Container Gardening – THE RUHMAGE

Growing Lavender

Posted on September 18, 2022September 21, 2022 by Lyn

Growing lavender is an easy thing to do once you have an established lavender plant. It does not require fertilizing or much watering. You can easily add it to your landscape for its gorgeous purple color. The wonderful aromatic smell is soothing to humans and can attract butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. Another option is to grow an edible English Lavender in your herb garden. You can start growing lavender in early spring, late summer, or early fall. Deciding when to start growing lavender should be based upon summer high temperatures and winter low temperatures in your area.

Why Grow Lavender?

The dried lavender buds that you harvest from your landscape once the growing season is over can be used to make scented sachets to keep your dresser and closets smelling like lavender. You can also grind them into a powder to make homemade lavender soap, homemade lavender body scrub, or lavender bath soaks. You can also add a few dried lavender buds to your homemade lavender lotion bars to keep them fragrant.

If you are growing edible lavender, it can be used in all of the aforementioned ways as well as for culinary purposes. You can make lavender tea, lavender lemonade, lavender ice cream, lavender cookies, and other lavender breads. Lavender is also used in savory combinations as well as mentioned in the SIMPLE – Fall 2022 Edition.

Preserving/Storing

Lavender flower buds can be dried and stored. To do so, the harvested stems of lavender flowers must be hung upside down in a dark well-ventilated room. A dark room help maintain the flowers color while ventilation prevents molding.

Quick Start Guide

Sun – Lavender plants need full sun for at least 6 hours a day.
Water – Lavender is a drought tolerant plant that will only need to be watered every few days or when the top 2-inches of soil dries out.
Soil – In its native Mediterranean region, lavender grows in sandy, rocky soil that drains well. In the south, Lavender grows best in containers
Mulch – Lavender does not need to be mulched.

Growing Conditions

Lavender grows best in a warm sunny location. However, the plant cannot tolerate excessive mid-summer heat that is common in some areas. This is especially true if you are dealing with growing lavender seedlings. Like it’s cousin, rosemary, growing lavender from seed can be very difficult. And then, if you manage to get lavender seeds to sprout, the seedlings are extremely slow growers. You will have to babysit the lavender seedling(s) for months to make sure that they are warm in the winter and do not get too much sun and just enough water in the summer. Therefore, most gardeners recommend purchasing live lavender plants. Even with a live lavender plant, it will need to become well-established in the soil during early fall before the cold winter weather arrives or in early spring before any excessive heat arrives.

Dormancy

Lavender seedlings will need protection from the cold. But established lavender plants go into a state of dormancy during the cold winter months. Some are able to stay alive in their dormant state in temperatures as low as -40^oF.

Fertilizing

Lavender does not require any fertilizers. Fertilizing lavender may actually kill the plant or make it more susceptible to the cold in winter. Keep this detail in mind because as a relatively slow growing plant it can be easy to forget and think that maybe it needs a little fertilizer.

Watering

The other thing to be careful not to do is over watering your lavender. Lavender is actually a drought tolerant plant. So, in this situation, less is more. However, lavender does need to be watered occasionally once its mature and more often when it is still immature.

Flowering

There are many different kinds of lavender. Some types of lavender will start blooming in summer while others may bloom in early spring or mid to late summer. The edible English lavender (lavandula angustifolia) which is a true lavender bloom in late spring to early summer. Lavandula x intermedia angustifolia is an English lavender hybrid bred to be more heat tolerant and cold tolerant.

Harvesting

You can start harvesting lavender when the stems are long enough to use. It is recommended that you cut every third stem to keep your lavender plants looking full. It is also recommended that your trim no more than 1/3 of each stem.

Pruning

You can prune dead leaves or stems from your lavender. You can prune in spring before a summer of flowering and after the flowering season has ended in fall. With such a wonderful therapeutic aroma and multiple health benefits, pruned lavender can be repurposed in many delightful ways.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

Fall Garden | 2022

Posted on September 10, 2022September 11, 2022 by Lyn

Planting a fall garden can be very rewarding. While the weather is conducive for growing many of leafy green vegetables, it can also serve to be a pleasant transition into winter. You can enjoy the beautiful colors of fall while your body gets acclimated to the cooler fall temperatures. So, here is a list of things you can plant in your fall garden this year.

Kitchen Herbs

Some of the most popular kitchen herbs like cilantro, parsley, and dill only grow in the cool fall weather. You can use some of them to mix with your salads, sandwich spreads, or salsas. Then too, you can also use some of them to make homemade soups and stews or perhaps flavored drinks and breads.

If you want fresh herbs from the garden, you can find a number of recommended fall kitchen herbs to grow in the SIMPLE Magazine – Fall 2022 Edition. The kitchen herbs are outlined in the gardening section of the magazine. You can download it for free.

The dill seeds and lavender seeds are already trying to grow in the shade in my garden. However, the green onion seeds never sprouted in the warm weather. Therefore, I hope to plant the cilantro seeds, sage seeds, parsley seeds, and evergreen bunching onions seeds when it is cool enough to do so.

Leafy Greens

Most leafy greens grow well in the fall and winter months. And there are so many delicious greens to choose from! The leaves are tender and tasty when grown in cool fall weather. Once the weather starts turning warm, the leaves slowly turn tough and taste bitter. You can find your favorite leafy green seeds to plant individually or just order a set of lettuce seeds or a lettuce and greens mix garden seeds set to sample a variety of lettuce and greens this fall.

Last year I shared how to grow bok choy from seed and how to grow spinach from seed. They both grew inside sitting in a partially shaded window. Since my container garden is outside this year, I intend to give the giant noble spinach seeds and bok choy seeds a fair chance to grow in the sun. These leafy greens will be in addition to a few non-leafy green fall vegetables.

Non-Leafy Fall Vegetables

Brussels Sprouts – Brussels sprouts taste a lot like cabbage to me. However, since Brussels sprouts grow vertically and can provide a continuous harvest, they are a better option than cabbage for me. With vertical growth, much garden space can be saved and the days to harvest is a shorter period of time than cabbage. You can plant a number of Brussels Sprouts seeds to grow the number of plants needed.

Radish – There are many different kinds of radishes that can be grown in the fall. The Japanese Daikon radish is a really large carrot shaped radish that is white in color. It can be added to soups and stews as a potato substitute or spiralized to make keto noodles. Therefore, I intend to plant Daikon radish seeds this fall instead of the smaller radishes.

Cauliflower – This simple vegetable can be used to make all sorts of things in a keto kitchen or low carb kitchen. So, planting at least a few cauliflower seeds are on my list of things to plant.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

Summer Gardening Update | 2022

Posted on September 8, 2022September 11, 2022 by Lyn

It has been a really interesting summer in the garden here in southeast Texas to say the least. With temperatures hanging in the mid to upper 90s for weeks and no rain, most of the typical “summer” fruits and vegetables were stifled by the excess heat. And, as a result, unable to bear fruit. Nevertheless, I did manage to find some heat resistant vegetables to grow.

With such warm summer months in southeast Texas, growing the Roma tomatoes from seed, eggplants from seed, and jalapeño peppers from seed did not produce as well as they could have because of the high temperatures. So, in early July I decided to plant a mini, late summer, pre-fall garden to see how the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants would do going into slightly cooler fall weather.

We have gotten plenty of rain in recent weeks and the weather has been cooler. So, I have been trying to take advantage of the situation. With container gardening, you have to pay a little more attention to fertilizing the soil. This is especially true when it rains heavily. Heavy rains can easily wash all of the nutrients and fertilizers from the container. Therefore, after a hard rain, re-fertilizing container plants with the nutrients that they need is essential. Things like bell peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants can quickly become depleted of calcium and magnesium leading to a condition called blossom end rot.

Therefore, with all of the rain, the tomatoes, serrano peppers, and eggplants have been fertilized somewhat heavily with a vegetable and tomato tone fertilizer like the one listed under the gardening supplies for beginners. Thus far the tomatoes, eggplants, and serrano peppers are looking good. However, the goal is to prevent blossom end rot which only time will tell. A larger version of the DIY Trellis was put in place for the tomatoes and the DIY Neem Oil Spray is being used to effectively get rid of most garden bugs.

Poblano pepper seeds and jalapeño pepper seeds were also planted with the serrano pepper seeds. The poblano seeds germinated, however, the growth of the poblano pepper plant seems to be a little undersized and stunted. The jalapeño seeds did not germinate at all. With the temperatures dropping, I will be surprised to see any poblano peppers.

Vegetables That Grow Well in Texas Summer Heat

The soybeans, okra, and Malabar spinach thrived really well in the Texas summer heat. The spaghetti squash from seed did not seem to mind the heat either. These three or four vegetables tolerated the southeast Texas heat really well. However, there is more to the spaghetti squash story.

1. Soybeans

The soybean plants seemed to really love the heat. The hotter it got outside, the more the leaves seemed to come to life. Soybeans are heavy feeders. Without enough fertilizer the leaves will grow, but it will not produce flowers until it has been well-fertilized. Ironically, one of the best fertilizers for the soybean plants turned out to be the soy pulp that you end up with after making homemade soy milk and also the soybean hulls that too comes from making the soy milk or homemade tofu. You can learn more about how to grow soybeans from seed.

2. Okra

The baby bubba okra looked like it needed a drink in the middle of the hottest part of the day. But once it was given a drink of water it looked good. Nevertheless, the initial okra seedlings that were transplanted suffered from some type of soil fungus that is noted by the leaves fall off from the bottom to top. When I researched the issue, Burpee’s recommended promptly throwing the okra plants away.

Well, not wanting to toss out my okra plants, I fertilized and treated the soil with a homemade antifungal solution. Afterwards, most of the leaves promptly fell off. But then new leaves started to develop, and the okra plants did indeed start to produce okra later than the usual 53 days to harvest. However, while some of the okra that had grown looked perfectly edible, they were growing alongside some highly questionable looking okra. The highly questionable looking okra made me too scared to eat the perfectly edible looking okra – especially since the recommendation was to just scrap the plants once the soil fungus is noticed. So, I finally gave up and tossed all eight okra plants along with the soil.

Therefore, two baby bubba okra seeds were also planted in the mini, late summer, pre-fall garden. Both plants are looking good thus far. The first flower was spotted yesterday with a resulting baby okra about the size of my fingertip noticed this morning. You can find out more about how to grow okra from seed.

3. Malabar Spinach

The malabar spinach is a really nice plant for southeast Texas heat. It thrives best when it is roasting hot outside growing up to a foot a day. Once the temperature drops below 80 degrees, production slows down drastically and completely stops growing once it reaches 60 degrees.

The taste of this spinach is very pleasant. When the leaves are larger than your hand, you can also use the Malabar spinach leaves to make an excellent sandwich wrap that tastes good. However, unlike traditional spinach, it contains a gelatinous fiber similar to okra. Therefore, my favorite way to enjoy the taste of the spinach is in soups, stews, and likely other warm cooked meals or mixed raw salad blends.

With the malabar spinach, you can also end up with low carb or keto Malabar berries as well! If you have ever tried to grow any of the berry fruits from seed, you know how complicated the process can be at first. Then, you usually do not get any berries until the following year. So, the berries are truly an awesome bonus. You can learn more about how to grow malabar spinach from seed.

4. Spaghetti Squash

Learning how to grow spaghetti squash from seed is actually quite easy. However, IF the squash vine borers are a problem in your area, they be a real challenge to deal with. After the second round of squash vine borers hatched in our area, figuring out how to prevent squash viner borers seemed impossible. With that said however, the squash viner borers are only a problem in certain areas. So, if the squash vine borers are not a problem in your area, I highly recommend planting this gorgeous fast-growing flowering plant. It is pretty to look at and even the flowers are edible.

5. Armenian Cucumbers

One last comment about the Armenian cucumbers that were recommended as one of the heat resistant vegetables to grow. Like the spaghetti squash, the Armenian cucumbers are susceptible to the squash vine borers. Therefore, I decided not to give them a go in the middle of summer with the second round of squash vine borers in full force in our area. But based on my research, they do grow in really hot temperatures and taste just like traditional cucumbers.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

Meyer Lemon Tree: A Care Guide

Posted on August 27, 2022September 11, 2022 by Lyn

I originally wanted to share just a quick update on a Meyer lemon tree (citrus meyeri) in my little container gardening area. Instead, I decided to share a quick Meyer lemon tree care guide. Meyer lemon trees are attractive, shrub-like trees that can be easily grown in containers. They have gorgeous green leaves with large white and pink colored buds and flowers. With proper care, Meyer lemon trees typically produce these highly fragrant, wonderful smelling citrusy blooms all year long. And, when the blooms are pollinated, you can actually get fruit all year long as well! However, this will definitely depend on how well you fertilize and care for the Meyer lemon tree. They are heavy feeders. Once they reach the proper age to fruit, without enough fertilizer, the blooms may fall off and not fruit. While the Meyer lemon tree can bloom and fruit all year long, they typically produce heavily in fall, early winter, and early spring depending on the temperature in your area.

Why Grow A Meyer Lemon Tree?

Besides being a fruitful tree, meyer lemons are also full of antioxidants. It is a cross between tart lemon and sweet orange. Therefore, meyer lemons are distinctly sweeter and juicier than other lemons. For a sweet treat, you can use them to make lemonade, lemon ice cream, lemon ice, lemon cookies, lemon cakes, and lemon meringue pies. However, lemons make a lovely savory addition as well! You can sauté vegetables, fish, and seafood in lemon juice. Not to mention making yummy salad dressings and dips.

Quick Start Guide

Sunlight

A Meyer lemon tree will need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. You can grow a tree in a container near a really sunny window. However, once it starts flowering, the flowers will need to be pollinated before you will get any fruit.

Water

Citrus trees do not like to sit in water. So, you will need well-draining soil. So, if you are growing it in a container, the container will definitely need holes at the bottom to drain any excess water. When the Meyer lemon tree has been over-watered, the leaves will become heavy and start drooping as shown in the picture. This picture is after a several days of periodic down pours during a tropical storm season.

Nutrients

Citrus trees are heavy feeders! Without fertilization, they will sit and look pretty with green leaves. Once you fertilize the tree with a citrus fertilizer, noticeable changes will quickly take place. The first time I fertilized my meyer lemon tree with the organic citrus tone, the trunk of the tree grew noticeably taller and fresh new green leaves sprouted! After some neglect through the harsh summer months, I started fertilizing it again, and multiple flower bulbs started growing and a few flowers have opened. So, if I keep it fertilized, I may actually get some fruit this winter or spring.

Temperature

Meyer lemon trees grow best in tropical regions. However, Meyer lemon trees grow well in containers. So, if you do not live in a tropical region, you can grow it in a container. In this way, you can move it indoors once the temperature drops below 50 degrees. Meyer lemon trees are cold hardier than other citrus trees. Nevertheless, they prefer temperatures above 50 degrees F.

Pollination

Fortunately, meyer lemon trees are self-pollinating. Therefore, you do not need more than one tree. A single tree will give you fruit. However, pollination will still need to occur by means of the wind, bees, or other outdoor pollinators.

Harvest

A Meyer lemon tree grown from seed will start producing fruit in 3-5 years. Sometimes in as little as two years. When you purchase a Meyer lemon tree starter plant, depending on its age, you could start getting fruit the very first year! Once the tree blooms and the blooms are pollinated, the lemon fruits will be green for a period of time while growing. It could be six months or longer before you actually pick your first ripe yellow Meyer lemon. Therefore, a Meyer lemon starter tree is definitely the way to go if you want to harvest lemons sooner versus later.

In Summary

You can find more gardening ideas and tips on the main gardening page. Visit the gardening supplies for beginners page if you are just starting a garden. I hope you found this quick Meyer lemon tree care guide beneficial.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

How to Grow Malabar Spinach from Seed?!

Posted on July 9, 2022August 19, 2022 by Lyn

This is a guide for how to grow malabar spinach from seed in containers. However, if you are growing in a raised garden bed or a traditional garden, the concept is the same. This how-to guide is a continuation of Summer Vegetable Garden Ideas: Heat-Resistant Vegetables to Grow!

This heat-loving edible leafy green will be a welcomed addition to any gardener growing a garden in an area with really hot summers. I live in an area with temperatures that often remain well above 90 degrees during the summer months. With so much heat, your options can be somewhat limited in these areas. The malabar spinach is a vining vegetable that is popular in other really warm parts of the world like Asia and Africa. It is native to regions like India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. So, it can take the heat of summer.

Why Grow Malabar Spinach?

Most of your leafy green vegetables are cool season vegetables. At the first sign of heat, they bolt producing tough, bitter-tasting leaves. Therefore, having a leafy green vegetable that grows in 90+degree weather is very impressive. You can eat the malabar spinach cooked or you can eat it completely raw. And, as an added bonus, you get edible low carb malabar berries at the end of its growing season!

If you have ever tried to grow berries, you know that the seeds typically must go through several weeks of stratification before they can be planted. Then, once the seeds germinate and the plant grows, it is usually not until the second year that you will actually get any fruit. Some of you may want to learn how to grow malabar spinach from seed just for the berries. You can use these “bonus” malabar berries to make low carb juice, smoothies, pies, jams, or something else.

Preserving/Storing

The malabar spinach can be store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen. Like a traditional spinach, when eaten raw, it tastes best right off the vine. For longer storage, simply blanch the spinach before freezing.

Quick Start Guide

Days to Germination: 14 – 21days (My seeds germinated in 2 days.)
Growing Conditions: Full Sun, Moist Soil, No Pollination Required.
Temperature Tolerance: 80 to 90+ degrees (Optimum); Below 80^oF (Plant growth is reduced.); Consistently Below 60^oF (Plant growth stops.)
Plant Depth/Spacing: Plant a single seedling about 1/2-inch deep in a 9-inch container or you can plant multiple seedlings in a larger 12-inch container leaving about 5-6 inches between them.
Days to Harvest: 70-85 days to reach full maturity, but you can harvest and eat baby greens much sooner.

Seeds

There are two kinds of malabar spinach seeds available online. Based on my research, the color of the vines is different, but the spinach leaves taste the same. The basella rubra malabar spinach seeds will grow the gorgeous wine-colored vines and the basella alba malabar spinach will grow a more traditional, green-colored vines.

Seed Starter with Dome

To create the best environment for the seeds to germinate, a seed starter tray with a dome can be used.

Germination

As a hard round seed, malabar spinach seeds may be hard to germinate. Even the seed package says that it takes 14 – 21 days to germinate. Not wanting to wait 3 weeks just to see if any of the seeds germinate, I soaked two different sets of seeds two different ways. The goal was to (a) accelerate seed germination or (b) at least increase the odds of one of them germinating. Well, the experiment was a success.

Boiling Water – With the first set of seeds, I placed three seeds in a small cup of boiling water for about an hour. A loose cover was put over the cup to help keep most of the heat inside. With this method, 2 of 3 malabar spinach seeds germinated and sprouted in less than one week. In fact, I could see the first seed germinating just beneath the soil within 2-3 days of planting it in a covered seed starter cell. The second one appeared on day 5.
Soaking – Someone recommended soaking the seeds for 12 to 24 hours before germinating them in between wet paper towels. So, the second set of seeds were soaked in room temperature water for about 18 hours and then all 5 seeds were planted in a potting mix in covered seed starter cells.

Container

This leafy green is a vigorous grower. Therefore, placing too many seedlings in one container may only be counterproductive. A few plants will provide plenty of leafy greens for you to eat. Plant one per 9 to 10-inch container or multiple in a 12-inch container or larger.

Potting Mix

When planting in containers, a potting mix is needed. Otherwise, garden soil can be used.

Fertilizer

Malabar spinach is a green leafy vegetable. Therefore, it can benefit from a more nitrogen-rich fertilizer than other non-leafy green vegetables.

Trellis

The malabar spinach is a vining plant that will need support. It would look great on an arch trellis. However, it can also be supported well with a pea trelli in a garden bed or raised bed with rows.

In Summary

This is all for now! Find more ideas on the gardening page. This concludes how to grow malabar spinach from seed in containers.

Sources

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

Summer Vegetable Garden Ideas: Heat-Resistant Vegetables to Grow!

Posted on July 4, 2022January 1, 2023 by Lyn

These summer vegetable garden ideas were developed with two things in mind. With the heat waves many are experiencing, the list is made with heat-resistant vegetables versus heat tolerant vegetables in mind. The Roma tomatoes grown from seed and the jalapenos grown from seed stopped producing at the end of spring here in southeast Texas. Both of which are heat tolerant up to 90 degrees. We did get a relative cool front for some days, so I am waiting to see what happens with the flowering jalapeno plants that never fruited in the heat. The second thing that was kept in mind was the number of carbohydrates. As a low carb and keto recipe creator, the summer vegetable garden ideas listed here are also low carb and keto vegetables. It was not easy trying to discover (1) heat-resistant and (2) low carb/keto summer vegetables that can be grown in really hot and humid conditions. However, I think many of you will be impressed and excited to grow some of these unique vegetables.

#1 Okra – QuickStart Guide

Okra plants are currently growing in my little outside container garden. When the temperatures climbed to 95 degrees last week, the okra plants looked like they were loving all of that heat and humidity that came along with it. When the temperatures soared to 100 degrees, the leaves got a little droopy mid-day from a lack of water. However, the okra plants perked right back up afterwards. So, they are indeed a heat resistant summer vegetable for you to grow. Here you can learn how to grow okra from seed!

#2 Spaghetti Squash – QuickStart Guide

The spaghetti squash is also currently growing in the container garden. They too seemed to love the 90+ degree weather we experienced about a week ago. Here you can learn how to grow spaghetti squash from seed.

#3 Soybeans – QuickStart Guide

The soybeans are an amazing summer vegetable to grow. The plant itself seems to really perk up in the 90+ degree weather. This may have an effect on the soybean pod development, but the soybean plants themselves are truly heat loving plants that can be grown this summer. So, you can also learn how to grow soybeans from seed.

#4 Malabar Spinach – QuickStart Guide

Most of the green leafy vegetables are cool season plants. So, they typically bolt and go to flower while producing tough and bitter-tasting leaves that you will not enjoy in warmer temperatures. The malabar spinach is definitely one of the unique summer vegetable garden ideas. It thrives in 95+ degree heat with the growth rate slowing at 80 degrees, and starts dying at 60 degrees. You can view the guide on how to grow malabar spinach from seed.

#5 Armenian Cucumbers – QuickStart Guide

Based on my research, the Armenian cucumber taste just like a traditional cucumber. So, it can be used the same way a typical cucumber can be used. Unlike traditional cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers can tolerate 90+ degree weather. In this way, you can produce cucumbers all summer long even in really hot and humid areas like southeast Texas.

In Summary

There are a few more summer vegetable ideas that are being researched. So, please like share and subscribe for blog updates. Check out the gardening page for a list of resources for beginner gardeners. This concludes the summer vegetable garden ideas for now.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

How to Grow Spaghetti Squash from Seed?!

Posted on July 2, 2022July 6, 2022 by Lyn

This is the start of how to grow spaghetti squash from seed. This cute little spaghetti squash seed sprouts quickly. Shortly thereafter, it will become a large, amazing, and beautiful vining plant. If you are looking for an educational summer project for your kids, this could be it! This vining and flowering spaghetti squash plant will definitely have plenty of love to share. So much love that I have it planted in a container with a vertical trellis in place.

Why Plant Spaghetti Squash?

As suggested by the name, when cooked, spaghetti squash looks like spaghetti. While it does not taste like traditional spaghetti it is sometimes used as a healthy low carb or keto spaghetti alternative. People on a low carb diet and keto diet frequently use spaghetti squash as a low carb substitute.

Then too, spaghetti squash is easy to preserve and store during the cooler winter months. Therefore, if things go according to plan with your spaghetti squash plant, you may have spaghetti squash to eat periodically throughout most of the winter. Then, even if things to not go according to plan, the spaghetti squash leaves as well as the gorgeous yellow flowers are edible! You can sauté the abundance of leaves and stuff the flowers with something delightful to eat.

Preserving/Storing

Unlike zucchini or yellow squash, spaghetti squash develops a hard outer skin. Therefore, you do not have to cut, blanch, or freeze spaghetti squash. Once the outer layer of the spaghetti squash has hardened, you can simply store them in a cool and dry room to enjoy eating throughout the winter months.

Quick Start Guide

Days to Germination: 5-10 days (or less)
Growing Conditions: Full Sun, Moist Soil (No soggy soil), Pollination required.
Temperature Tolerance: 70 – 95^oF (Optimum); Below 50^oF (Plant may be injured).
Plant Depth/Spacing: Plant about 1-inch deep with one plant per 12-in container.
Days to Harvest: 90 days to mature

Seeds

You can get spaghetti squash seeds online or harvest your own. With the right growing conditions, the seeds sprout quickly. Then, if the roots are not disturbed, the plant continues growing relatively fast. Therefore, if you are planning to grow a vertical spaghetti squash garden, you should get your arched trellis in place as soon as your seedling(s) sprout. Otherwise, the runners will start to attach themselves to anything that is nearby. One plant may yield 10-12 spaghetti squash. So, you can decide how many spaghetti squash plants you want to manage in your garden.

Starter Pot(s)

How to Plant Spaghetti Squash Seeds? This gentle giant does not like to have its roots disturbed. Therefore, it is recommended that you sow spaghetti squash seeds directly in the ground or in the container in which it will continue to grow. However, you can use a round biodegradable seed starter pots that can then be planted directly into the soil once the seed sprouts. But do not attempt to remove the seedling from the cell. When the seedling was removed from a small round shaped cell to transplant in a large container, it seemed to have stunted its growth. This statement is made in comparison to another seedling that was transplanted from a larger 3-inch plastic seed starter pot before any roots began to show. In my experience, the small V-shaped seed starter cells seem to be too small for the seeds to even attempt to sprout. When the small V-shaped seed starter cells were used, none of the seeds sprouted.

Containers

In spite of the large, beautiful leaves and the lengthy vines it will grow, you can grow the spaghetti squash plant in a deep 12-inch container.

Potting Mix

Since you are planting the squash in containers, you will need to use a potting mix, not garden soil. The heavier garden soil may slow or stunt its growth.

Fertilizer

You can fertilize the potting mix with vegetable fertilizer and bone meal. Otherwise, the spaghetti squash plant does not appear to be a heavy feeder like other plants.

The Trellis

To manage and contain the vines, a trellis of some sort can be very beneficial. Otherwise, the spaghetti squash vines will consume a very larger portion of your garden. I chose to use an Arch Trellis with a spaghetti squash planted on both sides. You can use garden clips or twist ties to manage and direct its growth up the trellis.

Germination

The spaghetti squash seeds germinate relatively fast. Thus far, the ones that sprouted, sprouted in only a day or two. The roots and the plants grow relatively fast. So, at the first sign of the seeds sprouting, they will need to be transplanted into a larger container and your trellis should be ready for use shortly thereafter.

Harvesting

Spaghetti squash takes about 90 days to mature. The plant will flower and then fruit. Once the fruit turns yellow, wait for it to turn a golden yellow before cutting it off the vine. In this way, the squash is basically ready for storage straight off the vine. Otherwise, if wanted/needed you can harvest a large green squash to cook and eat right away. Once you remove a green squash, the skin will not hard. Therefore, it cannot be stored, it must be eaten like a traditional soft skin squash in a relatively short period of time.

In Summary

The spaghetti squash can be a beautiful, edible plant and ultimately vegetable in the garden. There is so much more that can be said about how to grow spaghetti squash from seed. So, if possible, I will continue to update this post. So be sure to keep checking the post for updates. But, for now, this concludes how to grow spaghetti squash from seed in containers.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

How to Grow Jalapeños from Seed?

Posted on June 29, 2022July 6, 2022 by Lyn

If you like cooking with or eating your foods with jalapeños, learning how to grow jalapeños from seed may be a worthwhile endeavor. This post is a continuation of the spring garden series. However, as mentioned in the how to grow okra from seed post, things have really warmed up here in southeast Texas. The temperature has been in the 90s for at least a week or two. Therefore, the jalapeño plants in my little container garden appear to be done. The plants are at least 2-3 feet tall and producing multiple clusters of pretty yellow flowers with no fruit. The flowers will produce fruit with a high temperature range of 80-85^oF and we have seen temperatures in the 100s. So, the plant leaves are starting to cook. Nevertheless, this is how to grow jalapenos from seed.

Why Grow Jalapeños?

For those of you that enjoy cooking, you know how annoying it can be to go fetch one or two herbs or spices from the store only to be back at the store the next day doing the same thing. Or, even worse, reaching for some “fresh” vegetables or herbs in the refrigerator only to discover that they have wilted and or no longer any good.

Preserving/Storing

Learning how to grow jalapeños from seed may leave you with an abundance of fresh jalapeños! And when you have had all of the fresh jalapeños you can stand, they are super easy to preserve. You can easily (1) freeze, (2) pickle, or (3) can some of your extra jalapeños when the growing season ends.

Quick Start Guide

Days to Germination: 14-21 days
Growing Conditions: Full Sun, Moist Soil, Pollination required.
Temperature Tolerance: 65 – 85^oF (Optimum); Above 90^oF (Pollen may not be produced for pollination to occur.); Below 60^oF (The plant may start losing its vigor).
Plant Depth/Spacing: Plant 1-2 seedlings about 1-inch deep in a 12-in container.
Days to Harvest: 70-85 days

Seeds

You can harvest your own jalapeño seeds or get jalapeño seeds online. The harvested seeds were not that easy to germinate. After multiple seed germination attempts, two of the harvested seeds finally sprouted. So, getting them online might make the germination process easier.

When you research how to germinate jalapeno seeds, exposing the seeds to hot water is the typical recommendation. Letting the seeds soak in super-hot water for 20 – 30 minutes before planting the seed can enhance the germination rate. If you live in a cool region and want to start germinating jalapeño seeds inside before the temperature is warm enough to do so outside, using a seedling heat mat is definitely recommended.

Seed Starter with Dome

With the jalapeño seeds, you will definitely want to cover your seeds with something to keep the heat (and moisture) inside. The dome is used to help keep the seeds warm and hold moisture inside the seed starter cell. So, a seed starter tray with a dome is ideal for germinating jalapeño seeds.

Seed Starter Mix

You can use potting soil to start your seeds. However, a seed starting mix will be more ideal and convenient. With a potting mix, you may have to take time to sift through the soil to remove large sticks and debris that can hinder seeds or seedlings from sprouting.

Container

The container that the jalapeño plants started flowering in was 6-inches wide and 6-inches deep. However, the plants became root bound. Since the weather in southeast Texas is currently getting too warm for the jalapeño to produce well, they were quickly upgraded to an ever so slightly larger pot. A 12-inch container will be more ideal.

Potting Mix

Using a good potting mix can help your jalapeño plants grow well in containers. Garden soil is heavier than potting mix. Therefore, plants may not thrive in a garden soil. So, try not to mix the two up.

Fertilizer

Jalapeno plants are heavy feeders. So, I fed my jalapeño plants with a vegetable fertilizer like the one shared on the gardening supplies for beginners page.

In Summary

You can find more gardening ideas on the main gardening page. Learn even more under gardening for beginners and container gardening for beginners. This concludes how to grow jalapeños from seed in containers.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

DIY Trellis

Posted on June 18, 2022June 29, 2022 by Lyn

This is a really easy vertical string DIY trellis that most anyone can make. You can see in some of the pictures shared below that it is perfect for some of the lightweight vining fruits and vegetables like grape tomatoes or green beans. The great part is that once you get the concept of making this type of DIY trellis you can customize it for your garden space and needs. I originally saw a gardener prepare a similar much larger homemade trellis against a wall or fence using grooved poles that she had purchased to stick directly into the ground in her garden. However, I have a bench container garden, so that idea was adapted to fit my particular gardening needs. So, you can certainly do the same, it’s easy!

Quick Start Guide

SUPPLIES:

TOOLS:

*If you are using pre-made stakes designed for making a trellis, insert the stakes in the ground and skip to step 5.

Step 1: Measure, mark, and cut the pole(s) or stakes as needed (if needed).
Step 2: Use the tape measurer to measure and mark the distance you want your horizontal rows to be on each pole (as needed).
Step 3: Use a nail to hammer a small hole in marks you have made along the pole.
Step 4: Use your hand to insert the screw hooks as needed.
Step 5: Once the hooks are in place on both poles, measure, tie, and cut the string. Repeat as needed for each horizontal row that you are adding so that the string rests near the hooks you have inserted or one of the grooves the stake came with.
Step 6: Now starting with the top horizontal string, you can start adding as many vertical rows of string that you would like to add. The top vertical string loop and the bottom vertical string loop will need to be tied in knots. The loops made in between can simply be tied once (not in a secure knot).

Stakes

The lady I saw making this type of DIY trellis used green stakes coated with vinyl to insert into the ground. They were already prepared with grooves to keep the string you will be adding in place. This DIY trellis is made with an 8-foot pole that was cut in half to create two 4-foot poles.

String

A durable gardening string is needed to add the horizontal rows and then also the vertical rows of string.

Screw Hooks

Since the wooden poles that were used are smooth, a hook of some sort was needed to keep the string in place. So, to maximize its benefits for my personal garden space, screw hooks were used. The screw hooks make it convenient to place a small bird feeder, bird bath, or to hold small flowerpots or vegetable pots. Otherwise, a small, straight short nail can be partially hammer into both of the wooden poles at the same level to keep the horizontal strings in place.

Tape Measurer

You will need a tape measurer to measure the vertical distance or space you want to place the horizontal rows of string. If you decide to make a much larger DIY trellis to stick in your garden bed, you can use the tape measurer to determine the space between a third or fourth stake you may add. The concept will be the same, it will just take a little longer to make.

Marker (Ink Pen)

If your stakes are already grooved and sized the way you want them to be, a marker is not needed. The marker is most important for any unmarked or groove free stakes you may be starting with. Use the marker to (1) measure the pole before cutting and (2) the roughly equal vertical distance you want between horizontal strings you will be adding.

Hand Saw

The hand saw can be used to cut whatever small piece of wood you may be using. The wood shown is a closet rod that was cut with a hand saw. If your stakes do not need to be cut, you will not need a hand saw to make you DIY trellis.

Hammer/Nail

If you purchased stakes, you may only need a hammer to gently pound the stakes partially into the soil. Otherwise, if you are making your own wooden stakes, you will need a hammer to start the hole for your screw hooks to be screwed in easily in the correct spot. The screw hooks are placed in the spot you measured and marked for the placement of your horizontal strings.

In Summary

Many of your favorite fruits and vegetables are vining. So even a beginning gardener will be looking for a trellis of some sort sooner or later. You can also choose from a number of different types of trellises online. However, once you have the concept of making this DIY trellis, you can make a variety of vertical trellises for your garden to hold some of your lightweight vining fruits and vegetables.

Container Gardening, Gardening, Indoor Gardening, Outdoor Gardening

DIY Neem Oil Spray

Posted on June 15, 2022June 29, 2022 by Lyn

You can use this DIY neem oil spray recipe to get rid of bugs on your plants in your outside garden. If needed, it is also safe to use on plants in an inside garden. This DIY Neem Oil Spray is an all-natural organic bug spray. Therefore, it can be used to spray plant leaves in an edible garden. It is one of the supplies recommended on the gardening supplies for beginners page.

DIY Neem Oil Spray Recipe

1 L (33.8 fl. oz.) Warm Water
1 tsp. Organic Neem Oil Concentrate (Cold Pressed)
1/2 tsp. Dawn Dish Detergent
1 1-Liter Spray Bottle
Digital Food Scale (Optional)

Instructions:

Place all of the ingredients in the spray bottle.
Then, shake the bottle.
Now the DIY Neem oil spray is ready to use.

How To Use:

The DIY Neem oil spray recipe should be sprayed on your plants leaves in the evening after the sun sets. In this way, the leaves will have time to absorb the oil before they are exposed to the sun again. Spray both the tops and the bottoms of your infested leaves.
Repeat every 2-3 weeks as a preventative or maintenance measure.
Repeat as often as needed on plants that are infested with insects.

Water

Warm water is needed to help the mixture blend together when shaken. Plus, you do not want to shock your plants by spraying them with a cold water. You can use rainwater, faucet water, or distilled water.

Neem Oil

Azadirachtin is the active ingredient in Neem oil. Heat destroys the active ingredient. Therefore, a cold-processed concentrated Neem oil is required to make an effective DIY Neem oil spray.

Dish Soap

The dish soap is needed to quickly and easily balance the chemistry of this DIY Neem oil spray. By themselves, oil and water do not mix. Therefore, an emulsifier is needed to help the ingredients blend together. A small amount of Dawn liquid dish detergent is added to help the two main ingredients blend together.

Spray Bottle

When filling up your 1-liter spray bottle, remember to leave some room at the top to add the oil, the soap, and the sprayer. Most plants have a lot of leaves, so you want to get a spray bottle with a good sprayer.

Scale

If you get a 1-liter spray bottle, a scale will not be needed unless you want to make a smaller DIY Neem oil spray recipe. Then, the digital food scale can come in handy.

In Summary

This is a quick and easy recipe to make to help keep the plant eating insects out of your garden. You can find more gardening ideas on the gardening page. This concludes the DIY Neem oil spray recipe.