Planting Spinach in Finger Holes: Raised Bed Gardening

Spinach is a mainstay of every garden. The easy way to plant it, is by poking your finger into the ground and making a hole. It is simple, fast, and very efficient. This planting design allows you to pick baby spinach, leaves, and allows remaining plants to grow to full maturity. Raised beds are...

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Growing All Types of Basil Everywhere: All Season Long!

Love it or hate it, basil is an easily recognized herb in its green leafy pungent form. I happen to love basil. Did you know it comes in dozens of colors, scents, sizes and taste? It also comes in a bush or shrub variety although these types aren’t typically used for culinary preparations. Basil...

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Tomato Planting Basics: Preparing the Planting Hole & Planting

Tomato Planting BasicsPreparing the Tomato Planting Hole & PlantingTomatoes and vegetables want to grow. You don't need to have perfection when planting vegetables. All you really need is a decent hole that has organic matter, fair dirt and some basic nutrients. When it comes to tomatoes, you also...

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Planting Tomatoes in 18 Gallon Containers: "Freshening' the Soil & Egg Shells

Growing Tomatoes in 18 Gallon ContainersAmending the Soil and Using Egg Shells to Prevent Blossom End-RotThe main difference between the 18 gallon containers and the 5 gallon containers is moisture management. I can water the larger containers a lot less and therefore worry less about a complete soil...

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60 Seconds or Sow: Acclimating Indoor Tomatoes Outdoors with Milk Containers

60 Seconds or Sow:'Hardening Off' Indoor Tomatoes Directly into Your GardenAcclimating transplants is the process of slowly introducing them to the sun, wind and weather over a weeks period of time. Plants grown inside don't have the 'toughness' to be outside. This process is also called 'hardening...

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Container Tomato and Pepper Tips: Moisture Control Soil, Mulch & Water Reservoir

Container Tomato and Pepper TipsSoil Moisture and Watering Container gardens can be very successful if you can figure out how to manage watering and maintain even moisture in your containers all season long.The number one issue with container gardens is that you can't let the soil in your containers...

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A Basic Introduction to Beekeeping: Every Garden Needs Pollinators

A Basic Introduction to Beekeeping: Every Garden Needs PollinatorsI don't have direct experience with beekeeping but I thought I would use some of the experience of fellow gardener and home farmer, Blake Kirby, to introduce beekeeping basics.He was able to attend a class that taught him the basics...

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Fresh from the Garden: Asparagus, Spinach, Leeks and Garlic Sauteed with Rice

Fresh from the GardenAsparagus, Spinach, Leeks and GarlicSauteed with RiceFresh from the Garden - The Rusted Garden BlogI am going to run a regular blog and video series called Fresh from the Garden. Based on my time, I will either make a video or take some pictures and create a blog entry.This is my...

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The Basics to Planting Blueberries: Acidify the Soil with Peat Moss

The Basics to Planting Blueberries:Acidify the Soil with Peat MossBlueberries are hardy bushes that can be grown in many gardening zones.  They are easy to grow and can even handle some shade. The more sun the better, but you can tuck them into your garden in those partial shade areas. The most...

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60 Seconds or Sow: What is a Potato Leaf Tomato? - The Rusted Garden 2013

What is a Potato Leaf Tomato?It refers to the basic shape of the tomato leaf. The leaf of the tomato in this case more resembles a potato leaf... yeah. Heirloom tomatoes like the 'Brandywine' varieties come with potato leaves. When ordering seeds through catalogs you my come across descriptions of 'potato...

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How to Grow Tomatoes (Other Vegetables) in an 18 Gallon Storage Container

How to Grow Tomatoes in an 18 Gallon Storage ContainerThis method of container gardening will work for any vegetable. The key to container gardening is matching the size of the container to the watering needs and full growth of the vegetable plants. A vegetable plant left in the sun, in a container...

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Garden Tour: Early April 2013 - All My Tomato and Vegetable Transplants

Early April Garden Tour of The Rusted GardenSo the weather here has gone from unfriendly cold nights with frost for 3 weeks to 90 degrees today. Records are being broken in both the wrong directions. Mother Nature has brought some havoc to my garden but I am managing okay. I am hoping for 60 and 70...

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60 Seconds or Sow: What is Tomato Leaf Sunscald & How to Prevent It

Tomato Leaf Sunscald and PreventionTomatoes and vegetables grown under lights don't develop resistance to the sun. They need to be slowly acclimated to the outdoors for sun, wind and temperature. This is best done over a weeks time. Slowly bring the plants out for 1-2 hours, over a few days, and work...

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How to Plant Your Onion Seedlings/Transplants in the Garden

How to Plant Your Onion Seedlings/Transplants in the GardenFinally, spring has arrived. After tonight we get 40+ degree nights. That's onion, kales and lettuce weather. Oh and radishes, peas and chard if your counting.This weekend I planted a lot of my onions and leeks into the garden. The first video...

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Three Tips to Preventing Soil Harboring Tomato Diseases: Mulching, Pruning & Watering

Tomatoes are subjected to many diseases and pests. There are strategies you can use preemptively to reduce the risks of disease. While I can’t guarantee you won’t get a disease in your garden, these three steps will make it more difficult for soil born diseases to establish themselves. The main...

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