Home Gardener’s

Weekly

Issue
No. 54

December
15, 2023

Winter Garden Snow Globe
Microgreens

This Week’s Feature:
Join Our 5-Day Fantastical Winter Garden Adventure ❄️

Fantastical Winter Gardening Banner

We find growing food to be such a magical adventure…and we bet you do, too!

Eating healthy tends to make you happier, and nothing is better than the taste of fresh vegetables from the garden in the spring and summer. Imagine experiencing that same feeling all winter long! Even better—imagine enjoying the food you love in the winter AND watching the seeds sprout to life.

Each day of the event, we share how to create a successful winter gardening mindset. When you have a magical mindset and the tools that you need to succeed, your winter garden falls into place without confusion, frustration, and overwhelm.

Over the five day adventure, you will be sprouting and growing lentils—enough for a great meal for your family and probably the neighbors, too!

Don’t miss out on fresh greens all winter when you could be growing them NOW…even if it’s snowing outside! ❄️

We find growing food to be such a magical adventure…and we bet you do, too!

Eating healthy tends to make you happier, and nothing is better than the taste of fresh vegetables from the garden in the spring and summer. Imagine experiencing that same feeling all winter long! Even better—imagine enjoying the food you love in the winter AND watching the seeds sprout to life.

Each day of the event, we share how to create a successful winter gardening mindset. When you have a magical mindset and the tools that you need to succeed, your winter garden falls into place without confusion, frustration, and overwhelm.

Over the five day adventure, you will be sprouting and growing lentils—enough for a great meal for your family and probably the neighbors, too!

Don’t miss out on fresh greens all winter when you could be growing them NOW…even if it’s snowing outside! ❄️

Winter Garden Snow Globe

The eighth habit in the series of Habits of a Green Thumb Grower is being highlighted this week. The eighth habit is about your learning habits. We should all be constantly learning. There is always something new to discover!

We believe that anyone can learn to have a green thumb with the right mindset and habits, and we are over halfway through the Habits of a Green Thumb Grower series. Are you enjoying the videos? If you’ve missed any, you can find the links in our archived newsletters, which you can access HERE.

Bee Raking

Weekly Garden Tip

To determine the ideal bed width, get in a physical position that you would be working in. So, if you’re going to build beds on the ground, get on the ground as though you were going to dig into the soil. Then, reach your arm out as far as you can without becoming uncomfortable. Measure the space from where the ground starts in front of you to the middle of your palm. This is the width of the bed that’s most likely ideal for you, if you can only harvest from one side of the bed. If you can harvest from both sides, then double the measurement you just took for an ideal bed width. This way, you can reach anywhere in the bed comfortably without straining.

✅ Free Resource: Stage 1 Harvest Checklist

PRUNING & TRELLISING is the sixth step in the Circle of Awesome, and HARVESTING is the seventh step. To help you achieve success, discover the key pieces of knowledge you need to know in this week’s free resource about Harvesting to grow an abundant garden!

What’s great about harvesting is that by harvesting, you are also pruning your plants. So you’re accomplishing two tasks in one fell swoop!

Be sure to look for other Stage 1 Checklists in future newsletters!

Stage 1 Harvest E-Guide
Railscape Clips

🛍 Product Feature: Planters!

Our friends at PlantTraps have two amazing products that will completely re-imagine your outdoor planting. With these two products, you can easily create layered vertical gardens—from your very own balcony!

Their RailScapes are tool-free lightweight railing planters that are designed to disappear. With the RailScapes, you can suspend pots between 9”-10” and up to 15 lbs (25 lbs at the foot of the railing), turning your railing into a floating garden.

Two sizes are available, allowing them to be used on metal, wood, and vinyl rail posts up to 1½”. The RailScapes are wind-resistant, forward tilt-proof, and rust-resistant.

Ledge Plant Extender

PlantTraps’ LedgePlanters turn your cramped balcony into a spacious garden…with no tools required! The LedgePlants extend the ledge beyond the railing, turning the area into the perfect place for a floating garden. They can also be utilized to support window garden boxes that are wider than 18”.

Each LedgePlanter supports up to 25 lbs and is made of powder-coated rust-resistant Galvanneal steel. They work with boxes up to 12” in height.

Railscape Clips
Ledge Plant Extender

🛍 Product Feature: Planters!

Our friends at PlantTraps have two amazing products that will completely re-imagine your outdoor planting. With these two products, you can easily create layered vertical gardens—from your very own balcony!

Their RailScapes are tool-free lightweight railing planters that are designed to disappear. With the RailScapes, you can suspend pots between 9”-10” and up to 15 lbs (25 lbs at the foot of the railing), turning your railing into a floating garden.

Two sizes are available, allowing them to be used on metal, wood, and vinyl rail posts up to 1½”. The RailScapes are wind-resistant, forward tilt-proof, and rust-resistant.

PlantTraps’ LedgePlanters turn your cramped balcony into a spacious garden…with no tools required! The LedgePlants extend the ledge beyond the railing, turning the area into the perfect place for a floating garden. They can also be utilized to support window garden boxes that are wider than 18”.

Each LedgePlanter supports up to 25 lbs and is made of powder-coated rust-resistant Galvanneal steel. They work with boxes up to 12” in height.

 🥬 👜 Grow Your Own Vegetables Tote Bags!

Have you seen the Grow Your Own Vegetables line of quality tote bags?

Nothing Beets Gardening Tote

These are great for weekly grocery shopping, your weekend farmer’s market, or even harvesting your own vegetables. It’s a great tote bag to keep in your car to always have it easily available when you need it.

The highly durable 100% polyester tote bag is available in three sizes to fit your exact needs: Small (13″H x 12″L), Medium (16″H x 15″L), and Large (18″H x 17″L). With reinforced stitching, the black cotton handle measures 1” wide and 14” in length, making it easy to slip over your shoulder to carry.

These two-sided printed tote bags are currently available in 16 unique designs featuring garden puns, GYOV CEO Denise Bein’s one-of-a-kind watercolor designs, and our newly designed eight garden personality characters. See them all in the Grow Your Own Vegetables Online Shop.

Nothing Beets Gardening Tote
Harvest Club Logo

What's Happening in Harvest Club

Last week’s newly indexed resources are all in the Site and Climate and the Soil and Fertility categories. These MAIN resources are some of the most important resources you can use to get a thriving garden.

 

Not a member of our garden membership Harvest Club? You can get a one-time complimentary two month membership with any of our courses. Harvest Club has tons of resources to help you thrive. Plus, you get access to ongoing garden support through email. Learn more here.

 BLOG:
🌰 6 Benefits to Saving Your Own Seeds 🌰

Save your own seeds

Would you like to know exactly what you are eating—from seed to your plate? The way to do that is to save your own seeds. Besides the reassurance of knowing exactly what you are eating, there are other benefits to saving your seeds. Read about the six benefits in this week’s featured blog.

Coloring Book

👩🏽‍🌾 Garden Kids

Looking for something for your kids to do over the holiday break? Download our free Grow Your Own Vegetables KIDS Coloring and Activity Book.

Dear Arti Image

Dear Arti,

Question: My soils test gives help for correcting levels of NPK but does not indicate desired levels of the trace minerals also tested. The numbers tell what is there but not what is ideal or how to achieve that. Can you help? – Maureen I.

Answer: Hi Maureen, great question! Each nutrient has its own ideal levels. The ideal range is 50 to 120 ppm (parts per million), but 40 to 50 ppm (80 to 100 lbs/acre) is acceptable. Ideal calcium levels are 430-540 ppm, phosphorus 30-50 ppm, etc. So first, you’ll want to research the ideal ppm for the nutrient and then compare them to the levels on your soil test.

In terms of how to achieve proper levels, this can be a bit more tricky. Many recommend single source synthetics or amendments that lean heavily in one nutrient. However, unless you have a serious deficiency, adding a compost that’s made from a variety of sources is one of the best ways you can rebalance your soil.

If your levels are severely below average, that’s when you might want to consider using single source organic amendments. These would be non-synthetic amendments like feather meal, kelp meal, or lime. Most labels will provide a recommended dosage on the label. Add a little, then retest your soil. Keep in mind that some amendments take time to become bioavailable to your plants so be sure to research how long that amendment will take to integrate with your soil.

As far as understanding exactly how much to add in each amendment for each nutrient measured on soil test in ppm or lbs/acre, this could be an entire book. When you’re new to gardening or growing food at home, it’s much less complicated to start with a healthy level of compost.

If your soil is oversaturated with a certain nutrient however, this can be amended by growing plants that take a larger dose of the nutrient you need lowered. For example, if you have too much nitrogen in the soil, planting a few rounds of corn can help pull out some of that nitrogen as corn are heavy feeders, especially with nitrogen.

One last note: Not all nutrients in your soil are always available. Mobility and availability of nutrients depend on soil pH, microbial activity, and other factors. Testing your soil nutrient levels with your pH levels can provide helpful insight into your soil story.

🏡 In the GYOV Yarden

Crystal Meserole

GYOV Garden Trainer and Commercial Microgreens Grower Crystal Meserole shares a photo from her greenhouse of marigold gem microgreens in three different stages of growth. Marigold gem microgreens take 3-4 weeks to finish, depending on your temperatures. The flavor is a bright, almost spicy front-end with notes of citrus. They are great for salads and fish dishes especially.

Marigold Microgreens

Delicious & Nutritious Vegetable Bars

Looking for something quick and easy to bring to a holiday party? These Vegetable Bars are a great delicious option to use some vegetables that you harvested from your garden.

Ingredients:

✔️ 8 oz Sour Cream
✔️ 8 oz Cream Cheese
✔️ ½ pkg Hidden Valley Ranch (HVR) Dressing (dry mix)
✔️ 1-2 crowns Broccoli (cut into small florets)
✔️ 1-2 crowns Cauliflower (cut into small florets)
✔️ 4-5 Carrots (shredded)
✔️ Dough*

*The dough can be a pie crust, a can of crescent rolls, or whatever you want to use. It needs to be rolled out as thin as you can get it and baked on a cookie sheet at the recommended temperature for 10 minutes.

Directions: While the dough cools, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, and HVR dry dressing mix. Spread the mixture on top of the baked dough. Top with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 6-8 hours. Cut into bars and serve. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Other Topping Options: Diced cucumbers, diced onions, chopped olives, or shredded cheese

Tiny Tomato Chef Character
Veggie Bars

Events From Our Friends!

My Herbal Kitchen (Kami McBride)

HERB COURSE:
My Herbal Kitchen 

WHO: Living Awareness

WHEN: Available Now!

WHAT: My Herbal Kitchen is uniquely designed for anyone that wants to learn herbalism. Herbalist, Author, and Teacher Kami McBride cuts through all the overwhelm and confusion of herbal remedies and brings herbs back where they belong—in your kitchen and your everyday life.

In this course, you will learn how to use and make:

🌿 Herbal Vinegars
🌿 Herbal Honeys
🌿 Herbal Drinks
🌿 Herbal Pestos
🌿 Herbal Oils
🌿 Herbal Spice Blends
🌿 Herbal Salts
🌿 Herbal Waters
🌿 Herbal Smoothies
🌿 Herbal Cordials

Fortify the nutrient density of the food you already eat so that you can nourish yourself every single day!

On a lighter note…

Cartoon "If you work in your garden regularly, be sure to add "Plant Manager" on your resume."

Just for Fun!

Holiday Plant Party

Looking for a unique holiday party idea? Why not do a White Elephant Party—but plant style!

Have each guest bring a cutting or seeds from one of their plants. It can be for an indoor or outdoor plant or something to plant in your next vegetable garden.

Plant CuttingEveryone draws numbers, and the person with number one selects first. The person with number two can either “steal” the gift selected by number one or select a new one. If number one’s gift is stolen, they must select a new gift. The person with number three can either “steal” the gift from number one or two or select a new one. And continue to everyone has a plant to take home!

It’s a great way for everyone to expand the green in or around their home and get a gift that is useful and continues to give!

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