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If you’re one of the many Americans who will be cultivating a vegetable garden this year, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to grow your plants from seed or purchase transplants from a nursery.  In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons to both methods, and we’ll provide a basic how to guide for starting your own plants from seed.

There are two primary deciding factors in whether to start plants from seed.  The first is time.  Starting seeds certainly requires a larger investment in time and effort than purchasing transplants.  However, the knowledge that you have grown the plants yourself from their very inception is also quite rewarding.  The other primary consideration is cost.  Seeds are far more economical to purchase than young plants.  A packet of 50 or more seeds might cost you a few dollars.  Transplants, on the other hand, will cost you that same amount per plant.  In short, if you have the time and the inclination, growing your own plants from seed is a very rewarding and economical way to start a vegetable garden.

Most gardening experts will agree that the best method of starting seeds is in a greenhouse.  Greenhouses provide optimal conditions for germination and growing: long warm days and ample sunlight during times of year when it is still to cold to even consider planting outside.   Many hobby greenhouses also feature auto venting systems that help regulate the inside temperature.

If you’re not ready to invest in a large outdoor greenhouse, consider a smaller portable unit that can sit on a deck or patio.  There are also small indoor greenhouses available that occupy no more space than a shelf or tabletop, and these are ideal for the urban gardener who is limited on space.

It is possible, though sometimes more challenging, to start seeds indoors without the aid of a greenhouse.  A large sunny window facing south is ideal.  If you don’t have such a location, consider purchasing fluorescent light fixtures with full spectrum grow lights.  These can be suspended a few inches over young plants and set on timers to provide the necessary 14 hours of light per day.  Ideally, the daytime temperature should be approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the nighttime temperature around 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.  If plants are in warmer temperatures all day and night, they will grow tall and soft, rather than the stock, robust transplants that are hardier for setting outdoors.

Seedlings also need plenty of moisture for germination and early growth.  Planting in a mixture that contains plenty of peat moss will aid in moisture retention.  In the early stages, before seeds have germinated, fill a spray bottle with water and use this to keep the soil moist.  This will prevent overwatering, which can cause seeds to dislodge and wash away.

The last important step in growing your own plants from seed is hardening off before transplanting outdoors.  Hardening off refers to the process of preparing plants for the rigors of growing outdoors.  Some gardeners harden off their seedlings by placing them outdoors on a deck or patio during favorable weather conditions for a week or so before transplanting is to occur.  Other methods of hardening off include lowering the temperature where the plants are located, watering only when plants show signs of wilting, and placing a fan nearby to blow a gentle breeze on the seedlings.

By following these tips, along with a good dose of patience, any gardener can successfully start their own vegetable plants from seed.  The process may be time consuming, but it is also very satisfying, and you’ll be rewarded with dozens of young plants at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them from a nursery or garden center.

One of the oldest hobbies known to man, gardening has withstood the test of time as a hobby. It is not only enjoyable but fruitful as well in more ways than one because plants actually bear fruits. You can grow your own flower and vegetables and even fruit. Gardening is a hobby which is easy and gives you exercise and exposure to sunlight as well.

If You Want To Grow Tomatoes

If you are starting out and want to grow tomatoes, remember that are easy plants to grow. As there are more than 25,000 varieties available, you will be able to find a variety which will be suitable for your soil and weather conditions. Tomatoes can he used a large number of recipes and can be used raw or cooked. It is a delight to watch tomatoes growing in your garden as you get to see tomatoes going from green to red before your eyes.

There are two ways to grow tomatoes. You can either buy the immature plants and plant them, or you can grow them from seeds. Just remember that if you are growing them from seed, you need to plant the seeds at least six to eight weeks before the last expected frost.

If you are growing them in your garden, you will need to prepare the soil, dig the holes an the plant the baby plants or the seeds. Even baby plants will need sunlight and warmth, so make sure that the location is such that it gets the sunlight. If you are a window sill or terrace gardener, you need to see that the fledgling plants get the warmth and water that they require

If You Want To Grow Flowers

Planting flower bulbs is fast, easy, and nearly foolproof. Even if you have no gardening experience you should be able to complete this with few to no problems. The first step is for you to prepare the planting bed. Then you use fertilizer, and plant the bulbs into holes.

There are lots of resources available on gardening, whether it is books or internet sites. You can get all the information you need for your gardening needs. Once you get into gardening you will meet other people with the same hobby and as your network grows you will get more tips and techniques to help hone your gardening skills.

How To Find Gardening Help

You will need gardening help whether you are a new at this hobby or a professional gardener. Sometimes you may just need a little organic gardening help, at other times you may need the help of a seasoned expert who can show you what you can. In any case, it is necessary to know where you can access the organic gardening help whenever you need it.

Finding The Information You Need

There are many resources that you will be able to access when you need gardening help. There are innumerable books on gardening available at your nearest library or book store and books will always be there for you to look up. They are among the really good sources of information for organic gardening help.

Among the really good and best selling gardening books are Gardening Basics for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Canadian Gardening by Steven A. Frownie and The National Gardening Association. With the aid of these books, you will find out which are the best plants to grow for the area and climate that you live in, make sure that you are using ecologically friendly products, make your gardens really beautiful, whether you have an open landscaped garden or other types which the books will tell you about

The internet is an extremely friendly and informative resource which will help you with your gardening skills. Through the internet you can find any possible information that you are looking for in terms of gardening help. In no time at all you will be able to find solutions to any problems you may face with your gardening or any help that you may require with regard to organic gardening.

If you want to get even more savvy about gardening, there are courses and seminars that you can attend which will provide you with gardening help. As you will be able to ask questions one on one, you will be able to get professional guidance and help. You will also meet people with similar interests and while networking, you will find out even more gardening information which will be of help to you.

Gardening is not just a hobby which is rewarding and interesting, but it also helps you do your bit for the environment. You can use organic gardening to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables which will be of aesthetic value and also perhaps you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor by eating the fruits and vegetables. Organic gardening may seem to be taking up a great deal of time, but it is not that difficult to do and the rewards are worth the time and labor that you put in.

Winter gardening is possible though several people think that when the winter season comes and the weather starts getting colder, gardening tools have to put aside and wait for spring to enjoy gardening. That is wrong because winter is as essential time to manage and maintain the health of your plants and assure that you’ll be having a good crop in the coming seasons. It takes not more than one day to prepare your garden for winter.

The ideal time to prepare your garden in winter is when the temperatures during the night fall to less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 4 consecutive days (usually when the month of October and November come). You can start it by garden design evaluation; by checking which plants grew healthy in the past season and which were not. As you may not know it, the best time to determine which plants will grow and better bloom in the next year is fall.

In addition, that time (fall) also gives you an essential idea on deciding which particular varieties you can grow. Since this time allows you to determine which plants grow during the spring season, you will have a very good variety of plants that provide great fulfillment that you desire. Aster Novi-belgii; Anemone, Japonica Rudbeckia, Escarole- these are some of plants that will do good in winter gardening.

After doing that, you should begin weeding as part of your winter gardening preparation; managing falling leaves because rotten leaves and weeds carry insects and diseases that might detrimental to your plants’ health. As the fall has passed, you would see rotten leaves and branches. Trimming some rotten tree branches do not affect of that big for your plants’ health, however, these may fall and block too much sunlight that your plants need.

If you have trees that are younger, you have to consider putting putting stakes and wrap them to survive in winter. Putting much in your garden can help your plant adjust for the sudden change of temperature. For mulch, 5 inches of shredded bark, pine needles or other alternative materials will do help for greater survivability of your winter plants.

After finishing these tasks, be sure to put your gardening tools to there places to avoid rusting and be used again when the next season comes. You should also manage all the slugs because this bugs are worst to stay in your garden. And if you have fish in your pool or fountain, be sure to take them inside when the winter comes.