Canning - How to Make Homemade Apple Chutney Plus a Recipe

During the fall season, we love to visit our local fruit orchard and pick our own apples so that we can make some homemade apple chutney.

We enjoy using this chutney as a sandwich spread or as an addition to our homemade chicken, turkey and tuna salads. If you are using it as a salad spread, cut your mayonnaise or salad dressing in half and replace the other half with the chutney.

Orchard

This recipe requires the basic home canning equipment: half-pint or pint-sized mason jars, water bath canner, jar lifter, seals and rings, ladle and a funnel.

Apple Chutney Recipe

2 quarts apples

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 lbs. seedless raisins

4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup sweet red peppers, finely chopped

2 red peppers, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 1/2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 tablespoons ginger

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons table salt

4 cups white vinegar

Apple Preparation: Wash, peel, core and chop your apples, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent darkening; set aside.

In a large stock pot, combine all of the above ingredients, one at a time and stirring in between each addition. Over medium heat, simmer the mixture for 60 to 85 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Use a nonstick silicone spatula to stir the mixture every 10 minutes.

Once mixture is done cooking, ladle it into hot and clean mason jars, leaving a 1/2" head space. Use a soft cotton towel and wipe the rims clean before placing the seal and ring onto your jar.

Process jars in your water bath canner for 10 to 15 minutes or according to manufacturers instructions. Once they are done, carefully remove them from the water and let them cool in a non-drafty area of your kitchen. After 2 hours have passed, recheck your jars to make sure they have all sealed properly.

Canning - How to Make Homemade Apple Chutney Plus a Recipe

Shelly Hill has been working from home since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking for her family and friends and trying out new recipes. You can visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for additional free recipes and cooking tips.

Earth Box Garden - Does the Earth Box Planter Work?

The Earth Box garden system has been around since 2001. It is a container gardening system, primarily targeting vegetable container gardens. Let's take a look at its features.

Size: It holds about 2 cubic feet of soil. This is plenty of room for a decent number of vegetable plants. For example, with that much room you could grow two tomato plants, or 8 medium size plants like pepper plants, broccoli, or cabbage. For smaller plants like peas or beans you could grow 16 plants in one container. Other commonly planted vegetables include artichokes, strawberries, and squash. It works great as an herb garden, and obviously could be used as a flower container as well. The size is perfect for a patio or balcony.

Garden

Self Watering: The system has a built in reservoir for holding the water for the garden. With this system it is supposed to be self watering, as long as you keep the watering reservoir of the Earth Box topped off.

Mobile: There is an optional caster set for this garden container. That is a good idea, because with 2 cubic feet of soil, and the water in the reservoir the planter can get quite heavy, and if you need to move it the weight would be a problem without some sort of wheels. This allows you to easily put it in a place where it can get the required six to eight hours of sunlight every day.

Staking System: Since the Earth Box is marketed as a vegetable growing system, some of the most popular types of garden plants like tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers and other vines will need some type of staking system. There is an optional staking system that you can buy that maintains the stability of the system, since staking directly into the container itself would make it prone to tipping over.

Weed control: The Earth Box system includes a soil cover that is intended to help maintain moisture while keeping weeds down and soil born pests at bay.

There are a few more things about watering and fertilization you need to know to make the Earth Box as productive as possible...

Earth Box Garden - Does the Earth Box Planter Work?

Learn more about the best way to utilize the Earth Box Garden System at http://howtogardenguide.com

You can see more articles with Container Gardening Tips there as well.

Planting Dates For Garden Vegetables

If you wish to start a vegetable garden, it is imperative that you know your vegetables' preferred climate and time for maturity. If you live in a cold climate you would do well planting cold climate vegetables. Likewise, if you live in a temperate or warm climate, you should plant the types of vegetables that flourish in your climate.

Here are some recommended planting dates for vegetables in cold and temperate countries (in the Northern Hemisphere):

Garden

Broccoli can be planted between May and June. They take about 4 months to harvest. Harvest the main Broccoli heads before they open. This way the remaining broccoli will produce an extended crop of smaller heads through the rest of summer.

Brussels sprouts should also be planted between May and June. Their maturity period is 4 to 5 months.

Beetroot can be planted between April and June. They mature in about 3 months.

Celery should be planted between March and April. They take about 5 to 6 months to mature.

Cabbage are rather unique in that there are different varieties, named according to when they are eaten (spring, summer or winter) so their planting dates range from March to September. It would be a good idea to plant cabbages indoors in a cold frame first before transplanting into your outdoor garden. They take about 4 months to mature.

Cucumber should be planted between May and June. They take 2 to 3 months to mature. Harvest promptly as soon as they ripen so that the fruiting period can be prolonged. Leaving ripened vegetables on the vine prevents them from fruiting further.

Dwarf peas should be planted in February. They take 3 to 4 months to mature. Do harvest them when the peas are young.

Lettuce can be grown almost the whole year round, depending on the variety. But the easiest time to plant lettuce is in the spring in April. You can start planting lettuce in cold frames indoors between February to March before transplanting to your outdoor garden in spring. They mature in 2 to 3 months.

Parsnips are good winter vegetables that can be planted from August to September. They can remain in the ground throughout the winter. They take about 5 months to mature.

Potatoes can be planted between March and April. Plant a piece of potato that contains two or more 'eyes'. Harvest your potato when the vine begins to die or has died completely. Then leave the potatoes on the ground for a day to harden and prevent bruising.

Peppers can be planted indoors between February to March before transplanting outdoors in May. Do not put in too much nitrogen through your fertilizer or you will get lots of plant but little fruit. Peppers take 4 to 5 months to harvest.

Radishes can be planted between February and March. They will go to flower when the temperature gets warmer and mature between 6 to 8 weeks (one and a half to two months).

Sweet corn can be planted between May and June. They should be planted closely together rather than in rows to encourage pollination. Sweet corn can be harvested in about 3 months and taste the sweetest the moment it is picked.

Squash (summer) should be planted from May to June. They take about 4 months to ripen. Squash grows well in warm areas.

Tomatoes are best grown in cold frames in March first before transplanting to your outdoor garden in May. They take 4 to 5 months to mature and tend to ripen after they have been picked.

These dates are generally for cold and temperate countries and would determine the mean temperature of your area. Remember that different vegetables have different tolerance towards heat. Therefore you need to know the climate conditions in your own area well. Plant your vegetables according to when the temperature is most suitable.

Planting Dates For Garden Vegetables

Francis King is a vegetable garden enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on vegetable gardens, visit http://www.veggietips.com.

How to Make Your Own Vegetable Bucket Garden

How to make your Own Vegetable Bucket Garden

As food costs increase and families look to save money in creative ways, home vegetable gardens are becoming more popular across the country. In some situations, one of the major challenges to growing your own food is to find a suitable design that is inexpensive and can provide portability, if needed.

Garden

Portability is an important aspect if you live in a home that does not provide optimal conditions for a stationary garden. Some of the issues that may require portability may include minimal access to sunlight, strong wind conditions or animal control. A bucket garden is a very simple way to begin your journey toward food independence.

If you are unsure whether or not you even want to venture down the path of becoming a self made vegetable grower, you can start small with one or two 5-gallon buckets. Most begin with the basic vegetable plants; tomatoes, peppers, peas or even green beans before they go full bore. You can even start small with herbs like basil or parsley before tackling real vegetable plants.

To get started, you can go to any home improvement or hardware store to get the following materials:

1. 1 or 2 five gallon buckets
2. Potting Soil
3. Tomato or Pepper plants
4. Fertilizer

Most 5 gallon buckets come in white, but you can buy different colors to accent your garden theme. You can add a little pizazz to your bucket garden by dressing up the 5 gallon containers with some paint. Pastel colors and designs might be a bit corny, but white buckets may be a bit plain and this may help dress up your growing space.

Once you have everything you need, follow the process below to build your first bucket garden:

1. Drill several holes in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket for drainage
2. Fill the bucket 2/3 of the way with the potting soil
3. Create several divots in the soil about 3 to 4 inches apart
4. Place plants into the holes and cover with remaining potting soil
5. Add Water and place in partial sunlight

Having vegetable buckets sit on the ground or up on a table can provide the basic portability you need. Another option for your bucket garden is the ability to suspend them off the ground so you can grow your plants upside down. This option can allow tomato or pepper plants to grow out the bottom without having to worry about staking your plants to keep them upright. If selecting this approach, the overall planting process would be slightly different to create the desired effect.

How to Make Your Own Vegetable Bucket Garden

A gallon storage container can be used to store just about anything. From a 5 gallon bucket planter in your bucket garden, to tools in your shed, 5 gallon buckets are easy to use and can have many uses.

Types of Rats

Rats are rodents that belong to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. These are the most dominant species on earth. There are several species of rats in the world. Most rodents are herbivorous, but some are omnivorous. In general, there are two basic types of rats. They are black or roof rats and Norway or brown rats. Both are thought to have originated in Asia and are now widely distributed throughout the world.

The brown rat, which is also known as the Norway rat, house rat, gray rat, barn rat, and wharf rat, is one of the best-known and is the larger of the two. Their scientific name is Rattus norvegicus. They are mostly grayish-brown, with a lighter colored stomach. A fully-grown brown rat is 18 to 26 cm long and weighs between 400 and 600 gm. They have a tail shorter than its body and their nose and muzzle are blunt. They prefer moist conditions and nest in deep burrows.

Gardening

Roof rats (Rattus Rattus) are also called black rats and ship rats. They are usually black, slender, 16-21 cm long and weigh about 80-300 gram. Their tail is longer than the head and body and their nose and muzzle are pointed. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws enable them to climb and build nests in upper parts of dwellings, attics, rafters and crossbeams of buildings.

These rats breed when they are three to four months of age. They breed 1 to 13 times a year and produce 1 to 22 in a litter. Black rats and brown rats eat about the same things. Their diet typically includes seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats and invertebrates. They consume about one-third of their weight in food every 24 hours.

They carry lethal diseases, damage structures and contaminate food. Some of the diseases potentially fatal to man that spread through rats are Weil's disease, plague, salmonella food poisoning and toxoplasmosis.

Types of Rats

Rats provides detailed information on Rats, Rat Terrier, Pet Rats, Rat Snake and more. Rats is affiliated with Electronic Pest Control.

Garden Tiller - What Type Do You Need

Well it's that time of year again to start busting up your garden soil and start your planting. How you do that is up to you. If you need the exercise or have a very small garden you could always do it by hand.

To save your back and knees you could go with a stand up manual garden till like the famous garden weasel. It is cheap and easy to use.

Garden

For medium or large gardens you are going to need a garden tiller with a little more power than your arms. So what type of tiller do you buy?

If you have a smaller or confined garden you will want to go with something maneuverable like an electric mini tiller or cultivator. Or maybe a small 2hp gas model. Most of them are lightweight and very easy to handle. Cost on them is reasonable too for the amount of work they will save you.

One of the biggest pluses for a small garden till is that it uses less storage space. If you buy one with folding handles you can save even more room. A word of warning though, I would not recommend using a small garden tiller to start a new garden where the soil has never been broken up before. You will need something a little more heavy duty to cultivate your soil for the first time.

Renting a large heavy-duty garden tiller the first year to bust up your soil and then get a small tiller for maintenance and cultivating the following year.

Front tine vs. rear tine

The best purpose for a front tine tiller is maintaining soil that has been cultivated before. Start out the first time with a rear tine tiller.

Rear tine tillers are easy to handle and maneuver. They will pretty much turn on a dime when needed and require much less effort from the operator. The majority of rear tine tillers can handle any garden job that you require from them.

What Brand To Buy

There are many different brand names in the garden tiller business. Some of the better known garden tiller brands are, Troy Bilt Garden tillers, Mantis Tillers, Honda Tillers, Husqvarna Garden Tillers, Craftsman Tillers, and MTD Tillers. Prices and models vary a lot so the best thing you can do is shop around and compare after you have decided on what type you need for your garden.

If you are a vegetable garden grower I recently read a book called vegetable garden secrets that is going to change the way I garden. I highly recommend it. You can find it on our site.

Garden Tiller - What Type Do You Need

Mike D Tucker is an Avid Home Gardener. To Get Greater Tips About Gardening, Garden Tillers And To save 10% on garden supplies! Visit [http://garden-tiller.rave-reviews.net/?page_id=6]

September Gardening Tips For Southern California

September can be a question mark when making landscape and gardening plans. In Southern California, summer can easily extend into September or the month can bring cooler temperatures. Still, there is much to do and plant in the garden during early fall, say experts at Agromin, a Camarillo-based manufacturer of premium soil products.

Lawn Care: Lawns are still growing in September and October. Mow weekly. For cool season grass such as Kentucky bluegrass and fescues, now is the time to fertilize as they grow rapidly in fall. Also, consider aerification (coring) with an aerator that can be rented at equipment rental shops. Coring allows for better water and nutrition penetration.

Garden

Plant Trees: The best time to plant trees is when they are dormant--in fall or early spring. To reduce transplant shock, dig a hole for planting at least three times the size of the plant's root ball is wide, but only as deep as its roots. Don't plant the tree too low in the ground to allow for some settling. Firmly pack the soil around the tree to eliminate air pockets. Cover the soil with mulch to keep in moisture and help moderate extreme soil temperatures. The mulch should be one to two inches away from the tree trunk.

Flowers for Fall: Warm Septembers allow gardeners to plant flowers for fall blooms. These include chrysanthemums, sweet peas, snap dragons and asters. Also, plant bulbs such as autumn daffodils and crocuses.

Add to Your Vegetable Garden: Some vegetables can still be planted in fall for a winter or early spring harvest. These vegetables include peas, fava beans, kale, leeks beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, radish, carrots, celery and winter zucchini.

For more planting and gardening tips, go to http://www.agromin.com

September Gardening Tips For Southern California

Bill Camarillo is CFO of Agromin, a Camarillo, California-based manufacturer of premium soil products for the agriculture and horticulture trades and for consumer use. Each month, Agromin receives and processes hundreds of thousands of tons of urban wood and green waste. Agromin then uses a safe, organic and scientific system to formulate its soil products from the processed recycled green materials. http://www.agromin.com

Garden Weed Control - How Best to Deal With Oxalis

Oxalis, commonly known as Wood Sorrel, is hardly one of the ugliest of weeds. On the contrary, many species are favored perennials in garden beds, with their delicate, clover-like leaves, and attractive blooms. Yet one species of Wood Sorrel, Oxalis pes-caprae, can be in certain circumstances, one of the most annoying and difficult weeds to eradicate.

Oxalis has two properties that make it particularly problematical. One is the vigorous network of bulbs that it develops, rendering ineffective, hand or mechanical weeding. Secondly, while most perennial weeds are active during the summer, the primary growing season for Oxalis is the winter. Why is this a problem?

Garden

It is often the case that perennial weeds need to be treated with a systemic herbicide in order to eradicate them. The most suitable systemic weed killers available to gardeners are those based on glyphosate, such as Roundup. The trouble is that Roundup's systemic properties (that is the capacity to reach down to the plant's roots) are only effective during warm weather, and when the weeds are actively growing. Considering that the plant is mainly active during the cooler months of the year, it follows that the bride and the groom; in this case Oxalis and Roundup, "miss" each other.

Wood Sorrel is not a disaster in all situations. If it grows in a small flowerbed, hand weeding as a part of routine maintenance, will not eliminate the weed, but keep it under reasonable control. As mentioned before, the plant is not unattractive.

Heavy infestations in a lawn can be more disagreeable, unless mowing is carried out very frequently - say every three days or so. If eradication is the goal, then it is possible to apply a selective herbicide, that poisons broad-leaved plants (like Oxalis) without damaging then lawn. The trouble is that the weed killers in this category, which are based on the dreaded 2-4-D, evaporate easily, and by so doing, can seriously damage neighboring plants, including those in adjoining properties. While their use may be reasonably safe where there are no plants in the vicinity, in the average private garden, they are liable to be very dangerous.

Without a doubt though, Oxalis comes into its own as a noxious weed, in areas of the garden planted with low ground covers. If it is growing with the ground covers, it is virtually impossible to get rid of without damaging the desired plants. It is vitally important therefore to eliminate the Oxalis prior to planting. However, here it is worth remembering the case of the unhappy bride and groom who discover that they are unsuited to each other!

What should you do in the summer for instance, if you were planning to plant ground-hugging plants, in soil that may contain Oxalis bulbs? The answer is to wait for winter and the sprouting of the Oxalis weeds, and then treat them with the afore-mentioned selective herbicides, which unlike Roundup, are effective in cool weather. Needless to say, the work should only be carried out by a qualified professional.

Garden Weed Control - How Best to Deal With Oxalis

My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.
I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984.
I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners.

I also teach horticulture to students on training courses. I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden, so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com or contact me at jonathan@dryclimategardening.com

Make Your Own Homemade Hydroponics Nutrients

Hydroponic gardening is becoming increasingly popular these days. By growing plants in water and nutrient solution, you can save time, money and space while enjoying year round plants. Although there are many commercially produced nutrient solutions available to ensure the growth of your plants, it's possible to create your own homemade hydroponics nutrients, even if you have no previous experience.

Making your own nutrient mixtures can be nearly as enjoyable as growing the plants themselves. You can produce various kinds of solutions, so do your homework to determine which nutrients you need and in what concentrations, to best suit your plants' needs.

Gardening

Homemade hydroponics nutrients have considerable advantages. The first is that you are able to create a solution that is completely organic. This will ensure that your plants contain zero inorganic material. There's no way to know exactly what you're feeding your plants when you give them store-purchased nutrient mixtures. Manufacturers must list all ingredients in their mixtures, but they may be impure or of unknown origin. You may be totally assured that you know about all of the ingredients that go into your plants by creating your own nutrient mixes.

The second major advantage of homemade hydroponics nutrients is that they allow you to match your plants' exact needs so that they grow just as you desire. To encourage your plants' enhanced growth, you can adjust the nutrients to match the requirements of your geographical region. Because of the many uncertainties in the growth of various plants, it's impossible to say just how helpful this step can be, though. Still, having complete control over what goes into the nutrients you feed your plants allows you to continuously attempt to find the best combination.

There are usually guarantees provided for solutions that you can buy in stores, but they may have shortcomings. There is nothing better than intervention by a human in the process of growing, and by controlling the nutrients your plants will become more your own.

You can place a personal touch on your plants in many ways, but the way that will have the greatest effect is by using homemade hydroponics nutrients. You may be new at growing plants hydroponically or you may have years of experience, but almost anyone can produce the ingredients required. Make up a base formula, do your homework, and do some cautious and careful experimentation. Most of all, have fun with this important aspect of hydroponic gardening.

Make Your Own Homemade Hydroponics Nutrients

The right hydroponic nutrients can take your indoor gardening to a whole different level. If you're interested in learning how to cultivate a hydroponic garden, you need to know what you're doing before you get started. Discover the essentials at Hydroponic Gardening.

Flower Garden Design With Concrete Fountains

A concrete fountain is a great addition to any backyard, since it can transform yard into an entirely different outdoor living space. They can be placed into almost any garden setting, giving your garden the theme or perhaps time period you envisioned. Concrete patios can also put a lot of charm into a small space, making it easy to create an amazing living space in even the smallest of backyards.

Types of Concrete Fountains

Garden

Concrete fountains come in two different types. They can either be wall fountains or standing fountains, both of which look amazing in garden settings! Wall fountains are ideal for spaces that have a wall to place them, such as a small backyard or patio area. Because they work best when in a viewable area, having them close to a sitting area is the best place for them. Standing fountains are great for gardens that do not have wall space for a hanging fountain, and can work great in a number of different settings. You can use your fountain as the center of a landscaped garden design, or even place it near your garden sitting area for optimal viewing. You can set one next to a pond or area of water you may have near your garden, or even tuck it inside a beautiful flower bed to draw more attention to it.

Concrete Fountains: Styles and Colors

There are a number of different styles and colors of fountains that you can use in your flower garden, all of which can offer a different style to your space. You can opt for an outdoor fountain to stick with the theme of your outdoor garden, or even go for a more classic look made out of brick if you have a country theme going on. While the majority of fountains are made out of concrete, you can find various finishes that will look great in almost any setting.

If you plan on designing your garden around the fountain you choose, there are a number of different possibilities you can pursue. The type of plants and flowers you should include in your garden will depend on the time of year or you can even choose those that are in bloom all year long. Standing concrete fountains work great with luscious flowers that are packed full of color, since the various colors can actually bring attention to your fountain. If you are going for a softer look, you can try adding small palms or trees near your water feature to bring attention to that area of your garden.

If you decide on installing wall fountains you'll want to make sure your landscape design brings attention to them as well. Planting tall plants on either side of the fountain will help to draw attention, while smaller and spaced out flowers will actually make your fountain the center of attention in your entire flower garden. Rose bushes work well when planted next to a hanging fountain, and you can even wrap the vines from the plant around your fountain once the vines have grown long enough.

Including concrete fountains in your garden area can make it a charming welcoming area, transforming your garden with an entirely different look and feel. You can choose to purchase your water feature and then plan your landscaping around it, or you may even consider placing wall fountains to an already existing patio garden, for example. No matter what you choose, a fountain will look great in your flower garden space.

Flower Garden Design With Concrete Fountains

Elizabeth Jean writes water fountain and related topics for Garden-Fountains.com, the Internet's premier destination for wall fountains, indoor fountains and distinctive water features for your home and garden.

How to Maintain Your Garden

You need to maintain your garden in order to keep it looking neat and clean and to make sure your plants remain healthy.

The simplest way to spruce up your garden is to keep it free from weeds. Weeds not only spoil the look of the garden but also attract various insects and plant diseases. These diseases and pests spread from the weeds to the other plants. This apart, weeds snatch away nutrients and water from garden plants.

Garden

You should free your garden of weeds even before you begin planting any kind of garden plant. Once you've planted your garden, you should clean it every week for young weeds that sprout out every now and then. As long as you don't allow the young weeds to mature and develop stronger roots, you will be in a position of control.

The next step to a clean garden is to periodically remove any debris or rubbish that may blow into your garden. Keep a look out for any over-ripe fruits and remove them immediately as they attract pests and rodents. Take a walk through your garden everyday and assess the health of the plants. If you find any damage caused by animals or insects try to get a fix on the cause and try to prevent further damage. As you are walking, carry a pair of shears to remove any wilted flowers.

Many people like keeping a notebook where they jot down the names of plants in their garden and draw a map showing the location of each. This notebook could be useful if you are selling your property and would like the new owner to know the kind of plants that present in the garden. You could have other uses for the notebook as well. You could create reminders about when each plant will be likely to blossom.

You can also make a list of those plants that bloomed well and those that did not. This way you can avoid planting those that did not show any results.

If you have a vegetable garden, draw a sketch so that you can mark out the locations of crops. This will help you in rotating your crops in the current year. For instance, corn and tomatoes should never be planted in the same place for two consecutive years. This is why a map of your vegetable garden is very essential.

When you reach the end of the growing season, you should clean up your garden by discarding diseased plants and pulling up woody stalks, vegetable plants and annuals that have already bloomed to add them to the compost pile.

How to Maintain Your Garden

Allan enjoys writing up on a variety of subjects. Other than the above topic, he also likes to set up sites on different topics. Do check out his new site which covers useful information on lcd tv stands.

Tomato Gardening - The Best Way to Grow Tomato Plants

Now is one of the best times of the year to start your tomato plants. Why, well you want to give them the best start to life and tomatoes need a long growing season to produce a good crop. I can hear you saying, it is too cold or too wet to start my tomato plants in the ground. Yes, I agree for the Northern hemisphere but you need to start your plants off in very early spring to be sure that they are good croppers. This applies in both the North and South. It is just that Spring happens at different times in the year in different parts of the world.

You need to judge when to start your tomato plants and mine go in during January. These will be potted on into larger pots and eventually put into the growing area of a greenhouse in May. This is giving me about 4 months of growing before they go into their final planting position and I would expect to start cropping my harvest sometime during July, probably towards the beginning of July. I will also be able to keep these cropping until late October and this is a growing period of nearly 10 months.

Gardening

First of all you need to identify the best seed for what you want to produce and there are many different types of tomatoes to choose from. The seed type will also affect when and where to plant your seeds.

There are 2 main types of tomatoes to choose from and these are indoor or outdoor tomatoes or a type which will grow indoors or outdoors. I grow both but start these off at different times of the year. You also need to look at whether to grow small, medium or large tomatoes. Small tomatoes are often known as cherry tomatoes and bushes are often weighed down with the number of tomatoes growing on their vines. I tend to grow these outside in my high density garden and there is nothing I like better than just eating one when out gardening. The other types of tomatoes are medium and large tomatoes. The large tomatoes are often called beefsteak and are great sliced on sandwiches.

So how best to grow them? Well I start these off in flats. As I do not need many tomato plants at as time, I use a quarter size flat, (or seed tray), and I fill these with a multi purpose compost. There are specialist seed composts, soil based composts and peat free composts. We should use peat free composts and for most things I do, but for sowing seeds I find a peat based compost is best. Press the compost down a little but not too much so it becomes hard and the seedling roots will develop better in a looser soil than a harder one. Once I have done this I sow the seeds on the surface of the compost. As I only need 6 of each type for the greenhouse I sow 10 seeds in 2 rows of five in a quarter size flat. Once I have done this I cover them with a thin layer of vermiculite. This is a useful product to cover seeds with as it is lightweight but retains moisture. Finally water the flat. I do this by placing the flat in small container of water and let the compost absorb the water. You can tell it has absorbed the water as the color of the vermiculite changes.

You then need to place the flat somewhere warm. I usually use a windowsill and put the flat inside another flat with a plastic cover over it to make a mini greenhouse. I often use a heat pad underneath this just to start things off and give the seeds the ideal conditions to germinate. As soon as there is any sign of germination remove them from the heat and grow on until large enough to pot into 3 inch pots.

I find that by starting my tomato seeds now, I get a better crop earlier in the year, and just as important, a heavier crop later on.

You can learn more about growing tomatoes by checking out The Tomato Growing Experts web site.

Tomato Gardening - The Best Way to Grow Tomato Plants

Ric Wiley is an internet writer and gardener. His website about High Density Gardening can be found at http://www.highdensitygardening.com/home.html and his latest ebook is High Density Gardening.