In the Garden
A while ago I was thinking about plants and wondered if my dad and I could grow some ourselves. Let me tell you, it’s not easy! Just in case you were wondering, there are a lot of steps to it:
- Go to any super market to purchase the seeds of your choice.
- Look for the perfect spot to plant your seeds where there is a ton of sun.
- Use some gloves to take out as much grass and weeds as you can.
- Find a shovel, pitchfork, or a wedge strong enough to dig into the ground.
- Push it into the spot you picked out and flip the ground over until the soil is separated. (make sure you leave some dirt off to the side so you can use it later,)
- Simply sprinkle the seeds evenly throughout the area you’ve chosen and thinly cover them with the excess dirt.]
- Remember to water them frequently and pull out the weeds that grow nearby.
- **If you are growing a plant in the squash family, make sure that when the seed sprouts, tie one end of a string to the stem and the other end to a nearby fence or something it can twist around to hold the vegetable’s weight.**
While looking for the perfect spot, you should always remember to trace the shadows of any other tree or plant nearby because you want your garden to have all the sunlight they can get. So keep the area you are willing to use around 10’ away from the tree or other plant.
To get rid of wasps or other bugs and insects, use the beehive wasp trap. There are many interpretations to it such as:
The mixture used to put into the bottle, carton, or hive to get the bugs to stick into it is to:
- Mix 2 level tablespoons of jam (for example Pam’s “Forest Fruits” jam works well) into 200ml of warm water in a measuring jug and stir to dissolve. Pour this jam solution into the wasp trap.
- Weigh out 300 grams of either white sugar or brown sugar on a kitchen scale, transfer to a 1 liter measuring jug and make up to 1 liter volume with warm water (this is a 30% weight to volume solution). Stir to dissolve the sugar and then carefully pour 200ml of sugar solution into the wasp trap. Keep the 800ml of this 30% sugar solution (in a clean and labeled 3 liter juice bottle).
- Mix 2 level tablespoons of Whiskas “Sardine and Tuna” cat food into 200ml of warm water and pour into the wasp trap. (You may need to spoon larger chunks of cat food into the wasp trap).
If you want more information on this trap just go to this link:
http://www.exscite.org.nz/membership/wasps/make/
To get rid of squirrels who eat your vegetables, use:
To choose which plants or trees to grow, here are just some categories of fruits and vegetables you might be yearning for.
ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Apples, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Kale, Lettuce, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Strawberries, Celery, Cherries, and Grapes
INORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Onion, Papaya, Pineapple, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Cabbage, Corn, Eggplant, Kiwi, Mango
WHAT DOES “ORGANIC” MEAN?
The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Specific requirements must be met and maintained in order for products to be labeled as "organic".
COLOR IS THE KEY TO HEALTHY FOOD
Good health and protection against disease comes from eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Foods of similar colors generally contain similar protective compounds so try to eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables every day to get the full range of health benefits. For example:
Red foods – like tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, which is thought to be important for fighting prostate cancer and heart disease.
Green vegetables – like spinach and kale contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect against age-related eye disease.
Blue and purple foods – like blueberries and eggplant contain anthocyanins, which may help protect the body from cancer.
White foods – like cauliflower contain sulforaphane, which may also help protect against some cancers.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables are grown on plants.
Beets, Red Peppers, Radishes, Radicchio, Red Onions, Red Potatoes, Rhubarb, Tomatoes, Yellow Beets, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Yellow Peppers, Yellow Potatoes, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Yellow Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Tomatoes, Yellow Winter Squash, Cauliflower, Garlic, Ginger, Jerusalem Artichokes, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (White Fleshed), Shallots, Turnips, White Corn, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Broccoflower, Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, Brussels Sprouts, Chinese Cabbage, Green Beans, Green Cabbage, Celery, Chayote Squash, Cucumbers, Endive, Leafy Greens, Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Okra, Peas, Green Peppers
Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar Snap Peas, Watercress, Zucchini, Black Olives, Purple Asparagus, Purple Cabbage, Purple Carrots, Eggplant, Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Peppers, Potatoes (purple fleshed), Black Salsify
FRUITS
Fruits are grown in trees.
Red Apples, Blood Oranges, Cherries, Cranberries, Red Grapes, Pink/Red Grapefruit, Red Pears, Pomegranates, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon, Yellow Apples, Apricots, Cape Gooseberries, Cantaloupe, Yellow Figs, Grapefruit, Golden Kiwifruit,
Lemons, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Yellow Pears, Persimmons, Pineapples, Tangerines, Yellow Watermelon, Bananas, Dates, White Nectarines, White Peaches, Brown Pears, Avocados, Green Apples, Green Grapes, Honeydew, Kiwifruit, Limes, Green Peas
