A blog on helpful vegetable gardening tips, tricks and techniques by Mike the Gardener.Tumblr (3.0; @mikethegardener)http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/It was my dad that introduced me to vegetable gardening and my grandfather that introduced him....http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19179650822http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19179650822Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:43 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0muhmp9Rw1qlge75o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Now here is an environmentally friendly  lawn mower</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19012161062http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19012161062Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:36:58 -0500What does the new USDA Frost Zone Map mean to you? - Vegetable Gardener: You may have been gardening...http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19000704304http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/19000704304Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:41:47 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0kzceOZ2h1qlge75o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>what the …</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18957387577http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18957387577Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:26:38 -0500<iframe class="tumblr_audio_player tumblr_audio_player_18789924729" src="http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18789924729/audio_player_iframe/mikethegardener/tumblr_m0f0kzeFtq1qlge75?audio_file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmikethegardener%2F18789924729%2Ftumblr_m0f0kzeFtq1qlge75" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" width="500" height="85"></iframe><br/><br/><p><span> </span></p> <p><strong>#102: What are open pollinated and heirloom variety seeds?</strong></p> <p><span>Over the past few years there has been a large movement towards growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs from seeds. The top three reasons people gave in a recent study conducted by the National Gardening Association, were to put fresh produce on the table, save some money and to know that what they were growing was safe.  Listen in as Mike talks about the differences.</span></p> <p><strong><a href="http://averagepersongardening.com/WhatareOpenPollinatedandHeirloomVarietyVegetableSeeds.html" target="_self">Click here</a></strong> to read a full transcript of this podcast.</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18789924729http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18789924729Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:07:00 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m07symdHC21qlge75o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18554584605http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18554584605Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:39:58 -0500<iframe class="tumblr_audio_player tumblr_audio_player_18389806838" src="http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18389806838/audio_player_iframe/mikethegardener/tumblr_m02hh3pcpi1qlge75?audio_file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmikethegardener%2F18389806838%2Ftumblr_m02hh3pcpi1qlge75" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" width="500" height="85"></iframe><br/><br/><p><span> <p><span>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.</span></p> <p>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.  Listen in as Mike gives you his 4 favorites to start from seed.</p> <p><a href="http://averagepersongardening.com/FourEasyVegetablestoStartfromSeed.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a full transcript of this podcast.</p> </span></p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18389806838http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18389806838Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:43:51 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzup521e2d1qlge75o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18129823885http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18129823885Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:48:38 -0500<iframe class="tumblr_audio_player tumblr_audio_player_18022117814" src="http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18022117814/audio_player_iframe/mikethegardener/tumblr_lzrdhuLkbb1qlge75?audio_file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmikethegardener%2F18022117814%2Ftumblr_lzrdhuLkbb1qlge75" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" width="500" height="85"></iframe><br/><br/><p><span> <div class="Object5073"><span class="textstyle2">#100: Compost from the Sky<br/></span></div> <div class="Object5074"><span class="textstyle3">As many of you know from reading the various articles on our website and blog as well as the podcasts we conduct, composting is a major part of our vegetable gardening efforts. Listen in as Mike gives you a fun look at compost.<br/><br/></span><span class="textstyle4"><a href="http://averagepersongardening.com/CompostfromtheSky.html" target="_blank">Click Here</a></span><span class="textstyle3">, for a full transcript of this podcast.</span></div> </span></p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18022117814http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/18022117814Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:44:18 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzjgjbqLiJ1qlge75o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17763567065http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17763567065Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:09:11 -0500Do not let the lack of space be a reason or an excuse to not have a vegetable garden at your home. ...http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17710704292http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17710704292Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:11:46 -0500<iframe class="tumblr_audio_player tumblr_audio_player_17549921816" src="http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17549921816/audio_player_iframe/mikethegardener/tumblr_lzc2nnmk8c1qlge75?audio_file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmikethegardener%2F17549921816%2Ftumblr_lzc2nnmk8c1qlge75" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" width="500" height="85"></iframe><br/><br/><p><img align="left" alt="vermicompost" border="0" src="http://www.averagepersongardening.com/iStock_000012619069XSmall.jpg"/>Vermicompost is merely nothing more than worm castings after you have fed them a diet of organic material. It is one of the best forms of fertilizer you can add to your garden. So good that many home vegetable gardeners have created worm farms and vermicompost bins in their own back yards, sheds, garages and basements. It is easy to do and fairly inexpensive. As with anything, the more work you put into it the less it will cost. <br/><br/> Listen in as Mike gives you some vermicomposting tips. For more information on vermicomposting, be sure to visit <a href="http://www.averagepersongardening.com" target="_self"><a href="http://www.averagepersongardening.com" target="_blank">http://www.averagepersongardening.com</a></a></p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17549921816http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17549921816Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:26:11 -0500You can use a variety of items to start your seeds in, from your garden&#8217;s own soil, to a...http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17326668625http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17326668625Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:26 -0500I was reading an article the other day in Mother Earth News magazine about a family in California...http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17210286176http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17210286176Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:58:00 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz0yewBU0S1qlge75o1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Is this your social media experience for vegetable gardening?</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17208084683http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17208084683Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:20:56 -0500<iframe class="tumblr_audio_player tumblr_audio_player_17152836429" src="http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17152836429/audio_player_iframe/mikethegardener/tumblr_lyz5l31Tf21qlge75?audio_file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmikethegardener%2F17152836429%2Ftumblr_lyz5l31Tf21qlge75" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" scrolling="no" width="500" height="85"></iframe><br/><br/><p><strong>#98: How to Photograph Your Home Vegetable Garden</strong></p> <p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670741068938365090" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jEknH2oeMDg/TrKE9RNKSKI/AAAAAAAAA3E/8FcDa9uFxWI/s200/iStock_000014382199XSmall.jpg"/>What a better way to share your vegetable gardening efforts with the world then snapping a few photos.  In this podcast, Mike shares some tips from professional photographers. <a href="http://averagepersongardening.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-photograph-your-home-vegetable.html" target="_blank">Click here</a>, for a full transcript of this podcast</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17152836429http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/17152836429Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lytqplsIRg1qlge75o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>A funny view of Groundhog’s day :-)</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16977209440http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16977209440Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:51:21 -0500You may have been gardening your whole life and never knew that your corner of the country is in a...http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16830318481http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16830318481Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:03:48 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyo1jqt9KV1qlge75o1_500.png"/><br/><br/>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16817709979http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16817709979Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:59:50 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lymbnsRmMO1qlge75o1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>Please share … Don’t be a statistic!</p>http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16762169388http://mikethegardener.tumblr.com/post/16762169388Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:43:04 -0500