Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a long-lived perennial vegetable crop that is enjoyed by many gardeners. It can be productive for 15 or more years if given proper care. It’s a perennial, in the lily family and it lives for up to 30 years. You often see it in abandoned farmhouses; and it just keeps growing and producing.
Asparagus is one of the healthiest and tastiest veggies: A 5-ounce serving provides 60 percent of your daily needs for folic acid, a B vitamin linked to lower risk of birth defects and heart disease. It’s a good source of fiber, low in calories (20 per serving) and contains glutathione, a powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant.
Asparagus grows in almost any soil as long as it has good internal drainage. Asparagus roots do not like waterlogged soils that will lead to root rot. It prefers a soil pH of 6.5-7.5., and will not do well if the pH is less than 6.0. Have the soil tested to determine phosphorus and potassium needs; or add 20 lbs of a 10-20-10 or similar analysis fertilizer per 1,000 square feet, tilled to a 6 inch depth before planting.
Asparagus is very hungry and needs plenty of organic matter such as cow manure, or sheep manure. Scatter it thickly down the bottom of the trench because they will absolutely lap that up. Choose a site with good drainage and full sun. The tall ferns of asparagus may shade other plants, so plan accordingly. Prepare the bed as early as possible and enrich it with additions of manure, compost, bone or blood meal, leaf mold, wood ashes, or a combination of several of these.
To double-dig, remove the top foot of soil from the planting area. Then, with a spading fork or spade, break up the subsoil by pushing the tool into the next 10 to 12 inches of soil and rocking it back and forth. Do this every 6 inches or so. Double digging is ideal for the trench method of planting asparagus since a 12-inch-deep trench is usually dug anyway. The extra work of breaking up the subsoil will be well worth the effort, especially in heavy soil.
An economical way to grow Asparagus is by seed, or with seedlings. If you do grow them that way then after planting leave for about two or three years for a strong root system to develop. Don’t pick any of the crop, just let it grow naturally. Another way to grow them is by using the Asparagus crown, with its long, fleshy roots. As asparagus plants grow, they produce a mat of long, tubular roots that spreads horizontally rather than vertically. This one-year-old root system is called the asparagus crown. Choose rust resistant varieties like “Mary Washington” and the “Jersey” varieties, Crowns should be of a grayish-brown color, plump and healthy-looking. Remove any rotted roots before planting. The crown of the Asparagus is where the spears will grow.
Asparagus requires lots of space. Crowns should be planted every foot or so in rows 4to 5 feet apart. Asparagus roots spread a long way so leave free an area of 75cm (2ft 6in) around the edge of planted bed. Water regularly, especially while young. Top dress annually with compost or mulch. Keep the patch free of competing weeds. Hand weeding is best. With this in mind it may be best to mulch the area to stop weeds. Asparagus is also susceptible to late spring frosts, which kill emerging spears Take care to keep your asparagus bed covered until frost danger is past.
Though they look luscious, don’t harvest any asparagus spears the first year you plant, or you’ll exhaust the food supply in the crowns. Be patient and wait till year two, then harvest judiciously. Your patience and willpower will help your crowns produce even more spears in subsequent years. As the weather warms up, you may be picking twice a day.
In the third year, begin harvesting spears that are finger-sized and about 8″ long. You can either snap off the spears are cut them with a knife. Harvest for about 4 weeks the first year. In subsequent years you can harvest until the weather warms and the spears look spindly. Then allow the foliage to grow and feed the plants.

Dry edible beans, or field beans, come in a wide variety of market classes, including kidney bean, navy bean, pinto bean, and black bean. These beans, although differing in the size and coloring of the seed, are all just different types of a single species, Phaseolus vulgaris L. Originally domesticated in Central and South America over 7000 years ago, dry beans moved their way northward through Mexico and spread across most of the continental U.S. These beans were commonly grown with corn, and sometimes squash.
Beans prefer warm weather and should not be grown in cooler climates. These crops should be grown in sites receiving full sun in well-drained, fertilized soil. Preparing the soil with compost and manure before planting is highly recommended. Beans should not be planted until all danger of frost has passed, usually about a week after the last frost in spring. Most beans combine well with other crops that are grown in the garden; for more successful results growing beans, you’ll need to choose the proper variety and follow the growing requirements that are suited to your particular area. Dry beans usually take longer to mature and are best when grown in warmer climates. Navy beans are the most commonly grown dry bean.
Most dry beans require at least 90 to 100 days to mature, provided limiting factors don’t impede growth. A May 15 planting should be ready to harvest in September, a June 15 planting in mid-October. Once the beans have matured and the leaves are well yellowed, a light frost won’t hurt but a hard freeze will damage beans which still have too high a water content. Beans have restricted root systems. They grow best in nearly neutral soils of good fertility and do not always respond well to fertilizer.
Beans should not be grown more than once, or twice at most, on the same land without other crops being grown in rotation. Rotations help control weeds, discourage diseases, protect soil from erosion, reduce insect populations, and rejuvenate soil organic matter–a valuable source of nitrogen. Beans may be rotated with most any kind of crop, but grass-legume combinations (sod crops) are the only ones that really accumulate much organic nitrogen. All row crops, including beans, cause destruction of organic matter. Three or more years of beans result in a serious soil deterioration.
Dry beans are grown in rows to match the type of equipment available for planting, cultivation, and harvest. Maximum yields are obtained from broadcast planting where the ground is completely covered by the crop. Beans need adequate moisture; water bean plants about once a week or more frequently during dry weather. The use of organic mulches, such as straw, grass clippings, or composted leaves will help to retain moisture and control weeds. Beans grow best in a loose, friable, well-aerated soil. Avoid crusting of the surface especially at seedling emergence time because beans must push their big cotyledons through the soil (as opposed to corn which pushes through only a spear-pointed shoot).
Sow seeds outdoors after all threat of frost has passed and the soil temperature has reached at least 55 degrees F. Seeds should be an inch deep and two to three inches apart in rows three to four feet apart. Make sure beans get about an inch of water a week, a little more when pods are developing. Don’t overwater, though - too much water causes more damage than too little.
Leave dry beans on the plant until the seeds are hard and the pods dry. Dry beans should not be harvested until they are thoroughly matured and the beans become hard. Bite one to determine hardness. You will barely be able to dent a bean of proper dryness. Harvesting when soft invites molding. To help avoid this, let beans cure for 3 days after pulling. Or put them on a scaffold under cover for 2 to 3 weeks before threshing. Threshing may be done anytime after the pods are crisp and the beans are firm or hard to bite.
Pull dry beans by hand and place the bunches upside down with the roots in the air for 2 to 3 days. Just let them air dry throughly, before putting them in an airtight container. It is a very good idea to ‘Pasturize’ your harvest by putting it in the deep freeze for a few days. As long as the beans are dry this won’t hurt them, and it will kill the eggs of any insect pests that might remain after harvest. If you are afraid they might not be dry enough, freeze a few of them first, and see if it goes okay. If you are saving them for seed, you may wish to germination test the seeds from your freeze test.

Problems: Wet soils early in the season delay planting. Too much rain at any time, or poor soil drainage, will lead to root rots. Hot humid weather will lead to the devastating leaf blight diseases. Rainy weather after the pods have dried or during harvest will cause serious molding problems.

The bean is a tender, warm season vegetable that ranks second to tomato in popularity in home gardens. Green bush beans were formerly called “string beans” because fiber developed along the seams of the pods. Plant breeders have reduced these fibers through selection and green beans are now referred to as “snap beans.”
Green beans are several inches long and either round or flattened in shape. Most varieties are green, but you’ll also find purple, red, yellow and streaked varieties. Green beans are eaten while still immature. They are picked young and tender, before the seeds inside have fully developed. Most popular varieties have been bred to have stringless pods, but many gardeners prefer the flavor of the old-fashioned ‘string’ types.
Many varieties of snap beans exist, ranging from Roma string beans to Bush Blue Lake string beans to Royal Burgundy snap beans, but these varieties can be grown year-round so long as the weather isn’t too hot or cold.
Beans grow best on well-drained soils. Avoid highly acid soils as this will cause magnesium deficiency. Symptoms include scorched leaves, stunting and lack of flowers. Counteract by applying lime to the soil. Poor germination results from planting too early in cold soil, planting too deep (>30 mm) or mechanical seed damage. Sow seeds in moist soil and avoid watering until germination.
Snap beans are warm-season vegetables and should be planted after the danger of frost is past. Bean seeds should be planted 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Beans like a moderately rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0 to 6.2. They prefer a loose, moist soil.
Seeds of most varieties tend to crack and germinate poorly if the soil’s moisture content is too high. For this reason, never soak bean seed before planting. Instead water just after planting or plant right before a heavy rain. Water the pIants about once a week in dry weather. Do not let the soil get dry while the beans are blooming or the blooms will drop and yields will be decreased. Beans have shallow roots and frequent shallow cultivation and hoeing are necessary to control small weeds and grasses. Because bean plants have fairly weak root systems, deep, close cultivation injures the plant roots, delays harvest and reduces yields.
Snap beans should be harvested frequently and thoroughly. Leaving mature pods on the plant will decrease yields. The bean plant will divert much of its energy into seed development rather than additional crop production. Harvest snap beans when the pods are young, firm, and the seeds are small.

The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are commercially regarded as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, or a “peach with a plum skin”, they belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant. Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as bud sports.
Nectarine trees are small to medium sized short-lived trees, only living for about 12years. They are often grafted onto other rootstocks, similar to apple trees, which controls maximum height. If left to grow on their own rootstocks, nectarines will reach a height of 8 to 20 feet. Most varieties are self-pollinating, therefore only one tree will need to be planted to obtain fruit, that is, Peach and nectarine cultivars do not require cross pollination and set satisfactory crops with their own pollen. A single peach or nectarine tree can, therefore, be expected to bear crops in the home landscape if flower buds or flowers are not killed by low temperatures.
Nectarines require full sunlight and should not receive shade from buildings or tall trees. The early morning sun is particularly important because it dries the dew from trees, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases. If the planting site does not get plenty of sun, then you can’t expect the best performance from the trees. If possible, select a site with a high elevation so that cold air can drain away from the tree on a cold night during bloom. The best site will have well drained sandy loam type soil. Peach or nectarine tree roots or rootstocks will not tolerate soils where water remains on or near the surface for more than one hour after a heavy rain.
Prepare the soil one to two years before planting so that soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient status can be modified for the production of high quality peaches and/or nectarines. Prepare a bed at least 5 to 6 feet in diameter by cultivating (spading) 10 to 12 inches deep and adding organic matter such as manure, leaves, grass clippings, and compost. Before planting, prepare the soil thoroughly by plowing or spading followed by disking or raking to smooth the surface. If you have not adjusted the soil pH to 6.5 previously, liming should be done before you prepare the soil so that the lime will be mixed throughout the planting area. When added to the surface and not plowed in, lime takes years to move down into the soil. Lime an area 10′ by 10′ where each tree is to be planted. Phosphorus also moves down through the soil slowly and should be incorporated along with lime before planting if soil tests indicate a need.
Plant your tree in the spring in the center of your prepared area. Keep the bud union 1 inch above the soil. Planting a peach or nectarine tree too deep in the soil can cause poor growth or death.
Pruning and training should be done in the year of planting and every year after to develop a strong, well balanced framework of scaffolds (a tree with a strong trunk and well positioned side branches), as well as to maintain the balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. Immediately after planting, prune the tree back to a height of 26 to 30 inches. Cut off all side branches to leave a whip (a shoot without lateral branches or with lateral branches removed) that is 26 to 30 inches tall. Although this may sound drastic, the best shaped open center trees come from those pruned initially to a whip. The principles used to develop the trees are used to annually maintain the size and shape of the mature tree. Remove low-hanging, broken and dead limbs first, then remove the vigorous upright shoots along the scaffolds. Lower the tree to the desired height by pruning the scaffolds to an outward growing shoot at the desired height.

Can you grow nectarines from seed ?
Nectarines can be grown from seed but they require a cold period to break the dormancy. The period is about 90 days of temps below 40 degrees. Plant the seed (free of fruit) in a pot about 1 inch deep. Place the pot in a plastic baggie, seal it and put it in the fridge for 90 days. Place back out ina warm area (70degrees F or better) and germination should occur in a few weeks or you can leave the pot outdoors for the winter making sure you keep the soil moist and the seeds will germinate in the spring.

Commonly known as amaryllis, Hippeastrum are popular flowering houseplants, often given as Christmas gifts. ‘Pasadena’ is an eye-catching variety with scarlet red blooms that have white flashes on each petal. Amaryllis were originally discovered in South Africa and South America. The South American plants hail from the Andes Mountains of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia as well as from Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Amaryllis bulbs can be found as far north as Mexico and the West Indies. The beautiful amaryllis that we purchase today are hybrid descendants of these original species.
Make up a compost mix using equal parts of peat and perlite. Half-fill a plastic pot 2.5cm (1in) wider than the bulb with the compost mix and add compost around the roots so that one-third of the bulb shows.
Never leave pots standing in water. Water plants as required, usually once or twice a week during winter and spring, and more frequently during summer. Mist spray leaves during the summer to increase the humidity around them. Begin feeding as soon as the shoot appears and continue on a weekly basis until flowering is over.
In late August, curtail watering, then stop altogether until the foliage dies back. Remove the bulb from the soil and store it in a cool, dry place where it can rest until mid to late October. Then repot it in light, well-draining potting soil. Watering is like an alarm clock going off. As soon as you start, the bulb wakes and is on its blooming way again.

How to Grow Beautiful Healthy Roses

Roses are a favorite flower for most people. Not only do they look beautiful in a vase with some greenery, but they’re perfect for drying and using in a dried flower arrangement or potpourri. And since roses come in such a wide variety of colors and types, you can find a rose bush to fit virtually any landscaping need. And you don’t need to be an expert gardner to grow beautiful roses. They’re a fairly hardy plant, but the following tips can help you make sure your roses grow lush and healthy.

Planting Tips …

When to Plant: Generally if your winter temperatures stay above 10°, plant any time of the cool season when plants are dormant (no growth is visible on the canes). If your winter temperatures stay above - 10°, plant mid to late fall, or early spring. If your winter temperatures regularly go below -10°, wait until spring to plant.
Plant just as soon as the ground thaws.

Where to Plant: Roses like at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. If you have to choose between morning or afternoon sun, morning is best. Dewy leaves will dry sooner, cutting down on the possibility of some diseases. Most shrubs require plenty of space - plant 2-2 1/2 feet apart. Climbers may require up to 6 feet spacing.

Prepare the Soil: If your soil is good enough to grow grass, shrubs and flowers, it will probably grow roses. But you may want to add organic matter such as peat moss, compost, or decomposed manure. (Try this: Save old hair from your hair brushes and combs. Spread a handful of old hair in the bottom of the hole, then cover with organic material.) Fertilize entire bed at a rate of 3-5 lbs per 100 square feet. Use a plant food containing nitrogen,sodium phosphorus and potash in a ration of 1-2-1.

Planting: Keep roots moist until you’re ready to plant. The hole should be deep and wide enough not to cramp roots. Trim away dead or broken root tips, then spread roots over low mound in hole. Adjust depth so that the graft “knob” is one inch below surface in the North, or one inch above in the South. Firm soil over roots to within 3 inches of ground level. Fill hole with water and let it soak in. Refill, then add soil to proper depth. Prune tops back to six inches using slanting cuts 1/4″ above strong outside buds. Treat stub tips with wound compound. Mound soil over stubs and leave it all winter if you plant in fall. Hose mound away in spring when new shoots are 1/2″ long. Spring planting may require mounding too, especially in
temperatures.

Types of Roses …
When planting roses, you’ll need to consider the space you want the rose bush to fill, as well as the climate you’re in. Some roses are hardier than others. Below are some common rose types to choose from:

Hybrid Teas: These combine the ever-blooming quality of old tea roses with the hardiness of hybrid perpetuals. They come in a wide color range, have large, fragrant flowers, and will survive temperatures as low as 10-20° with winter protection.

Floribundas: These usually require less care than hybrid teas. Large clusters of flowers from June to frost. Best for mass plantings and landscaping. Will survive temperatures as low as 20-30°.

Grandifloras: Because of their robust growth, healthy foliage, and profuse bloomage, these are excellent roses for beginners and can survive temperatures as low as 10-20.

Hybrid perpetuals: Rose collectors prize these roses. They bloom mainly in the spring and are very hardy in the winter.

Polyanthas: These average 18 inches in height. They produce small flowers in large clusters and work well in mass plantings and borders. Very hardy.

Climbers and Ramblers: Some shrub type roses can be trained as climbers, and you can find hybrid tea, floribunda and polyantha climbers. Generally a climbing rose will produce relatively little growth from the base of the plant. They need good circulation and, of course, good support.

Creepers: These provide cover for banks and walls. Most varieties are quite hardy, but the flowers aren’t as pretty as some other roses.

Miniatures: These carry one-inch blooms and reach only 6-12″. Good for rock gardens, borders, edgings and containers.

Caring for your roses …
Fertilize: During the growing season, fertilize twice - once after spring growth starts and again in midsummer.
Winter Protection: During the winter, protect your roses with an 8-12 inch mound of soil or mulch. Fabric or plastic can also be used to surround the base of plant.

Pruning: Avoid pruning roses in freezing weather. Wait until mid to late spring, when new growth appears. First, cut back all winter-killed dead-wood to live, green stems. Then, choose an outward-facing bud and cut at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch above the bud.

Thinning: Keep your rosebushes healthy by thinning out straggly, overly long shoots. Cut away any dead or diseased stems and remove faded blooms (deadheads) to encourage new growth.

When Cutting Flowers: Leave two healthy five-leaflet leaves on remaining stem to help the plant maintain its vigor.

Propagation …
You can start a new rose bush by taking cuttings from your favorite bushes. Propagating roses just requires some tender loving care… First select vigorous new growth canes. Make a slanting cut on stem and leave a bud just above the cut.

Next remove leaves and buds and place the cutting half it’s length in water or moist vermiculite. A rooting compound added to the water or vermiculite can speed up root development. Leave in a well-lighted place at a temperature of around 70° for around 4-6 weeks. Keep from direct sunlight by shading with cheesecloth or nursery netting.

Then when roots are developed, plant them carefully in pots containing a mixture of 1/2 sand and 1/2 compost. Bury the pots outdoors in a sheltered spot and water regularly. Wait until plant is growing vigorously before transplanting.

Now that you have hopefully identified a place to setup a kitchen garden, you need to next figure out how to setup your kitchen garden in terms of layout. You need to setup the layout in such a way that it makes sense ergonomically, costs you minimum effort later. Maintaining a kitchen garden in terms of herbs, fruits and vegetables can take a considerable amount of effort on an ongoing basis, so you need to setup things right.
If you have a rectangular plot, you can set it into 4 or 6 rectangular plots. This will enable an orderly setting up of the plots, and you can rotate the crops as well. Rotating the crops ensures that the soil retains its nutrients, and minimizes the chances of disease hitting the crops.
Ensure the paths between the beds are wide enough to take a wheelbarrow, and have a hard surface – paving slabs will stop your feet getting too muddy. You should ensure that a single bed is not too wide, not more than around 1.25 metres wide so that you can weed the bed, and water it without getting your feet city.
If you don’t have a water source nearby, you should setup a water source close by. When it is hot, it will seem very difficult to carry water to a distance, so setting up a water source (a tap) next to the beds is a very good idea.

To grow a nice green garden, with nice and healthy fruits and vegetables, you need have to a good soil. Now it is not necessary that the soil in your garden is good from the beginning, but with some effort and technique, soil can be made to be teeming with nutrients and full of the good stuff. How can you do this ?
The key is to realize that it’s not something incredibly difficult. There is such a lot of connection between nutrients, insects, compost, that it is easy to make sure that your soil is full of nutrients and not a hard dead soil. But if you hate bugs or messy things, then it will be real difficult. If you hate earthworms, then you gotta change and start loving them.
What are some of the ways in which you can do this?
1. Add compost, leaf mold, manure, or whatever organic matter you have access to. When we say organic, it means specifically that you do not add any form of plastic, or metal. Instead, useleaves that have fallen down, rinds from the kitchen after cutting of vegetables and fruits, etc. As these decompose in the soil, the soil will become darker and more crumbly. There will be a lot more nutrients that will be present in the soil.
2. You need to love the earthworms that will start to make an appearance in the soil. They will start to make the soil much more porous, and add a lot more organic content and nutrients to the soil.
3. Don’t tamper too much with bugs. Most bugs in a kitchen garden are essential. They convert organic matter into nutrients, pollinate plants, act as a feed for birds, and eat other bugs. Unless you are sure, don’t assume that a bug will harm your plant, only when you are sure, then get rid of the bug (and don’t spray a lot of pesticide, instead try and get some organic pesticide that attacks the specifc bug)

Fertilizer is the life-blood of a kitchen garden; give the right fertilizer and see the plants and shrubs perk up and show a nice growth. One easy way to get good fertilizer is by converting household organic waste into compost (organic waste that has been converted into useful fertilizer by bacteria present in the soil). So what is organic waste ? It is a number of things - eggshells, leaves, hedge trimmings, cut grass, vegetable and fruit trimmings, weeds. It includes stuff that you might not have though of such as sawdust, shredded branches, nutshells. etc. Organic material does not include paper, plastic, whole wood pieces, metal, rubber, bones, discarded meat, etc.
You can actually make compost in your own backyard, although it takes some time to get created. But why should you make compost ? Well, compost means that you are benefiting plants by adding air and naturally occuring organic compounts into the soil. This results in a gradual release of nutrients to plants, increases water retention and improves soil retention. And of course, you are getting rid of your organic waste in a good manner instead of sending to a landfill.
You can make compost yourself by 2 different methods, they depend on the way (called cold method or hot method), the the ease of doing it and the amount of time it takes.
The first method is called the cold method and could take upto an year, but this will be mostly an untended formation with minimal ongoing effort. What do you do ? You need some kind of bins or big containers to handle the stuff. In the first one, put all the dry stuff such as the cut grass, leaves, shredded branches, etc. This bin is more of an additive bin, and is not the bin in which compost gets made. That is made in the other 2 bins. Now, in the second bin, on a regular basis, put all the eggshells, kitchen waste including fruit and vegetable waste, coffee and tea grounds, and then cover with leaves from the first bin. Next time you have kitchen waste, put it in the second bin over the previous one, and again cover with leaves and all from the first bin. Do this every time you have the kitchen waste, and you will eventually end up with a bin containing layers of kitchen waste covered with leaves. This will take around 10-12 months, by which time you will have the bin filled up. Once the second bin is filled up with these layers, repeat in the third bin. The second bin in the meantime will eventually form compost, and then after 10-12 months, the third bin. You can repeat this process a number of times.
The second method is called the hot method and takes much less time, and is good to use when you need to make compost much earlier. You need the organic material and manure. Add the organic material and manure in a layered pattern, watering each layer slightly. After a couple of days, you will find that this layered composition starts to give off steam. After between 2-3 weeks, invert the pile layer by layer so that air gets into this decomposing mass properly. Do it again after 2-3 weeks, and then after another month of so, the pile would have formed into a dark mass that is very crumbly.

Previous posts were more about having a kitchen garden where you are living on the ground level such that you have land available in which to grow the fruits, shrubs and flowers. What about those people who live on a higher floor and who don’t have the luxury to grow on a patch of soil. Well, they can also grow some beautiful plants and flowers, but they don’t have the luxury to grow as many things. Growth needs to happen in pots containing soil rather than in the ground.
Some things that can be done to make a terrace garden look beautiful:
- Grow tall bushy plants, many of them can be real beautiful such as poinsettias, brunfelsia, and australis
- You can also try making a collection of ferns and ivy to give a good look to the place
- If the pots are decorated and beautiful, it gives an overall good feel
- The floor needs to be made of a substance such as vitrified tiles if you want to setup a grass on the floor
- Use plants that survive througout the year and make sure that they get plenty of air
- Your terrace garden should have the floor with proper waterproofing and a proper drainage system
The choice of plants and flowers depend on the weather, and the location, so consult a local nursery before buying something specialized, otherwise you will be slaving love and affection on a plant that is bound to fail.
Good luck, a good terrace garden is a pleasure to have