Succession Planting

Well, planting crops in succession is a good way to make the most of your precious garden space. Sometimes it means planting several successions of the same crop. However, in the small plan there is a spring carrot crop planted together with radishes to shade the carrot seedlings, then a summer carrot crop planted in another spot to mature in fall. There are also early and late beet and lettuce crops in different locations. The early crop of bush beans is harvested, and then a second crop planted in the same spot. The longer the growing season in your area, the more successions of the same crop you can have. 

Therefore, on the other way to plan succession is to have late crop of one vegetable follow an early crop of another. Cool weather spring crops such as peas, lettuce or turnips can then be followed by crops that do well late in the season such as escarole, cabbage or broccoli. Several gardeners do not realize that there’s a whole group of vegetables that can be planted in late summer to mature in time for a fall harvest; Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, parsnips, carrots, peas, radishes, turnips, spinach, Swiss chard, bush beans and kale do name some. Sometimes you can find started plants in garden centers in summer, but for good variety you usually have to grow them from seed starting in June or July. Some gardeners even have luck sowing seeds of certain crops just before frost so that they will be ready to sprout when the ground thaws, even if it is too wet to be worked. Lettuce, radishes, beets, onions and spinach are some you might try this way.

In the large garden plan there are many such successions, and you will no doubt find good combinations of your own. You will notice that some crops do not succeed each other but stay in the same place all season, such as eggplant and peppers. But even these crops that take a long time to mature can be part of successions in a climate with a more extended growing season. You need to pay attention to the needs of each vegetable as outlined in the section on each and allow plenty of time for the crop to mature before frost if it is not frost hardy, or before hot weather if it is not heat tolerant. For example, if you live in a very warm climate, you will grow your cool weather crops such as lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, Brussels, sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Swiss chard right through the winter, then follow them with warm weather crops like okra, sweet potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes. Source: Charismatic Planet

Blueberries A Super Fruit, Everyone Like to Grow

Blueberries are so healthy, highly rich in nutrition, decrease the risk of colon cancer, and extremely good for brain power and decrease the belly fat. The antioxidants in the blue berry increase our energy levels and immune system this is really a world’s best healthy food. Blueberries seeds are inside the fruit, and it takes a very small work to separate them from the pulp. You can consume fruit from an existing bush or from those purchased at the grocers, but the results may be meager or non-existent. Blueberries do not self-pollinate, actually means they’re rather random and their offspring do not duplicate the parent. It is highly recommended to purchase viable blueberry seeds for planting from a nursery, but if you would like to experiment, here is how to prepare blueberry seeds for planting. Therefore, to prepare blueberry seeds for planting, the fruit will need to be macerated. This can be completed in a food processor, blender or with some old-fashioned elbow grease in a bowl. Moreover to add a small volume of water to the berries as you do this. Thus, once the fruit is mashed, take away the floating pulp, and then seeds will sink to the bottom. You may must to add water numerous times to remove the pulp totally. Hence, once you have gathered the blueberry bush seeds, they need to be scarified. You should place them in some damp sphagnum moss and put them in the freezer for at least 90 days. Moreover, scarification will break the seeds rest period so they are ready for planting.

Furthermore, once the 90 days have elapsed, the seeds can be used instantly or kept in the freezer until you are ready to plant them. Blueberry seed planting should begin in the fall in warm climates and in the spring in more northerly climes. However, you should plant the seed in dampened sphagnum peat moss in seed trays and cover them with ¼ inch of soil. You have to keep the medium consistently moist and have some patient in this regard; blueberry seed planting may take six to eight weeks to germinate, some not for three months. Once the blueberry bush seed plants are grow enough to transplant, move them into pots in a sunny, warm area and keep moist. The growing blueberry seed plants can be fertilized with a liquid fertilizer after two to three weeks in their pots. Thus, the resulting blueberry bush seed plants will bear fruit during two year when the plant is one to two feet tall. It may take quite a few years when growing blueberries from seed before the plant will yield any noteworthy amount of fruit. So, again, you should be have great patient, but once established, it will keep you supplied with this super food for decades to come.Source: charismaticplanet

Exotic Red Bananas

Number of peoples have heard or tried a red banana, which is sweeter than the regular yellow banana which is on your daily menu. Because many of us is eager to try and taste new fruit, so maybe it is time to make a change and choose and buy red bananas this time. Bananas are the world’s most consumed fruit which is an extremely fascinating fact. But did you know that the “banana tree” is not actually a tree? It’s the world’s largest herb. Well, very interesting Red bananas, is also recognized as “Red Dacca bananas” in Australia, and variety of banana with reddish-purple skin. Though, they’re smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. 

When these bananas are ripe raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color. Moreover, they’re also softer and sweeter than the yellow Cavendish varieties, with a minor mango flavor. Though, several red bananas are imported from East Africa, Asia and South America. They’re favorite’s in Central America but are sold throughout the world. The Red banana is a triploid cultivar of the wild banana Musa acuminata, belonging to the Cavendish group. The potassium in red bananas is essential for proper function of the heart muscle and the digestive system. Red bananas reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes type 2.

There’s no difference in eaten way of Red bananas, as in the same way as yellow bananas, by peeling the fruit before eating. They’re normally eaten raw, whole or chopped, and added to desserts and fruit salads, but can also be baked, fried and toasted. Red bananas are also commonly sold dried in stores. The history tells us, that first banana to appear on the market in Toronto somewhere in between 1870s and 1880s. These red bananas are available year round at specialty markets and larger supermarkets in the United States. However, its official designation is Musa acuminata (AAA Group) “Red Dacca”. And it is recognized in English as Red dacca, Red banana, Claret banana, Cavendish banana "Cuban Red", Jamaican red banana, and Red cavendish banana. It is also recognized under a different number of common names depending on its growing region. 

Red bananas should have a deep red or maroon rind when ripe, and are best eaten when unbruised and slightly soft. The red bananas are redder the fruit the more carotene and the higher the vitamin C level. The Red banana has more beta carotene and Vitamin C than Yellow banana varieties and contains three natural sources of sugar sucrose, fructose, and glucose, making them a source of instant and sustainable energy. The yellow bananas, red bananas will ripen in a few days at room temperature and are best stored outside refrigeration. So, I think it's good for us to look into different varieties of bananas. It's not like we're going to have the Cavendish forever.

Coriander or Coriandrum Sativum A Hardy Annual Herb

Well, this hardy annual herb has upper leaves that look like dill and lower ones that look like parsley, but it also has pungent flavor all its own. Thus, the seeds are also very flavorful. Coriander is widely used as a seasoning around the world, and is often called “cilantro” in Spanish speaking countries and “Dhania” in India, Pakistan. It figures in oriental cooking also and is sometimes known as “Chinese Parsley. There has been something of a coriander renaissance of late because there is so much interest in the cuisines of foreign countries and, chances are, if you scratch a foreign cuisine you will find coriander. Moreover, the flowers are flat umbels, usually white but sometimes pale pink or lavender. 

Well, if you want to grow Coriander, then grow coriander in full sun or part shade as well. However, in very well drained, moderately fertile soil. But you’ve to sow seeds after danger of frost in past, or in late summer or fall in warm climates. Thin to about a foot apart. Like all the “Umbelliferae” it has a long taproot and does not like to be transplanted. But unlike some members of this family it germinates fairly rapidly, and you can make successive sowings throughout the summer. To grow indoors, sow seed in deep pots that will accommodate the roots. 

Well to harvest the Coriander, you have to cut any time for seasoning. For drying cut them just before bloom. To dry the seeds cut the plants when the seeds pods start to turn brown and will crack if you pinch them, but before the seeds start to drop. Hang and bunches in paper bags to catch the falling seeds. Rub the pods between your fingers to get them all out. Source: Charismatic Planet

Mint or Mentha is Strong Flavoring Herbs.

Mint is such a powerful flavoring that doesn’t use it for very several things; but when you need it, everyone is glad to have some around. We stuff large handfuls into jugs of iced tea before it’s iced, so the tea will absorb more flavors and sprinkle small snipping’s of it into cold mixed fruit or in homemade ice cream, sherbet and ices. It is said to be an excellent for settling the stomach. Mint is a very hardy vigorous perennial that grows one to three feet tall depending on the species and conditions. Most species of mint have crinkly leaves, an upright growth habit and attractive purplish flowers. Spearmint (Mentha Spicata) has the strongest flavor. Moreover other popular garden mints include peppermint (M.Piperita), with dark, pointed leaves, and apple mint (M. Rotundifolia), which leaves are rounded, gray, green and somewhat hairy. The last is more compact and best for indoor growing. Most mints grown as herbs are hybrid varieties that do not breed true to seed. There are several other good hybrid mints that you can explore. 

Well, to grow mint, you have to some mint around is never a problem; having just a little mint is harder. If you do not restrain the plant in some way, your herb garden will simply be a mint garden. Gardeners devise their own schemes, the more successful of which will involve a barrier not only around the mint, but under it generally a stout container such as a bucket, with some holes for drainage. Mint roots will eventually snake themselves over the top and through the holes, but you can buy yourself a lot of time this way. 

Moreover, mint will grow well in full sun but prefers partial shade and a rich, moist soil. Pinching back the stems and snipping off flowers as they form will make the plants bushier. Even if cut right to the ground, it will regrow. Mint may be easily propagated to increase your supply. Just dig up a plant with runners attached, cutting the stems back, or root a runner or stem in moist sand. Before bringing a pot of mint indoors, cut it back and keep it outdoors for a few weeks of freezing nights. Moreover snip as required, and to dry keep the leaves on the stems until they are dry, crumble them off and dry them some more; then store in airtight jars. The leaves may also be frozen.