At the Farm is located on Highway 5 in Carver County, Minnesota - 2.5 m. East of Waconia - 4.5 m. West of Victoria - 10 m. West of Chanhassen
Donna Frantz, Proprietor - 8880 East Highway 5, Waconia MN 55387 - imthefarmer@earthlink.net - 952-442-4816

At the Farm Newsletter

Sent March 11, 2009 Hello, Its Like Having a Farmers Market on Your Deck or Patio! Now is a good time to think about container growing for summer eating. I know you can't grow everything but you can grow some. Good vegetables for growing in containers (pots and tubs) are; Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Eggplant, Zucchini and Herbs. See tips below for growing these vegetables in containers. What a great way to have fresh vegetables even if you do not have enough land or yard to have a garden. Even beginners can have success with a container garden! If you are new to gardening what you need is an old gardener, like me, to teach you! I read a fabulous article in the StarTribune awhile back about basic, common sense gardening, especially in tough economic times. The StarTribune had reprinted it from the New York Times. I found it online and you can click this link if you want to read it. I think the very best part is the last sentence! And, if you are a seasoned gardener you still need me for advice about the most suitable varieties of vegetables to grow in this area for best results. I'll have seeds available in April. Check my website in a week or two for the days and hours I'll be open in April. Cold crops (beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, kohlrabi, onion sets, onion plants and seed potatoes) can be planted in late April. I can hardly wait! And remember to pass the word about my &Pride and Glory Garden Project for unemployed people in the area who want to garden. Think spring! Donna

Container Cultivating - Deck or Patio Vegetable Tips Tomatoes - need to be staked or ringed in a pot. Mulch the soil as we get into hot weather, use sphagnum moss or wet, torn newspaper. Cucumbers - plant a variety that has vines that are no more than 2-3 feet long. Do not let the roots dry out, the plants turn yellow and never recover. Mulch the soil. Peppers - can be grown very successfully in a pot. I like to put a support ring around them. Green or red, sweet or hot, all work well! Eggplant - can be a challenge! Try the fairy tale variety. This is a small variety and maybe use a bigger pot or even a tub. Zucchini - these also need a good size tub, like a bushel size. Herbs - almost all herbs can be grown on your deck or patio. Start the growing season out right away with basil, parsley, dill, rosemary, thyme and mint. Start cilantro seeds directly in a container later, more as the season goes on, or the cilantro plants will bolt and turn to fern leaves! Container Tips - when using a larger tub, place clay or plastic pots (6 inch) turned upside down on the bottom. This will give the soil better air circulation and also requires less soil to fill the container. Soil - DUMP YOUR OLD SOIL FROM POTS AND TUBS! Start each year with fresh new soil, the old soil is all worn out! When buying soil it pays to buy the better quality. The black bag of hyponex is the worst, it does not soak up and hold the water like a better soil will. Its Like Having a Farmers Market on Your Deck or Patio!