Different Ways to Cook Spinach

Spinach is an incredibly easy vegetable to grow, particularly Swiss chard or silver beet. But what do you do when you are faced with kilo after kilo of fresh spinach?

Different types of Spinach

True spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is not grown as widely as high yielding Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) which is, to many non-horticultural people all over the world, the only spinach there is. The most likely reason for this is that true spinach has a much shorter picking season, it doesn't like too much heat, and it simply doesn't produce the same sort of ongoing yields that Swiss chard and sugar beet produce.

The other type of spinach you will find is New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia expansa), which grows particularly well in the southern hemisphere, and makes an ideal substitute for other types of spinach.

The cooking methods and recipes discussed here are perfect for all types of spinach.

Ways to Eat Spinach

While raw baby spinach is a great addition to salads, and can be added to sandwiches instead of lettuce, Swiss chard is more commonly cooked, particularly once the leaves have grown and the stalk has widened through the leaf to form a distinctive white rib - or red in the case of ruby chard.

Probably the best known way to eat cooked spinach is the way it is prepared and frozen commercially all over the world - in the form of creamed spinach, often with the addition of Feta cheese.

But there are many more recipes, including quiches and tarts, and more complex and profoundly interesting recipes that combine spinach with eggs and/or cheese, and sometimes other vegetables as well. There are also a number of ways that you can cook chard ribs which are removed from the leaves before they are cooked, or in some instances after the whole leaf (stalk and all) has been blanched for a minute or two in boiling water.

So if you are producing a mountain of spinach from your garden patch (and that really isn't difficult to do), before you get bored with boiled and creamed spinach, try cooking this healthy vegetable other ways.

Preparing Swiss Chard

Open just about any older recipe book and you will find a multitude of recipes that tell you to cook spinach in lots of boiling, salted water. The instructions will change from there, telling you to drain and press through a sieve; drain and refresh with cold water; drain and liquidise...

The thing is that cooking any vegetable in too much water results in much of the goodness being thrown down the sink; unless of course you use the water as a kind of insipid stock. It is much better to sweat the veg in a pot, using only the water that is left on the leaves after you have rinsed them. Do this at a relatively low temperature on top of the stove, until the spinach has wilted and is super-soft. Then you can revert to the original recipe. Usually there is hardly any moisture to drain, ensuring you are left with ALL the goodness. It also tastes better in the long run.

Recipes for Spinach

Books and books have been written about cooking vegetables, and most contain at least a handful that feature spinach. You will also find hundreds if not thousands of inspiring recipes on good cooking sites on the Internet.

Here is an original recipe born from the need to cook mountains of this year's Swiss chard harvest (picture above).

Peel and halve one large white onion and two large red onions. Slice (not too fine) and cook in good quality virgin olive oil until transparent. While the onion is cooking, slice (about 10 mm thick) about a dozen young leeks (less if they are large) and add to the onion; stir. Now slice one red pepper, one yellow pepper and a green pepper (these add colour and distinctive flavour) and add to the onions.

While this is gently simmering away, trim the chard and remove the rib; don't forget you can braise these (after removing the thin membrane that covers the outer part of the stalk) and serve with a sauce, or cook as a gratin.

Rinse a hefty handful of leaves and chop coarsely. Add progressively on top of the onions and leeks after stirring. Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper; allow to cook until everything is nice and soft but not slushy.

Lightly butter a suitable dish and spoon a layer of the veg mix to cover the bottom. Place a layer of small black mushrooms over this layer. Don't use chunky mushrooms and don't try and squeeze in too many (you'll need about 150 g mushrooms in total). Add sliced (preferably garlicky) salami between the mushrooms (you could use lightly fried bacon instead, and will need only about 100 g). Top this with another layer of veg and add some more mushrooms and salami. Top with a final layer of veg.

Now whisk together a cup of cream and four eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and white pepper to taste. Grate about a cup-full of cheddar cheese (mature cheddar would be even better) and scatter over the top.

Bake for about half an hour in an oven preheated to 180 °C.

This dish is great on its own, but you could serve with a light lettuce and tomato salad and fresh brown bread or crispy rolls.

Annette Welsford is the co-author, editor and publisher of international best selling books How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes and How to Grow Great Potatoes.

The books, which are available for online purchase, are considered the authoritative "bibles" on Growing Tomatoes and Growing Potatoes. They've been purchased by many thousand gardeners in 83 countries, and have been featured on TV, radio and in leading gardening publications and newspapers in 4 continents.

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With Spring Approaching, Are You Thinking of Your Home Vegetable Garden?

I am beginning to seriously study the seed catalogs (online) and read about all the new varieties. This gives me plenty of food for thought. Since no garden is perfect, I made a list last fall of all the things that did or didn't work last year and the things I had to change, even if it was the position in the garden plot. I am pouring over my notes from last year and striving to do better this year.

If you made notations on your garden's successes and failures, think at this time if you grew what your family likes to eat. Did you keep up with the harvesting of those plants or do you need to grow less of something this year? Did you use your whole garden plot productively? Personally, I like to seed in wide rows or square beds because I have the space to utilize. Some of my neighbors have reduced the size of their garden permanently now that their children have grown up and moved on. (If you have children like mine, they don't grow their own gardens and tend to raid my garden when they come home all summer long!)

Let's get realistic here though - it's time to decide which crops you truly want to grow, and in what quantity. Do you need just enough to eat fresh, or do you want a surplus to freeze, can, or dry? After you have made some decisions about your home vegetable garden, it is definitely time to lay out your garden on that piece of paper.

If you're like the author, you will only order enough seeds to match your plan and your needs. Make sure to choose disease-resistant strains of seeds. I tend to try new varieties of vegetables in my home garden based on the experts.

This time of year (cold as it may be) is the time to get as much done as you can before planting time arrives. Organize yourself (even if it's just your thoughts) in order to prepare. Gather your momentum so you are ready for the joy of placing that first seed in the moist earth!

Before ordering your vegetable seeds, if you are like me, you have half-used packages of seed left over from last year. Most gardeners are hesitant to use these. This is normal, but you can test their germination in an easy way before you decide.

To test their germination, dampen a paper towel. Lay about ten seeds on it (from the same variety) and cover this with another damp paper towel. In order to keep this paper towel moist, either spray mist occasionally with water or roll the towel gently and place it in a plastic bag. Keep this in a warm place. After the germination time (stated on the package) has elapsed, count the number of seeds that have sprouted. If fewer than 50 percent of your seeds have germinated, order new seed.

Now is the appropriate time to ask if it is really worth the trouble to start seedlings indoors, or is it more practical to wait until spring and purchase the few transplants and annuals you need? If you decide that you want to start the seedlings, be sure to order these seeds along with the rest of your seeds. I tend to purchase all my seeds from the same company every year, but this can be your choice.

As an avid gardener in the Province of Saskatchewan, I highly recommend going to http://www.ezyhomegardening.com/.

You receive encouragement at that website, and you are shown it is possible to succeed in spite of the weather.

The blog posts are ongoing and a great source of information. What you thought was impossible is not really impossible!

Check it out today!

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Learn How to Master Aquaponics

Learning How to Master Aquaponics is Easy, Fun and Very Rewarding.

The process of learning on how to master aquaponics is stimulating and even exciting. It is so much different from growing vegetables in your back yard. There is no backbreaking digging, no weeding, no watering and no spraying for pests. There is no bending involved as the grow beds can be placed at a comfortable height. You can put them at a height that is right for you, depending whether you are tall, small or in between.

It is best not to start too small as it is rather difficult to balance a small system. It is more difficult to balance a small system as with small water volume the temperature will fluctuate and would put the fish under stress. A good size is about 250 gallons, which is roughly 10,000 liters. You can then have growing beds of 250 gallons capacity. A good height for the grow beds is 12 inches (300 mm)

When learning to master aquaponics you need to be aware that there is a need to stagger the planting of your vegetables. If this is not done you could end up not having enough plants to filter the water for the fish. And of course you should plan, so that you can get fresh produce every day.

The fish need to be cared for and they need feeding several times per day. The easiest way is to use an automatic feeder and they are not expensive. You will need a submersible pump to pump the water to the plants. The fish also need oxygen, the movement of the water does help to oxygenate the water, but some air stones are still necessary to help provide enough oxygen. So you will also need a small air pump. Again this is not a very expensive item.

You can grow virtually any type of vegetables from lettuces to corn cobs, also many different kinds of fruit. Some have even grown peanuts. The only limit is the size of your aquaponics system. The size of your operation depends upon your requirements. Although should you produce more than you can use, you could earn extra money by selling your produce and as only completely natural nutrients are used the produce is organic. Organic products fetch a higher price.

Another advantage with this system is that the vegetables grow so much faster than in any other system. The plants are never under any stress as the water and nutrients are provided 24/7. Sometimes there may not be enough nutrients in the water as the fish may be too small to provide enough. You then simply put some liquid manure such as made from seaweed into the water. This will not harm the fish, but will keep your plants thriving. Sometimes there may be too many nutrients provided and the plants cannot filter the water enough. This will happen when your fish are growing too big. The fish do not grow at the same rate and so you start harvesting the bigger ones. Before the fish numbers get too low, you can put a division in your fish tank and start growing the next lot of fingerlings. When they have grown to the size that they won't be eaten by the bigger ones you can remove the division. These are just a few tips as you are learning how to master aquaponics

There are things one needs to know when starting to learn to master aquaponics. It is not rocket science and it is by far the easiest and simplest and cheapest and most fun way of growing fresh produce as well as fresh fish. There may be too much rain or not enough and prices skyrocket in the shops. When you have your own supply in your own backyard these things will not affect you and you will be saving yourself a lot of hard earned cash. On my website, http://www.aquaponicsblog.org/aquaponics-how-to.htm there is the A-Z Beginners Guide, which is at a very reasonable price and you will find in it all that you need to know on how to operate your very own aquaponics system.

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Why You Should Grow Disease Resistant Potatoes

The great Irish famine of the mid-19th century shows us how vulnerable potatoes can be when it comes to disease. Potato blight, caused by a rampant fungus caused a massive crop failure throughout Ireland, leading to famine and starvation.

Many of those who survived the famine decided to emigrate to far-off lands like North America and Australia, leading to a drop in the Irish population of some 50%.

Hybrid Potatoes can Resist Disease

Of course it was the common so-called Irish potato that was affected by the terrible blight. So it is not surprising that horticulturists decided to do what they could to try and "improve" the common potato.

Luther Burbank, an American horticulturist, is credited with having developed the first disease resistant hybrid potato. He called it the Russet Burbank potato and then, after selling the rights to it, went off to Santa Rosa with the proceeds. It was there that he established what is now a world-famous experimental farm.

Since then many different varieties of disease resistant potato have been bred (and I'll talk about these in another post). Furthermore, most countries have standards that certify potatoes that are disease-free. If possible these are the seed tubers that you should plant.

Diseases Potatoes are Prone to

Unfortunately potatoes are prone to many diseases, including various leaf diseases. Insects often transmit viral diseases, but bacteria and fungi are also problems. These are just some examples:

· Potato scab, which affects the appearance of the underground tubers, is a very common fungal disease that affects potatoes. You can avoid it by ensuring the pH of your soil is between 5.2 and 5.5 and by keeping the soil relatively dry and always well-drained.

· Black dot is a fungal disease that causes wilt and rotting. It is encouraged by poor soil and bad drainage.

· Black scurf is another fungal disease, attacking underground. Good management should help you avoid this; unfortunately there are no varieties that are specifically resistant to it. Silver scurf is another type, but this usually occurs during storage.

· Early blight is also caused by a fungus. You can identify it by little dark spots that form on the leaves, which then turn yellow and dry, and then fall off. It is a major problem which is exacerbated by overhead irrigation.

· Late blight is another fungal disease, and is spread by wind and rain - and is worsened by overhead irrigation.

· Mould can be quite a bad problem, again because of moist condition and overhead watering.

· While wilts may be caused by a fungal disease, sometimes it is caused by bacteria. Either way it's bad news. Healthy plants shouldn't be attacked by wilts (of which there are several types), but using disease-free stock is your best protection.

· Blackleg disease is a rather horrid bacterial disease and one that may attack early on in the growing season. Again planting disease-free seed will usually avoid the problem.

How to Avoid Diseases from Infecting Your Potato Crop

Happily there are steps that you can take to avoid these problems in your potato patch. For instance weeds can be a source of disease, so these should be diligently removed. Aphids also carry diseases, so keep an eye out for these and use an organic spray if you spot them (spray in the evening when the good bugs aren't usually around).

Crop rotation is an excellent way to prevent infections and diseases from one season being passed on to the next. Just remember that you should plant something that belongs to another family, because plants in the same family - brinjals, tomatoes, peppers, and so on - suffer from the same problems.

Feeding the soil with organic compost or manure is another safeguard, because good quality soil encourages good bugs.

Planting cover crops like wheat or barley is another safeguard, although this is only really an option if you are able to plant a field of potatoes. Alternatively you could plant one of the brassica species that grows through winter; mustard, cabbages, and canola are all brassicas that will help to minimise disease and control pests in your potato patch.

While mulching is always good, when it comes to potatoes, make sure you don't mulch right against the plant as this may cause the stem to rot or even affect the leaves of the potato.

Too much nitrogen in the soil is also a disease risk.

Overhead sprinklers tend to exacerbate problems, so if you are able to, rather install a drip system or soaker hoses. If you're watering with sprinklers, do so early in the day because wet leaves seem to invite disease at night; water splashing on the leaves also helps to transmit diseases.

If your potato plants look as if they are wilting, but the weather is cool, check for disease.

Annette Welsford is editor and co-author of international best selling book How to Grow Great Potatoes. She has also edited and published several other gardening related titles.

The 110 page book can be purchased online and is considered to be the authoritative "bible" on Growing Potatoes. It also comes with a complimentary cookbook and second book on Growing Jerusalem Artichokes

Visit http://www.growgreatpotatoes.com/ for a wealth of expert tips and advice on growing potatoes at your place.

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Mulch in the Garden

What is Mulch:

Mulch can be organic (Wood Mulch, straw etc) or inorganic (Gravel and pebbles etc)

Inorganic Mulch types include: Gravel, Pebbles, recycled aggregate.Organic Mulch types include: Pine Chip, Pine Bark, Forest/ Leaf litter, Straw, lucerne,

Inorganic Mulch

Inorganic mulches are generally used for decoration. They allow good access around a garden bed through the plants. They provide very little or no nutrients to the plants but will not break down therefore won't require continual topping up compared to the organic mulch selections. They will need to be raked to remove leaves regularly to keep the gravel looking at its best, as gravel / pebbles can quickly look drab when untidy. Some gravels such as blue metals/ crusher dusts can be good mulches around alkaline soil loving plants because they are alkaline rocks and will slowly leach this into the soil.

Organic Mulch

Organic mulch is organic material such as leaves, twigs bark, straw etc and can be partially broken down and has many benefits for your garden. It is spread in a layer on top of your garden bed to provide the following benefits:

Maintain even soil temperaturesReduce evaporation (saving you water)Slows down weed growthReduces soil compactionIncrease soil microbial activityProvides a slow release source of nutrients (less chemical fertilisers)

How to use mulch

Garden Beds

Clear weeds and debris from the garden bed. Turn the soil and break up packed surfaces. Drench the soil around the plant, rather than regular wide spread spraying as it encourages root growth and healthier plants. Sprinkle some compost around the plant. Apply mulch up to 75mm thick. Take care to not place mulch up against the trunk or stem of the plant, or it may cause disease such as trunk / root rot in the plant.

Sheet Mulching

This method prepares an area for planting without digging. You will need to cover the area with thick newspaper for a week or two. The paper will need to be held in place with bricks / rocks etc. After two weeks remove the cover and the dead weeds. Dig some over sized holes for the plants being installed and plant them into a thick pocket of compost. Add a thick 75mm layer of mulch to the entire area. No Chemicals, fertilisers or other pollutants are needed as the compost with help the plants until the mulch starts to break down and feed the soil. Mulch can also be placed over the paper and just left in place in place as it all breaks down anyway. Water should be done to drench the soil around the plant, rather than regular wide spread spraying as it encourages root growth and healthier plants.

What type of mulch should use?

Different types of mulch have different effects on your garden.

Wood Chip/ Pine Chip Mulch

Chips of wood from branches mulched through a chipper generally a light brown coloured mulch. It is slow to break down and requires soil conditioners and compost to be added to the soil before hand as there are limited nutrient benefits initially from the mulch. It will eventually provide some nutrients when it begins to the break down. This mulch helps create a neat and tidy garden. It needs to be renewed every two years.

Pine Bark Mulch

Chips of tree bark usually pine trees mulched through a chipper generally a dark brown coloured mulch. It is slow to break down and requires soil conditioners and compost to be added to the soil beforehand as there are limited nutrient benefits initially from the mulch. It will eventually provide some nutrients when it begins to the break down. This mulch helps create a neat and tidy garden. It needs to be renewed every two years.

Forest mulch / Leaf Litter Mulch

This mulch is usually a mix of the above two including leaves. It is basically the whole tree mulched and is generally a mid to dark brown coloured mulch. It is generally quicker to break down and requires soil conditioners and compost to be added to the soil beforehand as there are limited nutrient benefits initially from the mulch. It will eventually provide some nutrients when it begins to the break down. This mulch helps create a neat and tidy garden. It needs to be renewed every year or two but is usually less than half the price of the first two. It is a good mulch in native gardens.

Hay, Straw and lucerne Mulch

These are generally bought in bales and are quite high in nutrients, they will need to be replaced every three to six months. It helps repel slips and snails are great for use in vegetable gardens.

For more helpful landscape ideas and information please visit http://www.allthingslandscape.com/

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Everything a Beginner Needs to Know About Garden Tillers

A garden is one of the best parts of any residential or commercial property. Everyone wants to make sure that they have a beautiful garden, which is actually helpful in making a property look more attractive. There are many different things that could help you in making your garden or lawn appealing. You can either take the help of those tools and techniques or you can do everything with your hands to make your garden look beautiful. However, if you have a huge garden, you will definitely need some tools to assist you in managing them. Garden tillers are the tools that are adored by a lot of gardeners. These basically help the gardeners in plowing the land, creating new beds, cultivating weeds and in the end, putting the fertilizers or manure. So, if you have your own garden or if you are using a land as a small farm, you can use a tiller to help you out in doing all these things.

If you are interested in becoming a vegetable or fruit farmer, you will need to buy garden tillers that could help you in making the entire process of gardening or farming easier for you. There are many farmers who usually rent these garden tillers, but buying them would be a better option, as you might be having a continuous use of these. There are different types of tillers available in the market. First of all, you need to make a list of your requirements and needs as per the size of your garden. After that, you can take the help of internet to find out different types of suppliers or vendors in your particular area. You can give them a list of all your requirements and later, they would be able to tell you about certain options that will further help you out. Make sure that you have done your research properly. Take the help of different social media portals where you can find different views of customers about various tillers. You can also post some of your questions about these tillers and clear your doubts or concern. If you think you are getting a good bargain, go for it. Otherwise, look for different options.

Another important factor to look for while buying different garden tillers is to make sure that the machine you are buying is in good condition. For this, you can take the help of a mechanic or engineer because most of the gardeners do not have much idea about the intricate details of the machine. Therefore, it is advisable to take an experienced person with you, especially if you are buying a used garden tiller. This is considered to be the best way to buy a garden tiller.

You can also find garden tillers based upon their consumption of fuel or gas. If you are using a gas-powered tiller, it could turn out to be the best one because gas-powered tillers are very easy to use and are faster. Also, driving them is not a grueling task. On the other hand, petrol driven tillers are quite heavy and difficult to use. But gas tillers can be used for landscaping of a big place and they are usually the best for a typical backyard garden of a house, where you just need to grow some vegetables for your everyday use. Small tillers could be used for plowing a garden of 100 square feet while the big machines could be used for a land with more square footage. Usually, people prefer to use electric tillers these days because they are smaller and you can not only use them easily but also store them conveniently.

Sultan Murati is a dedicated gardener and does reviews about garden tillers and other tools. To find more information on rototillers for sale, visit his site at BestGardenTillers.com.

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Creating and Planting a Container Garden

We all have a garden planter or two dotted around our gardens, perhaps filled with a specimen plant or a seasonal display. But there is a lot to be said for using containers as the design basis for a garden. Containers are probably one of the most versatile forms of gardening, allowing you not only to choose type of container but also the plant and its location. There are many advantages to container gardening. You can move your containers to different locations within your garden, thereby creating an instantly different effect. You can change planting displays as often as you like, perhaps making the most of the choice of different seasonal plants. You can also grow plants which like different soil types to your own by simply filling them with the right type of compost.

Types of garden planter

There are an ever increasing number of different types of container you can buy, with materials and designs to suit every climate and different tastes. Pots and tubs are probably the most popular type of planter available. They are for the most part versatile and easily moved to different positions in the garden. Pots and tubs come in an enormous variety of sizes and designs, both traditional and modern. Materials vary from moss covered terracotta and artificially aged stone planters, to reused car tyres and fibre glass. There are no rules when it comes to choosing a type of container and there is no reason why you can't combine traditional with modern. Just be aware that your designs and materials complement each other in some way.

Pots and tubs are equally as versatile when it comes to planting. You can grow almost anything you like in a container. Formally clipped box and other evergreens look stunning as focal points, as do specimen standard plants such as bay trees or photinias. Group a number of planters of different sizes together with a plant type such as herbs. A particularly stunning planter can be filled with seasonal annuals for an all year round display.

Window boxes are another great way to grow plants and enhance the appearance of your house and garden. Window boxes are particularly useful if you have a tiny garden or even if you have no garden at all! You can buy ready- made window boxes, have them made bespoke to your requirements or simply make your own. Window boxes don't have to be made of wood. I have seen some beautifully aged metal ones as well as reconstituted stone ground-level boxes. Grow seasonal displays or plant up a box outside your kitchen window with herbs or easy to grow edibles like lettuce.

Hanging baskets are probably the most versatile of all containers. They can be hung on walls, fences and even in trees. Not only can your display be changed from season to season, but you can also grow edible plants such as tumbling tomatoes and strawberries and even a selection of herbs, hung near your kitchen door. Hanging baskets also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. More traditionally made from wicker, but I have seen some great modern alternatives made from brightly coloured plastics.

Troughs and sinks can be used to create mini container gardens in one place. Although strictly speaking you can grow anything you like in a trough shaped planter, the lack of depth makes them more suited to growing alpines and herbs. Stone troughs probably look the best in any garden but why not also think about getting hold of an old Belfast sink which looks particularly effective when planted with herbs under a kitchen window.

Another type of container not readily thought about is the raised bed. Raised beds are a great way of growing both vegetables and garden plants. They are easy to maintain and therefore popular with gardeners with impaired mobility. They are also an easy way of adding structure to an otherwise flat garden space, lifting plants higher up and creating the illusion of different levels to a garden.

Some planting rules

If you are going to maintain a healthy container garden, there are a few rules you will need to follow whatever type of planter. Drainage is all important for container grown plants. Make sure your container has adequate drainage holes and always add some broken pot or crocks to the bottom of the planter to aid drainage. If your container is to be placed on a hard surface, sit it on some feet to raise it above ground level slightly. Use the right type of compost. Try not to overcrowd your container, most plants will need plenty of room to spread their roots and grow into healthy specimens. Conversely, don't let your plants become pot-bound. Although there are a few plants which do well in these conditions, as a rule, either divide you plant or re-pot it into a larger container.

In extremely cold weather both your containers and their plants will need some protection. For those that are not frost hardy it is probably best to over winter them into a cold greenhouse. Others can be wrapped in straw or fleece to protect them from frost.

Perhaps the most important consideration of all for container grown plants is water. During dry weather in the summer months you will have to make sure your pots are well watered. Materials like terracotta dry out quickly as the clay absorbs water, so you will often find yourself having to water at least twice a day. Early morning and evening is best. During the winter water container plants sparingly. Waterlogged containers easily freeze killing the roots of the plants in them.

I am a firm believer that a garden reflects some of the personality of the gardener who tends it. Garden planters are a great way of putting your stamp on a garden, particularly if you are a little bit quirky! I have seen old wooden boats used as planters, odd worn out walking boots, pan tiles, antique wash tubs, old car tyres and even a disused toilet!

Garden Planters source unusual outdoor and indoor planters, and other garden related gifts - whatever your taste, be it traditional, modern or just a bit quirky, we will have something for you. Run by two qualified and creative gardeners, Garden Planters will also plant up your chosen planter with an arrangement of your choice. We believe garden planters are an integral part of any garden - they enhance the overall design and say a little something about the person to whom the garden belongs.

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