Wheel Hoe Blog

Why Keep Your Garden Clean and Healthy?

If you are not a big fan of planting in the garden year-round, we recommend keeping the garden area clean and healthy instead of letting it grow up with grass and weeds every year. If you allow the area to grow up with grass and weeds every year you will have a continuous battle of fighting them off once you are ready to plant. When planting in the fall there are several benefits such as warm soil temperatures, fewer pest pressures, and cooler air circulation. Another benefit behind maintaining the garden area is the decrease in weed germination. Weeds can become a serious issue if they remain in your garden soil so removing them quickly will help eliminate them populating and making a home in your vegetable garden. In order to keep your garden area clean and healthy all year-round, you should always be looking for ways to improve your soil. A good soil structure will help your garden remain manageable and reduce disease problems that you may experience during the growing seasons. Overall, keeping the garden clean and the soil healthy will allow for better vegetable production during all the future growing seasons.

Three Methods for Maintaining the Fall Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis explains three methods to keep your garden clean and healthy for the growing season. The first method in keeping your garden clean and healthy is to grow fall vegetables. Many crops like cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, and Brussel sprouts are wonderful to grow during the fall because we don’t have to worry about bolting when temperatures become warmer. However, if you prefer to not grow a fall garden you can plant cover crops instead. Cover crops have many different benefits for the soil such as erosion control, weed suppression, pest management, and nitrogen fixer in the vegetable garden. The cover crops will help keep new weeds from germinating and cover the ground until you are ready to plant vegetables in that area. Depending on your location if you live in a more warmer climate you can plant cover crop varieties such as Sunn Hemp, Sorghum Sudangrass, Buckwheat, or Brown Top Millet. While if you live in a cooler climate area you can plant varieties such as Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Tillage Radish, or Broadleaf Mustard. All of the cover crop varieties improve different characteristics so when choosing what to plant you can achieve different benefits depending on the variety you plan to plant in the vegetable garden. The third method for maintaining the garden area is to simply tarp the entire garden plot with our silage tarp. The tarping method is used as a preparation technique to eliminate new weeds from obtaining sunlight which will cause dying off once they germinate in the vegetable garden. It also helps once you are ready to plant in the spring you are able to pull the silage tarp off and the area is ready for quick planting in the vegetable garden plot. Another benefit of using the silage tarp is it can be a great way to extinguish a cover crop and prepare a garden area. You can simply mow the cover crop and place the tarp over the garden plot. Then, after a couple of weeks, you are able to remove the tarp and clean the area off and start planting in the plot. The silage tarp allows for you to incorporate a no-till method meaning no gas-powered equipment is used in the vegetable garden. Overall, Travis plans to use all three methods during his fall garden season this year.

Why Grow Cauliflower in the Garden?

Cauliflower is one of Travis’s favorite fall crops to grow due to three major benefits. The first benefit is the ability to succession plant it throughout the growing season. This means when growing cauliflower you can plant it at several different times throughout the fall and get multiple harvestings. The second benefit of growing cauliflower is the excellent storage it possesses. Unlike other crops, cauliflower can be stored for up to two weeks when stored properly after harvesting. The third reason is simply the taste profile that cauliflower obtains. When discussing the taste difference between store-bought and homegrown cauliflower, the best taste would be homegrown cauliflower. However, when growing cauliflower it is important to plant during accurate temperatures. During the growing stages of cauliflower if there is any type of stress they may experience a problem known as buttoning. Buttoning is a process that makes tiny button cauliflower heads which happens when temperatures are too cold or hot. The buttoning can also happen if cauliflower plants experience a drought or growing in poor soil conditions in the vegetable garden. Along with buttoning, cauliflower is susceptible to diseases such as downy mildew, black rot, and cabbage worms. To help fight off some of these pest and disease pressures we prefer to use our Spinosad Garden Insect Spray to control these problems in the vegetable garden. Overall, growing cauliflower in the vegetable garden can lead to many health benefits. Cauliflower provides plenty of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and K which are needed to fight off inflammation in the human body.

Growing Cauliflower

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about growing cauliflower in the vegetable garden. We recommend starting cauliflower transplants either in late summer or late August. Our seed starting trays work great for transplanting cauliflower due to the vertical root training ribs that allow for better root ball drainage and aeration. We recommend transplanting over direct seeding because you are able to achieve more consistent plant spacing and reduces disease pressures during the early growth stages. Three excellent varieties that Travis mentions is the Snow Bowl, Flame Star, and Graffiti. The Snow Bowl variety is a white cauliflower that makes wrapper leaves which helps with keeping the crowns of cauliflower protected from the sunlight in the vegetable garden. The Flame Star is a hybrid variety that produces orange/yellow heads of cauliflower. Since this variety produces a yellow cauliflower we do not have to worry about the sun bleaching the large heads. The snow bowl and flame star cauliflower are early maturing varieties that are ready for harvesting around 50 to 60 days. While the Graffiti Cauliflower variety is heat tolerant and produces a darker purple color, unlike other traditional cauliflower varieties. The Graffiti variety takes a little longer to mature in the vegetable garden and is usually ready for harvest within 80 days. The best time to harvest cauliflower is when the heads reach around 5 to 6 inches in diameter. If the cauliflower crowns become too large the plant leaves are unable to wrap the crowns which can in return cause discoloration by the sun.

First Fall Crop of the Season

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the first fall crop he prefers to plant for the upcoming growing season. When preparing for the Fall garden, Travis recommends going ahead and planting a few crops right before the weather conditions start to break so we can get an early start on preparation for the season. The first fall crop he likes to plant is pole beans. When it comes to pole beans we offer a couple of different heirloom varieties such as Rattlesnake, Christmas Lima Beans, and Kentucky Wonder. The Rattlesnake Pole Bean is an older heirloom variety that has plants growing up to 10 inches when trellised which allows them to produce around 6 to 7-inch pods that can be harvested frequently during the growing season. Then, the Christmas Lima Beans are a heat-tolerant variety that contains a nuttier flavor profile than traditional lima beans. This lima bean variety has a dark red and white exterior appearance. While the Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans are an open-pollinated variety that produces long green pods. The Kentucky Wonder variety has heavy yields of 9 inch straight pods that have a climbing growth habit in the vegetable garden. Pole beans do not like hot temperatures, so we go like to go ahead and plant them during late August in order to allow 50 days of maturity which will leave them ready to harvest during early October when temperatures are cooler. Planting pole beans for early preparation of the fall growing season allows us to harvest when we know weather conditions are going to be just right.

Growing & Harvesting Pole Beans

Since pole beans are climbing plants we will need to add a trellising system in order to provide support for growth in the vegetable garden. Travis currently has a 60-foot long plot with T-post every 10 feet along the garden row. This allows him to establish a Hortonova trellis for his pole beans to grow on in the garden. When setting up the Hortonova trellis, we cut it to the length of the garden row then tie it to the T-post and secure it with zip ties. Then, Travis takes the end of his garden rake handle and simply punches a hole in the soil every 3 to 4 inches underneath the trellis for planting pole bean seeds. Since we are growing pole beans on a trellis vertically we can plant them pretty close together in the vegetable garden. When direct seeding you can use our garden seeder with the #6 seed plate to accurately plant in the garden. This is a versatile garden planter tool that has modified seed plates that allow you to plant a variety of different seed size variations in the garden. We recommend planting pole beans on either side of the trellis to maximum the amount of production and save space when you are harvesting in the garden area. After adding the trellising system and the holes in the soil we can drop one seed per hole. Once the seeds are in the holes we can use our garden rake to cover the seeds and pack the area with soil. Starting in early October, we should start to see pole beans producing all along the trellis system until the end of November when we experience our first frost. Pole beans are ready to harvest after one or two weeks of flowering. They need frequent harvesting in order to continue production of pole beans throughout the growing season. In order to avoid disease and pest pressures having good crop rotation and insecticides can help these reduce these issues from developing in the vegetable garden.

Summer Squash Varieties

A popular crop to grow in the vegetable garden for many years is varieties of summer squash. Some of our most popular summer squash crops include our patty-pan squash varieties known as Sunburst and Bennings Green Tint. The Sunburst variety is a hybrid that produces a great yield of fruits that are bright yellow with small green rings around the center. As an All American Selections winner, Sunburst has more of a nuttier flavor profile compared to other summer squash varieties. The Bennings Green Tint is an heirloom variety that is also very productive and is highly credited for being the best tasting summer squash variety. Another popular variety is the hybrid, Goldprize Squash. This squash is a straightneck variety that is highly productive in the vegetable garden. The goldprize variety contains an excellent disease package that is resistant to several common mosaic viruses. Also, the Eight Ball variety produces perfectly round fruits with an excellent nutty flavor and firm texture. Along with our various squash varieties, we offer Golden Delight Zucchini and Spineless Beauty Zucchini. The Golden Delight Zucchini is another hybrid variety that contains an excellent disease package and maximum productivity with plant longevity. While the Spineless Beauty Zucchini is known for its spineless petioles that do not leave an itching sensation during and after harvesting in the vegetable garden.

Growing Summer Squash

When growing summer squash in the vegetable garden you can either direct seed or transplant, but we highly recommend direct seeding squash varieties. Since squash varieties are susceptible to a couple of plant diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew we suggest using drip tape irrigation to help control some of these disease pressures from causing issues in the vegetable garden. If you experience excessive heavy rainfall using our Liquid Copper herbicide this will help reduce disease pressures and plant moisture buildup as well. When planting summer squash, we prefer to plant seeds every 12 inches along the garden row. After seeds start to emerge, we thin to one every 2 feet to establish plenty of room for plant growth. Once the summer squash is fully mature we can get multiple harvests throughout the growing season. To ensure fruits do not become too large or lose flavor we prefer to harvest every 2 or 3 days to collect all the mature fruits.

Removing Summer Squash from the Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis shares a couple of tips to know when you need to remove summer squash from the garden area. Around the middle of May, Travis planted a Goldprize squash variety that has been providing maximum production in the garden throughout the growing season. However, when the squash varieties start to get older they will start to decline in production and will begin to create problems in the garden if they are not removed. The decrease in production is the first indication that the squash is starting to become old plants in the garden. The second indication the plants are older is you will start to see an increase of diseases affecting the leaves on the plants. Squash bug eggs will develop on the leaves and pickle worms will start boring holes in the side of the fruits leaving them damaged. Leaving the summer squash in the garden will end up causing diseases like fungal spores to overwinter causing problems to develop in the future vegetable garden area. Overall, when summer squash is mature it is best to go ahead and harvest the varieties before they allow disease and pest pressures to take over your vegetable garden area causing several problems in the future.

Growing Cayenne Peppers

The best time to grow cayenne peppers is during the warmer months. The cayenne peppers are an heirloom variety that produces long slim deep red peppers with a hotter flavor profile. They are mostly used for hot sauce but can be prepared as red pepper flakes for pizza toppings or pasta dishes. When growing cayenne peppers we highly recommend growing them in the seed starting trays. The seed trays will allow for a jump start on planting which we allow for stronger and reduce disease pressures in the vegetable garden. If the plants are not ready to be planted in the vegetable garden they should be stepped up to a 4-inch pot to allow more room for growth. Since peppers are apart of the nightshade family they are susceptible to blossom end rot which can cause a calcium deficiency. To help reduce these problems you can apply pelleted gypsum at the base of the plant at bloom set. Pepper plants can produce 5 to 6 inch long fruits that reach around 2 to 3 inches tall. Since these plants produce heavy yields on each plant we recommend using the Florida Weave trellising technique that ensures plants and fruits have plenty of support and stay off the ground which will reduce soil-borne disease problems in the vegetable garden. The peppers will initially be green and should be left to mature to a deep red color for optimal flavor and heat profile. Overall, whether you like sweet or hot pepper varieties, growing them in the garden will leave you plenty of production to harvest and incorporate in many different recipes.

Red Pepper Flakes

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the best red pepper flake recipe to make at home. Travis currently has two rows of Cayenne Peppers growing in the vegetable garden. Most of them are starting to turn red which means they are ripe and ready for harvest. After harvesting all the red peppers from the garden, Travis takes them inside to wash them and then start the recipe. The first step is to cut the green stems off of them and place them in a bowl before you place them in the oven. If you prefer them to them be less hot you can remove the seeds, but Travis prefers to leave the seeds in there. The major key to dehydrating the red pepper flakes is with low and slow heat. You don’t want to burn them just simply dry them out. The best way to dehydrate red peppers is with a food dehydrator but an oven works great also if you don’t have a food dehydrator. With either a regular baking pan or an elevated pan you can lay the red peppers along the trays evenly. Then, once the peppers are on the trays we slide them into the oven and place the temperature as low as the oven will go. Travis recommends leaving them in the oven for around 8 to 10 hours so place them in the oven at night and get them out in the morning. After the cayenne peppers are done in the oven they turn out dry and crispy. Also, the red peppers have a smoky smell and they crumble up in our hands. Next, Travis is going to place them and the seeds all in the food processor to get them nice and ground up. Then, you simply can put the red pepper flakes in a mason jar and store away in the spice cabinet. The red pepper flakes will store for a while in a good storage area. This is the best and easiest red pepper flakes recipe that Travis has found to work really well for him.

Maintaining Weeds in the Garden

Not only are weeds unattractive, but they steal nutrients and irrigation from the plants you are growing in the vegetable garden. This will cause issues with plants because they need all the available nutrients and irrigation they can get in order to grow in the garden area. Another issue with weeds in the garden is they can be a hiding spot for pests that are eating at your plants in the garden. In order to maintain the weed pressures in the garden, we recommend growing cover crops. Cover crops contain different traits that can help improve soil structure, erosion control, and suppress weed/pest pressures. Some cover crops that are great for suppressing weeds is Buckwheat, Sunn Hemp, and Brown Top Millet. These are all warm-season crops so they work perfectly in the garden during the warmer months when it’s harder to grow other vegetables. We also prefer to use drip irrigation in the garden to reduce weed pressures. Instead of overhead watering, we use drip tape to accurately supply water to the plant roots directly. This will decrease unnecessary watering where plants do not need it like between rows and along the edge of the garden area. To remove the weeds from within the rows and between plants we prefer to use our Push Pull Hoe. The push pull allows you to effectively remove deeply rooted weeds close to the plants and drip tape irrigation without damaging the vegetable garden. To properly eliminate weed pressures in the garden using cover crops, drip irrigation, and proper tools will help destroy these damaging weeds from causing several problems in the vegetable garden.

Morning Glory Weed

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about the most dangerous weed in the vegetable garden. The invasive Morning Glory weed is a warm-season weed and typically develops during the harsh warmer months. When drip tape is buried in the garden, we can find this weed in between our plants because they prefer moist soil. The vining weed will crawl along the ground and strangle the plants by climbing all over them leaving many problems in the vegetable garden. If the morning glory weed is left to mature in the garden, it will start to produce funnel-shaped flowers which will eventually produce seeds. When these seeds produce they can persist for up to 20 years in the soil and will allow the morning glory to cause a dangerous weed problem in the garden for a long time. This dangerous weed can be found crawling all over your squash or okra plants. However, the worst place to obtain morning glory weed is in the sweet potato plants. Due to the morning glory weeds looking extremely similar to sweet potato leaves it can be difficult to determine the difference between the two in the vegetable garden. Travis explains a couple of easy ways to disguise between the two. The first difference between the sweet potato plants and the morning glory weed is the shape of the leaves. The sweet potato plant has little incisions along the side of the leaf. While the morning glory weed is smooth around the leaf. Another indicator is morning glory weed is not as thick as the sweet potato stem in the vegetable garden. So the sweet potato stems are going to be thicker and more robust than the weed stem. Overall, if you see more of a rounded leaf and thin stems you can determine that it is apart of the morning glory weed and it needs to be removed from the garden before it causes serious problems.

Monoecious vs. Gynoecious Cucumbers

There are many differences when it comes to monoecious and gynoecious cucumber varieties. Monoecious means there is more production of male flowers than female flowers. Open-pollinated or heirloom varieties like Marketmore or National Pickling cucumbers are monoecious in the vegetable garden. The male flowers will start to produce quickly and the female flowers will develop shortly after so pollen will be available when pollination is ready. While gynoecious cucumbers produce predominantly female flowers. Therefore they produce a lot of fruit in a shorter amount of time than monoecious cucumbers. The gynoecious cucumbers like the Stonewall or Calypso cucumbers are hybrid varieties that contain a strong disease resistance in the vegetable garden. To disguise the two different varieties the gynoecious has a tiny cucumber at the base of the flower and that’s where the female reproductive system is going to get pollinated. While the monoecious has no tiny cucumber at the base of the plant and has a flower where the pollen will fall to pollinate the female flower. Overall, monoecious and gynoecious cucumbers have a couple of differences, but both have great varieties of cucumbers to grow in the vegetable garden.

Most Productive Cucumbers

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the difference between monoecious and gynoecious cucumbers in the vegetable garden. In Travis’s garden, he has Stonewall cucumbers which are a slicer variety and are gynoecious which causes an increase in productivity. So you may be wondering how do the gynoecious cucumbers ever pollinate if there are not any male flowers. The answer is rather simple with every pack of gynoecious seeds, about one and every ten seeds is an open-pollinated variety that will provide the male flowers that the female flowers need for pollination. Along with early production, you can get maximum productive cucumbers by growing the gynoecious varieties in the vegetable garden. The advantage of growing gynoecious varieties is the amount of maximum production you are able to harvest in the vegetable garden.

Growing Cucumbers in the Garden

When planting cucumbers in the vegetable garden they do best when direct-seeded. There are two ways you can direct seed these cucumber varieties either by hand or with our walk-behind garden seeder. Our garden seeder comes with six adjustable plates that vary in seed size variations to fit a variety of vegetable seeds in the garden. The benefit of using our garden seeder is accurate planting without wasting seed by overplanting in the garden. We recommend planting cucumber seeds every 6 to 8 inches and thining to one seed per foot to provide plenty of growth in the vegetable garden. Since cucumbers are vining plants they grow best when a trellis system is available for them to climb on. When using a strong trellised system not only will it allow for greater production but it will also reduce disease pressures. Having cucumbers growing vertically instead of on the ground will reduce mildew diseases and other soil-borne diseases that trap excessive moisture in the vegetable garden. Another benefit of growing cucumbers on a trellis is the ability to improve production, easier harvest, and cleaner fruits. The best time to harvest is when cucumbers have reached an average size of 8 to 9 inches. If left on the vine to grow longer the cucumbers will develop a bitter taste and ruin the fresh flavor profile. Cucumbers usually take around 60 days to mature in the vegetable garden and should be picked at least every other day. In order to have productive cucumbers growing in the vegetable garden try growing the gynoecious varieties in the future growing season.

Summer Squash Varieties

In the garden, Travis has a second succession planting of the patty-pan variety of summer squash. The Sunburst squash is a productive hybrid variety that contains a bright yellow color with scalloped edges. The other patty-pan squash is an heirloom variety known as Bennings Green Tint. Instead of a yellow, this variety is a lighter green color with scalloped edges. Other than patty-pan squash we also have an Eight Ball and Goldprize Squash variety. The Eight Ball is a hybrid variety that produces round fruits with a great flavor profile and texture. The Goldprize is a highly productive variety that produces straightneck yellow squash that has excellent disease resistance. Along with squash, we offer a Golden Delight and Spineless Beauty Zucchini variety. The Gold Delight Zucchini variety also contains a disease resistance that allows for an increase in productivity and longer harvesting windows. While the Spineless Beauty Zucchini is easy to harvest due to the spineless petioles which means no itching sensation when harvesting in the vegetable garden. Like squash, zucchini varieties have multiple harvestings throughout the growing season in the vegetable garden.

Planting Summer Squash

When planting summer squash they typically take 50 days to mature in the vegetable garden. The best way to plant summer squash is by transplant or direct-seeded. However, we highly recommend direct-seeding because of seed size variations. In order to direct seed in the vegetable garden, we prefer planting seeds 12 inches apart along the row. Once the squash plants start to emerge we thin plants to one every two feet to allow for more growing space. Since summer squash is susceptible to downy mildew and powdery mildew we recommend using drip irrigation to help these disease pressures. Adding drip tape will not only help reduce plant moisture but it will help with feeding the plants more effectively in the vegetable garden. Using a fungicide like Liquid Copper will help reduce disease pressures during heavy rainfalls and excessive moisture. When harvesting summer squash you are able to get multiple harvests throughout the growing season. Harvesting every two to three days ensures that the fruits are a perfect size and flavorful. After harvesting, summer squash should be removed to prevent fungal spores from overwintering and causing serious problems in the future growing seasons. Also, great crop rotation of all squash varieties is important to reduce pest and disease pressures in the vegetable garden.

Cooking Patty Pan Squash

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the best squash recipe to try at home for patty-pan squash, onions, and bell peppers that have been grown in the vegetable garden. Along with cooking the patty-pan squash, Travis likes to add the Texas Legend onion and bell peppers to go with the recipe to add more flavor and texture. The first step in making the easiest and quickest squash recipe is to cut up the vegetables. When cutting the patty-pan squash the best way to cut them is like cutting a pizza, so they end up like little wedges. With longer patty-pan squash, he likes to cut it in half then make the wedges. While he simply cuts the onions and bell peppers in slices. Next, once the griddle becomes hot we can add a little oil and the squash, onions, and peppers to start cooking. Then, add a little salt and pepper for seasoning. Once everything is browned up and tender they are ready to remove from the griddle and eat. This is a simple and quick squash recipe that is perfect for patty-pan squash, onions, and bell peppers that are grown in the garden.

Trellised Peppers and Eggplants

In the garden, Travis has Merlot Purple Bell Pepper, Beaver Dam Hot Peppers, and Nubia Eggplant growing on a Florida Weave trellis. The Merlot Purple pepper is a highly productive hybrid variety that contains a deep purple exterior with plants growing around 2 to 3 inches tall. Next, the Beaver Dam Hot Pepper is an heirloom variety that has a mild flavor profile and great for stuffing. While the Nubia Eggplant is another productive hybrid variety that has a purple and white streak appearance. When planting peppers and eggplants they do best when transplanted in our seed starting trays. Transplanting allows for you to get a headstart on the growing season and have plants ready to go in the ground when weather conditions are right. If weather conditions are not right they should be stepped up into 4-inch pots to allow for more growth. The Florida Weave trellis is a simple technique that ensures enough support for crops that need to grow upright or vertically in the vegetable garden. For this trellis system, all you will need is t-post, wooden stakes, and gro-tie garden twine. When having trellised peppers and eggplants we are able to reduce soil-borne diseases and maintain healthier crops. Plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are all in the nightshade family and susceptible to blossom end rot. To avoid the blossom end rot problems we suggest using pelleted gypsum at the base of the plant.

Reducing Weeds in the Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis talks reducing weeds from trellised peppers in the vegetable garden. However, the problem with growing crops on the Florida Weave trellis is it can sometimes be difficult to control the weeds in the garden area. Due to this trellis technique having string along the row to support the plants we aren’t able to get under the area with a hoe to clear the weeds out. This year, Travis decided to try a new technique using wheat straw underneath the trellis to help control the weeds and preserve moisture from the drip irrigation. Using the wheat straw instead of woodchips because it will be easier to remove from the area once the peppers are done. Once the peppers are done in the garden, Travis plans to plant either some cool weather crops or cover crops. So it’s important to quickly remove the wheat straw out of the garden with either a dura rake or blower. When trying to reduce weeds for trellised peppers, eggplants, or tomatoes in the garden try using some wheat straw that is easier to quickly remove than mulch or woodchips.

Importance of Removing Weeds

When trying to grow the most productive and healthiest vegetables it can become an important task to keep the weed pressures from the garden area. When weeds are in the vegetable garden they steal soil nutrients and water from the plants. If plants do not get all the necessary nutrients they will become weak, not produce, and even die. Another important reason to remove weeds is they can be a hiding spot for pests that are actually eating away at your plants in the vegetable garden. The best way to suppress these weed pressures is by growing cover crops in the garden. Some cover crops like Buckwheat, Sunn Hemp, Daikon Radish, and Brown Top Millet all have traits that grow fast in order to outpace weed growth. When planting cover crops we prefer to use our garden seeder to get a precise planting in the vegetable garden. However, with all cover crops, they should be incorporated back into the soil before going to seed to prevent reseeding problems.

Spaghetti Squash in the Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the best time to harvest winter squash in the garden. It’s been around 90 days since he planted some Small Wonder Spaghetti Squash. This type of variety is known as a personal-sized spaghetti squash because they are about half the size of a normal-sized squash. With higher yields than larger spaghetti squash varieties, you can grow fruit in the same amount of space in the garden area. When planting this variety of winter squash we highly recommend direct seeding, but you can transplant as well. We prefer to plant this winter squash variety around 12 inches apart along the row in the vegetable garden. When plants start to emerge in the garden you should thin plants to one every 2 feet. They have a vining growth habit and will reach 4 to 6 inches in length in the vegetable garden. Winter squash can sometimes be susceptible to downy mildew and powdery mildew when the garden contains excess moisture. In order to prevent these issues, we recommend using drip irrigation to reduce plant moisture and adequately feed the plants. Using drip irrigation allows you to supply water right to the plant roots where they need it the most all while conserving water and reducing weed pressures. Another way to eliminate disease pressures when there are periods of heavy rainfall is by using a fungicide like Liquid Copper. This type of fungicide will help prevent diseases from attacking fruits, nuts, vegetables, and citrus. It is also important to have great crop rotation when planting winter squash to reduce disease and pest pressures.

Harvest Winter Squash

When harvesting spaghetti squash they will only produce a one-time harvest at the end of the growing season. There are a few indicators when it comes to determining the best time to harvest winter squash in the vegetable garden. One way to know when the winter squash is ready to harvest is when the plants and leaves start to become crispy and die back in the garden. Another way you can tell they are ready for harvest is the color will start to fully develop. The spaghetti squash is initially a green color, but they become a bright yellow color when ready for harvest. Next way to figure out if they are ready is by scratching at the skin layer. When scratching the skin with your fingernail if the skin doesn’t come off and seems to be hard it is ready for harvest. Finally, the last way to tell is if the stem at the top of the squash is dry and hard then it is the perfect time to harvest winter squash. A great tool to use when harvesting spaghetti squash is a pair of pruning shears. Once you finish harvesting all the squash they should be stored on a storage rack in the barn with plenty of airflow and shade. This variety of winter squash will typically store for up to 5 or 6 months underneath the barn.

Other Winter Squash Varieties

Along with the spaghetti squash variety, we offer Hai Kabocha, Butternut, and Delicata squash varieties. The Hai Kabocha is one of the tastiest winter squashes to grow in the vegetable garden. This variety produces dark green fruits with gray speckling and a bright yellow flesh interior. The Hoss Butternut squash is a hybrid variety that produces large uniformity fruits. This is another variety that has excellent flavor and texture. Another variety is the Delicata Winter Squash that contains a higher sugar content and sweeter flavor than other squash varieties. This variety produces fruits with a creamy-white color with green specks and stripes.

Productive Crops to Grow in the Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis goes over the go-to crops that are the most productive in the vegetable garden. His go-to most productive crops that can be grown for 10 months out of the year is Lacinato Kale and Tiger Collards. The Lacinato kale is an heirloom variety that produces long and slender leaves year-round. Typically we plant this kale variety in the early fall and it will grow throughout the entire winter and spring. However, if we plant it in the spring it will grow well in the warmer months as well. Although you can direct seed the Lacinato kale we recommend transplanting this variety. Transplanting allows for more consistent plant spacing and reduces weed pressures from taking over when the seedlings are in the early stages in the vegetable garden. To harvest, you simply pull the bottom leaves off and leave a few at the top so the plant can continue to grow during the growing season. This variety continues to produce well and should be harvested at least every other week. Much like the Lacinato Kale, the Tiger Collards can be grown throughout 10 months out of the year. The Tiger Collards can be planted during the fall and spring growing seasons. They are extremely bolt resistant so they grow well in the warmer and colder weather conditions. The Tiger collard variety can be either direct-seeded or transplanted. You can use our walk-behind garden seeder to direct seed dense plants rows in the garden. If you prefer to transplant you can use our seed starting trays leaving plants ready to go in the ground with weather conditions are just right. Much like kale, when harvesting the Tiger collards we pluck the bottom leaves and leave a few at the top to get continuous growth. These two different varieties of plants are the most productive crops to grow in the vegetable garden due to getting high yields and can be grown 10 months out of the year, unlike other crops.

Why is Crop Rotation Important?

Growing different types of vegetables in the same garden spot over several growing seasons will help improve the productivity of crops. Planting the same crop in the same spot year after year can cause several problems in the garden. The first problem it can cause is the decrease of soil nutrients. When planting in the same spot you are draining the soil from the same nutrients needed for plant growth. Another problem is the increase in pest pressures. Having the same crop in the same spot can leave the area as a comfortable habitat for pest because they get used to the crop being in that area. By incorporating a better crop rotation you can eliminate those problems in the vegetable garden. With better crop rotation, this allows for a variety of different plants to be grown in the garden allowing for different nutrients for plants to be taken up in the soil. Another benefit of leaving the garden fallow between seasons allows for the replenish of nutrients in the vegetable garden. We like to incorporate cover crops during the warmer months when it’s harder to grow vegetables. Some cover crops such as Sorghum Sudangrass, Diakon Radish, and Winter Rye will help build the soil nutrients. While the Sunn Hemp, Brown Top Millet, and Buckwheat all help with suppressing weed pressures in the vegetable garden. So instead of having one large garden spot, it is best to break up the garden area into subplots to enforce an easier and manageable crop rotation in the vegetable garden.

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Okra Plants

When planting okra the best time to plant is during the spring, summer, or fall months. Due to these plants loving the warmer weather temperatures they need to be planted in an area with plenty of sunlight. We recommend transplanting okra in the early spring to get a jumpstart on production and early germination of plants during the growing season. When transplanting using our seed starting trays this will ensure you develop a solid root ball because of the internal root training ribs that help the plants grow properly and reduce transplant shock when placed in the garden area. If you would rather direct seed okra plants the best time is either late spring or summer using our walk-behind garden seeder. It comes with six adjustable seed plates that allow for a variety of different seeds to be planted in the seeder. The two most productive okra varieties we offer is Jambalaya and Red Burgundy. The Jambalaya okra is a hybrid variety that produces green pods that have heavy yields that are great for pickling, frying, or stewing. While the Red Burgundy is a highly-productive heirloom variety that has dark red pods that stay tender at longer pod lengths. Another benefit of growing okra is they work great for succession planting throughout the warmer months. When picked regularly you are able to get multiple harvests off one okra plant. The best time to harvest okra pods is when they reach around 3 to 5 inches in length. However, once okra plants get so tall they become less productive and harvesting will be more difficult. A major pest that can harm the growth of okra plants is root-knot nematodes. Which cause knots on the roots of the plants that can drain the nutrients from the plants leaving them wilted. There are a couple of different ways to control these nematode problems in the garden area. Travis recommends using a cover crop like Broadleaf Mustard that will release chemicals to help suppress nematode, fungi, and insect populations and increase organic matter which will improve soil tilth and quality of the soil structure in the vegetable garden area.

Pruning Okra in the Vegetable Garden

In this week’s episode, Travis talks about how to prune okra for an easier harvest. In the garden, Travis currently has okra plants that are around knee-high that started producing pods when they were only about a foot tall. When going to prune okra instead of cutting it off right below the pod, Travis prefers to cut the pod and the lateral branch too. He prefers to do this because it will keep the bottom of the plant nice, clean, and easier to see the okra when it comes time for harvesting. So when using the pruning shears, he will cut where the okra pod and the lateral branch stem meet which gives us a clean-cut and a nice little okra pod picked. The difference between pruning and “whooping” okra plants is when whooping you are beating the side of the okra plants. The theory behind beating the okra plants is you are stressing the plants in order to get more production in the vegetable garden. Travis has tried the pruning or whooping method before in the garden and says it does make the garden easier to harvest and get better production of okra pods. Overall, when pruning okra cut them at the meeting of the okra pod and lateral branch stem to ensure you get an easy harvest and manageable okra plants in the garden area all throughout the growing season.

Harvesting Containers

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about our TubTrug harvesting containers. The TubTrugs are made to be lightweight and flexible for many different uses in the garden and around the homestead. Unlike other plastic harvesting buckets, the TubTrugs are UV resistance so they will not crack if left out in the sun and become damaged from other harsh weather conditions. These TubTrugs come in various sizes such as the Mini Shallow, Small, Small Shallow, Medium, and Large Shallow. The mini shallow has a 1.3g capacity that works best for small harvests or used on the homestead for food prep. The small TubTrug is 3.7g capacity and works great for dinner harvest or for storing and transport small garden tools to and from the garden area. While the small shallow TubTrug has a 4g capacity and works perfectly for sorting, cleaning, and processing vegetables. Next, the medium container has a 6.9g capacity that works for many different vegetables like squash, cucumbers, corn, and potatoes. Then finally the large shallow has a 9.2g capacity for sorting, cleaning, and processing larger harvestings from the garden. You can also get a variation of the sizes in our TubTrugs bundle. Also, available in a heavy-duty mesh colander design that allows for water and dirt to freely flow through it. Travis demonstrates a trick for easily washing your vegetables with the medium and colander TubTrug. Before you bring them inside to start cooking them you must first wash them off. To begin, take the medium TubTrug and fill it halfway with water. Then, place the vegetables in the TubTrug colander. The colander fits perfectly in the medium container so we take the colander and dip it the water and swish it around in the medium container. Once the vegetables are nice and clean you can simply pull the colander up from the medium container and take the colander inside. The colanders mesh design ensures that all the water will drain out properly so you don’t have to worry about it dripping throughout the house. Using this trick will provide you a quick and easy way to simply wash and clean your vegetables before bringing them inside to cook.

Other Harvesting Supplies

Along with the TubTrug containers, we also offer an Over the Shoulder Harvesting Bucket and Garden Hod. The Over the Shoulder Harvesting Bucket contains adjustable straps and padded area on the back for extra comfort. The garden hod is a multifunctional harvesting bucket that allows you to harvest vegetables and quickly rinse them off all in one container. The heavy-duty mesh wire with weather-resistant wood will last for multiple harvestings in the vegetable garden. Another handy tool to have when harvesting vegetables in the garden area is our Handy Twine Knife. The twine knife contains a blade on a ring that is supposed to be worn on your finger. It can fit either below or above the knuckle of your finger and is only sharp on the inside making it safe to use and carry. This allows you to quickly harvest trellising tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cut flowers, and other vegetables. Other harvesting supplies include a couple of knives such as the Cabbage knife, California knife, and Asparagus knife. As well as a Garden Knife Combo that contains the Cabbage and California knife and a Farmers file.

Planting Zinnias in the Garden

There are several different color variations of the Benary Giant Zinnia varieties that we offer such as Lime, Coral, Orange, Scarlet, Wine, and White. We also offer a Benary Giant Zinnia Mix that contains deep red, orange, coral, lime, wine, bright pink, white, purple, salmon rose, golden yellow, scarlet, and carmine rose. Not only do these zinnias produce a variety of beautiful colors, but they also attract pollinators which allows for many benefits in the vegetable garden. When planting zinnias they can either be planted by transplant or direct-seeded. When transplanting they work great in our seed starting trays that have internal vertical root training ribs that help with aeration and root ball drainage. A benefit of transplanting is the ability to get a jumpstart on the growing season and have plants ready to go in the ground by the time the weather conditions are just right. When direct seeding you can not use our garden seeder due to the oblong seed size. Therefore, when direct seeding by hand you should make a small furrow in the soil and scatter the zinnia seeds along the furrow. Then lightly cover the seeds with a garden rake and pack the planted area in the vegetable garden. We recommend planting zinnias on double rows with drip tape irrigation to conserve water and maximize garden space. When burying drip tape in the garden it ensures that you are providing water directly to the plant roots that need it. By planting zinnias on either side of the drip tape you can get more production off one row in the vegetable garden. Typically zinnias are planted during the spring and take around 75 days to mature. They’re also very heat-tolerant so they will continue to produce throughout the warmer months of summer.

Increasing Production of Zinnias

On this week’s episode, Travis explains how to get more production by pruning zinnias in the garden. When planting zinnias on a double row in the vegetable garden it helps to decrease weed pressure and fill out the area with nice bushy plants. Also, when planting zinnias if they are transplanted and we let them grow straight up they are more susceptible to being blown over by the wind. To avoid them being blown over we want the zinnias to grow more laterally and bush out along the garden rows. When pruning zinnias, you want to go all the way down to the nearest branch that is splitting off and prune it off there. By pruning your zinnias in the vegetable garden you will increase your production and improve thicker growth to maintain a beautiful harvest of flowers throughout the entire growing season.

Why Grow Flowers in the Vegetable Garden?

We recommend growing flowers in the vegetable garden to increase pollination and harvests. Honeybees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators are all attracted to flowers. We need pollinators in our garden to increase the production of seeds and for plant reproduction. As more pollinators come into the garden there is more pollen being transferred from the male anther to the female stigma. As insects collect the pollen they will in return distribute it to vegetables which will increase your overall harvestings in the vegetable garden.

Benefits of Good Soil Structures

There are a couple of important benefits to having good soil structure in the vegetable garden. The first benefit is the improvement of crop quality. The crop quality in the soil is important because the plant roots need the ability to move throughout the soil structure to find the essential nutrients that they are dependent on. The next benefit is to reduce pest and disease pressures in the soil. Much like humans, when plants lack nutrition they can be more susceptible to diseases. However, with a healthy soil structure pest and diseases lack in the ability to live in the garden area. Another important benefit of good soil structure is the ability to conserve water. The increase in water holding capacity can prevent soil nutrients from leaching in the garden area. The decrease in leaching of soil nutrients will improve a stronger soil structure that will not be broken down by water and wind leading to soil erosion problems. Overall a good soil structure will in return improve the soil health which will lead to productive vegetable plants in the garden area. Some other ways to increase good soil structure is by incorporating good compost or organic matter and side-dressing fertilizer in the vegetable garden.

Improving Soil Nutrients

On this week’s episode, Travis explains how to improve soil nutrients to get healthier plants. The first step in improving soil nutrients is to understand the importance of maintaining healthy soil biology in our soil structures. Promoting healthy soil biology will increase the beneficial bacteria and microorganisms that live in the soil will in return provide us healthier plants. A great product that will help feed the soil and promote that healthy soil biology is our Hoss Liqui-Fish Garden Fertilizer. This Liqui-Fish is an OMRI registered fish emulsion that will improve the macro and micronutrients in the vegetable garden area. Unlike other fish emulsions, our Liqui-Fish is hydrolyzed which means the fish are broken down using water instead of heat. We use water instead of heat because if you break down the fish using heat you eliminate a lot of the proteins, nutrients, and vitamins that are needed to feed your soil in the garden. So by using the hydrolized fish emulsion, we are preserving all the nutrients that are needed for healthy soil biology in the vegetable garden area. This emulsion can be used in a couple of different forms of application such as by soil drench. When soil drenching it can be applied before you plant or several times throughout the life of the plant to continue improving soil life and give plants plenty of nutrients. The Liqui-Fish works greats in our EZ-Flo Fertilizer injector if you use a drip irrigation system in the garden. However, it can also be used in a hand-pump garden sprayer and apply it to the soil that way. Travis mentions that the recommended rate of the Liqui-Fish is a cup per thousand square feet. When looking to promote healthier soil biology and grow healthier plants look into applying a hydrolized fish emulsion like the Liqui-Fish to ensure you get the best results in the vegetable garden.

Essential Nutrients for Vegetable Plants

When breaking down all the various essential nutrients that vegetable plants need in the garden can be hard to understand at first. However, the three major nutrients that plants need are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. Nitrogen is important for the improvement of great stalk growth and productivity of plant fruits. While potassium provides nutrients for root and seed production. Then, phosphorous strengths the overall root development which helps to prevent disease and pest pressures. Along with the major nutrients, plants need essential micronutrients in the vegetable garden as well. The micronutrients include sulfur which helps the plants use the available nitrogen in the soil. While boron helps with the overall sugar transport in the plants and iron is involved in pigment formation and energy production. Also, copper provides plant respiration, flavor profile, and color in vegetable plants. Finally, magnesium allows chlorophyll to capture the suns energy that is needed for photosynthesis in the garden. Another advantage of having essential nutrients is to help improve soil structure in the vegetable garden. Using good compost and cover crops will help supply the soil with all the essential nutrients that plants needed. Depending on certain cover crops they can help improve soil levels, decrease soil-borne disease, suppress weed growth, and improve the organic matter in the vegetable garden. Another way to supply nutrients to the vegetables and soil is by adding fertilizer to the desired garden area. Overall, supplying the garden with the important essential nutrients will maintain healthy and productive yields in the vegetable plants.

Vegetable Garden Plant Needs

On this week’s episode, Travis explains what your vegetable plants need in the garden. We all know the major nutrients that plants require is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. However, the vegetable plants that we grow also need essential micronutrients which are elements that are needed by the plant in smaller quantities. Some of these micronutrients include boron, sulfur, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese. These essential micronutrients are important for amino acids, chlorophyll, and enzyme production. All of these elements help the plant photosynthesize and maintain healthy plants in our vegetable garden. Our newest product called Micro-Boost is exactly what you need for your vegetable garden plants. The micro-boost is a liquid formulation that includes many essential micronutrients. This micro-boost is used as a fertilizer additive so you add it just like other fertilizer products. Travis mentions that the recommended rate of the micro-boost is 1/4 cup per 1,000 square feet of the vegetable garden. So to incorporate the micro-boost into your garden area you should add some of it to your other garden fertilizer either weekly or bi-weekly depending on how often you fertilize your garden. There are two different ways you can apply the micro-boost in the vegetable garden. The first technique is adding it to our EZ-Flo fertilizer injector. When adding either the 20-20-20 or Chilean Nitrate to the fertilizer injector you simply add a couple of cups of Micro-Boost depending on the area you are wanting to cover in the vegetable garden. If you don’t have an EZ-Flo injector you can also add the Micro-Boost using a hand-pump garden sprayer. With the garden sprayer, you add a quarter cup or half cup depending on the area you want to cover in the vegetable garden. Then, you simply unscrew the sprayer tip off the end of the sprayer wand and drizzle it alongside the plants in the garden row. Whether you are using a fertilizer injector or garden sprayer both techniques work great to add the Micro-Boost to ensure your vegetable crops get all the essential nutrients that they need for plant growth.

Trellising Tomato Plants

When it comes to trellising tomato plants there are many advantages that improve the overall health of these plants. The easiest Florida weave trellis technique is used for determinate tomatoes, while tomato cages are typically used for indeterminate tomatoes in the vegetable garden. We use the tomato cages for indeterminate tomatoes because they have continuous growth and will grow a lot taller than determinate tomatoes. We use the Flordia weave trellis technique for determinate tomatoes because they tend to grow smaller and have earlier harvesting times in the vegetable garden. The advantages of trellising tomato plants include more exposure to sunlight, improve the quality of foliage, and reduce disease pressures. With better exposure to sunlight, the tomato plants will continue to grow and increase productivity. Another benefit of adding the trellis technique is it makes pruning, fertilizing, and harvesting easier when it comes time. Also, the plants are growing vertically so there is a decrease in soil-borne disease pressures due to the plants not growing on the ground in the vegetable garden. Overall, trellising tomato plants ensures they are getting all the support they need to continue to grow in the vegetable garden.

Florida Weave Technique

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the easy Florida Weave trellis technique for tomatoes. When setting up the Florida weave trellis, you will need t-posts, wooden stakes, and gro-tie garden twine. To set up this trellis technique start by placing a T-posts on either each end of the row and add wooden stakes between each plant. When adding the wooden stakes be careful not to puncture the drip tape irrigation that is already buried in the ground. To begin adding the first line of string or twine, you simply tie it off on the end of the T-post. Then weave it along the first plant on one side and around the wooden stake then on the next plant place the twine on the other side of the plant. You should alternate from plant to plant along the row until you reach the other end T-post. When you reach the end T-Post, you will go back along the row, but placing the twine on the other side of each plant. So when you are done you should have twine on each side of the plant stem along the garden row. There are two different ways you can accomplish the easiest Florida weave trellis technique. The first method is using our cotton twine roll that comes in handy for shorter garden rows. The cotton twine is completely biodegradable and environmentally friendly. When using the cotton twine to add the Florida weave you will be leaning over using your hands to wrap the twine around the stakes and weaving around the plants. The second method is using our Gro-Tie garden twine that contains over a mile of twine which is great for longer garden rows. When using the poly garden twine it comes with an attached belt opening to place on your belt loop that allows for no strain on your back. Then with a piece of PVC pipe depending on your height, you can feed the twine through the pipe to guide around the stakes and plants. When working on the easiest Florida Weave trellis you should make to keep the twine nice and tight to ensure the plants get plenty of support in the vegetable garden. However, whether you use the cotton twine or poly garden twine is based on your personal preference, but incorporating a great trellising technique will ensure an improvement in your tomato plants in the vegetable garden.

Indeterminate vs. Determinate Tomatoes

Depending on certain tomato varieties they can vary from indeterminate and determinate. When distinguishing between the two different tomatoes, indeterminate tomatoes have a longer growing period than determinate tomatoes that tend to ripen quickly. Determinate tomato varieties will stop growing once fruits set on the ends of the top bud. While indeterminate tomatoes will continue to form flowers up until weather conditions are not right. The overall difference between the different varieties is determinate tomatoes are typically smaller and they produce early on in the vegetable garden. The indeterminate tomatoes will have continuous growth and produce fruits throughout the entire growing season. If you want to harvest an early-season crop of tomatoes or have a continuous harvesting supply throughout the season, choosing between indeterminate and determinate tomatoes is all based on your preference in the garden area.

Best Cages for Trellising Tomatoes

On this week’s episode, Travis explains cages for trellising indeterminate tomatoes in the garden. Due to all these varieties being either indeterminate or determinate tomatoes they are certain trellising techniques that work better for each crop. Overall, indeterminate tomatoes will grow a lot taller than determinate tomatoes in the vegetable garden. Instead of using the Florida Weave trellis technique we will use tomato cages because they work better for taller tomato plants that continue to grow much longer than determinate tomatoes. The best cages for trellising indeterminate varieties are our tomato cages that are made with a heavy-duty, 8 gauge galvanized steel so you don’t have to worry about them rusting. They are 56 inches tall, but after placing them in the ground they are around 45 inches off the ground. The overall opening at the top is 14 x 14 inches to give you plenty of space for the tomatoes to grow. The tomato cages also have wide openings to allow plenty of space to harvest the tomatoes and prune the plants when needed. Travis’s favorite thing about these tomato cages is the fact that they are collapsible to ensure you get many uses year after year. When the tomato plants are done, you can simply fold the cages up and store them away in your barn till the next time you need them in the garden. These tomato cages offer plenty of support for indeterminate tomatoes all throughout the growing season and will last for several future growing seasons.

Tomato Varieties

Travis currently has a couple of tomato varieties growing in the garden such as Amish Paste, Cherokee Purple, Sun Gold, and Jubilee. The Amish Paste is an heirloom or open-pollinated variety that produces Roma-type tomatoes that are usually oblong and vary in shape. While the Cherokee Purple is another older heirloom variety that has deep red fruits that are normally very large and sweet in flavor. The next variety is a hybrid that is known for its exceptional flavor profile, Sun Gold. This Sun Gold variety grows in clusters producing yellowish, gold, and cherry tomatoes. The last indeterminate tomato is the Jubilee variety which produces golden-yellow tomatoes with a great flavor profile. Some determinate varieties that we offer are Bella Rosa, Brickyard, and Mountain Glory. We recommend growing tomatoes in our seed starting trays to get maximum production. Another benefit of planting in the seed trays is the ability to get a jumpstart on the growing season and having plants ready to go in the ground as soon as the weather conditions are favorable.

Most Effective Trellis for Tomato Plants

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the most effective trellis technique that he has come across so far in the vegetable garden. He currently has three rows of determinate tomatoes such as Bella Rosa, Brickyard, and Mountain Glory growing in the garden. When trellising tomatoes we recommend using the Florida Weave technique to keep the plants off the ground and healthy. The tomato plants are currently only about a foot tall so not ready for the first string, but Travis likes to go ahead and add stakes in the ground. As well as, prune the bottom lateral stems and hill the plants for stabilization and better root development. In doing this it makes it easier to add the stakes without puncturing the already laid drip tape irrigation. When adding the wooden stakes to the ground, Travis recommends digging in the ground where you want the stake to find the drip tape and then place the pointed end of the stake right next to the drip tape in the middle of each plant in the garden row. Travis prefers to use T-posts and squared wooden stakes because they tend to work better than stakes that are round. The round stakes do not allow for enough friction like the wooden stakes. So by placing the T-posts on each end of the row and one in the middle, this ensures plenty of stability for the tomato plants. Once the plants get a little taller and the stems get thicker you will be ready to run your first line of the Florida Weave trellis. Then, continue to add twine as the tomato plants grow throughout the growing season in the vegetable garden.

Florida Weave Technique

Why is the Florida Weave method the most effective trellis technique in the garden? Not only is this an effective method, but it is extremely simple and manageable too. With a set of wooden stakes and t-posts, you can set up the most effective trellis technique. For the twine, we have two options available such as the gro-tie garden twine and cotton butcher twine. The gro-tie twine comes in a belt-loop carton that can be attached to your belt for easy access while trellising your tomato plants. The cotton butcher twine comes in a smaller roll and is 100% biodegradable so you don’t have to worry if you leave some in the garden area. The reason behind trellising crops like tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers is to allow them to grow off the ground and they are less susceptible to fungal disease problems. When Travis adds the Florida Weave trellis technique to his garden he likes to have the box of twine on his belt loop and use about a three-foot-long piece of pipe to guide the twine down the row. You should begin by tieing the twine off on the end row stake and taking the twine that runs through the pipe to guide the twine throughout the garden row. By weaving the string through one plant and around the stake a couple of times then weaving through the next plant along the entire row. Then once you reach the end of the row you should go back through to the opposite side of each plant to provide support on both sides of the plant. Once you have completed running twine through both sides of the plant you have successfully done the Florida Weave technique. Then as the plants continue to grow to add a 2nd and 3rd line of twine will help them continue to grow with plenty of stability and provide maximum tomato yields.

Quick and Easy Crop Turnover

On this week’s episode, Travis demonstrates how to quickly and easily turnover crops in the vegetable garden. In order for us to efficiently grow crops year-round in the vegetable garden, we have to maintain a quick and easy crop turnover time. In the garden, Travis has a couple of rows of romaine lettuce that he has just finished harvesting. So after harvesting all the heads of lettuce he then removes the row start fitting from the mainline of drip tape irrigation to replace it with a goof plug. The row start is used Then, he will pull the drip tape out of the garden row to clean the garden area. The next step is to cultivate by removing weeds and extra lettuce stalks from the garden area. This task is done with our new Hoss Stirrup Hoe to uproot and turnover the area. The stirrup hoe is the best tool for cultivating and weeding in every direction of the garden whether it is between the plants or alongside the row. After we are done with the hoe we take our Dura Rake and rake out any of the old debris and weeds to get the area clean and level. Travis prefers to take his Wheel Hoe in the area a couple of times over the next couple of weeks to ensure there are no weeds before re-planting. When re-planting all you have to do is create a furrow and re-lay the drip tape that you pulled up earlier and cover it back up in the garden. Replace the goof plug with the row start and then you are ready to plant in that garden area. Overall, to be prepared for a quick and easy crop turnover have a plan set in place to effectively re-plant in that vegetable garden spot.

Benefits of Crop Rotation in the Garden

Crop rotation has several benefits that will great an overall better vegetable garden area. The first benefit is an increase in better soil structure. When rotating crops around the garden you are preventing a loss of soil nutrients, pest/disease pressures, and soil erosion. By improving our soil structure in the garden we are maintaining the soil with plenty of air, water, and nutrients which is in return needed for plant growth. If we have a poor soil structure we will not develop a healthy root system for plant growth in the vegetable garden. By rotating the crops in the garden we can plan out vegetables that will help improve the soil structure when needed. Another benefit is the prevention of soil erosion. Soil erosion can cause several issues like loss of topsoil and harsh runoff. The reason behind crop rotation is to simply decrease soil erosion problems that is due to the reduction of soil disturbance, diverse root systems, improved healthy soils, and overall spacing in the garden. The soil disturbance is reduced because there is less tilling of the soil structure which means longer periods of soil disturbance. The diverse root systems are due to the variation of crops that have either taproot or fibrous root systems which helps soil particles hold together. The next benefit of crop rotation is reducing pest and disease pressures from continuing to overwinter in the vegetable garden. When cultivating the same crop in the same spot the pests and diseases become used to the conditions so they form in the same spot year after year and can become very difficult to eliminate. Overall, these benefits will create a healthy environment for all the plant life growing in the vegetable garden.

Seed Size Variations

On this week’s episode, Travis explains how seed size variations when using a garden seeder in the vegetable garden. When using our Hoss Garden Seeder to direct seed plants in the garden it comes with six modified seed plates. When planting with the garden seeder this ensures you have the proper seed plates that will help you effectively direct seed and not overplant in the garden area. The #1 seed plate fits broccoli, cabbage, turnips, mustard, and cauliflower seed sizes. While the #2 seed plate fits onion and small coated seeds. Then, the #3 seed plate fits okra, carrots, lettuce, chard, and beets. Next, the #4 seed plate fits small sweet corn seeds. The #5 seed plate fits small peas and beans. The last #6 seed plate fits medium beans and peas and large sweet corn seeds. Travis is using the #5 seed plate to show the different seed size variations of peas. From largest to smallest, he has Zipper Cream, Mississippi Purplehull, Summertime Pinkeye, and Sa Dandy Cream Pea. However, the #5 seed plate does not fit all of these pea seed varieties so Travis has to take his drill to make the holes on the plate larger to fit perfectly. The Zipper Cream and Mississippi Purplehull fits in the seed #5 seed plate when drilled a little larger. While the Summertime Pinkeye and Sa Dandy Cream have a smaller seed size so they work better in the #3 seed plate. When modifying to make larger holes in the seed plates, Travis recommends using a step drill bit to accurately get the desired seed size. We also have blank seed plates that you can modify to get holes just right for the several different seed size variations. When planting peas they should be planted with 3 to 4 inches of growing space for each row because of their semi-vining growing habit. When planting peas on double rows we plant two rows about 6 inches apart, then skip over 3 to 4 inches and plant another double row. Planting on double rows allows us to get maximum production and save space in the vegetable garden. When harvesting peas, they should be picked when pods are full and shelling is easy. If they are not shelling easy they should be left in the garden to grow on the plant a little longer.

Direct Seeding vs. Transplanting

When deciding between direct seeding or transplanting in the vegetable garden it all depends on what type of crops you are wanting to grow. Meaning that some vegetables only do well direct seeded while others do better transplanted. Vegetables like tomatoes, kohlrabi, collards, peppers, and cauliflower all do better off in the garden when transplanted. While vegetables like cucumbers, peas, okra, carrots, melons, and turnips do best when direct-seeded. When transplanting in our seed starting trays this ensures that the plants will get accurate aeration for root ball drainage due to our vertically internal root training ribs. This in return will allow for stronger transplants that will be less likely to have transplant shock and produce a lot quicker. Another advantage of transplanting is the reduce the risk of pest and disease pressures damaging the plants in early growth stages. This also makes them stronger to resistant those pressures when they are transplanted into the vegetable garden. When direct seeding we recommend using our garden seeder that allows you to effectively and quickly plant seeds in the vegetable garden area. However, when direct seeding you may have to thin out seedlings to ensure there is enough room for growth in the vegetable garden area.

Benefits of Planting in Rows

The best method when growing vegetables in the garden is by planting in rows. Row planting is when plants are grown in single rows that allow for more space and easier cultivating in the vegetable garden. Depending on how much room plants need for growing the rows can be adjusted between the plants and in each walkway alongside the row. It is more effective for transplanting, direct seeding, drip irrigation, and for the use of garden tools. With drip tape, we prefer this irrigation method over hand-watering because it conserves water, saves time, and allows for the plants to get all the nutrients they need directly to their roots. We also save space by planting along the row side-by-side because more plants can be planted in the garden area. Along with planting in rows, we break our garden up into subplots to make the garden area more manageable and for better crop rotation. Crop rotation is used to eliminate planting crops in the same area year after year which can drain your soil nutrients. Another reason we do this technique is to decrease pest and soil-borne diseases from damaging our plants in the garden. If you plant certain crops in the same area year after year the soil-borne diseases will start to damage that crop the longer they stay in the area. Crop rotation is important to improve the overall success of the vegetable production and soil structures in the vegetable garden.

Planting Straight Rows

On this week’s episode, Travis explains the importance of planting straight rows in the vegetable garden area. We plant in straight rows because it is more effective and manageable in the garden. When planting side-by-side and parallel to one another we have more space to grow more plants. Another reason for having straight rows is it allows the garden to look nice and we can effectively use garden tools like the Wheel Hoe to cultivate in between the plants. There are a couple of techniques that you can use when trying to get that nice straight row for planting in the garden area. The first trick is by using a string and two stakes. So we place a stake on each end of the row and run the string between the stakes and tie it off. The strings sit about a foot above the soil or sometimes six inches and that indicates the straight row. Once you have the string ran along the row you can take a hand hoe and make a furrow to mark that row. Another way is if you have a Double Wheel Hoe you can run the string between the handles and use that as a guide to making a straight row as you work down along the row. However, this string technique can be time-consuming because you have to move that string for every row that you are wanting to make straight. The technique that Travis prefers to use is for planting straight rows is by taking a little hand hoe and scratching out a mark in the soil where he wants the beginning of the row to be. Then, he places a stake at the end of the row to drive towards. The trick to this technique is you never want to look down you always need to keep your eyes on what you are driving towards at the end of the row. Following this technique correctly will ensure that you get straight rows every time in the vegetable garden. Whether you use the string or drive towards a stake technique, planting straight rows in the garden are important to keep the garden nice, clean, and overall manageable for every growing season.

Monogerm vs. Multigerm

On the week’s episode, Travis explains the differences between monogerm and multigerm beet seeds. Beet seeds are naturally multigerm varieties which means that each seed contains more than one embryo. Multigerm seeds happen when flowers grow in clusters which in return produces multigerm seed balls. When the seed balls germinate they produce 2 to 5 seedlings at once. So when planting you will end up with more than one seedling or plant per seed which requires some form of thinning of the plants. The thinning is important to ensure we get large production and uniform beet seeds. For instance, with our beet seeds, we want the same size round beets all along the row in the vegetable garden. In order to get these results, the beets should be evenly spaced along the garden row so we have to thin those to ensure they are 4 to 6 inches apart in the vegetable garden. Due to the importance of the thinning process is one of the main reasons, Travis prefers to grow beets by transplant. It is much easier to do the thinning process in the greenhouse in the seed trays instead of waiting till they germinate in the vegetable garden. The natural multigerm beet seed that we carry is the Kestrel variety. These Kestrel beets are a hybrid variety that contains a nice disease resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew. Monogerm means that each seed contains one seedling per seed or one plant per seed. So if you prefer to direct seed plants in the ground you should go with a monogerm variety like our Solo beet variety. This solo variety is another hybrid variety that contains great flavor profile and disease resistance from mildew, root rot, and Cercospora leaf spot. When planting this beet variety it allows you to plant them at the desired plant spacing and you do not have to worry about thinning them out in the garden as you do with multigerm seed varieties.

Growing Beet Seeds

The best overall time to grow beets in the garden is during the spring and fall. They prefer to grow in soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. If you tend to have heavy clay soils adding a good compost will help the beets grow better. When growing beet seeds they do best when transplanted using our seed starting trays. Not only does it make thinning the beets easier if they need it but it also allows for better plant growth. If transplanting in the ground the preferred spacing is 4 inches along the row. However, they can be direct seeded in the vegetable garden with multiple rows close together and spaced as close to 6 inches apart. If direct seeding you can use our Hoss Garden Seeder with the #3 seed plate to accurately plant the seeds in the garden rows. When it comes time for harvesting, beets are ready for harvest when the roots have reached around 3 to 4 inches in size. For storage purposes, you should remove the greens and store the beet roots for up to 2 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. Some more great beet varieties that we carry are Merlin, Touchstone Gold, and Chioggia. One of the sweetest beets to grow in the vegetable garden is the Merlin beet due to its high sugar content. The Touchstone Gold beet is another flavorful beet that stands out with it’s orange to gold skin and bright yellow flesh on the inside. While the Chioggia is an older heirloom variety with red and white bullseye design color contrast.

Growing Tomato Plants

There are several reasons for planting tomato plants the right way in the garden. To avoid tomato plant mistakes growing them in seed trays instead of individual pots is a major priority. We recommend transplanting tomatoes because it allows us to get a jumpstart on the growing season that are ready to go in the ground as soon as the weather conditions are just right and grow stronger tomato plants. The soil conditions that tomato plants prefer to grow in is well-drained soils that provide plenty of sunlight. Since tomatoes are part of the nightshade family they are susceptible to blossom end rot. To avoid this problem applying a Pelletized Gypsum Soil Conditioner at the base of the tomato plant at bloom set will help with this end rot issue. The gypsum is a natural mineral that applies calcium and sulfur which are two important plant nutrients. We recommend when planting the tomatoes in the garden using either our heavy-duty tomato cages, the Florida Weave technique with Gro-Tie Garden Twine, or the new Hortonova trellis netting to ensure the plants have support to grow off the ground and reduce the possibility of disease. We carry both hybrid and heirloom varieties of tomatoes. Some productive hybrid varieties that we offer that has high disease resistance traits such as Bella Rosa, Sun Gold, Brickyard, and Mountain Glory. Some flavorful heirloom tomato varieties are Brandywine, Amish Paste, and Mortgage Lifter. All of these tomato varieties have 70 days till they reach maturity and are ready for harvest.

Avoid Tomato Plant Mistakes

On this week’s episode, Travis explains some mistakes that you should avoid with tomato plants. Travis has prepared the vegetable garden with drip tape and good compost for the planting of tomatoes. There are a couple of key reasons why you should avoid tomato plant mistakes like bigger is not always better when growing tomato plants. The first reason for not creating larger tomato plants is to avoid transplant shock. For instance, when you have a little plant the smaller root ball will have an easier time adapting to the soil conditions and allow the plants to grow faster. Whereas the larger tomato plants that contain a larger root ball will struggle to adjust in the garden soil conditions and take longer to grow. The second key reason is depending on whether you are growing in the garden or a greenhouse we are all limited to some amount of space. With the seed starting trays we can grow 162 tomato transplants that leave us with plenty of plants to continue growing in the garden. When growing tomato plants in big pots you lose space due to the number of large pots you will need for the garden. Also, with individual large pots, you will use a lot more potting soil than the seed starting trays. The third reason is due to the ease of transporting the plants to the garden area. With the seed trays, you can simply carry the tray with all the plants out to the garden and place them along the row. However, with the larger pots, they would be a hassle to get all the individual pots into the garden area. Another reason is when adding the transplants to the soil they simply pull out of the trays, while the plants in pots will take a tool to remove them and get rid of excess soil from the pots. Overall to avoid tomato plant mistakes grow your own tomato plants in the seed starting trays to save time, energy, and money in the vegetable garden.

Why add good compost to the garden soil?

To increase the productivity, growth, and healthier plants in the vegetable garden adding the best soil amendment will leave your soil structure with so many benefits for many growing seasons. Using great compost contains four key components — organic matter, moisture, bacteria, and oxygen. The organic matter provides the needed nitrogen and carbon sources for plant growth. While the moisture allows the compost to not dry out and the oxygen supports the breakdown of plant material. Then, the other microorganisms like bacteria will break down all the components and plant material into the useful compost material needed for the vegetable garden. When incorporating the compost in sandy soils it can increase the water-holding capacity, while in the heavier clay soils it can improve drainage. Another advantage of adding compost to the soil is the decrease in using so much fertilizer. When deciding whether to use compost or fertilizer in the garden it depends on which one you prefer more. Compost is an organic material that increases soil structure in the garden to create a more beneficial environment for the plants to grow. The fertilizers feed the plant directly which improves quicker plant growth in the vegetable garden.

Best Soil Amendment for the Garden

On this week’s episode, Travis explains why good compost is the best soil amendment for the vegetable garden. In the garden, using good compost has many soil benefits such as providing plenty of nutrients into the soil so we don’t have to use as many fertilizers in the vegetable garden. Another advantage is it will amend the soil perfectly to make the soil more workable by adding organic matter. A good quantity of compost has an adequate ratio of nitrogen and carbon. The nitrogen source comes from things like manure and the carbon source comes from decayed plant matter. We recommend using manure-based compost because it is overall rich in nitrogen and we can avoid using so much fertilizer in the vegetable garden. Travis gets his manure from a chicken house that provides plenty of nitrogen and works really well in the garden. When you get your compost for the garden you should cover it with a tarp to prevent it from drying out. If left uncovered the compost can dry out and be harder to apply or spread in your vegetable garden. When adding the good compost to the garden there are two techniques you can use. The first technique is spreading it over the entire garden. The second technique is using the FAD system and applying it just where you plant in the garden area. Depending on how chunky and hard the soil is to work in the garden it may be better to spread it over the entire garden area. However, if the soil tilth is nice and workable you can use the FAD system and just apply where the plants need it in the garden plot. When applying the FAD system we typically make a little furrow using the Double Wheel Hoe and lay the compost down in the furrow and then cover it up. Next, we will plant right on top which will allow us to stretch the compost pile further and make the compost last longer. Also, it ensures that the compost is exactly where the plants need it and not wasted in other spaces such as walkways or edges in the garden. To ensure you have the best soil amendment in the garden, find you a good source of compost that will apply so many benefits for your plants in the vegetable garden.

Early Spring Crop in the Vegetable Garden

When looking at growing an early spring crop have you ever thought about green onions in the garden area? Green onions are immature little onions that are just starting the bulbing stage in the garden. Once they reach this stage they start to swell up a little bit and we will harvest a few of these small onions at this size. Then, leave the majority of the spring onions in the garden to get bigger then harvest them to dry out for onion storage. Green onions are smaller onions that are great for cooking in soups, salads, or even stir-fried. They also have a great flavor profile when eaten raw right after harvesting from the vegetable garden area. The green onions have a dark green stem and white bulb roots that are completely edible. They are ready to harvest out of the garden when they are tender, young, and the bulb has started to slightly swell. Typically the tops reach around 6 to 8 inches tall by this bulbing stage. To maintain the care of green onions much like spring onions they need plenty of water. The recommended way to supply water to the plant roots is by using drip tape because it applies water directly at the roots in the vegetable garden. The green onions are the same as spring onions they just are not fully mature. Spring onions are fully mature and have an onion bulb at the end of the plant. The spring onions also have a more defined flavor profile than the green onions in the vegetable garden. Deciding between harvesting spring onions or green onions is your personal preference because both offer exceptional flavor, different cooking techniques, storage methods, and harvesting times out of the vegetable garden.

Growing Spring Crop: Green Onions

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about growing green onions withing in the vegetable garden. Travis currently has five rows of the Texas Legends onion and one row of the Red Creoles growing in the garden. These onion varieties are heavy feeders meaning they require a good amount of nutrients, fertilizer, and water supply to their plant roots. So we like to place the onions on a drip tape irrigation system to ensure they obtain all the direct water source to the plant roots and provide healthy producing plants. The drip tape system will also help conserve water and save you time in the vegetable garden. Depending on how much water the onion obtains is how sweet the onion will end up tasting. When maintaining the weeds in the onion area, Travis likes to use the Single Wheel Hoe to go in between the double rows quickly to cultivate and weed the garden area. Then, after a couple of weeks, he likes to take his Short Single Tine Cultivator to work closely to remove weeds and cultivate around the onion plants. When Travis planted the onions in the garden he planted them on about 4-inch spacing to ensure there was plenty of green onions planted in the vegetable garden. Then, Travis prefers to go in the garden and pull out every other green onion for eating and provide more room for the rest of the spring onions to grow bulbs in the ground throughout the season. After harvesting the green onions they are stored best when covered and placed in the refrigerator for up to one or two weeks. When deciding what to plant for an early spring crop look at growing green onions or spring onions to get a bountiful harvest throughout the growing season.

Hybrid vs. Heirloom Varieties

In the South, due to our high pest and disease pressure environment growing heirloom tomatoes can be difficult to grow in the vegetable garden. When discussing between hybrid and heirloom varieties there are major differences to take into account when thinking about planting one or the other variety. Heirloom or open-pollinated varieties contain seeds that will be passed down from one generation to another. While open-pollinated means those seeds can be saved and replanted the following years to come. Some heirloom varieties we carry are Amish Paste, Brandywine, and Mortgage Lifter. These heirloom varieties usually contain an exceptional flavor profile but they are not as susceptible to pest and disease pressures and are not as productive as hybrid varieties. Hybrid seeds are produced by cross-pollinating two different plants of the same species together. Through hybridization, the pollination is controlled to obtain the correct cross of plants to achieve the desired traits or characteristics such as disease resistance, certain flavor profile, better yield, or early maturity dates. The hybrid varieties are more productive than heirlooms and more resistant to pest and disease pressures in the garden. However, these seeds cannot be saved or replanted the next year and may cost a little more due to the amount of productivity in the garden.

Three Hybrid Tomato Varieties

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about hybrid tomato varieties that have the flavor profile of heirloom varieties but will work great in controlling pest and disease pressure areas. Some diseases like the tomato spotted wilt virus and tobacco mosaic virus will demolish our tomato plants quickly in the garden area. However, three hybrid tomato varieties that we recommend growing due to there high disease resistance, increasing yield, and great flavor profile is the Bella Rosa, Brickyard, and Mountain Glory. The Bella Rosa is a seed that produces large and firm fruits with exceptional flavor. Travis has grown this variety for several years and with our southern climates, we have had no trouble and always get maximum production and a great flavor profile from this Bella Rosa. The Mountain Glory is another hybrid variety that has exceptional heirloom flavor profile and excellent disease resistance in the vegetable garden. The last hybrid tomato variety that Travis talks about is the Brickyard. If there is any type of tomato disease out there it’s more than likely the Brickyard is highly resistant to it. These three hybrid tomato varieties all come in pelleted seed form meaning the seed has been coated with clay to make it larger and round so it is easier to singulate for planting in seed starting trays. When transplanting in the seed starting trays you are able to get a jumpstart on the growing season and better overall transplants that will produce higher quality plants to go in the vegetable garden. We recommend planting in the seed starting trays because you can place them directly into the ground instead of having to place them in larger pots. Travis explains that the only time he will place them into large pots, is if the transplants are ready for the ground but the weather temperatures are still too cold outside to plant tomatoes. Once planted in the ground we prefer using the Florida Weave technique to ensure enough support for the heavy producing tomato plants to grow upright in the garden. So when looking to grow tomatoes in your high humidity and pest/disease pressure area, try out these three hybrid tomato varieties that can withstand those high pressures and leave you with great flavor profiles and maximum production in the vegetable garden.

Collard Varieties in the Garden

Although collards have been a staple in the South throughout several years, collards have become increasingly popular around the world. In the past, Travis has tried growing several different collard varieties such as the Top Bunch, Champion, and Vates. However, the most productive collard variety and his favorite is the Tiger Collard. The tiger collard is a hybrid variety that produces upright stalks that yield quick and early in the garden. Collards are champions of the frost meaning they can withstand some of the coldest weather environments. Another advantage of growing collards is they are bolt-resistant in the heat so they can be grown throughout many growing seasons leaving a productive continuous harvest in the vegetable garden. Whether you are direct seeding with our garden seeder or transplanting with the seed starting tray, Tiger Collards are the most productive crop to grow in the vegetable garden.

Growing Collards for Multiple Harvests

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about the most productive collard variety that we grow in the vegetable garden. Due to the continuous amount of harvest you can receive over the long growing season, it makes collards the most productive out of a lot of the other crops. With collards being extremely frost tolerant and resistant to bolting they work great for planting in the fall and growing throughout the entire winter and on into some of the warmer months. However, if you prefer to get a one time harvest on collards you can do so by cutting off the base of the plant. Travis prefers to get a continuous harvest off of them and will harvest them similar to his Lacinato kale by plucking the bottom leaves off the stalk and leave a few leaves at the top. When growing the most productive collard variety, Tiger Collard, we start by growing them in our seed starting trays. We recommend starting them in the seed starting trays because they will germinate quicker and produce a higher quality transplant for the garden. In the vegetable garden, Travis planted a single row of Tiger collards in the fall that has been harvested around 5 or 6 times already. For the spring growing season, he wants to plant a double row of Tiger collards so he will have a continuous harvest for the warmer months. To start planting the collards he begins with the Double Wheel Hoe to create a furrow for the drip tape irrigation to be buried in the middle of the plants. Then, with the double wheel hoe and the Drip Tape Layer Attachment, he laid the tape in the furrow. Next, he wanted the transplants to be planted in a double row so each plant should be planted on each side of the drip tape in the middle. When planting the transplants on the first row he recommends planting the transplants alongside the drip tape about a foot apart. Then for the second row of the double row, he staggers the plants in between the plants on the first part of the double row. After a few weeks and the transplants are settled in the garden, Travis begins applying fertilizer through the drip irrigation and side dressing with some Chilean Nitrate. The Chilean Nitrate fertilizer is an organic nitrate-nitrogen source that contains many essential nutrients that vegetables need throughout the plant growth stages in the garden. Overall, if you want to maximize the garden space and get an increasing continuous harvest throughout many months try growing the most productive collard variety such as the Tiger Collard in the upcoming growing season.

Watermelon Radishes vs. Traditional Radishes

During the spring and fall, a fun and easy crop to grow in the garden are watermelon radishes. They get the name watermelon radish due to their creamy-white exterior with a bright purple to a pinkish interior that resembles more of a watermelon figure. Although they look similar to traditional radishes from the exterior there are a couple of differences when comparing traditional radishes to watermelon radishes in the vegetable garden. The first difference is unlike traditional radish varieties, the watermelon radishes contain more of a firm and milder flavor profile that is great to eat raw or sauteed up in a pan when cooking. Another major difference is the size between the two different varieties. A traditional radish variety has a tendance to split once they get bigger and are left in the garden for too long. While the watermelon radish variety can be grown up to the size of a tennis ball and will not split like a normal traditional radish.  Some similarities between the watermelon radish and traditional radish varieties are they grow best in cooler weather with well-drained soils so they should be planted when temperatures are cooler. Once done harvesting, the radish tops should be removed and they will last for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Hoss Garden Seeder: Planting Watermelon Radishes

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about planting watermelon radishes with our Garden Seeder. The garden seeder is the perfect tool to accomplish this task because it comes with six adjustable seed plates that are modified for various different seed sizes. For example, the #1 seed plate can fit seeds like cauliflower, broccoli, or turnips. The #2 seed plate fits small coated seeds like onions and the #3 seed plate fits pelleted carrots, lettuce, and beets. The #4 seed plate does best with small sweet corn seeds. While the #5 seed place does better with small pea and bean seeds. Lastly, the #6 seed plate can fit large sweet and field corn seeds. Not only do the seed plates make planting easier but it also allows for accurate planting without overplanting in the vegetable garden. Due to the size of the seed, watermelon radishes work in the #1 or #2 seed plate with a little drilling to make the seed fit perfectly. The #1 seed plate has eight holes so that gives you a little over two-inch spacing. However, we need to plant watermelon radishes a little further apart so Travis will go in and thin every other one of the small radishes then let the rest get a decent size. Then, all Travis has to do is walk behind the Hoss garden seeder and plant the watermelon radishes between 6 to 8 inches apart in the row. In the past, he has planted the watermelon radishes on double rows with drip tape buried in the middle and that works really well because the plants are receiving water directly to the plant roots. Due to the garden area layout, he decided to only plant four rows on the edge of the garden so he could just hand water these plants instead. However, these radishes perform best when planted in double rows or a “bed” with several rows planted closely together in the vegetable garden. Watermelon radishes are direct-seeded because they seem to perform better in the garden than transplanting. If you haven’t tried growing watermelon radishes in the Hoss garden seeder before, you should definitely give it a try it will be a fun and easy crop to grow throughout the spring and fall growing season.

Maximizing Your Garden Space

If you struggle with a little amount of garden space to grow a variety of vegetables in the garden you have to find clever methods to improve your growing area. Using the straddle weeding technique allows for planting on tight row spacing. While the Floride weave technique or the Hortonova Trellis Netting provides the opportunity to grow crops vertically instead of on the ground which saves you plenty of room in the garden area. Planting in raised beds instead of continuous garden rows will also save space inside the garden area. If you would like to get more production of plants, growing crops that you can succession plant all throughout the season will save space and time in the vegetable garden as well.

Staddle Weeding Technique

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about how to maximize garden spacing with the straddle weeding technique in the smaller garden areas. By using either our Double Wheel Hoe or High Arch Wheel Hoe these tools allow us to use the straddle weeding technique in the vegetable garden. What it means to straddle weeding is to take one of these wheel hoe tools and straddle the row of plants to cultivate or weed on both sides of the row in one pass through. This technique allows you to either weed or cultivate close to those plants. It also might throw a little soil to the plants to encourage some root development. In the garden, Travis planted several rows of beets with our row maker tool. The row maker creates planting furrows in the soil for easier row spacing and planting by direct seed or transplant. He planted the beets on single rows with tight spacing only 1-foot apart. This ensures that Travis will get maximum garden space and provide him the opportunity to use the straddle weeding technique withing in the garden area. With both the double wheel hoe and high arch wheel hoe there are several different attachments and options that you can use for this weeding technique. The first setup is using our spreader bar bonus. This spreader bar bonus includes the spreader bar and two of our 6-inch oscillating hoes. By placing the oscillating hoes on the far end of the bar this can be mounted on the wheel hoe to use to straddle the row of plants while the oscillating hoes cultivate on both sides of the plant in the garden. The next option is to use the cultivator teeth that are included with every wheel hoe. With this attachment, you place the cultivator teeth behind each wheel on the wheel hoe and that allows you to throw soil more than the oscillating hoe in order to hill the plants. The third attachment that is used for the straddle weeding technique is our new winged sweeps attachment. The winged sweeps are available in a four-inch and six-inch blade. Similar to the cultivator teeth set-up, Travis likes to place them behind each wheel but a little to the outside of the wheel. This attachment allows you to dig a little deeper than the cultivator teeth attachment. On the double wheel hoe, there is a 5 or 6-inch clearance area on the axle. While the high arch wheel hoe has about a 15-inch clearance area which helps when the plants get a lot taller throughout there growing time in the vegetable garden. The straddle weeding technique helps to keep the vegetable garden nicely cultivated, clean, and a weed free area. As well as, save you plenty of space if you have a tighter garden area to work in.

Bok Choy Benefits in the Garden

Unlike your traditional red or green cabbage that forms big heads and is used in soups and salads, an uncommon and different type of cabbage is Bok Choy. Also, known as Pak Choy or Pok Choy depending on what area of the world it is being grown. Bok Choy falls under the Chinese cabbage category but does not taste like regular cabbage. This type of crop is also categorized under cruciferous vegetable meaning that it provides many valuable nutrients. Bok Choy provides many nutrients such as vitamin C, protein, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, etc. Like most other vegetables it ensures a good source of fiber. This crop tastes more like a mustard green but with a milder flavor profile. The texture is a little crisp but much more tender than regular white and red cabbage. With crops like mustard, turnips, or collards we usually remove the stem before cooking them because the stem is tough and not palatable. However, with this type of cabbage variety, you can eat the whole plant. The white stems on the plant are tender and great to use for cooking. Bok Choy can be eaten in many different ways such as salads, coleslaw, soups, stir-fried, grilled, or as a garnish. To fill your garden with a variety of nutrient and fibrous plants try growing Bok Choy in the next early spring and fall season.

Growing Bok Choy

On this week’s episode, Travis talks all about growing Bok Choy in the vegetable garden. As for growing Bok Choy, they can be grown two different ways in the vegetable garden. You can harvest them as baby greens or let them continue to grow to full size. When growing the baby greens they should be direct-seeded really densely on a bed that’s around two or two and a half foot wide. Once the leaves start to form then the leaves are simply cut off to harvest. This type of crop allows for a continuous harvest all throughout the growing season. If you prefer to grow the full-size florets they need a little bit more space in the garden area. Travis likes to transplant these in the seed starting trays. The seed starting trays have a verticle root training ribs that help with aeration and root ball draining of plant roots. We prefer to transplant seeds because we can get a jumpstart on the growing season and it improves the production of healthier plants for the vegetable garden. When transplanting them in the trays they only take about 3 to 4 weeks to emerge and be ready to go in the ground. Once the transplants are placed in the garden we put them on a double row with drip irrigation buried in the middle. The drip tape should be used to accurately apply water and nutrients directly to the plant roots. Placing the plants about 8 inches apart along the row will allow for plenty of room to grow. Bok Choy tends to grow quickly and only takes 50 days to mature in the vegetable garden. The Bok Choy that we grow is Joi Choi which is a hybrid variety with an excellent mild flavor and great production. Producing 10 to 14 stalks per plant and each stalk reaching 8 to 10 inches long. If you are looking to grow a different type of green that is easy to grow and cold hardy, the Boy Choy is a great choice for the vegetable garden. Compared to other greens, it is heat-tolerant and slow to bolt in the spring season with warmer temperatures.

Growing Lettuce in the Garden

Instead of buying the bland lettuce at the grocery store, you should try growing your own healthy lettuce in the vegetable garden. The perfect time to grow lettuce is between the fall and winter because weather conditions are just right. With cooler temperatures, these excellent varieties of lettuce are less likely to bolt in the vegetable garden. This allows us to not only have a continuous harvest throughout the growing season but we can succession plant lettuce as well. For succession planting we usually plant a new crop of lettuce in the ground around every 4 weeks this ensures us lettuce all throughout the wintertime. We begin growing lettuce by transplanting in our seed starting trays. Once they start to emerge in the tray we thin them to one plant per cell. Typically these excellent varieties of lettuce take 3 to 4 weeks before they are ready to be transplanted into the garden area. When they become ready to plant in the garden we prefer to plant them in double rows with drip tape buried in the middle. We use drip irrigation to provide all the water and nutrients directly to the plant roots. We space the lettuce transplants about 8 inches apart along the row because once the heads get larger they will cover that entire area. Lettuce varieties require an adequate amount of fertilization to supply the plants with nutrients for healthy growth. If they do not get enough plant nutrients the lettuce will end up turning a yellow color and will not form large solid heads. We recommend injecting some 20-20-20 into our drip system that is buried beside of lettuce transplants. The 20-20-20 is a water-soluble fertilizer that has the three major macronutrients that plants need — phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium. We can also side-dress them with Chilean Nitrate so we apply it alongside the plant row. Chilean Nitrate is an organic nitrate nitrogen nutrient source that contains micronutrients such as iodine and selenium. Then, take our Wheel Hoe to incorporate it along beside the lettuce plants in the vegetable garden. By applying the accurate amount of fertilizer and water to plants it ensures that we will get healthy productive lettuce all throughout the growing season.

Excellent Varieties of Lettuce

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about his favorite lettuce varieties to grow in the vegetable garden. If you are getting tired of eating the same iceberg lettuce from the grocery store, you should branch out and try a new variety of lettuce. Travis has two excellent varieties of lettuce that are packed full of flavor and nutrients. The Parris Island Romaine is a productive and flavorful heirloom variety. It works great for baby-leaf harvests, but also produce heavy upright heads that can get around 12 inches tall. Travis’s next variety of lettuce that he loves to grow is Butter Crunch. This variety works great in salads and wraps because it contains a smooth, buttery texture and flavor profile. They have soft large heads that are best consumed shortly after harvest. Another lettuce variety we like to grow is the pelleted, Skyphos Butterhead Lettuce. This is a red butterhead variety that has a dark red exterior with green interior. It also has great texture and flavor profile with disease-resistance to downy mildew and lettuce mosaic virus. A few other lettuce varieties we offer are Calshot Romaine, Harmony Butterhead, Starfighter, Salad Bowl Red, and Black Seeded Simpson. The Calshot, Harmony, and Starfighter lettuce are all pelleted seeds which makes it easier for planting in seed trays. All of these excellent varieties of lettuce will supply your garden with productive and healthy plants.

Importance of Maintaining Garden Tools

In order to ensure you have long-lasting garden tools, it is important to properly take care of them when not using them in the vegetable garden. To keep them from losing their effectiveness and sharpness over time we should spend a little time to properly maintain the conditioning of them by sharpening, removing the rust, and store them away in a proper location. The first step in ensuring they remain taken care of is putting them away once you are done using them in the garden. In order to remove rust and keep them sharp, you can use our Farmers File has an essential tool for maintaining your everyday gardening tools. Overall, in order to keep your tools in pristine condition take some time in the barn by properly cleaning and sharpening the edges to keep them lasting a lifetime.

Best Sharpening Tool for Garden Tools

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about how to prepare the garden tools for the upcoming growing season. During the winter months, when the gardening season is slower this is the perfect time to work on preparing your tools for the spring growing season. Travis has his long-handled Batwing Hoe that is one of his favorite general hoes around the garden area. The batwing hoe contains a rounded sharp edge that makes removing large weeds and adding or removing soil to plants. For example, it can be used to add soil to crops like corn or potatoes for hilling and stabilizing plant stems.  We also offer a small-handled batwing hoe version for using in raised beds. To remove any kind of rust and sharpen the garden tool we recommend using our Farmers File. The farmers file is an all-around general purpose tool that will keep your tools sharpened for maximum potential. This garden tool works great on almost any kind of surfaces such as metal, iron bar, stainless steel, plastics, and wood. Containing two sides the farmer file has a double cut and a single cut side. The double cut side is used to remove rust and excess material. While the single cut side is used for the final polishing and getting those garden tools really sharp. Travis begins preparing the garden tool by placing the batwing in a vice to hold the blade still while sharpening. Starting with the double cut side he pushes it up along the blade to remove the rust. By keeping the right angle you can tell whether or not it’s taking off the rust from the garden tool. Be sure to never drag the farmer file backward because it can ruin the file, so always push the file in a forward motion on the sharp edge. Then using the single cut side of the farmer file we will fine-tune the blade and get in nice and sharp. Once he is done with the curved side of the blade where most of the filling is done, Travis likes to take the single cut side and run it over the flat edge of the blade. This will add the finishing touches to the sharp blade. After the blade is taking care of he moves on to taking care of the batwing hoe handle. Travis takes some boiled linseed oil to pour on an old rag and evenly apply it along the long handle. This will help condition and protect the handle to make it nice, smooth, and easy to use in the vegetable garden. So next time you have some downtime in the garden take advantage of this time by preparing your gardening tools for the vegetable garden.

What is Elephant Garlic?

Unlike the traditional garlic varieties, Elephant garlic is actually more related to a leek that has the look, taste, and easy to grow like garlic. Elephant garlic gets its name due to the large size it obtains that is twice the size of regular garlic. Containing a hardy bulb the elephant garlic typically has 5 to 6 individual large cloves that grow up to around 3 feet from bulb to the tip of the garlic. These individual cloves can be used to replant elephant garlic in the next growing season. When growing elephant garlic it is a heavy feeder crop much like carrots or cabbage that needs plenty of water and nutrients for sufficient growth in the vegetable garden. Once elephant garlic leaves start turning a yellowish or brown color they are ready for harvest. To store elephant garlic they should be placed underneath a cool and shaded area that provides plenty of aeration. These crops can store for up to 8 to 10 months in well prepared storing conditions. If you have not tried growing elephant garlic we recommend trying it out in the vegetable garden especially in you live in the deep south and have experienced no luck growing traditional garlic varieties.

Replanting Elephant Garlic

On this week’s episode, Travis identifies tricks to save your elephant garlic to plant year after year. Due to our weather conditions in the deep South, we have a hard time growing traditional garlic such as the soft neck or hard neck varieties. So instead of the traditional garlic varieties, we stick to growing elephant garlic because it does well here in the South. Elephant garlic seed stocks tend to be pricy and really hard to get so we prefer to replant elephant garlic from last year’s season. In the last spring when we harvest our elephant garlic we store it underneath the barn to dry out like we do our onions. Throughout the year we will consume a little bit the elephant garlic but save some as well for planting next winter. When we get ready to plant the elephant garlic we simply break apart the bulbs into individual cloves and that is what we plant in the garden area. To prepare the garden for replanting elephant garlic you should make a small trench or furrow to plant the garlic cloves. Travis likes to use his Double Wheel Hoe with the Plow Set attachment in the furrowing position. He makes rows that are around 3 to 4 inches deep to plant the garlic cloves in the furrow. Then he walks along the row placing the garlic cloves 8 to 10 inches apart in the furrow with the pointed end up. Then, Travis took the High Arch Wheel Hoe with the plow set attached in the hilling position he straddles the row of garlic cloves and covers them up. Due to garlic being related to onions they are heavy feeders that require an accurate amount of water and nutrients to the plant roots. Once the garlic leaves emerge from the soil, applying plenty of water and fertilizer is key to the success of growing big bulbs for replanting elephant garlic next year. We use our drip tape irrigation for heavy-feeder crops like garlic because it applies water directly to the plant roots in the vegetable. We can also use the drip irrigation to feed the plant roots with a water-soluble fertilizer like 20-20-20 to give the elephant garlic plenty of nutrients. For replanting elephant garlic it is important to effectively plant them in the garden in order to produce big bulbs that can be used year after year.

Most Underrated Cold Weather Crop

The Purple Vienna and White Vienna Kohlrabi are two varieties of Kohlrabi that have productive yields and are the most underrated cold weather staple crops to grow during the cooler seasons. During the Fall and Winter months, Kohlrabi takes 45 days to maturity which works great for succession planting because you are able to get a continuous harvest and they typically grow up to 12 inches tall with edible greens and bulbs. When Kohlrabi bulbs reach about 3 inches in diameter that’s when it’s time to harvest. The Purple Vienna Kohlrabi is a productive heirloom variety that contains purple bulbs. While the White Vienna Kohlrabi is similar to the Purple Vienna, instead of purple it has light green bulbs and leaves. When preparing Kohlrabi to eat raw in slaw or salad, you should peel the bulb due to the outside being tough and not pleasant to taste.

What is Kohlrabi?

On this week’s episode, Travis talks about the most underrated cold weather crop that we grow in the vegetable garden. Kohlrabi is becoming one of Travis’s favorite cool weather crops to grow in the vegetable garden. Known as a Brassica, kohlrabi is related to crops like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and collards. The two edible parts of kohlrabi are the leaves and the bulb. Once you peel away the purple flesh of the bulb it will be white on the inside and have a texture similar to turnip roots. The flavor is similar to cabbage and some people even say it taste like a raw cucumber. To cook them you can cut them up and stir-fry them, but Travis likes to just eat them raw. For example, you can make coleslaw or salad out of them or just add salt and pepper to eat them raw. To plant kohlrabi you can either direct seed or transplant them. When direct seeding we use the Hoss Garden Seeder to make planting quick and easy in the vegetable garden. The garden seeder comes with 6 seed plates that have already been drilled out to fit the various vegetable seed sizes. The #1 seed plate has a modified hole size to fit the Kohlrabi seeds perfectly. Travis prefers to transplant them because they seem to do much better in the garden that way and it allows us to get a jumpstart on the growing season. When transplanting Kohlrabi we recommend planting 3 to 4 weeks before the desired planting date. Similar to other cool weather crops, Travis plants the Kohlrabi transplants on double rows with drip irrigation in the middle. To lay the drip irrigation, he uses our Double Wheel Hoe with the Drip Tape Layer Attachment and Plow Set. This attachment helps turn normally a two-person job into a one-person job and makes it easier to lay straight rows of drip tape in the garden area. We use the drip tape system to ensure that crops are accurately getting all the water they need directly to the plant roots. Another advantage of having buried drip tape is we conserve water and reduce pest, disease, and weed pressures, unlike overhead watering and hand watering in the vegetable garden. Kohlrabi plants do not need a lot of space to grow so Travis typically plants them 8 to 10 inches apart along the row. As the most underrated cool weather crop with little space to grow Kohlrabi is perfect to grow if you have a smaller garden area with not a lot of room to grow plants. If you want to try growing the most underrated cold weather crop, Kohlrabi would be a great crop to add a unique vegetable to try out in the vegetable garden this season.

Broadleaf Mustard

Grown in the Fall or early Spring, Broadleaf Mustard is the best crop for managing soil pests. Known as a cool season cover crop it contains a chemical compound called glucosinolate, that allows it to decrease several common pests and diseases from the garden. Another benefit this cover crop has to offer is it can suppress nematode populations and soil fungi. Broadleaf mustard contains a significant amount of biomass that increases organic matter in the soil which is important for erosion control. Erosion control will prevent water runoff and reduce nutrient leaking in heavy rainfalls. Similar to other cover crops, mustard contains a taproot system that extends deep into bottom soil layers that help serve to loosen hard clay soils. When loosening these hard soils it improves aeration and soil drainage in the vegetable garden. Improving the aeration of the soil allows for air, water, and nutrients to reach the plant roots that grow in the soil and make the nutrients accessible to the plants. With proper aeration, this also helps soil drainage in the garden. With accurate soil drainage, this will decrease soil and nutrients from being lost to runoff and avoid soil erosion. Broadleaf mustard is our go-to crop when controlling soil pests and increasing our overall soil structure in the vegetable garden. Two other cover crops that help control soil pests are Brown Top Millet and Sorghum Sudangrass.

Controlling Soil Pests

On this week’s episode, Travis explains ways to control soil pests that are disturbing your vegetable garden. He recently planted Broadleaf mustard in his garden using the Hoss Garden Seeder. The garden seeder has adjustable planting depth and premade seed plates that allow you to easily plant a variety of vegetable plants. Leaving the mustard to grow a couple of months it ended up producing a great cover crop that covered the garden area nicely. In order to use this cover crop effectively for biofumigation, we have to cut up the mustard leaves and incorporate it back into the soil. When the leaves are cut or ground up that’s when they release the chemicals for bio-fumigation to control soil pests like nematode populations. The chemical compounds are glucosinolates that are converted into sulfur compounds known as thiocyanates. The thiocyanates will actually apply the biofumigation technique to the nematode populations in the vegetable garden. Many researchers have done studies that explain when incorporating the biofumigation technique into the soil the most effective way is when the soil is a little moist or wet in the garden. This technique should also be done before the mustard plant goes to seeds. Wait until the mustard produces a good amount of leaves to ensure you get an effective amount of biomass, but incorporate them back into the soil before they produce any seeds so you avoid weed problems in the vegetable garden. The broadleaf mustard is edible to harvest and eat but our main goal was to increase the biomass in the soil so we incorporated all of the mustard back into the soil instead of harvesting it. Along with the biofumigant properties, the broadleaf mustard has the ability to effectively suppress weeds and control erosion. When mustard is planted densely in the garden it will shade out any new weed development and protect the garden area from erosion problems. If you are looking for a crop that will help control soil pests like nematode populations, suppress weed germination, control soil erosion, and even incorporate a nice green organic matter back into the soil a cover crop such as Broadleaf mustard will work perfectly to ensure an efficient and effective vegetable garden for the next growing season.

Cultivating the Garden Area

The overall reason for cultivating the garden area is to improve the soil for the next crop planting. Cultivating the garden allows you to break up the soil surface to enhance better penetration of water, air, and nutrients in the soil that plants need access to for all stages of growth. Penetrating air will improve the micro-organisms in the soil structure and increase soil nutrients plant growth in all stages of life. Another advantage of cultivating the garden is it makes it easier for newly germinated seeds to come up in the soil surface. Although it does bring weed seeds to the top of the soil it will also pull young seedlings to the soil surface and if left exposed they will die off. The most important reason for reducing weed germination is the decrease in competition between weeds and plants for nutrients and water. The importance of suppressing weeds is so the plants do not have to fight for the water and nutrients that they need to grow in the vegetable garden. Cultivating the garden area will allow for easier workable soil and an increase of healthier and productive crops in the vegetable garden.

Reasons to Cultivate After Heavy Rainfalls

On this week’s episode, Travis discusses how to cultivate the garden area after a heavy amount of rainfall. After heavy rains, typically your soil is leveled out and packed down in the garden. This can cause an issue with weed control and soil crusting. With flattened or compacted soil this will increase weed germination because of the amount of moisture that is in the soil. We recommend keeping the top couple of inches cultivated to avoid those weeds germinating. The second reason for cultivating the soils after heavy rain is to avoid soil crusting. Even in sandy loam soils if we let the soil sit for several days we will get crusting on the top of the soil that will make it harder to cultivate for the garden rows. So in order to prevent weed germination and soil crusting we should begin cultivating the garden as soon as we can after the hard rainfall. Travis’s general rule of thumb when determining when it’s safe to cultivate in the garden is by stepping out into the garden and if his feet don’t sink in the soil it’s ready to cultivate. The preferred tool he likes to use for cultivating after heavy rain is the Single Wheel Hoe with three cultivator teeth. This makes it easy to just go along the garden rows and scratch the soil and break up the soil crust. Cultivating the first couple of inches of soil will also help to aerate the soil and let it dry out better so the garden doesn’t stay wet for a prolonged period of time. We prefer to use the wheel hoe to cultivate after heavy rains over a tiller or tractor because it is lightweight, strong, and more manageable. We avoid frequent use of the tiller in the garden because it can destroy our soil structure and increase our weed germination. In order to maintain a healthy soil structure in the garden, we avoid frequent use of the tiller to help from disrupting and compacting the soil. The increase of weeds is because when tilling the soil we flip the bottom soil over and allow for weed seeds to be exposed and obtain moisture to germinate in the vegetable garden. Overall, cultivating the garden after a lot of rain will ensure that you maintain weed control and keep your soil surface workable in the future.

Why Remove Weeds in the Garden?

Weeds are a commonly known issue for every homeowner, business property, and home garden. The are several important reasons for removing thick weeds in the vegetable garden. The major reason to remove pesky weeds from the garden is they steal nutrients and water from the soil and plants. The soil in the garden contains nutrients and holds water for plants to gather up to grow in the garden. Unfortunately, having weeds in the garden they will steal all of these nutrients and water from the plant and cause major problems. Not only do they steal nutrients and water they also are home for the pests that are snacking away at your plants. They can also get in the way when trying to harvest vegetables in the garden. If you are experiencing high weed pressures in the garden we recommend planting cover crops that will suppress these pressures. Many cover crops such as Winter Rye, Buckwheat, Sunn Hemp, Brown Top Millet, and Daikon Radish will all do an excellent job at suppressing weed pressures in the vegetable garden. Some of these cover crops will also help with erosion control, reduce pest pressures, and build up your soil structure. Eliminating weeds will ensure for an easy crop turnover and a clean prepared area to plant your next crop in the vegetable garden. Another way to decrease weed pressures is by using drip irrigation. Drip irrigation allows for the water to go directly to the plant roots, unlike other irrigation methods. With overhead watering, you are unnecessarily watering areas in the garden that do not need water and this will increase weed germination. Don’t forget to use proper techniques when trying to remove these pesky weeds in the vegetable garden.

Best Tool For Crop Turnover

On this week’s episode, Travis explains his favorite tool to use for crop turnover in the vegetable garden. In the garden, Travis previously had some okra plants, but after experiencing our first frost of the season the okra plants were done growing and he removed them from the vegetable garden. Using our Wheel Hoe we were able to control most of the weeds between the rows. However, long-term crops like okra you are prone to have weed pressures along the row between the okra stalks. In order to get rid of these thick patches of weeds so we can start preparing this area for the next crop, we plan to plant there in that spot. Our favorite tool for removing these weeds and crop turnover is the Diamond Hoe. This long handle tool contains a head that is shaped like a diamond with sharp edges on all four sides. As well as two points on the ends that allow you to dig deeper if you need to. When using the diamond hoe it will sit flat on the soil surface which allows you to move it back and forth and cut out all the weeds between rows and along the row. You simply move the hoe backward and forward along the soil surface and to all sides being sharp it cuts weeds in all directions. Once we cut all those weeds on top the soil we just leave them to dry out and die then come in with our dura rake and clean the area up. This allows for an easy crop turnover and nice clean area for replanting in the vegetable garden. It is no doubt that if need a tool for quick and easy crop turnover the diamond hoe will do the trick for clearing weeds and helping you clean the area for the next crop to be planted in the vegetable garden.

Simple Drip Irrigation System

It is a known fact that drip irrigation should be used in your garden because it reduces disease and weed pressures. Another advantage of having simple drip irrigation is it conserves water because you are not wasting water applying to the edges of the garden and in between rows of plants through overhead watering. If you are new to drip tape we offer a Drip Tape Irrigation Kit that has everything to get you started in the vegetable garden. Within the irrigation kit, we offer a filter regulator combo, 100-foot mainline tubing role, 1640 foot 8 mil drip tape roll, hole punch, mainline tee, 2 figure 8 clamps, 2 mainline couplings, 20 drip tape row starts, 20 drip tape row ends, 4 drip tape couplings, and 10 goof plugs. We highly recommend burying drip tape in the garden to get the most effective results. Our drip tape can be buried up to 6 inches deep and can be reused for a few growing seasons in the vegetable garden. Burying the drip tape also allows it to stay in place, decrease damage from pests, and you can direct seed on top of it with our Hoss Garden Seeder.

Setting Up Drip Irrigation in the Garden

Similar to all other irrigation methods you have a well or your water source and a water hose that runs from that water source to the vegetable garden. Once you are at the garden plot, your simple drip irrigation system will start with the Filter Regulator Combo. This filter regulator contains many parts that easily connect your water hose and your mainline tubing for the drip tape. The first piece contains a pressure regulator that helps reduce the water down to 12 PSI which is exactly what the drip system needs. Next, you have a drip irrigation filter that catches any kind of hard debris matter from entering into the drip tape and clogging it up. Then on each end, you have a 3/4 inch hose screen with a swivel that connects the 5/8 inch mainline tubing to the drip tape system. While the other end has a brass hose swivel that easily attaches your standard 3/4 inch water hose to the filter regulator combo. You can add this filter regulator combo at the end of the garden to feed in one direction. However, Travis has found that adding the filter regulator combo to the middle of your garden is much better because you get equal distribution of water to all your drip lines. Travis likes to cut around 2 to 3-inches long off the mainline tubing then place it on the filter regulator and add the mainline tee. The mainline tee allows you to split one mainline section into two mainline sections. With this set up it makes for a simple drip irrigation system in the middle of the garden area. Lastly, when you are ready to plant add the drip tape perpendicular to the mainline tubing. Travis prefers to lay his drip tape with our Drip Tape Layer attachment on the Double Wheel Hoe with the Plow Set. This makes it easy and quick to lay the drip tape in the garden as a one-person job. Next, apply the drip tape row start valves to connect the tape in the row to the mainline of tubing. While the row end valves will seal off the rows of the drip tape and the figure 8 end clamps will seal off the end of the mainline tubing. Overall, for a simple drip tape irrigation system in your vegetable garden having the proper filter regulator, tape/tubing, and fittings can make for a easy setup.