Starting the Garden…

Have you ever wanted to start a garden, so you head to your local home improvement store and buy a bunch of started plants to plant at your house? Sometimes they work, but most times they do not produce as much as you want. I have been there too, and I have put together my best tips and tricks for planning a successful garden for your climate.

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Determining your Climate Zone

The first step that I took in planning my garden for the year was to research what climate I am located in. In order to find your climate zone, go to the USDA Climate Zone Map and enter your zip code to determine which climate zone you fall under.

Once you have determined your climate zone, you can begin planning your upcoming garden and what fruits and vegetables you want to plant. The climate zone allows you to see which types of fruits and vegetables do best in your climate and whether it is best to sow your seeds in starter trays, or directly sow them in your garden after danger of frost has passed.

Planning Your Garden

Now you know your climate zone, so it is time to design and plan your garden for the year. To begin, you will need to determine an area on your property where you get 6-8 hours of sun a day. For plants to thrive and grow as strong a possible, they need at least 6 hours of direct sun a day (some varieties may call for partial sun, however full sun is best).

Next, you will need to decide: In Ground Garden or Raised Bed Garden?

While we have tried both setups, we have found with our soil type and ground moisture, our plants have the best rate of success being grown in raised beds.

Seeds: Starter Trays Indoors or Directly Sown Outside

If you have the space and ability to start your own seeds, my recommendation is to 100% invest in this aspect. Not only does it give you the ability to grow many different varieties, it is also a cost effective way to grow food for your family. The first year I began gardening, I went to our local garden store and bought a bunch of $4-$6 plants and transplanted them into my garden. While I did get production, I noticed they were not as fruitful or strong as I had hoped. I was bummed, as I spent a lot of money on the plants, and did not get what I expected.

The next year, I took the time to learn about the benefit of starting your garden from seeds and I have not looked back since.

Seeds can be purchased anywhere from $0.50 to $2.00 and contain hundreds of seeds (If you really want bang for your buck, purchase heirloom seeds for a never-ending supply of seeds). As long as you store the seeds in a dry, cool area out of direct sunlight, they can last you a few seasons of growing.

Fill your starter trays with a seed starter soil, place 2-3 seeds inside each pod, cover with a bit more soil and place them under your plant lights. For added climate control, use a heating mat under the trays to help keep the roots warm and strong. We like to place our seed trays inside a bigger tray with no drainage, to water our plants from the bottom (it allows the roots to grow strong, the plants to absorb only want they want, and limits the chance of damaging the fragile sprouts coming out of the soil)

Check on your seeds every day or so, and make sure you check the moisture of your soil, and if it is dry, add more water to the larger tray underneath.

For any of your seeds that have shallow roots, it may be best to directly sow them into your garden once the danger of frost has passed. If you have any questions about what may be shallow rooted, or what needs to be started indoors or directly outdoors, send us an email.

Tips, Tricks and Supplies

Here are some of the tips and tricks we have discovered while learning about gardening the last 4 years.

• Purchase a seed binder to organize and keep track of all of your seeds. Here is the Seed Binder that I have to organize my seed inventory.

• Purchase a Garden Journal to keep track of what you do year to year. You may think you’ll remember what you did each year, but trust me, you will forget and appreciate having a log of your information

• Invest in Heavy-Duty Seed Starter Trays that can be used year after year. We use trays from All About the Garden. They are strong, durable and have different sizes depending on how many seeds you plan to grow.

• Heating Mats. This was a new one for us, but I am going to be purchasing more, now that I have seen the effects. Seeds need to have a controlled climate between 75-85 degrees to have the best chance of each seed sprouting. Worth the investment!!

• LED Plant Lights. A must-have when starting your own seeds. These lights simulate the natural sun-light plants need to thrive. The best set up is to have your LED plant lights set 6 inches about the tops of your plants. They provide light as well as some heat to keep the climate warm enough.

Do not be afraid of trial and error. Our biggest tip we can give is to just try. Do not be afraid to fail, as that is where we learn the most. God has blessed us all with the ability to learn and grow. To know God’s love means He is never-ending and never-failing. He will always guide us and lead us to more.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

— Psalm 27:1

Canning 102: Dill Pickles

Read along as I take you through the steps to begin Water-bath Canning!

Canning Dill Pickles

What You’ll Need:

• Water-bath Canner with Jar Rack (Walmart)

• 16 oz Mason Jars with Lids and Rings (Wide Mouth or Regular Mouth)

• Jar Lifter

• Lid Lifter (Magnetic)

• Pickling Cucumbers

• Pickling Salt (Amazon)

• Fresh Dill

• Black Peppercorn

• Vinegar

• Water

• White Sugar

• Garlic

Instructions:

Step 1: The first step you will need to take is sterilizing the mason jars and lids in the dishwasher to clean them and keep them hot.

Step 2: Make the Brine: mix together 8 cups of water, 1/3 cup of sugar, 6 TBSP of pickling salt and 6 cups of white vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil.

Step 3: While the brine is coming to a boil, prepare your pickling cucumbers by either slices them into wedges or chips.

Step 4: Take out your warm sterilized jars and place 2 cloves of garlic in each jar, one stem of fresh dill in each jar and 2 TBSP of peppercorn in each jar.

Step 5: Begin packing the jars with your cucumbers until there is no more space.

Step 6: Prepare the mason jar lids by placing them in a pot of boiling water to keep them hot.

Step 7: Once the brine begins to boil, begin pouring the brine into each jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles from each jar by using a butter knife.

Step 8: Wipe the mouth of each jar with a damp towel to ensure it is clean allowing for a solid seal. Once the mouth of the jar is clean, take a lid out of the hot water and place on top. Screw on the rim fingertip tight (Do not twist too tight. It may cause the jar to break or siphenoning to occur).

Step 9: Fill the water bath canner with water to about 1/3 to 1/2 full and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the jars to the jar rack and lower into the pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil the jars for 20 minutes.

Step 10: When the jars are finished boiling, turn off the heat and let the pot begin to cool. After 10 minutes, raise the jar rack up and begin to remove the jars and place on the counter and do not disturb for 24 hours.

Step 11: After 24 hours, check that each jar sealed by lightly touching the top of the lid. If it is pressed down, it has been preserved. If it makings a popping sound and comes back up, it has not sealed. Place that in your fridge and enjoy first.

Canning 101

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Curious about the art of canning and preserving your own food. Follow along the next few weeks as we dive into how to can and the best recipes to start out with!

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Learning the Canning Methods:

The first step into canning and preserving your own food is to decide what you and your family would benefit from having in your pantry. Vegetables? Fruits? Jams? Salsa? Beans? Pickles? Then, you will need to determine which method of canning you will have to do to create shelf-stable food.

There are two main types of canning that are widely accepted: Water-bath Canning and Pressure Canning.

Water-bath canning is something that I grew up watching my grandma do, then I had the privilege of canning with her, which I carry with me to this day.

Water-bath canning is when you preserve food by the process of heating the jars with boiling water, letting them boil for an allotted amount of time, then let them cool naturally before removing. The water-bath canner is made for foods like: jams & jellies, salsa, tomatoes, pickles, banana peppers, beets and jalapeños.

If you want to can vegetables like green beans, beans, carrots or meat products like, beef, poultry, venison, or even homemade soups, you will need a Pressure canner, as the temperatures get much higher, allowing for safe processing for those foods. Pressure canners use a weighted-gauge, and the pressure and steam allows the jars to seal and preserve the food.

Join us again next week, where I will walk you through the items needed to begin your canning journey, using the water-bath method.