Grow a Kitchen Garden

Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow in your kitchen garden. Tomatoes are packed with nutrition, taste great and can be used in many, many recipes. That is why they are favorites of the home gardener.

Start with Cow Manure

Before planting anything in your vegetable garden, mix a good supply of composted cow manure in with the soil. Spread it out over the entire garden area and mix it in good. Do not add straight cow manure to the planting hole. If you get too much cow manure on the roots of your plants, it can burn them. You want it all around the planting area because the roots of your plants will spread, and this way, they will find good nutrients wherever they may roam. I also feed them a liquid fertilizer, like Miracle Grow, every two weeks during the growing season. Leave yourself enough space between plants so you won't have any problems harvesting the fruit later.

Planting Tomatoes

I have never had any luck starting my tomatoes indoors from seeds. Mine always end up leggy. I prefer to buy my plants. I like to purchase several different varieties of tomatoes so I can use them for different recipes. I will usually have some Plum, Beefsteak, Cherry and something medium sized, like a nice Patio tomato.

When planting, remove the bottom leaf from both sides of the tomato. Plant in rich, well draining soil, to just above where you removed the leaves. This will encourage a better root system and a stronger tomato plant. After planting, place a tomato cage around the plant. If you wait until the cage is needed, you could damage the plant while installing it.

Sun

Tomatoes need at least six to eight hours of sunshine a day to grow properly. One of the mistakes I made when moving from north to south, was picking the sunniest spot in my garden for my tomatoes. As I learned, too much of anything, even the good stuff, is no good. I can attest to the fact that giving tomatoes too much sun is as detrimental to them as not giving them enough. If you live in the southern hemisphere, try to find a spot where they will get a bit of shade at some point during the day.

Water

Too much water and your tomatoes will crack. Too little water and they will shrivel up. It is important to try to give them the same amount of water consistently. The weather plays a big part in this and unfortunately, you can't stop the rain. Use your judgment. If you've received a lot of rain, let them go thirsty for a day or two afterwards. If your plant's leaves are green and perky, you know that you have a happy tomato plant.

Tomato Plant Companions

Planting Marigold flowers near by your tomato plants will help to keep tomato bugs away. The Marigolds give off a scent that the bugs don't like. The plus side to this is that the marigolds will make your garden pretty while they are standing guard over it.

Another good companion for tomato plants is Basil. It is said that planting Basil near your tomato plants will add a nice flavoring to your homegrown tomatoes. I started doing this years ago and never thought about it until I shared an overflow of my crop with a neighbor. She wanted to know what I did differently than she did as my tomatoes always tasted better than hers. I guess it really works!

Now all you need to do is keep the area weed free while you wait for your tomatoes to grow. Wait until they are really red before picking, you'll be glad you did.

Home Grown tomato photo appears courtesy of jspatchwork and CreativeCommons.org

I have found green beans to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They are a great choice for gardening with children because the seeds are large and easy to handle. They germinate quickly, and the plants grow at top speed, which helps to hold the child's interest in the project.

In my opinion, there is never a reason to buy green bean plants, this is one of those vegetables that does best if planted directly into the garden from seeds. If you choose the Bush variety, you can plant them anywhere in a sunny garden. It's best to plant several rows of this type, close by, so they can help support each other. The climbing varieties will need a fence or trellis to cling to while they grow. They can be planted either in single rows or multiples. Check your seed packet to see which type you are planting. Plant the seeds according to directions, about an inch down in rich, well draining soil. Be sure to keep them wet while they are germinating.

A second planting, two weeks later will ensure you of having plenty of green beans, all season.

Green Bean Care

Keep your green bean garden, well watered and weed free.

Green Bean Growing Problems

The biggest problem I have with growing green beans, usually happens while they are little seedlings. These plants must be as delicious as their fruits because the buggies just seem to love them. It is so frustrating to wake up in the morning, go outside to check on your garden's progress and see that something crept in during the night and ate them down to the quick. I have to tell you that I am not a big fan of insecticides, but when it comes down to my babies or those bugs, those bugs won't have a fighting chance. If you notice that slugs are a problem, you can take them down easily enough, with a container or two of beer, set out close to the plants. They are attracted to the scent and will drink until they drown. A ring of course material, like sand or popcorn can also help but if you have a serious problem you may need to hit them with something like, Slug-a-Bug brand insecticide.

Another thing to remember is that beans should never be planted in the same spot, in the garden, year after year, to help prevent diseases in them which can lead to root rot.

Harvesting Green Beans

In a few short weeks you will be able to start harvesting your beans. Beans are best picked when they are young. No one really cares for big, old beans. Try to pick them when they are about the same size so that they will all cook at the same rate. When picking, make sure to hold the plant's stem with one hand and twist off the green bean with the other, to avoid damaging your plant. Keeping your plants well picked will help them generate more beans.

Basket of Green Beans photo appears courtesy of fab4chiky and CreativeCommons.org.