10 YEAR OLD JESSE'S FIRST SQUASH

Jesse shows his delight at picking his first squash.

1. SELECTING YOUR GARDEN SITE (CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)

Selecting an appropriate spot for your garden is the most important decision you will make for your garden. If the site is wrong you are going to spend a lot of time hoping for results which will never come. The article below will give you an idea of how to plan your garden. First, a small garden where direct sunlight is a problem. Next a large garden with plenty of sunlight.

SMALL GARDEN/LITTLE SUNLIGHT The garden space shown above on the left has all the ingredients necessary for a small garden. It’s dimensions are roughly 4 feet by 15 feet. The yard of this house is surrounded by large, historic, ancient oak trees. City Code prohibits even the trimming of large branches from those trees. Very little direct sunlight penetrates to the ground. The flowering bushes on one side and the carport on the other side further inhibit direct sunlight. Direct sunlight for 5 to 8 hours per day is a necessity for most vegetable plants. Why this spot, then?

I walked around the yard at different times on a sunny day just to get an idea of which area got the best sun. The sun travels from the left side of the picture to the right side nearly directly overhead for a full 4 ½ hours in early May to a full 5 hours in late June. This picture was taken in late afternoon and the sun is about to make another appearance as it pours through gaps under the branches of the tree adding another 1 to 2 hours of direct sunlight, pouring under the carport.

Drainage was a problem because in the past the carport would flood after a heavy rain storm. This was remedied by digging a small trench along side the garden at the edge of the carport, providing excellent drainage where there had been none. This was the only spot in the yard where a garden had a chance for sunlight. Also, for normal watering an outside spigot was readily at hand. It has an added advantage in that the owner can spend summer evenings enjoying watching the progress each day.

What type of yield can be expected from such a small space? I planted this in early June so lost two months of what was normally good growing time. So double these yields if the garden is planted timely. First let’s look at the plants. At the left end of the space are two tomato plants which will produce full sized tomatoes. I expect at least 140 tomatoes (about 100 pounds) from these two plants. The next two plants are cherry tomatoes. They should easily produce several gallons of cherry tomatoes. Next, along the foreground are four pepper plants, two for banana peppers and two for jalapenos. I expect around 60 banana peppers and 150 jalapenos. Behind these are planted three rows of ‘pole’ beans. These green beans produce climbing vines which seek to grow upward, thus the arrangement of poles and strings upon which the beans can climb. According to the seed package they should be trellised six feet high. (I added more strings later on as the plants sent out runners.) There are good bush type green beans but they stay pretty close to the ground and will not produce as much. Therefore, I don't use them when space is at a premium. The arrangement in the picture not only utilizes ground space available but also utilizes what would normally be ‘air’ space over the beans, increasing the yield drastically. Expect 10 pounds of green beans from this size of space. At the very end of the space are two hills of squash. These will take up a lot of space but in this arrangement they will grow out over the grass at the end of the garden or we can set up a trellis arrangement for them to grow upward. They still get direct sunlight for a good portion of the day as well as taking advantage of the late afternoon sunlight. Expect a bushel of squash from each hill. Draw a schematic or site plan once you have selected your space. Take a blank piece of paper and a ruler (or a word program using 'text boxes' as I did above) and draw a box with the dimensions of your garden to scale. Then plan what you will plant where. Make sure that taller plants do not put shorter plants in their shadow. For the small space I rejected some plants which take up too much space and give only small yields per plant (such as corn). However, the small space will produce some basics to supplement your grocery budget as well as to satisfy your need for fresh produce. Not much for canning in this size space but a lot of satisfaction for your Summer meals. The cherry tomatoes and peppers will make some of the freshest, best tasting salsa you have ever had. By the way, this garden had been in the ground about three weeks when the picture was taken. We expect yields to begin in about another five weeks. The garden above was planted at my Mother’s home in coastal North Carolina. At my home in northern Nevada I had a much larger space and I include a schematic of it above.

Herb gardens need much less sunlight and are described in that section of this site.

LARGE GARDEN WITH GOOD SUNLIGHT At my house in Reno, NV (high, dry, desert country) my yard was predominately shaded by older trees and shrubs along with flower beds. However, on the side of my garage was an empty space for a utility easement for power lines. It was out of sight and out of mind. I checked my plat map and determined that I owned it. The space has a wonderful Southern exposure. The soil was very sandy. I dug the whole space up and added a few bags of potting soil, mixing it in well. After the first year I mixed in refuse from my compost pile and the soil became richer.

Also, I followed the tips in this site and had a huge harvest. I gave away bushels of fresh produce and each time it brought smiles to the faces of my friends and co-workers.

As I said, above is a schematic I drew while it was too cold to plant. I was more than ready to plant when Spring finally came.

PREPARING THE SITE

Once your site is selected you can dig it up either with a shovel or a tiller. Even on the larger site I presented above I used a shovel as it seems to get me closer to Mother Earth and the whole garden process. I dig up the site to a depth of around 12 inches, simply turing the earth over with the shovel. Then I take a hoe or a pitchfork and break up any clumps. Next, using a stiff tined rake I level out the surface. Then I add one cup of granular 5-5-5 fertilizer for each 25 sq ft of space. Then I water it well, partially dissolving the fertilzer and partially re-compacting the soil. I do not use Miracle Grow for this as it dissolves and washes away too rapidly. I then allow it to set for at least 24 hours before planting.

AUTUMN GARDEN

Incidentally, that Fall, after my vegetable garden was dead, I planted the area to the left of the garage door with bulbs for yellow onions. I was outside every day once Spring was around the corner helping them grow. This was the first time I had planted a crop in the Fall to be harvested in the Spring. They never made it to maturity since I ate them all as ‘green’ onions. The area to the right of the door waited patiently for Spring. In early March I obtained some seed potatoes and planted them. I also planted several types of lettuce and they were great in salads. Harvest came just about the time I was ready to plant my Summer garden. These cool weather crops allowed me both a Spring and a Summer harvest. Great fun!

TOMATOES

VARIETIES: I have successfully planted and harvested all types of large tomatoes, plus cherry tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes. These instructions are tailored for any of those species.

WHERE TO LOCATE: These plants need four to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. With 3-4 hours the plants will be smaller but still bear a decent crop. Anything over four ½ hours you will be amazed at the results. The soil needs to be kept moist but arrange drainage so that the plants don’t sit in water or where it’s too wet. Key is moist not wet.

SEEDS OR SET? This is a beginner’s site so go to the hardware store, super discount store, garden nursery or local drug store and buy plants which have already been started. They usually have pre-grown plants for sale suitable for your climate. These, even when cheap, produce the same as more expensive plants. However, they often stock them before the last frost. Check out the last frost date for your area and don’t buy until you reach that date. I always look not for the biggest plants but the healthiest. This year the tomatoes plants for larger tomatoes I bought were around 12 inches tall and fairly bushy, not too gangly. My cherry tomatoes were only four inches high but very bushy, healthy young plants. If you buy plants that are already too large they will have become root bound in the containers and will not produce as well. Once you have a successful season and are feeling good about your skills you might want to buy a planter set and grow the small plants from seeds yourself. I’m not that ambitious.

HOW TO PLANT: Assuming you start with 12 inch plants dig your hole about 16 inches deep and around 6-8 inches in diameter. With scissors trim off any branches which have sprouted in the lower 6 inches of the plant leaving three to four branches towards the top of the plant. Set the plant, still in its container aside for a few minutes. At the bottom of the newly dug hole toss in a handful or two of fertilizer. For this purpose use 5-5-5 granules commonly available in a box. Do not use Miracle Grow. Return 4-5 inches of dirt to the hole on top of the fertilizer. Peel the lower half of the peat contain away from the lower half of the container the plant was grown in, including the very bottom. Take care to damage the roots as little as possible. Don’t have a heart attack if you do lose some small amount of the root tissue. It will grow back. If they are in plastic containers remove the pot completely. Fill the hole, now 8-10 inches deep, with water. Set the plant down into the water. You will have the four inches or so of the root ball (and what’s left of its container) as well as about 5-6 inches of the lower stem in the hole. With your hands push the loose dirt back into the hole to fill the hole. You should have a little soupy, muddy mess at first. However, pat the dirt down with you hands. Don’t smash it, just pat it down so that the plant can still stand upright until the dirt adjusts and compacts on its own.

Why do all this? Your plants will grow better and bear better if they have a good root structure. The area of the stem of the plant where you removed the small branches and the portion covered with dirt will send out more new roots. The normal root ball will be deeper in the soil giving it a better chance to grow and give it a head start. You may provide supplemental nutrition if needed but the handful of fertilizer you dropped into the hole will be a bomb of nutrition waiting for the roots to find it. You will know when that happens because the plant will grow explosively. One day, suddenly, one of the plants will be six inches taller than the others and you will know that it was the first one to reach the pocket of food. It won’t burn the roots. Your watering will gradually disburse it into the soil and the roots will find it and intake the nutrition from a safe distance. If you over fertilize from the top of the ground it could leak down into the soil onto the roots and harm the plant. This way the plant takes it in as it needs it. Why no Miracle Grow for this? It’s too water soluble and will simply pass away into the soil after a few waterings. The 5-5-5 granules will gradually dissolve and last all Summer.

Normal directions say to plant your tomato sets 18 inches apart. Plant these 36 inches apart. These are going to be the Godzilla of tomato plants. Expect them to be 6-9 feet tall and bear more than a bushel of prime tomatoes each.

After the plants reach 15-18 inches remove all branches in the lower six inches of the plant. They will not bear and will just take nutrition from the rest of the plant. Once they are 36 inches or so remove all branches from the lower 12 inches of the plant. Don’t twist them off. Use scissors or a sharp instrument.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL TOMATO PLANT: All plants bearing full size tomatoes need to be supported either with long sticks or wire cages. I also support my cherry tomato plants. You will not believe how tall your plants will be using the tips above and how heavy they will be with tomatoes. I place the wire tomato cages around the plants the day I plant them. However, they will soon outgrow the cage. Also, once the tomatoes form they will be heavy enough to bend the wire cages to the ground. So I also buy two to four long plastic tomato stakes (6-8 feet). Once the plants outgrow the top of the basket I place one on all four sides of the plant. As the stems grown I tie them to the closest stake. I suggest tearing strips from an old white T-shirt and using them to tie the branches as they grow. If you don’t do this the branches will break from the weight and you will have less tomatoes. There are bush tomatoes but I even support them. I don’t like tomatoes on the ground as snails will come out at night and slime them and eat holes in them.

HOW TO NURTURE: Water daily. Water the ground around the plants. Do not sprinkle the plants or you are more likely to have a fungus problem. Saturate the ground close to the plant when you do water. If you have a decent rain you will not need to water that day. You can stick your finger into the ground to determine if it’s damp enough after the rain. You will not need to add fertilizer again. However, when the plants first start to blossom, even before the blossoms open add a tablespoon of lime (the chemical, not the citrus fruit) sprinkled close around the plant. This is readily available in small quantities from any garden nursery or big box hardware store. The lime will prevent blossom rot. It will also make the tomatoes sweeter. The cherry tomatoes you grow will be so sweet right off the vine that you will find yourself eating them like candy. Yum!! Lime is basically calcium. It is the opposite of an acid. After you place the lime, sprinkle it down with water. Don't deluge it. Just sprinkle it so that it dissolves into the soil and will not be washed away by your normal waterings. Do this again in about two weeks. It's okay to do this in late afternoon or early evening. If you are having blossoms which do not make tomatoes add more lime.

WHEN TO PICK: It’s really hard to wait until they completely ripen and are only partially red. However, it’s best to wait. Again cut the large style tomatoes off with scissors. Large tomatoes are held on by a large stem and if you twist it off you will damage the plant. Cherry tomatoes can be hand picked just by pulling them off. Green tomatoes may be picked close to the first frost. Place them in a brown paper bag and set in a spot that is room temperature. They will continue to ripen.

PESTS: Everything that creeps, crawls or flies will want to eat your nice tomatoes. Below are a few suggestions to control them.

Reader's tip: Chester Burley of CT writes that he uses marigolds. 'Plant marigolds thru out your garden.' This is a nice earth friendly way to avoid insects and other pests in your garden.

FUNGUS: Tomato plants are especially susceptible to fungus. It will start on the lower leaves and lower stalk. The usual causes are either over watering, watering from above, watering in the evenings or late afternoons, or extended periods of rain. Leaves will develop white spots which quickly turn brown as the leaf dies. There are many cures for this. The easiest is to take one tablespoon of baking soda (usually kept in the fridge to absorb odors) and mix with one pint of water. Pour into a small spray bottle (such as women spray their hair with to dampen it for a trim). Spray directly onto the affected area as well as the lower stem. Don’t forget the bottom of the leaves. The Alkali in the baking powder will kill the fungus on contact and usually after a couple of applications. However, it won’t otherwise harm the plant.
ANTS: I simply don’t like ants in my garden. They will infest the vegetables once they ripen. They are attracted to your garden site as soon as you dig it up. I guess they feel you have done a lot of the work to start a new nest site. I prefer commercial ant spikes to destroy the colony. Just push one or two in the ground and the ants will carry the poison back to the colony where they all die.
APHIDS: There are many types of products available to spray on the plant and kill these harmful pests. I prefer to use ‘lady bugs’. My garden shop and nursery in Reno always stocks several mesh bags full. You can get 1,000 of these little critters at a time. Sprinkle them on all of your plants, not just the tomatoes. They love to eat aphids as well as a variety of other pests common in a garden. Any left over can be sprinkled on your rose plants where they will feast on the aphids. An effective alternative is Sevin Dust. Place a cupful in the bottom of a woman’s hose and bounce up and own over the plants. The fine mesh of the hose will cause the dust to come out in a fine small cloud. Very effective. Don’t sprinkle until the leaves are white. That’s too much. Just enough to see the white spots on the leaves. However, once they start to bloom I would not put Sevin on the leaves. You will kill the little bees and other insects trying to pollinate the blossoms.
WORMS: There are some varieties of worms which will chew on your tomato plants. If the lady bugs don’t take care of them sprinkle around the plants with Sevin Dust. This commercial pesticide will quickly kill the pests. However, if you have turned your Lady Bugs loose it will kill them also.
BIRDS: Once your tomatoes begin to ripen birds will want to peck out a hole in each one. They won’t eat the whole thing but who wants to eat tomatoes with pecked spots on them? I prefer to string twine between two sticks (five feet or so tall). From the twine hang old CDs from other pieces of twine. The silver CD will spin in the wind and scare the birds off.

STORING YOUR EXCESS TOMATOES: There are many fine books and web sites on canning tomatoes in Mason jars and they keep just fine. However, last year my son, George, and his wonderful wife, Anwyn, taught me to use a food dehydrator to save them. The tomatoes re-hydrated wonderfully and that is now my preferred method of storing tomatoes for the winter.

CONTACT ME: Your questions will be answered personally using the ‘Contact’ link below. New ideas gladly accepted. Comments automatically posted to this site.

RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingredient and it will pop up for you.

Swamp Salad

Spanish Rice

Pasta Sauce

Vegetable Soup

Tomato Soup

Tomato Pudding

Fried Green Tomatoes

Green Tomato Pie

Salsa

Chow Chow

GRILLED ONIONS AND POTATOES

Grilled Onions and Potatoes
By Kelly Leverett Breeden
Servings : 6

3 large red potatoes
2 medium white onions
3 cloves garlic -- minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup Creole seasoning

Cut potatoes into one inch cubes, leaving skin on. Cut onions into one inch strips. Put potatoes and onions in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and shake well to mix ingredients. Wrap mixture in aluminum foil and twist ends to seal. Cook on grill over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes or until desired

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Zucchini Casserole
By Margaret Rich Leverett
Servings : 6

1 1/4 cups crackers -- crushed
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups zucchini squash -- grated
3/4 cup cheddar cheese -- sharp, shredded
1 egg -- beaten lightly
2 teaspoons onion -- finely chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced

Combine cracker crumbs and butter. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cracker mixture for topping. In medium bowl stir together cracker mixture, zucchini, cheese, egg, onion and garlic. Place mixture in 8" square baking pan. Sprinkle with reserved cracker mixture. Bake one hour at 325.

ROASTED CORN ON THE COB

Roasted Ears
By Kelly Leverett Breeden
Servings : 4

4 ears corn on the cob
1 stick butter

Spread a sheet of aluminum foil about fifteen inches long on counter. At one end of the foil place 1/8 inch slabs of butter all the way across. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on the butter. Take shucked corn on the cob and press down into butter. Roll corn up in the foil and twist the ends to seal. Place on grill over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes or until desired tenderness.

SWAMP SALAD

Swamp Salad
By Tal Leverett
Servings : 10

6 tomatoes -- thinly sliced
3 onions -- thinly sliced
3 cucumbers -- thinly sliced
1 Italian salad dressing -- large
1 box saltine crackers
1 pound cheddar cheese -- thinly sliced

In flat glass dish place layer of cucumbers, layer of onions, and a layer of tomatoes. Cover with part of salad dressing. Repeat until using all of vegetables and dressing. Serve with toothpicks on the side, a plate of the crackers on the side, and a plate of the cheese on the side. You eat these by picking up a slice of tomato with the toothpick and placing on a cracker. Then you add a slice of onion, then a slice of cucumber. Top with a piece of cheese and pop into your mouth. This sounds messy and is so have a supply of napkins or paper plates close at hand, so you don't have a stained carpet. However, its a good party icebreaker and your guests will love it once they start.
NOTES : I first had this dish while a young second lieutenant attending flight school at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. There was function for all of the officers at a clubhouse by a lake, by a swamp. I don't know the real name but swamp salad is pretty well descriptive of this dish.

JALAPENO COCKTAIL PIE

Jalapeno Cocktail Pie
By Raphaella Leverett
Servings : 6

3 jalapeno peppers
1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded -- sharp,
6 eggs -- beaten

Seed and chop peppers. Sprinkle into a well greased 9 inch square baking pan. Cover with cheese. Pour eggs over cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into one inch squares.

WATERING YOUR GARDEN

XXX

COMPOST PILES

To the right of this garden spot is my composte pile. Volunteers from seeds in some of the discarded vegetables I threw on bear witness to the richness of the soil underneath.

There were several things wrong with the way I started this compost heap. First thing is that it is too close to a wooden fence and the side of my house. Compost piles add nutrition to your soil building good, nutrient rich, black, loamy soil year by year. However, they can start fires by self igniting. After this picture I moved it away from the wall by several feet. I had never considered a fire but my daughter-in-law advised me that she had started her compost heap using grass obtained from mowing their yard. Grass in small quantities will not burn. However, in larger quatities the Nitrogen rich grass will heat up. Oddly enough the more you water it to keep it damp the greater the danger. The microbes causing the grass to decay will generate heat. She had walked outside one day and her compost pile was smoking. So...if you use grass, use it sparingly.

The compost pile in the picture was full of old plants from last year's garden. It's best on vines or vegetable plants with thick stalks to cut them into 12 inch or less lengths. That will speed up the process. Natural microbes in the soil will attack the plant refuse and multiply. Over the winter a compost pile the size of the one pictured will decay by about half. I turn mine over using a rake or a pitchfork once per month. I try to water it once a week or so. The water insures that the microbes do not go dormant for the winter.

Sometimes I will add a large bag of leaves to the pile and mix them in. However, I don't use soley leaves since I want the nutrients I added to the plants the year before to be used again. You can buy a box of Compost Starter and mix it in according to the directions on the box. That will speed up the process a little. Mine worked fine for three years before I tried that.

Some cities have ordinances which require that your compost pile be contained either in a barrel or inside of a wooden frame. To me that just shows that some government workers and regulators had too much time on their hands and listened to someone's neighbor who was jealous that they didn't have a garden. I got the idea for a compost pile when one of my neighbors complained to me. He had used as a dumping ground for leaves and branches an area just inside my side of the fence separating our yards. When I cleaned up the spot he quickly threw more branches over onto it. I threw them back over the fence. He then complained that he and his wife didn't much like the leaves there. It didn't matter that they had thrown the leaves over the fence in the first place and had been doing so for years. He wanted them moved! Reminded me of a small town I went through on a trip to Louisiana. The sign at the edge of town said "Welcome to Jennings! Home of 6,987 friendly people and a Few Old Grouches." My neighbors must have been related to the grouches.

As it turned out, however, they did me a favor. As I started bagging the leaves I encountered some of the richest top soil I have ever seen. Quickly I took a shovel and spread it over the site of my soon to be garden. Compost heaps are a good recycling measure for last year's garden plants. However, I got in the habit of recycling lots of things in my compost pile. When I prepared fresh vegetables I took the parts not used and tossed them on the pile. Much better than being burned in the town dump. The nutrients recaptured have already been proven to be usefull in vegetable growth. My daughter-in-law even throws her eggshells on the pile adding calcium to the soil.

She uses a metal 55 gallon drum for hers, kept far from anything it could burn. She also puts a metal top on it since deer and bears love to eat compost.

Each Spring I roll the undecayed matter off my pile and use a shovel to throw the rich dirt at the bottom onto my garden site before I dig it up for the planting.

HERBS (CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)

This space was between my front door and my garage. It had been previously used for a variety of flowers and shrubs, none of which thrived due to the lack of sunlight. As you look at the picture you are facing South. The sun passed between the house on the left and the garage on the right and only gave an hour's worth of direct sunlight each day. Not enough for the Roses but plenty for herbs. I utilized the space for a variety of herbs which I frequently used in my kitchen. At the extreme top I planted six Basil plants. Just below that were six sets of Chives. Next is a healthy patch of Sage. Below the Sage I planted American Parsley. Next were Radishes which flourished until they fell victim to the hot Summer temperatures of Northern Nevada. At the very bottom is a patch of Italian Parsley. The Sage and the Parsely carried over from year to year but the others had to be replanted each Spring. The spot was handy to a spigot on the front of the house so was easy to water (every other day). When cooking it was a pleasure to just step outside my door with a pair of scissors and snip off whatever I needed for the particular meal. As they grew I wasn't afraid to snip off the leaves close to the stem. It seemed a new burst of growth would result each time I did so.

To initially prepare the spot I removed all other plants and weeds. Then using a shovel I turned the soil over, removing roots, etc, while doing so, to a depth or aorund 12 inches. I then sprinkled the site with 5-5-5 granular fertilizer and worked the site over again with a hoe, breaking up any remaining clumps. The fertilizer has to be repeated each Spring. In the plantings I used both sets and seeds and each was successfull. On another occassion I planted the Basil in full sunlight as well as Parsley. Both grew quite well there also.

Italian pasta sauces were easy to make with the ingredients close to hand. At Thanksgiving the American Parsley was still prolific despite several frosts and added its tangy taste to many traditional dishes.

PESTS: Chester Burley of CT writes that he uses marigolds. 'Plant marigolds thru out your garden.' This is a nice earth friendly way to avoid insects and other pests in your garden.

RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingredient and it will pop up for you.

Salsa

Baby Back Ribs

Pasta Sauce

Vegetable Soup

Tomato Soup

CUCUMBERS (CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE)

Cucumbers are easy to grow and give high yields for the space taken. They can either extend their vines over a large space of ground or be trellised and grow upward.

VARIETIES: There are numerous varieties of cucumbers available. Read the label on the seeds to see if the kind you choose is best for pickling or salads. Many varieties are good for either purpose.

WHERE TO LOCATE: Anywhere in your garden just so they receive a good amount of sunlight. If you have a small space around your house that is unused you can plant them there. A space four feet by four feet will produce a lot of cukes.

SEEDS OR SETS: I always use seeds. Cukes sprout very quickly and are tenacious once they emerge.

HOW TO PLANT: Cucumbers are best if you plant them on a 'hill'. By 'hill' I mean the following. Make a pile of dirt around 12 inches higher than the surrounding ground and around 15 inches at its base. At the base of the spot chosen for the hill add a handful of 5-5-5 granular fertilizer. Build the hill on top of this. Spray the hill down with a good bit of water to saturate the soil. The next day sprinkle again and punch five holes in the ground around the top of the hill, each about 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Place 1 or 2 seeds in each hole and place the dirt back in the hole to cover the seed. Water again. Keep watering until they emerge. Once the plants emerge and are 2-3 inches tall, thin the young plants down to the best two. Two plants per hill is about right. In your 4 foot by 4 foot space mentioned above make two hills.

SUPPORT: As mentioned elsewhere I prefer to support vines to keep snails and other ground critters from affecting their quality. In wet periods this will also keep the produce from rotting on the ground. The 'trellis' can be as simple as two tomato stakes around four feet long placed into the ground on either side of the plant and at an angle so that they cross in the middle and form an 'X'. Tie the two stakes where they cross with the young plant centered under the 'X'. The vines will quickly send out tendrils which will wrap around the two stakes. The plants will follow the tendrils up the support. Once they reach the top they will continue to grown and drape back over to the ground. For most species the four foot stakes (with one foot in the ground) will provide ample opportunity for growth. As you can see from the photo above I tie the vines loosely to the trellis using strips torn from an old white T-shirt.

HOW TO NURTURE: If you followed the planting directions above no further fertilizer is necessary. However, if you do add more I recommend using Miracle Grow mixed with water. Water these plants daily and they will thrive. As usual water around where the stem comes from the ground. Do not sprinkle or water from above. Saturate the ground all around the plants.

WHEN TO PICK: Chose the size of cucumber that pleases you. However, if left to grow too long they will have tough skin. Read the seed package to determine the intended length of the adult cucumbers. I'm partial to cucumber sandwiches so I use smaller (4-5 inches) ones for that. I still peel the outer skin off before slicing and placing on two slices of bread covered with mayo. Wow! Is that good or what? Especially the first sandwich every Summer.

PESTS: I have never had much problems with pests on these plants. However when they are growing and before the cukes begin to grow I sprinkle a little Sevin Dust around them and very, very lightly on the leaves. Chester Burley of CT writes that he uses marigolds. 'Plant marigolds thru out your garden.' This is a nice earth friendly way to avoid insects and other pests in your garden.

STORING THE EXCESS: Canning your own pickles gives you many a Winter's meal to remember the pleasure of your Summer garden. Google any website for many pickle recipes or buy a book on canning.

RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingrdient and it will pop up for you.
Cucumber Salad Dressing
Bread and Butter Pickles
Swamp Salad

POTATOES

RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingredient and it will pop up for you.
Potato Candy
Grilled Onions and Potatoes
Sausage Potato Soup
Vegetable Soup

ONIONS & GARLIC

RECIPES FROM YOUR GARDEN: Click on the recipe below using the above as an ingredient and it will pop up for you.

Salsa

Spanish Rice

Green Bean Casserole

Chow Chow

Grilled Onions and Potatoes

Vegetable Soup

LETTUCE

BABY BACK RIBS

This recipe is a good use of fresh Basil and other herbs from your garden and is very simple.

1 rack of baby pork back ribs
1 teaspoon garlic powder or several (6) cloves of fresh garlic, each smashed with a spoon
6 leaves of fresh basil
12 leaves of fresh sage
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Cut a piece of plastic wrap sufficient to wrap the rack of ribs and to seal it. Place the rack of ribs in the center of the plastic wrap. Add all ingredients. Fold the edges over to make a sealed pouch with the seams at the top so that ingredients do not leak out. Tear off a piece of aluminum foil sufficient to enclose the ribs in a second envelope. Again, place the seams up after enclosing the first packet to avoid leaking. Place on a cookie sheet or other oven baking dish and cook for one hour at 325 degrees.

CUCUMBER SALAD DRESSING

Cucumber Salad Dressing
By Ann Rich Chambers
Servings : 6

3 cucumbers -- thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons onion flakes
1 pint Miracle Whip« light
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon parsley -- flakes
3/4 tablespoon onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup oil -- Wesson
1/2 cup buttermilk

Pare and thinly slice cucumber. Toss with 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and three tablespoons onion flakes. Let stand one hour. Mix remaining ingredients for dressing and use your own judgement as to how much to put on cucumbers. This dressing will keep from usage to usage.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Bread and Butter Pickles
By Betty Leverett Myers

Servings : 60

30 cucumbers -- medium
8 onions -- white, large
2 green bell peppers -- large
5 cups apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 cup salt
5 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Slice cucumbers thin. Chop onions and peppers. Combine with salt. Let stand three hours. Drain well. Mix sugar, vinegar and spices and bring to a boil. Add cucumbers, onions and peppers. Heat thru but do not boil. Can in jars and process.
May add pimentos or red bell peppers for color.

MEXICAN CORNBREAD

Mexican Cornbread
By Raphaella Leverett and Kellie Sorge
Servings : 8

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 pound cheddar cheese -- sharp, grated
2 cups corn kernels -- drained
2 jalapenos -- chopped
2 boxes cornbread mix -- Jiffy
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Brown ground beef and drain. Prepare cornbread mix per instructions on package using eggs and milk. Add other ingredients. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

SQUASH IN THE SHELL

Squash in the Shell
By Ruby Pinyan Rich
Servings : 4

4 large squash -- whole
1 cup cornbread -- crumbs, cold
1 small onion -- diced
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1/2 stick butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup catsup

Boil four large squash until tender. Cool, cut in half longways. Take the center out and put into mixing bowl. Mix in other ingredients, salting and peppering to taste. Put back into squash shell.. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Top each with cheese while hot until cheese melts. Add catsup and serve.