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The Cheap And Easy Way To Make a Greenhouse.
Send $10.00 With a Note Of What You Want To:
Nancy Koernke
PO BOX 194
Dexter, Michigan 48130
Smart Solar Solutions Non-Hybrid seeds
phone 704-488-2217 P.O. Box 38074
Charlotte, North Carolina ,28278
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Gardening Simple
We all need to use resources wisely. There mat come a time
when the only food available may be
from what you can grow in your own yard. Some are in short supply
and almost all are expensive. By
adapting the techniques suggested here, studying a little more about
principles, then getting at it, you'll be
surprised at the potential your yard has for food production.
Garden location
Don't be locked into the traditional "garden behind the house
and fence" syndrome. You may not
want a whole front yard replaced be a corn or potato patch but some
crops may be planted in parking strips,
corners of lots along fences, surrounding patios,ect. As little
as 100sq. ft. (10'x10' or 20'x5') can be used to
grow a lot of good eating. Many food plants are attractive
enough to plant as ornamental alone or
combined with flowers and other border plants.
Soil Modification
Most soils benefit from the mixing of2 to 3 inches of organic
matter to a 6 inch depth. This will
help loosen heavy clay soils and add nutrient and water holding
capacity to sandy soils. Use abundant
inexpensive materials such as leaves ,wood shavings, old hay or
straw. Some of these products may contain
weed seeds. To avoid nitrogen deficiency and pale plants, add 1
lb (1pt.) of ammonium sulfate for each 1
inch of material per 100sq.ft. If enough composted material or manure
is available, reduce the ammonium
sulfate to half. Peet moss, pearlite or vermicukite can provide
the loosening affect but will be more
expensive. To maintain this, add organic material each year.
Fertilize Adequately
Well grown plants will yield more and will be less subject
to disease and insect attack. It's important
to provide nutrients so plants get a good start early in the season.
Choose one of these methods:
1)Broadcast-scatter about 1 1/2 lbs of a fertilizer such as 16x16x8
per 100sq.ft. and mix with1 1/2-2 inches
of soil before planting. 2) Band-a-more efficient use of fertilizer
but takes more time. With a hoe, make a 3"
trench along a 10ft. row. Put 1/3-1/2c of 16x16-8,16x20-0 or similar
fertilizer along each 10 ft. of row.
Seeds or transplants should be placed about 2" away from the fertilizer
band at their proper planting depth.
Most plants will need additional nitrogen during the season.
This is especially true if the leaves,
sawdust or other non-composted organic materials have been used
for soil improvement. Plants show
nitrogen deficiency quite readily by turning yellow or pale green
color. Look for this about 4-5 weeks after
planting. Green them up quickly by supplying a soluble nitrate (34-0-0)
at 1/3c per 10 ft. of row. Scatter the
product over the soil surface just before an irrigation and the
water will take it to the root zone.
Tomatoes may produce excessive foliage and few ripe fruits if they
receive too much nitrogen. Use little if
any fertilizer after planting.
Use Space Wisely
A single file row isn't the way to get high yields. Precision
planting to give each plant its space to
develop will permit wide row or bed planting. Lay out the garden
to provide a 16-18" walkway for your
feet,(wider if you want to till between the rows).Arrange the plants
in 3 1/2-5 ft. wide areas where there is
no traffic to pack the soil and inhibit root growth.
Suggested Vegetable spacing
bush beans 6x6 sweet corn 9x24 peppers 12x12
polebean 4x36 cucumbers 12x48 potatoes 9x9
beets 4x4 egg plant 18x18 radish 1x1
broccoli 18x18 kohlrabi 4x4 spinach
4x4
cabbage 18x18 lettuce leaf 6x6 summer squash
48x48
cantaloupe 36x48 lettuce head 12x12 winter squash 60x60
carrots 2x2 onions 3x3 tomatoes
24x24
cauliflower 18x18 parsnip 4x4 watermelon
60x60
chard 2x2 peas 2x2
Train sprawly plants up a fence. Use netting for cucumbers, beans
and tall peas to climb. Stake
tomatoes upright or use a wire cage. Example of those that
produce well in a small space are snap beans,
cucumber, chard, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, carrot, lettuce,
beets, and onions. Some peas , potatoes
celery and radishes.
Grow radishes or leaf lettuce while widely spaced plants such as
squash or tomatoes are
developing. Some low growing plants such as parsley or chives will
survive among taller plants. Plant pole
beans when corn is about 12-15" high and they will have a ready
made support.
Season Long Cropping
Several vegetables including onions, spinach, peas, cabbage,
radishes, turnips, kohlrabi and broccoli
may be planted very early in the spring. Some of these early short
term crops will be harvested in time for a
planting of beans, lettuce or cauliflower to mature. In fact many
of those early planted, short season crops
may be planted as late as July 10-15 th and extend the garden
season until well after the last frost.
It's best not to try to rush the planting time of peppers,
tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and other
warm season vegetables. They perform much better if the planting
is delayed until the soil has warmed about
2 weeks after the last frost.
To help extend the growing season start earlier and later
hasten vegetable maturity, you may use
clear plastic plant covering supported by wires or frames. This
will give some freeze protection and provide
a faster growth. Hot caps may protect newly set plants when they
are small. The wall'o'water is an improved
cover for individual plants.
Black or clear that covers the soil 1 1/2-3 ft. wide through which
plants grow can hasten maturity
of warm season crops like melons or tomatoes. The clear plastic
provides a more soil warming than does
black. Black plastic allows no weed growth. In most gardens, the
weeds will germinate under the clear
plastic but the heat during a summer day will burn off most of them.
General Guidelines
Don't let weeds win. Beds of closely spaced plants that quickly
shade the soil reduce weed germination.
Organic mulches such as lawn clippings or leaves drastically reduce
the need for hoeing. They cool the soil
so wait until later to mulch warm season crops like tomatoes, pep[pers,
and melons. Shallow regular
cultivation destroys small weeds before they compete with crops
for moisture, nutrients, and light. Besides
mulching and weeding, watering is important. Remember that quality,
fast growing vegetables are about
90-95% water and you need to apply it properly.
Collecting And Storing Seeds From Your Garden
Gardeners should select varieties well adapted to their climatic
area. Quality seeds are a small
investment for a productive garden from which to feed the family.
Seeds that are not used need not be
discarded.
Keep the seeds in their original package being sure to keep them
dry. Place in a jar with a tight lid.
Store the jar in a cool dry place as possible.
To ensure low moisture conditions, place 2 tablespoons of
freshly opened powdered milk in a
double layer of facial tissue in the bottom of the storage jar.
Replace it each year. Seeds should be stored in a
cool dry location for maximum longevity.
Approximate length of seed storage.
VEGETABLE Years VEGETABLE YEARS
Asparagus 3 Bean 3
Beet 4 Broccoli 4
Brussels Sprouts 4 Cabbage 4
Carrot 3 Cauliflower 4
Celery 5 Cucumber 5
Eggplant 5 Kohlrabi 5
Leek 2 Lettuce 5
Muskmelon 5 Mustard 4
Okra 2 Onion 2
Parsley 2 Parsnip 1
Pea 3 Pepper 4
Pumpkin 4 Radish 5
Spinach 5 Squash 5
Sweet Corn 2 Tomato 4
Turnip 5 Watermelon 5
Saving Seeds
The non-hybrid seeds will give seeds to harvest for the coming
year. These seeds are specifically
dried for Sun Smart Solar and should be all non- hybrid. Seeds
from hybrid varieties will produce a mixture
of plant types, most of which will e inferior to the parent. It
is possible for the home gardener to save seeds
from many plants.
A degree of self-sufficiency can be achieved by knowledge of this
process. One of the first
requirements for a successful garden is good seed of varieties
of vegetables adapted for your area. When
you calculate the value of the food you grow, you will find that
reliable seed is a bargain. You may want, at
some time to collect and store seed from your garden for future
use.
Seeds Easily Saved
*Tomato. From a fully ripe tomato of the desired plant, squeeze
the seeds onto a paper towel or a piece of
screen. Leave at room temperature until thoroughly dry.
*Pepper, Select a mature pepper, preferably one that is turning red. Place
seeds on a towel or
screen until thoroughly dry.
*Bean, Peas, Soybeans, and other legumes. Leave pods on plant till
rattley dry. Watch carefully because
pods of some varieties will split when they are dry and scatter
the seeds. Pick dried pods and place them in a
well ventilated area at room temperature. When pods are completely
dry, remove seeds. To prevent weevil
infestation place seeds in the freezer for 24-30 hours.
*Lettuce. Lettuce seeds are more difficult to collect but they can
be saved Leave plant or two to produce
seed stalk. After the plant blooms and the flower forms a miniature
"dandelion head," gather the seeds.
Separate the seeds from the chaff by rubbing with fingers.
Seeds Difficult to Save
*Vine crops: cucumber, melon, squash and pumpkins. Without controlled
pollination, these crops become
crossed with other varieties and sometimes other types. Muskmelons
will not cross with cucumber, however.
Here is a way to produce seed the same as the parent plant. Male
and female blossoms are present. Male
blossoms are on a longer stalk and do not have a miniature fruit
at the base as does the female. With careful
observation, note the blossoms that are to soon open the next day.
They will have a light yellow color and a
distinct pointed tip. In the evening, select a male and a female
flower on the same plant. With a paper clip for
a small flower or a rubber band for larger flowers, prevent the
flower from opening. This occurs very early in
the morning. About 8 a.m. pluck the male blossom and touch the cluster
of pollen (anthers) to the center of
the female flower(stigma). Close the female flower again so bees
cannot get in. Tag the blossom. Then grow
the fruit to maturity for the desired seed. The fruit must be very
ripe for seeds to germinate properly.
Cucumbers must be entirely yellow, and squash and pumpkins must
be thoroughly mature. Separate the
seeds from the flesh and dry at room temperature.
*Biennials: Carrot, beet , onion, and cabbage family. These are
difficult because of the work involved in
carrying over the plant root from the first season into the second
year when seeds stalks are formed. Many
of the cabbage family intercross and may also cross with native
wild crucifers. Carrots will cross with the
prevalent wild carrot. Select desirable beet or carrot roots and
keep them cool and moist, perhaps buried in
the sand where they won't freeze. In early spring plant them in
an uncrowded area of the garden, because
they grow very large. Keep the onion bulbs cool and dry during the
winter, then plant in early spring. After
summer growth, seed pods or heads will form. When they become quite
dry, gather the seeds before it falls
to the ground and complete drying at room temperature.
Flower Seeds
Many flower seeds mat be saved satisfactorily. Over a period
of time crossing of some kinds may
cause deterioration from the original. Gather mature seed pods (stock,
poppies) or seed clusters (Zinnia,
Strawflowers). Permit sunflower heads to stay on the plant as long
as birds do not bother them. When the tip
of the blossom has separated from the seed or birds are eating the
seeds, cut the head and complete curing in
a warm, ventilated area. Seeds can be eaten or used as bird feed
any time they are dry.
Test Germination
If you have a question about weather stored seeds will grow,
run this test for germination before
planting them: 1) Moisten 2 or 3 layers of paper towel. 2) Place
25-50 seeds on the towel and roll towels
loosely. Place it in plastic bag. 3)Keep in a warm place, 70-75
degrees. 4) Some seeds such as radish will
germinate in 2 or 3 days. Peppers may take 10-14 days. Observe at
2 day intervals to determine degree of
germination. a 75-80% germination will probably produce a
satisfactory crop. If only 50% of the seeds
germinate, sow them twice as thick and do not save them for next
year.
When To Plant
March 15-May 1 Plant as soon as the soil is dry enough to
work, or when apple buds start to swell.
Cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, peas, radish and spinach.
March 20-june20 Plant a week or two after the first group planting.
Beet, carrot, lettuce, swiss chard,
cauliflower, broccoli.
May 5-June 20 Plant on a average date of last spring frost or when
apple blossoms are fully open. Snap
bean, sweet corn, cucumber, spinach summer squash.
May 20- June 10 Plant about 2 weeks after beans or when there are
little green apples on the tree. Pepper,
winter squash, tomato.
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