Vegetable Garden Plans - 7 Types Of Vegetable Gardens

Are you considering making a vegetable garden? If so, you should check into some vegetable garden plans. Garden plans inspire new, creative ideas even as they allow you to plan things out in advance before you do the "real" work of moving things around and planting and transplanting. It's always best to have a plan on paper first before you do the harder-to-correct work of actually putting things in order and planting things. Having garden plans in advance will save you time, money, and frustration.

Vegetable garden plans should be designed around factors such as personal taste, where you live geographically, and how much space you have for planting. Let's consider some garden plans that you may want to implement.

Vegetable

1. Patio vegetable garden. Make a compact and easily tended garden on your deck or patio. Use two small soil beds and have a dense, synergistic mixture of herbs, vegetables, and flowers in each one.
2. Colorful vegetable gardens. Use harmonious but contrasting colors in your choice of things you plant. These are interesting gardens. They also tend to be very healthy for you, since it's recommended that you get a "mixture of colors" in your veggies and fruits for optimal health.
3. Heritage vegetable garden. Now, what's this mean? It means make it full of heirloom varieties of veggies. Again, this is diverse to the end of good health while at once being interesting and artistically inspired to create.
4. The Asian vegetable garden. You might have to look online for some (or most) of the veggies you would grow in this garden. But it would yield different tastes than what you may be used to. Furthermore, Asian vegetables tend to need less space for growing than what could be found in Farmer MacGregor's garden.
5. The Italian garden. We all know that the Italians make incredibly tasty food. Imagine having the tomatoes and herbs and other ingredients you need to make your own spaghetti or pizza sauce among other Mediterranean dishes.
6. The All-American veggie garden. Hey, who says Americans just make hot dogs, burgers, fries, and take-out pizza? Research American veggie varieties and put together a garden that you'd be proud to "drag" a Chicago-style hot dog through.
7. Autumn yield garden. What's better than still harvesting fresh produce on crisp mornings or evenings, just before the Winter sets in? Lay up your stores for the months of plant dormancy.

Now you've seen some very interesting and creative garden plans. To learn even more about vegetable garden plans that you can use, just follow the link below.

Vegetable Garden Plans - 7 Types Of Vegetable Gardens

Vegetable Garden Plans - 7 Types Of Vegetable Gardens

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Pesticide For Organic Vegetable Gardens

Pesticide for Organic Vegetable Gardens

To control pests in an organic vegetable garden you must use organic and natural means. No artificial or chemically processed pesticide is to be used. This excludes all commercial pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Instead, all methods to control insect pests are either biological or chemically natural.

\"Organic Vegetable\"

Before I elaborate on these pesticides for organic vegetable gardens, here are two general practices to be observed:
Keep your soil healthy and clean and maintain an ideal sand/clay balance. For organic vegetation, the soil should be slightly clayey as it has more nutrients than sandy soil.

Pesticide For Organic Vegetable Gardens

Check on your vegetables daily. Inspect the leaves, roots and general look of the plants. Look out for any wilting, yellowing or traces of insect pest damage or activity (such as the aphid's honeydew). By doing so, you nip pest problems in the bud.

Here are some common insect pests in your organic vegetable garden:

1. Aphids (also known as greenflies) - they suck the sap from vegetables and other plants and leave a sticky substance called honeydew on the leaves. This breeds a fungus called sooty mold. If aphids attack a plant, it would have withered, yellow leaves.

2. Mealy bugs (also known as wooly aphids) - they also suck sap from plants but are mostly found in humid places.

3. Bean leaf beetle - the adult beetle feeds on the underside of bean vegetable leaves while the larvae attack its roots.

4. Flea beetle - these are small insects with black bodies that chew holes in leaves and leave crisscross markings on them.

5. Squash bugs - insects that attack vegetables like cucumbers, squash, melons and pumpkins.

6. Green stink bug - these flat and green insects attack bean pods, leaving bulging and wart-like spots.

7. Cucumber beetle - these beetles are greenish-yellow in color with either stripes or spots. They feed on vegetable seedlings where their larvae feed on roots and burrow holes through them. These beetles spread bacterial wilt among cucurbit vegetables like cucumbers and melons.

Now here are some ways to control pests in an organic vegetable garden:

1. Biological method

This is where friendly insects destroy the insect pests. For example, the parasitic wasp lays its eggs on the aphid and when the larvae hatch, they devour its host. Ladybirds also attack and kill the aphid and other pests. Other friendly insects include lacewings, praying mantis etc. You can draw friendly insects to your garden by planting flowers or maintaining a weed patch nearby.

2. Horticultural method

This method involves planting certain herbs such as garlic, sage, peppermint and basil that are disliked by pests. This is a good natural way to keep insect pests away.

The horticultural method also involves mixed cultivation (also known as companion planting) of your vegetables. Certain types of vegetables help each other repel insect pests. For example, onions and carrots help each other eliminate the onion fly and the carrot fly. Even flowers can be used. For example, the marigold draws away nematodes from the vegetables.

Another way of dealing with pests under this method is rotation planting. This is where you rotate your vegetables among the raised beds in your garden after each year. This reduces the proliferation of insect pests.

3. Natural chemical methods

In this method, you use natural substances against insect pests. One example is insecticidal soap. Insecticidal soap is made of sodium or potassium salts of either animal or plant oils. Chemically, they are the salts of the fatty acid portion of fats and oils. You can either buy it or make it yourself. Insecticidal soap is very effective against soft-bodied insect pests like aphids and mealy bugs. It can also be used to wash off honeydew stains from the leaves.

Another example is bacillus thuringiensis (BT) or friendly bacteria. There are about 80 types of BT. They are poisonous to insect pests. You sprinkle them on the vegetables and in time, they are consumed by the pests.

As you see, you don't have to use synthetic commercial pesticides to protect your organic vegetables. That keeps your vegetables uncontaminated by such pesticides.

Pesticide For Organic Vegetable Gardens

Francis King is a vegetable garden enthusiast. Visit Vegetable Garden Secrets for more expert advice on organic vegetable garden pesticide [http://www.veggietips.com/organic-vegetable-garden-pesticide], how to cultivate and keep a healthy organic vegetable garden.

The 12 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Home Gardens Or Containers For First Time Gardeners

A lot of people, myself included, are growing our own vegetables to beat the credit crunch. And why not? Planting a few seeds in containers, in your backyard or in your garden will yield delicious, organic vegetables - and can save money, too! Growing organic vegetables is easier than you think. Here are the 12 vegetables you will have no problem planting, tending for and harvesting in your own garden, even if you are a first-time gardener!

#1. Radish

\"Organic Vegetable Seeds\"

These are particularly easy to grow and can be intercropped with rows of lettuce to take up a minimum amount of space! Great thing about radishes is that very few pests bother them. Choose a sunny, sheltered position in soil, well fed with organic matter. Sow the seed thinly, evenly at ½ inch below the soil's surface with one inch of space between each. Water the soil thoroughly before sowing and after the seeds emerge water them lightly every couple days. Radishes are a great source of potassium, folic acid, magnesium and calcium, and are perfect in salad dressings or as a garnish for salads. Radishes are fast growers and should be ready to pull in several weeks.

The 12 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Home Gardens Or Containers For First Time Gardeners

#2. Zucchini/ Squash

Zucchini and squash do well in most climates and they need very little special attention. If you plant zucchini you'll could end up with way more than they can even eat!

Zucchini and squash are very low in calories but full of potassium, manganese and folate. Sow several zucchini seeds in a heap pile of composted soil a foot high and a couple feet wide. Space each heap pile approximately 3 feet apart, water them heavily every other day and wait for them to sprout in a couple weeks. They should be ready to harvest about a month later. For any early start sow the seeds singly about 1/2 in (1.25cm) deep, in small pots and place in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C). After germination of seeds, grow on in a well lit spot, harden off and plant out after the last spring frost when the weather is warm.

#3. Carrots

Carrots tend to be pest free and need little attention. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, carotene and dietary. Dig a hole less than an inch deep and plant a couple of seeds in each, and leave several inches in between holes. Thin out in stages to 4-6in (10-15cm) apart. Keep the soil moist but remember to water the carrots less as they begin to reach maturity.

#4. Spinach

A highly nutritious and easily grown crop, high in both calcium and iron. Spinach can be eaten plain, cooked, and made into a chip dip. Turn over the soil with compost and plant seeds less than an inch deep, placing them at least 4 inches apart to give room for growth. Pick young leaves regularly. Sow the soil a couple more times in the first month and keep this area well-watered.

#5. Peas

Peas are another high-yield crop, both sweet peas and sugar peas. Other than fruit flies, these guys attract very few pests. A good source of vitamins A, B and C. Cultivate the soil just prior to sowing top dress with a balanced fertilizer. Keep in mind that your soil must drain well in order for peas for flourish. Space each seed several inches apart and sow them one inch deep. Freshly planted seeds require 1/2 inch of water every week, while more mature plants need a full inch. Any surplus peas can be frozen very successfully.

#6. Peppers

Peppers contain nutrients like thiamin and manganese. Peppers can be stuffed with meat and rice or used in salsa and pasta, and raw in salads. Till the soil with compost and Epsom salts, this will make it rich in magnesium to help the peppers develop healthily. Peppers can be produced outside in growing bags, large pots etc. Since they grow best in warm soil, sow the seeds a foot or more apart in raised beds or containers. Water them frequently, keeping the soil moist, or they may taste bitter once harvested.

#7. Lettuce/ Baby Greens

Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow; you just have to plant the seeds, water and watch how fast it grows. Lettuce is a good source of folic acid and vitamin A, used as the main ingredient mostly in salads, but also can be stuffed with various ingredients to make a lettuce wrap or top sandwiches, hamburgers and tacos. When cultivating the soil with nutrient-rich compost, break up any chunks and remove debris. Make sure that seeds are planted between 8 and 16 inches apart and water them every morning. Avoid doing so at night because this could cause disease. Loose-leaf varieties are ready to start cutting about seven weeks after sowing.

Baby greens are simply greens that are harvested while they are still young and tender. They are true instant gratification vegetables - you'll be harvesting your first salad in under a month! Sprinkle the seeds as thinly as possible across the soil in a 2- to 3-inch wide band. Space rows of baby greens 6 to 8 inches apart. Or plant baby greens in a pot, and cut your salad fresh every night!

#8. Onion

Rich in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C, onion need little care - just give them plenty of water. Plow the soil a foot deep and get rid of debris. The easiest way to grow onions is from sets which are small onions. Plant sets so that the tip is showing about 5in (13cm) apart in rows 12in (30cm) apart. Or, plant the seeds a couple centimeters deep and several inches apart. Weed this area frequently but gently and provide them with about an inch of water every week.

#9. Beets

Beets (beetroots) can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten warm with butter; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad.. Betanin, one of the primary nutrients in this deep red or purple vegetable, can help lower blood pressure. Clean and strengthen the seeds by soaking them in water at room temperature for a day. Plow the soil and remove any stones from the top 3 feet. Plant each seed 2in (5cm) apart, thin out to 4in (10cm) apart and water them at least once every day.

#10. Broccoli

For the most part doesn't need a lot of special care, broccoli is easily grown vegetable that gives the best return for the space it occupies and is cropped when other green vegetables are in short supply. One row of 15ft (4.5m) will accommodate six plants to give self-sufficiency for a family of four. Sow broccoli seed in spring in a seed bed ½in (1.25cm) deep and transplant when the seedlings are about 4in (10cm) tall 2ft (60cm) apart each way.

#11. Tomatoes

There are many benefits to growing tomatoes - they're tasty, they9re good for you, and the dollar value of the yield can be very significant. Tomatoes are rich in nutrients like niacin, potassium and phosphorous, antioxidants like lycopene, anthocyanin and carotene, and vitamins A, C and E.

Sow the seed just below the surface in a tray of peat-based compost. When the seedlings have made two pairs of true leaves prick them out into 3in (7.5cm) pots and place them in a light, warm place indoors (like windowsill). After the last danger of frost has passed, pick a spot in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight and test the soil's pH level - it needs to be between 6 and 7. (To decrease pH level add sulfur, to increase it add lime). Spread compost over this area and mix it with the soil. After hardening off, set tomato plants 2ft (60cm) apart in rows 3ft (90cm) apart, bush plants 3ft (90cm) apart. Water them a couple times per week.

Tomatoes do need a little more attention then the other vegetables on the list. However, for the little bit attention that tomatoes do need, you get an incredible reward in the large amount of fruit that they produce. To help you get started, here is a complete guide to growing tomatoes

#12. Herbs

There are many herbs including thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, chives, parsley and oregano that need very little attention and can be grown successfully in containers on a patio, balcony or terrace. Purchase some of your favorite small herb plants from your local nursery and get a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. You can plant multiple herbs in a wide or long container or use at least a 6" pot for individual plants and you will enjoy not only their fragrance and beauty but also their culinary benefits. Water sparingly because herbs don't like to sit in wet soil.

If you are a first time gardener, start slow with any of the vegetables I've mentioned. Soon, you will gain confidence and have a beautiful organic vegetable garden!

The 12 Easiest Vegetables to Grow in Home Gardens Or Containers For First Time Gardeners

Jane Thomas is experienced and respected vegetable grower, hobbyist gardener with more than 15 years of experience in organic vegetables gardening. Among other projects, she is co-owner of Laminated Garden Guides, your one-stop resource to learn how to start a vegetable garden with subjects like: Home Vegetable Gardens, Container and Raised Beds Gardening, Growing Tomatoes, Herb Gardening and many more. Visit Laminated Garden Guides to learn how to start a vegetable garden!