3 Vegetable Seeds that have a Large Yield per Seed

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If you had room to plant only three vegetables, what would they be and why? I was recently asked this question by a friend. Before I get into what I would grow let me address why I would grow the ones I did choose. If I only had space for three vegetables I would make sure I first grow something that has a high yield and second, make sure I am growing something that I and my family would enjoy eating.

If you have limited space, just like any other product you buy, you want to get the greatest return from what you are growing. For example, if you only had space to plant three items, cauliflower will more than likely not be one of them, unless of course you absolutely love cauliflower. I personally would not choose this item because you are only going to get one plant in one space with one seed. Not a very good return with limited space.

Your best choices are items that will produce a lot on a single plant and preferably can grow up as opposed to out as you will see in my list.

Pole Beans

I love having fresh picked beans with dinner and if you grow pole beans then you already know the amount you will get from a single seed. Pole beans are a great first choice because they fit the bill of both of our ROI (return on investment) requirements. They grow up as opposed to out and their yields are tremendous. Good choices are Blue Lake pole, Kentucky Blue, Kentucky Wonder Brown and Stringless Blue Lake. A single seed can produce hundreds of beans and if you are growing an heirloom variety be sure to save a few to plant again next season.

Cherry Tomatoes

Ok, technically speaking, tomatoes are botanically a fruit, but who can argue the choice of tomatoes. One single seed, according to a recent USDA study can produce over $50 worth of tomatoes. A tremendous return on the investment of time, space, work and cost. To maximize your limited space, choose a variety that produces an even larger amount such as cherry, grape, and yellow or red pear. These tomato varieties keep producing and producing and producing and … you get the point..

Zucchini

If you have grown any type of zucchini before then you already know what the return of just one zucchini seed can give you. My neighbor even told me one time of the old saying “zucchini plants produce so much, so fast, that you can literally watch the zucchini grow before your eyes.” While I won’t say that I have experienced that, I have planted just a couple of seeds and was able to not only keep plenty for my family, but give basket fulls away to neighbors, friends and relatives. Different varieties of zucchini (or other types of squash) will vary on yields. My favorites are the striped zucchini and black beauty.

Your list of vegetables grown from seed in limited space, I am sure, will be different, but these are my favorites. Cucumbers would be 4th on my list, just slightly behind the zucchini. What vegetable seeds would be on your list?

About the Author

Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

Four Easy Vegetables to Start from Seed

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I love to start all of my fruits, vegetables and herbs from seeds, and although I do very well, I can sit here and honestly say that all of my efforts are not successful. In fact, this past season my cantaloupe did not fair as well as I had hoped, but my eggplant on the other hand were the best crop I have had in my life. That’s just the nature of vegetable gardening. Just when you think you have one crop mastered, you have a bad season with it. Maybe that is par for the course.

Regardless of the ups and downs of different crops I seem to do extremely well with the same crops every year when I start them from seeds.

Radishes
One of the fastest growing vegetables that I start from seeds, radishes will yield two crops in the late-winter to early spring and again late-summer to early winter. Many varieties produce in as little as 45 days, and make a great addition to a salad. I do not start radishes indoors as I don’t see the need since they produce so quickly.

Tomatoes
What would a list be without tomatoes on it, especially when I am from the garden state and all the bragging we do here about Jersey tomatoes. I will say that some years I do great and less often I do just ok, but I have never had a season where I did not get an ample crop of tomatoes. I always start my seeds indoors around the beginning of March, then will move them to the outdoor greenhouse in bigger pots until the weather warms up enough at night so that I eventually put them in their final spot in the garden. Top advice? Pick a spot in your yard that receives direct sunlight from morning until night time for best results. That’s what works well for me.

Zucchini
A neighbor once told me, zucchini grows so fast that you literally watch it grow before your eyes. I can not disagree. I have had plants where on one day a new zucchini growth is about an inch long and the next day (ok maybe two) it was ready to be picked. I will start zucchini indoors just like tomatoes. Unless you either have a large family, plan on feeding the neighborhood or donating a lot to local food pantries, just a couple of zucchini plants will suffice. They produce so much so quickly that many, especially new gardeners, put in about 6 plants and then harvesting zucchini becomes a full time job. I always grow 3, which for me, seems to be plenty.

Cucumbers
Last season I had the best cucumber crop in my life. I was literally giving away about a dozen to two dozen per week. I had 9 plants going which is more than what I normally do, but in previous years my surplus was around a few every week. Just like my tomatoes and zucchini I start cucumbers indoors. For me personally I always grow vining types such as the straight eight. For best results use a trellis. I built my own out of some left over wood pieces and some netting. It took about 20 minutes to throw it together. This gives the cucumbers a chance to climb and spread out. I start my cucumber seeds indoors, and like tomatoes, won’t move them outdoors until the temperatures at night have warmed up enough.

Every gardener has their favorites, these happen to be the ones I have had the easiest time with and the most success. I’ll cover herbs in a future article. They are very fun and easy to grow as well.

About the Author
Mike Podlesny is the author of Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the rest of us, the moderator for the largest vegetable gardening page on Facebook and creator of the Seeds Club.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mike`s Seeds of the Month Club:

How to Make Zucchini Bread with Zucchini from your Garden

If you have a few minutes of prep time and about 50 minutes of cooking time you can make some great bread out of zucchini grown in your own garden.

This is great tasting bread made right in your own kitchen. Here is how you make zucchini bread.





http://www.ehow.com/how_5258826_make-zucchini-bread-zucchini-garden.html

Vegetable Gardening: Help My Squash is being Attacked!

I have been growing squash (zucchini variety) for 7 years in my home vegetable gardening. They are easy to grow and the few plants I do have produce a harvest that supplies my entire family as well as being able to give some away to neighbors, friends and family.

For the first 6 years of my garden I never had any problems with my squash. That is, up until last year. That is when a species of bug showed up out of nowhere and decided to set up shop on my squash and live in the area which is probably the equivalent of humans living in the middle of a supermarket.

My wife was the first to notice the insect on my squash and came into the house to tell me about it. I didn’t think much of it since I never had any issues in previous years. I went out the next day to take a look and low and behold these ugly gray and brown looking bugs were everywhere. Well everywhere on the squash. They had no interest in any of the other vegetation in my garden, only the zucchini.

After doing some research I found that the bug in question, the ones on my squash plants, originate from Asia specifically China, although I could not find the exact region. They have been given the name “stink bug” in our area but are also referred to as squash bugs and even called shield bugs. They are part of the hemiptera order.

Although the ones I saw in my garden were brown and gray, they can also be green in some parts of the world. They are recognized by their color but more so by the triangular shape “shield” looking backs that they have.

Most stink bugs are plant eaters and are harmless to humans. They reproduce at a very fast rate and are active from the late spring to early fall. Early studies indicate they do not fair well in cooler climates but are quick adapters to the environment and when the temperatures drop will look for ways to get inside warmer areas such as a barn or a person’s home.

The bad news is they are resistant to many pesticides which make them hard to control. The good news is you can get rid of them without pesticides but you will have to work at it. Because stink bugs are harmless to humans the best way found to get them out of your garden is to remove them by hand.

Put on a good pair of garden gloves and with an empty coffee can in tow, remove the bugs and more importantly all of the egg sacks by hand and put them in the coffee can. When you have removed all of them put the lid on making sure no air can get in. This will suffocate them and they will die. Sure it’s not the most humane way of doing it, but neither is squashing them.

A very important note and that is there is a reason these bugs are called stink bugs. That is they emit an odor when they feel they are in danger or threatened. Although the odor they emit is small, it can get onto your skin and be there a while, which is when you are handling them, make sure you where good gloves and a long sleeve shirt.

There are home remedies I have read about, none of I which I personally used, so I can not comment on as to whether or not they work. But the best, most organic way, of getting rid of these pesky creatures is to remove them by hand. As long as you stay on top of the situation you will not have a problem, but it does take work.

About the Author

Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person, as well as the president and CEO of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC. You can, follow him on Twitter as well as join his Facebook fan page.