The tricks of the trade and a few helpful tips can turn any backyard
edible garden from minimal to plentiful. Grow your own harvest and
produce delicious homegrown vegetables, fruits and herbs just seconds
from your kitchen. Lowe’s has a new vegetable and herb line called “Grow
Your Own”, and our in-store experts have a few little secrets about fan
favorites for the garden that will make your spring edible garden
attractive, fruitful and enjoyable.
“Anyone can start an edible garden in their backyard, from small-space
container gardening to large raised beds with all your favorite fruits,
vegetables and herbs,” said Kevin Measel, vice president of
merchandising for nursery at Lowe’s. “With the trend of edible gardening
continuing to grow, Lowe’s is here as a resource to help with the
selection of edibles and also to provide our customers with those secret
tips to help make their garden a success.”
Vegetables
Peppers can add color. Try small, colorful peppers such as Yummy,
Cayenne, and Tabasco in pots on your back porch or in your kitchen. The
trick: The more you pick, the more they’ll produce. Fertilize
container-plants often with Bonnie Vegetable and Herb plant food because
watering can wash out much-needed nutrients.
Cucumbers are better on a trellis. Don’t forget this secret – A
trellis keeps the fruit off the ground and the plants take up less space
for those with not much room to grow. Keep in mind, though: Cucumbers
need a wire trellis or piece of fencing that their little tendrils can
grab; wood trellises used to hold up roses and twisting vines can be too
thick.
Fruits
Raspberries and blueberries bear more fruit when you plant multiple
varieties. These popular fruits need cross-pollination from one
variety to another to fill up your fruit basket. Good tip: The work is
done by bees in the spring, so avoid any sprays that can harm them. Try
organic NATRIA Multi-Insect Control, which will protect your edible
plants. The active ingredient is canola oil, so it is safe to use up to
the day before harvest.
Plant tomatoes deep. Bury two thirds of your tomato plants to
create a stronger plant with deeper roots to help it gather more water
and nutrients. Secret Tip: You need to pinch off all but the top two or
three leaves before planting.
Herbs
Rosemary lives longer than you think. In places where winter
temperatures don’t dip below 15 degrees, plant rosemary in a permanent
spot in the garden. Garden secret: It can live for years, so cut it
often for your kitchen and it will keep sending out new shoots. Throw
rosemary on the grill for a natural mosquito repellant during outdoor
entertaining.
Chive blooms are edible. Jazz up any salad by sprinkling the
pretty flowers of chives.
General tips to store
No yard? No Problem: If space is limited, you can still enjoy a
vegetable garden in containers. Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, radishes,
leaf lettuce and other greens can flourish anywhere. The trick is to
select a planter big enough to accommodate a mature plant.
Not everything needs full sun. You can still grow leafy items
such as arugula, cilantro, lettuce, and basil. They will survive on
about four hours of full sun or in the dappled light under trees.
Transplants save time. Starting tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers
from transplants gives your garden a six-week head start so you can
start picking as early as possible. The most common transplanted
vegetables are cabbage, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, onions
and basil.
For most gardens, quicker growing plants are generally grown from seed
sown directly in the garden. Lettuce, beans, carrots, squash, peas,
radishes and cucumbers are the most common of this group.
When planting, it is suggested that you put taller plants at the north
or east end of your garden to ensure they don’t shade smaller plants.
Get free advice and learn more from the experts at Lowe’s stores, plus
how-to videos and more at Lowes.com.
Also visit Lowes.com/GrowAlong
to sign up for the Garden Grow Along program to receive advice from
experts, information on the latest gardening tools, gardening plans and
much more in weekly emails.
About Lowe’s
With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is
a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a
week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C.,
Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For
more information, visit Lowes.com.
