We talk about gardening to help people just starting out so they can become educated at what they would really like to do with there garden and what type of outcomes are acheiveable.
Beets are a favorite food of many people. Did you know they are available in more colors than red? Yes, there are purple, white and gold varieties. The colors are not the only difference. The shapes can be oval, round or cylindrical.
They are a nutritious and healthy vegetable and if you want to learn how to grow and care for them in your own garden, take a look at the following.
Planting
The best soil for growing is a sandy soil that allows the roots to grow. The pH level is important so it should be tested. The best level is 6.0 to 6.8. The soil should drain well and be fertile and must be kept moist.
The best way to ensure the soil is rich enough for the growing season is for every 100 square feet of planting space add about 20 pounds of compost. The soil should not be compacted. In fact, it should be loose to the depth of 12 inches at the least.
If the soil is hard to drain or is compacted, you can make your own raised beds for growing the plants. Full sun is preferred by beets but they will put up with some shade.
The rule of thumb for growing to feed everyone in the family is from 5 to 10 feet per person. If you plan to can them, a 10 to 20 foot row is required for each person.
When placing them in the ground, space them about 3 inches apart and anywhere from a foot to 20 inches should be spaced between rows.
The plants can be thinned when they are about 3 inches tall and should end up being about 6 inches apart.
They should be planted when the air temperature is between 50 and 65 degrees and the soil temperature is 45 degrees or above.
The best time for growing is when the soil is around 80 degrees.
Planting in the early spring is the best time. The soil should be rich in nitrogen. The best way to ensure this is to plant them where peas or beans have been grown before. The spots where you have planted melons or potatoes should be avoided.
The seed may be soaked for about 15 minutes before planting. Compost tea is the best thing to soak them in and then they can be placed into the soil about a half of an inch down.
Keep them going by planting about every 30 days once you start planting. You can continue this until the middle of summer.
Caring for Beets
By keeping the beet soil moist but not soaked, the plants will get the right amount of water. They should have mulch added to help hold the moisture and keep unwanted weeds out of the plants.
Its roots are not very deep so if you have to weed, do it by hand. Once the leaves have developed fully use a solution of seaweed fertilizer and liquid fish oil to soak down the beet plants.
If you do this once a week until the plants are about 3 inches tall the roots will not get hard, black areas. They will also get the right amount of boron to keep the roots from being stunted. About a cup every two feet will suffice. In about 56 to 70 days, the beet roots will be ready for harvesting.
Question: I took a cutting from a Lipstick plant one year ago, kept it in water until roots appeared, then planted it in seeding soil in the house, near a window, under other plants. It has never grown, but remains alive, looks good. I keep the soil moist and occasionally use diluted plant food to water it. How can I help it to grow? Thank you.
Answer: Why your plant cutting is not growing. It seems very odd after a year the cutting is alive yet not growing. Something you might try is placing it under a grow light for up to 16 hours. By doing so you may trigger the plant to go into growth stage which occurs during long summer days. If you used good seeding soil to begin with, you should back off the fertilizer since the plant is not growing.
Every herb grown was once a wild plant. Growing herbs is a rewarding practice that has been used worldwide for thousands of years. Only five percent of the entire worlds plants have been tested for their medicinal properties while 85 percent of pharmaceutical drugs are linked to plants.
Over 80 percent of the worlds population still relies on herbs for medical treatment.
Herbs for Beginner Gardeners
Growing herbs indoors or in container are perfect choices for the beginner gardener, which include basil, chives, dill, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Spreading your herb plants around the garden keeps disease and pests at bay. Growing herbs encourage growth in other plants. Check herbs often to keep them free from dust and dirt. Wipe leaves clean with a damp cloth or use a paintbrush.
When growing a herb garden place them as near to your kitchen as possible for the aroma and convenient harvest. Mint is an excellent insect repellent that deters flies from entering the house. The mint family includes thyme, sage, lavender, rosemary, and basil.
Growing Herbs Indoors
Protect your indoor herb garden from insects without resorting to chemicals by providing them with adequate food, water, and sunlight. Pots of lavender, thyme, and basil repel most flying pests.
Keep them in an appropriately sized and type of pot. Potted herbs prefer snug containers. Signs a growing herb needs repotting are roots growing out from the drainage holes, wilting, and producing small and yellowing leaves.
If you are growing herbs indoors, remember that the humidity is often low in centrally heated homes. Lessen the dehydrating effects by placing plants close together on the windowsill.
Harvesting
An ingenious method to preserve herbs is by freezing them. As soon as basil and chives are picked, freeze the leaves in ice cubes. When frozen solid, transfer into freezer bags. Larger leafed mint and parsley can be frozen directly into plastic bags.
Uses
Which came first, herbs for healing or for food? Traditionally, often the two uses overlapped. Common herb oils with antiseptic properties are lavender, rosemary, and thyme. Basil, chives, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage are used to make flavored vinegars.
Begin growing herbs with these 10 favorites
Basil
Basil, Ocimum Basilicum, grows better indoors. Many plants such as basil thrive on regular trimmings to keep them from becoming straggly looking. Keep all herbs trimmed in summer to make them prosper longer before flowering and going to seed. Do not let your basil flower and pinch off the tops to ensure continued growth. A leaf of basil placed on a mouth ulcer will ease the ache.
Chives
Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, are the smallest and easiest to grow of all its onion relatives. The herb will do fine with a bit of shade. Its benefit is the garden by keeping pests off rose bushes and is a delicious garnish. Whooping cough sufferers who eat egg or cheese sandwiches filled with chopped chives are said to find relief from their sickness.
Dill
Dill, Anethum graveolens, is tolerant of partial sun but prefers full sunlight. It is used to flavor fish and pickles. In days of old, St. Johns Wort and dill was supposed to rob witches of their will. Wort is an Old Saxon word for herb. Early settlers to America chewed dill and fennel seeds to ward off hunger during the long church sermons.
Fennel
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is handy if troubled by gas pains. Crush three teaspoons of fennel seeds in water and drink before each meal. Herbalists use a fennel seed infusion to help colic in babies. The tea helps stimulate breast milk and can be added to baby bottles in aiding digestion. The herb is used to treat chest congestion and coughs in children and adults. It is a popular addition to salad. Greek athletes ate the herb to build up their stamina. The Greek word for fennel is marathon.
Lavender
Lavender,because its oils were often used to clean clothes. The old-fashioned lavender bag was filled with dried herbs to bring a fresh smell to clothes hung up in wardrobes. The small bag typically included lavender, thyme, and mint. Lavender lemonade is a refreshing drink for a hot summers day.
Mint
Mint, Mentha Piperita, grows best in partial shade and moist soil. Plant in a container sunk into the ground to keep its roots from spreading. Use compost for best results. The herb is used in making savory jellies, served with lamb, and cooked in dark chocolate sauce. Mint freshens breath and is even more effective chewed with anise. Mint also relieves mouth pain caused by gingivitis.
Parsley
Parsley, Petroselinum Hortense, makes a tasty flavoring for sauces, butters, and garnishes. There is an ancient saying that parsley goes to the devil and back seven times before germinating, possibly stemming from the fact its germination is highly unpredictable. Parsley seed must be fresh for sowing. Hot water poured on the soil thirty minutes before planting will help the seeds germinate.
Rosemary
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, loves the sun and is an excellent flavoring for vegetables and meats. Folklore tells that gardeners who plant rosemary will never lack friends. Folk tales also suggest that it only grows where the woman is boss in the marriage. William Shakespeare wrote rosemary was for remembrance. In the olden days, pillows were filled with lavender and rosemary to cure insomnia by filling the room with a relaxing scent.
Sage
Sage, Salvia, officinalis, grows well in hot dry climates and has been acclaimed as a rejuvenating tonic for centuries. It stimulates appetite and aids digestion. Sage became an important ingredient in stuffing for turkey to prevent indigestion. In olden days, sage was used to predict the future. Sage advice was, where the herb flourished, so would the family fortune.
Thyme
Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, is a real sun-lover. Long ago, the Greeks used thyme as sweet burning incense in their temples. Today, it is well known as a culinary herb. Growing herbs such as thyme make attractive garden borders. The tender young leaves, either fresh or dried, season seafood, cheeses, poultry, and other delectable foods.
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Who doesn't love the exuberance of amaryllis flowers? And this time of year, they are everywhere. I've confessed before that I'm not great in the houseplant department--anything that manages to stay alive in my house for a decent period of time is a tough plant indeed. But I am trying to reform my ways. One thing I am determined to do is keep my amaryllis healthy so I can see it bloom again next winter.
About Houseplants guide Jon VanZile has a terrific article about growing amaryllis. He explains the two phases of amaryllis growth, as well as what to do during the summer to keep your amaryllis thriving. I'll be using his tips, and am looking forward to reporting success with my amaryllis around this time next year.
The concept of hydroponics may sound new to some. In reality, however, it is not. Hydroponic growing first appeared in Egypt. Archaeology findings reveal that hydroponics was used by Aztecs, ancient Chinese, and Babylon.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using artificial lights to mimic the natural sunlight and nutrient solution.
Optionally, enthusiasts may also use growing mediums such as wood fiber, brick shards, gravel, sand, diahydro, expanded clay, rock wool, coir, perlite, polystyrene packing peanuts, and vermiculite.
The most common medium used is water and the oldest system was deep water culture. Today, there are several hydroponic systems used including ebb and flow, aeroponics, and nutrient film technique.
In the last century and after hundreds of experiments later, scientists discovered that hydroponics has a lot advantages.
In some areas where agriculture is plagued with poor performance mainly due to low quality of agricultural land, hydroponic growing is a huge advantage as it could supply the crop demands of the locals. Some regions cultivate vegetables hydroponically to supply to the tourists.
Even in urbanized countries where a few space is left, growing fresh vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruits is never a problem with soil-less gardening. One good example happened in 1970s when scientists introduced hydroponic growing to farmers and home gardeners.
The locals were able to produce plenty of edible vegetables despite not having arable land. Such incidence provides precedence that global hunger can be cured efficiently through hydroponics.
Among others, cultivating plants hydroponically makes the perfect alternative to farming as the whole concept is devoid of laborious routine common in ground-based gardening.
It can be installed indoors, is not bombarded with fungal and disease infestation, does not require watering because the water is recycled, and soil erosion is not a problem.
At the present, hydroponic growing is available to everyone. Hobbyists and professional hydroponic gardener benefit well from such approach. Engaging in this method of gardening is not difficult to handle.
The basic equipment includes grow lights, growing medium which is optional, and nutrient solution.
Many believe that agricultural produce is greater in hydroponics because plant absorb the nutrients better from the solution than from soil.
Finally, nearly all types of plants can be cultivated in hydroponic systems. Gardeners successfully grow artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, beans, Brussels sprouts, beets, cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, leeks, eggplants, celery, onions, yams, spinach, lettuce, peas, parsnips, and squash.
Fruits such as melons, raspberries, strawberries, radishes, and tomatoes are also grown. And so do most flowers and most herbs.
"I've heard that growing sprouts indoors is easy, but then I read about E. coli in sprouts and I wasn't sure if it was safe to try. Can I grow my own sprouts? And how would I do it?"
Growing Sprouts Safely
Any food that you consume raw carries a risk for food-borne illness, and that includes fruits and vegetables. There have been about 30 cases of outbreaks of illnesses due to raw sprouts. Most commonly, the problem is Salmonella or E.coli bacteria. I've been growing and eating raw sprouts for over ten years, and haven't had a single problem. There are many things you can do to help ensure a healthy batch of sprouts:
Look for seeds specifically labeled as "sprouting seeds." These seeds are guaranteed to be pathogen-free.Keep everything clean, clean, clean. Start with a very clean jar, soak the seeds in fresh, clean water, and rinse with clean water. When they've finished sprouting, rinse and dry your sprouts and store them in a clean plastic or glass container in the refrigerator.During the soaking process, keep your sprouts in a cool, dark place. Don't soak your seeds too long. It should take one to three days, tops, for most sprouts. Soaking and rinsing longer than that will increase the likelihood of encountering harmful bacteria.
Sprouts are a tasty, nutritious addition to the diet. If you follow a few simple precautions, there's no need to worry about E. coli or other bacteria. It's very easy to do -- here are simple instructions for growing sprouts in a jar.
When placing them in the ground, space them about 3 inches apart and anywhere from a foot to 20 inches should be spaced between rows. 
Who doesn't love the exuberance of amaryllis flowers? And this time of year, they are everywhere. I've confessed before that I'm not great in the houseplant department--anything that manages to stay alive in my house for a decent period of time is a tough plant indeed. But I am trying to reform my ways. One thing I am determined to do is keep my amaryllis healthy so I can see it bloom again next winter.