Can I Start Vegetable Plants in My House?

Tips for Starting Vegetables in a Sunny Living Room Window

When you live in an area with a short growing season, starting seedlings indoors is a great way to jump start the garden. Summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers can be started indoors up to 8 weeks before the start of the summer gardening season which means that you could be enjoying fresh produce as early as July.

While many gardeners start their seeds using a cold frame or greenhouse, it is also possible to start your vegetable seedlings indoors in a sunny living room or bedroom window. This is the method I used for many years before finally getting a green house. I found that a window that gets at least 5-6 hours of sunlight a day is a perfect location for jump starting a garden.

All seeds need is warmth, sunlight and moisture to start the germination process which can take anywhere from three days to a couple of weeks. Quick sprouting vegetables include favorites such as tomatoes, squashes, beans, peas, and cukes which often poke through the ground in 4 days or less. Vegetables that take longer to sprout include herbs and peppers which is why these are often the first plants that I'll start indoors.

Once these vegetables sprout however, they can only remain in the window for a few more weeks or until they reach a height of about 1-2 inches. After that, the starts must be moved outdoors during the daylight hours or place beneath a grow lamp. This prevents the spindly, tilted growth that will happen to all plants which are trying to grow in insufficient light.

On sunny days where the temperatures are nice, seedlings can be moved outside in an area of filtered light. They should be started off with just a couple of hours of sunlight a day in the beginning, with the time gradually increased until they are outdoors all day. (This is known as "hardening" them off.) On the days the temps are below 38 degrees, the plants should stay indoors or can go into a solar greenhouse where they still can benefit from natural lighting without the risk of freezing.

Bringing your vegetable plants outdoors as early as possible not only prevents spindly growth, it's a good way to get them acclimated to the weather. This way they will be ready to go into the ground after the last spring frost.

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Five Summer Gardening Secrets for Drought Areas

The efficient use of water marks summer gardening tips in drought areas. You do not have to give up your summer vegetable gardening just because there are watering restrictions in effect. Five gardening secrets spell out just how you might accomplish this feat.

Reconsider Your Flowerbeds
Do you still plant your veggies in rows? In drought areas this practice no longer works. The Colorado State University Extension recommends that you forgo this practice in favor of planting in blocks. The experts explain that block plantings create automatic shade for shallow roots while cutting down on evaporation.

Mulch around Plants with Shallow Roots
Most vegetable plants and ornamentals have shallow roots. The same is true for trees and shrubs that you planted in the last 24 months. Ground bark, shredded leaves and other organic mulches prevent the soil from drying out quickly after a good watering. Since most vegetables need full sun to grow and produce, this is particularly crucial.

Snake the Soaking Hose
Summer vegetable gardening and the installation of a soaking hose underneath the mulch should go hand in hand. Rather than creating a run-off, you are sending the water where it is needed: to the roots. When you employ this method, set your alarm clock - or your automatic watering station - for an early morning wake up. Watering just before sunrise is an ideal time since it allows surface water to dry off before the sun has fully risen, which prevents burns.

Quit Watering the Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn
A little bit of water is worse than no water. Commit to watering deeply when permitted. If you live in one of the drought areas where only brief intervals of watering can be done once or twice a week, let the Kentucky bluegrass go dormant. Avoid mowing the lawn and cut down on using it. Yes, it will go brown.

Yet, if you have true Kentucky bluegrass, it should come back when the watering restrictions are lifted and you are once again permitted to water. The trick here is to prevent the formation of a shallow root system, which is often the case with frequent short-term watering. A lawn with a deep root system can withstand the occasional drought.

Protect Against Wind and Weeds
Nothing dries soil out more quickly than summer wind and growing weeds. The former takes the moisture right out of the ground while the latter will compete with your desired plants for the available moisture. Maximize your plants' survival potential by weeding frequently.

By the way, choosing the right vegetables to grow in drought areas is just as important as protecting their roots. Tree Hugger experts suggest the planting of okra, peppers, Swiss chard and Armenian cucumbers.

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10 Drought-Tolerant Plants for Hot Climates and Sandy Soil

Hot climates and sandy soil seem to go together. Where you have one, you have the other, like in my neck of the south Georgia landscape, and that makes it doubly challenging for gardeners. Not impossible, but certainly challenging, and a true gardener will always rise to the challenge and find something they can grow in any environment in which they decide to put roots down. If home is located where the hot sun is above your head and sand under your feet, try planting and growing some of these drought-tolerant plants for hot climates and sandy soil.

Beach Sunflower
Often seen growing on sand dunes, the beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis) can grow upright or lay down like a ground cover, reaching a mature height of about three feet. It's self-seeding and requires no care.

Beautyberry

The beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) grows best in sandy soil and light shade. The plant will reach a mature height of six feet, bearing clusters of purple berries from late summer through fall.

Firebush

This tall growing bush (reaches 8-10 feet) bears nectar-rich red blooms all summer when planted in full sun and sandy soil. Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a favorite flower of hummingbirds and butterflies and the red-blooming bush will keep a steady stream of winged visitors flying around all summer.

Goldenaster

Looks similar to a yellow daisy, the goldenaster (Pityopsis graminifolia) loves to be planted in sandy soil and full sun. Goldenaster produces long-lasting yellow blooms on two-feet tall plants.

Longleaf Pine

Not a blooming plant, but an evergreen tree that produces long, graceful pine needles. Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) loves full sun and lots of moisture.

Pink Muhly

Pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a tall blooming grass that reaches a mature height of four feet and bears showy pink blooms in the fall. Pink muhly prefers full sun, but will grow well in light shade.

Powderpuff

Low-growing ground cover that produces showy, pink powderpuff-like blooms. Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa) loves full sun, spreads quickly and reaches a mature height of three inches.

Silver Saw Palmetto

Tall and wide growing, the silver saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) reaches a mature size of 7 feet tall and equally as wide. Silver saw palmettos can take full sun or partial shade and are hardy in some colder climates.

Spiderwort

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) loves sandy soil, but grows equally well in sun or shade. Spiderwort has a long blooming season and comes in a variety of bloom colors.

Trumpet Honeysuckle

This twining vine loves the sun and sand. Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) produces clusters of red, tube-shaped flowers in the spring that attract hummingbirds.

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Preparing a Lawn for a Drought Summer

Managing a Lawn During a Drought Year

Last summer was the first time ever that the well on our property actually ran dry. What this means for the upcoming summer is that our family will have to make choices about what we keep green and what has to go. My fruit trees and shrubs I want to keep alive along with a vegetable garden and half a dozen pine trees. As far as the lawn, we'll let it go dormant until the fall rains bring it back to life.

Most lawns can tolerate a bit of drought providing that they've been properly prepared ahead of time. Here are a few tips that I've used during hot dry summers in the past to maintain my lawns during a low water year.

Thatch and aerate

Lawns with a heavy thatch buildup will suffer earlier from drought conditions much earlier than a lush, thick lawn. Early spring is when I rake out the thatch in my lawn with a standard leaf rake, though you can also rent a power rake to do the job for you. After the thatching, it's also a good idea to aerate the lawn if it hasn't been done in a while. Aerating will break up compacted soil so that water can drain to the roots.

Apply a top dressing

This natural way of improving the soil may be time consuming, but it pays off big when it comes to improving soil texture. Top dressing is a light (1/4-1/2-inch) scattering of a soil amenity such as compost, peat moss or composted manure. After thatching and aerating, I will apply a top dressing of compost and chicken manure with a shovel, lightly rake it out to the proper depth, and let the rain work it into the soil.

Cut higher

Because we live in a high mountain desert, we've always cut our lawn with the mower set to a 6" height as a way to reduce watering needs. Taller grass encourages deeper roots and will shade the soil which reduces water evaporation. We mow the law every 5 days so that only an inch or two of the grass is cut at a time. Once the lawn goes dormant, we stop mowing altogether.

Water

A lawn needs a little bit of water so that the crown and roots don't completely dry out. Last year, I scaled back the watering of the lawn to 1/4 inch of water once every two weeks (which I gauged with an empty tuna can). While the lawn did look patchy during the hottest part of the summer, everything came back once the temps cooled and we saw a bit of rain.

No summer fertilizing or weed treatment

For gardeners who use chemical products to fertilize and treat their yards for weeds, the last application should be mid May. During a drought summer, do not encourage new growth on a lawn that should be going dormant instead.

Avoid walking on the lawn

The lawn damages easily during dormancy which is why once the water is cut back for the summer, we avoid walking on the lawn as much as possible. Foot traffic on dormant lawns will crush the crown and compact the soil which means having to reseed damaged areas in the fall.

Drought conditions mean that many of us will have to forgo watering the lawn to keep our trees and garden beds alive. These easy steps will keep your lawn dormant until you can resume watering again in the fall.

 

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Lantanas Are Sun Loving Flowers that Are Easy to Grow

Lantanas love the sun and they have the warm yellow and orange colors of the sun. Lantanas are shrub-like plants that are easy to grow, can bloom all summer, and can stand some neglect and drought.

Lantanas are perennials in warm locations.

The plants are grown as annuals in most of North America. Lantanas are only winter hardy down to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. That means they are perennials in California, Florida, and along the Gulf Coast. Most gardeners buy them as potted plants in the spring. Growing them from seeds is possible but takes too long to be convenient for most gardeners.

Flower colors are yellow, orange, red, white, and lavender. The blooms grow in umbrella shaped clusters at the end of long stems. Many varieties are multicolored. The stems grow to 14 inches tall and spread more horizontal than vertical, making lantana popular for hanging pots and containers. In garden beds, lantana is usually planted in the front or middle of the bed.

Grow lantana in full sun with at least six full hours of sunlight. The soil should be well drained and not moist. The plants have profuse flowers though too much water and fertilizer can encourage foliage and reduce blooms. Allow the soil to dry before watering. Removing old blooms encourages lantana to continue to flower. The plant may need occasional trimming if it becomes ungainly looking. In areas where lantana is grown as a perennial, mulching in winter protects the roots and helps insure its survival.

Butterflies love lantana.

Butterflies and bees are strongly attracted to lantana. The leaves and stems, however, have an unpleasant odor when rubbed, and the sap can cause some people to develop minor rashes. Green berries that grow from fertilized flowers are poisonous. Birds eat the berries when they ripen and turn black. Deer, rabbits, and other animals will not eat lantana plants.

Lantana is native to tropical America and is perennial shrub that sometimes becomes an invasive nuisance in a few areas. The most common lantana has the scientific name Lantana camara, a mound forming plant with yellow or red flowers. Another commonly grown lantana is Lantana montevidenis also called "trailing lantana", a low growing, and spreading plant with purple or white flowers.

Varieties of lantana include "confetti" which has many pink and purple flowers or multicolored yellow. "Dallas Red" is a prolific bloomer with solid red blooms. A variety that has numerous yellow and orange flowers is "Gold Mound". "Imperial Purple" is a trailing lantana which looks good in a hanging pot.

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