Welcome!
This site offers a wealth of vegetable gardening information. I have tips, tricks, and tools that you may find very useful.
Click on the buttons to the left for advice on growing your vegetables in the healthiest, most productive environment possible.
Here is a sample of what you'll find when clicking through the pages:
Click here for my list of the best flavored vegetable varieties.
Click here for growing practices that improve sweetness and flavor.
Click here for a page with some novel ideas for controlling weeds.
Click here for a chart that shows how long various seeds remain viable.
Click here for the gateway to each specific crop's secrets.
Click here for the best way to reduce work in the garden.
Welcome!
About me
I've grown vegetables organically for over 20 years. I sold vegetables at a farmer’s market for five years. For a few years I had my own garden shop where I sold natural garden products and my home grown produce. I live in zone five, which means my winters can get as cold as -20 degrees F.
I live with my husband, two sons, and about 40 animals (dogs, cats, llamas, horses, goats and ducks) on 80 acres in Eastern Oregon.
Copyright © 2010-2013 Laura Lee
We take people on horse back rides! View our horse ride website here.
Contact me by clicking this button.
Site update log
Wondering what's new since your last visit? Here's what I've been up to:
February, 2013 - I'm changing the look of the site and trying to make it easier to navigate.
January 22, 2013 - I wrote and published a page on solarizing the soil.
January 21, 2012 - I wrote and published a page on plant spacing/water needs.
January 20, 2013 - I wrote and published a page on hardening off plants.
January 16, 2013 - Added a page on 2013 shipping charges.
January 11, 2013 - I finished updating the recipe pages, adding many new recipes.
January 6, 2013 - Update the pest control section, adding information about slugs and cabbage moths.
December 2012 - Cleaning up links and typos.
February 2012 - I've made revisions to the pest control pages.
January 2012 - I updated this home page with photos of my 2011 garden, and linked some 2011 garden videos.
December 2011 - I've added a bunch of videos of my favorite varieties actually growing in my garden in 2011. These videos are on the My Favorite Varieties page.
April 2011 - I am out in the garden! Many planned updates and enhancements are planned for fall and winter. See you then!
3/1/11 - I added three links on the season extension page; one for raised beds, one for building a cold frame and one for building a hot frame.
2/25/11 - I added a page on plant labeling tips. It is linked on the planting/growing page.
2/8/11 - I added a page on the importance of soil temperature. It is linked at the "planting/growing page. I also added a link to a Leopold Center study that says that organic food is superior. This is on the "Great Food" page.
2/6/11 - I added two resources for diagnosing plant nutrient deficiencies. These are on the "fertilizer" page.
1/28/11 - I wrote a page listing the most pesticide suseptable fruits and vegetables. It is linked on the "great food" page.
1/27/11 - I finished adding recipes, at least for now. They are all linked on the "great food" page.
1/25/11 - I added recipes for lettuce, spinach, snow/snap peas, sweet peppers, and potatoes. The pages are on the "great food" page.
1/24/11 - I added recipes fof eggplant, cucumber, cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage. The pages are on the "great food" page.
1/23/11 - I wrote and added a page on using water for heat. It is on the season extension page.
1/17/11 - I wrote a page on duck eggs and linked it to the "great food" page. And I put a page on plant hardiness zones on and linked it to the "planting/growing" page.
1/14/11 - I wrote a page on E coli. I put a page of herb ideas in the recipe section. And I added a list of our farmers market best sellers. All of these are additions that are linked at the "Great Food" page. I also posted a poster of our growing pratices which is linked at the "Planting/Growing" page.
1/13/11 - I wrote a page about antioxidants and another page with some vegetable nutrition charts. These both are in the "great food" section.
1/12/11 - I wrote a page on pollination that is in the "planting/growing section. I worte a page on hybrids vs. op seeds, and it's in the "what to grow" section. And I wrote a page on what Cook's Garden varieties I recommend. It's also in the "What to Grow" section.
1/11/11 - I wrote about sloped soil and put ito on the "season extension" page. I added more information to the viability of seeds which is in the "planting/growing" section. I also added some recommended books I thought of to the books section of "great gear".
1/10/11 - I wrote a page on manure. I also published a page on all of the micro and macro nutrients needed for soil health. Links to both of these pages are on the "Fertilizer" page.
1/8/11 - I wrote and published three pages in the "soil and compost" section; soil testing, at-home soil testing, and "no till".
1/7/11 - I published the page on foliar feeding and put it in the fertilizer section. I added some information on vinegar to the weeds page under planting/growing. I added much more information about cover crops and the choices in "cover crops" in the soil section. And I added information about inoculating peas and beans in the "planting/growing" section. Whew!
1/5/11 - I added several resources to the "what to grow" page. I added a link to a very high quality source on the tool page and I added links to Johnny's pest and disease charts on that page.
1/4/11 - I added links to wonderful university websites on plant diseases and on pests. These are on the "pest and disease 101" page.
1/3/11 - I added a "germination" page to the "Planting/Growing section. It includes tables on optimal environments, and includes alternatives to planting seeds in the ground.
1/2/11 - I added a page on "Brix and Growing for Flavor". This is in the "Planting/Growing" section. I also updated all of the vegetable growing pages to include a better site menu.
12/29/10 - I added beets and broccoli recipes and worked on the recipe main page to explain more where these recipes came from. Also, I updated the link to the Maxicrop on the fertilizer page. I have a new supply.
12/26/10 - I added winter squash recipes due to a request.
12/21/10 - I started posting recipes. Basil and Bean recipes are now on in the "Great Food" section.
12/18/10 - I thought of three more vegetables to add to my favorites. And I added links to my daughter's posts about carrot and corn types. All of this is on the "what to grow" page.
12/16/10 - I added a page that shows my favorite tools. Also some fun stuff. This is in the "great gear" section.
Fall, 2010 - I added lots of information to help you plant a vegetable garden and plant seeds. I hope to help you know when to plant vegetables. The information will help gardeners planting a garden. I thought it would be helpful for those that want to know how to plant vegetables.
Some of my Pruden's Purple heirloom
tomatoes.
Our GREAT GARDEN GEAR is for sale on Ebay click here.
Click here to see a YouTube video of one of my garden plots.
Click here to see a YouTube video of my second garden plot.
This is an amazing DVD for anyone interested in backyard food production!!
222 of the 228 reviews are five stars.
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Grow Great Vegetables
My best tips, tricks and tools!
The Importance of Soil
The most important thing I have to say about gardening is this:
Having good soil is the key to successful vegetable gardening.
If you take the time to nurture your soil, you will be rewarded with healthy crops and a beautiful garden environment.
One thing that will destroy your soil is using chemical fertilizers that aren’t organic. They will destroy your soil food web.
This food web consists of earthworms, mites, bacteria, fungi and other organisms that release mineral nutrients and create the loose soil structure crops need to thrive. They grow around your plant roots, obtaining nutrients and water that they then share with your crops. Some microorganisms prevent diseases and help fend off insect invasions.
You can nurture this soil food web by using compost and organic mulches. It also helps to plant cover crops and to minimize tilling.
Nurture your soil, and the soil will in turn feed you healthy, tasty, beautiful crops.
I have a board of various vegetable garden photos at Pinterest. Click here to view them. There's lots of great ideas and inspirtation.
