for Eastern & Midwestern Regions:

Vegetable gardening, it seems like everybody is doing it, and why not? Growing your own vegetables is healthy in so very many ways. But how can you be successful in your endeavors if you have less than optimal soil?

Poor soil? No worries! Try growing vegetables in a raised bed.

Why Raised Beds?

There are many benefits to gardening above the grade, including…

• Better Soil Conditions
• Raised beds allow you to select and add the soil of your choice to provide the optimum conditions for root growth. And, because a raised bed is not stepped in, soil compaction is never an issue.
• Higher Crop Yield
• Better soil equals better root growth, which then leads to a higher yield of vegetables. Also, intensive planting in raised beds means more plants can healthfully be grown in a smaller area, no wasted space on pathways.
• Easier Maintenance
• A well-thought-out raised bed will be accessible from each side, allowing for easier maintenance. Healthy soil and intensive planting reduces weeds. Improved soil conditions make weed removal easier and spurs large, lush plants that will shade the soil surface, thus reducing weed seed germination.
• Decreased Garden Pests
• Pest insects are less of a problem in raised beds and the main reason is due to healthier soil conditions. Less pest control leads to an increase in beneficial insects. It’s a win-win!
• Reduce Water Usage

Soil, rich in compost, naturally has improved soil moisture retention, thus cutting back    on time watering and the amount of water used.

• Extended Growing Season
• Increased drainage, due to improved soil, speeds up bed warming and allows soil to dry more quickly after early season rains. Both warm soil and excellent drainage are perfect conditions for earlier Spring planting.

Raised Bed Soil

Take away on raised beds…it’s all about the soil!

Growing vegetables in a raised bed is essentially the same as growing vegetables in any container, and did you know that a rich soil builder that is packed with compost and that is nutrient rich, may be used successfully in a raised bed situation?

We recommend using Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder, which is specifically designed for your region and is teeming with natural and organic material.  This product contains natural, power-packed, soil components that are nutrient dense and feed the soil that feeds the vegetables that you grow!

But don’t forget the fertilizer! In addition to using Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder, which is rich in nutrients, add Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Tomato and Vegetable Food at planting time to ensure that your veggies are getting everything they need to grow and fruit to their full potential.  For established vegetable plants, feed every 4-6 weeks as needed through the growing season.  If nutrients are leached from the soil due to excessive rainfall, fertilizing with this exceptional product will feed your plants with all the macro-nutrients, as well as micro-nutrients, that they need, including calcium for preventing common problems like blossom end rot.

You can grow the best vegetables ever this year! With Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® products, you are guaranteed the best soils and plant foods available anywhere, making it possible for even the newest gardener to obtain outstanding results.

Indoor seed starting will give you a jump start on the gardening season and is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Starting your plants from seed will also provide you with greater plant variety options.

If you are a new gardener, don’t let seed starting scare you off. It’s simple; the key to successful seed starting is in creating the proper environment for your plant babies.

SEED NEEDS

Seeds are amazingly resilient, but in order to give them the best start possible, they’ll need a little gentle nurturing to grow into healthy, vibrant plants.

Containers

In general, seeds should be started 4 to 6 weeks before the recommended outdoor planting date, so the seedlings will be large and strong enough to withstand the stresses of transplanting. Your choice of a container is not of the greatest importance, except to say that plastic is not porous and will keep potting soil from drying out too quickly. Also, size does matter! Use a small container or cell pack to start your seedlings and bump them up to a larger container as necessary.

Soil

It’s important to use a growing medium that will support the unique needs of seedlings, one that is rich in nutrients to nourish the young plants while being light and airy enough to encourage long, strong root growth. Always start your seeds with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® offers a natural and organic premium potting blend that is perfect for seed starting. It includes high-quality ingredients like earthworm castings and kelp meal to gently nourish young seedlings as they mature into strong and vigorous plants, ready to be placed out in the garden.

Sow

Fill your chosen containers with lightly moistened Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. Sow seeds at the depth listed on the seed package. Water using a fine spray to help the soil soak down around the seed.  Cover the container with clear plastic kitchen wrap or a plant dome to hold the moisture and increase humidity. Place the containers in a warm (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) spot and check daily for germination. The top of the refrigerator is often an ideal location. Seeds do not require bright light until they germinate.

Water & Light

When the first seeds germinate, remove the clear cover and place the seedlings in an area with bright sunlight or under artificial lights for up to 16 hours a day. Artificial lights should be placed as close as 2 to 3 inches from the seedling tops for best results. Never allow the soil to dry out. Check for water needs daily.

Fertilize

When the seedlings develop their first true sets of leaves, add half-strength water soluble fertilizer to their water – organic Fish Emulsion is great to use. Repeat once a week to provide nourishment to the rapidly growing seedlings. Thin the seedlings or transplant them to larger containers as they grow.

Harden Off

Before planting outdoors, harden-off the plants at least one week before the planting date. Take the transplants outdoors in the daytime and bring them in at night. Shaded and protected at first, gradually expose them to more time outdoors with lower temperatures and more sunlight.

Transplant

Transplant seedlings into the garden after the safe planting date and on a calm, overcast day. Gently firm the soil around each transplant with as little root disturbance as possible. Make sure that your planting bed has been amended with plenty of Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. Water the transplants well and continue to keep the soil moist until the plants become established.

Finally, Protection

The use of a frost blanket, draped on wire hoops over early plantings, will aid in their transplant success, especially if a late frost is forecasted. A thin frost fabric covering draped on wire hoops can also help seedlings adjust well to their new outdoor environment by protecting them from too much sun and wind as they become established.  Visit your local Master Nursery Garden Center for options.

As you can see, seed starting is not so daunting. As you gain more confidence and experience with starting seeds, you’ll be able to carefully plan a seed starting calendar to ensure a varied, productive, lush, rich, and long harvest season every year.

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for… Spring container planting! All through the long winter months, we eagerly await signs of Spring; however, the wait is now over! Garden centers are packed with their favorite cold tolerant annuals… perfect for your Spring container garden!  Not only can containers bring an early burst of Spring to your front entryway, deck, patio, or porch, but you can get creative and expressive with stunning flower choices for every container.

Why Containers? Why Now?

Planting in containers like pots, urns, barrels, and window boxes can extend the growing season and help you refresh your gardening skills before the big rush of Spring garden chores. Containers are also less dependent on weather conditions and can easily be moved to warmer and sunnier spots even on chilly days. Spring containers can even be brought indoors to a porch, sunroom, or garage if a hard frost threatens, and your early Spring gardening doesn’t need to be in danger. Containers are easy to care for and can brighten up any part of your yard, even before Mother Nature gets growing again.

Favorite Cold Tolerant Spring Annuals

With limited space in containers, you’ll want to choose the very best Spring flowers for brilliant color and thriving growth. Spring can be a temperamental season and may still have fluctuating temperatures and uneven moisture, so it is smart to choose flowers that can tolerate these conditions.

• Alyssum
• Bachelor’s Button
• Calendula
• Calibrachoa
• Dianthus
• Diascia
• English Daisy
• Lobelia
• Nemesia
• Osteospermum
• Pansy
• Petunia
• Primrose
• Snapdragon
• Stock
• Sweet Pea

Tips for Spring Containers

No matter what flowering annuals you choose for Spring container planting, they need the best care to thrive through this often-temperamental season.

Be sure to select a premium quality potting soil for your containers! We recommend Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region]. This product is an exclusive blend of high quality natural and organic ingredients that are perfectly balanced for pH, water holding capabilities, and drainage. Choosing and using Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil will save you time and money, reducing both your water and fertilizer needs.

Fertilize your container at planting time to promote the best growth and vibrant blooms. We highly recommend Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Rose and Flower Food. This natural and organic plant food boasts an NPK of 4 – 6 – 2 to promote healthy plants and lots of flowers! It is blended with beneficial soil microbes, including mycorrhizal fungi to promote long, strong roots.

Take care not to overwater containers; balance your watering regimen with Mother Nature’s Spring rains. Pots should have good drainage to be sure excess water can easily flow away from the root zone. Placing pots on casters or stands can also help improve drainage and be sure the pots are not sitting in Spring puddles.

To help your Spring containers last as long as possible, deadhead the flowers regularly with sharp, thin pruning snips. This will keep the pots tidy and encourage reblooming for a longer flowering season, letting you enjoy every Spring bloom well into the season.

for Eastern & Midwestern Regions:

Raised bed planting is a great way to grow just about any edible, especially herbs! Why herbs, you ask? Because most herbs prefer the excellent drainage that a raised garden bed provides.

Growing herbs may very well be one of gardening’s most gratifying experiences! Most herbs are simple to grow, excellent for the beginner gardener as well as for those with a passion for cooking. Herbs have a multitude of other uses, besides culinary, that include aromatic, ornamental, and medicinal. Because of their beauty and versatility, herbs may be planted in a mixed bed with vegetables or in a raised garden bed dedicated strictly to their kind.

Herb Growing Tips

1. Choose a full sun location for your raised herb garden. Some herbs will grow in a shadier location, but, as a general rule of thumb, full sun will produce the healthiest plants. For easy access when cooking, select a spot for your herb garden that is near the kitchen.
2. As with all edibles, soil fertility is important. We suggest filling your raised herb bed with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder for outstanding soil nutrition and friability. This soil is blended to meet the unique needs of your specific growing region.
3. Excellent soil drainage is particularly important when growing herbs. This is another reason to be sure to plant them using only the best soil, like Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder, while also being careful to not overwater your herbs. Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder is created to be perfectly balanced for both water holding capabilities and drainage.
4. Know the ultimate size of your herbs, both height and width, to help you plan your spacing at planting time. This information will also assist you in placing taller herbs behind shorter ones to ensure easy garden access and to reduce plant shading, permitting the sunlight to reach all your herbs.
5. It is important to water potted herbs before planting. Once watered, remove plants from their pots and loosen roots to stimulate new root growth. Place herbs in their planting hole at the same soil depth at which they were planted in the pot. Gently firm the soil around each plant.
6. Side dress your newly planted herbs with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® All Purpose Food and water carefully.

A Message about Mints

It’s important to note that mints have a tendency to be invasive and may take over an entire herb garden. An excellent idea is to sink the pot of this rather aggressive herb directly into the garden, set the pot high to keep the mint from climbing over the lip and into the raised bed. Another and even better idea, is to plant your mint in a separate container garden where it cannot take over other less aggressive plants.

Harvesting

Fresh herb leaves are ready to be harvested as soon as there is enough foliage to maintain the plant. Try to harvest in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun becomes too hot, using a clean, sharp knife or scissors to make each cut. It is a good idea to harvest only what you plan to use at the time of cutting, as herbs do not store well in the refrigerator. With most herbs, it is beneficial to harvest before the plants go to flower, as the taste is better at this stage of growth. Rinse with cold water and pat dry before using.

Herbs are exceptionally versatile, used fresh, frozen, or even dried in salads, sauces, soups, pastas, teas, and baked goods. They may be enjoyed for their beauty, fragrance, and their purposefulness in natural medicine. The best part is that all herbs are delightfully easy to grow in a sunny raised bed using Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Soil Builder and All Purpose Food. What herbs will you grow this Spring?