CasaSugar

Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:12 -0700

Those of you who are lucky enough to enjoy a cool-weather gardening season should think about starting some of these seedlings soon. Can you tell me what this plant is called?

Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I've been replanting this root vegetable at intervals throughout the Summer. Can you tell me what it is?

10 Tips For Growing Great Tomatoes

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:47 -0700

One of the true joys of Summer gardening (and Summer farmers markets, for that matter) are just-picked, juicy tomatoes. Luckily, you can grow tomatoes in containers, so even the smallest patio garden can benefit from a delicious tomato plant. There are some important things to consider, though. So whether you're getting a late start on a seedling or looking for some advice on tomatoes that are in your garden already, I've got some ideas to keep your tomato plants healthy and productive throughout the Summer.

If you're growing in a container, pick a pot that can hold at least five gallons of soil per plant.
For a container, pick a determinate (bush) variety, which will only grow a certain number of feet, and then concentrate its efforts on ripening fruit.
Choose a tomato variety that has the letters VFN after the variety name. This means that the tomato plant will have resistance to verticillium and fusarium, two soil diseases, as well as resistance to nemotodes, tiny worms that can damage the plant's roots.
If you live in a chilly climate, pick a variety of tomato that only takes around 75 days to mature, as opposed to some of the larger varieties, which may take 90 or more days. This way you'll avoid killing your tomatoes in an early frost.

For the rest of my tips, read more.

Tomatoes require good soil. Start with quality soil in your garden or your container, and then mix in three inches or more of compost or well-decomposed manure into the soil mix before planting.
Try growing your tomato in a new direction: down! Use the Revolution Upside Down Planter ($19.95) for patio or deck tomatoes. Simply hang them from a hook and let them hang out and grow big!
For super juicy, sweet, tasty tomatoes, make sure that your plants get at least six hours of sunlight a day.
Water your tomatoes at the base of the plant, not on their leaves. Getting the leaves wet can promote fungus and other diseases.
If you live in a hot climate, you may have to provide some shade for your tomato plants during the very hottest times of the day.
Stake your plants to ensure healthy growth. You can use a tomato cage, or bamboo or wood stakes. Delicately tie your tomato plant's stem and branches to the stakes with twine.

Would You Turn Your Front Yard Into a Garden?

CasaSugar — Sun, 24 May 2009 05:30:27 -0700

I've told you about Edible Estates, a program that transforms sod lawns into vegetable gardens. This demonstration garden was shown at the Chelsea Flower Show. Would you consider doing the same?

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Maria Shriver to Plant California Victory Garden

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:00:31 -0700

Taking a cue from Michelle Obama, Maria Shriver, first lady of California, is spearheading a victory garden for California. Edible garden beds will be planted in May in Capitol Park in Sacramento.

“I’m so excited to be joining California Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura, the California Department of General Services, the California School Garden Network, Alice Waters, and many others to bring an edible garden to the state capitol, Shriver said in a statement."This new garden will bring awareness to children, students, and visitors about the important role of food, where it comes from, nutritional value, how it is grown and harvested, and ultimately how it reaches the tables of those who need it most."

The Capitol Park plot, where the garden will be planted, was originally a flower bed, and will be easily converted into the edible garden. The design will focus on water conservation. It is likely that the food from the garden will go to an area food bank, similar to the use of produce from San Francisco's edible garden. Baltimore's City Hall is also planting a victory garden this Spring. Are any city or state buildings near your home planning a victory garden?

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Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:30:38 -0700

This vegetable is growing in my garden right now, and is almost ready to eat. Can you guess what it's called?

Cool Idea: Free Tomato Seeds From Campbell's

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:15:18 -0700

Ready to start your victory garden? Then consider adding some tomatoes to the mix. For the first time ever, the Campbell Soup Company is offering you the opportunity to grow the specially cultivated seeds used to grow tomatoes for its tomato soup.

This offer is part of the company's goal to grow more than one billion tomatoes across the country and to support American agriculture. As part of this effort, Campbell's is also teaming up with the National FFA Organization and Urban Farming Incorporated, each of which will use the special seeds to help create five community gardens in urban communities.

To find out how to get free seeds, read more.

Through June 21 (or while supplies last), every household that purchases any variety of Campbell’s condensed soup and enters the code on the can at Help Grow Your Soup can request a free packet of Campbell’s tomato seeds to plant in their own backyards and windowsills. With each request, Campbell's will donate the seeds being used to plant community gardens and achieve the one-billion-tomato goal.

One of my favorite eco-oriented designers, Danny Seo, is helping to kick off the Spring planting spree. “There is a huge trend right now of people seeking to grow their own food in their own gardens, because it’s cost-effective, environmentally friendly and ultimately produces delicious, fresh-tasting ingredients,” said Seo. “What’s exciting about using Campbell’s seeds is that people will be able to grow a very special tomato that goes into America’s favorite tomato soup - and get those seeds for free!”

Are you a Campbell's soup fan? Will you be trying the company's tomato seeds?

Casa Verde: CowPots

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:00:32 -0800

They might not be the most glamorous choice, but CowPots are a brilliant gardening idea. Invented by brothers Matt and Ben Freund, these Connecticut dairy farmers were looking for a way to make their farm more sustainable. And since dairy farms all produce manure as a free byproduct, the brothers started there. For the past 10 years, they've used a methane digester on their farm.

The New York Times article "From Tons of Manure, a Growth Industry" further explains the Freunds' smart use of cow manure:

Beginning in 1997, theirs has been one of the rare farms in the United States continually extracting methane gas from cow manure in a digester. The methane can power a generator to save electricity costs, and the digester also removes the most pungent odors.

The digester also breaks down the manure into liquids, which can be used for fertilizer and solids, which are used for the CowPots.

Find out how to use CowPots in your garden when you read more.

CowPots, which start at $7.99 per 12 pack, cut down on plastic in the horticultural industry. This is definitely good eco news, since the horticultural industry generates about 350 million pounds of plastic each year. To use the CowPot in your garden, simply drop the seedling in the CowPot into your garden plot, and the pot will break down in the soil. You'll want to bury the pot completely in the ground. Once it's covered, the pot will break down in the soil over a period of several weeks. Since CowPots naturally retain water, they're also a great choice for dry or desert climates.

Have you used CowPots?

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This Just In: Eat the View Wins Over On Day One

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:30:35 -0800

You may remember back in August, I told you about a campaign and petition to plant healthy, edible landscapes in high-impact, high-visibility places, including the White House - much like San Francisco's Slow Food Nation Victory Garden - called Eat the View. Well, as it turns out, after the polling the public on their preference of 81 ideas for our future pres., Eat the View was named the winner by On Day One, a platform for gathering ideas about what Obama should do on his first day in office. This isn't to say that Obama will be taking any orders from On Day One, but the people have spoken, and it's clear that many would like to see some veggies growing at 1600 Pennsylvania. What do you think about this campaign? Do you have your own vegetable, fruit, or herb garden? Would you like to see more gardens in public spaces?
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Name This Plant

CasaSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:01:42 -0800

If you look carefully enough, you can read my label, but even without that massive hint, I'm sure you Casa readers can figure out who I am.