I’ve been asking you a lot of questions…

…through surveys, posts, Facebook and Twitter.

You’ve been heard – loud and clear.

I might not respond to everyone, but I read everything and I’ve heard you.

It goes beyond gardening

The one common thing that I keep hearing is that you want to grow your own food to eat healthy, avoid pesticides and chemicals and to know where your food is coming from.

There is only so far that growing our own food can take us in that respect, especially for those of us with smaller spaces. Plus, gardening is a boring topic to always be writing and reading about.

More than gardening information

That is why I am going to be expanding the content to include ways beyond growing your own food so that you can eat healthy, avoid pesticides and chemicals and know where your food is coming from.

You’ll still get your simple and quick tips to start and maintain your garden, but you’ll also be getting information on other ways to incorporate healthy foods into your life and reasons why.

Future offers

I’m also currently developing an online course to help you get your garden started along with other courses to take your health to where you want it to be for you and your family.

Your turn

Fill out the survey below to allow me to better serve you and provide you with the content that you are seeking.

Also, be sure to sign up for my email updates below to stay up to date when the online course will be offered.

In 2012, the content focus has change…

…and I would like to get your thoughts.

As the header image of the site says, this site is about “Practical container gardening tips to grow your own food.”

Which is why I want to make sure that that is what is provided for you – practical tips.

It’s easy for me to know which ones are the most popular. I really want to know which ones are the most useful to you, so more of those can be created for you.

This is going to be my last post for a few weeks. As you are watching this I’m back in NYC and going to be speaking at Green Festival on Saturday, April 21 at 2pm at the Javitz Center. If you are in the NYC area, come check it out and say what’s up. I’ll be back posting regularly on May 14th…or possibly before.

Most popular posts of 2012 so far…

To help jog your memory here are some of the most popular posts from this year:

• 7 location ideas for apartment and urban gardens
• How many plants per container?
• Best container vegetables to grow in the shade
• How to determine the amount of sunlight your garden gets
• Questions to ask yourself when deciding what to grow
• All posts from 2012

Your turn

Since I want to be of highest service to you on this journey, in the comments below let me which posts were the most and least useful to you.

Each and every comment is read. Your opinion counts.

Photo courtesy of Bilal Kamoon on Flickr.

This is guest post by Becky Striepe
from Glue and Glitter

Growing food is sort of a non-stop adventure, isn’t it?

Just when everything’s planted and flourishing…

…the change in seasons means it’s time to start your garden over with a new round of seeds and seedlings.

Like Mike has mentioned before, you might think you’ll remember what you planted where, but unless you label your pots, chances are you’ll end up with at least one or two mysteries sprouting up.

A container garden is no different. Rather than having to keep track of a bunch of plant markers, you can use chalkboard paint to create a changeable label for your potted herbs and veggies. It’s easy as pie!

Here’s how to make your own chalkboard paint pot

Materials
• Chalkboard paint. You can pick up a pint at the store or make your own.
• A terra cotta pot. Use a dry rag to wipe it clean of any debris.
• A paint brush. Something medium-sized will do.
• Masking tape or decals. I went with a plain rectangle, but you can use decals if you want your chalkboard label to have a fun shape, like a heart or a star.
• Chalk. White will do, or you can use fun colored chalk!

Directions
1. Tape off your design. If you’re doing a square, you want to be super careful to keep the top and bottom edges parallel to the top and bottom of the pot. That might mean ever so slightly curving the tape as you go around. Take your time with this step. When you’re all done taping, take an extra minute to make sure it’s smoothed down really well, so you won’t have any smudges.
2. Shake up your chalkboard paint really well. Not only does shaking keep the color even, but it distributes the tiny grains that make chalkboard paint writeable.
3. Grab your brush, and paint! I gave my pot 2 coats, leaving about 10 minutes drying time in between. It will take 2 or 3 coats to get it looking nice and even.
4. Don’t wait too long to remove your tape, or you’ll risk removing the paint along with it. Maybe 10 or 15 minutes is a good waiting time after you finish your last coat. To remove the tape, very slowly and carefully peel it away from the pot, being careful not to let any painty parts of the tape touch the pot, since you won’t be able to get that paint off of the porous surface once it’s on there.
5. Let your pot dry overnight, then take a piece of chalk and rub the side all over where you painted to prime your chalkboard label. Wipe off the excess with a clean rag, and you’re ready to write on your pot!

Check out the step-by-step slideshow of how to make a chalkboard paint pot.

About Becky

Becky Striepe is a vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her mission is to make vegan food and eco-friendly crafts accessible to anyone who wants to give them a go. She’s also site director at Eat Drink Better, a site dedicated to exploring sustainable, ethical food choices. You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook and Pinterest!

Images courtesy of Glue and Glitter on Flickr.

Everyone loves contests…

…mostly because you get the chance to win free stuff.

But what else would you like to see in a contest?

Last week, I ran the contest with Safer Brand for a chance to win a gift pack from them.

The winner has been notified, so if you haven’t been notified…take a hint.

This was the third contest that I have run this year. The others were for the All-In-One Seed Bank from SeedsNow.com and the other was for the Smart Float Seed Tray from The Greenhouse Catalog.

I’d love to get your feedback on the contests so far.

• What have you liked or disliked?
• When you enter a contest do you really care about the company…or do you just want free stuff?
• What else would you like to see in a contest?
• Other thoughts…

When you enter a contest do you really care about the company…or do you just want free stuff? — Tweet This

Each and every response is read and taken into consideration in creating new content and contests, so make sure your voice is heard.

Photo courtesy of Pixel8 on Flickr

By Justin Emig
Associate Brand Manager, Safer Brand

For most of the country, Spring has DEFINITELY sprung…

…and with the onset of Spring, comes the onset of our unwelcome garden pests.

The garden pest that has caused the most concern for organic gardeners in recent years has been the cabbage worm.

There are several ‘types’ of cabbage worm which include the Imported Cabbage Worm, Cabbage Looper, Cabbage Webworm, and the Leaf Miner.

Regardless of the type, us interested in keeping an organic garden just want them gone!! Here are 5 signs that you might be infested with our green pests and best of all, how to get rid of these ferocious vegetable eaters.

Here are 5 signs that your garden might be infested with cabbage worms. — Tweet This.

Signs you have cabbage worms

1. You are growing their favorite food

As you can guess from their name, cabbage worms primarily attack plants in the cabbage family, but are not exclusively cabbage feeders. Plants that cabbage worms find the most tasty are:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Collards
• Kale
• Turnip greens
• Radishes
• Other cabbage greens

2. You have holes in your plants

Since cabbage worms are such voracious eaters, as little as 2 or 3 worms on your plants can spell disaster for the overall health of your broccoli or other plant.

Common signs will be holes in your leaves. A simple google search can connect you to many pictures of cabbage worm damage.

3. You notice dark green droppings on your leaves

A tell-tale sign that you are becoming infested with cabbage worms are their droppings. When you start to notice dark green droppings on your leaves, inspect the underside of your leaves as that is where cabbage worms tend to lay their eggs.

4. A lot more butterflies present

Since caterpillars are in essence the larvae stage of caterpillars, if you start to notice more butterflies hanging around your garden, chances are, you have an infestation of cabbage worms or if you experience one of the previous symptoms, it might be too late.

5. Time of year = Spring

Spring is the time of the year that cabbage worms have awaken from their Winter slumber and are now in search of food and laying their eggs.

Organic control of cabbage worms

If you have experienced this infestation in the past or for those proactive gardeners who are getting prepared for the already started 2012 gardening season, the most common and popular organic control for cabbage worms revolves around the use of bacillus thuringiensis or BT.

This natural bacteria eliminates cabbage worms through ingestion. One of the most popular BT products is Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer with BT and is available in an 8oz concentrated formula or in Safer® Brand Garden Dust which is a powder formula and is OMRI® Listed.

Your turn

In the comments below, let me know if you have noticed cabbage worms in your garden.

Photos courtesy of
Top: OSU Master Gardener on Flickr
Holes: florence_craye on Flick

There is a white chalky substance on the leaves of your plants.

Your container garden looks like Pablo Escobar and his boys had a party in it…

…What happened?

Don’t worry that white powder is not cocaine, it’s powdery mildew.

You’ll notice that the powdery coating is on both sides of the leaves and will eventually start to spread.

Those leaves will eventually turn yellow and die. It can also cause the leaves to twist and turn.

Your container garden looks like Pablo Escobar and his boys had a party in it. What happened? — Tweet This

Vegetables commonly affected by powdery mildew

• Cucumbers
• Peas
• Squash
• Tomatoes

Dealing with powdery mildew

If you are first starting to plant, then one effective way to prevent powdery mildew is to allow for air circulation by pruning the leaves, especially at the bottom. This is because excess moisture is a common cause.

Once powdery mildew strikes, you can combat it with a homemade spray using baking soda and water.

There are also organic fungicidal sprays that you can use as well to help, such as Safer Brands Garden Fungicide.

Win a Safer Brand Organic Insect & Fungicide Gift Pack

Lucky for you I am now running a contest on Facebook (through April 12, 2012) that includes the Garden Fungicide as part of a gift pack. Check it out and enter today.

Your turn

After you’ve entered the contest, in the comments below let me know which plant of yours has been affected with powdery mildew.

Image courtesy of Jeff Kubina on Flickr.

Time for another contest!

This month’s contest is brought to you by Safer Brand, who specialize in organic pesticide and insect killer products.

You guessed it.

That means the prize is going to help you with those aphids, powdery mildew, white flies and any other insects or fungicides in your garden this year.

The prize is a gift pack of organic pest and fungicide sprays with a total retail value of $67.

The Safer Brand Gift Pack includes:

• 1 Bottle of EndALL™ Insect Killer ($10 value)

• 1 bottle of Garden Fungicide Concentrate ($25 value)

• 1 bottle of Bug Patrol Concentrate with free 128oz sprayer ($25 value)

• 1 pack of Sticky Stakes ($7 value)

These will help with pretty much any and all pest and fungus problems your garden could face this year.

How to enter the contest

Head over to the my Facebook page, click on the contest and enter your email address or go directly to this tab.

Entries will be accepted through 11:59pm EST on Thursday, April 12, 2012 and are limited to those in the contiguous 48 states.

After you enter, head over to Safer Brand’s Facebook page and leave them a comment to thank them for the great contest and prize.

Entries will be accepted through 11:59pm EST, April 12, 2012.

Don’t forget to thank to Safer Brand and best of luck to you.

You’ve seen me mention Thrive, a sponsor, before and asked me about their line of products.

Thrive is a liquid mycorrhizal fungi for your garden.

The analogy that I like to use is that it’s a probiotic for your plants.

It helps to set them up with a healthy root system, so they can better absorb nutrients.

Before I get into more detail about mycorasdfajfla (because I know that’s how you are pronouncing it), let’s learn how to say it.

Here is the phonetic pronunciation: mahy-kuh-rahy-zuhl

Much better. Let’s move on.

What is Mycorrhizal Fungi?

I asked Heather, the Marketing and Customer Service Specialist over at Thrive, a few questions and here’s what she said about mycorrhizal fungi.

What is mycorrhizal fungi?

Mycorrhizal fungi is an all-natural, beneficial fungus in the soil. It provides the necessary nutrient channels to a plant and it’s roots.

What’s the benefit of using mycorrhizal fungi in your garden?

Elongates, strengthens root systems and makes them more drought resistant. Because THRIVE uses a liquid Mych you can use it throughout the lifetime of the plant, versus most dry versions that you can only apply when you plant or re-plant vegetation. (ie –you can use THRIVE on 15 yr old houseplants, on ANY vegetation at any point indoors/out).

Mych needs to reach the root system, so if it is in a liquid formula as it is in THRIVE products, you can apply it at any time versus only at planting/repotting.

How do you use it? Does it replace fertilizer?

THRIVE is an all-natural, no harsh chemical product. So you cannot over-treat with THRIVE (but of course you can over-water your vegetation!)

THRIVE is not a fertilizer, but a root stimulator and soil conditioner, helping your plants overall health. It is safe to use with a fertilizer or plant food that you currently use.

Is it safe to use? Are there harsh chemicals and pesticides in it?

THRIVE contains no harsh chemicals and is an all-natural blend of beneficial bacteria and Mycorrhizal Fungi. When used as directed, it is safe to use around children and pets immediately after application.

Is THRIVE certified organic?

We are in the latter stages of becoming OMRI approved (Organic Material Resource Institute).

How often should THRIVE be applied to plants?

Because it is not a harsh based chemical formula, the more you use and the more often, the faster results you will notice! We recommend weekly to start, and then bi-weekly after your vegetation has taken off.

When is the best time to use it?

During the growth season. But it can be used all year around and will only help your plants and vegetation.

Can it be used on seedlings?

Yes – it is great on seedlings – check out our weekly drawing for a free kit with ElDorado Heirloom Seeds.

THRIVE will make all vegetation grow, even weeds, so caution to where you apply it!

Want to learn more about mycorrhizal fungi? Then check out this article from Thrive about how mycorrhizal fungi works.

Don’t forget it’s: mahy-kuh-rahy-zuhl

Thrive samples and free shipping

Thrive is offering free shipping on all orders and also offering free samples, go their site and take advantage of the offer.

Then head over to their Facebook page, tell them that I sent you and thank them for the samples!