactly what I did on this last purchase.  Burpee was having a free shipping sale and I happened to have a gift card that I wanted to use so I decided on taking advantage of this great offer. (more…)

More Flowers and Vegetables to Start Growing Indoors

It’s time to start growing more flowers that you need during the garden season including more vegetables as well.  I unfortunately ran out of room on the windowsill and I had to utilize a simple fluorescent light – which you can purchase at any hardware store – to get these plants up and flourishing.

The good news is that many of your plants will be ready when spring time comes around and all you will have to do is transplant them into the garden.  There are some plants which you cannot transplant including carrots, corn, beans, etc.  You should grow as many plants as you can before hand to have a better harvest.

Today I decided to grow some flowers and vegetables.  There were some flowers that I was not able to get to previously, but they can always be planted directly outdoors if I had ran out of room inside. (more…)

Eggplant, Peppers, and Tomatoes Can be Started Indoors

As you know we previously discussed planting watermelon and flowers indoors, but now you should know that there are more vegetables and fruits you can begin soon as well.  I would recommend peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes to be next on your list.

Eggplants are another one of those vegetables that can take quite a long time to mature or produce fruit.  I like to use the black beauty eggplant which are heirloom seeds that you can save at the end of the year.  They are able to ripen towards the end of the season, but if you plant them inside you can extend the season by a couple of months.  If you love eggplant now is the time to get them into containers right away. (more…)