Kellys Upside Down Vegetable Garden Update 04

This is my update for June 23, 2009. The big story this week is having to fight Japanese Beetles. I got back from my business trip and for two straight days fought these little destructive creatures. They nearly wiped out my Grapes and also had started in on my Raspberries, Peppers, Basel and Beans. I had to spray the entire garden with pesticide just to kill the ones that were feeding on everything. I also put out two traps to collect as many of the others as I could. So far it has worked. I have collected thousands of beetles in these traps and the pesticide has kept them away from the garden for the time being. Other than that, the garden has done quite nicely while I was gone. We have had a ton of rain so the Squash and Cucumber leaves were turning a little yellow. I propped the containers up on bricks so that they would drain better and it has fixed that problem. Also, I found that watering the Cucumbers at night is better. I was watering them in the morning and most of it evaporated and when the leaves got wet, in the heat of the day it would turn the leaves white around the edges. Watering them at night has stopped that problem and they seem to like it. This week it will be in the mid to high 90s so there should be a lot of growth by next week to update you on. The main thing is keeping those freaking beetles away from everything. If anyone has any additional ideas on ways to get rid of them, I am all ears. I hope you like the video this week and I will update you ...

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Kelly's Upside Down Vegetable Garden 02

This is a June 2, 2009 update of my upside down garden. I have a few additions this week. First of all, I built a trellis for my cucumbers. I had so many of them that I had to find places to grow them. Also I put a few cucumbers in an upside down bucket. At least I will be able to tell which way will be a better way to grow them. I also thinned out all the varieties of the squash I am growing so that they will do better and have space to grow. All the tomato plants are doing quite well and I have my first visible tomato so I am pretty happy about that. Personally, I think that tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and the best things to grow upside down. I decided not to grow the squash that way because of the size of the plant itself not to mention how big the fruit gets. I added strawberries and raspberries this week and am going to put in blackberries in next week. I hope everyone is doing well with their gardening this year so far. I know I am having a good time. It is pretty much consuming my life at the moment. If anyone has any comments or suggestions, please email me or post them. Also, if you subscribe to my video series, I will do the same for you. I am always looking for ideas to improve my garden and I know there are some good ones out there. Until next time, take care and happy gardening. Kelly

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5 Tips For Beginner Vegetable Gardeners

There's something special about eating home-grown vegetables from the garden. Fresh-picked peas are a revelation-store-bought ones never tasted as sweet-and who can resist juicy, garden-ripe tomatoes still warm from the sun?

If you are new to vegetable gardening, here are five tips to get you started:

Grow only veggies you like to eat. Home-grown veggies that are noticeably tastier and cheaper include green and yellow beans, broccoli, carrots, green onions, peas (both shelling and snow types), peppers, spinach, tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini.
Plant the stuff you have to shell out bigger bucks for at the supermarket-specialty greens like arugula or mesclun salad mixes, or asparagus. In fact, asparagus is one of the few perennial vegetables. For a Saturday afternoon spent planting your patch, you can harvest for 12 to 15 years.
Grow what's not so readily available, for example, heirloom tomatoes such as Brandywine. Many varieties available to home gardeners aren't found in stores, because produce intended for shipping is bred for durability and shelf life-taste comes a distant second.
Choose a level, well-drained spot that gets at least eight hours of full sun each day, and make sure it's close to a water source. The closer to the house, the easier the plants are to tend.
Start small. Novice gardeners often overplant and become overwhelmed. You don't even need a separate vegetable patch to begin with. Try tucking a tomato plant or two into your annuals. Each tomato plant will need a space that's 3-feet square. You can also plant basil, parsley, thyme, and chives into a half-barrel planter near the kitchen door. These kitchen herbs also make great edging plants for your veggie patch.

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