The Old Home Place

"preserving our past, to prepare for our future"

The purpose of this page is to share my views and knowledge of a "getting back to basics" lifestyle, which includes, but is not limited to "natural"  or "organic" gardening.  By no means am I an expert, but with indepth research and practice of this lifestyle, I have become an informed and knowledgeable gardener.
Some may view a "back to basics" lifestyle being shared on the web as a contradiction, but I feel that to be informed is a wise thing, and the web 
is a way to reach more people.
This page will be updated often, so please bookmark this page now.  I have a Can We Talk section, this area is my sound off section, and a Timely Tips section, which will include tips for the season.

This page is divided into several sections:

  • Can We Talk
  • Composting
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Flowers
  • Landscaping
  • Timely Tips
  • Preserving our Bounty
  • FAQ's
  • Links

    •  Can We Talk?

    This is my "sound off" section.  In this edition I will be discussing littering and its effect on the environment.  Littering is not only unsightly, but is also damaging to our environment.  Cigarette butts being tossed from a car to bags of trash being blown off the back of a truck, litter takes on many forms.  I work hard on keeping my yard kept up and clean, and someone comes along a throws a beer bottle in my ditch or yard.  Not only does that hurt my efforts to maintain my yard, but also it is dangerous because of broken glass.
    I believe that respect is the solution to this problem.  If you respect yourself, your neighbors, and the Mother Earth, you would not be littering.  You should not be drinking and driving, but we all know that is not always the case, simply put your bottle or can in a bag in your car and dispose of it properly.  There are ashtrays in all cars, use them for pete's sake, don't throw them out the window.  When you go to dump the ashtray, please do not just dump them on the ground, that is completely insensitive and uncalled for.
    If you have a bag of trash blow off of your truck on the way to the dumpster, please go back and pick it up, what's so hard about that?  You wouldn't like to have others dump their trash in your yard would you?  Treat the environment with respect and the end result will be a beautiful place to live, work, and play.
    Well, that is my gripe for this update, if you have any questions, comments, or have a "sound off", do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you and I hope you enjoy this page.
     

    Composting

    Composting is my favorite aspect of organic gardening, I like to think of it as my "black gold".  Composting is one of the most misunderstood practices in gardening.  The secret to good compost is the right amounts of carbon (browns), nitrogen (greens), air, and water.  These four things add up to the perfect recipe for compost.
    A compost pile needn't be fancy, it can be as simple as a "pile", or as elaborate as a framed in area.  My main compost area has three piles, one being added to, one "cooking", and one for the finished compost.  The three pile method is the one I chose, so I can get as much compost as I possibly can.  All  in all I have my main compost area, and two compost bins closer to my house for my kitchen waste.  When these two bins are full, they are then dumped and mixed into my main compost area.
    My compost makes a fantastic amendment for all types of soil, here in my Zone 7 red clay garden, compost makes a wonderful difference.  You can incorporate it into the soil, or use it as a mulch.  Compost will attract all kinds of useful critters, including the gardeners best friend...the earthworm.
     

    Do's and Don'ts of Composting

    Do:

      • Keep the pile moist
      • Keep the pile turned
      • Have a mixture of "browns" and "greens"
      • Add material to it often

    Don't:

      • Add meats, bones, or fat to the pile
      • Let the pile dry out
      • Add any chemicals
      • Add weeds to it

    Vegetables

    Vegetable gardening is having a big increase in popularity in the past few years.  People of all walks of life are gardening, not only for the fresh produce, but for the enjoyment of it as well.  Some even enjoy a patio garden for their veggies.  You don't have to till up the North 40 to enjoy fresh vegetables.  I use a combination of two of the most popular gardening methods, raised beds and wide rows.
    Raised beds offer a variety of benefits to the home gardener.  Raised beds are easier to work in, thanks to their height, and when it's easier to work, the more you will get out and enjoy your gardening chores.  These beds also heat up faster in the spring, which can extend your growing season.  The soil in raised beds drains better and is easier to amend.
    Wide row planting is based on the theory that if you can space plants in a row six inches apart, then you can space them six inches in the other direction as well.  By doing this, you can make the most out of your garden space.
    I recommend starting your vegetable garden out small, planting only your favorite veggies.  By starting out small, this gives you a chance to enjoy it and not see it as a chore.  As your interest increases, increase your garden size and try new veggies.  I plant different varieties of the same vegetable, and experiment as to which one we like the most.
     

    Fruit

    Fruit trees, vines, and bushes offer a wide variety of delicious fruits to enjoy throughout the year.  Fruit trees come in three basic sizes, dwarf,  semi dwarf, and standard.  Read the tags closely to see which size it is and plant according to the area that you have.  Some fruit trees require  more than one to be planted for cross pollination, and others are self pollinating. An orchard, even a small one, requires a lot of care to be fruitful, so again, plant only what you can adequately care for.
    Bushes and vines generally take a little more nutrients from the soil than do fruit trees.  Grapes for instance, need more of a balanced fertilizer,  more often than fruit trees.  Blueberry bushes require an acidic soil, and strawberries require a little extra care also.  .  My advice is to learn as much as possible about your fruits, and care for them as well as you can, and you will be enjoying homegrown fruit for years to come.
     

    Flowers

    Flowers are a fantastic addition to any landscape.  They serve several purposes, such as attracting bees which aid in pollination.  Some flowers also attract butterflies, which adds to the loveliness of your garden..  Flowers add beauty and color to your landscape, and if planted correctly,   you can have color in your landscape the year round.  From crocus in late winter, to mums in the fall, color combinations are limited only by your imagination.  Winter colors are limited mostly to foliage or barks, and of course there are evergreens.
    Spring flowering bulbs, should be planted in the fall, and summer flowering bulbs should be planted in the spring.  Fall is the time that I have had  the most luck transplanting flowers.  A few flowers, bushes mostly, I have transplanted in early spring, with limited success. 
    Cut flowers brighten up any decor, and they are even more special when you grew them yourself.  I think gladiolas make a lovely flower arrangement, along with tulips, shasta daisies, and of course the old favorite, the rose.(Mr. Lincoln is my favorite rose)
     

    Landscaping

    Landscaping incorporates everything that I have discussed thus far and other things as well.  Landscaping involves not only plants, but the beds that they are planted in, and other structures or ornaments.  It is the blend of these things that make a landscape appealing or not.
    Plan your landscape before you go to your local nursery or garden shop.  Take the size of your area into consideration when choosing your plantings.  Colors play an important role also, you don't want to overwhelm one planting with another one, balance is the keyword here.  When 
    look at your landscape, you want to be able to take it all in, not just one area.
    It is natural to make your bed or gardens with straight sides, in a rectangular shape, but experiment with curves and points.  Tie your beds together by shape or color, you will be pleased with the overall appeal of your landscape.
    I'm going to share something now that will probably surprise some of you...your landscape will never be completed.  I feel that you should work
    on your landscape often, and not be afraid to change part or all of it.  I see my landscape as a "work in process".  I have seen many landscapes that were beautiful in the beginning, but are less than attractive after being neglected after one or more seasons.  I can only reiterate "only do what you can or want to do"
     

    Timely Tips

    With spring just around the corner, I am now getting my gardens ready for the warm weather and planting. First, I will clean the debris from my gardens and amend the soil with my compost.
    Now is the time to ready my mowers, tillers and gardening tools for spring. I check the oil in my mowers and tillers, fill the gas tanks, and check all moving parts to make sure they move freely. Please, when you service your mowers and such, discard the burnt oil and gas in a responsible way.  After you have done this, start the machine and let it run, check for any fluid leaks at that everything is working properly..
    My gardening tools are very important to me, so I take good care of them. I first check them to be sure that all parts are lubed and clean and free of rust. I then store them in a clean dry place, so they will be ready when I need them.

    Preserving our Bounty

    This section is dedicated to the preservation of the fruits and vegetables that we have grown in our gardens and orchard.  I will highlight the preserving of different foods in each update, if you have a question regarding a specific fruit or vegetable, just contact me directly via e-mail.  In 
    this installment, I will discuss preserving apples and pears.
    Apples are probably my favorite fruit year round.  I preserve apples many ways.  I store my "eating" apples in a cool dry place in a bushel basket lined with clean straw.  I check each apple thoroughly for defects or bruises, if I find any, I use them first.  A little bit of humidity will not bother apples to much, but not to much moisture.
    I also will make my own apple sauce and store it in my freezer.  Just clean and peel your apples, removing any bad spots.  Chop them into a large pot  with a little water and slowly cook them down.  Keep any eye on them at all times as they will scorch easily.  Add water as needed.  You 
    can also add a little cinnamon if you would like, or you can even add another fruit all together if you wish.  Put the apple sauce into freezer safe containers, be sure to leave some head room for the sauce to expand when frozen.  Freeze promptly.  You can also freeze or can an apple pie 
    type filling, just don't let them cook too much before freezing.
    Pears can be a pain to preserve.  The best way I have found to keep pears is wrapped in newspaper in a cool dark spot.  Again check for all blemishes before storing pears this way.  You can also make pear honey or pear preserves, but they do have a tendancy to be sweet though..
     
     

    FAQ's

    Should I stake my tomatoes?

    Yes, I think you should.  There are several reasons that I feel this way, one it keeps the fruit up off the ground.  Secondly, it gives the fruit a 
    chance to ripen in the sun.  Staking tomatoes also allows air to move through the plant to keep it dry so mildew won't become a problem. 
    Staking also frees up space in the garden for more veggies, you may even want to consider companion planting.
     

    What do the numbers mean on fertilizer?

    The numbers represent the Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium, or the N-P-K values.  These numbers represent the percentage of each nutrient in 
    the fertilizer.  For example, 10-10-10 fertilizer would contain 10 % each of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.  Nitrogen aids in the plants leaf growth, Phosphorus aids in fruit and flower production, and Potassium in root development.
     

    How can I deter rabbits and deer from eating my garden?

    This has probably been a problem for gardeners since the beginning of time, and will probably be for a long time to come.  What may be a 
    solution at one place or time, may not be successful at another.  Over the years I have tried various home remedies to deter deer and rabbits from foraging in my garden, and I have had some degree of success with each one.  I have however, had the most success using a combination of one 
    or more of these remedies.
    I will make a mixture of 5 quarts water, 5 raw eggs, and a bottle of tobasco sauce(hot pepper may be substituted)  Mix this concoction up and spray on your plants, just be sure to wash them good when you pick them.  I have also had some luck with letting a dozen eggs get "ripe" in a 
    warm spot, and then breaking them on the ground around my property.  The stench, while undetected by humans, is a strong deterrent to deer 
    and other wildlife.
    The list goes on and on, for more info or suggestions, feel free to e-mail me.
     

    My compost pile smells bad, what can I do?

    First, it sounds as if your pile may be too wet.  If that is the case, add more dry material to the pile and turn it.  You can also place a tarp or sheet of plastic over the pile, this will help in drying the pile.  If this still does not take care of the problem, you can add a little bit of lime to the pile, this will make it a little "sweeter".  Be sure to check out my section on composting.
     

    What can I do to make my lawn greener and healthier looking?

    The first thing you probably need to do is raise your mower height at least one notch.  You should leave your grass around two inches tall after mowing, and don't cut more than a third of the blade of grass off.  If you water your lawn, make sure that you give it a deep soaking, this allows 
    the roots to go deep into the soil, which leads to a healthier lawn.  A deep watering also cuts down on the forming of thatch.  Water early in the morning, the middle of the day allows the water to evaporate quickly, and watering in the late evening or at night can cause a mildew to form, harming your grass.  Slow release fertilizers (organic) will help if applied at the correct times, read and follow all labels when fertilizing your lawn.
     

    What USDA Hardiness Zone am I in?

    Here in Central Virginia, I am in Zone 7. To find out what zone you are in, click here.
     

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    Any questions, suggestions, or comments, write me at vawebwalker@yahoo.com

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