The Rusted Vegetable Garden

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Seed Starting Mixes, Vegetable Seed Flats & Cells and How to Water Vegetable Seed Starts

Seed Starting Mixes, Vegetable Seed Flats & Cells and

How to Water Vegetable Seed Starts

I will hold videos that show you step by step (Everything!) from seed starting to growing your plants to full size. If you are just learning about gardening, this would be a great channel to subscribe too! I will be making video of all my steps in 2015.

This video talks about what type of vegetable seed starting mix to buy, seed cells and flats, how to prepare the mix and pack the cells and how and when to water your seeds starts. I will be making videos on every step needed to start your own seeds indoors. Planting and lighting videos are next.\

I started a new YouTube Channel that is associated with this G+ Community: Our Tomato and Vegetable Gardens. Is also linked to my G+ Page :The Rusted Garden G+ Page

Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden

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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Understanding the Six Macro-Nutrient Garden Fertilizers: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) & Sulfur (S)

Understanding the Six Macro-Nutrient Garden Fertilizers:

Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K),

Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) & Sulfur (S)

Vegetable garden fertilizers are generally classed as either macro-nutrients or micro-nutrients. There are six major macro-nutrients although we tend to think there are only 3: Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. There are also Calcium, Magnesium and Sulfur. They are not needed as much as N-P-K in the way of quantity but they have to be present in the soil for your vegetable plants to thrive.

6 Videos on 6 Macro-Nutrient Garden Fertilizers

I did a six video series on the major macro-nutrients to explain to you what they are, what they do, how they work, how you can add them to your soil and give you recommendations on how to best use them or manage them. My goal is to provide you with information and principles that you can adapt to your own garden needs. Gardens vary greatly around the world. There is no exact recipe for the perfect fertilized garden soil.

Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) are what we most often see on fertilizer packaging. They sometimes can be needed in larger quantity and can be lacking in heavily used soils. Remember compost and organic matter are the keys to keeping your garden healthy. I provide a lot information about N-P-K but also make recommendations and one of them is... that you don't over use them! Use less!

There are 3 more macro-nutrients. Although they are needed in less quantity, they are essential for your vegetable plants to fully thrive. There are a lot of easy ways to add these fertilizers to your garden. Epsom Salts which is magnesium sulfate will add both Magnesium (Mg) and Sulfur (S) to your garden. I explain what Ca-Mg-S do and how much of each you might really need in your vegetable gardens.

Monday, November 24, 2014

How to Roast Garden Brussels Sprouts: Brine, Roast and Broil

How to Roast Garden Brussels Sprouts:

Brine, Roast and Broil

I once disliked Brussels Sprouts until I started growing them in my vegetable garden. They are a hardy vegetable that can take frost and a freeze. Today 11/24, here in Maryland Zone 7, I picked a bunch of Sprouts after a week of freezing temperatures. They survived perfectly. They are sweeter with the cold and freeze! This is how I brine them, roast them and broil them.

Roasted Garden Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

I ate my Brussels Sprouts with a kale salad that was also picked from my fall garden. Kale is another cool season crop that can take a frost. It does very well over-wintering here in Maryland Zone 7.

Brussels Sprouts Sitting in a Brine

Soak your Brussels Sprouts in a warm water salt brine for about 30 minutes. Let the salty water seep into the center of the sprouts. You can add garlic powder if you want. You can also make it an apple juice brine if you want to add some sweetness. Season the brine how you wish.

30 Minutes in a Warm Water Salt Brine

Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil and a Pyrex Baking Dish

Put them in a Pyrex or other type of baking dish with a size that mostly lets them lay flat. Cover them with a nice thin line of olive oil making sure your touch each one. Lightly salt and pepper them to your taste. Roast them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Check them 15 minutes in and mix them around and roll them over.

Brussels Sprouts Roasted at 400 F for 30 Minutes

They are going to steam a little bit from the brine. That will soften them up and they will begin to caramelize slightly as they sit roasting. Make sure you put the dish in the middle of the oven.

Brussels Sprouts Broiled for 2-3 Minutes then Plated

After 30 minutes, mix them up again and broil them for about 2-3 minutes. Watch them carefully each minute as ovens tend to broil differently. You don't want them to burn, just caramelize a bit more. Stir them one more time and broil them again for another 2-3 minutes.

Keep an Eye on the Broiling.... Delicious!

ENJOY!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

How to Effectively Use Eggshells to Make a Vegetable Garden Slug/Snail Barrier

How to Effectively Use Eggshells to Make

A Vegetable Garden Slug/Snail Barrier

Eggshells can be effective barriers that will stop snails and slugs from getting to your vegetable garden plants. However, you have to build the right barrier with eggshells crushed to the right size.

The sharp edges of the eggshells irritate the skin of the pests. The barrier has to be wide enough to stop a slug from stretching over it and you have to put enough eggshells down so the snails can't work their way through it.

Making a Garden Snail/Slug Eggshell Barrier

This video shows you the general size to crush the eggshells and explains the general principle for making the barrier. Remember your barrier has to maintain itself even after a heavy rain. If your eggshell particles are two small they will be washed into the soil. If they are two big, the snails and slugs will be able to go over them with out getting deterred.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Understanding Garden Nitrogen: Products, Organic vs. Synthetic, Use and Strategies

Understanding Garden Nitrogen: Products, Organic vs. Synthetic, Use and Strategies

Nitrogen is a macro-nutrient which means it is a main element all plants need to grow. Without it, you can't really have a thriving garden. The earth's atmosphere is made up of nearly 80% nitrogen but plants can't use nitrogen in that form. It must be fixed or transformed into a form the plants can absorb and use. Nitrogen can be changed biologically or chemically. Biological forms are often called organic nitrogen. Chemically processed nitrogen is often called synthetic. Ammonia is the basis for chemical fertilizers.

Understanding Nitrogen Fertilizer - TRG 2014

I made this video to help you understand the different forms of nitrogen available for your garden. I use both organic and synthetic forms of fertilizers. I also use compost and nitrogen fixing legumes like beans, red clover and peas. I believe is in using garden fertilizers in and educated and purposeful way. My recommendation is you use less than is suggest. I feel we are all guided to over fertilize when it really isn't needed.

Plants can't tell the difference between the different forms of nitrogen. The main difference between synthetic and organic fertilizers is that synthetics do nothing for soil structure or the micro-organisms in the soil. Organic fertilizers generally feed your plants and the life in your soil. This video shows you a lot about what else.... nitrogen fertilizer.

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