How To Grow Zucchini Squash

Growing zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in a garden is very popular. This is because planting zucchini is easy and a zucchini plant can produce large amounts of delicious squash. Let’s take a look at how to plant zucchini and grow zucchini squash in your garden.


How to Plant Zucchini

When planting zucchini, you can plant them either as individual plants or grouped on hills. How you grow zucchini squash is up to you, based on how many zucchini plants you intend to grow and how much room you have to grow them.

After the chance of frost has passed, plant 2-3 seeds 36 inches apart. The seeds should be planted about an inch deep. Thin to one plant per spot once the seeds have sprouted and have grown their first set of true leaves.

Zucchini Plants on a Hill

After the chance of frost has passed, mound up soil about 6 – 12 inches high and 12 – 24 inches wide. On the top of the hill, in a circle, plant 4 – 5 zucchini seeds. Thin the seedlings down to 2 – 3 per hill once the seedlings have their first set of true leaves.

You can also start zucchini indoors in order to get a head start on the season. Start zucchini seeds indoors 4 – 6 weeks before the last from date and plant out in the garden after all chances of frost have passed.

Information on Growing Zucchini

Once seedlings are established, mulch around the plants. Mulching helps to keep the ground temperature stable and also helps the soil retain water. These two things will help the zucchini plant have an earlier and larger crop.

Make sure that your zucchini plants get at least 2 inches of water a week. If you do not receive enough rainfall to do this, supplement with manual watering. Use a soaker hose or other method to water the plants below their leaves. Watering using a sprinkler can cause the zucchini plants to develop powdery mildew.

Harvest zucchini squash when the fruits are small. This will result in a more tender and flavorful squash.

Growing zucchini in your garden is fun and easy. Now that you know how to plant zucchini and some tips on growing it well, you can grow zucchini squash in your garden with ease.

How to Grow Soybeans

Growing soybeans has become increasingly popular with home gardeners.
Soybeans are high in fiber, protein, and nutritious. Soybeans are rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, and contain high levels of Calcium and Iron. Perhaps best of all, they taste good ,too.
Home gardeners find it is easy to grow soybeans. Soybean plants are grown just like any other bush bean, and produce high yields.
Days to Maturity:
Soybean plants require about 85 days to harvest.
Try succession planting, for continuous harvest over several weeks.

Sowing Soybean Seeds:
Plant seeds outdoors after the last frost date for your area. Soil should be warm before planting.

Sow Soybean seeds 2 inches apart, in rows 20" to 24" apart.  If your garden space is limited, plant  the seeds in double rows. Water well after planting, and a second time two to four days later, only if there has been no rain. Side dress the rows with general purpose fertilizer during planting.

How to Grow Soybeans:
Soybean plants are easy to grow. They grow best in full sun and in warm weather. They prefer a rich soil, high in nitrogen. Soil should be kept moist for optimum growth.

Soybean plants grow best in rich soil. Add manure and compost prior to planting. Fertilizer regularly during the growth period.

Harvest soybeans when the pods are full.

Did you know? Soybean plants are rich in nutrients. After the harvest, put plants into the compost pile, or turn them into your soil.

Insects and Pests:
Like other beans, soybeans are susceptible to a variety of insects, most notably beetles. They can be treated with Sevin and many organic repellents.

Rabbits eat the the tender new leaves. If there are rabbits in your area, a rabbit fence is not a nicety, it is a necessity. They will devastate a row of beans in a hurry, eating the tender new leaves. As new ones develop, they will come back for more.

Diseases of Soybeans:
Bacterial and wilt diseases are common among the Bean family. This plant disease arrives with summer heat and humidity. This often occurs just before, or during, the ripening of the crop. Fungicides are recommended in areas of high heat and humidity.

Plant Problems - Diagnosis, causes and cures for many common plant problems.

Hardiness:
Soybeans are not a hardy plant. They are susceptible to cold and frost. Hold off planting until a few days before all danger of frost is past. In the fall, cover the crop on nights when the temperature is expected to go below 40 degrees.

Cooking Soybeans
The beans are edible. The pods are not edible.

Boil bean in lightly salted water for 4-5 minutes to blanch, or 20 minutes to fully cook. Discard the pods after removing the beans.  The beans can be frozen after blanching, then heated in the microwave later, for a quick, nutritious snack.. They can also be canned.

How to Buy a Camel

How to find them…

Ask around. The livestock market is always the best place to start. This will be almost always on the outside of the town or village. Some are everyday, others are one day a week, so find out. You will be approached immediately, as you will undoubtedly look foreign, and expensive offers of a camel will follow. It’s a good idea to bring someone local you trust with you to help you and if possible, who can act on your behalf with bartering: they will know if you are getting your money’s worth and the price will almost certainly be lower for them.

What to look for…

If you are using your camel for a desert journey, strength is key. It will have to carry loads and/or you and if your camel is not used to work or is weak then this could pose a serious danger. Ask to see it stand and sit down again. The knees are important, so check for any trembling in the legs, a sure sign of a weak camel. Their rising and  sitting should be smooth, it should walk without a limp and the camel must be obedient. It goes almost without saying that a disobedient camel would spell trouble for you later. Check for any open sores and have a look at the pads on the underside of its feet, these should be without wounds. Also see that the camel can accept a rope through its nose or around its face and that it does not make too much of a fuss. Crucially this is to check whether it is a biter. Ask the camel’s age. Four to eight is ideal, as it will be experienced enough but too old.

Costs…

The cost of a camel can vary dramatically depending on where it is bought, its size, its age and the conditions at the time (drought etc). A goodish camel at a time of plenty could go for £150, whereas a large camel in an area without many can be £1000 or more. When planning your expedition, try not to buy your camel(s) in an area

where camel is commonly eaten. This will push up the value. Lastly, remember there is no fixed price: barter like mad. This could well take days to get the price you want.

What else will you need…?

If you are riding, you’ll need a saddle. A camel stick is useful too.  You’ll need rope to lead it with and to hobble it when you are letting it graze. You will also need some blankets to act as a cushion between its back and the saddle. If you are using it to carry loads you will need more rope and strong sacks. Ask the camel seller if he can throw in any rope as this will save you trying to find it later. If you are going across desert that offers absolutely no grazing, then you must bring food for the camel, and the poor camel will have to carry this too. Camels will eat almost anything but hay is fine. Unlike their water situation, they must eat everyday so be sure to bring enough.

What to do when you’re finished…

Try and sell it at an aforementioned livestock market. Again, barter hard as after a long desert journey they will try to take it off you cheaply. Make sure it has been well watered and well fed hours before selling: It will look noticeably larger. If you cannot find anyone to buy your camel(s), approach butchers. This may seem heartless, given that this animal has endured with you on your desert expedition, but they are expensive and to recoup some of your money a butcher’s is always a safe bet.

How to Grow and Harvest Dry Beans

Overview:
Dry beans are easy to grow and can be stored after harvest for a healthy, delicious meal all winter long. There’s a lot of satisfaction in producing your own low-cost, vegetable-based protein on the farm.

Combine beans with corn, rice, or other grains to make a complete protein. Beans are rich in B vitamins and folic acid, contain minerals including iron, selenium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, and are high in fiber.

Planting Time:
Plant beans after the last frost date in your area, and ideally, wait until the soil is well-warmed (70-90 degrees F). Beans should be direct seeded into the soil.

Spacing:
Space seeds 1 1/2 inches apart. Space rows 14 to 36 inches apart depending on your equipment. If growing a small amount of beans to hand harvest, space rows closer together. If using a tractor, space 36 inches apart.

Growing Notes:
Beans do best in moderately rich soil but they will thrive even in somewhat depleted soils, as they have the ability to fix their own nitrogen. Beans do not respond very well to added fertilizer.

If your soil is acidic, add some lime before planting.

If this is the first time you’re planting beans in this soil, make sure to coat your bean seed with inoculant, a specific species of Rhizobium that beans need for sprouting (you can get this from the seed company or farm store where you purchase your seed). Once in the soil, the inoculant will stay there and multiply almost indefinitely, so this is just a first-time planting task.

Mulch during early growth to keep weeds down. Once plants are well-established, they are excellent at shading out weeds.

Pests and Problems:
Cutworms and root maggots sometimes attack seedlings. Thin plants to allow for good air circulation.

Too much rain can lead to rusts, molds, and blights. Avoid working among wet plants. Turn under bean debris at the end of each season and practice crop rotation.

If fall weather is very wet or if frost threatens the harvest, pull plants early and finish drying under cover, such as in a shed, barn or basement. Beans will continue to mature in the pods even after they are picked, so don’t worry too much if you have to harvest immature beans.

As tender annuals, beans are very sensitive to frost. Plant once you’re sure all danger of frost has passed, and harvest early if needed, as described above, to avoid frost damage in the fall.

Maintenance:
Beans are quite easy compared to other crops. Just weed, water and mulch as needed through the growing season.

Beans are fairly drought tolerant, but you must make sure they have enough water while they are forming pods and seeds for a good harvest.

Harvesting:
Dry beans are harvested when they rattle in the pod. Pull up the plant by hand and hang from the roots. Traditionally, bean plants are lashed to a 5- to 7-foot high pole. You can harvest up to 5 acres of beans by hand but more than that will need specialized harvesting equipment for your tractor.

Dry beans require threshing – getting the beans out of the pods. For small amounts, you can do this by hand by squeezing the pods open. A traditional method is to hold the plant by the roots and bang it against the inside of a barrel. For more than about a half-acre of beans, you might want to invest in threshing equipment.

After threshing, beans must be cleaned and sorted. For small amounts, do this by hand, using a screen and a hair dryer to blow off debris (or an air compressor if you have it). Split beans can be fed to farm animals. For large bean harvests, you can buy a seed cleaner.

If beans are soft (bite one and see), continue drying them until they feel firm to the bite before moving them to storage.

Freezing beans before storage kills any potential insects such as the pesky bean weevil.

Storage and Preservation:
Store dry beans in a dry, cool, airtight container away from sunlight. Beans are best used in the season after they have been harvested, but they will last for several seasons if needed.

Seed Saving:
Beans are self-fertilizing, so you don’t have to space different varieties apart from each other. Just save your best and earliest-maturing seeds for next year.

How to Collect, Clean and Store Chicken Eggs

Are those pretty layers that you bought in spring starting to lay eggs? Wondering what the best way is to clean them? It isn't quite as straightforward as you think, and different sources give differing opinions on the best way to clean chicken eggs.

Gathering the Eggs

First things first. Before you worry about cleaning them, you have to gather the eggs. There are things you can do to make sure that the eggs you gather are as clean as possible, minimizing the amount of cleaning you must do.

Keep nest boxes well-feathered. Make sure the hens' nest boxes have plenty of shavings or straw lining them. If there's poop in the nest boxes, clean it out well when you collect the eggs and replace the straw or shavings. Likewise, if a hen has broken an egg, clean out the mess thoroughly, removing all wet or soiled straw.

Gather eggs early and often. One of the biggest reasons for poopy or broken eggs is allowing them to sit overnight in the nest boxes. Some of my hens seem to prefer to roost on the edges of the nest boxes, or even in them! (Bad hens!) Overnight, they poop on the eggs if there are any in the boxes, or step on them, breaking the shells. This makes for a lot more work if we miss a day of egg collecting. If you can manage it, collecting eggs twice a day can help keep them really clean, and also discourages egg eating.

Cleaning the Eggs

Learning how to clean eggs properly is key to keeping your family - and your customers, if you're selling eggs - from getting sick. Make sure if you're selling eggs that you check with your County Extension Office for the local and/or state regulations governing the cleaning of eggs for sale where you live.

Storing Eggs

Once your eggs are clean and dry, package them in egg cartons and label with the date they were collected. Store them in the refrigerator. You don't have to store eggs in the refrigerator, but they will last longer this way. Eggs are good for one month after the date of collection when stored in the fridge. (I actually find they're good for a few weeks after this, but I'd never sell them or even give them away that old. I bake with them or hard boil them.)

Use the float test to check egg freshness: fill a bowl with water and place eggs in it. An egg that floats has too big an air pocket inside the shell; the contents have evaporated too much and it's likely spoiled. Compost it. You can also use a strong light to see how much air space is inside an egg; this is called candling.

How to Design a Small Farm

You've been designing and planning your small farm in your head for years. Now you're ready - you have the time, energy, and land to make your dreams a reality. But the choices can seem overwhelming. So, where do you start?

Is Farming Right for Me?
That's really the first question you need to ask yourself. Some things to think about: what are your reasons behind wanting to farm? What knowledge do you have of farming - the labor, the techniques, how to garden? Will you be able to slaughter an animal, or part with one you've become attached to?

Set Goals
Before you start scouring the local paper for livestock, take a step back. What are your goals for your small farm? What kind of farm are you planning? It might be a hobby farm, where your farm is a supplement to a full-time job, something relaxing you can do for fun in the evenings and on the weekends. It could be that you want your farm to actually make money, eventually replacing your current job. Or, your goal might be to produce all the food (and possibly power) that you and your family need - homesteading or self-sufficiency.

Consider Animals and Crops
A small farm can range from a half-acre with a few laying hens and a small veggie garden, to 40 acres with cattle, dairy cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, and acres of field crops and veggies. Some of your choices will be limited by your land and resources, but we'll get to that later.

First, let yourself dream. What animals appeal to you? What vegetables, fruits, and grains do you want to grow?
Make a list of everything you envision on your farm - even if it's years from now. This is your dream, your ideal small farm.

Assess Your Land and Resources
This is a great exercise for learning about your land and what's on it. It will give you the information you need to take your vision past Step Two and plan your first year of farming.

Plan The First Year
Here is where you marry your dreams with reality. Look at your list of things you want to grow and animals you want to raise. Read a bit about each animal to get a sense of how much space and care they require. Now check your farm resources. Do you have enough pasture land for those five cows, or will you need to build that over time? Do you have the financial resources to buy fencing for goats?

If you plan to begin a farming business, you'll want to write an entire farm business plan. The dreaming and assessing you just did will help you get started with your mission statement, which is a great place to begin.

Monitor and Reassess
Farm planning is an ongoing process, a work in progress. As you implement your plan, you may find it needs adjusting. Every season, take out your list of dreams from Step Two and the pencil-and-paper sketch of your land from Step Three. Have your dreams changed? Is there more to add, or things you now know you don't want to do?

Each year, sit down with your farm plan and decide what you want to tackle during the coming spring, summer and fall. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to making your small farm dream a reality.