vegetable Archives

‘Vegetable garden city’ eyed in Tondo

October 6, 2020 [email protected]_84 City, eyed, garden, Tondo, vegetable

‘Vegetable garden city’ eyed in Tondo

Rhodina Villanueva (The Philippine Star) – October 6, 2020 – 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is set to convert a one-and-a-half-hectare idle lot in Tondo, Manila into a “vegetable garden city” for the benefit of residents in surrounding villages.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones said the lot is located at St. John Bosco Parish Church and its parish priest, Fr. Gaudencio Carandang, has given his approval for the project.

“The DAR will provide the farm inputs – seeds, seedling trays, garden tools, fertilizer and pesticide,” Castriciones said, adding that barangay officials have volunteered to tend the garden.

He added that the harvested vegetables would be distributed among the participating barangays’ residents.

Castriciones said he raised the idea after the idle lot caught his eye as he distributed food packs to poor families in Tondo.

The food packs consisted of cabbage and round radish sold at a bargain by a farmers’ group in Nueva Vizcaya, whose harvest was unsold and rotting.

“Instead of going to waste, we might as well, make use of these vegetable surplus to feed the hungry,” Castriciones said during the food distribution program.

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garden

‘Vegetable Garden City’ to rise in Tondo

September 30, 2020 [email protected]_84 City, garden, rise, Tondo, vegetable

A 1.5-hectare idle lot within the premises of the Saint John Bosco Parish in Tondo, Manila will be transformed into a “vegetable garden city” in partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

DAR Secretary John Castriciones
(DAR / MANILA BULLETIN)

The program aims to serve the daily subsistence of people in the surrounding communities.

“The DAR will provide the farm inputs – seeds, seedling trays, garden tools, fertilizer, and pesticide. Kailangan lang natin volunteer garden workers. (We just need volunteer garden workers),” DAR Secretary John Castriciones said, adding that the barangay officials readily volunteered to be the garden workers.

“So, there’s no more problem. May magbubungkal na ng lupa. (Someone will already plow the land). It’s a deal,” he added.

The Saint John Bosco Parish said the “vegetable garden city” is a “very good project,” as it hopes that the vegetables to be harvested would be distributed to the constituents of the participating barangays.

Castriciones raised the idea of a vegetable garden after the vast idle lot caught his attention while distributing relief packs to the poor families in Tondo, Manila.

The food packs contained cabbage and high-breed round-shaped raddish sold at a bargain price by an agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organization in Nueva Vizcaya, which enjoyed bountiful harvests, many of them are rotting because of over production.

“Instead of going to waste, we might, as well, make use of these vegetable surplus to feed the hungry,” Castriciones said.

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kitchen

The Kitchen Easy Pod: A Microwave Vegetable Steamer, Poacher & Roaster In One – Press Release

September 25, 2020 [email protected]_84 Easy, kitchen, Microwave, Poacher, pod, Press, Release, Roaster, Steamer, vegetable

Cestari, an innovative kitchen products designer based in Littleton, MA, is pleased to announce that customers may now purchase their Kitchen Easy Pod online. This pod, which can be used as a microwave vegetable steamer (among many other uses), is available on multiple platforms, including Amazon as well as Cestari’s own website, making it as convenient to obtain as it is to use.

While referring to it as a vegetable steamer may imply that it should strictly be used for vegetables, anyone with a little bit of experience making family meals will know every product has its hidden uses, and Cestari’s little pod is no different. It does, as the company is proud to demonstrate, cook vegetables quite well, but it can also be used to poach fish and chicken.

Fans of the quick-and-simple meal will want to know if this includes making omelets or reheating leftovers; Cestari is pleased to share that this is indeed the case. They expect it to be used most often for vegetables but they also encourage their loyal customers to experiment as they see fit. For instance, they call attention to the fact that the Cestari Kitchen Easy Pod boasts a non-stick surface. This opens up the possibilities for what family-favorite meals can be created with it, and Cestari suggests that new users try roasted potatoes if they want to see how easily such foods come out for themselves. Certain kitchens may have more stringent standards to go over before they give a new tool a pass, but the company is confident their steamer will stand up to any reasonable test.

The steamer can be used in one of two main configurations at any time: as a pod or unfolded into a bowl. In its pod configuration, Cestari explains that it can be used to substitute out parchment paper or foil for moist heat cooking (this makes it excellent for use in oven recipes). Its uses as a bowl are far more obvious — it can take the place of virtually any container on the table, holding salad, sauce, rice or anything else that may catch the user’s fancy. Here, Cestari reminds their community to make sure the bottom is clean of any residue if the steamer was used to cook anything immediately prior to its function as a serving dish, but that should be the biggest problem they face (if any). Its soothing green color also makes it the perfect backdrop for many dishes and family dining room environments.

The microwave vegetable steamer does have one secret use, however. Should it be rolled up at one end, its flexible yet firm nature means that it can be used as a funnel to collect cooking juices for a sauce or gravy. There are probably many other uses that the pod can be put to, and Cestari is always eager to hear back from customers who discover new possibilities.

Finally, those who are careful about their purchases will be pleased to learn that Cestari has

garden

7 On Your Side: Magnificent vegetable garden in New Jersey killed after pesticide over-spray

September 18, 2020 [email protected]_84 garden, Jersey, killed, Magnificent, overspray, pesticide, Side, vegetable

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, New Jersey (WABC) — A magnificent vegetable garden that had been cultivated for a decade by a New Jersey homeowner was gone in a matter of minutes, the victim of an over-spray of pesticides from their neighbor.

But this wasn’t just any neighbor, it was one of the biggest utility companies.

So when the homeowners were powerless to get reimbursed, they called 7 On Your Side for a jolt of justice.

Bruce Boyle’s once-beautiful organic vegetable garden in Point Pleasant Beach is now garbage, through no fault of his own.

“Ten years of preparing the soil, gone in two minutes because of someone’s negligence, it’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Also Read: 7 On Your Side: What does NYSC’s bankruptcy mean for members?

His next-door neighbor, utility giant Jersey Central Power and Light, hired a contractor, TruGreen, to spray pesticides on the fence that borders the two properties.

Boyle says that minutes after spraying, the weeds shriveled up — but the chemicals also killed everything thriving on the other side of the fence, melons turned to mush.

“I ran over and said, ‘What are you spraying?'” Boyle said. “He said, ‘Roundup,’ and my heart dropped through the ground instantly. I was heartbroken, but I was more concerned for my kids. They were nauseous and sick.”

The plants were withered on the vine, literally.

“Six months on this year’s crop, and it’s all gone,” he said.

Also Read: 7 On Your Side eases frustration over trade-in car loans in New Jersey

And this was no ordinary garden. Boyle begins in the basement, raising 60 vegetable plants from seeds. Then, the fisherman puts his catch in the dirt.

“I bury 30 bluefish three feet down, that gives the soil the nutrients,” Boyle said. “That way I don’t have to use chemicals. It’s just nature.”

His garden was healthy, bountiful, thriving. But now it’s burned, blistered, and blighted.

“The veggies are burned all over,” he said. “It’s shot, garbage. All this fruit is tainted.”

He reached out to JCP&L, who he says told him to take a hike.

“JCP&L says it’s not their problem because they hired a subcontractor to do this weed work,” he said. “They were numb to it. They could care less about what they do. They have a big sign up, they’re good for the environment, yet they’re spraying Roundup on my kids.”

Also Read: 7 On Your Side helps NYC teacher get late husband’s pension

We contacted JCP&L, who referred us to their contractor, TruGreen. After weeks of back and forth, they sent a representative to survey the damage.

TruGreen apologized, agreeing to pay the Boyles $5,000 for damage it caused.

“They accepted what they did and acknowledged the wrongdoing,” Boyle said.

Even though $5,000 will just barely replace the soil, the sweat equity of tending the garden is priceless. Still, the father of four will replant and start all over.

“I’d like to thank 7 On Your Side so much,” he said. “None of this would

kitchen

This Japanese Vegetable Grater Is My Quickest Route to Dinner

September 18, 2020 [email protected]_84 Dinner, Grater, Japanese, Quickest, Route, vegetable

Healthyish Loves It is our weekly column where we tell you about the stuff we can’t live without. See our past recommendations here!

When I first moved out of my parent’s home and into my own apartment, it was easy to remember to buy a rice cooker and a chef’s knife. But when I tried to make the Japanese dishes I grew up eating, I began to realize all the small but essential tools that were missing in my new kitchen: bamboo cooking chopsticks, a rice paddle, and, of course, a grater.

Almost every Japanese household has a vegetable grater. This is because Japanese cooking often uses oroshi-mono, which directly translates to “something grated.” Raw grated ginger is often served on the side of grilled vegetables or tempura, and raw grated daikon commonly tops wafū burgers or fried fish. Both are also served as a side to soba noodles or udon noodles, as they are the perfect way to add spice and to freshen up something a bit salty or fatty: Daikon is high in vitamin C and helps metabolize fats, and ginger is anti-inflammatory, making heavier foods much less stressful on our stomachs.

The best vegetable graters look a bit different from those used for cheese. They should lie flat, so you can grate perpendicular to the table with stability, and they should have a container on the bottom to capture the vegetable and easily transfer it to dishes.

Raw grated vegetables add an additional layer of texture like a condiment or sauce would, allowing me to incorporate the fresh flavor of whole foods without the space and clean-up that a food processor requires, or time and skill of slicing and chopping with a knife. If I find that I have some extra daikon or nagaimo yam in my fridge, I just grate them and serve it on the side of whatever I’m cooking that night. If I have some carrots or tomatoes close to spoiling, I grate them and toss them into a stew or curry to add a natural sweetness and thickness. Although it doesn’t take up counter space like a rice cooker or knife’s block, this small and simple tool is one I can’t imagine my kitchen without.

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Non Slip Quick Radish Grater

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garden

This is the best time to plant a vegetable garden in Florida

September 16, 2020 [email protected]_84 Florida, garden, Plant, Time, vegetable

Carol Cloud Bailey, Special to TCPalm
Published 10:01 a.m. ET Sept. 16, 2020

Make sure you follow these 3 tips for a healthy vegetable garden.

USA TODAY

We are all spending more time at home these days. I hope you have not given up on gardening; it is a challenging endeavor during the heat and humidity of summer. However, gardening season is upon us; the temperatures really will go down and the garden will flourish. It is time to plant the garden! Fresh veggies will soon grace our tables.

Granny Cloud always had a fall garden; she grew beans, squash, tomatoes, and onions – her favorites. The point is that if you are from somewhere else, it just doesn’t seem right to plant veggies in the fall. But this is the perfect time for growing most folks’ favorite vegetables, put a few in the ground or in a container, both work for many veggies. Vegetable gardening is a life-affirming activity. Working with family is both an exercise in cooperation and exercise for the body. Fresh veggies bring a smile and a promise of good things to come.

The bean variety ‘Trionfo Violetto’ is an heirloom vegetable. It is a red/purple Italian pole bean with great flavor. Harvest the pods young, about 60 – 75 days from seed sowing. Other good green bean varieties for Florida gardens include bush type beans Bush Blue Lake, Contender, and Bush Baby, and pole type beans Dade, McCaslan, and Blue Lake. Plant beans in full sun from September through April in South Florida. (Photo: CONTRIBUTED BY CAROL CLOUD BAILEY)

If this is the first garden planted or one that has been in the ground five years or more, a soil test is a good thing. Soil testing provides a look at the condition and contents of the soil, including pH and some nutrient levels. Many garden centers and nurseries offer soil tests to their customers. There are also private labs and university labs that will test for a fee. Check with the local Extension office for forms, costs, and directions.

A soil test is only as good as the sample. Good soil samples consist of many smaller samples. Grab a clean bucket, a trowel, a spade, or even a large spoon, take a sample of the soil from the surface to about 10-12 inches deep, repeat at least 10 -15 times, mixing all the samples together. Spread the soil out and let it air dry. If the area being tested is less than 40 acres and the soil looks about the same all over, one composite sample is enough. About a pint of soil for each test.

Successful vegetable gardens start with varieties adapted to the area. Look for vegetable varieties, flowers too, that have been tested for local condition. Check out this University of Florida publication, Seed Sources for Florida Homegrown Vegetables that includes both good varieties and sources for the seed at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep486 and the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021.

This

garden

My vegetable garden was a disappointment; how can I fix the soil?

September 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 disappointment, fix, garden, Soil, vegetable

Q: I had terrible luck with multiple seeds/starts in my garden beds this year. I think it is my soil but I’m not sure what to do about it.

The soil is two to three years old, a mix from a bulk company. I admit I do not think I have added compost to them ever. In a panic, I top dressed and even mixed in some bagged compost late in the season (June, I think).

The only plants that have really done well are my tomatoes (top dressed with compost) and sweet peas (no tilling, composting, anything). There is one bed with new soil and the sunflowers took off wonderfully. In another bed with the older soil, a different kind of sunflower that was planted from seed the same day is doing terribly, despite having mixed compost in late in the season.

Other things I have had fail in the old soil beds: zucchini seeds (1 to 2 years old), kale seeds (new), kale starts (from a friend), cucumber starts, carrot seeds (packed for 2020), radish seeds (packed for 2020), dill starts, cilantro starts. I even have some new herb starts that are growing more slowly than I would have expected (sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme), though they are growing.

I did try using bagged fertilizer for starts in multiple beds according to the directions. It did not seem to make a difference. There is a large sequoia in the neighbor’s yard. I wonder if the needles from this tree are playing a role.

Should I get my soil tested? Amend more? I have never had such poor outcomes. I planted different things in these beds than have been planted in the past one to two years.

A: It’s frustrating to work so hard to get vegetables to grow and get disappointing results. Having a soil analysis done would give you especially useful information, particularly if you test the new soil separately from the old soil, so you can compare them. The analysis will tell you how much organic matter is in each sample, the pH, quantities of the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and other properties of your soil. If you elect to pay an additional couple of dollars, they will recommend how to fix problems in your soil. A soil analysis is not expensive, and could even save you money by letting you know exactly what your soil needs. There are several labs that do soil analyses, including A&L Labs that has offices in the Portland area.

Improving our soil is an ongoing, important part of our work as gardeners. It means that our gardens improve every year. And it doesn’t take much.

One addition to your raised beds that will really help improve your soil is organic mulch. Just 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch covers the soil, slowing surface evaporation and keeping the soil moist and the roots cooler. Mulch blocks the light, slowing the development of weeds so they don’t compete with your vegetables.

garden

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – Planting a Beautiful Vegetable Garden at Home

March 28, 2020 [email protected]_84 Beautiful, Beginners, garden, gardening, Home, Planting, vegetable

Are you looking to plant your very own vegetable garden but you're not sure how to get started? Planting a healthy vegetable garden provides so many benefits including an abundance of healthy organic food and saving thousands on your grocery bills. I don't know about you but I still remember the days when a tomato from the supermarket tasted like a tomato, not anymore unfortunately. Let's look at some vegetable gardening for beginners tips to help get you started today.

Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – Tips
Preparation is the key to growing a beautiful and healthy vegetable garden. Planning is critical for setting up a vegetable garden that you can harvest every daily. Vegetable gardening for beginners does not have to be difficult with the correct planning.

First you must decide on your plot, the area for your garden. The ideal spot is somewhere that receives plenty of morning sun and protection from the elements such as wind. Although you maybe limited with the space you have available don't be discouraged as you will be shocked at how much you can grow by maximizing the space you have. Ensure there is sufficient drainage for water run off.

Importance Of Soil Quality
One of the most common vegetable gardening for beginners tips you will hear is never underestimate soil quality. Soil is the life line of a garden do not underestimate it's importance. You must ensure that your soil preparations include checking the soil and preparing it by testing its pH levels. The ideal pH level for your soil is 6.5, if you do not have a test kit you can go to your local garden outlet and let them test it for you.

Don't stress if your levels are out of whack for the moment, you can purchase garden lime that will improve the pH levels of your soil. In a nutshell your pH levels will determine how much nutrients your vegetables will be able to receive.

Preparing Your Plot
Dig your plot and turn your soil over, ensure you dig into a depth of about 12 "(30cm) and remove any weeds you find by hand. Avoid using weed killers and they can effect your soil structure and levels. Once your pH levels are in healthy range, wait 4-5 weeks before you begin planting.

The vegetables that you grow will dependent on where you live. Speak to your gardening outlet that will buy seedlings from for the most suitable vegetables.
Ask about purchasing some organic fertilizer which will be the life blood of your garden. Organic fertilizers such as animal manure, blood and bones as well as compost are terrific choices for providing essential nutrients and moisture.

Growing Vegetables Year Round
The key to planting a successful garden is to have vegetables that you can harvest year round. By doing this you can rotate different vegetables to help ensure the health of your gardening by limiting pests and diseases. One of the most common vegetable gardening for beginners mistakes is …

garden

Planting A Fall Vegetable Garden

March 28, 2020 [email protected]_84 Fall, garden, Planting, vegetable

If you're like most gardeners, you probably consider August to be the tail end of the growing season. The truth of the matter is that it's a great time to start your fall garden.

A fall garden can produce excellent vegetables and extend your crops long after your spring planted garden is finished. The vegetables you harvest from the fall garden are often sweeter and milder than those grown over the summer.

What type of vegetables you plant in your fall garden will depend on the space you have, as well as the types of vegetables you like. Be sure that you plant vegetables with the shortest growing season, this will increase the chances they will be full grown and harvested before the hard frost sets in. Starting your seeds indoors the first week of July will also give you a good head start.

Most seed packages will be labeled "early season", or you can find the seeds that are labeled with the fewest days to harvest. Since seeds are not usually kept in stock towards the end of summer, you will probably need to purchase seeds for your fall garden in the spring. You can also find them easily online at places Gurneys.com.

Even vegetables that like the heat of summer, like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and peppers, will produce nicely until harder frosts hit, which can be fairly late in the year in certain areas.

There are certain vegetable plants that normally stop producing towards the end of summer. These include snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers. Even these, if planted in the middle of summer, can produce nicely until the first frosts arrive. Many hardy vegetables will grow with temperatures as low as 20 degrees.

If you have root plants such as beets, carrots or radishes, that have the tops killed by a freeze, you can save them by applying a heavy layer of mulch.

For fall gardening you need to know approximately when the first hard frost normally hits your particular area. The Farmer's Almanac is a great resource for this type of information. It will give you specific dates and is fairly accurate most of the time. You also need to know approximately how long your plants will take to mature. As I said, this is available by reading the individual seed packets.

To prepare the soil for your fall garden, the first thing you will need to do is clear out leftover summer crops and weeds. If you leave the leftover vines and plant debris from your summer crops, bacteria and diseases can develop from these leftover remnants. If your spring plants were not fertilized heavily, you may want to spread a few inches of compost over the garden next.

Once that is done you will need to till the soil and wet it down. Now simply wait 24 hours and your ready to plant.

All too often gardeners will shy away from planting a fall garden, to avoid dealing with frosts. I can tell you …

garden

How to Start a Vegetable Garden From Scratch!

March 28, 2020 [email protected]_84 garden, Scratch, start, vegetable

1. Plot out your garden area. Decide on what you want to plant and how much room you will need to grow those plants. Also, the amount of sunlight is very important in picking out the proper placement of your garden. You will want an area that gets direct sunlight most for the day. Something else to take into account is the drainage of the land. You will not want your garden in a depressed area of land because water will tend to flood those areas and won't drain properly. I prefer using a slightly sloped piece of land or a flat piece of land that retains and drains water properly. Once you have chosen the location and size of you garden you will want to mark the boundaries of the garden with stakes or flags.

2. Next is the part of the job that will likely take the most time, preparing the soil. Preparing the soil means two things to me:

A. Cutting and removing the sod. You have several options when deciding how you want to get rid of the grass and get down to the soil. If you have a very large garden you may want to hire somebody or rent the equipment (bobcat) to tear up the grass. If you own a rototiller (you can rent one), you can use this to remove the sod. There are two main types of tillers, front tine or rear tine. Rear tine tillers have the blades in the back of the machine and typically are a bit easier to use due to the fact that you (as the operator) get more weight / leverage over top the blades. Front tine tillers have the blades in the front and can be a bit harder to use on hard sod or compacted soil since there is not as much weight / leverage over top the blades to make them bite in as well as a rear tine tiller. If you have a very small garden area then you may also choose to use a shovel to tear up the sod. Personally, my brother and I used a tiller to tear up a rather large patch of land for our garden. We would run the tiller over the grass to break it up then rake the grass clumps into one large pile in the corner of our garden, which eventually decomposed to plain dirt. We had to run the tiller over the garden area several times and rake clumps of grass each time before we had a workable dirt area. This can be a back breaking task so make sure to take your time and rest sometimes.

B. Getting the soil ready to plant in. Plants will produce their best when they have a healthy, somewhat loose, soil to grow in. This means that you want a nutrient rich soil that retains just the right amount of moisture. You can take soil samples into many garden centers to get a test done. …

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