Gardening Tips For Carrots, Peas and Potatoes

By: Allan Wilson

Carrots grow well in well drained, sandy soil. Make sure the soil is nice and loose down to 12 inches or more to allow for good root development. Make sure your soil doesn't have any rocks and twigs.

Carrots don't require much space. It all depends on how big the roots are at harvest time. If you're growing baby carrots, spacing them between 3/4 of an inch and 2 inches. If you want bigger carrots, thinning to a final spacing of 2 inches-4 inches is about right.

Carrots need a good moisture supply to become well established and to produce good root development. Carrots need at least 1 inch of water each week during the growing season. Remember to soak the soil thoroughly when watering.

Carrots are very easy to harvest. Simply pull up the plant by the tops (the green leafy part). You can basically harvest them any time, depending on the size you want. For baby carrots, harvest them at 4 to 5 inches. For bigger carrots, harvest them at 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches.

Peas

Peas need nutrient rich soil produce a good crop. Peas planted in early spring do well in raised beds that have good drainage. They can be started as soon as the soil can be worked.

Peas need to be planted 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart in all directions. The rows should be 12 to 18 inches apart. If you are planting a large bed of peas, you can plant them in a zig-zag pattern with 12 to 18 inches between the plants.

Peas need lots of even moisture throughout the growing season. They like soil with good drainage and if they stay too wet, they will get root rot.

You know your peas are ready to harvest when their pods are plump but not bursting. Harvest them every 2-4 days to encourage them to keep growing.

Green Beans

Green beans are easy to grow, and will thrive in almost any soil. They need to have good drainage though, or the seeds will rot. To prepare the soil, break up large clods of dirt and rake the area smooth.

Plant your beans 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep, and 2 inches apart within rows. Space the rows about 24 to 36 inches. If you want lots of beans, plant beans every two weeks, until a good month and a half before first expected frost date.

Peas need lots of moisture during germination. Water them deeply once a week, making sure the soil drains well. Once your peas have started to sprout, you don't need to irrigate them as much.

Fresh beans are usually ready for harvest about 8 to 10 days after flowering. They will be pencil thin, and the beans will be bright green. The bean pods will snap easily when bent. Pinch or cut the beans off rather than pulling them.

Potatoes

Potatoes need well-drained soil. It's a good idea to mix compost into your bed to make sure there are plenty of nutrients in the soil.

Plant your potato seeds in early spring, about 3 weeks before the last frost. Space your potatoes between 6 and 12 inches apart, in shallow holes (about 3 inches deep). Make the rows between 30 and 36 inches.

Keep your potatoes evenly moist and water them deeply during dry spells. If you plant your potatoes in a hill, they will dry out quicker so watch the soil moisture carefully.

You'll know your potatoes are ready to harvest when their leaves die back. Some people prefer 'new potatoes.' These are immature potatoes that are picked several months after planting, but before the potato plants reach maturity. You can find these new potatoes when the potato plants blossom.



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Timber To Enhance Your Landscape Design

How To Use Timber To Enhance Your Landscape Design
By: Scott Fromherz

Landscaping timber has become a popular choice for a wide variety of projects because of its natural beauty and durability. You will find landscape timber in fencing, decks, play equipment and outdoor furniture. These materials can even be found as edging to define areas of a yard or as an element of paths and walkways.

There are many attractive accessories for the yard that are also constructed from landscape timber. Trellises and arches add a decorative zip while picnic tables and planters provide a functional purpose. Before investing in any product constructed from a wood product, you will want to identify the wood that is being used and learn how best to care for it. Proper maintenance of your landscaping timber will yield you years of enjoyment and functionality.

Types Of Landscape Timber Available

There are two types of landscape timber; the soft woods such as redwood or western red cedar. These soft woods are generally pressure-treated, particularly for use as a deck material. Harder woods such as oak are available but can be more expensive.

You will often find the harder woods in public works, such as public decks or parking bay dividers. You will also find that railroad sleepers are a popular variety of landscaping timbers, and can be used as decorative edging for planting beds and garden paths.

No matter what type of landscape timber you choose to add to your yard, treatment of the wood is important in the durability of your materials. Most wood that will be used outdoors is pressure-treated with a preservative. If your landscape timber will be coming in contact with the ground, this process is absolutely necessary, so make sure that you are buying appropriate materials for outdoor use.

You can also use a stain on your fence or deck to further protect the wood from outdoor elements. This can enhance the look of your wood as well. Many stains require that you repeat the process every year or two, depending on the climate that you live in. You can also install end caps on your fencing posts to ensure that water does not get into your landscape timber and cause any kind of erosion of the wood.

There are many ways to use landscape timber to spruce up your outdoor living area. With proper care and treatment, your wood products can be around for you to enjoy for many years.

A wealth of information about this type of landscaping can be found through a number of locations:

1) The Internet - A favorite search engine
2) The Library - Don't forget about free books!
3) A Bookstore - Again, books are full of useful information.
4) A Home And Garden Shop - Ask the workers, look at the supplies, read their books
5) Ask your people in your neighborhood



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Tools You Should Have In Your Garden

Landscaping Tools You Should Have In Your Garden Shed
By: Scott Fromherz

Landscaping is a fun and rewarding way to add beauty and functionality to your home. Fortunately, the days of horse-drawn plows are over, and the landscaping tools of today are handier and simpler to use. In fact, the right tools can make many of your landscaping chores much quicker and easier to accomplish. If you are new to the world of yard work, you might have already taken a drive to the local garden center to stock your garage with landscaping tools.

You might have left that same garden center empty-handed and confused about what the necessary tools are. In the quest for customer service and convenience there are tools that claim to assist with nearly every outdoor job - from planting to weeding, and tilling to harvesting. The variety of landscaping tools is great - if you know what you are looking for! Fortunately, you can begin your outdoor endeavors with a few basic tools and simply add to your collection as you find a need.

Working The Soil

The landscaping tools you use to prepare your soil for planting are some of the first tools you need to add to your collection. A shovel and rake will come in handy for breaking up soil, and a trowel and hand cultivator can be used for digging and planting. A hoe is useful for creating trenches in your garden and assists with the never-ending chore of weeding your beds.

A hand weeder is also good to have on hand for those smaller weeding projects between flowers and rows of vegetables. A garden fork will break up and aerate soil, but it is also effective in separating perennials and working fertilizer into your garden beds.

Tending The Lawn

The obvious landscaping tool of choice here is a lawn mower. But which do you choose? A traditional push mower is sufficient for a lawn of average size. If you live on an oversized lot however, you may want to look into the many varieties of riding mowers on the market. Some will even come with a cup holder for your convenience and comfort!

A spreader for fertilizer is another essential landscaping tool. Again, the size of your lawn will determine the style of spreader that will be best for you. Other landscaping tools that are useful for lawn care are a trimmer or edger to give your lawn a neatly finished look, and a hand aerator to give less healthy areas of your lawn a nutrient boost.

Once you begin your collection of landscaping tools, you will probably be amazed at how quickly your collection grows! After all, the right tool makes any job easier and that includes your tools for your landscaping projects.



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