How to Start a Vegetable Garden

Learn everything you need to know about growing vegetables by following the easy instructions you'll find on this page!






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The Top Ten Reasons for Growing Your Own Vegetables Are:

1. Good Exercise!

I can't promise you that by growing your own vegetables you'll end up looking like Angelina Jolie or Jessica Simpson. I can promise you that by growing your own vegetables you'll get plenty of good exercise and sunshine so that you will end up looking like the best YOU possible.

2. Good Health!

Growing and eating your own vegetables is a healthy alternative to purchasing store-bought fresh vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides and handled by who knows who, or canned and frozen veggies that have had all the vitamins and minerals sapped out of them.

3. Cheaper!

By growing your own vegetables you will save money on your weekly food shopping budget, especially if you are savvy enough to start your vegetables from seeds. After you've harvested your crop, you can save even more money by checking out my free recipes right here at, Fresh Cooking from your Garden.

4. Organic Vegetables!

Organic vegetables are by far the healthiest to eat. Growing your own is the safest way to know for sure that there was nothing unhealthy used in the growing process. If you do decide to use some pesticides, and not be totally organic, you have full control over how much, which type, and when to use them.

5. Yard Appeal!

A well-kept vegetable garden is just as attractive as a bed of flowers. You can even mix some flowers into your vegetable garden to make it all the more beautiful. A beautiful garden can add value to your home and make your yard a favorite place for you and your family to spend time.

6. Mental Stress Buster!

Tending a garden goes a long way to help relieve stress. Pulling weeds does a lot more for you than just housekeeping for your garden. Pulling weeds is an excellent way to rid your body of excess stress and tension. Watering your garden is another relaxing pass time that not only helps your garden grow but also soothes the soul.

7. Exotic!

Where can you find purple green beans and white eggplant? How about round zucchini and Heirloom tomatoes? Blue Corn? White Pumpkins? By growing your own, you can plant many different and exotic vegetables that you won't find at the local Home Depot or Lowe's gardening center. It's amazing how many different types of vegetables there are that many people have never heard of or seen. Search through some seed catalogs and see what you can find. (Hint: The kiddies will love this as much as you do!)

8. Family Togetherness!

Instead of sitting around the boob tube watching the simpsons, get the whole family outside in the garden once a week. Not only will they learn how to grow tomatoes, but you will learn what's going on in their lives simply by spending some good quality time together.

9. Vegetables On Demand!

Surprise company for dinner? Not a problem, when you've got your own garden growing just outside your back door. Salads are easy when you're in a rush. A quick change in the dinner schedule, not to worry when you've got plenty of options growing at your fingertips. Forgot to pull something out of the freezer? Pull some veggies from the garden and toss them on the grill. Dinner is served!

10. Fun!

Gardening is a lot of fun when you don't look at it as another tedious chore. I love watching my plants grow and mature. For me the best part is watching the babies arrive and develop into full-grown vegetables that are free for the picking. And when you're done, you get to eat them. Can you think of anything more fun than eating? Okay. So maybe you can think of other things more fun but I bet eating runs a close second!






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Tips for Planting and Harvesting Sweet Corn in Your Home Garden

Although there are many different types of corn such as ornamental, miniature and popcorn, this page is about growing sweet corn. If you've never tried it, let me tell you that there is nothing better than the taste of an ear of corn, pulled straight from your garden.

The most important thing for the home gardener to remember when planting sweet corn is that it takes up a lot of space in the garden. Corn plants can grow anywhere from four to nine feet tall and the yield from each plant is extremely low for such a huge crop, usually only two ears per stalk. In my humble opinion, the taste is definitely worth it but if your garden is on the small side, you may want to plant something else and buy your fresh corn at the local farmer's market.

Another way to save space in your garden while planting sweet corn is to incorporate it in with some other vegetables. A good example of this is the Three Sisters Garden, where corn, squash and beans support and compliment each other beautifully.

How to Plant Corn

Choose a large spot in your garden that receives plenty of sunshine and has rich, well-draining soil.

When growing sweet corn it is best to start seeds directly into the garden after the dangers of frost have passed and the soil has had a chance to warm up a bit.

Soak your seeds in water overnight before planting them to give them a bit of a head start because the drier the seeds, the longer they will take to germinate.

Plant the seeds about 5 inches apart in rows with at least two feet between them. When the seedlings emerge, thin them to about 12 inches apart.

Corn needs a lot of water, at least one to two inches per week. A dry spell can stunt its growth so be very careful about watering during the hottest days of the summer.

Harvesting Sweet Corn

Your sweet corn will be ready to harvest about 18 days after the silks appear at the end of the husks. To remove the corn from its stalk, simply give the ear a good hard twist and it should snap right off.

The closer to cooking time that you harvest your corn, the better it will taste.

Fresh corn can be cooked in many ways including boiled, grilled and steamed. It tastes great on it's own, with a little salt and butter, or when used in corn recipes.






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I remember being a kid and feigning illness to try and get a reprieve from going to school every once in a while. Mom would always pull out her permanently attached thermometer (the back side of her hand) check my forehead and announce, "You're not sick, you're as cool as a cucumber."

Oh boy, did I hate that! The funny thing is, now that I have my own children, I find myself using that very same line.

If you think about it, cucumbers really are cool. Even an unrefrigerated one has a crisp, cool, texture and flavor. Their high water content is what make them so cool. That's also why they are so low in calories.

Cucumbers are fairly easy to grow in your home garden. Sow cucumber seeds about four weeks after the last frost date directly into a sunny, well-drained spot in your garden. Cucumbers like the soil warm and rich.

Cucumbers produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. The males pollinate the females, which then produce the fruit. Some newer varieties of cucumbers produce only female flowers. They still need to be pollinated by males of different plants and so the seed companies will include the two types of seeds in one packet. Be aware of this if you are not planning to plant the entire package.

Cucumbers come in many varieties. There are pickling, standard, Oriental, Armenian, Lemon and Burp-less varieties to name a few. Cucumbers grow on two different types of plants, the bush type and the vining type.

The bush type will grow to approximately three or four feet high and should be planted about 12 inches apart in rows. If you find your cucumbers tipping over you can build a temporary fence around the entire group of plants by using a few tomato stakes and wrapping some twine around them.

The vining type can produce vines up to nine feet long and will need a trellis to cling to while it grows. Letting the vining type grow along the ground will produce oddly curled cucumbers. A nearby chain link fence makes a great support for your vining cucumber plants.

Cucumbers can be picked at any stage of their growth. They taste best when picked small but not tiny. One of the best things about growing cucumbers is that the more you pick, the more they grow. Most cucumbers produce so vigorously that you will have plenty to share with friends and family.






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How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes. Inside Secrets To Doubling, Even Trebling Tomato Yield. How To Grow Fabulous Tomatoes, A Comprehensive And Beautifully Illustrated Book, Written By World Renowned Authority Who Advises The Industry. Available in Hardcopy or Ebook Click Here!

Tips for Home-Grown Broccoli

It's a proven fact that some people just don't like the taste of broccoli, but for the rest of us there is nothing better, or better for you, than fresh home-grown broccoli. Broccoli is high in fiber and contains high amounts of the vitamins A and C. It is extremely versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked. So, what are you waiting for? Let's get growing.

How to Grow Broccoli

Broccoli is a cool season crop that needs plenty of sun, and rich well-drained soil to grow its best. Broccoli is a slow grower, so you'll need to have some patience. You should start it from seed about four weeks before the frost free date in your area. You will need to provide the seedlings with a good deal of light to prevent them from getting too tall and 'leggy'. When starting broccoli seeds indoors, for spring planting, it is recommended that you keep them under an artificial garden light because even a day or two of cloudy weather can affect their growth in a negative way.

Your seedlings can be transplanted to the garden right after the last hard frost in your area. They should be planted a little bit deeper than they were growing indoors. Use the bottom leaves as a guide, and keep the soil just under them. The seedlings need to be planted one to two feet apart in all directions.

If you'd like a second crop of broccoli in the fall, you can sow the seeds directly into your garden, three months before the first frost date in your area. Broccoli plants can survive during a light frost but need to be harvested before a deep freeze occurs.

For best results, and to avoid problems with disease, never plant broccoli in the same spot year after year.

How to Harvest Broccoli

Broccoli should be picked when the heads have tight, firm buds. Cut the central head, using a sharp knife, leaving 6 inches of stem attached. Most broccoli plants will continue producing smaller side heads after the main head has been removed. These can be harvested, and eaten as well. Broccoli left in the garden too long will start to turn yellow and their buds will open into small flowers. The flowers are edible but it is recommended that you pick your broccoli long before this happens.

Cooking Broccoli

Broccoli can be eaten raw in salads, served with dips or just plain on its own. It goes well in casseroles, stir fries, and baked potatoes. Broccoli can be boiled, steamed, fried, or grilled for a tasty side dish. The flowers make a nice garnish for salad or soup.

Anyway you slice it, or cook it, broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat, so grow your own and be sure to eat plenty of it.






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Find all of your organic gardening solutions here, at Arbico-Organics.com

I guarantee that you will never taste a carrot better than one that you have just pulled fresh from your garden. Growing carrots is easy and once you know the secret you should have no problem growing your own 14 carat carrots in no time.

The Secret to Carrot Growing Success

There is really only one trick to growing perfect carrots. Keep the rocks away! Before planting carrot seeds you need to really work the garden soil and remove any rocks or stones that might get in the delicate carrot root's way. Think of a rock as a dead end for carrots. The poor things don't know what to do or which way to go. When a carrot root hits a rock, it becomes confused and it might just stop growing, or even worse, split in two. Either way, your carrots aren't going to be able to reach their full potential.

Carrots come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They can grow anywhere from an inch and a half to more than nine inches long. Before planting, check your seed pack for root length and then be sure to till your garden soil to at least that depth.

How to Grow Carrots

Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil to plant your carrot seeds. Carrots do best in loose, sandy soils but the shorter varieties can be planted in heavier, clay-like soils. You can also find success by planting carrots in containers, just be sure to choose deep enough containers for the variety you want to grow.

Carrots are a cool-season crop and your first sowing should take place in early spring, after danger of heavy frost has passed. You can plant a second crop of carrots in midsummer for a fall crop, keeping in mind that carrot roots can tolerate a light frost.

Plant carrot seeds in rows. Your seed package should contain the correct information for depth and spacing for your choice of carrot varieties. Carrot seeds take awhile to germinate so be patient. It could be a full two weeks before you see any action.

Your carrot seedlings will need to be thinned to about three inches apart once they are big enough to handle.

When watering, remember that carrots are prized for their delicious roots. They need to be watered long, and deeply, enough to reach to the tips of their toes. This means that as they grow throughout the season, they will continue to need more and more water.

If your carrot's shoulders are exposed to too much sunlight, they may turn green. You can prevent this by watering and fertilizing regularly to promote quick growth of the foliage, which will in turn act like an umbrella and keep your carrots roots well covered.

How to Harvest Carrots

Carrots can be harvested beginning at thinning time. The little "thinnings" are great when used in salads or for snacks. Soaking your carrot bed with water before pulling will make harvesting much easier.

Carefully grab a carrot's foliage top and twist slowly as you pull each carrot from the ground, one at a time. Carrots can be safely left in the ground until the soil freezes. In warm southern climates, carrots can be left in the ground all winter long.

After harvesting, store your fresh-picked carrots in a cool area until you are ready to use them.

Cooking Fresh Carrots

Carrots are one of those wonderful vegetables that really don't need much fuss to make them taste better. They are so good, in fact, that you can enjoy them raw.

Raw carrots are great when shredded or sliced, and added to salads; or peeled and sliced into "carrot sticks" which can be eaten plain, or dipped into your favorite salad dressing. My family enjoys a nice Ranch dressing with our carrots but your favorite dressing would be just as good.

Raw carrots can also be used as an attractive garnish for platters or to spiff up an ordinary dish before serving. The easiest carrot garnish to prepare is "carrot-curls." To make carrot curls, simply peel an entire carrot over a bowl, then use the curls wherever you like.

Carrots can be cooked and prepared in just about any way you can think of. Try them steamed, boiled, baked, glazed, sautéed, or in soups, stews and casseroles. Young carrot foliage can be used to flavor soups and stews as well.






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Growing Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are warm season plants and will do best when planted in a sunny location in well-drained soil. They require a long growing season and will die at the first frost.

Sweet Potatoes can be started as rooted cuttings, or as young transplants purchased at a gardening center.

If you choose to start them from cuttings, start them about 8 weeks before the last frost warning in spring. Keep them moist and transplant them outside after all danger of frost has passed.

In the garden, plant your sweet potato transplants in ridges which are about 12 inches high and spaced at least 3 feet apart. In the ridges, plant your sweet potatoes at least 12 inches apart. Water regularly throughout the growing season but stop watering 2 weeks before harvesting.

Harvest your sweet potatoes in the fall before the first frost. Dig around the roots with care and then cure them in a warm humid location for about 10 days.

Sweet potatoes are delicious when baked, boiled and mashed, or fried. Their natural sweetness is enhanced by nutmeg, ginger, brown sugar or maple syrup. They make a nice alternative to white potatoes. Marshmallow-Topped Sweet Potatoes is a wonderful addition to your holiday table.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Although the taste and texture are similar, sweet potatoes and yams are two completely different vegetables. In fact, sweet potatoes are actually more closely related to morning glories than to potatoes or yams but as far as cooking goes, all three can be interchanged for many recipes. For more information on this topic visit
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-23-a.html

Fun Indoor Winter Gardening Project

Did you know that sweet potato vines make gorgeous house plants? They root easily, simply by using 4 toothpicks to suspend the sweet potato onto the rim of a container of water, pointed side down. (A mug works great!) Replenish water as it evaporates. In a few days, roots will form. After a couple of weeks, leaves and stems will sprout from the top and you can transplant your sweet potato plant to a container of potting soil and continue to grow in a sunny window. Children love this project!

Looking for something new to add to your home garden? Tired of growing the same old tired vegetables, season after season? Kohlrabi might be just what you are looking for.

Kohlrabi is a relative of the cabbage family and tastes a bit like turnips. They are prized for their round bulb-like stem but their foliage is also tasty and can be used in place of fresh spinach in most recipes.

How to Grow Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cool weather crop and can be planted both spring and fall in most areas. (They are a winter crop in the deep south.) Kohlrabi is equally delicious in either the whites (actually a light green) or purple varieties. A popular white-colored variety of Kohlrabi is called 'White Vienna.' All varieties of kohlrabi plants grow between eight and twelve inches tall and should be placed closer to the edge of your garden for easier harvesting.

Kohlrabi plants like rich, well-drained soil and need full sun in order to grow to their tastiest. Plant Kohlrabi seeds directly into the garden after danger of frost has passed for a spring crop and again in midsummer for a fall or winter crop. Keep kohlrabi rows about a foot apart and thin seedlings to approximately 4 inches apart as soon as they are big enough to handle.

Kohlrabi can also be grown successfully in containers and make interesting conversation pieces when placed on your patio or deck. Consistent watering is the key to a great kohlrabi harvest. They need at least one inch of water per week throughout their growing season.

How to Harvest Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi tastes best when their bulbous stems are between two and three inches wide. If they are allowed to grow bigger than this, they can become woody and tough to chew. Their foliage should be harvested while it is young and tender. Carefully grasp the kohlrabi foliage and gently twist the entire plant from the ground to remove it. If the ground has hardened off, loosen the soil around the root area with a trowel or claw before harvesting.

Cooking Fresh Kohlrabi

Fresh kohlrabi can be enjoyed raw, fresh from the garden or sliced up and cooked. Try them boiled, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed with butter or topped with a creamy white sauce to compliment their musky flavor. Cubed kohlrabi can be used in soups and stews or as a tasty side dish.

Use kohlrabi leaves for a nice change of pace in place of spinach in salads, soups and stews.

Tips for Growing Celery

Growing celery can be challenging for the home gardener but it's versatility in the kitchen makes it well worth your time and effort. Celery is high in fiber and vitamins A and C. It is a crunchy snacking favorite for the diet conscious, (only about 10 calories per stalk) as well as a delicious appetizer when stuffed or served with dips, and is used in many recipes for soups, stews, and salads.

Growing Celery is difficult because celery is extremely picky about temperature, climate, and has a very long growing season. Depending on the variety you choose it can take any where from 90 to 120 days to reach maturity. Celery is considered a cool season crop but if the temperatures drop too low, it will flower and go to seed.

What's a celery-growing gardener to do? Your best bet when growing celery is to start it from seeds, very early, indoors, about 12 weeks before the last hard frost in spring if you live in the North where it is harvested in fall. Southern gardeners should treat celery as a spring crop. If you live where the climate is very mild, you can grow celery in the wintertime.

How to Grow Celery

As stated, celery likes cooler temperatures, but not below 55 degrees. It needs full sun and moist soil with good drainage. Celery seeds take an awful long time to germinate. You can speed up the process by soaking them, in water, overnight before planting. Transplants are usually available at your local gardening center and if you are restricted by time, this may be the better way to go when growing celery.

Plant your seedlings (transplants) outdoors after the last frost date in your area. Celery should be planted in rows approximately 10 inches away from each other. Be sure to water and fertilize regularly during the growing season to keep your celery's growth consistent.

Celery grows anywhere from 15 to 18 inches tall. When it gets about 12 inches in height, it may become top heavy and start to fall over. You can remedy this by heaping soil around the base of the plant but be careful not to get any dirt into the center of it, or it may cause it to rot.

Aphids love celery so you may want to read my article, Attracting Ladybugs, to learn about the best chemical free way of dealing with them.

How to Harvest Celery

You can start to harvest celery stalks when your plants are about 8 inches tall if you like. Using a sharp garden knife, you may either cut individual pieces from the outer edges of your celery plants or slice the entire plant off at the root.

Cooking with Celery

Celery adds crunch and flavor to all of your salads, including green, seafood, chicken, potato and tuna salad. Celery can be found in many soup, stew and casserole recipes. It makes a fun appetizer when stuffed and goes perfectly with any type of cold dip you can think of. Celery is used as a garnish on platters and makes a great stirrer for Bloody Mary's. You can even use celery foliage ( the feathery middle sections) as a basting brush when grilling outdoors.

Start growing celery today! You'll be glad you did.

Growing rhubarb in your home garden will add dramatic flair to your yard. Rhubarb plants can grow up to three feet tall and wide and come in several colors. Red rhubarb tends to be the sweetest and therefore the most popular variety for cooking. Only the leafstalk of the rhubarb plant can be eaten. The leaves (foliage) are toxic and should be discarded immediately after harvesting the stalks.

How to Grow Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that is grown from roots that you transplant in early spring. Rhubarb plants should be spaced three feet apart on all sides and kept away from your annual vegetable gardening area so they won't become damaged while you are preparing each years new beds.

Although it's not impossible to grow in the south, rhubarb does best in northern areas where the ground freezes over during the winter. Once you get it growing, Rhubarb can remain productive in your garden for more than ten years so be sure to put it in a spot that won't need to be disturbed for quite a while.

Rhubarb does best in fertile well-draining soil and full sun but can tolerate a bit of shade in the afternoon. Rhubarb roots need to be planted 2 inches below the soil line. Be sure to keep your rhubarb plants well watered during their growing season, especially during periods of drought.

If your rhubarb develops seeds, you will need to remove the seed stalk from the base of the plant to prevent weakening and damage to your future rhubarb production.

How to Harvest Rhubarb

Rhubarb should not be harvested from new plants the first year. Wait until the second year and then only harvest from your plants for two weeks. This will allow your plants to strengthen and insure that they will become true perennials, that return year after year. In the third year you can harvest continually until the stalks become thin.

When your plants are ready to be harvested cut the leafstalks by using a sharp knife or pruning shears and gently remove the leafstalk by cutting to with a couple of inches from the base of the plant. Never remove all of the leaf stalks from a single plant as this too can weaken your plants to beyond repair and never harvest rhubarb from frozen plants as the toxins from the leaves can move to the stems once the plant freezes.

Immediately after harvesting your rhubarb's leaf stalks remove its leaves and foliage and discard. Always keep rhubarb leaves away from children and pets. Wearing gloves is a good idea also.

Cooking Fresh Rhubarb

Rhubarb leafstalks are very tart. They can be eaten raw but are better when sweetened with brown sugar or maple syrup and used in recipes. They are a popular addition when cooked into strawberry pies and preserves. Rhubarb also goes well in baked dishes that use cinnamon or when poached on it's own with sugar, butter and ginger.






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Growing okra is a favorite pass time for southern gardeners but can be grown successfully in the northern climates as well. With its beautiful Hibiscus-like flowers, okra is one of the prettiest vegetable plants you can grow in your home garden. In fact it comes from the same family as the hibiscus and hollyhock.

Okra is actually a tender perennial but is most often treated as an annual plant, needing to be replanted yearly. It is mostly grown for its round or ridged pods but the leaves of the okra plant are also edible.

Depending on the variety you choose, okra plants range in height anywhere from two to seven feet tall and come in varying shades of green, red and purple. Its pods can be spined or spineless. One of the most popular types of okra grown is the Annie Oakley Hybrid.

How to Grow Okra

Okra is a warm-season crop and should be planted in a sunny spot in well-drained soil. It isn't a picky grower either and can thrive in both acidic and alkaline soil. Once established, okra holds up well under dry conditions and only needs a good soaking about once a week.

Once planted okra does best when left in one spot and doesn't take kindly to being transplanted. It's recommended to start okra from seeds planted directly in your garden, after the frost date in your area. Grow okra in rows planted at least three feet apart. Thin seedlings to stand approximately one foot away from each other.

Okra should never planted in the same spot, year after year, to avoid problems with pests and disease.

How to Harvest Okra

Okra pods should be picked when they are two or three inches long. Using a sharp pair of pruning shears, or a sharp knife, cut okra pods from the stem, just above the cap. Harvesting every other day will help to encourage new growth.

Cooking Fresh Okra

Okra is high in Vitamins A, and C, and has plenty of calcium and iron as well. How many beautiful plants can claim that? Okra is most popularly used to make Gumbo or for thickening soups and stews but can also be steamed, boiled, grilled, fried and pickled.

It's pretty. It's nutritious. It's delicious. What are you waiting for? Get your own okra growing today!






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Fall planting can be just as much fun as spring planting in you home garden if you choose the right vegetable varieties. Just because the summer is over doesn't mean your gardening fun has to end. Plant some of these cool season crops in your fall garden and continue to harvest fresh vegetables until winter!

It's true that some of these fall vegetable favorites will need to be picked while still small but that isn't going to effect their taste at all. In fact, some vegetables, like carrots are at their sweetest when picked young.

Fall Vegetable Varieties

Beets - Try Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top or Little Ball
Broccoli - Try Green comet or Romanesco
Brussel Sprouts - Try Jade Cross or Long Island Improved
Cabbage - Try Early Jersey Wakefield or Danish Roundhead
Carrots - Try Thumbelina or Little Finger
Cauliflower - Try Early White Hybrid
Collards - Try Georgia Collards
Green Onions - Try Evergreen Bunching
Kale - Try Red Russian or Dwarf Blue
Leeks - Try Broad London or Titan
Leaf Lettuce - Try Arugula, Oak Leaf, Black-Seeded Simpson or Red Salad Bowl
Mustard - Try Florida Broadleaf or Tendergreen
Peas - Try Burpeena Early or Petit Provencal
Radishes - Try Cherry Belle, French Breakfast or White Icicle
Rutabagas - Try Burpee's Purple Top
Spinach - Try Bloomsdale Long Standing or Melody Hybrid
Swiss Chard - Try Fordhook Giant
Turnips - Try Tokyo Cross Hybrid or Purple Top White Globe
All of the above fall vegetable varieties can be found at Burpee.com.






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