The Rusted Garden Journal

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Introducing 5 Great Container Peppers Ready for Harvest: My First Vegetable Garden

My First Vegetable Garden: 
Introducing 5 Great Container Peppers Ready for Harvest

Peppers make great container vegetables. The peppers in the video were grown in Maryland Zone 7. We get high 90 degree days in July and August. The peppers were grown to size and harvest in only 2 1/2 gallon paint containers. I used a $1 plastic saucer as a water reserve. These are 5 peppers I recommend for your future container gardens.

Peppers love the heat. They love warm roots and containers provide them with this opportunity. They are much more forgiving with watering then tomatoes and tend to produce more when slightly neglected. Do not over fertilize them with nitrogen. You will get a lot of green leaves. Go light on nitrogen and a bit heavier phosphorous for a higher yield of peppers.






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Monday, August 26, 2013

My 1st Vegetable Garden: Basic Trellising for Your Spring and Fall Container Peas

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My 1st Vegetable Garden: 
Basic Trellising for Your Spring and Fall Container Peas

If you have experience growing peas in containers this video probably covers what you already know. If you are just starting in the world of gardening... this video will provide you with two basic ways to trellis your container peas.

Peas are outstanding cool weather vegetables and many gardeners can grow them in the spring and fall. Peas are very fragile in that they have hollow stems that break easily. If they were to flop over containers, they would easily snap on a windy day. A trellis gives them a place to climb and support themselves against wind.

When your peas are about 6 inches tall they will start sending out tendrils to grab onto things. That is the time you want to have a trellis set up. A trellis will let your peas grow to full height and it will let them reach their full pea pod production.

Here are two videos from my new YouTube Channel geared toward first time gardeners, it is called My First Vegetable Garden. The channel will walk new gardeners through seed starting, planting, tending and harvesting vegetables. There are 2 videos so far in the series of planting container peas.







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Saturday, August 24, 2013

60 Seconds or Sow: Identification and Cause of Tomato Fruit Cracking

60 Seconds or Sow: 
Identification and Cause of Tomato Fruit Cracking


Tomato fruit cracking essentially occurs due to one main reason and that is uneven watering. Other factors may play into it but if your tomato plant's root system severely dries out and that is then followed with lots of water... tomato fruits often crack. The roots try and send in too much water too quickly to the fruit and they crack.

If your container tomatoes dry out completely, don't flood the container with water. It probably will cause the fruit to crack. Give it a little water through out the day and let it slowly drink up. After a full day or two of a little water, you can go back to a regular watering routine.





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Friday, August 23, 2013

My 1st Vegetable Garden: How to Harvest Cucumber Seeds from Your Garden - MFG 2013


How to Harvest Cucumber Seeds from Your Garden 


Vegetable seeds can last years once harvested and stored. You can save yourself a lot of money. Cucumber seeds are really easy to harvest if you let the cucumbers swell to 3 or 4x's picking size and let them turn an yellow orange color. The seeds will be mature and they can be removed and dried on a plate. You will have seeds for the next year or two.





I am also starting a new YouTube Channel called My First Vegetable Garden. It differs from my main channel in that I am assuming you are brand new to gardening. The videos are longer, as I spend more time explaining all the gardening components in the video. Please join and spread the word. I will be doing videos through the end of this season but will start again with starting seeds indoors. Why not sign on?


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Thursday, August 15, 2013

My 1st Vegetable Garden: How to Plant Container Peas in the Fall

My 1st Vegetable Garden: 
How to Plant Container Peas in the Fall

I started a new YouTube channel called: My First Vegetable Garden. The videos differ from my other channel in that they are longer and more detailed. The videos will have specific themes such as; planting, tending and harvesting. I will explain each step in the video as if this is really your first time getting started.

This video shows you all the steps needed to plant container peas, even how to water them.  If you have a lot of experience this might not be the video for you. If you are just starting, I hope you find it useful and subscribe to my new gardening channel: My First Vegetable Garden! Please help me spread the word!





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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

My New Garden YouTube Channel Dedicated to New Vegetable Gardeners

My New Garden YouTube Channel 
Dedicated to New Vegetable Gardeners

I have launched my 2nd gardening YouTube Channel that is focused 100% on new or relatively new gardeners. I added a private G+ Gardening Community that is only for new gardeners.  Just check out the community and ask to join: My First Vegetable Garden. My goal is to teach and help motivate people to start a garden.

My first video is about what else.... understanding what gardening zone you are in and that there are cool and warm weather crops. I will be making dozens of videos to explain every aspect of gardening as if you don't  know anything. It is a great place to learn, ask questions and grow a vegetable garden. Learn with others as they learn and grow!

Please help me in spreading the word to new gardeners. If you could send this along your social media I will be greatly appreciated! If you have the time please subscribe and help me launch my new channel. Thanks for your support. Good luck in your garden!



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Monday, August 5, 2013

My First Garden!: How to Easily Plant Fall Container Peas

My First Garden! 
How to Easily Plant Fall Container Peas


I started a new series called: My First Garden!. I hope to be part of getting more people to have home gardens. I am starting the series with fall gardening. I am in Maryland Zone 7 and August is the time to start bringing the cool weather vegetables back into the garden. Peas are an easier container vegetable that love the cool weather. I figured I'd start with them.

The video shows you everything you need to do to have container peas. It is super easy to do and very inexpensive to set up. And remember you can use the containers for a couple of years, if not longer.





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Thursday, August 1, 2013

60 Seconds or Sow: A New Vegetable Gardening Series to Quickly Provide Information

60 Seconds or Sow: 
A New Vegetable Gardening Series 
to Quickly Provide Information

I started a vegetable gardening series called 60 Second or Sow. Yes a play on the word so. I figure your time is valuable and I designed this series to cover various vegetable gardening topics in about a minute or so. I have 26 videos in the series, all but 1 is about 60 seconds or sow...

I plan to add several 60 Second or Sow videos each month as a topic arises in my garden. The video are usually relevant to what is immediately going on in Zone 7 gardens at any given moment. However, they are relevant to all gardening Zones through out the globe.

Please check out my YouTube Channel found at this link: YouTube Channel: The Rusted Garden

If you find my YouTube Channel useful please subscribe and I could really use help in getting the word out to other gardeners. I would appreciate any help in spreading the word through your social media connections to... that I have a vegetable gardening YouTube Channel. Thanks!

Here are some sample 60 Second or Sow videos that you might find useful as well as the titles of the other 26 videos.









  1. 60 Seconds or Sow: How to Use Baking Soda to Fight Powdery Mildew - The Rusted Garden Blog

    This is nearly a 60 second video that teaches you how to use dish detergent and baking soda to manage powder mildew in you ...
    • HD
  2. 60 Seconds or Sow: Identifying the Male & Female Cucumber Flowers - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you how to identify the male and female cucumber flowers. All flowers on cucumber plants DO NOT ...
    • HD
  3. 60 Seconds or Sow: Swiss Chard - A 3 Season Vegetable: The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 second or sow, I introduce you to a cool weather vegetable that grows through all three seasons. If you haven't grown Swiss ...
    • HD
  4. 60 Seconds or Sow: Identifying the Squash Bug & Squash Bug Eggs - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... quickly learn to identify the squash bug and the eggs it lays. You have to inspect the upper and lower leaves ...
    • HD
  5. 60 Seconds or Sow: Identifying and Treating Japanese Beetles - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you how to identify Japanese beetles and discuss treatment options. They are one of the more easier ...
    • HD
  6. 60 Seconds or Sow: Use Cedar Shims to Label Your Vegetable Garden - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so I share a method to mark your garden plants. Cedar shims are inexpensive and can be found at most large ...
    • HD
  7. 60 Seconds or Sow: Using Purple Coneflower to Attract Pollinating Insects - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I talk about attracting pollinating insects to your garden. Many garden vegetables like cucumbers, squash, ...
    • HD
  8. 60 Seconds or Sow: Killing Snails and Slugs with Iron Phosphate - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or sow, I explain to you how to use iron phosphate in your garden to kill and control snails and slugs. It is simple ...
    • HD
  9. 60 Seconds or Sow: Lettuce Decoys to Manage Rabbit Pests - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or sow... I discuss a strategy to use 'decoy' plants to minimize rabbit damage in your garden. Nothing fancy, just a ...
    • HD
  10. 60 Seconds or Sow: First Leaves or True Tomato Leaves, What are They? - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or sow, I show you the difference between first leaves and true leaves on tomato seedlings. First leaves are the ...
    • HD
  11. 60 Seconds or Sow: Acclimating Indoor Tomatoes Outdoors with Milk Containers: The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I explained to you why indoor tomato plants have to be acclimated or slowly introduce to the outdoors and ...
    • HD
  12. 60 Seconds or Sow: All About Determinate Tomatoes /Massive Fruiting- The Rusted Garden 2013

    There are two basic kinds of tomatoes. There are indeterminate and determinate tomatoes. Determinate varieties like the 'Baxter ...
    • HD
  13. 60 Seconds or Sow: Container Determinate Tomatoes & Massive Fruiting - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you determinate tomatoes and how many flowers they produce... all at once! Well over 100 flowers ...
    • HD
  14. 60 Seconds or Sow: How to Use Foil Trays for Easy Garden Plant Management - The Rusted Garden 2013

    This is nearly a 60 second garden video that shows you how to use and recycle aluminum food trays as a way to manage your ...
    • HD
  15. 60 Seconds or Sow: How to Perfectly Prepare Your Seed Cells for Germination - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In about 60 seconds I show you how to prepare and pack your seed cells perfectly to help your vegetable or flower seeds germinate
    • HD
  16. 60 Seconds or Sow: Identifying Tomato Suckers for Pruning

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you how to identify tomato 'suckers' in the joints of leaf branches and the main growing tomato ...
    • HD
  17. 60 Seconds or Sow: Save TIme Grow Cucumbers & Squash in Cups as Transplants - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I explain a concept of starting cucumbers, peas, squash and other vine crops in cups outdoors. This practice
    • HD
  18. 60 Seconds or Sow: What is a Potato Leaf Tomato? - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you what a potato leaf tomato is. The leaf of course resembles a potato leaf. They are often found on ...
    • HD
  19. 60 Seconds or Sow: Harvesting Red Russian Kale Flowers as a Biennial - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I am going to describe how you harvest kale flowers for salads. Kale is biennial that while over winter in ...
    • HD

  1. 60 Seconds or Sow: Milk Containers for Tomato Frost Protection - The Rusted Garden 2013

    Milk containers have many uses. One use is as a frost protection barriers. A milk carton with the lid on it will provide several ...
    • HD
  2. 60 Seconds or Sow: Preventing Seedling 'Damping Off' Disease Using Cinnamon - The Rusted Garden 2013

    This is nearly a 60 second garden video to show you how to use cinnamon and its anti-fungal properties to prevent or stop ...
    • HD
  3. 60 Seconds or Sow: What is Tomato Leaf Sunscald & Prevention Tips: The Rusted Garden 2013

    In about 60 seconds or so... I show you what tomato leaf sunscald is, explain why it happens and briefly talk about how to prevent ...
    • HD
  4. 60 Seconds or Sow: The White Moth and Green Cabbage Loopers - The Rusted Garden 2013

    This is not by any means an exciting video. But in 60 seconds or so... you can see the white moth that lays cabbage looper ...
    • HD
  5. 60 Seconds or Sow: What is Bolting Lettuce/Greens? - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I describe the process of 'bolting'. Lettuce and other greens are cool weather crops. When the warm ...
    • HD
  6. 60 Seconds or Sow: How to Use Aspirin to Strengthen Tomato Defenses (SAR) - The Rusted Garden 2013

    This is nearly a 60 second video that explains how the salicylic acid in aspirin can be used to bolster the defenses of your tomato ...
    • HD
  7. 60 Seconds or Sow: Identifying & Controlling Flea Beetles on Eggplants - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you how to identify and treat flea beetles on Eggplants. Other vegetables will also get flea beetles.
    • HD
  8. 60 Seconds or Sow: Tomato Blossom End Rot & An Egg Shell Solution - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I explain to you what tomato blossom end rot is, why it occurs and how to prevent it. Egg shells and lime will ...
    • HD
  9. 60 Seconds or Sow: What do 10-10-10 and NPK mean on Garden Fertilizer? - The Rusted Garden 2013

    Well not quite 60 seconds or so, but as fast as I could. I explain to you what numbers like 9-12-12 and 10-10-10 mean on garden ...
    • HD
  10. 60 Seconds or Sow: Make Your Own Indestructible Onion Sets - The Rusted Garden 2013

    In 60 seconds or so... I show you just how indestructible onions really are to grow as sets. Any gardener can do this. These onions ...
    • HD




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