The Rusted Garden Blog

Where & How to Place Your Vegetable Garden Beds: Maximizing the Sun on Your Homestead

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

Where & How to Place Your Vegetable Garden Beds: Maximizing the Sun on Your Homestead

The Rusted Garden Seed and Garden Shop Vegetables need 4 to 8 hours of direct sun. It is important to know how much sun falls onto your proposed areas for garden beds. The best way to accomplish this is to track the sun's movement across your homestead. On a sunny day go out into your yard at 8 A.M., 10 A.M., 12 P.M., 2 P.M. and 4 P.M. and take notes on the parts of your yard that are getting direct sun.  If the sun is hitting your proposed garden spots, jot down the estimated amount of time the direct...

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34 Vegetable Plants You can Grow in Less Sunlight or More Shade: Full Sun, Partial Sun and Minimal Sun Categories Defined

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

34 Vegetable Plants You can Grow in Less Sunlight or More Shade:  Full Sun, Partial Sun and Minimal Sun Categories Defined

The Rusted Garden Seed and Garden Shop 34 Vegetable Plants You can Grow in Less Sunlight or More Shade:  Full Sun, Partial Sun and Minimal Sun Categories Defined Does my garden have less sunlight or more shade? Growing vegetables is not difficult but it does take work and we (gardeners) at times, make it more confusing and complicated than needed. The beauty of a garden is that it wants to grow and give back to you. Nature designed plants to adapt. Even if you initially have some trouble, you will still get plenty of vegetables as you develop your skills...

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How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide on Your Tomato Plants to Stop Fungal Diseases: Mix Ratios, Spray Routine & Theory

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide on Your Tomato Plants to Stop Fungal Diseases: Mix Ratios, Spray Routine & Theory

Hydrogen Peroxide is H2O2, two hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms bonded together. It has one more oxygen atom than water, which is H2O. Studies have shown that plants create H2O2 and similar molecules in response to fungal and bacterial attacks. You can keyword search: The Oxidative Burst in Plant Disease Resistance for detailed information.  This an extremely simplified explanation of how Hydrogen Peroxide or H2O2 works to kill fungi and bacteria on your tomato plants. The bonds that form a molecule of hydrogen peroxide are very unstable. When we spray H2O2 onto  tomato leaves, the fungi like 'Leaf Spot' and...

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How to Water Your Vegetable Beds & Container Gardens: Calculating Temperature with Other Factors for A Weekly Watering Routine

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

How to Water Your Vegetable Beds & Container Gardens: Calculating Temperature with Other Factors for A Weekly Watering Routine

I get asked all the time, "How much water should I give my plants?" or "How often should I water my plants?". The answer is... it depends.
I can't answer that question with a single simple answer because many factors need to be considered when determining how often and how much water to give your plants each week. The following factors have to be considered:
  1. Plant Size
  2. Soil Type
  3. Temperature
  4. Weather Conditions: Full Sun, Cloudy, Rain
  5. Container Size for Container Gardens
  6. Planting Density for Earth Bed Gardens

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How to Use Worm Castings for Your Tomato & Vegetable Seed Starts: Starting Tomatoes NO Grow-Lights!

Posted by Gary Pilarchik on

How to Use Worm Castings for Your Tomato & Vegetable Seed Starts: Starting Tomatoes NO Grow-Lights!

You can save a lot of money by starting your vegetable seeds indoors. It is a lot of fun and you can grow plant varieties that you just won't find, as transplants, at your local stores. There are two major issues that impact seed starting and they are lighting and fertilizing. I address both of them in the video. A lot of gardeners, that are seed starting for the first time, get thin tall flimsy seedlings. This is called 'legginess." When a germinated plant breaks the surface and it is NOT met by intense light, it keeps growing and stretching...

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