As we are going through the tasks of caring for our vegetable gardens, it is a great time to find some ways we can not only grow amazing organic food, but also find ways we can grow a bit greener.

I don’t mean lush growth exactly, I mean do a little more to recycle, reuse and repurpose items that we use in our every day life. In other words, how can we grow a little bit greener? What are some little changes we can make to help save costs, save time, and more importantly save our planet as we grow our gardens.

Here are six steps we can take to grow a little greener in our vegetable gardens.

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose

Take products from our every day life and reuse them in the garden. For instance, use old soda bottles to water plants at the roots, use paper towel holders to create a cutworm-proof collar, add shredded newspaper to the compost pile.

Get creative, get inventive and before you chunk it in the trash ask yourself, “Can I use this for something in the garden that will save me time, save me money and make my garden easier to maintain?”.

You would be surprised at the things you can use for other purposes that end up being quite helpful.

Compost

Begin a compost pile! I don’t care how big or how small, if you just use grass clippings and shredded newspaper, whether you live in a mansion with twelve bathrooms or a 500 square foot apartment, you can compost.

No. Excuses.

If you live in a small dwelling, there are small composter crock you can use for vegetable peels and raw leftover vegetables for composting.

So, I don’t want to hear it. Stop moaning. Stop making excuses. Stop putting it off. Start doing it.

Stop with the Chemicals!

Stop using harmful, expensive chemical fertilizers. All the nutrients your plants will ever need is right under your nose – right in nature. If nature doesn’t produce what your garden needs then you are doing something wrong.

Remember that compost pile you just started? It’s all right there. Use that compost to make compost tea.

Use well-aged herbivore (grass-fed cattle, horses, rabbits, alpaca) manures to amend your garden soil. This will give your plants a nutrient-rich soil that will have them bursting with produce much better than any blue-powder concoction man can ever develop.

Just remember to compost the manures before adding them to your garden. Manures should be composted at least six months before applied to your garden soil.

Stop With The Chemicals…again!

Before you pick up that 20 pound bag of Dyno-Whopping Bug Killer at Lowe’s because you found a few Japanese Beetles buzzing around, try an organic solution first.

There are many pests and diseases that have an organic solution. If you find Japanese Beetles use a beetle trap to catch them, hand pick them off or spread nematodes to kill the larvae that live in the soil.

If worse comes to worse and a pesticide is the only alternative left, use an organic, targeted pesticide such as Diatomaceous Earth, neem oil, or insecticidal soap. Use it in a targeted manner. Don’t just start spraying what ever you see flying around.

Grow Flowers That Attract Beneficial Insects

A great way to organically attract the insects that are beneficial to your garden. If aphids are typically an issue in your garden, plant flowers that attract ladybugs and lacewings.

Plant flower in big groups to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Not only will you attract the good bugs which gooble up those that want to destroy your hard work, but you will also beautify your landscape.

Share Your Bounty

If you have more produce than you know what to do with share with neighbors, family and friends. Donate some to your local food bank or mission hall.

Check out AmpleHarvest.com to find food pantries in your area where you can donate your extra produce.

Not only will you help to feed someone that is hungry and feel great about it, but you will help to reduce waste.

Look For A Greener Alternative

So next time you need something for your garden, try to find a more environmentally-friendly alternative. You will protect your environment, save some money in the long term and have a better garden to boot. Sure, it is a bit more work and it might take a little thinking, but don’t you think it’s worth it?

I hope so.

What are some steps you take to grow a little greener?

More Fantastic Vegetable Gardening Articles:

1. The Best Organic Fertilizers For Your Vegetable Garden
2. Attracting Bees To The Vegetable Garden
3. Tips For Growing A Front Yard Vegetable Garden

The great thing about using power tools in the vegetable garden is they help to save time, not to mention make gardening tasks a bit easier on your body. Their are many power vegetable garden tools that make the most difficult tasks a snap. Of course, power tools are a bit more expensive than hand tools, but they are worth it for the savings on your back and knees.

Although power tools can with a higher price tag they generally last several years and are worth their weight in gold for saving time in the vegetable garden.

Here are five must-have vegetable gardening power tools you can add to your tool arsenal.

Mantis Gas-Powered Cultivator/Tiller

The Mantis Gas-Powered Cultivator/Tiller has become one of the most popular cultivators and tillers available to home vegetable gardeners. It is lightweight, easy-to-use and does a great job. The Mantis can till up a 500 square foot vegetable garden in no time and is small enough to get in between rows for easy cultivating. The Mantis will keep your vegetable garden looking great all season!

Black & Decker Cordless Garden Cultivator

The Black & Decker Cordless Garden Cultivator is like a dream come true for easily cultivating in your garden. This cordless cultivator runs off an 18-volt rechargeable battery and is very lightweight. I love not having to drag a cord around and worrying if the cord may accidentally damage surrounding plants. If you are interested in a tool that quickly and easily bust up the weeds, this cultivator might be the answer!

Weed Claw and Bulb Drill

The Weed Claw and Bulb Drill is not really a power tool in itself, but of course you need a power tool to operate it. This is a two-piece set that comes with a handy weed claw and a bulb auger. The Weed Claw easily and quickly snatches weeds up by the root and is perfect for grabbing weeds in tight spaces. If you have a weed growing right next to a plant, it will grab the weed up without damaging your precious plant.

The Bulb Drill is an auger that quickly creates a planting hole for bulbs and other plants. Although it is made for planting bulbs it work great for creating holes for seedlings.

More Fantastic Vegetable Gardening Articles:

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If you have ever walked out to the vegetable garden and seen many holes in some of your vegetables it is most likely the result of flea beetles. Flea beetles are very tiny (about 1/10 of an inch in length) insects that chew holes in the leaves of many plants. They are called flea beetles because they can quickly jump out of sight when the plant they are damaging is suddenly disturbed.

Flea beetles have some vegetables they prefer over others, especially eggplant. They also enjoy bok choy, mustard greens and radish leaves. Typically mature eggplant can handle the attack of a few flea beetles, but young seedlings can be quickly devastated by a small swarm.

There are some practices you can use in your vegetable garden to protect your young eggplant from these ruthless leaf munchers. Here are a few tactics for preventing and treating flea beetles on eggplant.

Crop Rotation

Try growing vegetables in different areas of your vegetable garden each year. This is simply called crop rotation. Avoid growing eggplant in the same general area year after year. A good way to track your crop rotation from one year to the next is to develop a solid garden plan each year. By going back and looking at your garden plan from the previous year you can strategically rotate crops. This can play an important role in controlling flea beetles on your eggplant.

Use Plastic Mulch

If you lay down black or red plastic mulch in your vegetable garden in early spring, it can help to control flea beetle larvae from coming back up. The plastic mulch will block the larvae and thus help to control their populations. Using some straw or bark mulches around eggplant can give the flea beetles a good place to hide. If using straw mulches pull the mulch away from eggplant seedlings until they begin maturing. Once the eggplant has matured to a well established height, replace the straw mulch around them.

Plant A Trap Crop

The idea behind using a trap crop is to plant something near the eggplant that the flea beetles find more desirable. As mentioned previously, flea beetles love radishes, mustard greens and bok choy. Plant these near, or around, your eggplant to help keep the flea beetles preoccupied. The flea beetles will pounce on the trap crop and forget about your precious eggplant.

A great trap crop for flea beetles is radishes. Radishes grow quickly and they are small enough to be grown between eggplants. It’s a good idea to sow the radish seeds and allow them to sprout before planting the eggplant. If you go out and see holes in the radish leaves you know flea beetles are present. This is a great way to check to see if flea beetles may be a problem before you transplant the eggplant seedlings.

Use Sticky Traps

You can also use yellow or white sticky traps around your eggplants to catch the flea beetles. Use some sticky fly paper cut into small squares and place around your eggplant. Give the eggplant a gentle shake- the flea beetles will jump off and land on the sticky paper squares. Place several of these around your eggplant for a good trapping system.

Apply Nematodes

A good organic solution is to apply nematodes to your vegetable garden area. The nematodes will attack and kill the flea beetle larvae and eggs in the soil. The best way to prevent flea beetles is to get them before they have a chance to hatch and spread. Nematodes will get the flea beetles before they even have a chance to jump on your eggplant.

Use Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is an organic powder that can be effective in killing flea beetles. Just sprinkle the eggplant with this powder and it will kill the flea beetles. Make sure to cover the top and bottom of the leaves as flea beetles will be on the underside of leaves many times.

Organic Pesticide Sprays

As a last resort, or for heavy infestations of flea beetles, you can use a liquid rotenone/pyrethrin spray that is quite effective for getting rid of flea beetles on eggplant. Although these sprays are organic in nature, they are still a pesticide and can affect the good insects if used in an irresponsible manner.

Growing Great Eggplant

Although flea beetles can be a huge problem for eggplant seedlings, using these preventive and control techniques can greatly reduce or eliminate their affect on eggplants in your vegetable garden.

More Fantastic Vegetable Gardening Articles:

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2. Tips For Preventing and Treating Tomato Blights
3. Grow A Living Mulch In Your Vegetable Garden

We are pleased to announce that Veggie Gardener is now available on the Kindle. Kindle owners can enjoy all the content here at Veggie Gardener right on the very popular electronic book reader produced by Amazon. Now you can receive all the articles and how-to’s here at Veggie Gardener even while on the go.

How Does It Work?

The Kindle is an awesome wireless electronic book reader that enables you to read books, magazines, newspapers and now blogs from anywhere. You simply subscribe to the Veggie Gardener blog at Amazon and the content is delivered straight to your Kindle.

You will be able to read all the articles and view images on the Kindle just like visiting the website. The Kindle updates throughout the day so you will always have fresh vegetable gardening content available to you when you need it.

How Much Does It Cost?

Amazon sets the price for the subscription at $1.99 per month. Since Amazon is hosting the subscription and downloading it to their device, they charge a small fee for the subscription. I was hoping to make it available for free, but it’s Amazon’s rules.

Subscribe To Veggie Gardener On Your Kindle Today!

Give Veggie Gardener a try on your Kindle today for a 14-day free trial when you subscribe. There is no obligation to purchase and you can cancel at any time.

I hope you enjoy reading Veggie Gardener on your Kindle and look forward to giving you the best vegetable gardening tips and tricks throughout this growing season and beyond.

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Everyone knows vegetables and fruits are very nutritional. But do you know what nutrition is found in a vegetable or fruit? It’s interesting that much of the nutritional value of a particular vegetable can be found by just looking at the color of it. Many nutrition experts have come to realize the color of produce has a meaning behind it’s nutritional value, and most are recommending you add more fruits and vegetables to your diet based on color.

For instance, produce that have a red pigment is a good source of lycopene. Lycopene helps to fight of some cancers, and can increase prostate and urinary tract health. This can be founds in tomatoes, cherries, pomegranates, beets and watermelon.

Vegetables and fruits that are yellow and orange are a good source of vitamin C and carotene. Carotene helps with heart and vision health, and reduces the risk of some cancers. Oranges, carrots, yellow apples, yellow pears, lemons, butternut squash, and sweet corn fall into the yellow and orange category.

Blue and purple produce are very high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to protect cells from free radicals within the body. Antioxidants also helps to fight off aging, improves memory function, and can reduce the risks of some cancers.

Green produce, such as broccoli, collards, brussel sprouts and cabbage, contain cancer-fighting chemicals that can block carcinogens. Green colored produce can also help promote stronger bones and teeth.

It is important to add more colors to your diet to promote a healthy lifestyle and well-being. So when serving up your next meal, try color coding it for a nutritious meal!

To read more on the importance of color in produce, please read Nutrition In Color and The Color of Nutrition.

You can also check out What Color Is Your Diet? by Dr. David Heber and The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan For Optimum Health by Dr. James A. Joseph, Dr. Daniel A. Nadeau and Anne Underwood, on this interesting subject.

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Powdery mildew can be a real problem in the vegetable garden, especially for cucurbits such as cucumbers, squash, melons and pumpkins. Powdery mildew is a fungus that forms as a white or gray powder on the leaves of plants causing the leaves to become deformed and die. It is far more probable in areas that are damp, are somewhat shady, and have higher levels of humidity.

It is difficult to control powdery mildew once it begins spreading on the plant leaves. This makes it very important to use proactive measures in your vegetable garden to prevent powdery mildew from forming if you’ve had powdery mildew issues in the past. Here are some ways to prevent powdery mildew from overtaking your cucurbits.

Steps For Preventing Powdery Mildew On Cucurbits

Here are some general guidelines you should follow in your vegetable garden to help prevent powdery mildew.

• Select curcubits that are powdery mildew resistant, like the ones listed below:
• Cucumber: ‘Diva’
• Yellow Summer Squash: ‘Success’, ‘Sunray’, ‘Sunglo’
• Zucchini: ‘Ambassador’, ‘Wildcat’
• Pumpkin: ’18 Karat Gold’, ‘Gladiator’

• Plant cucurbits in full sunlight. The powdery mildew spores have a difficult time surviving in direct sunlight.
• Provide plants with sufficient spacing. Cucurbits need proper spacing to increase air circulation and to help prevent powdery mildew spores from spreading from one plant to the next.
• Disinfect any tools after working around cucurbits. If you use a tool around summer squash, for instance, disinfect the tool before working around cucumbers. If the tool isn’t disinfected properly the powdery mildew spores could mistakenly be passed from one plant to the other. Disinfect tools with full strength vinegar or a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
• Avoid watering cucurbits in the evening. Allowing the leaves to remain damp over night can increase the likelihood of powdery mildew. Water plants in the morning so the leaves have a chance to dry out before dusk. It is better to water the soil around the plants and avoid getting the leaves wet.
• If leaves begin showing signs of powdery mildew ( small white or gray spots on leaves) remove the infected leaves from the plant and discard in trash. It is not recommended to place infected leaves in a compost pile.

Homemade Sprays Containing Milk and Baking Soda

One of the simplest and most cost effective ways of preventing and controlling powdery mildew is using a spray of milk and baking soda, applied directly to the top and bottom sides of the plant leaves. The baking soda will increase the pH levels on the leaf surface which will make it difficult for the fungi spores to survive.

It is unclear how the milk actually affects the powdery mildew spores, but spraying milk on infected plant leaves with a solution of nine parts water to one part milk has shown to decrease powdery mildew by 90%. It has been reported that milk can boost the plant’s immune system, which also helps to fight powdery mildew and other diseases.

I have used a solution of milk, baking soda, and liquid dish detergent to effectively control powdery mildew in my own vegetable garden. Here is the spray recipe I use:

• Using a hose end sprayer, remove the bottle from the sprayer.
• Fill the bottle with 1/2 quart of milk (I typically use skim milk, but any milk will work)
• Add 3 teaspoons of baking soda
• Add one drop of liquid dish detergent
• Mix contents well
• Reattach bottle to sprayer. Attach sprayer to water hose and spray the top and bottom sides of infected leaves
• Reapply solution once a week

If you typically have issues with powdery mildew on your cucurbits, I think it is important to begin treatments using the milk and baking soda sprays before the powdery mildew sets in. Using the spray before the symptoms of powdery mildew are seen is critical in preventing it from forming in your vegetable garden.

How do you prevent powdery mildew on your cucumbers, squash and melons? Please share your powdery mildew controls with us!

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Mother’s Day is a very special day where we celebrate Moms for their hard work, dedication, inspiration and love. If your Mom loves to grow beautiful flowers or vegetables, a gardening gift could be the perfect Mother’s Day gift. An ideal gift for Mom on Mother’s Day would be something she can use over and over again throughout the whole year.

What about a subscription to her favorite gardening magazine?

This would be an excellent gift to give a Mom that loves gardening! The great thing about giving gardening magazine subscriptions is it is a recurring gift. She will receive the latest issue of her favorite magazine right in her mailbox each month!

There are many informative and picture-packed gardening magazines to choose from, and here are some of the most popular gardening magazines available today.

Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens is arguably the most popular and most read gardening magazine on the market, selling about 7.6 million copies each month. Not only do they cover all forms of gardening extensively, but they also feature topics such as home decor, crafts, food & recipes and much more.

Organic Gardening

Organic Gardening is the complete source for all organic gardeners. Whether you are an organic flower or organic vegetable grower, Organic Gardening Magazine is a must!

They have regular features on a wide range of topics such as organic and heirloom foods you can grow in your own garden, organic landscaping methods, organic weed and pest controls, and steps for creating a successful garden by creating great soils.

There are also articles on roses, a complete beginner’s guide, time-saving gardening tips and much more. Organic Gardening Magazine is a one-stop bonanza of organic gardening information!

Mother Earth News

Now we are getting to one of my personal favorite magazines for green gardeners, Mother Earth News Magazine. If your Mom is big on organic vegetable gardening and green living she will love Mother Earth News.

Mother Earth News is slam-packed full of awesome organic vegetable gardening methods, but it doesn’t stop there. They also have many great features on money saving do-it-yourself projects for the garden and the home, articles that cover useful equipment and tools, home remedies, small scale farming, recycling, green living, and homesteading.

If you are interested in becoming a little greener in your garden and home, Mother Earth News is the magazine you need for all the latest information.

Magazines Are The Perfect Gift For Mom

Instead of buying expensive flowers that wilt and die in a couple weeks, why not get Mom a gift she can enjoy for throughout the whole year? If she is a gardening enthusiast one of these fantastic gardening magazines is the perfect gift!

Not only is it something that will help her during her gardening adventures by providing valuable information, but it will never get old. A new magazine with fresh, new articles arrives to her home every month!

Tell Mom you love her by giving her a gift she will treasure for years.

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3. Tips For Growing A Front Yard Vegetable Garden

One of the best investments you can make for your vegetable garden is adding an attractive vinyl garden fence. Installing a vinyl garden fence can add form and function to your vegetable garden and to your property as a whole. An attractive garden fence not only adds a bit of class to your vegetable garden, but can also help protect your precious vegetables from pets and deer.

Why Vinyl Garden Fence?

Vinyl fence products have been gaining popularity the last several years because vinyl offers many advantages over wood fencing. Here are a few reasons why:

• Vinyl fence will last a lifetime. Traditional wood fences will eventually rot and need replacing – costing you time and money.
• Vinyl fence never needs to be painted. Again, traditional wood fences will need to be re-painted or re-stained every few years – costing you more time and money.
• Since vinyl fence is a molded product, it can be offered in different shapes and sizes compared to wood. Many vinyl fences come in ornamental shapes giving your particular garden fence a unique style.
• Vinyl fencing can increase your property value by as much as 5% because it is considered a property improvement.
• Many vinyl fence products come with a warranty, whereas wood fences typically do not include any warranty.
• Vinyl fence typically comes in sections called panels that range from six feet wide to eight feet wide. This makes the installation of the fence very easy. A whole garden fence can be completely installed in a day (depending on the size of your particular area) by the ordinary weekend handyman.

Choosing A Garden Fence That’s Right For You

As mentioned earlier, there are many different styles of vinyl garden fence that give you many options on what would best fit your particular taste. It is important to choose a style of fence that matches what you like and the overall feel of your garden.

There are many styles to choose from but the most popular are the Scalloped Vinyl Picket Fence and the Straight Vinyl Picket Fence. Another popular style is the Alternating Vinyl Picket Fence which is great for keeping out deer, fox and other animals.

All three style come in an assortment of colors such as white, tan/gray and adobe, and are available in four foot, five foot, or six foot heights. The Scalloped Vinyl Picket Fence and the Straight Vinyl Picket Fence also come in a convenient three foot height.

Protect Your Vegetable Garden With A Stylish Vinyl Garden Fence Today!

No matter what type of vinyl fence you are looking for you can find what you need at Superior Fence Products. They offer type of the line fencing products with unbeatable prices, and feature a very helpful staff.

So if you are interested in installing a gorgeous vinyl garden fence around your vegetable garden or property, give Keith from Superior Fence Products a call at 1-352-561-8194 for a great quote. Tell him Tee from Veggie Gardener sent you!

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There is typically a huge misconception with vegetable gardening that a person needs a huge yard in order to grow their own fresh foods. Those living in urban areas cannot say they don’t have room for a vegetable garden any more. Anyone living in an apartment or condo can still grow awesome vegetables right on their patios or balconies.

The increased interest in growing vegetables has led the way for some very innovative and useful vegetable gardening products to accommodate urban gardening – especially using container gardening. Here are five vegetable planters you can use to grow great vegetables in small spaces.

The EarthBox

The EarthBox Garden Kit is a super easy-to-use container gardening kit that features wheels for easy mobility, and takes just a few minutes to set up. It comes with everything you need to quickly grow great vegetables, including fertilizer, domolite and two germination covers. Just add potting soil and your favorite vegetable plants.

Garden Path Grow Box

The Garden Patch Grow Box is similar to the Eartbox and will automatically feed and water your vegetable plants. All you have to do after the initial set up is plant and pick your favorite vegetables.

Mini-Garden Stacker

The Mini-Garden Stacker is the perfect way to grow a fantastic herb garden on a patio, deck, or balcony – you can even use it indoors! It features nine pockets to hold herbs or flowers, is self-watering, and collapses for easy storage! Now you have an attractive, easy-to-care for herb garden almost any where. You can even hang the Mini-Garden Stacker up, which makes a great looking hanging basket that’s easy to reach.

Tomato and Vegetable Tower

The Tomato and Vegetable Tower is a fantastic way for growing tomatoes and other vegetables on a patio or balcony. If growing tomatoes or vining vegetables, grow them upside down in the tower. For lettuces or peppers, grow them right-side up in the tower. The tower is self-watering and will be a nice looking addition to any patio.

Tomato Grow Bags

The Tomato Grow Bags are gaining popularity as one of the preferred ways to easily grow tomatoes without any weeding or digging. The grow bags are porous so the plant roots can breathe and to allow for water drainage. Each bag holds about 15 gallons of soil and can accommodate two tomato plants.

There are no excuses for not growing vegetables on your patio or balcony now! Using these five planters will have you growing delicious, fresh vegetables all season long. If you live in an apartment or condo, try one of these great container garden solutions today!

Do you grow vegetables on a patio or balcony? Please share with us how you grow your vegetables!

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As the temperatures begin to warm up some, and it gets closer to gardening time; it is a good time for a few vegetable gardening safety tips. Although vegetable gardening is a wonderful hobby, past-time and lifestyle, it can also be very dangerous if safety precautions are not taken. Gardening accidents have sent hundreds of people to the emergency room or worse.

Vegetable gardeners sometimes use very sharp tools which can lead to very deep lacerations or even amputating a digit. Power tools such as rototillers or trimmers can be very dangerous if not careful, and can even be deadly.

Let’s take a few minutes and talk about some vegetable gardening safety tips.

Dress To Protect

Gear up to protect yourself from lawn and garden equipment, insects, and the sun.

• Wear safety googles, sturdy shoes, and long pants when using lawn mowers and other machinery.
• Protect your hearing when using machinery. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm’s length away, the noise can be potentially harmful to your hearing.
• Wear garden gloves to lower the risk for skin irritations, cuts, and certain contaminants.
• Protect yourself from diseases caused by mosquitoes and ticks. Avoid insect repellent containing DEET. Wear clothing treated with permethrin, long-sleeved shirts, and pants tucked in your socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots since ticks are usually located close to the ground.



• Lower your risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Wear long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sun shades, and sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

Put Safety First

• Limit distractions, use tools and equipment properly, and be aware of hazards to lower your risk for injury.
• Follow instructions and warning labels on lawn and garden equipment.
• Make sure equipment is working properly.
• Sharpen tools carefully.
• Keep harmful solvents, tools, and equipment out of children’s reach.

Watch Out For Heat-Related Illness

Even being out in short periods of high temperatures can cause serious health problems. Monitor your activities and time in the sun to lower your risk for heat-related illness.

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to replace lost fluids. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Avoid drinking liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar, especially in the heat. These actually cause you to lose more body fluid.
• Take breaks often. Try to rest in shady areas so that your body’s thermostat will have a chance to recover. Stop working if you experience breathlessness or muscle soreness.



• Pay attention to signs of heat-related illness, including extremely high body temperature, headache, rapid pulse, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or unconsciousness.
• Watch people who are at higher risk for heat-related illness, including infants and children up to four years of age; people 65 years of age or older; people who are overweight; people who push themselves too hard during work or exercise; and people who are physically ill or who take certain medications (i.e. for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation).
• Eat healthy foods to help keep you energized.

Know Your Limits

Talk to your health care provider if you have physical, mental, or environmental concerns that may impair your ability to work in the garden safely.

• If you have arthritis, use tools that are easy to grasp and that fit your ability. Research shows that moderate physical activity three or more days a week can give you more energy and can help relieve arthritis pain and stiffness.
• If you are taking medications that may make you drowsy or impair your judgment or reaction time, don’t operate machinery, climb ladders, or do activities that may increase your risk for injury.
• Listen to your body. Monitor your level of fatigue, heart rate, and physical discomfort. If a body part becomes sore or painful, it is giving you a warning sign; listen to it it. Stop and take a short break.



• Call 911 if you experience warning signs of a heart attack (excessive sweating, chest and arm pain, dizziness, and/or hotheadedness) or heat-related illness.
• Use a cart or wheelbarrow when trying to move heavy items. Back pulls and strain are one of the biggest gardening injuries. Remember to use your legs, not your back, when lifting.

Enjoy The Benefits Of Physical Activity

Vegetable gardening is an excellent way to get physical activity. Active people are less likely than inactive people to be obese or have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, coronary artery disease, stroke, depression, colon cancer, and premature death.

• Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. You can burn 150 calories by gardening (standing) for approximately 30-45 minutes. Kids should get 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days.



• If you have been inactive, start out with just a few minutes of physical activity each day. Gradually build up time and intensity.
• Vary your gardening activities to keep your interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
• Remember to always do some stretching before working in the garden. Stretching helps to loosen up muscles and will help prevent any strains or pulls during your gardening activities.

Get Vaccinated

Vaccinations can prevent many diseases and save lives. All adults should get a tetanus vaccination every 10 years. Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through breaks in the skin. Because gardeners use sharp tools, dig in the dirt, and handle plants with sharp points, they are particularly prone to tetanus infections.

• Before you start gardening this season, make sure your tetanus/diphtheria (Td) vaccination is up to date.
• Ask your health care provider if you need any other vaccinations.

Common Sense Is A Good Tool

Also something I use in the garden is the 10-second Stop Rule. The 10-second Stop Rule is very simple; it just means to stop and look at what you are about to do and examine the process for 10 seconds. Think about how you are going to perform the task, what the dangers could be while performing the task, or look around you to make sure there isn’t something you could trip or fall over.

Following these guidelines and just using good common sense will help provide you and your family a healthy, safe gardening time.

What are some vegetable gardening safety tips you may use in your garden? Please share!

More Fantastic Vegetable Gardening Articles:

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2. 10 Tips For Finding Inexpensive Garden Tools & Supplies
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