USDA ORGANIC

What is all the fuss about Organic anyway ?  In order for a product to be classified as Organic it has to be certified by the Federal Government  National Organic Program certified agent.

Generally speaking Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year. Organic on-site inspections account for every component of the operation, including, but not limited to, seed sources, soil conditions, crop health, weed and pest management, water systems, inputs, contamination and commingling risks and prevention, and record-keeping. Tracing organic products from start to finish is part of the USDA organic promise.

The official Government organic label is marked USDA in green with a brown circle arount the outside. You will see this certified label on all organic seeds that we give our customers as members of our Garden Community at https://www.groworanicvegetablegardening.com


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The Organic Vegetable Gardener,
Curtis

Spring Garden

Hello All, This is the Organic Vegetable Gardener. I have been away for a little while working on new projects for my business. I am however back and eager to get to growing organic vegetables and plants again.
This is 2020 a new year for starting fresh and growing wonderful new plants this Spring. The growing season for me starts in March which is when Spring begins around the 20^th of the month. This is the time that the Sun is hotter near the Equator. This is good news for us gardeners! The sun brings warmth and growth to our plants.
I usually start out with planting organic seeds (seeds that have no GMO-Genetically Modified qualities). As you know I am the Organic Gardener and do not believe in using any harmful chemicals in my garden.
Organic gardening is the process of only using those additives or fertilizers that nurture the soil and put back needed nutrients so that our plants can thrive and grow healthy.
I start my seeds with having seed starting trays with 24 to 36 growing cells where I add a seed starting mix which has the proper nutrients to get your plants off to a good start. I simply take a pencil and poke a small hole in the soil which has previously been added and smooth down in the seed trays. I then drop one single seed in the hole and cover it up. I think that the hole depth should be approximately ½ inch down in the soil.
I then use my T5 Grow light with a 24 W fluorescent bulb to supply the proper amount of light that simulates the suns rays. I recommend to have a minimum of 10 hours of light shining on your newly planted plants. I also suggest using a heating mat which fits under the seedling tray and warms the soil from 10 to 20 degrees above the existing soil temperature which help the seeds to germinate better.

Winter Kale and Lettuce

Hello Everyone, it will soon be Spring. This is the time when leaves start sprouting on bare trees and the time changes to let more daylight in preparation for Summer. You should be making decisions on what to plant in your Spring garden. I love this time of year; I can't wait to look through my garden seed magazines and decide what I will plant .

I always start my plants from seed. It's both economical and satisfying to plant a seed and nurture it all the way up to a mature plant. I have wrote and article on how to start any of your favorite plants from seed. You can read the article here: Garden tips.

This past Winter I have been experimenting with growing Kale and lettuce using a T-5 growing light and Agribon cold weather cover. This cover protects crops and nursery stock in freezes down to 24°F. This winter has had some cold  night time temperatures that if your plants are not covered they would be damaged by frost.

I set the growing light on a stand on my patio with the cold weather Agribon cover draped over that . I used standard growing trays and seed starting mix. I would like to mention that you can buy seed starting kits that self water your seedlings by filling up the water tray underneath and by a wicking action your plants take up as much water as they need. I have found that you must be careful not to over water your seedlings to much. 

This will cause a condition called (Damping off ) where your seedlings will start to wilt and bend over at the stem. I have good success by using a regular seed starting tray with your choice of seed starting mix  and watering sparingly. One key thing to remember is to have a grow light set on a timer  to turn on everyday at a specific time. Young seedlings need up to 14 hours of daylight every day! I also use a seed heating mat which warms the soil 10 to 20 degrees above room temperature.

Once your seedlings start poking through the soil they need sunlight right away in order to grow strong and straight. You then need to ad some fertilizer when you start to see the first true leaves on your plants.

The results of my Winter lettuce experiment is great! If you want to grow lettuces and Kale all winter you can. All you need is a dry space, a grow light and heating mat. All of these items can be purchased on my website under the heading Burpee growing supplies. 

Check out my pictures Below of Kale and lettuce growing under my grow lights:
On the left is Kale and on the right is Mesculan a french lettuce mix-you will also notice the timer used to light the seedlings daily.

Gardening for Beginners: Garden tip # 5

Hi friends, this tip is to help you avoid those pesky caterpillars that eat holes in your garden lettuces such as Kale, Collards, and Cabbage. I personally planted mixed greens called (Mesculan) and Kale which I started from seed.

I had a healthy crop of greens which were started this spring. I recently noticed that a lot of my lettuce leaves had holes all over them. I also saw small green caterpillars called cabbage worms. These caterpillars come from moths and butterflies who lay their eggs on the leaves. The eggs hatch quickly and start feeding.

The best way to keep these critters out of your yard is to use floating row covers which will prevent egg laying on your lettuce leaves. These covers are light weight and let air through. There are different weights which let 60 to 95 % of sunlight through. Please click here click here to find all your gardening needs.

Garden Tips # 4 Grow Organic Vegetable Gardening

 Garden maintenance is very important to helping your plants thrive. You need to check your plants every day! There are enemies all around us in the form of insects, and weather. Go ahead and stick your finger in the soil and check for moisture. Check your leaves for signs of decay or insects chewing on your plant. Old dead leaves should always be removed so as to not cause bacterial fungus growth.

Garden tips # 2 Gardening for the beginner

Raspberry Plant

 

 

 

 

Berry plants such as raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry produce new canes every season. Once fruit is produced on a singular vine or cane it will not bear fruit on the same vine any more. The old canes on these plants should be cut backed in the fall-winter season. This is so new canes will grow the following season.

Vegetable Gardening:Garden Tips- Composting # 2

Decomposing Hot Compost Pile

Friends, Fertilizers are very important to feeding your plants. They add missing nutrients in the form of NPK ( Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium : read more at garden tips: part one fertilizers

Compost adds organic matter to your soil and improves the drainage capacity in tight soils. Air penetration is increased so that beneficial microbes can flourish . Your kitchen has lots of great items to add to your compost pile. Herbs, grains, cereal boxes, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags are just a few of the many items that will supply the green ingredients for your compost pile.

You can speed up the decomposition of your compost by covering it with black plastic. Heat will build up and increase the composting process. Do not forget to add a little moisture between the layering of brown and green materials as mentioned in part one of this series.

Vegetable Gardening:Garden Tips- Composting # 1

Black Gold Compost

Hi there, Do you Compost ? Well you should. Compost is broken down organic materials of the soil by microorganisms that give the sweet smelling rich, light, dark soil that feeds your soil. Have you heard the term (Black Gold) ? ]
Compost consists of two type of materials brown and green. The brown carbon rich matter are things such as dead leaves, straw, sawdust, paper and hay. Green nitrogen rich materials include grass clippings, manure, coffee grounds, and fruit and vegetable peels. You want to aim for a balance of brown and green material.

To Make a hot compost pile you can start with a area 3 ft. by 3ft. so that you are able to stick a pitch fork or shovel in and turn your pile over. Start layering the pile with the browns and green materials.( ie  one layer of brown material then on top of that another layer of green and the brown and so on.....) You want to add moisture between layers.

You will want to turn your compost pile every 3 days. You should also purchase a compost thermometer to check the temperature. It should start around 120 degrees and go up from there. If you stay up with your pile turning and adding more materials you will have rich compost in approximately 2-8 weeks !

Gardening for the beginner: Fall Planting 2

Burlap Bag Potatoes

Friends, Did you know that Burlap bags make great growing containers for root plants, like potatoes, carrots, and beets. Fill the bag with soil, tie it closed, and place it in a sunny spot.  Next , cut holes in the bag and plant the crops. Make sure to water it often. To harvest, just cut the bag open

Organic Vegetable Gardening: Fall Cover Crops

Hello Friends, Do you know the benefits of growing a fall cover crop. If you have a area in your yard where you are not going to grow a Fall crop like potatoes, greens, or garlic. You can plant different types of cover crops in the category of Lequmes. These are plants like peas, beans, clovers, afalfa, and even peanuts.

These cover crops are low cost, easy to maintain and earth friendly. They increase organic matter and available nitrogen and increases earthworms and beneficial microorganisms. Cover crops also provide habitat, nectar and pollen for beneficial insects.

Gardening for Beginners : Hand Pollination Cucurbits

Male Flower Stigma

Female Flower Stamen

Hi friends, Did you know that plants like Cucumbers, Melons, and Cantaloupe can be hand pollinated to produce fruit? All of these plants have both male and female flowers on the same vine. Traditionally the pollination is done with insects such as ants or honey bees getting pollen from one flower and spreading it to the next one. Honey bees are doing this unknowingly while they are on a constant search for nectar to take back to there bee colony .

To hand pollinate any of the three vegetables mentioned above. You must find the male and female flowers on the vine. To find the female flower is easy because it has a miniature fruit on the end of the flower. This is called the ovary. In the center of the female flower is the stamen which is the part where the male stigma is rubbed to fertilize the female. Please see( pictures above)

I would be happy to answer any and all questions about fertilization and hand pollination. Visit us here

Garden Tips: Part Two Organic Fertilizers

Beach Sea weed

Hi friends, Fertilizers can be found at the beach ! You can collect fresh seaweed which is a rich source of nutrients for your plants. Wash the seaweed to get rid of  the sea salt. To make fertilizer place the seaweed in a laundry type bag and put into a large pail of water. Add a cupful of molasses to get the solution started and water your plants after the brew has fermented for a few days.

Another fishy solution is fish emulsion ( liquid Fish ) .This solution once diluted with water will help your plants grow. you can apply to your garden vegetables every week or two.

Gardening for the beginner:Growing Vegetables from Seed

Seedling Heat Mat

A lot of people shy away from growing their plants from seed because they think that it may be to hard for them. I think it simply is a fear of the unknown. I will attempt to get you through the necessary steps to grow you very own successful vegetable plants starting from seed. The first step is to select a quality organic vegetable seed from your local garden center.
The seeds should display the USDA organic label on the package.You will need a few seedling growing supplies to start your plants off properly. The first item is a seedling heating mat. This mat is necessary because it warms the root area 10 to 20 degrees over room temperatures to improve germination. The organic seeds you selected need the best growing medium possible to grow. You should select seed starting mix which contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss, plug grade perlite, and vermiculite. All of these ingredients provide the optimum environment for seed germination.
The next item necessary is a seedling tray to place your seeds into the growing medium. One smart way is to purchase a small hot house growing kit which comes with all the items necessary for proper growth.
The seedling tray is filled with soil, and in each section a small hole is poked for your seed. When all your seeds are planted into your growing medium you will want to lightly water the soil till moist, but not too damp.
The next item is very important. It is the lighting which simulates the suns vital rays. A good system is the T-5 growing light by Jump Start. You should leave this light on so that when your seedlings start to come up they will get the proper amount of lighting.
Your grow light should be left on for 12 to 14 hours a day to help your young plants thrive and grow. As your plants start to develop its first leaves you will be soon be able to transplant your organic vegetables outside.

Gardening for the Beginner: Checking your Soil PH

Hey There,  Are you sometimes puzzled about why a certain plant does not grow where you want it to? You plant Blueberries in this certain spot in your yard and the next thing you notice is that your plant is not growing as well as you hoped or even worse it dies.

The reason more and likely could be your soils condition or pH  level. This describes how acid or akaline your soil make-up is. Certain plants need a more acid like condition like our blueberry plant we just talked about above. There are  inexpensive pH meters that you can buy that will tell you the exact condition of your soil. You would then add Sulfur to lower the pH or add Dolomite Lime to raise it.

Proper soil pH is a factor in determining whether roots can absorb and process nutrients available in the soil.

Gardening for the beginner : Container Tomato plant care 1

Hi there, who does not like to eat big red juicy tomatoes with your sandwiches or salads. I love growing tomatoes, and have been doing so for years now. To start your young start (plant from nursery) off right prepare your soil for the arrival of your new plant.

I mix into my soil organic powder fertilizer with a NPK( this stands for nitrogen, phosphorus,and potassium ) of 4-6-2. This is a all purpose fertilizer that is ph balanced to counteract acidic soil conditions. It contains blood meal, fish bone meal, Langbeinite, soft rock phospate and humic acid. please contact me at our website to learn how to get this brand of organic fertilizer.

To plant your plant dig hole in center of your pot. (please make sure that your growing pot is at least 25 inches in diameter.) All tomato plants grow extensive roots which need the room to expand and give you a strong healthy plant. Place your young plant into the hole and cover the root ball all the way up to the first new leaves of the stem. This will cause your plant to grow additional roots along the stem.

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Gardening for the beginner: Garden tip 5

Friends, Do you drink coffee ? Great your plants do to ! let the coffee cool and dilute it with water and give your garden plants a drink--they will appreciate the pick me up.

Here is another tip that i use in my garden. I keep the egg shells from my morning breakfast , rinse with water and let dry. I then crush the egg shells and place into what ever plant i have. These egg shells are a great source of calcium for your plants. This is one of many extra trace minerals your plants need to thrive !

Gardening for the beginner: Strawberries Tips 2

New daughter plant on runner

Hello, Did you ever wonder what are those long running stems on you strawberries plants? They are called runners. Your plants are trying to reproduce themselves! At the tip of the runner is another strawberry plant. You can help create another new strawberry plant by covering this tip end with soil and expose only the green leaf part poking thru the soil. The runner will take root and grow into a separate new plant from the mother plant.

Strawberries Tips 1

Hi friends, Have you wondered about trying to grow your own plump, juicy, red strawberries? Well  you can do it ! The First thing you will need to do is decide on what variety you would like to grow. I am currently growing Ozark Beauties which are medium size and grow quite well in a sunny location. You can find the type you would like to grow by going to our website and clicking on Burpee or Cooks garden product lines.

I get bare root starts from my garden suppliers. I always get ever bearing plants which produce to yearly crops in early summer and in the fall. Another variety is called June bearing which gives you a big harvest during late spring to early summer.

Youve picked your favorite type, now it time to select your growing pot size and shape. Fill your pot with organic potting soil about six inches from the top and press a hole in the center of the pot. Select the root end of your plant and place into the hole. Strawberries come with long roots so plant your plants to cover all of the roots right up to the crown or (the part where the stem meets the root ball). Water and Fertilize with dry organic powder fertilizer and enjoy !


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Garden Tips Series 4

Hi there , there are four chemical elements that make up your internal garden plant. Number one is Nitrogen which is necessary for vegetative growth.
Second one is Phosphorus which plants need for flowering and fruiting. The third element is Potassium which gives your plants vigor. The last one is Calcium and Trace Minerals . These are necessary for general health and resilience.

Fertilizing the soil is a big aspect of having a successful vegetable garden all year round. There are various types of fertilizers such as liquid, liquid foliar sprays, dry types designed around specific types of garden vegetables such as soft fruits and berries or tomato plants or even garden flowers. All of these types of fertilizers and many other gardening how tos will be talked about in my Gardening Tips and Grow Organic Vegetable Blog.

Garden Tips Series 2

Gardening is so much fun ! you can plant flowers of all colors and types to fit your personality. Starting a vegetable gardening is a great way to supplement your groceries with fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Did you know that a lot of food is grown just for quantity, just to support the fast food industry giants like Mc Donalds and Burger King. These large companies are major buyers and users of tons of tomatoes and potatoes and corn.
A lot of these fruits apples included are mass produces and forced to ripen with the use of gases and artificial lamps. Is this what you want ? I sure don't. Organic gardening is the process of using natural processes with quality soil to grow fresh vegetables that you will be proud of. The best type of soil to use for your gardening is Compost. What is Compost? It's soil that has been created with natural ingredients such as grass or straw with natural animal waste such as chicken manure .
The soil also has Vermiculite and peat. These ingredients help to keep the soil loose and light. Other natural additives can be bat quano, and forest humus. The key idea is to use natural medium from the earth without adding any chemical fertilizers.
Please visit us at www.groworganicvegetablegardening.com to learn more.