If you’re tired of supermarket tomatoes that don’t taste anything like past memories –it may be time to grow your own. Growing tomatoes has never been easier. Even if you only have a vacant window-space or a spare pot on your patio, you can grow tomatoes that will tantalize your taste buds – not to mention the satisfaction you feel when you nurture those tomatoes from baby seedlings and then pick them straight from the vine.

Begin your tomato growing odyssey by choosing seedlings that are disease-resistant and plant them after all chances of frost has passed. Choose an area that gets full sunlight, proper drainage and protection from wind. Be sure the soil is organically rich before you dig – then remove the bottom leaves from your tomato seedlings and plant them in the soil so that it covers the removed leave’s spots. Stake your tomato plants to minimize root damage and then water thoroughly (without wetting the plant’s leaves).

Now that your tomato seedlings are planted, you’re ready to nurture them into healthy plants that will produce the best tomatoes you’ve ever tasted. Here are some tomato growing tips that will help you avoid the common problems of growing tomatoes:

Water regularly and early at the base of the tomato plants while they’re in their early stages (trickle irrigation is a good way to ensure your tomato plants are getting enough, but not too much, water.

Periodically investigate your tomato plants for disease and prune those dead or dying leaves regularly.

Avoid Blossom End Rot (brown rot on the bottom of the tomatoes that turns black in time) on your tomato plants by watering on a regular basis so the soil doesn’t dry out – but don’t over water. If it rains for several days in a row, use mulch to deter the drenched effect. Avoid Early Blight (a fungal disease) by making sure the soil doesn’t retain high levels of water. If you do see your tomato leaves turning yellow, then brown and falling off the plant – remove it from the others as soon as possible.

Soon, you’ll be benefiting from the fruits of your efforts by enjoying your tomato harvest in soups, sauces, omelets or simply as a side dish to a delectable meal.

Where to grow

Strawberries can be grown in all soils from light sand to heavy clay. The perfect soil is well-drained and rich in humus. If strawberries are in waterlogged soil they can rot away. They like full sun, protected from the wind. If you are lucky enough to have space for a full strawberry bed, remember you will need to move it for crop rotation after a couple of years (see below)

If you don’t have lots of space, you can grow your berries in a container. Go for a special strawberry container as these ensure the right drainage – as well as looking very attractive. Alternatively you can grow them in hanging baskets, which look good, keep the plants safe from slugs and avoid the need for straw on the ground (see below).

When to grow

Strawberry plants can be planted outside from late June until September. If you plant late, the flowers should be removed in the first year so the energy is used to develop a healthy plant for year two.

3. Make sure the plant has its crown at soil level. Water each plant in well.

How to grow

1. Prepare the soil ready for planting, by digging it over well, making sure to get rid of any weeds and adding compost or manure.

2. If you want a whole strawberry plot you should plant in rows. Plant your strawberry plants about a foot apart (35cm) in each row, with about double that space between the rows.

3. Make sure the plant has its crown at soil level. Water each plant in well.

4. To keep the slugs at bay spread broken egg shells under each plant or use anti-slug pellets. The plant gets its name from the requirement to spread straw between the plants to suppress weeds and stop the fruit lying on the soil. If you can’t get hold of straw, use bin-bags.

5. To keep birds and animals at bay it’s a good idea to cover the bed with nets.

3. Make sure the plant has its crown at soil level. Water each plant in well.

Your strawberry plants can keep producing fruit for 5-6 years, but the yields will drop dramatically after a couple of years and the plants can become vulnerable to pests and diseases. For this reason strawberry beds should usually be cleared out and new ones planted in a different area of the garden.

As always, when you plant the seeds make sure the soil is well worked first and not tough. The seeds should be in rows 36 inches apart and should be in groups of 3 to 5 seeds every 36 inches. The seeds should be planted about 1 inch deep. Cover the seeds with potting soil for the best results.

Make sure to keep the ground moist at all times. Also, make sure that you try to plant these in full sun. You should begin to see squash in about 10 to 14 days. This means the area gets 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. You have an option to use fertilizer, as this will help the squash grow and increase the yield. Your squash should be ready to harvest in aout 55 to 65 days.

One of the major benefits of using pumpkins in your garden is that they can be started indoors first, especially when you are located in climates when the spring temperatures are cooler. For those learning how to grow pumpkins, once it has warmed up outside and the spring melt off has leveled out, you can transplant the seedlings in your waiting garden. One tip that you can keep in mind before planting would be to soak the pumpkin seeds in water the night before you are planning on planting them. This helps the sprouting process by making the shell easier to break through. You will want to place anywhere from 4-5 pumpkin seeds you have into the center of small mounds that are approximately 3 feet in diameter. If you are planning on having more than one mound to produce these pumpkins, you will want to give them lots of space, anywhere up to 10 feet apart. Digging a moat around these mounds to help keep a water reservoir around the roots of your pumpkin plant will aid in the growth of your new crop.

Cover your seeds lightly with soil that is approximately 1 inch thick in order to block out the sunlight and keep them from predators such as hungry birds in the area. Learning how to grow pumpkins can be one of the easiest plants to produce yearly and one of the most enjoyable types. The vines of a pumpkin plant are lush and green in order to absorb as much sunlight as possible for their development. Pumpkins can grow steadily in a variety of locations as well as being neighbors with other harvest vegetables. Once you have developed the knack of how to grow pumpkins, you are sure to be proud of all that you have produced.

Potatoes are a cool-season crop; they do not thrive in midsummer in the southern half of the country. Any mellow, fertile, well-drained soil is suitable for potato production. Stiff, heavy clay soils often produce misshapen tubers. Potatoes respond to a generous use of commercial fertilizer, but if the soil is too heavily limed, the tubers may be scabby. Commercial 5-8-5 or 5-8-7 mixtures applied at 1,000 to 2,000 pounds to the acre (approximately 7 1/2 to 15 pounds to each 100-foot row) usually provide enough plant food for a heavy crop. The lower rate of application is sufficient for very fertile soils; the higher rate for less fertile ones. Commercial fertilizer can be applied at the time of planting, but it should be mixed with the soil in such a way that the seed pieces will not come in direct contact with it. In the North, plant two types of potatoes – one to provide early potatoes for summer use, the other for storage and winter use. The use of certified seed is always advisable.

In preparing seed potatoes for planting, cut them into blocky rather than wedge-shaped pieces. Each piece should be about 1 1/2 ounces in weight and have at least one eye. Medium-sized tubers weighing 5 to 7 ounces are cut to best advantage.

Plant early potatoes as soon as weather and soil conditions permit. Fall preparation of the soil often makes it possible to plant the early crop without delay in late winter or early spring. Potatoes require 2 to 3 weeks to come up, depending on depth of planting and the temperature of the soil. In some sections the ground may freeze slightly, but this is seldom harmful unless the sprouts have emerged. Prolonged cold and wet weather after planting is likely to cause the seed pieces to rot. Hence, avoid too early planting. Young potato plants are often damaged by frost, but they usually renew their growth quickly from uninjured portions of the stems.

Do not dig potatoes intended for storage until the tops are mature. Careful handling to avoid skinning is desirable, and protection from long exposure to light is necessary to prevent their becoming green and unfit for table use. Store in a well-ventilated place where the temperature is low, 45 degrees to 50 degrees if possible, but where there is no danger of freezing.

2. Planning the layout of your vegetable garden is very important. A well planned out garden should grow better and help you maximize space. 

3. Make sure the soil is well worked, loose and not hard clay that your seeds and plants won’t grow properly in. 

4. Use a fertilizer to help get your seeds growing. If you are concered about what is in the fertilizers, then there are many organic fertilizers that are on the market now.

5. Put up a small fence or barrier to prevent unwanted creatures from eating/destroying your home vegetable garden..

6. Do not plant your seeds or vegetable plants too close to each other. They need there space. Follow the instructions on the packages.

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One of the first things to do is survey the land that you would like to grow your vegetable garden on. You’ll want to find the largest portion of land that is well draining, generally flat and gets a lot of sun. The next things I like to do is then sketch out the plot of land onto a piece a paper and begin planning where I want what plant to go. Remember to check and see how much space each vegetable plant will need. You do not want your vegetable garden overly crowded! Following the guidelines on the seed packs or from other information sources like Home Vegetable Garden begin to pencil in where you want things to go. I say pencil because you will probably be erasing some vegetable plants as you go along. Repeat this process until you have a suitable layout. The next thing to do is to transfer this layout to the plot of land and begin your garden!

Once the chance for the last frost has passed and you are ready to transplant your green peppers to the outdoors, make sure that 1 week before planting you begin placing your containers outside getting the plant ready for the new weather it will encounter. If the temperatures are still dipping lower at night, bring your plant back in after the sunsets to avoid damaging it. Once the week has passed, dig a hole in the ground about 1 1/2 times larger then the pot size. Carefully tap the bottom of the container and place the chunk of dirt and the plant into the newly dug hole. Fill around the hole with garden soil and gently push the dirt down, being careful not to damage your green pepper plant. Once the green pepper plant is planted be sure to again water and keep the soil moist.

Green pepper plants should be grown in full sun. Again, since they will be in the full sun, make sure your green pepper plants are always watered! The average harvest time should be anywhere from 65 to 85 days. This will vary by region and also by the amount of sun and water your green pepper plants are recieving. You will see flowers begin to form on the plant and then the green peppers will begin to form. As the green peppers begin to grow, monitor the peppers making sure there is no insect damage.  Also, from time to time a green pepper will not make it and turn black or other colors. I generally tend to pick these off so the energy from the plant is not wasted on these fruits. When it comes time to harvest the pepper should be around the size of an average adult fist. Carefully pick the green pepper at the stem making sure you don’t damage or accidentally pull off any other green peppers. Now it is time to enjoy the hard work that you have done!

Green Beans should be planted in average soil in full sun [6 to 8 hours of sun]. The seeds should be planted after the danger of frost has passed. This will depend on your growing zone. Plant the green bean seeds in rows 15 to 30 inches apart. The seeds should be planted about 3 inches apart and should be planted at a depth of 1 inch. Remember to always keep watering the soil and always have it moist. We do not want the green bean plants to dry out.

Seedlings should being to emerge about 1 to 2 weeks after planting. You will want to keep the plants about 6 inches apart. To do this, select the least healthiest looking plants and pick. I’ve never had much lunch trasplanting these, so I usually just toss them.

You should begin to see flowers on the green bean plants about 4 – 6 weeks into the growing cycle. Next you will see the beans begin to grow. The beans should be ready after about 55 to 65 days. Pick at the stems and enjoy!

Green bean seeds are very easy to save and use for the next growing season. Decide how many seeds you would like for next year. On average a grean bean will give you 3 to 4 seeds per pod. Let these beans stay on the plant for several weeks after everything else has been picked.

The green beans will turn a yellowish brown color. The green bean pod should break open easily. Open the pods and pull out the seeds. Place the seeds on paper towels and let them dry for a week. Then store the beans in an air and moisture tight bag. Next year you will now have extra seeds and be able to save some money on the way! Hope this little green bean tip helps!

Once established, in addition to keeping the fruit cleaner, a layer of mulch in your cucumber patch minimizes weed growth and helps your soil retain moisture. Although cucumbers hate wet feet and won’t grow in standing water, the more moisture they can absorb the juicier and sweeter they will be.

Harvest cucumbers at whatever size you like, as long as you don’t wait for them to turn yellow (unless they are a yellow variety). Once they begin to turn yellow, they’re past their prime. Flavor turns bitter and the fruit begins to dry out. Besides, frequently picking your cukes will promote more prolific blossoming resulting in larger harvests.