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How To Fail At Csa Market Gardening

CSA market gardening is a great way to connect farmers and consumers. The farmer receives a good income and guaranteed cashflow, and the consumer gets a steady supply of fresh, local food. But your CSA can fail if you don’t avoid the following mistakes.

CSA market gardening mistake 1: Marketing. Community Supported Agriculture programs typically experience high turnover of customers, especially in the early years. You may lose as many as 40% of your customers each year. This means you need to be continuously marketing to find new customers to replace the losses, and even more if you expect to grow.

Marketing your garden doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive; the first thing to invest in is some good business cards. Cards are a cheap way to promote your market garden. You can print both sides of the card, perhaps using the back of the card as a coupon for new customers.

Mail-out flyers are also an effective marketing tool. Flyers let you target a particular geographic area, and a 1-page 2-sided flyer gives you lots of room to get your message across.

You should also consider creating a website for your market garden; having a web presence is expected of businesses these days. And a well-designed, keyword-focused, content-driven website is your marketing magic weapon, bringing in customers even while you sleep.

CSA market gardening mistake 2: Not growing enough produce. When customers join your CSA, they often pay you in advance for the season. You have to make sure you deliver great value for that payment. This starts with planning.

Since you know how many customers you have, you can plan your garden to make sure you have ample produce for everyone. For example, if you have 50 customers who each want one head of lettuce each week, you need to be able to harvest at least 50 heads. However, not all lettuce seeds germinate. And not all plants successfully grow to produce a harvestable crop. You can lose plants to insects, or disease, or bad weather. So to make sure you will have sufficient produce available, you need to build in a safety factor; that is, plant more than you think you will need. So to get 50 harvestable head of lettuce, you might start by planting 75 seeds; this will give you some allowance for losses.

And you have to take all reasonable means to protect your crop from the perils mentioned above. You need protection against insects, disease, flooding, predatory animals, drought, and storms. It does you no good to grow beautiful vegetables if you lose them before harvest.

CSA market gardening mistake 3: Not growing enough variety. Successful CSA’s grow lots of vegetables, and a large variety of vegetables. There are some good reasons for this: first, your customers will appreciate receiving something different in their delivery boxes each week. The more types of vegetables you grow, the more people you will appeal to.

The second reason to grow a large variety is for security of production. To give an extreme example, if you grew only two vegetables, and you lose one, your garden has lost 50%. On the other hand, if you grow 20 different vegetables and you lose one, you garden is still at 95%.

And finally, you need to grow a large variety of crops to stretch out your season. Different vegetables, and even different types of the same vegetable, mature at different times. The more you grow, the longer your potential season.

CSA market gardening can bring a great benefit to both farmers and consumers, if you avoid these mistakes.

Why Hydroponic Gardening Is Becoming More Popular

Hydroponic gardening has spiked in popularity recently mainly because the quality and productivity of hydroponically grown plants has been unmistakable. These plants grow faster and healthier than their soil-grown counterparts. This is due to the fact that they are grown in an environment where there is a virtual limitless supply of nutrients and water at their disposal.

These hydroponically grown plants, because they are not grown in soil, do not need to fight off diseases and pests which are natural in soil. Pesticides can be decreased or even eliminated.

And because the nutrients and water are delivered in just the right proportion directly to the plant’s roots, they are better equipped to grow – faster, healthier, larger!

Hydroponically grown plants have the following benefits:

– They will provide high levels of nutrition

– They will be better tasting

– They will be rich in color.

In hydroponic gardening you will find that the crop’s water and nutritional needs are less complicated and sometimes more effective. Just a few simple measurements and it will be evident what adjustments need to be made to the nutritional balance in the water. All the guesswork is eliminated!

Although nutrient solutions are available from local hydroponic suppliers and contain the correct proportions of essential minerals, gardeners may also make their own nutrient rich solutions. This may sometimes require quite a bit of extra work however.

When it comes to the growing medium that will provide plants their nutrition, different materials have been successfully used. Materials such as sand, porous rock, gravel, pumice, perlite, and vermiculite have all proven to be good choices. Fired clay particles can also be used. These all are capable of providing a way of getting the nutrient rich water into the plant’s root system.

Also, there are various types of containers and pumping arrangements for delivering nutrient solutions to the garden and draining it back to the storage tanks for reuse.

If you’re just starting out in hydroponic gardening you may be wondering which types of plants are most suitable for hydroponic gardens. The answer to this is tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers. There are some types of tomatoes that will continue to produce year round.

Some plants can be started from seeds and seedlings. In this case use commercially available rock wool plugs submerged in the media. These make excellent incubators for germination and seedling growth.

And since hydroponic gardens are self-contained, they can be located just about anywhere space permits. It is not unusual to find these by windows, on rooftops, or in closets.

Health Benefits Of Bonsai Plants

Bonsai plants are unique, beautiful art forms. Those who own the trees and cultivate them are passionate about what they do. And that shows when people look at their amazing creations. Those who are investing in bonsai care are rewarded with more than just beautiful trees. They are given a stress reliever that other hobbies may not offer. Gardening has become a hot topic for stress relief and bonsai gardening is no exception. Working with nature, feeling the earth and plants brings one back to his of hers own nature.

Bonsai gardening can offer satisfaction beyond measure for those who are willing to invest their time into the art. As with most anything the amount of energy one puts into an activity the more one get out. A sense of accomplishment that may be missing in one’s everyday life can be realized from tending to a bonsai garden. or any other type of garden for that matter. Plants trees and shrubs can make a home look great and make a person more peaceful and fulfilled as well. By physically working in one’s garden they are taking a proactive step to a healthier lifestyle. Gardening therefore can be looked upon as a way to attain both internal (health and piece of mind) and external (garden, bonsai trees) health and beauty.

Bonsai plants require regular attention. You must be constantly concerned with the proper watering, fertilizing, and pruning. Unlike the plants trees and shrubs that stay outdoors, one must trim the roots of the bonsai’s. This is an art form, and just like painting, one can gain serenity and accomplishment by just stepping away from their everyday lives and enter into the peaceful world of their bonsai garden. This kind of gardening takes an enormous amount of patience, a characteristic that we desperately need in this day and age

As a conclusion we can say that tending Bonsai Plants offer benefits for their care giver that one may not have thought possible. Not only is this hobby quite peaceful, it is also a living art form. Like painting or any creative art form, bonsai’s needs constant love and attention to achieve its full beauty. With one’s loving touch a bonsai garden can prove to be the centerpiece of one’s home. Just as the ancient concept of Yin and Yang go hand in hand, so do the gardener and the bonsai tree. Each needs the other in order to be better.

The trees thrive and the gardener lives a more satisfied life. Once attention is focussed on the plant. Gardening has never been so Zen.

Can Plants Grow Without Soil Hydroponic Gardening Is The Answer!

Hydroponic Gardening is the system in which plants can be made to grow without soil. Using hydroponics to grow plants can be beneficial for many growers since it allows plants to be grown much faster and many times with less problems.

Plants are grown in a solution which consists of water and dissolved nutrients required for the particular plant. There are several hydroponics techniques and systems that are used in producing thriving plants

The different types of hydroponics systems and techniques include the nutrient film technique (or NFT), aeroponics, and the aeration technique.

With the aeroponics technique, plants are secured using rigid pipes, screens, or films. The nutrients are dissolved into the plants’ water supply and the plants’ roots are suspended within the water. The plant then obtains its food nutrients directly from the water or from an air mist which is sprayed directly onto the plant roots.

Hydroponic gardening also requires the use growing media. Different mediums can be used which have to retain the food rich moisture. They must also be able to physically support the plant roots. The following have been the most effective media so far: expanded clay, perlite, styrofoam, sand, rockwool, vermiculite, pea gravel.

Many types plants that can be grown in a hydroponics system. Some plants will grow better in hydroponics system than others, but some of the most popular are lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, watercress, and various other edible plants.

Tree seedlings and flowers can also be grown using hydroponics. Hydroponic greenhouses have been producing millions of plant seedlings every year. These are then transplanted and grown at other locations where they are later planted into soil.

If you are just a beginner at hydroponic gardening, you will no doubt be satisfied with the quality of your crops and the faster rate of growth. Hydroponically grown plants will grow and mature faster and yield an earlier harvest of vegetable crops.

There are many benefits to growing your own plants in a hydroponics system. Hydroponic gardening doesn’t require a fertile farmland or a large water supply growing plants. Vegetable and plants can be grown year round. Hydroponic vegetables and plants in almost any small space, or a basement, or even an apartment balcony.

The hydroponic systems require less space because the plant roots don’t have to spread and search for food and water. The smaller space requirement makes hydroponic gardening perfect for limited space home gardeners.

Hydroponic plants can also be grown in nurseries and greenhouses as well. The benefit of growing these plants without soil in a sterile medium includes not having to remove weeds or dealing with soil-borne pests and diseases. And since all the nutrients necessary for the plant are readily avaliable to it, the plant is noticeably healthier than the plants grown in soil.

The greatest benefit to hydroponic gardening is the ability to automate the hydroponics system with timers and remote monitoring equipment. This reduces the time it takes to maintain the plants and the growing environment. It also allows the grower to leave their system for long periods of time without worrying about watering plants.

Hydroponic growing without the use of soil is not simple, but with time it will become an easy routine. Hydroponics offers the advantage of many techniques that can be beneficial to your plants and produce a richer and healthier plant.

Build Your Own Eco-friendly Water Soaker Garden Irrigation System – Conserve Water

You looked at installing a underground sprinkler system on your property. And then stopped short when you realized the thousands of dollars it would cost! How could plastic pipe and sprinkler heads cost so much? Here is a lasting inexpensive water irrigation system that is near maintenance free and will have your neighbors wondering why they never see you watering your garden and plants. You can claim yours to be an environmentally friendly garden soaker system (or water drip system), using the minimum amount of water to sustain your plants and shrubs.Get the water as close to the plant roots as possible. Using less water is important to our global environment.Communities now encourage water soaker systems instead of sprinkler systems. Water applied near the ground will mostly be absorbed into the earth where it is needed by the plant and grass roots. Water sprayed above the plants and grass lands on the leaves and flowers before dripping to the ground. This longer exposure to the air will cause much of the sprayed or sprinkled water to evaporate into the hot summer air.More than ever now communities control the watering of lawns and gardens during the summer months. Sometimes you are restricted to garden watering only – not lawns. An automatic water timer system combined with a soaker hose system makes plenty of sense in reducing the amount of water dispensed to water your garden plants and shrubs. So how can I make an effective soaker system for my garden for under $500?With some off-the-shelf components, you can have a simple but elegant soaker system that with be automatic and near maintenance free. With a simple water timer system, Y-connectors, faucet multipliers, some 1 1/2″ abs pipe, quality 1/2″ garden hose and your choice of soaker hoses or irrigation hoses for potted or hanging plants, border gardens, row gardens or (dare I say) even lawn sprinklers. You now have the elements for a simple soaker irrigation system for your garden. This do-it-yourself automatic water irrigation system will ensure you water plants at the best time every day; specifically, early morning and late afternoon. As an added home security feature, when you are away from home your garden will sustain its beauty and make it look like someone is at home.Here is the material list required for your automatic garden soaker system. (Note: there is a complete Picasa image gallery of all the required components of this inexpensive soaker system at http://picasaweb.google.com/carl.chesal/GardenIrrigationSystem ):1) Select your water timer I selected Orbit from Home Depot. Make sure it has a battery timer so power outages won’t alter your scheduled watering times. It should allow for at least 3 watering zones.2) Select your main faucet multiplier (or Valve splitter) that will attach to your outside water faucet and can accommodate the 3-4 water zones plus a spare to allow for regular garden hose watering. You can secure these special faucet multipliers from garden centers or at Lee Valley Tools. 3) Enough 1 1/2″ ABS pipe (and glue) and 22.5 degree elbows to run underground (6″ – 10″ depth). Use the 22.5 degree elbows only to allow for easy insertion of the garden hose into the ABS pipe. You can cut further costs by burying the garden hoses directly underground. The ABS piping does provide added protection from accidental puncture from aerators, pitch forks and other garden tools. This ABS pipe can also serve double duty to run low voltage wire or speaker wire to the remote areas of your garden.4) Enough quality garden hoses to run through the ABS pipe and connect to the soaker hoses in all your garden beds.5) Soaker hoses for all your garden beds.6) Enough Faucet multipliers (Valve splitters) to extend each watering zone with soaker hose as required.Creating your automatic garden soaker system involves more of a landscaping effort than anything else. Here are 3 steps to completing your eco-friendly automatic garden soaker system (Note: refer to the Picasa image gallery for details of component assembly):1) Bury the ABS pipe feeding the garden hose through it as you connect and glue the pipe sections. Bury the pipe 6″-10″ under your lawn or sidewalk. Have both ends extend out of the ground using the 22.5 degrees elbows so that the stiff hose can still be easily pulled through the pipe.2) Connect the soaker hoses to the ends of the garden hoses and weave the soaker hoses through your garden under plants and around shrubs. Follow the installation instructions of the soaker hose manufacturer.3) Install the water timer and water zone valves on the faucet multiplier. Connect the hoses for each zone. Follow the installation instructions of the water timer manufacturer. Do not set the water time for each zone more than 20 minutes each. Set two water times early morning (around 6 am) and late afternoon (around 7 pm).Maintenance of your Irrigation System and Preparation for Freezing Winter Temperatures:1) Disconnect the [zone] hoses at the main faucet where the Water Timer is located. 2) Using a Shop Wet Vac, suck the excess water from each zone hose. Use electrical tape to secure the vacuum pipe against the end of the hose. Turn on the wet vac and let it run for 10-15 minutes. Empty the water extracted before repeating this for each hose at the main faucet. You will extract enough water from the hoses so as not to incur any winter damage to your hoses from freezing water.3) Tape a plastic bag over the ends of each of the [zone] hoses. This will prevent little critters from getting in the hoses and clogging them when you reconnect the system in the spring.4) Remove the water timer and faucet multiplier. Store them in a warm place where they will not freeze.5) Note: you DO NOT need to disconnect and remove the soaker hoses. They should last 4-6 years before you need to replace them. Check the soaker hoses each spring for holes. You can patch these holes with high-friction Silicone tape. You may also leave outdoors all-year-round any valve splitters that were used to increase the soaker hoses in a particular water zone.You now have an inexpensive water soaker system that won’t break the bank. You have saved thousands of dollars and can boast of being a friend to our environment. You clearly are doing your part for water conservation and the ecology. Nice going!