Garden Harvest and Preparation

• RAISED GARDEN BEDS!!

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I'm sure some of you are harvesting some wonderful edibles from your gardens by now and enjoying food unlike what is available from the local grocery store. I always hear how much better the produce tastes when it's homegrown and fresh from the garden.

• One way to make your produce last longer is to get it into the fridge for at least a short period of time after harvest in order to draw out the field heat.

• Onions and potatoes will keep in a cool dark place for a long time but other items keep better by just leaving them right in the crisper inside the fridge.

• Wrap dry paper towel around produce and place in sealed plastic bags. Replace the paper towel every couple days or as it becomes damp. This can give you up to ten times the storage time before the food starts losing its freshnes.
  

• This is the time of year to look back and take note of things that you might like to change about your garden. I have a place I found that I can get some sawdust and plan to mix that into my soil for next year. That will add a lot of texture and nourishment to the soil and will hold water longer evenly distributing it to the roots.
  
  
• I have also seriously considered building raised beds to avoid having to bend over to tend the garden. This is great if you suffer from back pain, knee pain, hip pain, etc.

• These should be about knee level for best results and can be done with just four boards or you can implement your own, more elaborate layouts. That way you won't have to bend much and won't need to stand on anything to reach the tops of most plants.
  
  
• And what about putting up a small greenhouse or indoor gardening with lights. Solar lighting would be the best layout. That way you would always have food even if the electricity was to be compromised.

Also why not think about trying experimenting with a hydroponic system for a great way to save a considerable amount of water as well as time.