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Starting seeds - Direct Sow vs Indoor Starting

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Continuing with our blog posts on starting seeds in your home garden, today we are discussing the two main types of sowing for your edible home garden.  Direct Sow This is a system of sowing your seeds directly into the soil in your outdoor beds or containers. While this may seem like the easiest way to go, it is not always the best way to get your seeds to germinate well and eventually have a strong healthy plant.  For direct sowing, you need to consider various things; the temperature, proper soil drainage, and specific seed requirements. For many shallow-rooted crops like carrots and radishes, it is best to sow them directly outdoors in your beds or containers as their roots do not like being disturbed.  Depending on the temperatures in your area, the soil and air may be too cold or too hot to start your seeds outdoors. You therefore need to consider what is for your local area. Plants that reach maturity in 70 days or less may do better with direct sowing, e.g. lettuce or other lea
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2 Readily Available Items for Starting Seeds at Home

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As I prepare to start seeds for 2024, I am excited to share with you two unique yet readily available items in your house that can serve as containers for starting your seeds! In upcoming posts, we will delve deeper into the process of starting seeds and provide you with some tips on different techniques. First off, let's talk about egg cartons! With eggs being a staple in most households, you probably have some egg cartons lying around. These cartons are perfect for starting your seeds as they provide deep individual spots for each seedling to grow until they are ready to be transferred to bigger containers. But what's even better about egg cartons is their degrading quality. You can simply transfer them directly into the soil without transplanting, and the carton will break down naturally. So, the next time you buy some eggs, opt for the carton crates, and you'll be doing your plants and the environment a favor! The second item is the cardboard tube found in the center of
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2024 Plans and Classes

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  Happy New Year! A brand new year comes with expectations, blank slates and opportunities.  Thank you once again for being a part of the Aroebe Gardens community through this blog. This year, there are great plans in store for Aroebe Gardens and I am hopeful that one by one plans will go be executed. Part of the plan includes seeing many more people start edible gardens in their home! In preparation for growing this year, here are some things I am planning for in my home garden. My main goal this year is to maximize the space I have using some key principles to grow about 10 different crops that we consume often in my home.  To do this: - Picked out the 10 crops I want to grow - Agreed on the structural elements needed for growing considering the amount of sunlight I get -The cost of the elements I will need to make this happen -The routines needed to achieve the desired results While I do this, I want to offer a 2024 garden planning class for those of you who would like explore growi
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Thank you, Merry Christmas and a Great New Year!

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  What a ride it has been.  Documenting daily interactions with the garden, challenges and lessons and then sharing them here with you has been quite interesting. Thank you for coming along with me on this journey. I have loved hearing your feedback. The new year comes with so many great expectations and tons of responsibility.  I look forward to sharing consistently, offering virtual garden classes and other services to bring you into the joy of having your own edible garden, no matter how big or small it may be.  Please remember the quickest way to reach me is at aroebegardens@gmail.com. May you have an even greater 2024!
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Is it really important to know your seasons?

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For centuries, seasons determined what a farmer thought could grow at a time. In some parts of the world, there are four recognized seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. In some other places, there are the rainy and dry seasons.  Over the years, we have shifted to growing for longer by integrating systems like irrigation, greenhouse growing, hydroponics, aeroponics, etc. While most of these things have been applied to commercial growing, many home growers like you and I have also used them in their edible gardens. Many plants can be grown well beyond the exact seasonal specifications with self-watering systems, grow lights, mini-greenhouses, etc.  It does help to begin with what is recommended for the seasons in your area, and then you can add other plants and systems to grow more in those same seasons.  In warmer climates especially, you have the advantage of growing many things almost all year round, provided water supply is available in the absence of rains. Do you have any exa
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Garden disciplines - Consistency

If there is one discipline that will grow from having a garden, it will be  consistency . No matter how small, a garden requires some level of consistency to see the results you seek. Consistency in the garden looks like showing up every day to give your garden some attention. What your garden requires may differ daily depending on many factors. Some days, it may include watering, pulling any weeds, harvesting, transplanting, or starting seeds, etc. On other days, it is an opportunity to disconnect from all the distractions of the day and let your mind slow down as you sit in or beside your garden and observe or take a deep breath. At the moment, my garden time includes watering my plants and any other activity needed for that day. It usually takes about 10 minutes in total to finish up.  What does yours look like? I love that on the days I am consistent with my  garden time,  I can see the results in the growth and overall look of the plants. It is those memories that remind me to rem
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Do not despise small beginnings

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I dream of having a vast home garden where 70% of my produce will come from my garden. I dream of walking into a veggie garden with an orchard section and even having chickens. Right now, my husband and I do not live in our home, so we are limited in space.  Eventually, I will have the space and resources for that dream, but I am using the 10ft by 5ft space I have to grow and learn. I want to see how much I can grow in that space. I want to enjoy gardening now, experimenting and trying new things here and now without complaining about having this space or resources.  This is a reminder for you to enjoy your garden no matter how little your space is or how many plants you have growing. These little beginnings can help you develop simple garden routines, discover your strengths and likes, and build the capacity to manage a bigger garden. Happy Gardening!
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