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A plot this size, planted with the vegetables below, can feed a family of four for one summer. There will also be a little extra for canning and freezing or giving away.

There are vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season. These are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. For the plan below, your rows or raised beds should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.

Garden plan

Make your garden 11 rows of 10 feet each or use 2 to 3 raised beds. Plant the following vegetables:

Tomatoes — 5 plants staked

Zucchini squash — 4 plants or two of zucchini and tow other squash varieties

Peppers — 6 plants

Cabbage

Bush beans

Beets

Carrots

Chard

Lettuce, leaf, Bibb or a mix variety

Radish

Grow marigolds to discourage rabbits and some insect varieties! Geraniums also discourage some insects and any flower adds beauty to a garden.

Leave 2 feet between bush beans, 1/2 foot between bush beans and lettuce, and 1 foot between all of the rest.

This is a simple easy garden plan. As you garden you can add new vegetables, get rid of others and experiment with different styles of gardening.

I started out using rows, went to square foot gardening to make better use of my space,

Note: If this garden is too large for your needs, you do not have to plant all 11 rows. You can also make the rows shorter. You can choose the veggies that you’d like to grow or add more flowers!

Tip: Radishes planted by the base of a squash plant will deter squash bugs. Radishes also mature quickly so only plants a few seeds at a time.

If you’re interested in planting potatoes, tomatoes and potatoes are not ideal companions and need “distance.” I myself plant them in barrels or bushel baskets so that I can just dump the crop at the end of the season for easy harvesting.

And for the beginning gardener. Read the instructions on the back of the seed packet. It will let you know how long the crop takes to mature, proper spacing and it will help you determine if you can grow two crops in a season.

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But in my zone 5 climate I need to start my tomatoes indoors and early so that the plant will be ready to produce as early as possible. I have learned tricks to accomplish this over many years.

I start my tomatoes indoor early then transplant them into homemade hot houses. By using a hot house I can start my tomato plants outdoors at least a month early. Here is a cheap and easy hothouse you can set up.

Hint: I use old aluminum storm windows that I pick up for free at garage sales or for a buck at auctions. This is one very economical hot house to set up.

Homemade Aluminum Window Hothouse

Dig a trench about 18 to 24 inches deep. If you have a tiller you can break the ground up and make the job a lot easier. Mound the excavated soil along the sides of the trench.

I then plant my tomatoes in the trench (your tomatoes will be about 18 inches below the actual soil line.) Then take the storm windows and place them over the tomatoes. This will create a very successful hot house where the tomatoes will thrive.

photo credit: iLoveButter

Tip: when placing the storm windows leave about 6 inches open at the end of the row for ventilation. At night cover this space with a board. And on very cold nights I will cover the hot house with a blanket for extra protection.

In about two to four weeks the tomatoes will be touching the glass window. If your nights are still cold you can place bricks or cement blocks on the top of the excavated soil to raise the sides. Make sure the bricks or blocks are secure and place the storm windows back on top.

When your nights are warm enough, remove the storm windows. But keep them close just in case you get a surprise frost.

There is one more very important advantage to using this hothouse method. As the plants grow I fill the trenches in with compost and soil. This means my tomato plants have roots that are 18 to 24 inches deep. This will make the plants sturdy and they will produce twice as well as ordinary tomato plants.

Tomato plants are one of the few plants that will produce roots up the stem and re-root. These additional roots are beneficial to plant production.

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Garlic will grow all year round in mild climates although in colder climates, like in the UK, planting Garlic is best around autumn so the plants will grow slowly throughout the winter frost and start to flower around spring. Garlic is a Perennial with long green flat leaves and white flowers.

Garlic is available in two varieties, hardneck (also known as ‘top-setting’) and softneck.

Hardneck Garlic is well suited to growing in cold climates and the bulb produces one layer of cloves which is much larger than those of softneck. The cloves of hardneck garlic also have a stronger flavour and are easier to peel than softneck. However, they do not keep as long in storage.

Softneck cloves last much longer in storage and are more readily available.

Planting your Garlic

Garlic seeds can be rare so it is more common to grow garlic from the bulb segments (cloves) which you can obtain from a specialist garden center or even from your local supermarket.

Before planting your garlic cloves you should prepare the soil by working in compost and make sure the area of your garden has good drainage as cold wet cloves will rot. To improve drainage you should consider constructing a raised bed to grow the garlic in. Since garlic has shallow roots you will only need a 5 inch high bed.

You should split the bulbs just before you intend to plant and discard any damaged or small cloves, and try to use the biggest clove as this will produce a bigger bulb.

When planting the cloves it is better to use a planting drill because pushing the cloves into the ground may inhibit root development. In cold climates the cloves should be planted to a depth of 4 inches whilst milder climates will be fine with a depth of 2 inches.

Spacing is important to properly grow garlic; you should plant your cloves in a row setting them 6-8 inches apart for softneck and 4-6 inches apart for hardneck. If you plan on setting additional rows leave 12 inches between rows. After planting, water your crop thoroughly and mulch with leaves if available.

Care for your Garlic

Depending on the weather, after planting your crop in autumn you may not need to water again until Spring. From spring onwards you should water your crop regularly but don’t over water or allow your crop to become soggy or else your bulbs will rot.

If you applied mulch when planting your crop there should be few weeds. Be sure to check your mulch is not retaining moisture, if so reduce the mulch and cultivate the soil as needed to keep your crop free of weeds.

Harvesting your Garlic

You can expect to harvest your crop in late spring/early summer. A sign that your crop is ready for harvesting is when the leaves begin to turn yellow and bend over. When you see that a quarter of the leaves have dried up you should pick a couple of bulbs to check them.

Ripe bulbs should have a firm skin and the inner cloves should be fully separated. Don’t delay if your crop is ready – you should harvest right away. Use a garden fork to gently loosen the bulbs out of the soil.

After picking all your bulbs you need to cure your crop – this can be done in a greenhouse, shed or even a garage, and curing normally takes one to four weeks. Fully cured garlic plants will have a completely dry outer skin.

Once your garlic is fully cured you should clip and gentle brush off any excess soil. When clipping leaves and you find any moisture then your bulbs have not fully cured.

You can store fully dried bulbs in baskets, string bags or sacks in a frost-free dark shed or garage.

For more great tips and advice on how to grow Garlic, visit http://www.rassad.co.uk/grow-garlic-at-home.

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And the heavy rain created sickly plants that were the perfect target for any disease. Even a garden that was well maintained and weeded fell prey to blight. The only people who seemd to do well were those who grew their tomatoes indoors or in a greenhouse.

And of course there is always an exception to any statement or rule. I met an amish man who shared his secret for keeping blight under control. Epsom Salt!

I use epsom salt for pepper plants and cleaning garden tools but I had never heard of using it for tomato blight control.

Jacob told me to use a cup of epsom salt to a 5 gallon bucket of water and spray the plants heavily at the first site of tomato blight. You may wantt o spray the plants once more in a few days.

Jacob has used this method for tomato blight control for years and he always has the perfect crop of tomatoes.

I plan on trying this next year if we have tomato blight again.

photo credit: _e.t

NOTE: If you had tomato blight in your garden make sure you burn the diseased plants. And also change the location of where you plant your tomatoes the following year. This is one disease that will leave the ground infected and more vulnerable to blight the following year.

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Indian corn, also called “Flint” corn, comes in many different colors. It is used primarily for ornamental purposes. But a few varieties are edible and some people buy Indian corn to grind up as flour. Popcorn is also another popular Indian corn variety that is both edible and decorative.

There are many different varieties to choose from. Garden catalogs or the Internet will help you in choosing a variety and colors available.

How to grow Indian corn

It’s best to start growing Indian corn by choosing one variety. Later you may want to grow several varieties.

Buy blue Indian corn if you want to grind up the corn to make blue flour tortillas.  Strawberry Indian corn for popcorn is perfect for ornamental uses and grows to two to three inches. Miniature Indian corn is also great for drafting with and will grow to about six inches.

You will need to start Indian corn as early as possible. Indian corn requires a long growing season of at least three months. The corn needs to mature before the first autumn frosts hit your growing zone.

photo credit: jmuhles

Plant Indian corn at least 100 feet from other types of corn. If you plant several different varieties of corn in the same area, cross-pollination may occur and you might not get the type of corn you planted. I grow several kinds of Indian corn and place them by the barn, garage or row of tress to make sure cross-pollination does not occur.

Grow at least 5 rows of corn. The more rows of Indian corn you grow, the more likely they will pollinate. The rows can even be short, but you need a block of corn to get a better pollination. Corn is wind pollinated, but the closer and you plant corn the better the pollination. And better pollination means a full ear of corn.

Keep the Indian corn well watered during hot summer months. Corn uses a high amount of water for ear production. You may find that using mulch will help retain water in the soil and lead to less watering.

It’s time to harvest the crop after the hair on the corn turns brown. Pull back the husk of the ear of corn slightly and check to see if the corn kernels are formed and full.

Indian corn kernels will likely be all different colors (unless you get a specialty color like blue or red). The kernels should also be firm to the touch and dry. Gently pull down on the “ripe” ear and pop it off the stalk. Hang up the corn for a few days in a warm place to dry. Then it’s ready to use.

When you dry the corn make sure to hang it high so that raccoons or other animals will not be able to reach it.

What I like about Indian corn is you never know what the crop will look like until you peel back the husks. Each ear is like an art piece, colorful and unique.

In a few days there will be an article on making a cornhusk wreath. These wreaths will last for years and add color to your backyard, garden areas and even indoor holiday flair.

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Most problems seem to be relating back to the weather. Many places have had irregular weather, either too hot and dry or cold nights.

Without seeing a photo I can only guess but here are a few of the more common tomato and tomatillo problems

1. If few flowers are forming on your tomato plants or the flowers drop before setting fruit, possible causes include:

·    Excess nitrogen
·    Too little sun
·    Nighttime temperatures above 70 degrees F or below 50 degrees F
·    Drought stress

Stress seems to cause more problems to the tomato family than other problems and it’s easy to over look. Here are a few possible solutions to your problems.

Avoid soil amendments with soluble nitrogen and make sure plants get a full day of sunlight. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season. Mulch covers on top of the soil around your tomato plants with help keep soil moisture even.

At planting time, use a balanced, granular fertilizer that’s made for tomatoes. During the growing season, treat your plants to a water-soluble fertilizer. I use a compost tea for my tomatoes. If you don’t use compost tea, you can ask for advice at your garden center

2. Dark, concentrically ringed spots that cover the lower leaves and stems are a sign of early blight. To control the spread of blight, you can use an organic Garden Dust, available in most garden centers. It’s also important to not get water on the leaves when watering and not handling plants when they are wet. This will also cause early blight to spread.

3. Water-soaked patches on fruit that turn brown, dry and papery are a sign of late blight. The stems might also have blackened areas. To control late blight, spray plants with compost tea, or follow the same program of control as for early blight.

4. Cracks in fruit are usually caused by uneven watering. This tends to happen the most in late summer if you have a dry hot spell that changes to a cool spell. If you use mulch to keep the soil evenly moist you should not have this problem.

5. Yellowed, distorted and curled leaves are usually a sign of an infestation of aphids. Check for signs of aphids on the undersides of leaves or on new growth. Aphids are easily combated with a strong jet of water or an application of neem oil will get aphids under control

Distorted leaves could also be tobacco mosaic virus. This virus causes young growth to be narrow and twisted. The leaves become mottled with yellow. If your plants have tobacco mosaic virus they will need to be removed and destroyed.

Note: do not add infected plants into a compost pile. It’s best to burn them.

Tomatoes and tomatillos are favorites in many gardens but they do tend to have disease and stress related problems.
photo credit: bhamsandwich

Keep them evenly watered, add fertilizer during the season and keep weeds down around the plants. With a watchful eye, they should grow and produce well.

For more information on how to grow the tomatillo check this link: Garden tips: How to grow the Tomatillo, the Tomatoes cousin

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Living in a zone 5 climate I start my seeds indoors about 6 weeks before I plan to set them out. The seeds started very easily and transplanting them outdoors did not seem to set the plants back at all. Because it’s a unique plant I usually leave two in decorative pots.

The plant and fruit is like an eggplant. There are two varieties of the plant, one grows edible fruit (S. melongena) and the other does not (S. ovigerum) The fruit starts out white and look just like an egg. As the season extends the fruit will mature to deep pastel cream, yellow, orange or possibly green. I have heard a few people say they had a reddish color and purple colored egg.

The plants prefer a sunny, well-drained location. It will grow to 12 to 18 inches tall. You will need to check the plant for mites, but a homemade garlic recipe should keep any insects off the plants. If you plan to harvest seed from the plant let the fruit get overripe, then remove the seeds, wash and dry.

The Easter Easter Egg plant is actually a member of the Potato family, with wide green foliage protecting the fruit, giving the plant a lush look. This plant makes a great accent plant and adds adventure to the garden area as you wait to see what colors you will grow on your unique plant.

Note: Make sure you know for sure if you are growing the edible or inedible Easter egg plant.

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Peas used to have to be grown only in the early spring or later in the season as a fall crop. But with the new heat resistant varieties the season has been extended. I have also found planting the later crops near a tall plant that will shade them during the hottest hours of the day helps too. So for a season long crop of peas stagger you planting time by two to three weeks.

How to plant peas

First choose a site that gets full sun. If you have a garden spot with a slight slope and southern exposure that would be a perfect location to plant your peas.

Peas do not grow well in wet soil so check the drainage. Adding compost should provide the right texture and help with drainage. At this time also check the soil for a ph of 6.0 to 6.8. Testing kits can be picked up at any garden center.

I have found growing peas in raised beds makes soil maintenance easier and I also add a fence to one side of the raised bed for the peas to vine up. Growing you peas vertically makes them easier to harvest and saves space in the garden.

Pea seeds germinate so easily, and because you’ll want to make successive plantings, there’s really no advantage to buying started plants. Most people sow peas directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. This is usually about five weeks before the last expected frost. For my first batch of peas I start the seeds in pots in the house. I have found that I have a better germination rate and loose fewer plants for the first planting, but I live in a cool zone 5 with an unpredictable wet spring.
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If this is your first time for planting peas you will want to plant the seeds an inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart, in rows about 3 feet apart. Place your supports the same time as you plant your peas. This ensures that you will get them in the ground before the plants intertwine. (I always used to put off getting my supports up and that ended up making more work later on) Start guiding the vines up your supports as soon as they’re long enough to climb.

If you want a continuous supply of peas during the growing season plant a different, heat-resistant variety a few weeks after the first sowing. Then 8 to 10 weeks before the first frost date, plant a crop in another bed for an early autumn harvest

There are three different varieties of peas: English or garden peas (only the seeds are eaten), Chinese or snow peas (picked when the pods have reached full size but the seeds are still small and eaten pod and all), and snap peas (picked when both pod and seeds are mature; both are edible).

Peas will be ready for picking about three weeks after the plants begin to flower. Pick early and often for sweet peas and a larger harvest.

I have also found that I have very good luck growing peas in a large container. The container garden has a fun look with peas growing on a trellis and I add a few flowers and herbs for color. This makes a perfect patio or porch container garden

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Growing Peanuts Outdoors

Make sure you have raw peanuts. You can purchase seeds for a catalog or garden center or buy raw peanuts at the grocery store.

Growing Peanuts with the Garden Soil Method

Growing peanuts in the soil is the way peanuts have been grown for years and is recommended if you are going a large crop. I am talking acres!

• Plow the ground deeply. This will be at least seven inches or more. I myself prefer 12 inches.
  Plant the peanuts after the last frost in very sandy soil. This will ensure good drainage. A good peanut crop requires that the soil drain well.
• Sow the peanuts two inches deep and space the seeds seven inches apart. Make sure that any peanut seed is whole. A broken peanut will not germinate. 
• Peanuts are heavy feeders so add a lot of compost and manure.
• Mulch! This will keep the soil loose so that the peanut crop will grow well. It also cuts down on weeds and will retain moisture.
• Water well when planting. Do not water again until the peanut plant sprouts.

Growing peanuts using Square Foot Gardening method.

This is the way I plant peanuts. I find it suits my gardening zone better plus I like square foot gardening.

• Set up your garden bed using the Square Foot Gardening method.
• For growing peanuts I use a one foot garden raised bed width and build the raised bed about 1 foot high.
• I add rich compost to the garden bed every 7 inches, where I plan to plant each seed. I dig a hole, remove the soil and place a one-pound coffee can of compost in the hole.
• Follow the planting instructions above.

Taking care of and harvesting your peanut crop

• Using either method your peanuts should germinate and appear above ground in one week. When you begin watering the plants regularly, do not over-water. Over-watering will create poor peanuts or no peanuts.
• Keep the peanut garden area free from weeds. Weeds hinder peanut plant growth and take away nutrients form the peanut crop growing below
• In 130 days your plants will be mature and the crop should be ready to harvest. You will be harvesting you crop in the fall and will pull the whole plant out.

Tip: If you use a spading fork first to loosen the soil, the plants will remove easily. Foliage on the plant will be yellow when ready for harvesting.

Allow the peanuts to dry for two to four weeks, Store in a cool place until you are ready to roast them.

The reason I like square foot gardening for raising peanuts outdoors is that they are easier to harvest and the square foot gardening methods using mulch creates a no weeding effect. The peanuts are also cleaner and I think you have a larger crop in a much smaller area.

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Peanuts make a beautiful indoor plant. If you want they can grow and mature indoors or you can move them outdoors when the temperatures warm up to above 55 degrees at night. In my cooler climate if I grow them outdoors I use a wind tunnel or moveable cold frame.

To grow peanuts indoors you will need:

• RAW peanuts
• potting soil
• planting container six to eight inches in diameter

Start by shelling your raw peanut. Fill your planting container with potting soil and place five or six peanuts one inch under the soil. Make sure that the peanuts do not touch. Water and cover the container with clear plastic. Keep covered until the peanut seedlings begin to break through the soil.

When the plants are three to four inches tall, transplant them into their own individual containers. You can leave the plants indoors or if it’s warm set them outdoors. Make sure the plants are in a sunny area. You will need to rotate the container so that the plant grow straight and tall.

The plants will have a very pretty yellow flower, which is open during the day and closed at night. When the flower falls off you will know that the plant is beginning to produce peanuts. Children will enjoy watching the plant grow more if you plant the plant in a clear container. Children will see the roots form and even see a peanut or two.

The peanuts will take about 130 days to produce a peanut crop. Growing indoors in a container the crop will be much smaller but it’s a fun project to try.

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