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Imagine eating luscious red strawberries fresh from your garden still warm from the sun. What a treat and that treat can be yours. Here are easy tips for growing strawberries.

Strawberries need at least six hours of sun a day to flower and set fruit. Keep that in mind when selecting a site for your berries. Strawberry pots, those big pots with little holes in the sides are not ideal for strawberries because they dry out too fast.

Strawberries prefer rich soil. Dig down about six inches with a sturdy shovel and turn the dirt over. Remove rocks and twigs and sprinkle in a slow release fertilizer per package directions. Add a bag of compost or well rotted manure for every 8 square feet of your strawberry patch. For example if your patch is 12 feet by 12 feet you would need 4 bags. Spread the compost evenly and then turn over the soil again to mix the fertilizer and compost into the soil.

Plant strawberry plants about 12 inches apart. Strawberries grow quickly into a bush about a foot around.

Water well. Every month use a liquid fertilizer that feeds the foliage (leaves) as well as soaking into the ground. Strawberries have small white flowers between the size of a dime and quarter with yellow centers. Each plant can have from 3 or 4 berries to a dozen. Depending on the variety of the berry you buy, you can have all the berries setting and ripening at once to berries that ripen continuously over the summer.

Don’t over water your plants especially after the berries have set. Mud around the fruit can cause the fruit to rot. Test the soil to see if it needs water by inserting your finger into the dirt. If the soil is still moist up to within an inch of the surface you can wait to water. If it’s dry then water. It’s best to water deeply less often. That encourages the roots of the plant to reach down into the soil.

When the berries are showing a blush of pink think about how you’re going to discourage birds from eating the berries. This can be accomplished with netting held over the berries by tying the net to posts about one foot off the ground. Or you can try using tinsel, yes the kind you buy for Christmas decorations or specially made foil that grape vineyard use.

If slugs or snails are a problem in your area , Set out jar lids filled with beer in the evening. The slugs and snails love beer, will fall in and drown.

Don’t spray the flowers with insecticides. You risk killing the bees which pollinate the flowers turning them from flowers into berries. Use a strong spray from your garden hose to knock any bugs off the plants.

Berries don’t ripen any more after being picked so wait until your berries are a bright crimson red before picking.

Follow these easy tips from Easy Garden Care and you’ll have lush sweet strawberries fresh from your garden.

Find more tips from Dee Power on growing strawberries at http://www.easygardencare.com.

More on Growing Fruits and Vegetables

It’s easy,very inexpensive and they taste better too so lets get started!

STEP 1: Which tomatoes should I grow? If you have a long growing season then you would want to go with an indeterminate variety which grows all summer long. If your growing season is short then you would go with a determinate variety which produces its fruit quickly (in as little as 85 days or less) and ripens all at once.

Step 2: Now that I have bought my seeds what do I do with them? Six to eight weeks for the end of winter I line up little paper cups filled with peat moss and put one seed in each cup. I then place them in a sunny window sill and water almost daily as peat tends to dry out quickly. Make sure not to over water or let the seed/roots sit in excessive water as this will kill them.

As your seedlings grow transplant them into larger and larger containers, each time burying them up to the first set of leaves. The plant will send out roots from the buried stem and will develop a stronger root system by the time they are ready to be planted outdoors. Once your seedlings have taken off and the threat of frosts are over move your plants outdoors for a few hours each afternoon to get them acclimated, or hardened off, before actually planting them in the garden.

Will any soil work? Tomatoes need a rich, well-drained soil ideally full of organic matter, so get started on that compost pile early.

How much sun do they need? Tomatoes require full sun which translates into no less than 6 to 8 hours a day. Plants will be weak and unhealthy with anything less.

STEP 3: Okay it’s time to transplant. Transplanting is an important step and if you do it carefully, you can look forward to an abundant crop of healthy mouth watering tomatoes.

Once your tomato plants have been hardened, or acclimated to outdoor conditions, and night-time temperatures continually exceed 50 degrees, it’s time to set your plants out into your garden or patio containers.

After planting your tomato plants its a good idea to place organic mulch around them. mulch helps keep the soil most and helps keep fruit off the ground, preventing rotting. The advantages to Mulching is that the soil retains moisture requiring less waterings. Also, the mulch acts as a slow release fertilizer and helps keep the weeds down.

STEP 4: It’s a good idea to prune your plants by pinching off the small leaves which appear in the crotch above a larger stem. Don’t pinch off too many large leaves or the sun will burn developing fruit. Pinching back the top of the plant after it reaches the top of your stake or cage encourages more flowering and fruit.

How often should I water them? Your plants should be deep watered 2 to 3 times a week or more depending of your soil type. If the plant is seen wilting in the middle of the day, ignore it. They will perk right back up by late afternoon. If the plants look droopy in the morning, they need water.

All that hard work gardening is getting ready to pay off and depending on what type of tomato plants you chose more than likely you will have an over abundance of ripe tomatoes.

When the fruits have ripened, pick them by bending back the fruit at the notch on the stem. They can be eaten straight from the plant, or can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

Tomatoes store well in a cool, dry location. Do not put them in the refrigerator. While they last longer in the refrigerator, they will lose their flavor and texture. To slow down ripening keep them out of direct sunlight.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Penny owns and operates http://PennysTomatoes.com where she sells tomato seeds and offers advice on how to turn those seeds into tons of mouth watering tomatoes. She has written articles for South Carolina Womans Magazine and was a guest on Southern Style, a local show in Myrtle Beach.

More on Growing Tomatoes

Compost is what is left over when organic matter decomposes. Organic matter can be things like vegetable scraps, leaves, mown grass and any other garden waste. This material will decompose without any assistance at all, though you can help it along and enjoy the benefits of compost faster if you wish.

Because it doesn’t contain a high level of essential nutrients, compost is not considered an actual fertilizer. Instead, it is treated as a soil conditioner or amendment. Compost does supply many good things to the soil. It attracts beneficial creatures like earthworms and it improves the soil composition.

Cold composting is basically just making a pile and letting it sit in the bin. This takes longer than hot composting. Hot composting is when you take a shovel and turn your pile every few days to supply more oxygen to the microorganisms in your compost pile.

Location

First, decide where you will put your compost pile. Check for city ordinances that may regulate where you can put a compost pile, or if you can even have one. A compost pile can get messy, so put it somewhere that you can reach with a hose so you can do clean up if necessary. Bugs will be attracted to your compost pile, so keep this in mind. If you have a free corner in your garden that is far enough away from the house and the neighbors could be the perfect spot for that new compost pile.

Containers

There are many composting products for sale today. They even have gadgets that will rotate your compost for you, but really, the only thing you need is a compost container. Some people simply fence off the compost pile, while others use a bin or container of some kind to put their organic matter in. This can be recycled, home made or purchased at a store. While there are many composting bins to choose from in all sorts of shapes and sizes, the easiest ones are simple. Don’t spend more than you need.

Layer It

A good way to begin a compost pile is with layers. Start with fallen leaves or grass clippings, and then put some soil on it, then put in some kitchen waste. Eggshells, scraps of fruits and vegetables and coffee grounds all make good additions to a compost pile. Do not ever add meat or pet waste to your compost. Once you have more layers, add another layer of soil and manure.

Moisture

Keep your compost pile moist, but not wet. Add a little water if it seems to be getting dry. You may want to consider adding a little beer to your pile. The yeast in the beer will keep the bacteria in your compost pile and make sure they’ll be happy. It doesn’t really matter if you add beer or water, just keep it moist.

Maintenance

A compost pile doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. Just continue adding your garden trimmings and kitchen waste to the pile. Occasionally mix in a little soil and manure to encourage decomposition. Keep the pile moist and if you remember, turn the pile about once a week to improve air circulation and aid the decomposition process.

The compost is ready to put in your garden when it looks like dark soil and smells like earth. Just add to your garden and mix it in. If you want to add compost to your indoor plants, you need to sterilize it first. Layer it on some foil on an old baking sheet and put it in a 200 degree F oven for about half an hour.

There isn’t one best way to make compost. No matter what you do, organic matter will decompose. Find the style that works best for you and your garden and get composting!

Check out The Joy of Rose Gardening now at http://www.roseflowergarden.com, to find great articles, advice, tips and much more on rose gardening topics.

More Compost Help

Few things bring to mind an American Fall season quite like Sunflowers…well, maybe pumpkins, but we’re going with Sunflowers on this one. A native plant to America, the Sunflower (Helianthus annus) is an annually blooming plant and can grow to be over 3 meters tall. The Sunflower is well known for exhibiting heliotropism, or following the path of the sun throughout the day from east to west. While there are certainly a number of ways to go about getting Sunflowers to decorate with this Fall season, here are some thoughts on what to keep in mind in case you’ve decided that you want to grow your own.

Plan Ahead to Plant Early

If you want to grow your own Sunflowers than you had better plan ahead and plan to plant in early Spring. Getting the seeds into the ground by between March and August, with mid-May being an ideal time, is the best way to go to ensure that you get maximum return on the seeds that you plan. Also, make sure you test the soil where you’ll be planting well ahead to make sure that there’s not too much Nitrogen in the soil, but that there is a good amount of Potassium and Phosphorus.

Give Yourself Enough Space

Growing Sunflowers can take up some space, so make sure that you have enough space devoted to the amount of plants that you will be growing. You’ll want to plant each seed roughly 1 to 2 inches deep into moist soil, spacing the seeds 12 inches apart in rows that are spaced between 2 and 2 ½ feet apart. If you’re planning on growing a larger varietal of Sunflower than you may want to give yourself even more space to allow for the added size.

Managing the Plants

Your Sunflowers plant should mature in roughly 60 to 90 days at which point they will need to be cut daily. The best time to cut your Sunflower plants is in either the early morning or late afternoon. Once you’ve cut your Sunflowers you’ll want to immerse them in clean buckets filled with water and a solution of Quick Dip to open their pores. Refrigerating them within a few hours of cutting ensures that they will last long once they are put on display.

Ready by Fall

Depending on when you plant your Sunflowers they can be ready to be cut anywhere from September and into October. You can display your Sunflowers in any number of ways, to having them be the center of a large display to using them as a way to add color and vibrancy to an existing floral arrangement. If properly managed and prepared before being put into an arrangement, your Sunflowers can maintain their fresh flowers appearance for upwards of two weeks.

Just in Case

Ok, so you can see that it’s not really that hard to grow your own beautiful Sunflowers for your Fall floral arrangements, but what if you don’t have the time, or the green thumb, to grow your own Sunflowers. Well there are number of places that will offer fresh flowers this time of year, chief amongst them being Sunflowers. While there is certainly a certain satisfaction in growing your own flowers, if you don’t have the time or space to do so, there’s certainly nothing wrong with deciding to buy flowers from your local florist and having them include some fresh Sunflowers for you.

About the Author Steve Papoulakos is the president of Vogue Flowers and has been in the floral industry for over 22 years, offering fresh flowers and flowers online for those looking for quality and experience. Vogue Flowers can be found at: http://www.vogueflowers.com

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Just because the garden is asleep doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do for winter gardeners. Winter gardening takes advantage of little or no plant growth at this time of year to force us to concentrate on admittedly less attractive, but equally important tasks. There are many things you can do this time of year to make sure that your winter garden turns into the spring garden of your dreams.

*If the cold permits, use the winter in the garden to work on structure and hardscaping. This is a great time to plan or build arbors, built in seating, edging and paths. Winter allows you to see the bones of the garden to help you visualize where it needs some hardscaping. Perhaps your paths need to be redirected, or you see a spot that could use a trellis and some height. Take advantage of the bare winter garden to provide your plants with a background and structure.

*Use this time to redesign your flower beds. If you haven’t already created a garden notebook, now is a good time to start. Draw a diagram of each part of your garden, and mark the spot of the flowers, shrubs and bulbs. You may have to add items as spring approaches, and up pops that plant you had forgotten about! Get a basic layout of your garden, and consider what worked last year, and what didn’t. Note blank spots in the garden, and use paper templates to try new combinations of flowers within your beds. Color your paper templates to help you visualize the effect on the garden. Make a separate page for each plant you have in your garden, and note as much information as you can about it.

*This is the time to browse those garden seed catalogs! Don’t wait until spring, by then it will be too late to grow from seed for this season for most plants. Consider ordering some new varieties of old garden favorites such as sunflowers, coneflower and foxglove.

*If you want to plant vegetables this year, now is the time to prepare your beds. Till or spade under your chosen vegetable plot, then add organic matter and fertilizer and till in. Allow to sit several weeks to settle, until proper plating time for your area. This will prevent any hot spots in the garden from your organic matter and fertilizer, and allow the soil to settle to prevent drying out of the roots.

*Start some seeds indoors to have plants ready to put out in the garden after last frost. Now is the time to grow those plants from seed you can’t find at the nursery. Your indoor seed growing station can be as complicated as a deluxe indoor greenhouse with lights, or as simple as a re-used egg carton on a windowsill. Some easy plants to grow indoors from seed include most sun loving annuals and such perennials as Shasta Daisy, Black Eyed Susan, Coneflower, Coreopsis and many ornamental grasses. Growing perennials from seed can save you hundreds of dollars, as the average 4 inch pot perennial sells for $3-$6, and a packet of seeds that might produce 100 plants averages $2.

*Finally, go over all your tools and supplies, and find out what needs repair, attention or replacement. The last thing you want is for that first spring day to arrive and you rush out to pop those first seeds in the ground, only to find your gloves need to be replaced or your spade handle is breaking!

Just because the weather is cold doesn’t mean gardeners must sleep! Use the time wisely, and you will be rewarded with plenty of time to enjoy those spring bulbs and fragrant flowers in just a short time!

Want free gardening tips and ideas? Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden ideas at www.TheGardenGlove.com and www.TheBudgetDecorator.com

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