What Can I Plant in April?

April is here! If you are anything like me you are just itching to get started on your garden this year. Before you bust out your favorite shovel and gardening gloves though, make sure you are watching the temperatures and forecast in your local area. The planting schedule below is based off of USDA zones and an average planting time.We all know how unpredictable the weather is though, so this is just a suggested list. If you are in the colder zones like I am you may just be starting your indoor seedlings, click here for more information about that!  Happy Gardening!





Zone 1: Asparagus, Beets, Celery, *Chives, *Corn, *Cucumbers, Potatoes, Radish,


Zone 2: Artichokes, Beets, *Broccoli, *Cabbage, Carrots, *Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Chives, Corn, *Endive, Kohlrabi, Leeks, *Lettuce, *Onions, *Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potatoes, Rhubarb, Spinach, Turnips


Zone 3 & 4: Asparagus, Beets, *Broccoli, *Brussels Sprouts, *Cabbage, Carrots, *Cauliflower, Collards, Endive, Horseradish, Kale, Kohlradi, *Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Turnip 

Zone 5 & 6: Asparagus, Beets, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Irish Potatoes, Spinach

Zone 7 & 8: Beans, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Okra


Zone 9 & 10: Beans, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Okra, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, watermelon



*It is recommended these plants need to be started indoors before they are planted outside

Check with your local extension office for area specific information

Tips on Fertilizing your Garden

When is the Best Time to Fertilize?

This Spring as you are starting your garden you may be asking yourself, when is the best time to fertilize? The key to understanding the answer to this question is to understand the growing cycle of your plants.

Each plant has three main stages: the growth stage, the fruiting stage and the dormant stage.

Key times to fertilize are at the beginning of the growth stage and then right before the fruiting stage. There isn't a big need to fertilize before the dormant stage. 

What Should I Use as a Fertilizer?

Our favorite fertilizer is made by Dynamite Specialty Products. Vigor is made from a proprietary process that starts with a sugar cane molasses base. To that, they add a complete and balanced mineral and trace mineral package into a nutrient cluster that grabs soil particles on a microscopic level. The result is a custom-manufactured, non-leaching, fertilizer. This fertilizer stays put until your plant needs it allowing plants to feed when they want. The result is a food that promotes plant health rather than plant growth. Quality vs. quantity. Vigor's focus is on making sweet, delicious fruits and veggies with incredible flavor and healthy, happy plants. This product combines the soil-building qualities of longtime Dynamite soil product Humi-Zyme-Rx with our CCF (concentrated compost factor) and an additional trace mineral pack that takes our old standby (Humi-Zyme) to the next level.
To order Vigor, call Dynamite's Customer Service at:  (800) 697-7434

Happy Gardening! Here's to healthy soil and healthy plants.

Planting Spinach- Have Salad all Spring!

Tired of going to the store every week to buy spinach for your salads? Grow your own organic, pesticide free spinach in your own yard! Check out this video from Jim Zamzow on how to plant spinach in a large pot that will provide for you and your family all Spring!

Zesty Chicken Salsa Soup Recipe

Zesty Chicken Salsa Soup
All of us have those recipes, the old standbys right? These are the ones that you know will be fabulous with little effort.
This recipe showcases garden fresh tomatoes, garlic, cilantro & onions. If you happen to have limes or avocados in your garden, then they work perfect also!
Ingredients
2-3 Boneless Chicken Breasts thawed
1 onion diced
3-4 cups chicken broth
10 tomatoes [including juice] diced
4 garlic cloves- peeled and finely diced or pressed
4 oz can of green chili (or fresh if you have them!)
2 tsp salt
lime juice 
cilantro (garnish)
Avacados (sliced & served on top)
                                                                   Sour Cream (garnish)
                                                                   Tortilla Chips (garnish)
Put the chicken, onion, broth, tomatoes, garlic, green chile & salt into a crock pot. Turn on high and cook for 4-5 hours until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breast and shred with a fork. Add chicken back to the soup and season to taste. If you want your soup to be "brothier" feel free to add more chicken broth. Serve hot with fresh lime juice squeezed on top, cilantro, sour cream, avocado chucks and tortilla chips if you desire. Enjoy!

Saving Seeds For Next Year- Gardening Tips

People have been saving seeds as long as people have been gardening. Before there were stores on every corner where you can buy seeds and plants, saving seeds was the typical way gardeners would prepare for next year's crop.

Why Save Seeds?

So why would I want to save seeds each year if it's so easy to just go to the store and buy seeds or plants?

The main reason is that you have a plant that you love and you want to have it again next year! 

What Types Can I Save?

The seeds that are best for saving are heirloom, self-pollinated or open pollinated plants.These are the only varieties that will be exactly like the parent plant.  Self-pollinated plants are the easiest to save and include: Beans, Peppers, Chicory, Endive, Lettuce, Peas, & Tomatoes.

Other types of plants are likely a hybrid. Saving seeds from these plants will not result in a plant exactly like the parent but will have traits from it. So if you are looking for something different this would be a good way to go. 

Choose the Best

A rule of thumb is to always save the seeds from the best quality plants. Pay attention to which plants were the most productive, disease resistant and produced great blooms, fruits, or vegetables. 

How do I Save the Seeds?
Depending on what type of seeds you are trying to save there are several different methods. If you are dealing with beans, flowers, broccoli, lettuce or any other plant where the seed pods dry on the plant, you can catch the seeds by placing small bags over the seed heads. Another way to do this is to pull the plant out of the ground just before the seeds are completely dry and storing the plants upside down in a paper bag.
If you are harvesting seeds from vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, or squash where the seeds are inside of the vegetable or fruit,  you will need to let the vegetable sit until they are far past the edible stage. When the seeds are then ready you can simply scoop out and dry the seeds. Tomatoes are different though and require a wet processing method that you can look up.

Storing the Seeds:

There are several things to remember when you are storing the seeds:

1. The seed must be dry, remove as much chaff as possible

2.They must be stored in a dark, dry place at a temperature between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. [your refrigerator!] 

3. Store them in individual paper packets that are labeled.

4. These paper packets need to be stored in tightly sealed glass containers [ you can store the paper packets together!]

5. Adding a small amount of silica-gel desiccant to each container helps to absorb moisture and keep the seeds dry.

6. Use these saved seeds the following year for best results

Garden Fresh Strawberry Smoothie

First thing in the morning I love to make creamy strawberry smoothies. The tangy rich taste just seems to start my morning off right.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh strawberries [pitted]
1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk [or regular milk if you prefer!]
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 ice cubes

Directions:
Puree in the blender and serve immediately. Cutting a fresh strawberry as a garnish adds a beautiful touch as well.

Garden Tool Co.

If you are anything like me then you appreciate quality. Garden Tool Co. crafts top-of-the-line gardening tools that are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. I love buying things with the peace of mind that I will love it or I can return it . Check out their vast selection here.
If you're not sure where to start, they have a great article on their site called "List of Garden Tools Every Gardner Must Have..Or Not".

Transplanting Seedlings

Jim Zamzow shows how to transplant seedlings to larger pots.

Starting Seeds Indoors

How to start seeds indoors by Jim Zamzow.

Homemade Potato Wedges

When you are grilling hamburgers this summer the perfect addition to your meal is hearty potato wedges straight from your garden. 

 

4 russet potatoes [for 3-4 people]

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper

   

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and scrub your potatoes. Slice them into 1/4" wedges.

3.  In a large resealable bag add your oil, half of your spices and sliced potatoes. Seal the bag and gently shake to coat all of the wedges.

4. Prepare a nonstick baking sheet by lightly spraying it with nonstick spray. Place the seasoned potato wedges on the sheet and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.

5. Bake potato strips at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes or until crispy. Serve immediately.

Garden Fresh Salsa

Nothing adds a little zest and healthy freshness to a meal like Salsa can! Whether it's used as a "dressing" on a southwest salad, a topping to your morning scramble, or simply eaten with chips, salsa can be a jack of all trades. Here's my favorite recipe for garden fresh salsa.

10 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup diced onion

2 poblano peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons lime juice 

Directions 

1. Cut open the jalapeno and poblano peppers down the middle to scrape the seeds out. Cut off the top of the peppers. Roast these over medium heat [in a frying pan or over the BBQ] until they blister. Remove from heat and let cool. Finely chop these up to be added to the other mixture. 

2. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, chopped peppers and lime juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving. 

*If you prefer your salsa to be more mild, you may use 3 poblano peppers instead of using 2 poblano peppers and 1 jalapeno pepper.

Raising Baby Chicks

Little peeps can be heard this time of year at your local feed store. I can't help but pet their fuzzy little heads and remember years of raising chicks as a child. If you are about to embark on the adventure of raising your own chicks here are a few important things to consider.
-Their Home
-Their Food & Water
- Keep them Warm
- Keep them Clean

1. Their Home

Whether it be a cardboard box or a wire cage make sure that the chicks have enough room to run around and to sleep. The recommended space is 2 square feet per chick. This may sound like a lot but they grow fast, so even if they don't need this space right away they will need it eventually! The sides should be high enough that they can't jump out and that nothing can get to them that shouldn't. It needs to be well ventilated as well. The bottom should be lined with about 1" of pine shavings and should be changed often. These little guys sure can make a mess! (do not use cedar shavings). Although it's tempting to use newspaper it can get slippery when wet and can also result in the chicken's legs being splayed out.

Chicks love to roost when they get a little bit older. Having a small roost (think about 1/2" in diameter dowel) can keep them from perching on things that you'd rather them not stand on such as their feeding dishes!  

                                                      
                                                      
                                             2. Their Food & Water
The key to choosing a feeder and a watering dish is containment! Even though they are small, chicks still scratch and will fling their food all over if they get the chance. They will also poop in their food and water dishes so the design can help minimize this. Having a waterer made specifically for chicks, such as the one on the left, can also prevent drowning. Make sure you switch out the water & food at least daily if not more depending on the number of chicks and how messy they are.
Chicks start out eating "crumbles". There are two kinds of crumbles, medicated and non-medicated. Baby chicks are prone to Coccidiosis and the medicated food can help prevent this. If you aren't feeding medicated food keeping their living space clean is even more vital!

3. Keep Them Warm
These little guys need to be kept pretty warm. The first week of their lives they need to be kept around 95 degrees, the second week they need to be kept at 90 degrees and then the temperature can keep being decreased by 5 degrees each week until they are ready to go outside.
The chicks should have their feathers between 5-8 weeks old.
In order to keep them warm you will need to use a 250-watt infrared heat lamp.(we recommend the red heat bulb) Placing this suspended in the middle of their living area is the best way  to achieve this. The height of the lamp will depend on the temperature that you are trying to achieve. A good way to judge if the heat is correct is by watching how the chicks behave. If they are huddled together directly underneath the lamp then they are probably cold. If they are all by the edges of their house (a.k.a. the brooder), as if they are avoiding the lamp and each other then they are probably too hot! Happy chicks will be wandering around their house and seem comfortable.

4. Keep them Clean
Sanitation is an extremely important part of keeping your chicks healthy. Changing their food, water & bedding frequently may seem like a hassle, but it really makes a difference. Also, keep an eye out to make sure the chicks aren't "pasting up". This happens when the droppings get stuck on their backsides and dry which prevents them from pooping and can result in death! So either use a damp paper towel or warm water to resolve this problem. Even though the little chick will squawk for all its worth, know you are helping it!

                                  
Outside Time
Chicks can have outside play time once they are about 3 weeks old. Make sure that it is warm enough outside (around 70 degrees) and that you have a close eye on them. They are deceivingly fast and are small enough to get into tight quarters. If you have a wire run or boundaries for them, even better!
By the time they are around 5-7 weeks old they are ready to join the outside world. Make sure your coop is ready before they are!


In case you're wondering when your chicks will start to lay eggs (the hens of course!), the answer is around 6-7 months old. The eggs will start out slow and production will slow in the winter unless they are kept really warm and the temperatures are around the same as the summer months. There is no set age when hens stop laying, but production starts to drop off around year 2 or 3. 

Building a Chicken Coop

 Here are some things to consider before building a chicken coop!
 
Location- The location should be large enough to fit the size of both the coop and the outdoor run. Make sure no animals have access to this area so they           can't harass the chickens. 
     
Size- This depends on the number of chickens that you will be raising & also         the breed of chickens. As a rule of thumb you want a minimum of 2 sq. feet           per chicken for the coop and a minimum of 4 sq. feet per chicken for the run.


 Design- There are several basic elements you want to include in your coop: Security, A Roof, Ventilation, Nesting Boxes, A Place to Roost and an open air chicken run. There is an assortment of photos online for inspiration! One of my favorites is :Backyardchickens.com

 Building Materials-Some common materials that you may need include: chicken wire, 2x4s, plywood, shingles, insulation, pine shavings/straw. *Do not use cedar shavings as they can be poisonous to chickens.

 Cost- Figure out an estimated cost beforehand to ensure you can build the coop properly.

 Laws & Regulations in your City- Different cities have different zoning laws and regulations, so                  be sure to research this beforehand!      

What Can I Plant in March?

March is here! If you are anything like me you are just itching to get started on your garden this year. Before you bust out your favorite shovel and gardening gloves though, make sure you are watching the temperatures and forecast in your local area. The planting schedule below is based off of USDA zones and an average planting time.We all know how unpredictable the weather is though, so this is just a suggested list. If you are in the colder zones like I am you may just be starting your indoor seedlings, click here for more information about that!
 Happy Gardening!





Zone 1: *Asparagus, Beets, *Celery, *Endive, Carrots, *Leeks, *Lettuce, *Onions, *Parsley, Peas,White Potatoes, Radish, Rhubarb [*these plants should be started as seedlings]

Zone 2: *Asparagus, Beets, *Broccoli, Carrots, *Celery, *Chives, *Onions, *Parsley, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb [*these plants should be started as seedlings]

Zone 3 & 4: Nothing outdoors yet- be starting your broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, lettuce (head), okra, peppers indoors though

Zone 5 & 6: Broccoli, Carrots, Collard , Kale, Mustard, Onion, Turnip [all during the last week of March]

Zone 7 & 8: Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Collard, Corn, Kale, Onion

Zone 9 & 10: Beans, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Okra, Peas, Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Squash, Tomatoes, Watermelon,


Check with your local extension office for area specific information

Protecting Your Plants From Frost

Weather can be unpredictable, especially in the spring time! When you hear that there's going to be a frost though, don't panic. There are some things that you can do to protect your newly planted garden from the bitter cold.
1. Cover Them Up
The most common solution for impending frost is to cover your plants with an old sheet or blanket. Use stakes taller than the plant and your covering to create a tent around it. Make sure the cover doesn't come into contact with the plant as the freezing temperatures will be transferred to the plant. Make sure you remember to take off the coverings during the day though so you don't fry your plants!

 2. Water 
Moist soil holds more heat than soil that is dry. Watering your plants a day or two before the frost is expected can help protect your plants. Make sure to not fully saturate the plants while temperatures are low though as this will injure the plants. Light watering in the early evening before the temperatures drop helps to raise the humidity levels and keep your plants warmer.

How to Know When to Plant Your Garden

Starting your own garden this year? You've come to the right place! There is something so fulfilling about getting dirt under  your nails and seeing the first seedlings pop out of the rich soil. You may be asking yourself though, how do I know when to plant? Timing is so crucial. Based on which part of the country you live in, you are part of a USDA planting zone. You can use these charts to help you decide what grows best in your zone and the appropriate time to grow them!
What USDA Zone am I in?
Use the map at the bottom of this post to locate which zone you are in.Once you find out what zone you are in you can use that information to see what dates you can plant specific fruits and vegetables!
If you are in one of the zones where your growing season is short, you may choose to start your seeds indoors. This was one of my favorite things to do growing up. I loved looking in the window every morning and see if the little green plants had broken the surface yet.
When should you start planting your seeds indoors? This depends on what type of seed it is and when the last frost date is for your zone. The back of the seed packet should tell you how many weeks ahead you should start the seeds. Looking at a calendar count back from the last expected frost date for each type of seed you are planting and you will have a planting schedule. 
I find it helpful to figure this out in advance and to write it out on a calendar so I can prepare the planters and buy the seeds!
Zone Chart

Fertilizer Product Spotlight - Vigor™

Product Spotlight
Name: Vigor™
Made by: Dynamite Specialty Products
Want robust house plants, potted plants that are the envy of your neighbors, and a garden full of lush vegetables? Vigor is made from a proprietary process that starts with a sugar cane molasses base. To that, they add a complete and balanced mineral and trace mineral package into a nutrient cluster that grabs soil particles on a microscopic level. The result is a custom-manufactured, non-leaching, fertilizer. This fertilizer stays put until your plant needs it allowing plants to feed when they want. The result is a food that promotes plant health rather than plant growth. Quality vs. quantity. Vigor's focus is on making sweet, delicious fruits and veggies with incredible flavor and healthy, happy plants. This product combines the soil-building qualities of longtime Dynamite soil product Humi-Zyme-Rx with our CCF (concentrated compost factor) and an additional trace mineral pack that takes our old standby (Humi-Zyme) to the next level.
To order Vigor, call Dynamite's Customer Service at:  (800) 697-7434

Gurney's Seed & Nursery Spotlight

Looking for top quality seeds and plants? Look no further! Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. is your one stop shop for a vast selection of premium, high-yield seed packets and seed starters. They've been around since 1866 and are a tried and true company to work with.
Check them out online here.

Gadgets- Potlifter

There's something about a good gadget that just makes my heart happy. Today we are spotlighting the Potlifter, an ingenious creation that allows two people to lift heavy items such as large pots, heavy bags, hay bales or landscaping stones. So instead of putting out your bag thinking you can lift that huge bag of fertilizer, think about using this awesome gadget. You can find out more information here.

[photo from potlifter.com]